Page 27 of Pride of Lyons

Her eyes widened, but she made no sound.

He hurried on. “I know I promised I would not press you to come to my bed until you were quite sure, but now—”

“Yes, yes of course.” Honoria spoke quickly, almost breathlessly. “You must…we must…” Her cheeks turned a rosy shade of red. “Yes. Just…yes.”

Relief poured through him. Not only had she agreed, but she didn’t even appear distressed that he’d asked her. He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly. “Thank you, my love.” A huge weight rolled off his shoulders. Not only because now there might indeed be a child, but because Honoria had shown no fear of him. No hesitation in her answer. He slid off the bed. “I will send a tray for your supper so you will not have to dress. Would you prefer for me to come to you here…later?”

A quick nod, then she lowered her face.

“Then I will come after the house has gone to bed.” He lifted her chin and gazed into her deep blue eyes. “Do not worry, my love. It will be all right.”

Another brief kiss, and he left quickly, not wishing to upset her in any way. As he hurried down the corridor to his room, a sudden thought gave Thomas a start. Would his resolve to avenge his wife’s honor with this duel to the death weaken once he discovered how much more he stood to lose?

Chapter Thirteen

The candle flame wavered, casting strange shadows on the stone walls of the Keep as Thomas crept along the corridor from his chamber to Honoria’s solar, mindful of making too much noise. When he’d proposed the solar for tonight’s tryst, he’d not given a thought as to how he would get from his room to hers. His parents had always shared the master chamber, so it never occurred to him that if he wanted to be intimate with his wife, one of them would need to walk from one chamber to the other. Not that there was anything shameful in a husband and wife sharing their connubial intimacies, but he didn’t wish to announce it to the entire house. Thus, the need for his stealthy pace.

Attired in a blue silk banyan and slippers—and nothing else—Thomas feared one of the staff discovering him in dishabille almost as much as he feared the consequences of his coming encounter with Honoria. Even though she’d consented to him sharing her bed tonight, he wasn’t completely certain she hadn’t agreed out of a sense of duty. While that was admirable and made him value her even more, he had wanted their joining to be from mutual affection and desire rather than mere obligation.

But his own actions had prohibited that now. He must, therefore, take excruciating care to be gentle and patient with his wife, in the hopes she would find some measure of pleasure in their joining. Not an easy task when every time he looked at her, he wanted nothing more than to plunge himself into her depths and claim her as his.

He must go as slowly as possible the first time and hope the experience would not turn her from him irrevocably.

At last, he stood before the solar door. Pushing all trepidations aside, Thomas squared his shoulders and scratched on the door.

A faint “come in” made him send a brief prayer heavenward before opening the door.

A blaze of candlelight met him as he entered, and he blinked at the bright light, dazzled. Honoria must have ordered every candle in the room to be lit, which seemed odd. He scanned the room and, to his surprise, discovered her already in bed, the last place he’d expected her to be. A reticent bride would need to be coaxed into bed, wouldn’t she? Perhaps, being resigned to her fate, Honoria had elected to simply begin where she would inevitably end up. She was a practical woman, after all. He set the candlestick on the table next to the decanter of wine he’d had sent up earlier. “Good evening, Honoria.”

“Good evening, Thomas.” She didn’t, however, look resigned or sad at all. Instead, she sat propped up in the bed, smiling broadly at him, her cheeks touched with pink, her dark hair fanned out against the pillows, looking more irresistible than ever before.

His mouth dried, and he had to wait a moment before he could speak. “Would you like some wine, my dear?”

“Yes, please.” She sat up straighter, the covers dropping away to reveal that lacy nightgown again.

With an effort, Thomas turned his gaze away from the comely lady and busied himself with pouring wine for them both. Were his hands shaking? He breathed deeply, amazed at his jitters, before turning and stepping toward the bed. “Here you are.”

Honoria took the glass but kept her gaze on him. “Thank you. This was very thoughtful.”

“I find a glass of wine before bed very soothing.” Her blue eyes had darkened even more. “I thought you might like it as well.”

She sniffed the wine, then took a cautious sip. A smile spread over her face once more. “It is quite good.”

“I’d been saving this vintage for a special occasion. Nothing else will ever come close to being as special as tonight.”

Her cheeks grew a darker pink.

“Shall we drink to our marriage, my dear? To a long and happy life together?” He certainly wished for that, although not all such wishes were granted.

“To our long and happy life.” She raised her glass, and when he did the same, she sipped the wine again. Deeper this time, still not taking her gaze from him. When she’d finished, she set the glass on the bedside table and held out her hand to him. “Will you come to bed, Thomas?”

Thomas’s heart stuttered. That was the very last request he’d expected from her tonight, but a good thing, surely.

“Of course, my dear.” He downed the rest of his wine in a gulp and set the glass next to hers. He took her hand and sat on the bed next to her and cupped her lovely face. “You have made me the happiest of men, Honoria.” Thomas leaned forward, gently kissing her full, luscious lips. She tasted of sweetness, not only of the wine but of Honoria herself. How he longed to be able to please her tonight, to have her enjoy the joining of their bodies as something born of love, not duty.

He deepened the kiss, as he’d done repeatedly during their time together. She’d started to respond to him, as she did now, cupping his head with both her hands, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, which aroused him like nothing else. Tonight, however, she moved her hands from his head to his shoulders, and with a slight motion, sent his banyan slithering to the floor.

Completely startled, it took Thomas a moment to register what she had done—and that he now sat before her completely nude. He broke the kiss, only because he wanted to see her face for himself. “Honoria? Do you…are you….” He had no idea how to ask if she desired him as well.