"I realize that. You are very thickheaded at times and stubborn and arrogant but I know you truly believe you are trying to protect me. But most importantly, I will not have you risking your life for me."
"Sophy? What are you doing?" He watched in amazement as she began untying the snowy white cravat. "Sophy, I swear to you that your going to the Abbey truly is the best possible course of action. It will not be so bad there, my dear. You will be able to see your grandparents and surely you have friends you will wish to invite for a visit."
"Yes, Julian." The cravat came free in her hands and she began unbuttoning his jacket.
"If you are indeed with child the country air will be much healthier for you than that of the city," he continued, frantically searching his mind for other good reasons to encourage her willingness to leave.
"No doubt you are right, my lord. The air of London seems to be constantly brown, does it not?" She started to work on his white shirt.
"I am certain I am right." The novelty of having her undress him was affecting his senses. He was having trouble thinking clearly. His breeches were suddenly uncomfortably tight over his swelling shaft.
"I find that men are always quite certain they are right. Even when they are wrong."
"Sophy?" He swallowed heavily as her fingertips found his bared chest. "Sophy, I know you find me arrogant on occasion, but, I assure you—"
"Please do not say anything else, Julian. I do not want to talk about the logic of my returning to the Abbey and I do not want to discuss your unfortunate tendency toward arrogance." She stood on tiptoe and offered her slightly parted lips. "Kiss me."
"Oh, God, Sophy." He took her soft mouth hungrily, dazed by his good fortune. Her mood seemed to have changed completely and although he did not begin to comprehend why, he was not about to question the turn of events.
When she pressed herself more closely against him, he managed to collect his senses long enough to speak once more. "Sophy, darling, let us go upstairs. Quickly."
"Why?" She nuzzled his throat.
Julian stared down at her ruffled curls. "Why?" he repeated. "You ask me that at this stage of events? Sophy, I am on fire for you."
"The entire household is in bed. We are quite alone. No one will bother us."
It finally dawned on him that she was quite prepared to make love right there in the library. "Ah, Sophy," he said, half-laughing, half-groaning, "you are indeed a woman of many surprises." He pulled the ribbon from her hair.
"I would have you remember me well while we are parted, my lord."
"There is nothing on this earth that could ever make me forget you, my sweet wife." He picked her up and carried her over to the sofa.
He set her down on the cushion and she smiled up at him with timeless feminine promise. When she held out her arms, Julian went into them with unquestioning eagerness.
A few minutes later when he found the sofa too confining, Julian rolled off onto the carpet, taking Sophy with him. She followed happily, the curves of her bare breasts and throat blushing a delectable shade of pink. Julian lay on his back, his wife stretched out sleek and naked on top of him and made a mental note to try the entire process on the floor of the library at Ravenwood Abbey at the earliest opportunity.
SEVENTEEN
Julian had been right, Sophy thought on her third day at Ravenwood. She would never admit it to him, of course, but things really were not so bad in the country. The worst part as far as she was concerned was that he was not with her.
She'd had plenty to keep her occupied in her husband's absence, however. The interior of the magnificent country house was badly in need of attention. Julian had an excellent and willing staff, but the members of it had been functioning largely without direction since Elizabeth's death.
Sophy greeted the new housekeeper with enthusiasm, pleased to see that the steward had followed the advice to promote Mrs. Ashkettle to the post. Mrs. Ashkettle was equally pleased to see a familiar face in charge and they both threw themselves into a frenzy of supervising the cleaning, repairing, and general freshening up of the entire house.
Sophy invited her grandparents for the evening meal on the third day and discovered the pleasure of presiding over her own table.
Her grandmother exclaimed happily over the magic Sophy had wrought during the previous three days. "An infinite improvement, my dear. The last time we were here everything seemed so dark and gloomy. Amazing what some polishing and cleaning and fresh draperies can do."
"Food ain't bad, either," Lord Dorring announced, helping himself to a second round of sausages. "You make a fine Countess, Sophy. I believe I'll have a bit more claret. Ravenwood's cellar contains some excellent stuff. When will your husband be returning?"
"Soon, I hope. He has business to finish in the city. In the meantime, it is probably just as well he is not here. The commotion in the house for the past three days would have no doubt annoyed him." Sophy smiled at the footman to signal more claret. "There are a few more rooms that still need work." Including the bedchamber that by rights belonged to the Countess of Ravenwood, she reminded herself.
It had been a surprise to find that particular room locked. Mrs. Ashkettle had rummaged through the keys that she had inherited from Mrs. Royle and had shaken her head in bewilderment.
"None of them seem to fit, my lady. Don't understand it. Perhaps the key's been lost. Mrs. Royle said she was always told to stay out of that room and I've followed those instructions. Rut now that you're here, you'll be wantin' to move into it. Don't worry, ma'am, I'll have one of the staff see to the problem right away."
Rut the problem had been resolved when Sophy had come across a key buried at the back of a desk drawer in the library. On a hunch she had tried her discovery on the locked door and found that it worked perfectly. She had investigated Elizabeth's old bedchamber with deep curiosity.
She had decided immediately that she would not move in until it had been completely cleaned and aired. She could not bring herself to occupy it in its present condition. It had apparently been left untouched since Elizabeth's death.
When Lord and Lady Dorring eventually took their leave after dinner, Sophy discovered she was exhausted. She went wearily up to the room she was using and allowed her maid to prepare her for bed.
"Thank you, Mary." Sophy delicately patted away a yawn. "I seem to be very tired tonight."
"Hardly surprisin' m'lady, after all the work you've been doin' around here. You ought to take it easy, if you don't mind my sayin' so. His lordship won't be pleased if he finds out you've been workin' yourself to the bone what with you carryin' the baby and all."
Sophy's eyes widened. "How did you know about the baby?"
Mary grinned unabashedly. "Ain't no secret, ma'am. I've been lookin' after you long enough now to know certain things ain't occurred on schedule. Congratulations, if I may say so. Have you told his lordship the good news yet? He'll be pleased as pie."
Sophy sighed. "Yes, Mary, he knows."
"I'll wager that's why he sent us back to the country, then. He wouldn't want you in that filthy London air while you're breedin'. His lordship's the type who looks after his female folk."
"Yes he is, isn't he? Go on to bed, Mary. I am going to read for a while."
There were few secrets in a large household and Sophy knew it. Still, she had thought to keep her precious one about the baby quiet a while longer. She was still adjusting to the idea of being pregnant with Julian's child.
"Very good, ma'am. Shall I take Cook the ointment you promised her for her hands?"
"The ointment. Oh, dear, I nearly forgot." Sophy went quickly to her medicine chest. "I must remember to visit Old Bess tomorrow and get some fresh supplies. I did not trust the freshness of the herbs the London apothecaries stocked."