The Lady's Disgrace by Callie Hutton

Author:Callie Hutton [Hutton, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, General, Historical romance, Blind Baron, Barbary pirates, Scandalous, callie hutton, Regency, ton, Entangled, marriage mart
ISBN: 9781633750647
Google: 4P5MBAAAQBAJ
Amazon: B00MSZECDQ
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2014-09-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“You want to go to London?” Abigail rested in bed, propped against two pillows. Joseph sat on the bed, causing the mattress to dip. He was fully dressed in buckskin breeches, with a blue jacket over a cream-colored waistcoat. His cravat was starched and expertly tied. He’d apparently been up for some time.

She had just awakened from a night of fitful slumber. Dreams had invaded her sleep about flames and being trapped behind them, with Joseph on the other side, calling her, but unable to breach the distance.

It had been near dinner time the night before when they’d awoken from their nap after the terror of the fire. They shared a tray in their room, neither of them wanting to dress and go down to dinner. He’d said very little about the fire, assuring her she needed to rest, and they would discuss it on the morrow. Despite her nap, she’d barely had the energy to finish her dinner. Soon after the tray had been removed, he’d tucked her in, kissed her on the forehead and had left the room to attend to some business in his study.

She’d awoken several times in the night, shaking and gulping air. Each time Joseph had held her and whispered words of comfort. She’d clung to him, chagrined at the raw need to feel his arms around her. For his strength and warmth. Were she able to crawl inside his body she would have.

In the light of day, she was able to push that memory to the back of her mind.

His voice interrupted her musings, drawing her attention back to her question. “Yes, I need to take care of some business, and it would be a good opportunity for a visit with your family.”

“But what about your duties here? We have the building of the school to supervise. You have students to tutor and services on Sunday.”

“I directed a note to my father last evening, and he is sending a curate from his church to oversee things for a while.”

“For a while? How long do you plan for us to be gone?”

“I don’t know. Not too long, though. I thought you would be thrilled to see London again.”

“Oh, Joseph, you are still under the impression that I miss all of that.” She shook her head. “When we discussed our arrangement I thought I’d made it clear. I no longer want that sort of a life. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but after three years, I want more than gowns, balls, and parties.”

“Yet, had your marriage to Redgrave gone forward, that is precisely the life you would have had.”

Funny how that thought hadn’t crossed her mind before now. Would she have grown bored with ton life? Her mother had been involved with society for years. But she’d also spent a great deal of time at their country estate where she’d romped with her seven children.

Redgrave had impressed upon her more than once that he detested living in the country and was satisfied to have his steward take care of his estate while he stayed in Town.

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