The Countess by Lynsay Sands Page A

and even a little scared. She had never experienced that with him before, but then while he had been ever charming before the marriage, he had never shown kindness and concern until now. There was something different about him tonight and she wondered to herself if his brush with death had somehow changed him. If perhaps that’s what he’d meant by things being different now.
    “Chrissy, there is something different about Dicky.”
    Christiana blinked and peered up at Robert with surprise. It was as if he’d read her thoughts.
    Before she could say so, he added, “I have felt it for some time now. He’s not the man I attended school with.”
    Christiana frowned. Robert wasn’t talking about his being different tonight then. “How so?”
    “Did you know I have been to see you three times the last few months and he has turned me away each time?”
    She grimaced apologetically, and admitted, “I only knew about two occasions and found out about those just this morning. I’m sorry. I hope you know I consider you like family and would never—”
    “It doesn’t matter,” he interrupted. “The point is that the Richard Fairgrave I knew was nothing like the pompous ass who took such delight in sending me away. It was more like his brother, George.”
    Her eyebrows rose at mention of her husband’s brother. George Fairgrave, the younger of the twin brothers by moments, had died in a fire just months before she had married Dicky. She tilted her head to the side and frowned. “Oh?”
    Robert was silent for a moment, appearing uncomfortable, but finally met her gaze and asked uncomfortably, “Does he have a birthmark?”
    Christiana raised her eyebrows. “Not that I’ve seen. Should he?”
    He nodded grimly. “It’s a small strawberry on his left buttock.”
    Her eyes widened and then she flushed. “Oh, well, he may have one then, but I have never seen him without clothes.”
    “You have not seen him . . . ?” Robert’s voice died and he now flushed as well, as he apparently realized what he was asking.
    Aware she was blushing furiously, Christiana glanced around to see if anyone was listening. Much to her relief Robert had steered them to a relatively open area on the dance floor and no one was near enough to hear. Still, she scowled and murmured, “I think we should change the subject. It really isn’t proper to discuss—”
    “No it isn’t proper,” Robert agreed quietly. “And despite how close we have always been, I wouldn’t have brought it up, but it is very important. Please, trust me on that. If I am right, you could be in danger.”
    She frowned at his words and glanced away, but then admitted, “He has simply never disrobed in front of me.”
    “Not even on your wedding night?” he asked.
    “On our wedding night he did not even take off his cravat,” she admitted with embarrassment and then with some annoyance said, “And you are not his wife so how did you see this birthmark?”
    “A group of us used to go skinny-dipping in a nearby lake back at school. He and I were among that group,” he explained, and then asked gently, “He didn’t even take off his cravat?”
    She shook her head with irritation. It felt like her face was on fire now and she’d really rather not discuss this. It just wasn’t done.
    “And he hasn’t at any time since either?” Langley prodded.
    “There hasn’t been an ‘any time since,’ ” Christiana admitted in little more than a whisper. That was her shame. Her husband found her so wanting that he had not visited her bed since her wedding night. She’d often wondered if she’d been terribly bad at it and that was why Dicky had suddenly gone cold on her and begun to treat her so poorly. Unfortunately, she hadn’t had her mother to explain the matter of the marital bed to her and had been completely ignorant of what to do or expect so had lain in bed, unmoving and practically not breathing until it was done. Fortunately, it had been quick. Perhaps