Taming the Shrew by Cari Hislop Page A

feel guilty?”
    “I’m not trying to make you feel anything. I’m merely pointing out that calling Avery an orange-head won’t endear you to him. It won’t take me long to finish my toilet and then I’ll...” Hervey forgot what he was going to say as his wife fingered the top button on his robe until it slide out of the button hole. “Juliana...you’re tempting me to break my resolve...”
    She fingered the next button, “Good! Sweetheart?”
    Hervey felt his blood scald his veins as bluish-green eyes begged him to make love to her. “That’s very close...”
    “Oh Hervey creature, don’t be cruel. I’ve never been any good at acting. I’ll die an old maid with a ring on my finger.”
    “Practice saying sweetheart out loud to an imaginary Hervey and with any luck I’ll be doing my duty before nightfall. Now if you’ll leave my nakedness covered I’ll go finish my toilet so I can take you shopping.” He briefly kissed her upturned lips and headed for the door.
    “Sweetheart...”
    The word pierced his back halting his departure. “Heavens!” Hervey’s voice cracked with desire as he turned his head to see if there was love in her eyes. “That almost sounded like you meant it.”
    She growled in irritation as she stomped her foot, “Hervey creature...I can’t do any better than that.”
    “Negative thinking is self-defeatist. Be positive.”
    “I’m positively going to demand an annulment if you don’t do your duty in a year.”
    “Sweetheart; if you haven’t learned to say it like you mean it in a month I shall give in to your sweet demands and then cry myself sick.”
    “Why would you cry?”
    “Why do you think?” Her answer was a satanic scream. “If you think my kisses are divine, just think how much you’ll enjoy the rest of me.” He blew her a kiss and stepped out of range as his brown ledger landed in the hall. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me Sweetheart.” His inkwell followed the ledger spilling its contents in a glorious black rainbow. “You’re going to irritate the ghosts. They don’t like having strange things on the walls.” Another satanic scream echoed through the house making him smile. With any luck she’d soon be crawling into his arms with love in her eyes.
Chapter 8
    Blind to the items in the shop window, Juliana tipped her bonnet just far enough so she could view the whole reflection of her husband looking resplendent in a bright blue coat, orange waistcoat and yellow buff breeches. The blue of his suit seemed to make his face and hair glow. She stared at the distorted image in the glass wishing she could glance at the real man without being seen. The more she looked at his face the more she liked it. He had a well-shaped nose and his magic lips weren’t too thin or too thick. His face wasn’t too long or too round. It was freckled and he did look youthful, but it was a pleasant face neither handsome nor plain. If they went in she was more likely to have an opportunity to admire him unobserved. “Are we going to stand here all day or go in?” With her gloved fingers tucked securely around his elbow she allowed herself to be led through the door only to find she was in a shop selling ladies underclothes. To be seen by her husband in her shift or nightdress was almost bearable; to purchase a shift with a man at her side was unthinkable. “I don’t need any of these.” Her furtive whisper went unheard. “Hervey creature!”
    “I’m sorry Sweetheart, did you say something?” The question rang through the shop drawing every feminine eye that wasn’t already admiring her husband.
    Juliana turned her whole head so she could glare at her smiling companion past the brim of her bonnet. “I don’t need anything in here.”
    “Yes you do Wife. Buying you a shift has been a long cherished dream.”
    Her pink cheeks flushed a deeper red as several other customers snickered in amusement. “Don’t be horrid; they’re laughing at me...”
    Hervey