Page 27 of The Rake's Bride
“Forever,” he grumbled and turned his eyes back down to the floor. Victoria tried her best not to smile at his dramatics.
“Well, how was that vase broken?”
His shoulders lifted in a brief shrug, but, when it was clear that Victoria would say nothing else until she received a verbal reply, he looked down at his shoes and gestured to them. “These shoes. They don’t let me run well; they make me slip.” He looked back up at her and indignantly demanded, “What good are slippery shoes?”
Victoria smiled that time despite her best efforts, but she sobered quickly and said, “Well, we will have to remedy that, won’t we? Perhaps find you some better shoes?” Dominic’s eyes widened as if the possibility of improved footwear had never occurred to him. “However,” she added gravely, “you will have to promise me that you will only use them to their full advantage out of doors where no vases can be threatened.” The boy sat up straighter and nodded enthusiastically. “Now, how much longer are you truly supposed to stay here on this stool?”
The boy frowned furiously. “My evil uncle said I must stay here until supper.”
“That seems rather harsh,” Victoria replied gravely. “It was only one vase, after all.”
Dominic averted his eyes and, just as she’d hoped, he admitted, “It’s because I was told several times not to runinside…and I’ve broken three vases now. And a tea service. And maybe a few porcelain figurines.”
“Ah…” Victoria nodded with all the seriousness she could muster. Though inexperienced with children, even she knew that she could not undermine Rafe’s authority by freeing the boy from his punishment early, but she made a mental note to speak to him about it. Instead, she straightened and said, “I look forward to seeing you at supper, then.”
The boy frowned up at her again, his expression far more serious than what one would expect from someone his age. “Why would you eat here in the nursery with us? Won’t you eat with Uncle Rafe?”
Victoria was taken aback by his question. “Do you not take meals with your uncle?”
“No—it is not how things are done.” Dominic sounded mature beyond his years, likely repeating something he’d likely heard often from the adults in his life. “Besides,” the boy added, “he is not usually home for supper.”
Victoria emitted a thoughtful sound. It wasn’t as if she were ignorant of the customs of the upper classes; even in America, young children did not take meals with the adults when there were guests. Her father, however, had always made sure to include his children whenever possible. If he was entertaining friends and colleagues, then Victoria and Luke would frequently share in the meal. There was never a question that they would all dine together as a family on quiet nights—much like the one they would be having that evening. She did not see why at least Dominic could not dine with her and Rafe, and it would certainly go a long way toward allowing them all to get to know one another. She made a silent promise that she would add it to her list of things she wished to address with her new husband.
“If not at supper, then perhaps tomorrow? I would like to have the opportunity to get to know you.”
Dominic eyed her with a mixture of wariness and curiosity before finally lifting his shoulders in a negligent response.
That would have to do.
Victoria lifted her hand to Nan in a silent goodbye before exiting the nursery…and running straight into her husband.
It was like colliding with a brick wall.
She released a surprised “oof” as his fingers wrapped around her shoulders and steadied her stumble.
“Victoria?” Was it her imagination, or was his voice a little breathless when he said her name? “What are you doing here?”
It was impossible for her not to notice the heat of his body and his intoxicating scent. She’d been so confused and distraught that day that it had been relatively easy for her to set aside her newfound carnal knowledge. Now, however, as close as they stood in the narrow hallway, it all came rushing back to her. She could only pray the lack of windows would help disguise the sudden flush she felt creeping up her throat.
“I—I thought to look in on the children…” Her eyes flitted to the deepening furrow between his dark brows. “Or…do you not wish for me to know them?” She hadn’t considered that possibility. He had certainly gone to great lengths to disguise their existence thus far; what if he actually desired to continue to keep these parts of his life separate?
Had the day not been so emotionally exhausting, Victoria might have laughed at the rapid shifting of expressions on his face—confusion suddenly morphed into pleasure. “No! It is quite alright. I would like very much for all of you to become familiar.” He paused and cleared his throat, tempering his voice when he asked, “Were you speaking with Dominic? How is he faring?”
“Still in punishment. Still miserable.” With each passing second, she was becoming more aware that Rafe still had not released her; in fact, his thumbs moved ever so slightly along the bare skin of her collarbone revealed by the neckline of her gown.“And we really must invest in less-slippery footwear for him; it will probably save us a great many shattered vases and other damaged housewares.” Her tone was serious, but Rafe knew her well enough at that point to catch onto her jest. His laughter was a relief—the evaporation of some of the built-up tension between them. It helped usher in some normalcy.
Victoria smiled softly and prepared to excuse herself but was stopped when his hands tightened ever so slightly.
“Victoria…” Rafe started and stopped, his eyes dancing over her features. “Victoria, please know how sorry I am that everything came out as it did.” Her heart began to pound more forcefully in her breast. “I should have told you about the children, and I hope we might speak more on our situation and our future this evening.”
It was Victoria’s turn to feel a little breathless. She could only nod after a brief hesitation. She interpreted the softening of the tension around his eyes as an expression of relief.
“Are your chambers up to scratch?” he asked, changing the subject.
“They are fine,” she replied, making sure to add that the staff did a remarkable job in such a short span of time.
While her words of praise seemed to please him, there was resignation in his tone when he said, “I will escort you on a shopping excursion tomorrow for anything you might need or desire for the space. It is the least I can do for canceling our honeymoon trip so suddenly.” The caress of his thumbs began again, and it was all she could do not to emit a delighted shiver from the contact. Waves of warmth echoed out from those little points of contact, gaining heat and power as they rippled throughout her body.
“I understand it needed to happen,” she said as steadily as possible. “I can hardly blame you when there was an ill child involved.”
