She’d been so busy ogling him that she hadn’t noticed that he was holding out a black velvet box tied with a silver ribbon. His knowing expression told her that he’d caught her staring at him, and he didn’t mind one bit.
Blushing, she took the box. “Thank you.”
He looked amused as he settled on the mattress beside her. “You haven’t opened it yet.”
“I don’t ’ave to open it to know that it was thoughtful o’ you to get me a gift.”
“Will you stop being sweet long enough to open the damned thing?”
The warmth in his eyes told her he was teasing. Dutifully, she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. There was another box inside, this one made of silver. Taking it out, she opened it, and her breath lodged.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
She couldn’t reply. Couldn’t get the words out as she stared at the ring nestled in white satin.
The center stone was a flawless ruby the size of her thumbnail. A halo of diamonds surrounded the blood-red gem. The combination of fire and ice was utterly breathtaking.
“Here, try it on.” Taking the ring, Knight lifted her hand and slipped it onto her finger: it fit perfectly above her wedding band. “That looks nice, don’t you think?”
“It’s more than nice.” Her voice wasn’t quite steady. “Knight…it’s the most splendid thing anyone has given me.”
“Well, it is no tinker’s friend, but I am glad you like it.” Smiling, he stroked his thumb over the stacked rings. “When I saw the ruby, I was reminded of you.”
“You were?” She couldn’t see what she had in common with this precious jewel. “Why?”
“For starters, your price is beyond rubies.”
“Oh, Knight.” Her heart hiccupped at his gallantry.
“Then there’s the color of the ruby. At first, I was looking for something to match your eyes but they are peerless, I’m afraid. No jewel can capture their velvety warmth.”
If she were the swooning type, she would have swooned then and there.
“So I decided to match the gem to something else instead,” he went on.
Tilting her head, she gave him a dreamy look. “What did you match it to?”
“Your pretty mouth.” He rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip. “And your lovely nipples.”
She blinked. “You bought me a ring to match my nipples?”
“The most beautiful nipples I’ve seen.”
He tugged down her sheet. Lifting her left hand, he positioned it on her left breast so that her nipple rose proudly between her ring and middle fingers. The stiff bud and the gem were indeed of a similar hue.
His gaze molten, he said, “See? A perfect match.”
“That’s wicked,” she sputtered.
“It is rather.”
He tumbled her backward onto the mattress. She gasped at the filling thrust of his manhood, the long, proud heat of him drilling into her core. Of their own accord, her hips arched for more.
A devilish smile lit his eyes.
“Lucky for me,” he murmured, “I have a sweet, accommodating wife who doesn’t mind a bit of wicked.”
24
After Fancy accommodated her husband not once but twice, Knight left for his office. He’d promised to be back for supper and, with that irresistibly wicked glint in his eyes, told her to expect him afterward. Then he went on with his day and Fancy went on with hers.
After Fancy ate her breakfast on a tray, Gemma helped her don one of the latest items Madame Rousseau had sent. The visiting dress of peach silk had a long bodice, narrow sleeves, and skirts that flared in an elegant dome. The crisscrossed bodice was ornamented with ruched ribbon of paler peach, the ruching repeated on the double tiers of the skirts.
Fancy adored her new dress. Not only was it the most stylish frock she’d ever owned, but the modiste had granted her request as well: there were hidden pockets in the skirts. Stashing her tinker’s friend and Knight’s old button, which she carried around as a secret good luck token, Fancy put on her new ruby ring, squared her shoulders, and descended to her lessons.
Her mornings were split between classes with her dancing master, Maestro Agostino and her elocution master, Mr. Stanton. Her hour with the former passed quickly for she enjoyed dancing and, to her instructor’s delight, had no trouble learning the steps to the more formal dances that had not been in her repertoire.
Her time with Mr. Stanton, however, required more concentration and effort.
“Today we are focusing on the letter H.” The teacher, who had a ring of hair around his gleaming pate, stood before a chalkboard