The noise had also woken up Dash, who had immediately risen to his feet and was now whining in fear.
Nancy sat there for a moment, catching her breath as she collected herself, but she’d barely managed to do so as a knock sounded on the door.
“Your Grace? Is everything all right?” a woman’s voice came from behind the door and Nancy, too startled and embarrassed by her nakedness, hurriedly put her nightdress and dressing gown back on.
Dash trotted towards her, standing on his hind legs and placing his paws on the side of Richard’s desk for balance, his tail waggling with excitement.
Not the best time now, my friend, she thought.
“Yes, yes. Quite all right, thank you. Goodnight,” Richard called out in annoyance.
“Very well. Goodnight, Your Grace,” the voice said and their footsteps soon faded away.
When Richard turned back to her, he frowned.
Dash barked at both of them, begging for some attention.
Then, Richard stepped back and said, “It is late. You should go to bed. I… I’ve kept you for long enough.”
“Oh, you have not. I’m sure Dash just wants to roam around the castle for a bit, then he’ll fall back to sleep quickly,” she tried to reach for him, but Richard shook his head.
“You should get some rest too. You’ve been so busy with the ball’s preparations.”
Rejection burned hot in her stomach, and she hung her head, embarrassed and defeated as she slipped past him, heading to the fireplace. He didn’t stop her as she walked to Dash and scooped him up into her arms.
“Goodnight, Richard,” she muttered as she left his study, rushing to her room as though she was being chased.
It wasn’t until she was behind locked doors that she felt as though she could breathe again. She set Dash down, and the puppy immediately went to bed, falling asleep the moment he had made himself comfortable.
Nancy stayed where she was, the feeling of her husband pressed against her, his hands holding her as his lips ravished her and his fingers caressed the most secret parts of her body, still fresh in her mind, the heat of his touch lingering on her skin.
Slowly, she reached a hand up to her lips, her fingers lightly tracing them, quietly admitting to herself that she had not wanted it to end.
ChapterTwelve
“Did you really plan this? All by yourself?”
Nancy grinned, pleased by the impressed expression on Beatrice’s face, pride flashing through her as she nodded.
“I did have a lot of help and support. I could not have done all of this by myself. But… yes. I organized the entire event, planned out the decorations, reviewed the guest list as well as the refreshments to be served for the evening.”
Anne stepped forward, glancing around the room in awe, looking a little breathless as a result of her unbridled excitement.
“You are amazing, Nancy!” she gushed, eyes glittering happily. “This is amazing.”
Nancy felt inclined to agree.
It had turned out even better than she had expected. Everything had come together perfectly with the Nancy gold-themed decorations she had chosen turning out to be the best option she could have agreed upon as they wonderfully accentuated the elegance of the ballroom.
The paintings, priceless vases, flowers, and cutlery—all of them seemed to shine brightly beneath the light of the sparkling chandelier, and the music filled the atmosphere with merry anticipation.
The guests in attendance were made up of London’s elite, filling up the room with anyone and everyone that bore some level of relevance and importance, reassuring Nancy even more that her efforts would be better recognized.
“Oh, I have truly missed you all,” she admitted, opening her arms for another hug, giggling when her sisters wasted no time embracing her.
It filled her with no small joy to see her family again. She felt relieved to see them again, happy that they were in good health—something she knew she had her husband to thank for.
“We’ve missed you too! So much! You should visit us soon!” Beatrice demanded.
