The Sherbrooke Bride (Sherbrooke Brides 1)

Douglas laughed. “Now that’s a line from the play I remember well. But you needn’t trot out those particular qualities, my dear, for they are there for all to see. Shall we put Molière back on his shelf? Good.” He then turned to look into the fireplace. “Didn’t you expect to see me tonight?”

“I wasn’t certain.”

“Did you want me to come to you?”

At that moment she looked about as happy as she would welcoming the plague into her house. “I don’t know. I’m very concerned about all this.”

“About all what? What I’m going to teach you?”

“Yes.”

“How very odd. I didn’t expect one morsel of concern from the woman who came into my bedchamber not long ago and stripped off her nightgown and came to stand between my legs. Indeed, I hurried in here because I thought you just might repeat your performance. The husband is supposed to be the one to come to his bride on their wedding night, not the other way around. And this is our wedding night. Would you have trotted into my bedchamber, ready to do your worst to me? Truly, Alexandra, I didn’

t believe you had a modest bone in your very lovely body. Concern? Are you afraid that I shall beat you?”

“No, I was afraid that you would look at me again and not want me.”

Douglas’s mouth snapped shut. Dear God, he wished she had more guile. This honesty of hers was appalling, and he wished she would learn to keep it behind her teeth. “Well, I am your husband. This is the last time I will tell you that I have accepted this marriage. And now this marriage must be consummated if it is to be a real marriage.”

She felt a frisson of both anticipation and fear. He did not sound particularly pleased to be in her bedchamber. He sounded as if this would be a chore for him.

“I am never certain what you will do. You are unpredictable. But I don’t think you really wish to be in here, with me.”

He waved his hand. “I am perfectly capable of enjoying myself with you. From this night on I won’t be unpredictable when it comes to bedding you. You realize that I must be here, don’t you? Do you understand about consummation, Alexandra? You do understand what we will do?”

He was still standing beside her, tall and broad, looking down at her from his commanding height. “Do you?”

“I know that you admire my bosom. You told me that. I assume that you weren’t lying.”

“ ‘Bosom’ is a woman’s word. What you have, Alexandra, is breasts. Full white breasts, large enough to overflow a man’s hands. Yes, I like your breasts. They are most pleasing. They will be plentiful enough, certainly, to suckle my son. And until my son arrives, why then, they will suckle me.”

“Suckle you? You are not a babe.”

His mouth thinned a bit. “I will have to show you. Now, do you understand what is going to happen? I ask, Alexandra, because you are a virgin, and I have no particular wish to shock you or disgust you.”

“Why would you do that? You make me angry, Douglas, but you’ve never disgusted me, save in your unregulated speech upon occasion.”

“You might find my body disgusting. I am dark and hairy and large. I have heard that young ladies of quality occasionally are repulsed by the male body.”

“Oh no.”

“Surely this is a strange conversation,” he said, frowning toward the fireplace. “Let us finish it. Consummation, Alexandra?”

“I know a little bit. I asked Melissande, but she—” She stopped when Douglas suddenly sucked in his breath. She felt a shaft of pain, deep and raw. He had thought of Melissande making love with Tony and it distressed him. But what could she expect?

“What did she tell you?”

He was trying to downplay his reaction, she would give him that. “She didn’t tell me much of anything. She said it wasn’t proper but then she got all flushed and stammered and I was left not knowing what to think.”

Douglas pulled a loose gold thread from his sleeve. “It is common knowledge that Tony is an excellent lover.”

“Common amongst whom?”

“At first amongst ladies, but then they talk to other lovers and husbands, and the gentlemen learn who amongst them enjoys success.”

“So the more excellent the lover the more women the lover enjoys? It doesn’t matter if he is married or not? Or if she is married or not?”

Douglas frowned. It was the accepted way of things, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to tell her so. He said only, “I suppose so.”