Chapter Nineteen
Exhaustion had her snuggling beneath the covers, but the sound of someone calling her name pulled her from sleep. She woke to find her handsome husband leaning over their bed, smiling at her. “Ah, the faery princess has awoken at last.”
Pippa rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sat up, and immediately felt the chill.
A glance down revealed what she feared—she was naked!
She tugged the covers up to her chin. Belatedly, she remembered that she and Dillon had spent a good part of last night admiring one another’s attributes—though she was too embarrassed by her reaction to a particular part of his anatomy to admit to it this morning.
From the knowing look on his face before he turned and reached for a garment on the chair by the bed, she knew he remembered it too.
He turned back to her and helped slip her chemise over her head. “Ye must be hungry after expending so much energy last night, lass. Though ye’ll not find me complaining a bit.”
“I…er…could eat.” His self-satisfied expression irked as her embarrassment increased. “Are you enjoying yourself at my expense?”
Flaherty retrieved his frockcoat and wrapped it around her shoulders, then plopped himself next to her.
She had to scoot her legs over to avoid being sat on.
“I’m enjoying me wife’s hesitation—not embarrassment.
Ye were a joy to instruct last night, Phillipa.
I’m looking forward to continuing tonight. ”
The sudden fear that she would be stuck alone in the cottage all day was not like her. Why was she all of the sudden unsure of herself?
“What’s troubling ye, lass? It’s to be expected that yer womanly parts would be tender this morning, but not overly so. Was I too rough last night?”
She could not seem to force the words past the lump in her throat. His concern eased the worst of her embarrassment, but his next words compounded it.
“I’d best take a look to see if I damaged ye.”
Pippa put both hands on the covers by her hips. “No!”
For a second she thought she saw hurt in his expression. She blinked, and his concern had her immediately apologizing. “Forgive me, but I’m not accustomed to having a man examine me—there!”
“Well now, if ye had been, I’d be asking the man’s name and taking a strip off his hide.”
“You would… Wait a moment. What?”
“As yer husband, ’twould be me right to ensure the man wouldn’t speak ill of ye.
” He tugged on her hands and pulled her onto his lap.
“Ye have no fear that I’d ever speak of what happens in the sanctity of our home—especially the reason ye’ll be exhausted.
Though, I will confess, I’ll be having a bit of trouble concentrating on me tasks today. ”
“You’re expected at your post? I would have thought you would at least have a day or two to… Well, that is to say… Is it not normal to have a few days to celebrate one’s marriage?”
His soft chuckle soothed her nerves. The strength of his arms as he enfolded her into his embrace, and the way he’d dropped his chin to the top of her head, told of the depth of his feelings. They had spoken of love last night, but he had said a few words she did not understand.
“What do mo chroí and mo ghrá mean?”
He eased back to brush his lips over hers. “’Tis the Irish for me heart, and me love.”
Tears welled up and spilled over before she could stop them. Dillon kissed her gently…reverently.
“Never doubt for a moment that I love ye, Phillipa. Ye are mo chroí, and mo ghrá.”
“And you are mine. I love you, Dillon. Are you certain that you have to leave soon?”
“As soon as I feed ye and help ye wash and dress. I’ve asked for a copper tub to be delivered before midday.
I’m sure Millie and Roarke will be visiting with ye today.
Mayhap Caro and Prudence, too. But I’d warn ye not to overdo and to ask that ye conserve some of yer energy—ye’ll be needing it for tonight. ”
Her face felt as if it were on fire, and she had a feeling she knew what he meant from the desire in the depths of his blue eyes. She gathered her composure to ask, “I will?”
“Unless ye are too tender.”
Pippa put her hands over her eyes and groaned. “Will I ever get used to your speaking of intimate things in the light of day?”
“Am I only to speak of them after dark?”
“Well, no.” Frustration bubbled inside of her, making it difficult to put her feelings into words. “I mean, that is to say… Botheration! I don’t know.”
He kissed her deeply. “Ye are a joy to rile, lass. I’m looking forward to later. Now then, I’ve put the kettle on and laid out what Mrs. Green packed in the basket for us last night.”
She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind eating cake for breakfast. I won’t be lazy tomorrow morning—and if you were wondering, I can cook.”
“Can ye now? I hadn’t thought to ask, but will appreciate having a meal ready and waiting for me during me dinner shift.
Me cousins and I take our meals at different times, so that we can rotate the men we’ve trained to cover for us on a daily basis to take our posts.
They get the experience they need, and Garahan and O’Malley—and now meself as well—have a home-cooked meal with their wives. ”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and brushed his hand over her hair. “’Tis like moonlit silk. May I brush if for ye tonight? I’m afraid I don’t have enough time this morning.”
Her heart fluttered in her breast as she asked, “Are you certain they cannot spare you? You did mention that you have men who are trained to take your place.”
“Ah, Pippa-lass, if ye knew how much I want to stay home, wrapped in yer arms—even if ’tis only to sleep—I cannot. We’re expecting visitors—”
He broke off and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Bloody hell! I gave me word not to say anything…but ye’re me wife now and… I’ll ask Tremayne if I may tell ye.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he held up a hand. “Me word is me bond. Don’t ask me to break it.”
“I would never do that. I feel the same as you. And before you ask, once a Stanhope gives their word, we keep it.”
“Ye’ve the soul of a warrior, lass. As feisty as any Irishwoman I know. Me ma will love ye.” He set her on her feet and smoothed the covers up and over their pillows before placing his hand at the small of her back.
The heat of his hand had her thinking of things best left until later.
When he pulled out the chair for her, she sat and immediately shifted on her seat.
Without a word, Flaherty walked over to their bed, retrieved one of the pillows, and motioned for her to stand up so he could place the pillow on her chair.
“Should I be asking for that tub to be delivered earlier?”
“Thank you for thinking of my comfort, but I’ll be fine. As a matter of fact, since you will be busy with your duties, I believe I see where I can be useful today.” When Flaherty stared at her, she shrugged. “I’m not used to being idle, husband.”
Flaherty poured her tea, while she set out thick slices of cake. He smiled and had a forkful of cake to his lips when she asked, “When do you expect my brothers to arrive?”
The cake missed his mouth and fell back onto his plate. He carefully placed his fork beside it. “I beg yer pardon?”
“My brothers, Randolph and Miles. I assume they are the visitors expected today. After all, Tremayne has ascertained that Millie and I are telling the truth, and I’m quite sure he passed the information on to Captain Coventry—wasn’t that his name?
My eldest brother George is always tied up with the estate, and I haven’t had a letter from Winston for months—that leaves Randolph and Miles.
Though last I heard, they were both at sea. ”
She pushed his cake plate toward him and motioned for him to eat. When he was chewing, she added, “Millie and I decided a few years ago that the reason we seldom hear from Winston is that he is a spy for the Crown.”
Flaherty started coughing. Pippa got up and patted him on the back until he could clear the mouthful of cake from his throat. “Are you all right? I’ve never seen anyone choke on a bite of cake before.”
He sipped his tea and frowned at her. “Do ye have any other questions before I take another bite? This cake is too good to be wasting.”
“Just that Millie and I also agreed that the reason she received so little information about Roarke is that he too must be a spy. That being the case, it would be detrimental not only Millie and her babe, but to her father as well. Earl Haybrook has powerful connections within the ton—but so does my father. We were hoping our fathers would make the time to go to the War Office while the House of Lords is in session. Neither Millie nor I have heard from our fathers recently. The fear that Roarke was indeed working undercover was the main reason Millie did not confide what was happening to her father.”
“And that is why ye neglected to tell yer father or the one brother who would be able to assist ye in the threats to Millie and yerself.”
“I never said…” She closed her mouth and crossed her arms in front of her, letting her husband see her irritation with his last remark.
Instead of trying to soothe her frustration—and therefore her fears—Flaherty grumbled something that sounded like a curse beneath his breath before he said, “I don’t have the time to extract all of the information from ye now.
But know this—I expect ye to tell me the whole of it when I come home for supper! ”
Pippa did not answer him. She turned her attention to topping off the tea in their cups.
Flaherty grunted. “Finish yer cake, lass, so I can bathe ye and determine whether or not ye’ll be sitting on a pillow for the next few days, or if all ye need is me attention and tender care.”
Pippa’s neck and face flamed. She wished she did not embarrass so easily and hoped she would be able to control that reaction in the not-too-distant future.
*