The Heiress - Lynsay Sands [42]
Suzette grimaced and turned her gaze back to the window with a small shrug. She wasn’t exactly sick, unless it was sick with worry. She had been lying here for quite a while now, simply allowing the events of the night before to replay in her head. The more she recalled them, the more concerned she was. When she’d found Daniel in her room, she’d been positive things would be all right. He had come to agree to her proposal. They’d marry, she’d pay off the gambling debts and all would be well.
The two passionate encounters they’d shared—first here in her room and then in the carriage—had only solidified her certainty in her mind. But the end of the night had left her in turmoil. Daniel had been so cold and curt at the end as he’d set her down, straightened her clothes and said they should leave things until today as agreed. After that he’d fled as if the hounds of hell were on his heels and she couldn’t help fearing he’d had second thoughts, that perhaps she’d done something wrong and he’d reconsidered.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so responsive to his kisses, Suzette thought with a frown. Perhaps he now feared she may be free with her favors. Or perhaps he was one of those men who expected women to dislike participating in such carnal delights and was disgusted by the pleasure she’d taken in his caresses and kisses. And she had taken pleasure in them. Suzette had never before experienced such raw and powerful need in her life. In fact, she’d never even come close. She’d never even been kissed before Daniel.
Suzette didn’t know what she would do if he returned today with the news that he had decided not to accept her proposal. She supposed she would have to find another man to replace him, but the problem was that she wasn’t sure that was possible. She couldn’t imagine any of the other men she’d met last night drawing such pleasure and passion from her. The very idea of allowing any of them to touch and caress her as Daniel had done last night left her cold. It didn’t bode well for the future if she was married to a man who couldn’t stir her passion as Daniel had. Especially now that she’d tasted that pleasure.
“Suzy?” Lisa asked uncertainly, settling on the edge of her bed.
Sighing, she glanced to her and forced a smile. “I am fine. I just felt lazy this morning.”
“Oh.” Lisa smiled with relief. “Well, I came to tell you that Robert is here.”
“Oh,” Suzette murmured, not really caring that Lord Langley was visiting. A family friend and neighbor, Robert had spent a good deal of time at Madison over the years. In truth, he had been at Madison more than away from it and was like a big brother to them all. An annoying big brother who liked to tease and harass them like any true brother did.
Shortly after Christiana had married Dicky and moved to the Fairgrave townhouse in London which Dicky apparently preferred to the family seat, Robert himself had moved to town, abandoning them in the country for the lure of London life. Apparently, he had kept track of Christiana however, since it was his letters that had their father come to town where he’d wound up landing them in trouble again with his gambling.
“I thought perhaps you might want to ask him about Lord Woodrow,” Lisa persisted. “I thought perhaps he could tell us if he is honorable and what he thought of him as a man.”
That caught her attention and Suzette was suddenly sitting up. “That’s a good idea,” she announced, slipping her feet to the floor to rise. Perhaps she could learn enough to understand if she had erred horribly in her behavior last night, and how she might fix it if she had. Besides, she’d like to know more about Daniel, everything about him really. He was to be her husband after all. Well, at least she hoped he would be.
“I shall send Georgina up to you,” Lisa announced, rising and heading for the door.
“Thank you,” Suzette called, but didn’t wait for the maid to arrive. Now eager to get below, she slipped from bed and began searching for clothes to wear. She