into a potted plant so that one could sit close by and listen unobserved.”
Gillian, who’d been taking a drink, and Letty, who’d been about to take another bite of bridecake, stared at her before both women started laughing. The bit of cake on Letty’s fork dropped to the carpet between her slippered feet.
Gillian pressed two gloved fingers against her nose and looked as though she might sneeze.“Heavens, some champagne just went up my nose.”
“And now I’ve ruined the carpet. Poor Mrs. Hadaway—she’ll have to have it scrubbed.”
By the time the guests had all departed, only Caroline remained behind with them in the dining room.Even James and Gillian had to return to little Gabriel.
“Letty, would you like to rest a bit? I’m sure you could use a bit of food and drink too. You scarcely had a moment to breathe, let alone eat,” Caroline observed. “What do you say? I can have Mrs. Oxley send a tray to your room.”
It sounded heavenly, but Letty sought to catch Adam’s eye, wondering what he might prefer. It was halfpast three in the afternoon, and she remembered he had mentioned he needed to meet with his steward.
“My lord—Adam,” she corrected herself. “Are you still intending to meet with your steward today?”
Her husband sighed. “I’m afraid I must. Now that I’m to live at Chilgrave for the foreseeable future, there are some changes that need to be made to the estate.”
“Should I go with you?” Letty suggested. She wished to be a part of his life, and especially to be involved as Chilgrave’s new mistress. Not all men allowed their wives into the sanctum of estate stewardship, and she hoped Adam wasn’t one of those.
“You look tired. Rest today, but next time you’ll come with me to meet Walpole.”
“Promise?” Letty reached out to touch his hand.
His silver-and-gray eyes softened again. “I promise. We are partners from now on.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Letty admitted. “I wasn’t sure if you were the sort of man who would allow his wife to be involved in estate matters.”
“If you know nothing else about me, know that I believe a wife is her husband’s equal, no matter what the laws of England say.” There was no hint of deception in his voice, only honesty.
“Well, you had better go if you plan to be back in time for dinner,” Caroline said.
“You’re right—I must go. And you must rest.” Adam headed for the front door, still wearing his wedding clothes. Letty followed behind, a sudden sense of concern for her husband forming a pit in her stomach.
“Adam, you’ll be careful?”
“Yes, I will. As will you,” he reminded her, and she nodded, wanting desperately to say something or do something more before he left.
Adam pulled Letty to him and kissed her hard before letting her go. “I will be back as soon as I can.”
With a whirl of his cloak, he left to mount his horse before the front stepsand then rode away from her on their wedding day.
6
Adam dismounted outside the village of Hemsley and took a moment to stretch his legs as he made his way to the office of his steward, Henry Walpole. It gave him a moment to once again reflect upon the new direction his life had taken.
I’m married.
He smiled at the memory of Letty standing beside him at the altar. She’d looked so dazed, as dazed as he’d felt on the inside, that he’d felt compelled to flash her a wink to get her to smile. Then he’d lost his control in the coach on the way back to Chilgrave, but knowing she was his, finally, a bride of his own—he’d gone a bit mad to kiss her and hold her. Then he’dseen the way she’d responded to his more commanding side, the way she’d let him give chase to her, and how her pulse had beat and her eyes had been wide and full of an excitement that matched his own.
I’m a bloody blessed man to have a wife who embraces passion as she does.
A sudden tightness in his breeches made him wince. The hour-long ride to Hemsley had done little to ease his amorous thoughts. He ought not to be thinking of bedding his wife, not when he still had business to settle. The sooner he was done here, the sooner he could get back to properly bed her.
Adam passed the reins of his horse off to a waiting groom and approached the small stone building that served as Henry’s office.
A man