The Heiress (Madison Sisters 2)

"Horribly, I kept fretting," she admitted baldly, verifying what he'd suspected, and then she just flat out asked, "Are you going to marry me?"

Daniel supposed he should be surprised at such a bold question, but he wasn't. He wouldn't expect any less from Suzette. Smiling wryly at his own thoughts, he nodded rather than actually speak the lie. The moment he did, a whoosh of air slid from Suzette. A smile crested her lips and she threw her arms around his neck and pressed those lips to his. Daniel stilled, fighting the urge to kiss her back. He wanted to, but knew where that would lead and it wouldn't lead to getting to know her better, unless one meant in the biblical sense. He was determined to get to know her in other ways, so reached up to catch her arms and withdrew them from around his neck so that he could urge her away.

"We need to talk," Daniel said gently, when Suzette stepped back to peer at him uncertainly.

"Oh," she breathed with relief. "Yes, of course."

She glanced around and then reached for the door next to them, opened it and started in.

"We need to discuss when to leave, and I should pack and--" Suzette's babbling died as she realized he wasn't following and she glanced back to where he still stood in the hall and said, "Come in, my lord. There is much to discuss."

Daniel grimaced, but shook his head. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to be alone for a bit. We seem to have difficulty behaving ourselves and--"

His words died as she moved back and caught his hand with a laugh to pull him into the room. "I promise I shall not throw myself at you again, my lord. I realize I must have seemed very forward last night. I can only assure you I am not normally so bold with men. In fact, I have never been that bold before in my life with anyone else."

"I didn't think you had," Daniel assured her solemnly, taking several steps away to put a safe distance between them the moment she released his hand. Her lack of experience had been painfully obvious at first, though she'd learned quickly. He supposed he should be flattered that she'd responded so passionately to him, and it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one so affected by their closeness, however he was very aware that he was standing in her room, just feet from her bed and she was closing the damned door, leaving them alone and . . .

"I am glad you didn't assume I was free with myself," Suzette admitted, moving to a chest at the foot of the bed. "I did worry about that last night."

"No. I never assumed that," he murmured, watching as she knelt by the chest and opened it. She then leaned over to sift through the clothes inside, and Daniel found his gaze widening on her behind as it bobbed up and then waved gently about as she went through the items in the chest. Dear God, the style of today's gown was so thin that hers rode over her skin like a sheath leaving little to the imagination. She may as well have been naked, he thought as he noted the curve of her hips.

"How much should I pack, do you think?" she asked, lifting a gown out of the chest and sitting back on her haunches.

Without the view of her behind to distract him, Daniel glanced to the gown she'd lifted out of the chest and swallowed as he realized it was a night dress, a nearly diaphanous creation with little rosettes along the neckline. He could see right through it to the chest and bed and everything else on the other side of it and knew he would be able to see every inch of her skin through it were she to put it on. What the devil was an unmarried woman doing with a creation like that? he wondered with dismay.

"This was my mother's," she announced suddenly, turning to smile at him. "I have always loved it. Father had her clothes packed away and placed in the attic after she died, but I found this some years ago and took it to my room. I have never been brave enough to wear it. In fact, I'm not sure what moved me to pack it when we left for London, but I am now glad I did. I think I could find the courage to wear it with you."

Daniel swallowed, imagining her in the gown, and then out of the gown, and then on her back under him.

Suzette set the gown over the end of the bed with a pleased little sigh and then bent to search through the chest again, her behind once more bobbing before his eyes as she said, "I suppose I should take at least three or four dresses, don't you think?"

Daniel growled what might have been agreement as he watched her behind bobble about. Damn, the woman was driving him crazy.

"What is Woodrow like?" she asked suddenly, her voice coming muffled from inside the chest.

"I--It's nice, I guess. Lots of farm land and trees, a small pond for swimming. Of course the house still needs some repair," he answered, his voice and mind distracted by her behind.

"Will we live there or in the city, do you think?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows, the question actually garnering his full attention. Last night Suzette had said she wanted the right to live separate lives if she wished, but that question sounded as if she didn't wish to after all. That was encouraging, he supposed. Well, it would be if he'd decided to marry her. Clearing his throat, he said, "Woodrow mostly, though I shall have to travel to town on occasion for business."

"Oh, I'm so glad you said that!" Suzette smiled at him over her shoulder. "I grew up in the country and it's much nicer than town don't you think? The air is so sooty here, and it's so crowded and . . ." She shrugged and turned back to the chest. "I would just rather raise children in the country."

Daniel blinked slightly at the words as her behind bobbed into the air once more. Children? Of course were they to marry they would eventually have children, he realized and suddenly imagined a small Suzette with pigtails and sparkling eyes and a mischievous grin like her mother. The image was a charming one and Daniel found himself smiling.

"I should like to have a couple of boys as well as a daughter I think," Suzette said happily, speaking into the chest.

An image of two serious young boys rose in his mind, one standing protectively on each side of the mischievous girl and his gaze shifted back to Suzette as she added, "I suspect you were a handsome boy when young. I wish I could have seen you then."

Daniel tilted his head slightly, wondering if he'd imagined the wistful tone of her voice as she said that, but merely asked, "You won't mind missing town life?"

"What is there to miss?" she asked, rising up to glance over her shoulder again.

Daniel shrugged. "Balls, soirees, the theater."

Suzette laughed lightly and turned back to the chest. "I've never been to the theater, so surely won't miss that. Besides they have balls and soirees in the country, you know. Perhaps not as many as in London, and certainly not so grand, but--" She paused and glanced back to ask curiously, "Have you lived in town all your life?"

Daniel nodded which brought a frown to her face.

"Then you must be used to the rounds of social events. Will you find country life too rustic, do you think?"

"No," he said with certainty. Despite all the troubles he'd encountered with the reparations of Woodrow, Daniel had quite enjoyed his six months in the country earlier that year. He hadn't attended any local functions, but the peace and quiet and natural surroundings had been soothing after a lifetime spent in town. "Besides, we didn't attend many balls or soirees while I was growing up, and I haven't been to the theater much either."

"Why?" she asked with surprise.

"We were poor," he said simply. "My father was a second son. He inherited the townhouse in town, and held a position with the bank but had little else when he and my mother met. She, on the other hand, was the eldest daughter of very wealthy parents. They didn't think my father was good enough for her and were trying to force her into marriage with a baron whose wealth matched their own. However, she loved my father. She said she knew he was the man for her the first night they met."

"Oh, how lovely," Suzette murmured, giving up on the contents of her chest to turn and face him as he continued.

"Her parents didn't think so," Daniel said dryly. "When she went against their wishes and married my father, her family cut all contact with her."

"Oh no." Suzette frowned.

/> Daniel nodded, and then shrugged. "Still, Mother and Father were very happy together. Money was apparently tight but they were in love and didn't care. However, then my father fell ill and died and that is when things got really tough. Mother had to release the staff and started doing mending. She also sold furniture to augment our income. She couldn't afford clothes for balls and such, and the theater was out. We mostly stayed to ourselves to hide our lack of coin."

"But surely you visited others in town or . . ." Suzette let her voice trail away as he shook his head.

"We couldn't accept invitations out, because it would mean extending return invitations, and no one was ever allowed in our home."

"Why?" she asked with a frown.