The Sherbrooke Bride (Sherbrooke Brides 1)

Two hours later, alone in her bedchamber, Alexandra stood irresolute, staring at the adjoining door. Ryder had said to seduce Douglas. Ryder said that all women were born knowing how. She wondered if Douglas would laugh at her if she tried. Ryder had said time was of the essence, that she must act quickly, that she mustn’t wait patiently, like the faithful Penelope did for Ulysses. Very well then. She would do it and she would do it now. Before she lost her resolve.

Alex doused her candle and walked to the adjoining door. Slowly, she opened it.

CHAPTER

9

ALEX WALKED SLOWLY into the large master bedroom. Her eyes went immediately to the bed and she stilled. It was empty, the covers unruffled. She saw him then and walked quietly toward him. A branch of candles burned on a table beside the wing chair in front of the fireplace. There were only embers still burning, dull orange, throwing off little light and warmth.

Douglas sat in the chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He was wearing a dark blue brocade dressing gown. It was parted over his legs. She stared at his legs, hairy, thick, strong. His feet were bare. They were long and narrow and quite beautiful to her. His chin was balanced on his fist.

She was scared silly; but she was determined, she had to be. It was very possible that her future with this man depended on what she did and how well she did it in the next few minutes. “My lord?”

“Yes,” Douglas said, not moving, not looking at her. “I heard you come into my room. I never thought I should lock my door against a woman. What do you want?”

“I wanted . . . you’re thinking about what to do with me, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that and other things. I am also worried about Ryder voyaging to the West Indies. It is never a safe sailing. But he insisted that he be the one to go.” Douglas turned then to look up at her. “Ryder said I should remain here and come to grips with myself and my marriage to you. He believes you a perfectly fine sort.”

She said nothing.

Douglas looked over at her then. He brooded, stroking his fingers over his chin now. “Your nightgown is a little girl’s, all white and long and high-necked.”

“I don’t have any others.”

“The brass I will have to spend on clothing you begins to boggle the mind.”

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; “There is nothing wrong with my nightgown. It keeps me warm and it is soft against the skin.”

“It is a virgin’s nightgown.”

“Well,” she said reasonably, “that is what I am.”

“No self-respecting woman would wear such a garment.”

Alex sighed.

“What do you want? Ah, I see. You wish to plead with me some more. You wish to further detail how indispensable you can be to me. You wish to bray on about your housewifely accomplishments. I beg you not to tell me you will also sing in the evenings to me and perhaps accompany yourself on the pianoforte. Why the devil do you have your hair braided? It looks absurd. I don’t like it.”

Alex never stopped looking at him. She hadn’t thought about her braid; she should have, for a braid couldn’t be considered remotely seductive. Melissande never braided her hair. Alex would learn. She set her single candle down on the table by his chair. She raised her arms and slowly began to upbraid her hair. As the plaits came loose, she tugged her fingers through the deep ripples, smoothing them out. He merely sat there, watching her, saying nothing.

When she finished, her hair was loose to the middle of her back.

“Bring some hair over your shoulder.”

She did.

“There. Your hair is a nice color and it is of a nice thickness. At least the hair hides some of the hideous nightgown. Now, what do you want?”

There was really no hope for it. Either she opened her mouth and told him, or she left. He appeared impatient with her and saw her as naught but an unwelcome intrusion. It was daunting.

“Well? Get on with it. I can take anything except whining and wheedling.”

She said without preamble, chin up, back straight, “I’ve come to seduce you.”

“Ah, the female’s final weapon,” Douglas said. “I really shouldn’t be surprised, should I? If naught else, I put it in your mind this morning. I should have known, should have guessed. When all else fails, bring out the female body and parade it about in front of the randy man’s nose.”