He advanced upon her and lazily lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, that’s all. Your cravat is really quite well done.”
“It’s my own design. Lord Harry may disabuse himself of the notion of copying it.”
“I daresay Lord Harry does just fine for himself. Actually, it’s the Mathematical he aspires to. It’s not as easily achieved as it looks. My lord March does it nicely.” It didn’t occur to her to remove her fingers from his hand. His fingers were strong and warm and she wished they were on her arm, perhaps on her face, her throat. She sighed. It might even be nice to be back in his bed again.
Things seemed so very different now that she was a female and in a gown and in her father’s drawing room.
She retrieved her hand when Grimpston, bearing tea and morning cakes, loudly cleared his throat upon entering the drawing room.
“Ah, sustenance. Please set the tray upon the table. I shall serve his grace.”
Grimpston did as he was bid and during his placement, he managed to study the marquess quite thoroughly. Before he left, he nodded to Hetty.
“It appears your butler finds me acceptable husband material,” the marquess said blandly.
“You’re male, of the nobility, not doddering toward the grave, you have all your teeth, so yes, he approves of you.”
He grinned at her. “I don’t carry extra flesh either, though a butler would scarce consider that, I doubt. Grimpston has been with your family forever, am I right?”
“I sometimes think he’s been with the family since the seventeenth century. He seems to know everything about every ancestor. Cream, your grace?”
“Yes. Thank you for pouring it, Hetty. Is that a simper I hear? No, certainly not. Incidentally, do call me Jason. I don’t like this withdrawal of yours. It makes me feel insecure. It makes me feel like you no longer regard me as your white knight. It makes me think you don’t want me to kiss you again.”
“I feel the same way, sitting here just like a proper young lady.” She laughed. “My life has been so very odd for the past five months. Tell me, Jason, are we really betrothed?”
“Yes, but I will speak to Sir Archibald. We don’t want to shock him, Hetty.”
“I agree,” she said. “I should like to kiss you though whether you’re a Jason or a your grace. Perhaps at Thurston Hall it was just my weakness that made me want to kiss you so very much and all of the time. Do you think that’s possible?”
“No, it’s not. I will kiss you, but not just yet. Tell me, dear one, how did you enjoy your evening with Sir Harry and Mr. Scuddimore?”
“They were much pleased to see me. Oh, the devil. How did you know I’d seen them? I would have told you without you having me followed by one of your minions.”
“I quite understand, but a little prodding never hurts. Pottson was understandably concerned and practically begged me to ‘break you to the bit,’ I believe was his colorful way of putting it.”
“I can’t believe he’d betray me to you,” she said and slammed her teacup into its saucer. “I knew that he would take it upon himself to interfere. He always gives me those wounded looks of his, no matter what I wanted to do as Lord Harry. I even saw him praying once. Breaking me to the bit? How very gothic that sounds and well, maybe lots of fun, but just with you.”
“Does it really? Be careful what you say, Hetty, else I just might leap on you right now, right here in your father’s drawing room. Now, forgive me but I did ask him to keep an eye on you. I found a gray hair in my head yesterday morning. Since I want to be with you for the next fifty years or so, I had to do something. Also, you must know that Pottson rather has to obey me since he’ll be in my employ for many years to come.”
That sounded very nice to her and she gave him a smile that hit him down to his toes. God, she had a wonderful smile, a very female smile. He couldn’t imagine her as Lord Harry, he truly couldn’t. She was beautiful, her breasts full and soft. Lord, he wanted to kiss her and hold her, perhaps even cup her buttocks in his hands and raise her against him. He nearly groaned at the thought. He saw her naked so clearly, so beautifully naked and white and soft and his dark hand in the hollow of her belly and the contrast between them, ah, it was too much. He would surely expire on the spot if he didn’t elevate his thoughts immediately. He pictured her breasts and choked on his tea.