29
“Did you know that there is a tradition that the Duchess of Riddlesmarsh expands the garden at Riddlesmarsh Hall with her own project?” Robert asked Jo when they were standing in front of the Royal Pavilion ten days later.
It was the first time they had ventured into town since their reunion.
Besides having luncheon in the garden or going to the beach, Jo had thought it would be good for them to leave the house for a couple of hours, but all Robert could think of was getting her back there and dragging her into the closest room where they could have some privacy.
Both of them had been insatiable after their talk in the small library.
They would not leave bed until well into the afternoon and retire only a couple of hours later.
Jo certainly did not care what their staff thought of their intimate relations anymore.
Robert was delighted that she would initiate their encounters almost as frequently as him.
In between orgasms, they talked, laughed, ate in bed, and read beside each other – it turned out that the writer of The Orphan’s Ordeal had written another ten books, and Robert had ordered them all from the bookstore in town.
With delivery, of course. He was not leaving Jo’s side and risking missing out on placing his hands or mouth on her.
She was still not comfortable with sleeping with him, which was fine.
Robert was certain she would tell him any day now.
In the meantime, he thoroughly enjoyed what they were doing.
Especially when Jo, red as a lobster, had asked three days ago whether she could please him with her mouth as well.
He could feel her overthinking it the first time, but when he had told her that she could do nothing wrong, despite biting him, she had relaxed more, and with the daily practice she was getting now, her confidence in the matter was improving fast.
Robert’s cock started to harden at the thought, but when he saw Jo’s horrified expression over the garden project, he could not help but laugh.
“Are you serious?” Jo asked almost breathlessly.
Robert grinned as he nodded.
“My mother created a rose garden.”
It was true. His great-grandmother had started by creating the garden for the newly built estate.
Then his grandmother had added a labyrinth to it, when she married his grandfather, and his mother the rose garden.
Three generations made a tradition for all he cared, and Robert liked the idea of Jo putting her own touch on the estate.
Jo sent him a look that told him she did not believe him, before she laced her arm with his and leaned slightly into his side. Robert liked how comfortable she had become with him physically. And how proud and possessive he felt when she was on his arm.
They had already greeted at least twenty people during the hour they had spent in town.
It seemed that people’s curiosity over their hasty match had not died down yet and they openly stared at the way Jo was standing comfortably beside him and the ease that was between them.
Robert could imagine how they would tell everyone how great a match it was. Which made him proud.
As long as no one called it a love match like Lady Clopton had.
He did not want the rumor circulating that they were in love.
He felt more comfortable showing Jo attention and affection now that he had told her what he wanted of their relationship and she had agreed to it.
He would hate that it was ruined by a rumor of a love connection circulating and giving Jo ideas.
“Do you think we could afford a pavilion looking like this?” Jo asked beside him.
Robert sent his wife a sardonic look and found she was smiling teasingly, almost flirtatiously.
This was another unexpected gift of their shared intimacy: that they were able to tease each other the way friends did.
Lucretia had never liked it; her humor had been more of a dry, scathing sarcasm that bordered on too much sometimes.
This flirting, effortless teasing with Jo was priceless.
It felt exactly as light as he had wanted their relationship to feel.
“We probably could, if you truly insist. Would you like to build a pavilion then?”
Jo turned to look at him. Her hand was still resting on his arm, but she was not pressed against his side any longer. Despite the heat, Robert wished she would step close to him again.
“Were you serious?” she asked as she studied his face.
Her face had become even more freckled and her hair more golden in the ten days they had been here and she had never been more beautiful. He fought the urge to lean forward and kiss her; part of his brain was still vaguely aware that they were in public.
“I was, actually,” Robert said and tried to avoid grinning again.
“Well, then,” Jo began and stepped close to him, pressing her side against his again, “In that case, I think I’d build a Greek-inspired one, like the one at the house. And add those pink blossom bushes around it too.”
Robert’s nostrils flared and he fought not to let his mind dwell too much on the other day when they had eaten a late luncheon in the pavilion together. When they had finished their meal, Robert had knelt in front of Jo and used his hands and mouth on her, while she was watching the ocean.
“I know the perfect spot for it, far away from the house,” Robert told her in a low purr. He was pleased to see the heat in Jo’s eyes. He could not wait to go home.
“Good, I look forward to seeing it,” Jo mumbled in a suggestive voice.
“We should start walking,” Robert told her and cleared his throat.
If they continued this train of thought, he would find himself in a terribly embarrassing situation very soon. Something he had not had to fear for the past ten years.
“Do you think there are architects who specialize in pavilions?” Jo mused after they had walked for a few minutes in silence.
“I suppose so. I will look into it at some point…”
“Oh, there is no need to,” Jo interrupted him. “You have enough responsibility as it is. I will take charge of this.”
Robert sent her a relieved smile. Glad she had picked up on the fact that he had plenty of responsibilities as it was, even though he would never complain about it. His stepfather had taught him that it was a great privilege as well as a great responsibility.
His man of business could help Jo find an architect and construction workers fit for the task. Robert was not certain how it would look if the Duchess of Riddlesmarsh began writing to strangers. Even with the intent to employ them.
“So, you are excited about this?” he asked.
It had slipped his mind to tell her until they were standing in front of the Royal Pavilion. He was surprised that his mother had not mentioned it, but she had probably thought that Jo had enough new things to learn as it was. She did not need to add a gardening project as well.
“I am, yes,” Jo told him firmly, squeezing his arm yet again. “Although I am still not certain whether you are simply making the tradition up or not… But now I want to create the pavilion, and you must pay for it since it was your foolish joke.”
“Not a joke. It is an actual family tradition, but I would be happy to pay for it.”
Robert was wondering whether it was too soon to suggest that they headed back to the house, when he spotted three women, he knew very well, coming toward them.
He sighed inwardly at the beaming smile on his mother’s face, the tentative one on Philomena’s, and the slight catlike smirk on Maggie’s.
He guessed he would not be taking Jo back to the house any time soon.
“Riddlesmarsh!” his mother exclaimed. It was what she called him when they were in public.
Even though he had gotten used to hearing the title from everyone else, it still made him think she was talking about his father.
“Duchess,” she greeted Jo affectionately and kissed both her cheeks. “We have been shopping,” she announced and gestured to an overburdened footman behind them. “We were just headed for refreshments when we spotted you.”
“Well, we would like to join you, won’t we, Robert?” Jo asked and looked at him.
He liked that she always called him by his given name, even in public, even if it was not the done thing.
“Riddles!” someone called behind them and Robert cursed the size of the town and the fact that everyone was there.
He turned to see Thornston stroll toward them down the street. Robert had not seen him since the day he had feared Jo had been trapped under the fallen cliff. Which was… ten days ago, he realized.
Thornston slapped his back affectionately in greeting, then greeted the rest of his family.
“It’s been an age,” Thornston drawled. “Are you certain you can handle the sun? I assume you have spent a lot of your time indoors.” He grinned, which made Jo color.
“Why don’t we go to Montrose’s and I will join you later?” Robert asked Jo, who hurriedly agreed.
They said a quick goodbye to everyone, and Robert practically dragged his friend up the street.
“Don’t embarrass my wife,” he told his friend as soon as they were out of earshot.
“But you have, haven’t you?” Thornston drawled as he straightened his clothes. Ever the dandy. “I recognize the look of a man who gets what he needs. And then some.”
He laughed at his own joke.
Robert rolled his eyes at him but could not contain his smile.
“Tease me all you want, but not in front of Jo…” he said in a lower voice.
Thornston sobered a bit.
“Well, send my apologies to the lovely Josephine. I hope she knows I mean nothing by it. But if you have to assure her I don’t, please tell her so. Or I could come by and do so myself,” Thornston teased him.
When Robert only shook his head and sent him a slightly disbelieving smile, Thornston stopped in his tracks.
“What?” he said and felt Robert’s forehead, almost knocking off his beaver hat.
Robert caught it with a hand on top of it and stepped away from his friend.
“What are you doing?” He grinned.