Married to the Marquess

by Rebecca Connolly

  But she matched him with one of her own, and for a number of heartbeats, they hovered there, lips only a breath apart. The moment lingered, a faint memory that could be relived with the slightest movement on either side.

  Yet neither moved. One breath passed his lips, then two, and then, just as he neared a third, Kate moved.

  She took a shaky step away, her eyes wider and more entrancing than before. He wanted her to stay, he wanted her to go, he wanted…

  He hadn’t the faintest idea what he wanted.

  Again, she moved backwards, slowly, almost hesitantly, until only their hands were touching.

  “I think…” she started, her voice scarcely above a breath, her lips barely moving. “I think I will see myself to my room tonight.”

  All he could manage was a nod, his eyes switching between hers and their barely touching hands.

  Then, suddenly, the last connection was severed as she stepped back further and turned, unsteadily making her way out of the room. She glanced back at him as she did so, and repeatedly, as if she were afraid he would vanish.

  He would not.

  He could not.

  Only when she had fully left, when he was entirely alone, did he take a deep breath and allow himself to move. He sank onto the sofa he had only just vacated and put his head into his hands as his heart and his head frantically raced in tandem within him.

  He moved his hands down to press together in front of his face and stared into the fire before him, now faint and smoldering, but with no less heat than it had before, when it blazed bright and furious.

  He could relate.

  Chapter Twelve

  The days following were some of the most blissful, if confusing, of Kate’s entire married life. Derek was so changed, and so was she. Since he had kissed her in the music room that night, which she had gleefully relived over and over again in her mind, he was tender and attentive, and even demonstrative, which she was enjoying more and more.

  Now there was not a time they were together when there was not a kiss. Gentle, soft, hesitant though they were, they always came. Now they began to mean more, and she looked forward to them, wondering when and how he would kiss her. He stole more kisses than she would have expected, and their behavior had turned almost playful.

  More than just his kisses, she was also reveling in the fact that they were talking every day. Sometimes it was only as she played for him, but he told her everything about his day, about his father and his brother, and even some stories from his childhood. He never demanded that she reciprocate, but she did as much as she was able to. He laughed at her attempts to control things, kept her from ordering around servants more than necessary, and on occasion, still prodded her enough to nearly start a fight.

  Only now it was fun.

  The only time she’d had any sort of distraction lately had been the day before when Moira, her sister-in-law Caroline, and Caroline’s younger sister Gemma, had come for an afternoon of music.

  Gemma was a very accomplished violinist, and they had spent the time working on a duet. Derek had come in at one point, his curiosity piqued. He had claimed that he could not approve of such days unless he was privy to a demonstration. Though Gemma was not usually a shy young woman, it had taken a bit of his most charming coaxing to convince her to perform.

  It had not been perfect, as they had only begun to practice that day, but it was rather lovely, if she did say so herself. And to confirm her point, Derek had risen from his seat and applauded the both of them. Thankfully, he had not kissed her in front of them, as she would have hated a public display of his affections, but the look he gave her was a kiss in itself, and she found herself blushing all the same.

  It had been arranged that they would perform the number together for a small gathering of family and friends in their home in another two days, which placed it tomorrow evening. Kate had practiced quite a bit, feeling excessively nervous about performing before people who were not her husband, but with her new champions, Moira and Caroline, in attendance, she would get through.

  She never had discovered just what those two had done in retaliation to Lady Greversham for the words she had uttered about her, but she had heard rumors that Lady Greversham’s gown had been quite ruined, and a number of guests had left with soiled slippers. More than that neither would say, but their devious smiles told Kate that it might have been better if she did not know any of the particulars.

  Now, as she played through the piece for the duet yet again, she wondered if her life would ever begin to feel normal again. Every day brought a surprise. Every day there was a change, either in her or in Derek. Every day she discovered something new about herself, something new about her husband, or something she had forgotten. She enjoyed the discoveries; she did not enjoy the uncertainty.

  “Good morning, Katherine!” called the cheerful voice of Moira, who was suddenly appearing through the door of the music room, looking rather bright and refreshed and excited about something. Trailing in behind her were Caroline and Gemma, both of whom were grinning.

  “Good morning, Moira. Caroline. Gemma.” She looked at Gemma with some confusion. “Were we supposed to practice again this morning? I thought we were going to do so tomorrow.”

  Gemma grinned, her eyes dancing. “Well, I supposed we could have, but no, I did not bring my violin today. I feel comfortable with the piece, if you do.”

  “Certainly, but what is the meaning of all this, then?” she asked, looking around as the others situated themselves.

  “Consider this an intervention, Katherine,” Caroline said with a mischievous look.

  “Kate,” she corrected suddenly, bringing all three pairs of eyes to her. She moistened her lips, then, in a much more calm, composed voice, said, “You may call me Kate.”

  “Oh, may we?” Moira asked with interest, looking at her sisters-in-law.

  Kate chose to ignore their meaningful looks. “Intervention?”

  Moira gave her a knowing smile. “Yes, Kate. An intervention. On your behalf.”

  “My behalf?” she asked in surprise, feeling totally bewildered now. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your husband, Kate.”

  “Derek?”

  Caroline sighed and put a hand to her brow. “Perhaps you had better start over, Moira. The poor girl is completely lost.”

  “She’s not the only one,” Gemma muttered. “I know why were are here, and I still don’t understand you.”

  “Hush,” Caroline hissed, rapping her sister on the knee, which made Kate smile. The affection between the sisters was very strong, and Kate had begun to wish that she and her sister had been closer as children. But alas, Aurelia had always been a ridiculous creature with no more sense than a pile of firewood, and that, at least, had a purpose.

  “Very well,” Moira sighed. “Kate, when we were over here the other day and enjoying the music that you and Gemma were providing, considering that Caroline and I are completely inept at all things musical…”

  “Dreadfully so,” Caroline commented with a shudder.

  “Yes, well, I noticed that your husband, who is secretly a lover of music, and that detail will never leave this room,” she broke off to give the other women a severe look, which prompted their immediate nods of acceptance, “was staring at you most intently during the performance.”

  Kate started to feel her face warm, and she prayed that it would remain a somewhat neutral shade. “Was he?”

  “Yes, he was,” Moira replied, looking at her carefully. “And you, my dear, were not entirely opposed to it. And I can assure you, the look on his face was hardly one of aversion. I take it your attempts at friendship are going… well?”

  Kate almost laughed aloud. Well? That was one way to say it. Things were going so well that she felt as though she were in a dream most of the time. Every time he kissed her, in fact. But that was hardly something one said in front of polite company, no matter how trusted they were. “It is,” she said slowly.


  “This is worse than sitting for a portrait,” Caroline groaned. She sat forward and took Kate’s hand. “Kate, we think that your husband might be coming to feel more than friendship for you.”

  “What?” she asked, her eyes widening. He had kissed her, yes, but he had hardly given her any indication of what his feelings might be. A cordial husband and wife could exchange kisses, and nothing would be said at all about feelings. She had been trying for friendship with Derek, mostly out of necessity; she had never considered the possibility of anything else.

  Caroline nodded importantly, and now it was Gemma who took up the charge. “He looked as though he could not decide how to act, but he was enjoying the dilemma.”

  “I hardly knew his expressions had such detail,” Kate said with not a small amount of sarcasm.

  “The point is, Kate,” Moira broke in before Gemma could retort, “that things are changing between you and Derek, and I suspect most of the changing is on your side? After all, you are Kate now, you are playing now, you are far less formal than you were only last week, and you smile when you say his name.”

  “I do not!” she protested.

  “You do,” all three said in unison.

  Kate frowned in her disgruntlement and looked at Moira accusingly. “I thought you wanted me to be friends with my husband, Moira.”

  “I did and I do,” she said without concern, smiling in spite of Kate’s glower. “But I don’t want to see you falling at his feet without exacting something from him in return. This should not be so easy for him.”

  “It is hardly easy,” Kate mumbled, folding her arms. “I am not that weak.”

  At Moira’s look, she dropped her arms, and made a face. “All right, so I am not as strong as I think. Is it that way for all women?”

  “Yes,” said Moira and Caroline as one, while Gemma shook her head. She received a withering look from the others, and then Caroline spoke up again, “These early days are the most important. He knows you are not indifferent to him, but he is not certain how deep the feelings go or how to proceed. We become more simpering and ridiculous as we try to determine how to behave, what to do, what to say…”

  “Yes, exactly,” Kate murmured, looking down at her hands. “I don’t even know if he likes me. I cannot believe that there is more to this than friendship when he is so changeable.”

  “Oh, I am quite sure he does like you. In fact, I think it is safe to say that more than friendship is on the horizon,” Moira said with a devious grin. “The trick is going to be to get there without losing your head. But who is to say we cannot play with Derek a little, hmm?”

  “What do you mean?” Kate asked, her brow furrowing in bewilderment.

  Moira sighed and took both of Kate’s hands in her own. “Darling, we need to have you court your husband.”

  “Shouldn’t that be the other way around?” she said with a small laugh of disbelief.

  “Oh, it will turn, don’t worry,” Moira replied, her grin deepening. Then she sobered. “But Derek will not act without encouragement. He is too afraid of failure.”

  Kate swallowed back a touch of fear and apprehension. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Don’t look so terrified,” Gemma laughed. “We’re not going to turn you into a debutante.”

  “No, indeed,” Caroline agreed, smiling gently. “We merely think you need to be a little more coy and flirtatious.”

  “But I am neither coy nor flirtatious.”

  “Then be whatever you are, Kate, but don’t make things so easy for him!” Moira told her, squeezing her hands. “Court him. Encourage him. But don’t let him take complete control. You are a strong and independent woman, and you deserve some courting yourself. Now, will you let us help you a bit?”

  Kate looked into the eager eyes of her friends, debated for what seemed a very long moment, and then sighed in resignation. “Very well, but I will not do anything ridiculous.”

  “Would we ask that of you?” Moira asked with an innocent expression.

  “Better not answer that,” Gemma whispered loudly.

  “Noted.” She forced a smile on her face. “What must I do first?”

  “Well, you are in mourning, so we are not able to play too much with your wardrobe,” Caroline said as she looked her over carefully. “But I think we could have a bit more fun with the dark colors. First and foremost, though, is your hair.”

  Kate reached up to touch her hair uneasily. “What is wrong with it?”

  “Do you always wear it back so severely?”

  “Yes.” She was not going to mention that she had been wearing it down at night as Derek suggested, nor that she did so just because she knew he liked it that way. That little detail was going to remain her secret, if nothing else did. “It was how my mother insisted it should be.”

  Caroline made a small noise of displeasure. “Well, we are going to fix that. You are far too young and too beautiful to wear it that way. I think we can come up with something much more fetching.”

  “Ladies,” Moira said suddenly, a rather amused smile growing on her face, “I have an idea.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Kate murmured, causing Gemma to snicker.

  “What if,” Moira began slowly, as if gathering her thoughts, “for now, we do nothing but plan? What if we save the moment for revealing the new, and improved, Katherine, Marchioness of Whitlock, for tomorrow evening?”

  “Oh, I love it!” Caroline squealed, clapping her hands, as Gemma grinned and nodded excitedly. “Derek won’t suspect a thing. It will be splendid. Kate, what do you think?”

  Kate looked at all of them, and found herself a trifle touched that these women, whom she had not known for very long, were so intent on helping her, on improving who she already was, on bringing her and her husband closer together. No one had ever wanted to help her this much. And in spite of her worries, doubts, and even fears, she did find herself a little excited about the whole endeavor.

  “I think,” she managed, blinking back the sudden tears, “that would be perfect. But what will I wear?”

  The grins that lit all three faces before her turned her stomach just a bit, and she swallowed hastily.

  What had she gotten herself into?

  The new chef arrived that afternoon, and it had taken all of their restraint to avoid going down to the kitchens to meet him and see him work, and perhaps taste something. But they were promised a fine meal for his first night, and so they waited.

  Nearly three hours later, Derek and Kate eagerly made their way to the dining room, arm in arm. Nothing was on the table when they arrived, save the candlesticks and their place settings, which were in their usual places at the opposite ends of the table.

  Derek frowned slightly and turned to the footman nearest him. “Can we move the place settings to the middle seats on this side of the table, please?”

  Instantly both footmen in the room sprang into action and adjusted the table to his request.

  Kate looked up at him in surprise, and he gave her an innocent look in return. “What? I want to sit by you. How else am I going to sneak food off of your plate when you’re not looking?”

  She rolled her eyes and smiled at the footmen as they finished. “Thank you, George. Thank you, Richard.”

  True to the unspoken footmen code, they said nothing, but they did smile at her as they resumed their positions.

  Again, Kate felt Derek looking at her, and she met his questioning gaze with an imperious one of her own. “What? I can be pleasant when I wish it.”

  “You are full of surprises, Kate,” he murmured as he took her hand and brought it to his lips.

  In spite of the warmth that spread from her hand into her chest, she managed to give him a shadow of the devious smiles her friends had shown earlier. “You have no idea,” she said quietly, which made him grin in blatant amusement.

  Before he could reply, she sat in the chair before her, and patiently waited for him to do so as well.

  He leaned down
and whispered, “I could kiss you right now, you know.”

  “You shouldn’t,” she hissed back, paling. “There are servants here.”

  “What if I tell them to shut their eyes?” he replied as his lips grazed her ear.

  She jerked her head back as if she had been burned and gave him a severe look. “Derek…”

  “Kate,” he returned as he met her eyes.

  “Not in front of the servants, Derek,” she begged through her clenched teeth. “Please.”

  Sensing this was not a battle worth fighting, he gave in with a longsuffering sigh and took his own seat. “Very well,” he grumped. “But only because you said please, and only if you will make up for it double when I escort you to bed.”

  “Fine,” she sighed, even as a smile quirked at one corner of her mouth. “Double. Later.”

  “And stop smiling like that,” he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “It makes it nearly impossible for me to not kiss you when you do that.”

  “What has you so flirtatious tonight?” she replied, trying not to laugh as she looked at him.

  His green eyes clashed with her dark ones, and held her captive, and suddenly, she could not have laughed even if she wanted to. “I’m hungry,” he said in a low voice.

  Kate lost count of the number of heartbeats that passed, but a good part of her was quickly regretting her rule of not kissing in front of the servants. And Derek knew it, too. He saw it in her eyes. Her lips parted, and his eyes darted to them, then slowly dragged back up to her eyes.

  Just then, the doors to the dining room opened and in came the entire kitchen staff, each of whom held a covered platter before them, and Hallstead, the new chef, brought up the rear, with the largest tray in his hands.

  Kate inched her chair away from Derek during the commotion, but she knew the short distance would not help. The food would, but it would take a good deal more than that to make him forget. And she had promised him double the usual? She swallowed in spite of herself. She would burn alive.