Page 84 of More or Less a Countess
Perhaps she saw it, that spasm of indecision on his face, because she straightened her spine and raised her chin. “I, ah—yes. I wanted to…to…oh, yes. I recall now. I wanted to know what do you intend to do about the conservatory.”
He’d half-wished for such a mundane reply, but it was unwelcome nonetheless, and Nick’s lips turned down in a scowl. “Do?Why should I do anything about it?”
“Because a half dozen panes of glass are broken, another dozen are about to break, and those that are left are so filthy the few plants inside are shriveling from want of light. It seems rather a shame, when you could have such lovely exotic plants and shrubs. Don’t you care for shrubs, my lord?”
“Shrubs?” Nick blinked. She was talking to him of shrubs? He hadn’t ever given shrubs a second thought. “I don’t care for them ornotcare for them, Lady Dare. I have no opinion at all regarding shrubs.”
She frowned. “No? How odd. Fruit, then? There’s an orangery, as well, though it’s not in much better repair than the conservatory, I’m afraid. Do you care for oranges? Or lemons, or pineapples?”
She’d woken him forthis?Because she wished to discuss fruit? “Oranges are all very well, but I don’t see what—”
“Oh, good. Oranges and pineapple, then. I’m fond of pineapple.” She pulled out her sketchbook, which accompanied them on every outing, no matter how brief or inconsequential it might be, and she was forever scribbling in it.
She wrote something down, and then offered him a beaming smile. “Well, it’s a beginning, at any rate. Will you escort me to the conservatory now? You can tell me more about what you’d like when we’re there.”
Nick made a rude noise, then lay back down and pulled the blankets over his head. “That’s not necessary, my lady. It will save a great deal of time and fuss if you simply go yourself, and thenyoucan tell me what I want, since that will inevitably be the outcome of this experiment.”
“If you insist, my lord, of course I’ll leave you to your rest. It’s only…”
He poked his head up from the nest of blankets, annoyed. “What is itnow?”
“Well, it’s just occurred to me one of the loose panes of glass could come crashing down upon me while I’m wandering about in there. I daresay I’m being foolish, but a number of them are only attached at the corner, you see. But no matter. If one of themshouldfall on me, I’m certain one of the servants or Lady Westcott will hear it and rescue me before I succumb to a swoon and crack my head on the stone floor.”
Nick let out a heavy sigh. Damn it, it was bloody nonsense, and she knew it as well as he did. She was no more likely to be hit by a pane of glass than she was to be trampled by a herd of cattle.
But if the unthinkableshouldhappen, and a broken window should come loose just as she happened to be standing beneath it…
The panes were heavy—heavy enough to knock a much larger person than his petite wife unconscious, and that was to say nothing of the risk of cuts, or worse, a stabbing, and the conservatory was at one end of the house, far enough from the main rooms it was more than likely no one would hear the sound of shattering glass.
Nick kicked at his covers and let out a frustrated groan. He may as well do as she asked, because he’d never get another wink of sleep now she’d put that image in his head. “I deserve this, for being foolish enough to take a clever wife.”
Violet met his irritated grumbling with a pleased smile. “Does that mean you’ll escort me, my lord?”
“I don’t see I have much choice. I’ll meet you downstairs in the entryway, my lady—unless, of course, you wish to wait here while I dress?”
He didn’t give her a chance to move or reply, but tossed the coverlet aside and rose from the bed, a slow grin spreading over his lips as her gaze moved over his chest, and then down, down, down…
“Oh, my.” She gaped at him, her eyes wide, but then she jerked her gaze away with a breathless squeak. “No, no, I—that is, that’s quite all right, my lord. I—ah, I suppose I’ll just leave you to…”
“What’s the matter, my lady? Not embarrassed, I hope? As I recall, at one point you seemed quite interested in male arousal, and I am your husband, after all. If you insist upon invading a man’s bedchamber while he’s abed, it stands to reason you’ll see bare—and often rigid—flesh.”
Bright red color suffused her cheeks, and Nick grinned as she scurried out the door like a rabbit with a stolen carrot in its mouth.
He despised rising with the sun. His retinas were likely permanently damaged, his cock was still hopefully erect and showed no signs of subsiding, and if the truth were told he wasn’t all that fond of oranges, but none of that mattered a whit now.
It was all worth it.
For the first time since he’d met her, he’d rendered his wife speechless.
* * * *
“It’s rather like a jewel box, isn’t it? Small, but perfect in its own way.”
Violet tilted her head back to admire the domed ceiling. The conservatory was a bit unusual in that it had been done in a circular design, with oblong panes of glass set into a heavy, ornate cast iron frame.
The whole of Ashdown Park was rather like this room—simple, but beautiful and unique, and like this little jewel of a room, it only wanted polishing. There was so much for Nick here—so much joy and peace within his grasp, if only he believed he deserved to reach out and take it.
“Hardly perfect, Lady Dare. At least a dozen panes of glass are shattered.”
