Bertrice Small - The Duchess

"Even though we are at home," he replied suddenly, breaking the spell that had been between them, "I do not want our servants gossiping should they find us kissing and alone in the drawing room, Allegra."

Allegra looked up and whispered to him, "I want to be kissed and caressed more, my lord. I quite like it."

"Then you shall be, my dear," he promised her. "1 want you to be happy, Allegra." He was surprised to realize that he meant it.

"I want you to be happy," she said. "I truly do!"

She sat in his lap the following evening in the gardens, sighing as his hands brushed over her small breasts. His kisses were intoxicating now. She wanted more, and more, and more.

He scolded her gently, "You are far too greedy."

"But I adore kissing! And you really are an excellent kisser, Quinton. Rupert Tanner kissed me before I had to send him packing. His embrace was disgusting to me, while I cannot get enough of yours," Allegra admitted quite freely to the duke. Then she changed the subject. "Do you find my gown too constricting? Wouldn't you like to touch my bared breasts?"

"Yes," he groaned. Damn, but she was exciting him!

"Then come to my bedchamber after Honor has gone to her room," Allegra suggested to him. "I want to know what it is like to lie with a man in one's bed. Will we be naked?"

His head was spinning with growing lust. She was a virgin. He knew she was a virgin. Virgins were either shrinking violets, or wildly curious, he had been told. Then he wondered if she had been this curious with Rupert Tanner. Hadn't she just admitted to kissing him?

"Did you let that pious psalm singer touch you?" he growled at her. "Did you invite him into your bed, Allegra?" Jesus! He sounded like a jealous man. Why would he be jealous? Only a man in love would be jealous. He wasn't in love with her. He wasn't!

"Do not be absurd, Quinton," she said in a tone that dragged him back into the reality of their situation. "Rupert kissed me once. He was trying to dissuade me from marrying you. As you are aware his sly old papa wanted a match between us-but we were friends, not lovers."

"Were friends?"

"He would not stop pleading his case," Allegra said. "It was quite annoying. I sent him away telling him I should not like to see him again. His behavior was inexcusable, Quinton. I was already betrothed to you, and as I had no objections to the match, why should Rupert Tanner? Perhaps in a few years I shall forgive him, but certainly not now!"

"Of course," he agreed. "He behaved like a perfect cad."

"Poor Rupert," Allegra continued. "It is not easy being a younger son, I fear, but he will find the right girl eventually." Then her violet eyes met his silver ones. "Will you come to my bedchamber later?"

"You are quite shameless, Allegra," he said softly.

"May I not be shameless with my husband?" she asked.

"We are not yet wed, Miss Morgan," he said.

"If you would rather wait until we are I am content to do so," Allegra told him sweetly. "I just thought if we came to know each other better in this manner, then we could consummate our marriage on our wedding night without much ado. It seemed a practical matter to me, but perhaps I am too bold, and do not understand, Quinton. You really must be more forthcoming with me," she concluded.

"Go to your room, Allegra," he ordered her. "When Honor is gone, I shall visit you. You must promise me, however, that you will abide by my decisions in matters that you do not yet understand. Have I your pledge?"

"Yes, Quinton," she replied meekly.

"And wear your night garment," he warned her.

"Yes, Quinton," Allegra answered. Then she turned, and hurried from the garden. At last she was to learn some of the delights of passion! Sirena had said they were quite wonderful. Of course she loved Ocky, Allegra thought, but even if I don't love Quinton, it should still be quite pleasant. A man's mistress doesn't love him, but she enjoys passion.

Honor was waiting for her mistress. She had Allegra's porcelain high-back tub filled with scented water. "You didn't stay long out in the moonlight with his lordship tonight," she noted.

"There is a chill in the air," Allegra excused herself. "It is August. Lord George's wedding is in just five more days."

"And then comes your wedding," Honor said. "I suppose it will be nice to see old London again." She helped Allegra into her tub, and began putting her clothes away, separating the laundry first.

"The duke and I have decided not to be married in London," Allegra told her servant. "I have already written to Papa about it. Sirena cannot travel to London now that she is breeding. I just can't be married without her by my side. The duke prefers being wed here at Hunter's Lair as do I. Just the family and our friends."

"Well, you won't hear no complaints from me on the matter," Honor admitted. "Where are we going on the wedding trip?"

"We are staying here, but perhaps next spring we shall go to Italy," Allegra told her servant. "Ohh, this water feels so good."

"Italy? Lord bless me, miss, I never expected that I would travel," Honor said excitedly.

"The duke says we shall go to a city where the streets are made of water and everybody travels in boats," Allegra continued.

"Go on, miss, you're funning me," Honor said. "Streets made of water? There ain't no such thing!"

"The duke says there are," Allegra replied.

"Since when did what His Grace said mean anything to you?" the saucy maid responded pertly. Then her eyes grew wide. "Ohh, miss! Are you falling in love with him?"

"Of course not," Allegra denied. "What an odd thing for you to say, Honor. Why would I fall in love with him? And how does one fall in love in the first place? Is love a tangible thing? And if it is, where is it that I, or anyone else, could fall into it?" She laughed.

Honor had finished putting away her mistress's garments. Now she took up the large sea sponge and began to wash Allegra's back. "Sometimes, miss," she said, "you say the funniest things. I don't understand half of them, but I love you anyway." She rinsed the soap from the girl's long back. "There, if you've done the other parts, you can get out of your tub." She helped Allegra up, wrapped her in a large warmed towel as her mistress stepped from the tub. When she had dried the girl off she slipped a soft white cotton night garment over her head. "There, miss," she said, satisfied.

Allegra tied the blue ribbons at the neckline into a little bow. Seating herself at her dressing table she loosed her long dark hair, and began to brush it slowly while Honor struggled to fit a painted screen around the tub. Allegra didn't like the tub in her bedchamber. It should really be in the dressing room. She would have it moved there tomorrow.

Her mind was awhirl. The duke was coming to her bedchamber tonight. Had she been too bold with him? It was too late now unless, of course, when he arrived she told him she had changed her mind. Changed her mind about what, she asked herself. She simply wanted to know a little bit more about passion before she was committed to consummating her marriage to Quinton Hunter. Girls were supposed to be courted, but the duke had not courted her at all. An arrangement had been made. No wonder she knew so little.

As she had once told the duke, girls knew more than they let on about men. She had had an older brother. For a moment her eyes grew teary at the thought of James Lucian. No one could have had a better brother than he, Allegra told herself. His death had been so futile, so damned unnecessary, and she hated the French for it. They had wantonly murdered her beautiful sibling because he had refused to leave the girl he loved. He had died with her rather than be parted from her. Love! Faaagh! It was a ridiculous emotion that drove sensible people to madness. Her darling brother. Her mother, who had deserted her children and husband for love. And now her father was behaving like a cow-eyed fool over his new wife. If she hadn't loved her aunt mama it would have all been too unbearable, Allegra considered.