His eyes found hers, gleaming in a way that made her squirm. “If you are referring to our wedding day, I suppose it’s only half over. The public ceremony is finished at last, but the private one must still be gotten through.”
She looked away, reddening. One of the last people to hug her and wish her well had been Elysia. She’d whispered, “You must write and tell me if it is terrifying or splendid, Catherine! Perhaps our mothers are only trying to frighten us.”
“You’re dreading it, aren’t you?” Adam asked in a low voice tinged with amusement.
“Of course not.” She continued to look out the window into the darkness. “I’m only embarrassed because you are speaking out loud about something that is... very private.”
“But you and I are husband and wife now. Surely we can discuss these matters?”
“It’s not proper.”
“According to whom? Your mother?”
“It just isn’t,” Cathy insisted. “Please, stop.”
Adam obeyed. He reclined against the leather seat and listened to the hoofbeats of the perfectly matched grays as they trotted down the bleak streets. He tried not to think about the events of that day, which seemed like scenes in a play. How could it be that this stranger sitting beside him was his wife?
At length, they were overlooking the water and the coach came to a stop. There was the Parrish steam yacht, the Free Spirit, with tiny lights strung all around her deck railings. A uniformed crew stood waiting on the afterdeck with Alice the Labrador among them.
Adam emerged from the carriage before the coachman could open his door. “Alice, old girl!” he cried. When the dog ran up the gangplank to greet her master, he crouched and put his arms around her neck. “You’ll never know how good it is to see you. I promised I’d come, didn’t I?” He remembered Cathy then, and was about to go around to get her when he saw that she was standing nearby.
“Do you think she’ll let me near you?” she asked.
“Alice? He laughed a bit too easily as he rose and came toward her. “I thought you two were already friends.”
“That was before, wasn’t it, Alice? She’s probably used to women petting her and trying to win her over, but they never last.” Cathy stroked the dog’s head. “Do they, girl?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s go on board.”
“It looks lovely, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know why I let myself be talked into this floating honeymoon on your parents’ yacht, surrounded by their riches and their servants.”
“We had to get to Barbados, didn’t we?”
“Have you ever heard of passenger ships?”
Soon enough, however, Adam began to soften toward his surroundings. The crew introduced themselves, showed the newlyweds all the food and chilled champagne that awaited them in the main cabin, and reminded them to ring if there was anything they needed. Then, they all vanished, like well-trained ghosts.
“It’s much nicer than a passenger ship, don’t you think?” Cathy inquired sweetly.
He looked around the cabin, which featured inlaid mahogany paneling, Turkish rugs accented by leopard skins, plush velvet-upholstered furniture, and a grand piano. In one corner there was a large wicker basket with a tapestry pillow in it, and Alice was already curling up to resume her evening nap.
“I feel like a bought man,” he said. “But then, that’s what I am, so why not live like one?”
She watched as he poured champagne, drank it down, and then refilled the glass. “I would like a glass, too.”
“Sorry.” He brought the goblet of champagne to her and added, “I tried to warn you that I’m a brute.”
Her heart ached for a little tenderness from him, but tonight of all nights he seemed incapable of giving that to her. “I’m so very tired. Would you mind if I changed out of these traveling clothes?”
“Of course not.” His eyes followed her as she went into the master stateroom. Then he drank down another glass of champagne, shed his coat, tie, and wing collar, opened the top of his shirt, and went over to sit beside Alice. “This could be a splendid voyage if it were just the two of us, couldn’t it, old girl?”
The dog made no response so Adam petted her for a bit. When Cathy came back into the cabin and took a seat at the other end of the sofa, Alice clambered out of her basket and went to sit on her new mistress’s feet. She leaned against the silk dressing gown that covered Cathy’s legs and rested her white-whiskered chin on her knees.
Adam felt his face coloring. “You don’t seem to have any cause to be concerned about Alice, do you? Looks as though if anyone’s the outsider, it’s me!”
“I think Alice is merely being sensitive to my needs,” Cathy ventured.
The dog gazed at her master with expressive brown eyes. He took her hint and moved closer, within touching distance. Now what? He cleared his throat. “I take it that the dressing gown is part of your trousseau?”
“Oh— yes.” Her blush deepened. “My mother chose everything. She insisted that my taste is very undeveloped and I must put my trust in her.”
“No offense, but it looks like something your mother would choose.”
“Indeed, I would have preferred fewer ruffles.”
“You can have a new wardrobe made in Barbados.” Adam discovered that he was rather curious to see what was under Cathy’s wedding night lingerie. “Since we’re both feeling tired, perhaps we ought to move into the stateroom?”
Her heart was pounding harder than ever. She’d dreamed endlessly of this night, of being kissed and caressed by Raveneau, but now that it was here all she could think of was her mother’s warnings. Was it true that only men enjoyed marital relations? Was that why her own father was having an affair? If only she knew what to expect!
“You’re looking rather pale,” Adam observed drily. “Are you frightened? I don’t think it will be awful, unless I’m completely mistaken about my abilities. I ought to be able to make this experience relatively pleasant for you.”
She loved the sight of his kind smile. It meant more than any other reassurance he could offer, and she could feel her own mouth turning up at the corners in response. “I can’t believe we’re talking about this.”
“So you’ve mentioned.” He touched her dimpled cheek. “I like your smile, Lady Raveneau.”
“And I like yours.”
“That’s a start, isn’t it?” Adam reached for her fluttering hand and captured it. “Let’s go to bed.”
“But— what about Alice?”
At the sound of Cathy’s panicked voice saying her name, the yellow Labrador lifted her head and opened one eye.
“Alice has a fine bed of her own,” Adam said. “I love her, but she is a dog. She understands the rules.”
“All right. I’ll go. But first, let me drink my champagne.” She drained the glass and, blushing, smiled at him. “Perhaps that will help to relax me.”
“Believe it or not, I have a few tricks of my own in that area. We’ll start by taking down your hair. You weren’t planning to keep it pinned up in bed, were you...?”
Adam took pity on her and extinguished the lights, but there was a transom above the bed that let in an array of romantic moonbeams. As they stood together in the shadows, Cathy feared she might faint when he reached for the sash on her robe.
“Please— please don’t make me expose myself to you here, like this. Can’t I get into bed and cover myself?”
He blinked, wondering if such drama could really be authentic. “You know, I won’t be shocked if you admit to me now that you aren’t a virgin. It wouldn’t bother me in the least.”
“How dare you? Of course I’m a virgin! Why would I let some man do those things to me if we weren’t even married?”
“Have you been living in a convent?” When she didn’t smile, Adam took her hand in both of his, then caressed her arm inside the full silken sleeve. “I believe that I detect more of Hermione’s brand of education... yes? What’s she told you about your wedding night? No doubt you’re expecting me to torture you.”
“Of course not.” Her voice was trembling. “Perhaps— it would help if I had a bit more champagne.”
“Relax, Cathy. You have nothing to fear. I promise.” His fingers stole into her thick, wavy brown hair and loosed the pins that held it atop her head. “Your hair is like silk. It’s beautiful.” He bent to inhale the fragrance and was surprised that it stirred him so.
She told herself that Adam had done this a thousand times and that he must be legendary for his lovemaking skills. Such thoughts eased her fears but made her uneasy in other ways. How many women had he held and whispered to in just this way?
“Would you like to sit on the edge of the bed while I undress first?” he asked. “Perhaps that would set you at ease.”
“Somehow I doubt it...” She sat, then looked away. “I can close my eyes, can’t I?”
He laughed, looking even more piratical than usual in the darkness. “As you wish, my lady.” The clothing came off quickly. His brown fingers deftly flicked open the array of studs and buttons, then dropped the waistcoat and crisp white shirt over a rosewood bench.