a duchess, which meant he ought to treat his wife like one. He stared at the thick paneled door between them, the gleaming polished knob, and his fingers twitched to reach out and open the door. To not think about his deuced duties and family—to just lose himself in Fancy’s passionate warmth.
You are only thinking of your own needs, you selfish bastard, he told himself starkly. If you had married a well-bred lady, you wouldn’t be tupping her every day…and some days more than once. Fancy deserves the same respect, doesn’t she?
He exhaled, turning to go.
Then the door opened, and he jerked around.
“Knight?” Fancy peered at him through the half-open door.
“Yes, sweeting?” He tried not to notice the fact that she was dressed for bed, her chestnut hair loose and shining. “Do you need something?”
“No…not, um, really.” She bit her lip, her cheeks flushing. “I was just wondering if you might want, um, company?”
Her vulnerability loosened the knot in his chest.
“I was about to knock and ask you the same thing,” he said ruefully.
“Were you?” Relief filled her brown eyes. “Aunt Esther said separate bedchambers are the appropriate arrangement between a lady and ’er ’usband. And she said it’s always the ’usband’s prerogative to open the door.”
Hearing Fancy convey Esther’s advice made him realize how stupid that advice was. It was his marriage—his and Fancy’s. What went on in their private lives was nobody’s business.
“Aunt Esther may be an expert on many things but not marital matters.” He took his wife’s hand, tugging her into his room and closing the door behind her. “Open the door whenever you like; I cannot think of a single occasion when I would not welcome your company.”
Her eyes were like melted chocolate in the candlelight. “Truly?”
“Truly,” he said.
She smiled, so beautifully that his heart gave a stutter. Reaching up, she fiddled with the lapel of his robe. “After the last week, it felt strange sleeping alone. And the bed in my chamber is as big as my family’s entire caravan.”
“You do not have to sleep alone.”
And neither do I.
The realization came with a feeling of wonder. Before Fancy, he had rarely stayed the night with a woman. On occasion, he’d fallen asleep with his mistresses, but no cuddling had been involved. Yet since their very first night together, Fancy had fit perfectly in his arms. He had gotten accustomed to falling asleep to the scent of her hair and awakening tangled up with her.
He led her over to his bed, a giant mahogany tester draped with navy silk hangings.
“Climb in, chérie.”
She did, and he followed suit. Tucking her against his side, with her head against his heart, felt like the most natural thing to do. They lay in companionable silence, which was another fine quality his wife possessed. Unlike other women he’d known, she didn’t feel the need to fill the space with nonsensical chatter. She just curled against him as he traced a lazy circle on her shoulder.
“Your family doesn’t like me,” Fancy announced.
He stopped his doodling. “That is not true.”
“Cecily thinks I’m rude and unfashionable. She didn’t even come to supper on account o’ me.”
“She didn’t come to supper on account of her being a spoiled brat,” he countered. “Besides, if she despises anyone, it is me.”
Fancy lifted her head to look at him. “Why? She ought to be grateful you are looking after ’er.”
“As I’ve mentioned, my father did not spend time with his offspring. The rare instances when he bothered to notice them, he indulged them. He did not set rules or guide their behavior.”
“But you do set rules,” Fancy said slowly.
“As their guardian, it is my duty,” Severin stated. “They must learn to conduct themselves properly and gain self-discipline. How else will they survive the world?”
“You’re a good brother,” she said softly.
He shifted uncomfortably. “I am merely managing the responsibility that was given to me. My family is not like yours. There’s no feeling of kinship binding us.”
“I disagree. Whether or not they show it, your siblings look up to you, and you care for them in return.” Before he could dispute her, Fancy said, “Who is Jacques? The fellow Cecily mentioned.”
“Just one of the many ne’er-do-wells that Cecily had sniffing after her back in France,” Severin said in disgust. “She has a penchant for picking up fortune hunters and scoundrels.”
“Luckily, she ’as you to protect her now. And me as well.”
He looked at her. “You are going to protect Cecily? After the way she acted?”