Bound by Bliss (Bound and Determined #2)(104)

Still, it had gone far easier than she had expected.

Which is how she’d gotten here. There had been no chance to run, no excuse to flee. She’d waited for that moment when something would go wrong, when she’d have a reason to leave, but it had never come.



And so here she stood. Married.

She should mingle and greet her guests, but the feeling was still too strange.

Married.

Her brain felt as if it had slowed like honey in January. Married. Lady Duldon. Married.

And she wasn’t afraid, she wasn’t scared.

That was the strangest part of all of this. She’d expected to feel terror, terror and regret. And she didn’t.

But what did she feel? That’s where all of this became difficult.

“Have I told you that you look exceptionally beautiful this day?” Stephan said, walking to her side.

“It is the expected thing to say.” She tried to push away the warm tingles that formed in her belly at his words.

“That does not make it any the less true.” He brushed a finger across her cheek. The simplest of gestures, but it promised so much more.

“Louisa helped choose the dress. I do not know how she managed to have them finish it so quickly. I was afraid it would be too simple, but I rather think it suits me.” She gazed down at the simple teal creation. Only the smallest of ruffles marked the edge of the bodice, while deeper silver laces defined the lower curves of breasts, highlighting her waist. Another deep swath of lace spun about the hems, outlining the slight asymmetry of the top layer of fabric.

“I should tell you that the dress does not matter, but I think I may allow Louisa to choose all your clothing from now on. Although I do, of course, prefer you without any.”



She could feel the blush race up her cheeks and down to her…

“And I do love you in pearls. I am not sure that I’ve ever seen such a wonderful strand of them. They bring light to your skin and…”

“I don’t like them. They are part of my dowry, but I’ve never liked them. Sometimes I think that they feel like chains, so long and heavy.”

Stephan reached out and lifted the pearls without laying a finger upon her, the warm beads sliding up across the skin of her chest. “And what’s wrong with chains?”

Her breath caught. She looked up into his eyes and wondered if she’d ever breathe again, his words painting pictures in her mind, pictures that might all too soon be explored. “I’ve never liked being tied down. You know I like my freedom.” If only she sounded more convincing.

A slow, easy smile formed at the corners of his mouth. “But what if your choice is to embrace your bonds? It isn’t much of a set of choices if you aren’t allowed to do what you really want.” He lifted the pearls again, pulling them slightly, making her aware of the weight against her neck.

“We will not talk of this here.” She glanced about the room. Her father was laughing. Her younger sisters were all peering out into the gardens and giggling. Normally she would have felt compelled to keep them out of trouble, but not today. Swanston stood in a corner, occasionally glaring at Stephan. The friendship between Stephan and her brother had not been broken, but the strain was evident. It was impossible to understand why her brother had taken such a dislike to her marriage and she would dearly have loved to rap him on the head, but instead she just shook her head. Men. Even as she watched, Louisa walked up to Swanston and, leaning forward, whispered something. Her brother turned his head and stared at his wife before a slow smile took his face, a smile that was all too reminiscent of the one that Stephan sometimes gifted her with. It was still hard to understand how her stiff brother could come so alive when he looked at his wife.



“Are you drifting off into deep thoughts?” Stephan asked, pulling her back. “You have that look about you.”

“I was just wondering about Swanston and Louisa. I do not understand what goes on between them.”

A gentle pull on the pearls. “I would rather not think of them today. And I certainly do not wish to think of what goes on between them.”

“I didn’t mean…” But the image had been planted in her mind and she could not shake it. “No. Let us not think of them.”

“You know my aunt is taking credit for our match.”

“How…? I mean…She didn’t even take me to tea. In fact she warned me against you. It was only after Lady Perse rescued me at Madame Rouge’s that she even became willing to think of our marriage. I don’t see how she can…”

He chuckled. “That is what my aunt does best—and I am sure in her own mind she does believe that somehow she brought us together—or at least that she would have prevented our marriage if she had not deemed it suitable. She has always been partial to me and I confess I’ve been waiting for her to start parading sweet young virgins before me. Perhaps that is why I chose you. I could not bear to be subject to such a spectacle.”



Bliss held back the full description of her original conversation with Lady Perse. It did not matter now and she did not want to injure his relationship with his aunt. She did not think he would take well to knowing that Lady Perse had at one point forbidden their relationship. “And so you had to settle for one not-so-sweet, not-so-young virgin.”

“You certainly are young. You forget how many years I’ve waited for you to grow up. And I am quite confident that I know how to keep you sweet. As for the virginal, I must admit I did not think it mattered, but now I find it adding an extra something to my thoughts about this evening. Who knew that innocence could hold such attraction?”