Lady Beneath the Veil(17)

Something stirred within him when he saw the pale creature standing  before the bed, her hair a dusky cloud around her shoulders. It was not  the hot lust of their wedding night, more an urge to protect her, to  make her happy.

'I...um...I hope this room is to your liking?'

'Yes, it is very comfortable, thank you.'

Silently he cursed his awkwardness. This was not a conversation for the  bedroom. Why had he come here tonight? He recalled how beautifully she  had played at Gwen's soirée, his pride in her performance, the  possessiveness he had felt when the men had clustered round her. A spike  of desire coursed through him and he tried again.

'You played like an angel tonight.' She smiled at that. Encouraged, he  moved closer, holding out his hands. 'I did not know I had such an  accomplished wife.'

Cautiously she reached out for him.

'I am glad that I pleased you, Gideon.'

'You do please me.' As he pulled her into his arms he realised that he really meant it. 'You please me a great deal.'

She looked up at him, shyly accepting his kiss.

* * *

Gideon made love to her that night. Dominique returned his caresses but  she kept her emotions in check and tried to respond as she thought a  wife should, compliant and quietly accepting of his attentions. His  lovemaking was gentle and restrained, as if he was afraid she might  break beneath him, and although there was none of the hot heady passion  of their first coupling, when it was over, Dominique found it immensely  satisfying to have him lying with her, to hold him in her arms until he  slipped from her bed to make the way back to his own room in the chill  dark hours before dawn.                       
       
           



       





Chapter Seven

The following weeks were the happiest Dominique had ever known. Gideon  bought her diamonds for her wedding gift and she wore them on almost  every occasion. He took her driving in the park and escorted her  everywhere, to balls, parties and breakfasts, introducing her to his  friends and acquaintances. Whatever the news-sheets might say, he showed  no signs of dissatisfaction with his bride, either in public or in  private, when he came to her room at night. Dominique loved the special  closeness of those nights and although he always returned to his own  room before morning, when they met at breakfast, she thought his eyes  had an added warmth when he greeted her.

* * *

As her confidence grew, Dominique began to make more changes to the  Brook Street house. She ordered fresh flowers and arranged them in the  hall and in the morning room, which had become her personal domain and  where she was in the habit of entertaining her growing number of  friends. The silent, tomblike atmosphere lifted, the servants looked  happier and even Gideon remarked that the house felt much more like  home. They were returning from a drive in the park when he said this and  Dominique could not suppress a smile.

'Do you really think so? I am so pleased, because I was afraid you  might not want me to change anything in your father's house.'

'You are mistress there,' he said, picking up her hand and kissing it. 'You may change whatever you wish.'

She felt the little bubble of happiness growing inside her. Gideon was  more and more in the habit of such gestures and not only when they were  in public. She was beginning to believe he genuinely cared for her. She  wished she might respond in kind, but she could not forget Gwen's words  of advice, that Gideon would find any such show of affection repellent.  And Gwen was his sister, so she must know best.

When they reached Brook Street, Gideon helped her down and she felt his  hand resting lightly on her back as he escorted her into the house. The  butler opened the door to them, smiling broadly as he announced to  Gideon that the delivery he had been waiting for had arrived.

'It has been set up, sir, just as you ordered.'

'Thank you, Judd.' Gideon relinquished his hat and gloves to the  waiting footman, then put his hand under her elbow. 'Come, you should  see this, too.'

He led her to the drawing room.

He said, as the butler closed the door quietly behind them, 'Well, what do you think?'

Dominique stared, blinked and stared again. Standing next to the piano  was a golden harp and beside it a small stool covered with gold satin.

'Oh, Gideon,' she breathed, 'is it for me?'

'Of course. We have been in town for three months now and it is something of an...er...anniversary present.'

She ran forwards and began to inspect it, running her fingers reverently over the strings.

'It is beautiful.'

'You said you used to play and I would like to hear you.'

'Yes, yes, once I have had time to practise a little.' She went back to  him, unable to prevent herself from smiling. 'You are too generous to  me, Gideon, thank you so much.'

Without thinking she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth.

'Oh! I beg your pardon.' She blushed and would have drawn back, but his arms slipped around her.

'Not at all. I must give you more presents, if that is the way you thank me.'

He was grinning down at her and suddenly all the careful restraint, the  polite friendliness she had worked so hard to cultivate was forgotten.  She could not speak for the heavy tattoo her heart was beating against  her ribs and the sudden breathlessness that had overtaken her. She still  had her arms about his neck and she could feel the silky softness of  his hair against her fingers. The grin softened into a smile and the  glint in his eyes heated her blood. She felt the tug of desire deep in  her core and instinctively her body pressed against him.

Gideon's arms tightened as his body responded to the feel of her. It  was the first time since their wedding night that she had taken the  initiative and kissed him and he was surprised that her display of  affection should please him so much. She felt so right in his arms and  his sudden arousal was completed when he breathed in the scent of her, a  mixture of summer flowers and an indefinable fragrance that he had come  to recognise during those dark intimate nights as hers alone. The  memory of her naked body heated his blood. He lowered his head to nibble  at the tender lobe of her ear. She shuddered, but pressed even closer. A  bolt of white-hot desire shot through him as he thought of the heights  they might attain together.                       
       
           



       

'There is still an hour before we need change for dinner.' Dominique's  very bones liquefied as his deep voice caressed her heightened senses.  'Would you like to-?'

A knock on the door interrupted them. As it opened Dominique quickly  stepped out of his arms, but Gideon hung on to one hand, linking his  fingers through hers. 'Yes, Judd, what is it?'

'The Earl of Martlesham, sir, wishing to know if you are at home.'

Gideon sighed. 'I suppose we must see him. Send him in.'

He cast a rueful look towards Dominique, who tried to hide her  disappointment. Every fibre of her being screamed out that he should  send her cousin to the devil, but the damage had been done, the magic of  the moment was gone-perhaps Gideon had never felt it at all. The butler  withdrew, to return a moment later and announce the earl in sonorous  tones. Max came in, his fair features a little flushed from the heat of  the day and his eyes going immediately to their linked hands.

Unhurriedly Gideon stepped forwards, saying calmly, 'Martlesham, good day to you. Have you come to see how we go on?'

Max returned Gideon's bow with a brief nod.

'Good day to you, Albury, Cousin. I thought I should call to let you know I was back in town.'

'How very good of you.'

Gideon's voice was heavy with sarcasm, which brought a dull angry flush  to Max's face. Remembering her place as mistress of the house,  Dominique invited him to sit down.

'Have you seen my mother?' she asked, when they had made themselves comfortable. 'Is she well?'

'Aye, as well as she ever will be. She came to see me just before I  left Martlesham Abbey. Wanted me to use my influence to get her an  audience with the Foreign Secretary. As if I had any! Told her she must  look to you, Albury, for that sort of thing. As her son-in-law I have no  doubt you would like nothing better than to seek out your new French  relatives.'

The sneer in his voice was unmistakable. Dominique stiffened and opened  her mouth to respond, but Gideon caught her eye and gave the slightest  shake of his head.

'I shall of course do my best to assist Mrs Rainault,' he said evenly.  'Now we have signed the Treaty of Amiens I am sure there is a much  greater chance of success.'

'Fustian,' Max retorted. 'Jerome Rainault's been dead these ten years.  You of all people should know what savages the French are.'

Dominique flinched, but Gideon's smile did not falter. If anything, it grew as his eyes flickered in her direction.

'Not all of them.'

Max frowned, but after a moment he sat back in his chair, his brow  clearing, and he addressed Dominique with at least a semblance of  friendliness, 'So, how do you go on, Cousin? How do you like London?'