But as much as Perry didn’t want to think it, he suspected Stewart knew full well how much she was hurting. Forcing aside the rise of guilt he experienced at putting her through this, he set the napkin on the table and nodded to the butler that the meal was over.
“Paula, why don’t you retire for the evening?” Perry suggested, thinking she needed to get away from her brother right away. As it was, she’d start crying in front of everyone if they lingered any longer. “Stewart and I will play a game of chess in the den.”
“A game of chess?” Stewart asked. “I haven’t played in years.”
“Then I’ll try to go easy on you.”
He chuckled and finished his wine. “I hope so. Otherwise, it’ll be the quickest game ever played. I was never that good at it to begin with. Isn’t that right, Paula?”
Grabbing his cane, Perry rose to his feet and went around to Paula’s side so he could gently take her by the arm to help her stand up. “Paula’s had a long day. Before you came, we went horse riding together.” He motioned to the maid. “See our guest to the den and provide him some brandy while he’s waiting for me.”
While Stewart got up from his chair, Perry pulled her to the side of the room. He would have taken her to the hallway if he thought he could have beaten Stewart there, but his limp wouldn’t give him the speed needed for it. After everyone cleared the room, he clasped her hand.
“Do you mind if I play chess with him?” he asked, his voice low.
“You can do anything you want,” she replied, her head lowered.
Placing his finger under her chin, he lifted her face so that she’d look at him. “Paula, what’s wrong?”
She blinked back her tears. “I’m afraid you’ll stop loving me.”
He expected her to say nothing was wrong. He’d hoped she’d tell him something about her brother that would help him. But he hadn’t expected her main concern to be whether or not he’d continue loving her. “Why are you afraid I’ll stop loving you?”
“You’re a good gentleman, Perry.” A tear slid down her cheek, so he brushed it away. “I wish I’d known you were going to be in my life. If I had…” She swallowed. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Contrary to what you think, I’m not perfect.”
“Yes, you are. Everything you do, you do for the benefit of others. There are people who’ll take advantage of that.”
While that might be true about her brother, his heart was safe with her, which was why he couldn’t understand why she’d say she didn’t deserve him. Some of the ladies he met took one look at his cane and didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Some didn’t think he was exciting enough to be with. The rare few who might have taken an interest in him ended up married to someone else before he had a chance to know them.
“I don’t care what brought us together,” he told her. “I’m just glad you’re with me.”
“Once you talk to my brother, you might not feel that way, but whatever he tells you, please don’t let him take advantage of you.”
He opened his mouth to ask her what her brother could tell him that would possibly change his opinion about her, but she excused herself and hurried out of the room.
“Will there be anything else, my lord?” the butler asked as he entered the dining room.
Listening to her retreating steps as she ran down the hall, he shook his head. “No. Not right now.”
***
“And that is why the Corn Laws were passed,” Perry concluded as he moved his chess piece and won the third game of the evening. “Sometimes all it takes is for people in a certain position to do things that aren’t for the good of all.”
Across from him, Stewart covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. “Yes, that’s very interesting.” He picked up his glass and chugged down the rest of the brandy. “I’ll be honest. I don’t pay much attention to what’s going on in Parliament. I’ve been too distracted by more pressing matters.”
“What matters would those be?”
“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you.” He glanced at his pocket watch. “Besides, it’s late.”
Perry knew full well Stewart was hinting around at something, but he was smart enough to figure out that it was too soon to ask him for money. He’d need to wait just a bit longer until he believed Perry was more likely to give him what he wanted. And that was fine. Perry could wait. He didn’t expect Stewart to expose his intentions immediately. Stewart would need a few more days, and in that time, he would continue to hint while he offered Perry false praise in an effort to win him over.
Deciding to follow his example, Perry took out his pocket watch. “You’re right. It is late. I can’t believe how quickly the games went.”
As they rose to their feet, Stewart set his glass down and chuckled. “I told you I wasn’t the best player.”
“Oh, you did fine.”
Perry had no doubt Stewart was as bad as he claimed to be at chess, but Stewart’s aim was probably to make Perry feel like a good player. That, of course, was downright insulting since Perry really was a good player. He didn’t need someone letting him win a game to know it.
As the two made their way out of the room, Stewart said, “I can’t thank you enough for inviting me here. Paula was right about you. She said I’d enjoy talking to you.”
“It was nice of her to put in a good word for me.”
“She couldn’t have picked a better husband.” He patted him on the shoulder. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll get to join you for a horse ride.”
“I hope you brought a good riding outfit for this time of year.”
“I brought my best one. It might not be in prime condition anymore, but I believe it’s doable.”
There it was. Another hint at his lack of funds. “If it’s not suitable, we can certainly play more chess.”
“Or take a tour of this place,” Stewart suggested as he glanced around as they headed for the staircase.
“I’ll be happy to show you around.”
Once Perry saw to it that Stewart had his valet’s assistance for the night, he proceeded to his bedchamber. Tonight, he didn’t feel like having his valet help him. His concern was Paula. It hadn’t been easy to find things to talk to Stewart about. The gentleman hadn’t been forthcoming with anything useful, choosing instead to offer senseless flattery. But it was all part of the game he was playing, he supposed.
Not sure if Paula would be awake, he chose to put on his nightclothes. Unless it was her lady’s time of month, he had made it a habit of going to bed without clothes on. But tonight, she might already be asleep.
He entered her bedchamber. The candles had all been blown out and the curtains drawn, so it was hard to tell if she was awake or not. He whispered her name as he approached her bed.
“Perry?” she asked in a soft voice that had a hint of uncertainty in it.
He slipped into the bed and reached for her and felt her night clothes. “I thought you might be asleep.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d come to me tonight.”
“Of course, I came. I came even when you had your monthly flow.” Even if they hadn’t done anything, it was nice to be in the same bed with her. “I like sleeping with you. The bed is empty without you beside me.”
She clung to him and buried her face in his neck. “You still love me?”
With a sigh, he kissed the top of her head. “Always and forever.”
Then, to prove the sincerity of his words, he proceeded to make love to her.
***
“This is a genuine vase from the Ming dynasty?” Stewart asked the next day.
“My grandfather collected items from other countries,” Perry replied.
Paula watched in dismay as her brother drooled over the object resting in the room full of valuable antiques. Why didn’t she warn Perry that taking her brother on a tour of the place was the worst thing he could do? She knew full well that her brother was trying to gauge what he could leave with, and worse, he’d probably get her to slip it to him.
“Surely, you jest,” Stewart protested.
“I assure you, I’m not.”
She cleared her throat. “Perhaps we should get ready for dinner. I hear Cook will make veal.” She gave Stewart a pointed look. “That’s your favorite.”
Fortunately, he turned from the goblet and faced Perry. “She’s right. It is. While I have enjoyed every moment of the tour, I don’t want to upset Cook by not arriving to the evening meal on time.”
“Very well,” Perry replied. “We’ve seen almost every room anyway.”
They walked out of the room and Paula saw her brother take a look back at it, probably trying to decide what item—or items—he planned to take with him when he left Blackburn. “Perry, do you mind if I have a word with my brother?”
“If that’s what you wish,” he replied, his concerned eyes penetrating hers.
Glancing away from him, she nodded. “I haven’t talked to him since dinner last evening. It’s only right I don’t avoid him altogether.” Though she laughed, it came out as a hollow sound.
“I’ll be upstairs,” Perry told her before he left them alone.
Stewart turned to her and snickered. “There’s no need to offer me something in that room right now. I can wait until the day I head out of here.”
“You won’t get anything from that room,” she whispered, careful to make sure no servants were lingering nearby.
“Why must you be so heartless? You know how much I need a vase that matches the inkwell you gave me.”
“You can get that with the fifty pounds I gave you.”
“Not from the Ming dynasty.”
“You have no sense of decency in you at all. I have a mind to…” Her threat fell short as she considered the consequences of such a reckless move.
“You have a mind to what? Tell Perry I’ve been blackmailing you so I won’t tell him about you and Lord Holloway? About one time in particular I caught the two of you in a very compromising situation by the lake where you didn’t think anyone would be at that time of day?”
Heat flushed her cheeks. “You what?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t tell poor Mother. It would have sent her to an early grave. I often wondered why Lord Holloway came around as often as he did. But when I saw you two, it all made sense. Then I realized that’s why he gave you and Mother money from time to time.”
“It wasn’t because of that. He gave us money because you didn’t give us enough and he felt sorry for us. Your pitiful allowance barely covered one meal a day.”
“And now you’re doing better than either of us expected.” He patted her cheek as if she were a child. “You impress me. If I had known you could have attracted such wealth, I would have aimed higher than Leavenshire. Perry’s got much more than he does. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a dinner to get ready for.”
She waited until he disappeared down the hall before she went to her bedchamber.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Perry endeavored to give Paula as many excuses as he could to avoid her brother. So two days later after breakfast, he didn’t argue when she said she was going to rest in her room.
“There wasn’t much to do in the country,” Stewart had said while she left the room. “She liked to curl up in bed and read until she fell asleep. I’m not surprised she’d rather do that than be in the chilly weather riding a horse.”
“But you’ll be coming, won’t you? I have yet to show you the grounds.” Perry suspected this was the day that her brother would finally disclose his financial hardship in hopes of getting some money. It was best if Paula wasn’t there for such a conversation.
“I’d be delighted.”
“Oh, since your current riding outfit is worn, I thought you might be more comfortable in the riding outfit my cousin Christopher used to wear. You’re about the same size. I’ll have the valet bring it to you.”
“You’re much too kind.”
“You’re family. And family takes care of its own.” In this case, he was talking about Paula, not Stewart, a subtle difference that Stewart wouldn’t recognize. “I’ll send the valet soon.”
Stewart indicated he understood, and Perry slowly made his way up the stairs. There were times he wished he could just bound up the stairs like Christopher often did. He wanted to see Paula. He’d been spending so much time with Stewart in an effort to figure him out that he’d been neglecting her, and that had to have made things more difficult for her.
After his valet helped him into his riding outfit, he sent him to Stewart then tapped on the door separating his and Paula’s bedchambers.
She called out for him to enter and he was surprised that she was on her daybed wearing nothing but her shift.
“Am I to assume you were hoping to convince me to stay indoors?” he teased.
As he hoped, she laughed at his joke. “I certainly wouldn’t mind your company, but I thought you wanted to go for a horse ride.”
“Riding a horse isn’t nearly as fun as riding you.”
Her eyes grew wide but then she laughed again. “I never thought of it that way before, but I can see how well it fits.”
He relaxed. “My jokes aren’t as good as some people’s.”
“That was a wonderful joke. Perry,” she stood up and approached him, “you have a marvelous sense of humor. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He grimaced. “Please don’t tell me we’ve been married for so long that you can wear only a shift in front of me and give me a chaste kiss.” She stared at him for a moment, making him wonder—again—if he’d said something wrong. “What is it?”
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s just that you’re…” She shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it except that before, you seemed timid when it came to things of a more intimate nature. I had to take the lead.”
“I wasn’t sure what you wanted me to do. Well, until you read that book and helped me figure it out.”
She took his hands in hers and squeezed them. “Perry, you love me. Really love me. You’re gentle and kind. Everything you do for me, you do because you want what’s best for me. Why would you think anything you do wouldn’t please me? Do whatever you want with me.” With a teasing grin, she added, “I’ll enjoy it.”
This time when she kissed him, she pulled him closer to her. Engulfing her in his arms, he deepened their kiss. He missed this side of her. He wished she was always like this. Maybe she would be once he resolved the issue with her brother.
When the kiss ended, he cupped the side of her face with his hand and studied her face, noting the contented smile, the blush on her cheeks, and slight twinkle in her eyes. “You’re very beautiful, especially when you’re happy. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you will always look at me this way.”
“I wouldn’t mind it if you always looked at me the way you are right now, too. It makes me feel as if I’m the most important person in your life.”
“You are.” He brushed her lips with his thumb. “Paula, you do know I’d rather be with you than with your brother, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. But he’s our guest and you have to spend time with him.”
“He won’t be our guest much longer. I suspect after this, we’ll never have to deal with him again.” Before she could ask him what he meant, he continued, “I was thinking of inviting Christopher and Agatha for a visit, but I wanted to get your opinion first.”
“Are you sure you want Christopher out here? He’s likely to bother you about something.”
“I know, but I also know it’s because I let him. It wouldn’t hurt me to relax and laugh a little more.”
“He wouldn’t try to bother you if he didn’t care about you.”
“You’re probably right.”
“I’d love to see Christopher and Agatha again.”
By the way she smiled, he knew that was true. There was a worl
d of difference in the way she talked when the topic was on Christopher and Agatha versus when it was on her brother. “I’d much rather stay here with you,” he whispered.
Especially when her breasts were pressed nicely against his chest. But then his mind went back to more immediate matters. He was three days into his plan and couldn’t be distracted, at least not until the evening after Stewart retired for the night. Sighing, he traced her bottom lip with his thumb once more. “Believe me, there’s nothing I’d rather do than spend the afternoon up here with you, but I must go.”
Her smile faltered. “I know. You promised Stewart you’d take him for a horse ride.”
“I won’t be long. Maybe we’ll have a little time to spend together before dinner.”
“I’d like that.”
He didn’t doubt the truth in that statement. And that being the case, he supposed he could manage to be distracted for a little while after his return. He gave her a lingering kiss before heading out.
***
Perry led Stewart along the grounds of his estate, going directly to the row of trees that decorated the landscape. The leaves had changed color, allowing for one of the most breathtaking displays he’d ever seen. He loved autumn most. And now that he hadn’t returned to Blackburn with another failed attempt to secure a wife, he had an even better reason to be content.
“You were right,” Stewart said as his horse kept up the leisurely pace with Perry’s. “The air is simply invigorating. I’d forgotten how refreshing it is to ride a horse in the country.”
“Did you ride often?” Perry asked.
“Not as much as I wanted. I’m afraid I had more pressing matters to tend to. After my father departed from this earth, I had to take care of my mother and sister. I had to go to London in order to gather enough for their allowance.”
He suspected this wasn’t necessarily the case but that was true for most of everything that came out of Stewart’s mouth. “It must have been hard to do that.”
“I won’t say it was easy, but it was worth every sacrifice I had to make. When I see how happy Paula is, I’d do it all over again.”
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