Queen of my Hart - Emily Royal Page 0,18

mouth had curled into a small smile of contentment. It was the first time he’d seen her smile, and the peaceful expression tore at his heart. His manhood strained with the need to be buried inside her, but he clenched his hands and sat back. Though she was his to do whatever he liked with, he had no wish to see that beautiful smile disappear. What might she look like if she smiled when awake?

Would she ever smile at him?

He shook his head. He was turning into a sentimental fool, ruled by a pretty smile and a willing body. Better for her if she learned her place sooner rather than later — and it was better if she did that in the country.

***

When Meggie woke, the fire had gone out, and the chamber was in darkness. She smiled to herself. Her predicament was not as bad as she’d feared. When her husband had realized she wasn’t a virgin, he’d been angry at first—those cold, blue eyes had flashed like a steel blade. But then he seemed resigned to it.

The memory of her pleasure pulsed through her, and she shifted her legs to recall the delicious sensation of his intimate caresses, his mouth on her flesh…

And he’d joined her in bed. Rather than be abandoned and unloved, hope sprang forth that she would be cherished and cared for.

She reached across the bed to find it empty.

Her husband had abandoned her during the night.

He was no different from the others. Her mother had abandoned her when she was a baby. Her father had tucked her away out of sight. As for him…

She cursed herself. Resurrecting that memory only led to pain

Like the rest of them, her husband had taken what he wanted, then had no further use for her.

He hadn’t even kissed her.

What might he do now? Find another to satisfy his appetite, just as Elizabeth said he would? Was that why he had a separate chamber, so he could enjoy women he desired, while the woman he’d never wanted slept next door?

She rolled onto her side and succumbed to the tears.

Chapter Nine

Dexter looked up as his wife entered the breakfast room.

“Good morning, husband.”

She sat at the end of the table. Though her voice was flat, she looked as if she’d been crying.

“Are you well—Margaret?” he asked.

She glanced at the footman, then nodded. Dexter gestured to the servant.

“Please serve breakfast to your mistress,” he said. “Forgive me, what’s your name?”

“Charles, sir.”

“Charles,” Dexter said. “Perhaps some eggs and a little bacon, unless my wife objects.”

She looked up, her nut-brown eyes watching him with uncertainty. “Thank you,” she said, “that would be most kind.”

She waited until the footman had left before she started eating.

“You look tired,” he said. “Forgive me. I assumed you’d remain in your chamber this morning.”

She colored but said nothing.

“Would you like some tea?” he asked. “I can ask…” he hesitated and gestured toward the door. What was the damned man’s name?

“Charles,” she said.

“Charles, yes, that’s it. I can ask Charles to pour you a cup.”

“Are you in the habit of forgetting the names of those you deem unimportant?”

Ah! There it was. She possessed spirit, though it had, no doubt, been suppressed most of her life.

He lifted his teacup and drained the contents. “I make it my business to know every one of my employees personally,” he said. “It ensures their loyalty. The root of a successful business is a contented and fulfilled workforce.”

“And what is the root of a successful marriage?”

“That depends on the marriage,” he said. “But, at the very least, a marriage cannot survive without honesty.”

Her hand trembled as she lifted a forkful of eggs to her mouth. She might have spirit, but it seemed as if he could crush it with a single sentence if he wanted.

But he did not.

He set down his teacup. “In answer to your question, today is the first day I’ve set eyes on Charles. He’s new to my employ.”

“Don’t you have enough servants already?”

“I do,” he replied. “Charles arrived this morning to replace John.”

“John?” she asked. “The one who served us at dinner? Has he had an accident?”

“I had him dismissed,” he said. “Another essential quality an employee must possess is respect for his employer. And his employer’s wife.”

She nodded and resumed eating. But this time, he noticed a little relaxation in her shoulders.

“I trust you’ll be ready for your journey,” he said.

She stiffened. “My journey?”

“To Molineux Manor,” he said. “We leave in two days. I’d have preferred sooner, but I have