Two days prior, he had been on his way to the stables to see the progress that had been made on the renovations that had started that week when he spotted her reading alone in a drawing room. What had been intended as a greeting with a kiss turned into her writhing with pleasure beneath him, moaning his name with each thrust.
“That is ridiculous, my dear,” he had mumbled softly at her proposal as he lifted her onto his desk, trailing kisses down her throat. “We do not distract each other.”
“R-Richard,” she gasped, exasperated, “I came in here to discuss this issue with you, and what are you doing?—”
“Pleasuring my wife?” he offered, feigning ignorance as he slid his hand under her dress.
“P-Precisely my point—ahh.”
He ended up having his way with her then as well.
After that, Nancy had firmly demanded they stay a minimum of five feet apart whenever they had any official business with each other—a request that had taken a week to fall through because Richard had a way with words and his hands, and Nancy was utterly in love with him.
He was the one who had suggested that her family come over for a few days, leading up to their ball, and he had also proposed a game of croquet which Nancy and her mother had abstained from in favor of relaxing in the pavilion and watching them.
Richard was proving to be exceptional at handling the girls, patient and gentle with them constantly, firm when necessary.
“You look happy,” her mother noted suddenly.
The Duchess turned to her, a little startled by the remark. “Do I?”
Georgiana nodded. “I was worried after you left. My heart felt burdened whenever I thought about all you had gone through—after your father died, the pressure I put on you and then the problems with your marriage… I feared that I had ruined your only chance at happiness. I liked the Duke, but I wondered if he truly was the one for you as your father had been for me. And now, I believe that you two were made for each other. You really have grown beyond my expectations into an exceptional Duchess and a wonderful wife. Your father would be so proud of you. As am I.”
Nancy lowered her gaze to Dash, who had curled up on her lap and fallen asleep, still recovering from all the running around he had done during his training earlier in the day.
“Thank you, Mama. I… I am happy. I really am,” she said, stroking the puppy’s fur gently. “Richard is a wonderful man and an even better husband, and I feel blessed every morning when I see him. I did not expect… our reconciliation to be easy, but both of us were willing to be better—to try harder for each other. I love him so much. And I think Father would have liked him.”
“Well, for one, he would have never beaten your father at chess.” The Dowager Marchioness snorted.
“Absolutely not,” Nancy agreed. “I beat him every time we play together. His chess skills are rather poor.”
“What are you talking about?”
Nancy found it easy to put on a bright smile as her husband approached them.
“You,” she said as he leaned forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. “How much I love you.”
Richard narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before turning to his mother-in-law and asking, “What did she say about my chess skills?”
“That they are rather poor, I believe,” her mother admitted.
“Mama!”
“I see.” Richard nodded. “I might be able to improve if you teach me.”
“I cannot teach you how to play chess properly.” Nancy laughed, pretending that she did not notice the slight smile on her mother’s face as she snuck away.
“Why ever not?” Richard complained, sitting in the seat Georgiana had vacated.
“Richard,” Nancy sighed, mirth evident in her voice still, “you wouldn’t focus on the board or the pieces. You would be distracted the entire time.”
“You have no proof of that, my love.”
“Richard?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Lift your eyes to mine.”
