“I . . . It feels wonderful.”
Ledbetter smiled at her. “Thank God for your honesty, Prudence. I dare say you would prefer not to admit that.”
“Yes, for I am still alarmed by the thought of intimate relations.”
“An hour ago you urged me to consummate our marriage. I would prefer not to do that until you have a better understanding of the possibilities of pleasure between a husband and wife. And frankly, for one so naive, that won't happen in a day. Shall you mind so very much?” he asked, a teasing note to his voice.
“You are very patient.”
“My dear girl, no one has ever accused me of patience before. Let us just say that I am attempting to take the long view of the situation, shall we?”
“Thank you, William. It is very considerate of you.”
“No doubt.” He gave her one last, brief kiss and released her. “It's late. You must be longing for your bed.”
“And do you intend to share my bed tonight?”
“I do.” He frowned slightly. “I trust you won't object.”
Prudence stood on tiptoe and bravely kissed him. “No, my lord, I won't object.”
Chapter Eleven
Ledbetter was not accustomed to these delays in gratification of his desires. On the other hand, he did not consider himself such a monster as to force himself on his wife simply because they had repeated marriage vows and he could by rights do so.
If truth be told, he was a little intrigued by how very naive his wife was. It told him that she had not experienced any of these physical pleasures with her longtime fiancé. Of course, that dunderhead had wandered off to India and remained there, giving absolutely no opportunity for even the most mundane contact with his bride-to-be.
And knowing that his own engagement would last for precisely a week, Ledbetter had not attempted any familiarities with Prudence at her home. But her brazen sisters had led him to the false assumption that his betrothed was a trifle more knowledgeable than she proved to be. No matter. He preferred her innocence.
As the baron prepared for bed, he caught sight of an organ catalog on his bookshelf. How amused his wife had been to hear of the absurd gift his mother had made to the parish. Prudence, it seemed, was destined to surprise him in more ways than he could have anticipated. And while some of those surprises had been initially irritating, more often they were turning out to be enchanting.
Ledbetter stripped off his drawers and wrapped the maroon dressing gown his valet had left out around his body. He didn't bother with the slippers tucked carefully partway under the bed, but walked across the chilly floor to the door as he tied the velvet sash at his waist. Despite the fact that he hadn't given his wife much time to change into her nightclothes, he let himself out into the hall and walked across to knock at her door.
She was still seated at the vanity when he came into the bedroom, but the maid had already left. Prudence had a brush in her hand and she was pulling it through her wild masses of auburn hair. “It's all your fault,” she complained ruefully. “When I leave it loose it gets tangled.”
“Let me.” He took the brush from her fingers and set himself to stroking it through her hair in an easy, unhurried way. “You have the most glorious hair,” he told her. “It looked wonderful today. I don't see why you want to pin it down.”
“Because then I look like a respectable woman?” she suggested.
“Oh, I don't think anyone would take you for anything but a respectable woman.” He set the brush on the vanity and wove his fingers through her hair, all the while watching her in the mirror. “You're the type of woman who could be found alone with the vicar in his bedchamber and people would still not believe the worst of you.”
“I'm not sure I find that a flattering encomium, William. I think perhaps you're telling me that I'm a prude and an antidote.”
“I trust you know better than that, my dear. Your naivete has nothing to do with prudishness, and your beauty is self-evident.”
Prudence flushed under his steady gaze. “Thank you. I didn't mean to solicit a compliment.”
“No, of course you didn't.”
He was standing behind her, so that her image blocked almost his entire torso from view in the glass. “Have you ever seen a man naked?” he asked.
Prudence instantly looked alarmed but merely shook her head.
Ledbetter laughed. “And you don't want to. Come, where's your curiosity, ma'am?”
“Where's your modesty?” she asked tartly.
“Ah, there is something you probably don't realize, my dear. Most men haven't a modest bone in their bodies. There's not a one of us who wouldn't quite happily walk around naked all day, given the proper circumstances.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Well, it's true.” Ledbetter unfastened the sash at his waist and allowed the dressing gown to fall open, but he was still behind her, so she had no real view of him in the mirror. “Shall I get in bed first?” he suggested.
“If you would.”
He laughed, but turned aside and finished removing the dressing gown beside the bed. His wife remained seated at the vanity while he placed the maroon velvet robe over a chair back and climbed into bed. He could not tell if she peeked at him in the mirror or in person, but when he had settled, he patted the bed beside him and said, “Come, it's safe now.”
“Safe,” his bride muttered, rising from the bench before the mirror. “You don't know the meaning of the word.”
She was enveloped in a delightful white cotton confection which covered her from her neck to her toes, but which formed itself rather nicely to her bosom. Prudence did not seem to be particularly aware of this, probably believing that if the gown covered everything right down to her fingertips, it could not possibly be provocative. But it was—to Ledbetter. He groaned.
His bride cocked her head at him and frowned. “What is it? Are you not well, my lord?”
“I'm fine, Prudence. Come to bed.”
She snuffed the candle on the vanity and in the darkness he could hear her light tread across the carpet. When she reached the side of the bed, she hesitated and said, “You'll have to move over a little, William.”
“Of course, my dear.” He shifted, though only a very little distance. She gave a tsk of annoyance, but he held firm. “There's plenty of room for you.”
“You obviously have a distorted idea of my size,” she said, as she climbed onto the high bed.
“No, I just want to snuggle against you.”
“That's not really a good idea,” she protested, as she slipped onto the bed and could not avoid pressing her back right up against him.
“Oh, I think it is.” He encircled her with his arm, not surprised to find her own arms folded tightly across her chest. “Can you trust me enough to relax?”
For a while there was no response. Then he felt her body lose some of its stiffness, though her arms remained where they were. He wrapped his naked body around her, gently cradling her in his arms. “It's tomorrow that your new maid comes, is it not?” he asked.
“Why, yes. Her father is to bring her in the morning. You're not still angry with me about that, are you?”
“Was I angry? More surprised, I think. And perhaps a bit disconcerted. I had pictured Mrs. Collins finding someone for you. But it scarcely matters, Prudence. I trust she’ll work out well.”
“I think she will. She seems quite a clever girl, and not easily intimidated.”
“Ah. An important attribute, not being intimidated. I'm delighted that you possess it, Prudence.”
“You mock me, William.”
“Not at all.”
“I cannot think it would be very comfortable, having a husband who intimidated one.”
“No, I daresay it wouldn't. And yet, do you know, I think my mother was intimidated by my father. At least by his—blustering, was what my friend Geoffrey called it. He would get quite red in the face and yell as though everyone around him was deaf as a post.”
“Your poor mother! Did he . . . did he strike out?”
“Good Lord, no. But his roar was enough to make Mama shudder.” Ledbetter stroked a thumb along her arm. “I know I suffer from the same kind of impatience, Prudence, and I'm sorry for it. But I try very hard never to raise my voice, and if I should ever do so, you have only to call upon my father's name to remind me of how devastating a habit it can be.”
He felt her tremble in his arms. “I'm sorry. Have I frightened you? I meant to do the opposite.”
“No,” she said in a strangled voice. “You haven't frightened me.”
He kissed the back of her head. “Good. I want you to learn to feel comfortable with me.”
He felt a sigh, or perhaps it was a sob, wrack her body. “You must think me such a fool, William,” she whispered. “So stupidly childish.”
“Nonsense.” He tightened his arms protectively around her. “Two weeks ago you scarcely knew who I was, Prudence. And now I'm in your bed. I understand that you need some time to adjust. Don't distress yourself about it. Go to sleep. You must be exhausted.”
He felt her head nod against his lips, and he kissed her hair again. And wondered where this reserve of patience came from, since he was so unfamiliar with it. But before he could delve deeply into the thought, he had fallen asleep himself.
* * * *
Prudence was awakened by the careful movements of her husband as he climbed from their bed. She kept her eyes shut tight as he pulled the coverlet up to her neck and placed a soft kiss on her brow. When she felt certain he had turned away from the bed, she opened her eyes just a slit. He was picking up his dressing gown from the chair and she had a full view of his back side.
He looked almost larger naked than he did in his clothes. From this angle she could see that his shoulders were broad, his waist narrow and his legs strong. As he slipped into the dressing gown, his body turned and she found herself observing his male parts. She swallowed hard as she remembered that once in the night his member had hardened against her and she'd heard him mutter a plaintive oath. He had rolled away from her, then, and she'd fallen back to sleep. But later she had found herself once again in his arms.
She closed her eyes again and feigned sleep as her husband left the room. Ledbetter was not completely correct in his statement that she had scarcely known him until two weeks ago. She remembered him, as he had apparently remembered her, from her coming-out Season. Else why would he have come to her recently? True, she had inherited a deal of money, and for some reason he seemed to need to have that money at his disposal, but if he had been a complete stranger, he would not have shown up at her home, even under the auspices of her neighbors, the Rightons.
No, Ledbetter had noticed her when she had her Season. And she had noticed him. But his intensity had frightened her. There was something so overpoweringly male about him, so fraught with an undercurrent of desire, that she had trembled at his touch even when they danced a country dance. Never before tonight had she waltzed with him—which seemed now a very good thing. For look at the effect he had had on her. Lord, she would have swooned on the dance floor as a girl of eighteen!
Ledbetter safe? Hardly. It was Allen who had been safe. So gentle and kind to her, so patient and understanding of her physical shyness. A gentleman through and through. Never the least sign of urgency in his touch. He had only kissed her a few times, and they hadn't been at all like the kisses Ledbetter bestowed on her. What had possessed her to marry him? He was far too physical a man for her to cope with.
Prudence sighed as she pushed back the coverlet and climbed out of bed. She would have to overcome her distress. Ledbetter was showing an astonishing consideration of her difficulties, but she could not expect his patience to last forever. She grimaced at herself in the mirror and pulled the bell-cord for the maid.
* * * *
Tessie arrived midmorning and was brought by Mrs. Collins to the small withdrawing room Prudence had appropriated on the ground floor. There was a fine Sheraton desk in the room where she had taken to organizing her thoughts and penning her lists and letters. Tessie's eyes were sparkling with excitement, and her cheeks glowed from the brisk drive to Salston. She dropped a respectful curtsy to Prudence and hastened to say, “I hope I am not too early, Lady Ledbetter, but I made Papa start at dawn!”
Her new mistress laughed. “So eager as that to start your duties. Well, you have met Mrs. Collins, who is our housekeeper. She will show you, as she is showing me, how to go on here.”
“She was that nice to me, ma'am. Said as how they all welcomed me and hoped I would be happy here.”
“I, too, hope you shall. But if you are not, don't keep it a secret. If you will speak to me about any difficulties, I will do my best to see that they are sorted out.”
Prudence sat back in her chair and studied the young woman. “Do you know how to read and write, Tessie?”
“Oh, yes, my lady. Our folks taught each of us, saying if we didn't know, them as did would take advantage. Begging your pardon.”
“Well, they were probably quite right.” Prudence indicated a list she'd been preparing on the desk. “My husband has desired me to arrange for a dinner party for the neighbors in a week's time, and I would find it immensely helpful if you would serve as my assistant. Frankly, I don't think your duties as my dresser will be particularly onerous, especially as Ledbetter is determined that I shall leave my hair quite untamed.”
“Fancy a gentleman seeing how remarkable your hair is!” the girl exclaimed, surprised. “In my experience men don't notice such things at all. A poor girl is fortunate if a fellow remembers what
color
her hair is.”
“I should deem myself fortunate indeed, then,” Prudence said dryly. “Would you be willing to assist me with the arrangements for the party?”
“Oh, yes. What is it you'd like me to do?”
Prudence gazed absently out the window, drumming her fingers on the desk. “I should like to do something a little special, but not so different as to alarm our neighbors. Let me think about it for a while. But in the meantime, you might help me address the invitations if you've a good hand.” Prudence looked at her questioningly.