Page 43 of Her Baseborn Bridegroom

“A few on the back of your neck and shoulders,” he admitted.

She tutted with vexation. “If you would,” she said, hugging her knees to her chest as he reared up behind her.

“Give me the stone.”

She handed it to him, and after inspecting it a moment, he suspended it over the steaming water.

“What other remedies have you tried?” he asked. For some reason, this subject interested him more than talk of his father’s arrival at the castle.

“Well, I’ve tried various unguents and poultices,” she admitted sadly. “The worst was made from vinegar and oats. It smelled pretty foul. I’ve tried lots of others . . . Crushed strawberries, pure distilled water mixed with flour, pulped cucumbers. The list goes on and on. One time Mother Ames gave me a plaster made of rabbit leather, but I couldn’t get on with that. She also suggested applying bull’s blood, but I―I just couldn’t.”

She shivered, and he wasn’t sure if that was from his application of the jewel or the idea of animal blood. “How is the amethyst supposed to help?” he asked, gliding it over her smooth skin.

She gulped. “The jewel supposedly has healing properties.”

“You’re not injured though,” he pointed out and tugged her shift down over her shoulder blades to press his lips to cool, pretty skin.

“Uh, no,” she agreed. “But my skin is blemished.”

He made a noise of dissent low in his throat. “No it isn’t, Linnet. Your skin is perfect.”

She went quite still at that. “Perfect?” she whispered.

“Perfect,” he affirmed and kissed the line of her upper spine.

She was quiet and still a moment as she digested that. Then she wriggled. “Is your father settled for the night?” she asked as he slid her shift down over one shoulder and kissed it too. “I told Gertrude to put him in the blue chamber. I hope that’s alright.”

“He’ll be fine,” he answered shortly. “Let’s take this off,” he said, lightly tugging at her sheer night gown. He tossed the amethyst onto the set of drawers by the bed.

“I haven’t done my arms yet,” she pointed out.

Mason took one of her slim, pale hands in his and inspected it. There was a scattering of freckles on the backs of her hand. He noticed she still wore the thin scarlet ribbon holding his cracked signet ring in place on her finger. He really should replace that when he got the chance. With what he didn’t know precisely as he’d never bought a woman jewelry before. He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. “Do they really bother you?”

She stared up at him. “Do they really not bother you?” she asked in a slightly choked voice.

“No,” he shrugged. “They don’t bother me at all.”

Linnet blinked once, twice. Then she sighed. “I suppose beauty was probably never on your list of requirements for a bride.”

Which was true of course but for some reason it annoyed him. “Your looks don’t displease me,” he said shortly. “Though the fact you’re still dressed does.”

He rolled away from her to finish stripping off his own undergarments. When he turned back towards her, she’d dragged her shift over her shoulders. He gave a satisfied growl and pounced on her.

“Wait!” she exclaimed, trying to disentangle her arms.

“I’ve been waiting,” he growled. “For too long. When I come home of an evening, I shouldn’t have to come looking for you.”

He hadn’t known he was going to say that until it came out of his mouth. Disconcerted by his own thoughts, he leant over and blew out the candle so he couldn’t see Linnet’s surprised expression. Of course she was surprised. He knew full-well he was being unreasonable!

“What should I do then?” she asked uncertainly as he ran his hands over her hips and buttocks. He buried his face in her neck.

“You should be waiting for me here,” he said and kissed the point where her neck and shoulders met.

“In our bedroom?”

“In our bed,” he corrected her.

She gave a slight gasp when his lips found hers for a very thorough and deep kiss.