“I’m sorr—” he began.
“That,” she said, “was a lovely appetizer.” She grinned and kissed him. “I’m looking forward to the main course—and pudding—but first you must help me out of this dress. It’s too pretty to have you ruin it the way you’ve ruined so many of my old nightgowns.” She gave him a mischievous glance. “That’s why I didn’t wear any drawers, either. You should see my new underclothes, they’re so beautiful I don’t dare wear them for fear of what you might do to them.”
Nash blinked. “You mean you didn’t mind what I just did?”
She laughed. “I love what you just did, Nash, and I love you.”
He froze. “What did you say.”
She bit her lip as she realized what she’d just said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—it just slipped out. It’s just that I’m so happy, and—”
“You didn’t mean it?”
“Oh, I meant it.” She gave him a clear look. “I just didn’t mean it to slip out. I know you don’t want our marriage to be complicated by things such as love and passion, and I did try, really I did. But I do love you. With all my heart”—she kissed him—“and body”—she kissed him again—“and soul.” She kissed him for the third time, like a holy vow.
He lay still, staring up at her, frozen.
She sighed. “You’ll just have to get used to it. It’s going to keep slipping out, because I’m so full of love for you it keeps bubbling up like a spring.”
He stared at her, agonized, his throat too thick to speak, unable to think of a thing to say.She loved him.
She smoothed his hair back from his forehead and added, “Don’t look so appalled; you don’t need to say anything. I know how you feel. I don’t expect anything else from you. As long as you’re faithful, and desire my body, I’ll be happy.” But the glow in her clear topaz eyes had dulled, and the smile wore an edge of wistfulness.
She slipped off the bed and padded across the floor, bare-foot, her hair messy and falling down her back in tumbled curls, her bridal dress crushed. In a bright voice she said, “Now, come and open one of these bottles for me. I want some champagne. I was too nervous to eat or drink anything before the wedding, and now I find I’m ravenous.”
So beautiful and generous, giving him everything, asking for nothing. She shamed him with her courage.
“No,” he croaked.
She turned, puzzled. “You won’t open the champagne for me?”
“No,” he croaked again. It wasn’t what he meant but his throat seemed clogged.
She shrugged. “Then I’ll open it myself.” She picked up a bottle and began to wrestle with the cork.
“No, you don’t know how I feel.” Nash forced out the words.
Holding the bottle against her, she swiveled slowly to face him. And waited, saying nothing.
“I was wrong,” he said. “I didn’t . . . understand.” He stared at her, willing her to understand what he was trying to tell her. But she waited, frozen and silent, clutching the champagne bottle against her like a baby.
He cleared his throat, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, looked her in the eye, and said, “I love you, Maddy.”
For an endless moment all he could hear was the sound of the fire crackling and hissing in the grate. An owl hooted on the wind, and then she whispered, “You love me?”
He nodded. “I love you.” It was getting easier to say it now it was out. “I love you, Madeleine Renfrew, wholly and completely. With all my heart. And body. And probably soul, though I don’t know so much about that.”
With shaking hands, she put the champagne bottle down on the table. “You really love me?”
“I do. I have for the longest time. I was just too much of a coward to say it.” He opened his arms and she flew into them.
“It’s why I wanted to spend our wedding night here,” he told her after they’d made love for a second time, again with her dress rucked up around her waist. “I fell in love with you in this cottage, in this bed. And that day I left you, I hadn’t gone more than a few miles when I knew I couldn’t leave you. I thought I could marry you and still keep it to myself . . .”
“And not risk exposing yourself to what your father suffered?” she said.
He nodded, amazed and grateful for her understanding. “The risk is worth it—”
“There is no risk,” she corrected him. “We’re not like your parents. Just have faith.” She kissed him. “And open the champagne.”
