Wedding Night With the Earl
Page 25
He looked down into her eyes. “Why am I always searching for something to say to Dixon, but you seem to know exactly what to say to make him happy every time you speak to him?”
“I suppose it comes naturally to me and not to you,” she said with a teasing smile.
“In that case, let me say something that does come naturally to me. I love you, Katherine, and I’m thankful every day that I came to my senses and didn’t let you marry Lord Rudyard.”
“I love you, too.” Katherine circled his neck with her arms. “And I’m quite happy about that myself.”
“There’s something else that comes very naturally to me,” Adam said, backing her against the bed.
“That would be many things, my lord, so which one are you referring to right now?”
“This one,” he said, and then swung her up into his arms and laid her down on the bed.
Her gentle laughter filled the room and made him desire her even more. “No, no, you rogue. You know we don’t have time for this. The babies are crying and Mrs. Foster needs my help.”
He lay down beside her and cuddled her in his arms. “And you will help her, but only after I have your help first.”
She gave him a mock look of horror. “You beast. You would leave a baby wailing while you take the time to satisfy yourself?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “But only because I know the babes are in no danger of not being properly cared for.” He pulled her close and snuggled the warmth of her neck. “Now, I hope you have no objections if I kiss you like this, my lovely wife.”
Adam kissed her hungrily, and she responded eagerly.
“But Mrs. Foster is expecting me,” she argued in between his kisses and while her arms twined around his neck.
He kissed her cheek, below her eyes, and her luscious lips again. “I know, and you will join her. Just not for a few more minutes.” He kissed his way down her neck. “Besides, you need to give Dixon time to feel like he is helping her, and…” He stopped and looked down into her sparkling green eyes.
“And what?” she asked with a suspicious expression.
He pulled on the ribbon that held the bodice of her night rail together. “And give me a little time to show you how much I love you.”
She kissed his lips. “I think after almost two years of marriage, I know how much you love me. But I’m always willing to pretend I don’t, so you can show me one more time.”
He smiled. “You could never know. But, yes. Let me try to show you one more time.”
Katherine sighed softy and wrapped her arms around his back and Adam thrilled to her touch.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Adam and Katherine’s story and the conclusion of the Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels Trilogy. I have savored my time with all the characters in these stories. As with all the books I write, I’m always sad to see a story or a series come to an end.
The customs of childbirth that were followed during the Regency were very different from what we follow today. The birthing rooms were dark and hot. In most cases, only females were allowed inside, and husbands were kept away. Generally men knew little or nothing about childbirth. Terminology such as “in the family way,” “with child,” and “confinement” used in my story seems odd and stilted when used in dialogue, but in most cases I tried to keep the wording as accurate to the time period as possible. I do admit to using some literary license in the terminology and customs of the Regency for the sake of the story.
Most women were still using midwives during the Regency, but male midwives, or accoucheurs, were making headway into delivering babies for the aristocracy. It wasn’t uncommon for there to be problems during or shortly after childbirth, where the lives of the mother and the baby were lost. Unfortunately, many women and babies died from the poor sanitary conditions or from overmedicating the mother.
If you haven’t read the first two books in the Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels, The Duke in My Bed and The Earl Claims a Bride, both are still available at your favorite bookstore or e-retailer.
I love to hear from readers. Please e-mail me at ameliagrey@comcast.net, follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks, or visit my Web site at ameliagrey.com.
Happy reading!
Amelia Grey
Don’t miss the first two novels in the Heirs’ Club series from New York Times bestselling author
AMELIA GREY
THE Duke IN MY Bed
THE Earl Claims A Bride
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Epilogue
Dear Reader
Also by Amelia Grey
Praise for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author AMELIA GREY
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
WEDDING NIGHT WITH THE EARL
Copyright © 2016 by Amelia Grey.
All rights reserved.
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eISBN: 9781466839885
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / March 2016
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.