Page 40 of The Earl Next Door
His admiration for her, his desire for her, that continuous leap in his chest at just the thought of her was immense. Were his feelings for her what he’d always been looking for in the lady he wanted to be his wife?
Love.
Marksworth strode over to the window nearest him and looked out. “What’s that noise I keep hearing?”
“It’s the girls from the school Lady Wake and her friends opened behind her house,” he answered, much calmer than when his father first arrived. “They sing for about an hour around this time every morning.”
Since they stopped playing outside because of him. No wonder they thought him a monster.
“Sing for an hour? Every day? Hmm.” His father walked back over to the buffet, picked up a spoon, and dug into the eggs.
Lyon was sure of one thing. He wanted Adeline Wake for his own. Not just for a night or as an occasional lover as the members of his card group had bantered about. That thought made his stomach twist.
Did that mean he’d finally fallen in love?
If he had, it was looking as if he might have to go through half the men in London and a girls’ school to prove that to her, but he would. Thankfully his father had just given him an idea as to how to start knocking down all the obstacles between him and the countess, one at a time.
He hoped his father ate quickly. Lyon had a lot to think about.
Chapter 14
It was ridiculous, but Adeline had been smiling all day. And it wasn’t because Mrs. Le Roe had delivered the first four of Adeline’s new gowns for the Season bright and early that morning or simply because it was a beautiful spring day. No, she’d awakened with no doubts, no concerns, and no regrets about the few passionate minutes she and Lyon had shared last night. She had finally felt wanted for who she was. Desired. Not used for a purpose. Their time together was indescribable and she wasn’t going to try to understand why or how it all came about. The only thing she wanted was to enjoy how she was feeling today.
Wonderful. Joyous. Free.
And, in some ways it might be selfish, but she feltdeserving of everything she’d experienced with the earl.
She hadn’t been sure what exactly she’d expected or wanted when she’d left her gloves behind at his house. But Lyon had left her no doubt that he’d known exactly what to do and how to accomplish it. She laughed lightly. As far as she was concerned, their coming together couldn’t have been any more perfect for her.
Many times throughout the day her happy mind had betrayed her and turned to thinking about the possibility of a next time with Lyon. She would immediately shut down the thoughts. Those were for another day. She didn’t want to think about the answers. For now, she only wanted to enjoy reliving the memories of every embrace, kiss, and stroke of his hand. Tomorrow would be soon enough to worry about the future and what it would hold for her.
Adeline stood beside her bed, one arm folded across her chest and tapping a finger on her chin as she looked down at the gowns draped across the bedcoverings. Amber, midnight blue, a faded mulberry, and a deep forest green. The dark colors were sedate enough to satisfy the harshest critiques for what was acceptable for her status in Society now. The sheer overdresses had enough trim, beading, and satin bows and ribbons to be formal enough for a candlelight ball.
Married ladies could be flamboyant, extravagant, and push the boundaries of fashion beyond the pale as far as color, fashion, and showing off their bosoms. Young unmarried misses and widows were not given the same freedoms.
They had rules to follow.
Adeline had topped each gown with three pairs of gloves, several decorated combs, and more than a few pieces of jewelry to match each one. Now all she had to do was make the decision as to which gown to wear first and what adornments she would settle on for each ball. She should send notes to Julia and Brina to find out if either of them had decided on a color. But what would it matter if they were all in the same color? In fact, it might be entertaining if they all arrived in the same shade of widow weeds. The talk that would start made Adeline smile, too. It had always been their plan to be companions for one another and attend the first ball together. They’d decided that more than a year ago when they were meeting once a week and making plans for the school.
Adeline sighed softly and looked at the gowns. After last night, she really didn’t care which she wore. In truth, all the dresses looked alike. Demure because her station in life required it. But what she had on couldn’t change what she felt inside. Lyon had shown her what she’d always thought. She was filled with uninhibited fire and passion, and she knew how to share it and accept the same from him.
It had always been a battle of wills between them until they came together, each wanting the same thing. Each receiving. They came together as equals with the same goal in mind. He had fulfilled her long desire and brought lovemaking to life for her. He’d left her no doubts she’d satisfied him as well. There was a time early in her married life when she’d longed for Wake to look at her, touch her as Lyon had last night. Thatdesire perished when time after time he treated his union with her as no more than doing a business deal.
Lyon showed her the difference and gave her hope it might happen again. That gave her much to smile about.
Adeline kept all her clothing simple. The fewer things one had to worry about, the fewer servants one needed. The still-fashionable high-waist shift was easy to slip on without help. Simple was good for Adeline. When her required period of mourning was over, she’d left her brother-in-law’s house and moved into a small, leased house in Mayfair where she’d lived until buying Mr. Bottles’ property. Adeline had hired Mrs. Lawton and quickly discovered the housekeeper was so efficient she needed no other fulltime staff. Two women came early in the mornings to help Mrs. Lawton with laundry, building the fires, and other such duties that required more help, but they were usually gone before midday.
Within a few tries and failures, Adeline had learned how to skillfully pull up her own hair, shape it into an acceptable chignon at her nape or sometimes the top of her head, and secure it with combs and pins. She found she needed no help deciding what dress to don for the day or someone to lay it out for her. Managing the clasps on necklaces and earrings was really quite easy, too. Most of her stays and bodices were made to fasten in the front or to crisscross and tie in an easy string bow at the center of her back. And Mrs. Lawton was always available for clothing that took more effort.
A light knock on the doorframe sounded. Adelineturned and said, “Ah, Mrs. Lawton. How did you know I was just about to call for you? I’m thinking I should wear the amber-colored gown for the first ball. What do you think?”
The woman walked over and glanced down. “That will go very nicely with your hair, but—”
Adeline frowned. “But what?”
“You know buttercream is my favorite color, my lady. Whether it’s a man’s shirt and neckcloth, an apron, or a lady’s fancy gown.”
Smiling, Adeline said, “Yes, I do remember. And I love the crisp clean look of it, too. But it’s not suitable for me. What do you think about the blue? It’s really dark, isn’t it?”
