"You wished to see me?"
Emily rose and took
her hand. "Good morning, Allegra. We have a visitor."
Allegra looked up at
Adam with a mischievous smile and extended him a delicate white hand. He bowed
over it, feeling awkward and clumsy. Allegra was every bit as lovely as she had
seemed the day before, and the intimacy of the morning room, with only one
other person present, made him more than ever aware of their situation. This
was his wife, the woman he was expected to live with, to sire children by. The
thought of Allegra in his bed sparked a sudden flash of desire in his body, and
he fought it back. What was he thinking of? He loved Louisa.
"This is Adam,
my dear," said Emily. "Your husband and my son."
Adam did not know
what reaction he had expected from Allegra, but it was not what he received.
She laughed merrily, a sound like silver bells.
"My lord,
welcome home. I'm sorry I wasn't waiting to receive you, but we weren't
informed of your arrival date, and I'm afraid I danced until early this
morning. I hope your trip was pleasant."
"There was some
rough weather in the Channel," said Adam stiffly. "But I
survived." Her casual manner annoyed him. She should be at least slightly
embarrassed to be confronted with her husband after their meeting last night,
but she seemed to be completely unconcerned.
"You seem to be
recovered. You look very well indeed," said Allegra. "Perhaps you can
join us tonight. We are attending Lady Bellamy's rout. It will be pleasant to
have a man to accompany us, although it's most unfashionable to have one's
husband for a gallant, so perhaps we shall do as well without you."
The Dowager watched
nervously as Adam's face grew darker. "Yes, please do come," she
urged. "Unless, of course, you're too tired to go out. Perhaps you're
still weary from your journey."
"Not at all. I
would be pleased to accompany you."
"Then perhaps
you should rest," said Allegra artlessly. "We shall be out very late
again tonight."
Adam frowned at her.
"Perhaps I should. I wouldn't wish to have insufficient energy to serve as
your escort."
Emily hastily stepped
in. "Your baggage is in your father's old room. Please make yourself
comfortable, Adam. Will you join us for tea?"
Adam's tore his eyes
from Allegra's face and he looked at his mother. "Why am I not in my own
room, Mother?"
"You are the
duke now, my dear. His room adjoins the duchess's. Allegra is in my old
room."
"You drove my
mother from her room?" Adam turned to Allegra accusingly.
"I
insisted," said Emily quickly. "I didn't care for the room anymore
with your father gone, you know."
Adam's face softened.
"You miss him, don't you?"
"Very
much." There was a small pause. "Now I must go make sure your room is
properly ordered; I will be back in a little while."
Emily kissed Adam
tenderly on the cheek and left the room. The silence stretched out as Allegra
and Adam avoided each other's gaze.
"Your mother is
a very kind woman," said Allegra.
"She is
indeed," said Adam. He turned to his wife and surveyed her as she stood
gracefully by the window. She hadn't grown many inches since she he had last
seen her, he realized. She was still diminutive and small-boned, making him
feel over-large and clumsy. But there was nothing else about her that hadn't
altered. Her hair, which had once been a carroty red, now shimmered like
freshly hammered gold. Her freckles were gone as well, replaced by a complexion
as white as milk and as fine as porcelain. Her brilliant blue eyes dominated
her charming face, and her lips, now curled in an inquiring smile, looked
eminently kissable. But more than anything else, her body was different. Gone
was the gangliness, the odd proportions and the excessive skinniness. Instead
there was a lady, with a tiny waist and softly rounded curves that hinted at
all sorts of carnal delights. Adam swallowed.
"You have
changed a great deal, Allegra."
Allegra blinked,
wondering how to answer him. It had taken a great
Emily rose and took
her hand. "Good morning, Allegra. We have a visitor."
Allegra looked up at
Adam with a mischievous smile and extended him a delicate white hand. He bowed
over it, feeling awkward and clumsy. Allegra was every bit as lovely as she had
seemed the day before, and the intimacy of the morning room, with only one
other person present, made him more than ever aware of their situation. This
was his wife, the woman he was expected to live with, to sire children by. The
thought of Allegra in his bed sparked a sudden flash of desire in his body, and
he fought it back. What was he thinking of? He loved Louisa.
"This is Adam,
my dear," said Emily. "Your husband and my son."
Adam did not know
what reaction he had expected from Allegra, but it was not what he received.
She laughed merrily, a sound like silver bells.
"My lord,
welcome home. I'm sorry I wasn't waiting to receive you, but we weren't
informed of your arrival date, and I'm afraid I danced until early this
morning. I hope your trip was pleasant."
"There was some
rough weather in the Channel," said Adam stiffly. "But I
survived." Her casual manner annoyed him. She should be at least slightly
embarrassed to be confronted with her husband after their meeting last night,
but she seemed to be completely unconcerned.
"You seem to be
recovered. You look very well indeed," said Allegra. "Perhaps you can
join us tonight. We are attending Lady Bellamy's rout. It will be pleasant to
have a man to accompany us, although it's most unfashionable to have one's
husband for a gallant, so perhaps we shall do as well without you."
The Dowager watched
nervously as Adam's face grew darker. "Yes, please do come," she
urged. "Unless, of course, you're too tired to go out. Perhaps you're
still weary from your journey."
"Not at all. I
would be pleased to accompany you."
"Then perhaps
you should rest," said Allegra artlessly. "We shall be out very late
again tonight."
Adam frowned at her.
"Perhaps I should. I wouldn't wish to have insufficient energy to serve as
your escort."
Emily hastily stepped
in. "Your baggage is in your father's old room. Please make yourself
comfortable, Adam. Will you join us for tea?"
Adam's tore his eyes
from Allegra's face and he looked at his mother. "Why am I not in my own
room, Mother?"
"You are the
duke now, my dear. His room adjoins the duchess's. Allegra is in my old
room."
"You drove my
mother from her room?" Adam turned to Allegra accusingly.
"I
insisted," said Emily quickly. "I didn't care for the room anymore
with your father gone, you know."
Adam's face softened.
"You miss him, don't you?"
"Very
much." There was a small pause. "Now I must go make sure your room is
properly ordered; I will be back in a little while."
Emily kissed Adam
tenderly on the cheek and left the room. The silence stretched out as Allegra
and Adam avoided each other's gaze.
"Your mother is
a very kind woman," said Allegra.
"She is
indeed," said Adam. He turned to his wife and surveyed her as she stood
gracefully by the window. She hadn't grown many inches since she he had last
seen her, he realized. She was still diminutive and small-boned, making him
feel over-large and clumsy. But there was nothing else about her that hadn't
altered. Her hair, which had once been a carroty red, now shimmered like
freshly hammered gold. Her freckles were gone as well, replaced by a complexion
as white as milk and as fine as porcelain. Her brilliant blue eyes dominated
her charming face, and her lips, now curled in an inquiring smile, looked
eminently kissable. But more than anything else, her body was different. Gone
was the gangliness, the odd proportions and the excessive skinniness. Instead
there was a lady, with a tiny waist and softly rounded curves that hinted at
all sorts of carnal delights. Adam swallowed.
"You have
changed a great deal, Allegra."
Allegra blinked,
wondering how to answer him. It had taken a great
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