Genevieve blinked. “I have no idea.” She crossed her arms over her chest. She had to attend to Frances and couldn’t have him dragging her back to bed, no matter how much she wanted him to.
“Then why did you leave my bed?”
“I didn’t know whether you wanted me to stay,” she said, feeling a bubble of happiness rise within her. Rory had wanted her to stay with him last night!
“I suppose I did rather roll over and go to sleep. Tonight, I want you to stay.”
Tonight? He wanted to bed her againtonight? That must mean he liked what they’d done. She had liked it, but she wasn’t sure if he had felt what she had. The connection, that was, not the pleasure. It was rather obvious when a man experiencedpleasure, even if she hadn’t been watching his beautiful face when he climaxed.
He cocked his head. “You look as though you don’t want to wait until tonight. I’ll tell Chaffer to get the hell out and—”
“I need to see to Frances this morning.” Genevieve had hardly spent any time with the girl last night. Before Rory could convince her his daughter could wait, she went to the bellpull and tugged it hard. “You’ll have to wait until tonight to carry me to bed.”
“I look forward to it,” he said, and the tone of his voice made her shiver.
Then he stepped back through the door of their adjoining chamber, and though she should have washed her face or cleaned her teeth, she stood by the bellpull staring after him like a besotted puppy.
Finally, Molly arrived, and Genevieve, who was quick about her morning toilette, was ready just a few minutes later and on her way to the nursery. She found Frances playing with Harriet and Marcella, while Mary looked on. As soon as she entered, Mary curtseyed and said, “Good morning, my lady.”
Genevieve glanced at her face, checking for any signs she knew what Genevieve had been doing last night, but the young maid wasn’t hiding a smile or trying not to laugh. “Good morning, Mary. I’m not quite used to being calledmy ladyyet. I suppose we can’t go back to you calling meGenevieve?”
Mary shook her head. “No, my lady.”
“Miss Genevieve!” Frances exclaimed, almost knocking Genevieve over with the force of her hug. She bent to hug the girl back.
“Good morning to you!” She looked up at Mary. “You’re dismissed. Go to your chamber and rest. If Mrs. Mann says you must do some chore or other, tell her I said you are not to lift a finger for at least three hours.”
Mary opened her mouth in surprise. “Thank you, my lady.”
Genevieve waved a hand then hugged Frances again. “I’ve missed you.”
“I didn’t go anywhere.”
She pulled back and studied Frances’s face, which was clean. Her hair had been brushed and pulled into two plaits. “I know, but yesterday was so busy, I hardly had any time with you. Did you miss me?”
“No. I made two new friends—Kitty and Portia.”
Genevieve raised her brows. “Who are they?”
“They live over the road that way.” Frances pointed toward a wall. “They came because their papa is friends with my papa.”
Genevieve had a vague memory of three little girls running about outside the window yesterday while she was besieged with well-wishers attempting to engage her in conversation. It must have been Frances and these two little girls, probably daughters of local gentry Rory felt he should invite. Genevieve was certain she had met them, but she had met so many people. She had no idea how Rory had managed to attract such a crowd with only a couple hours’ notice of the wedding. “I’m very glad you had someone your own age to play with. I worried you might have been lonely.”
“I was lonely at bedtime. I wanted you to tell me a story, but Mary said you were a wife now and couldn’t always tuck me into bed. Did you have to tuck Papa into bed?”
Genevieve bit her lip to keep from laughing. “No. I promise I will tuck you into bed tonight.”
“Good. Mr. Chaffer can tuck Papa in.”
Genevieve smiled, thinking what the valet would say if he were to overhear. “Do you know what I was thinking?”
Frances shook her head.
“We haven’t done any math in two days. I wager you have forgotten how to find the sum of two numbers.”
“I haven’t!”
“Fetch your slate and show me. I need to know the sum of four and three. Hurry now!”
