Virginia Henley by Enticed Page B

effect was softened by masses of flowers Patrick had ordered. This sitting room was one floor up from the reception hall where they had entered. It was a tall, narrow house,and above the sitting room on the third level was a spacious bedroom. The bed was enormous, with brocade hangings that matched the heavy curtains at the tall windows. The wardrobe and tallboy were in a polished red mahogany, and the pile on the rug was like plush velvet. Patrick opened a door off the bedroom to show Kitty the bathroom.
    She was utterly delighted. “Oh, a bath just for me! This is the nicest room of all; I’ll spend all my time here.”
    He was delighted at her pleasure in everything.
    “Oh, who picked out all this beautiful soap and dusting powder?”
    “I did, of course,” he said with a smile.
    She stripped off her gloves and washed her hands with the rose-scented soap. “Mmm, smell me,” she invited, holding her hands up to his face. He buried a kiss inside her palm and quickly closed her fingers over it. She was delighted at such a pretty trick. When they went downstairs to the sitting room, Mrs. Harris had laid out a cold supper for them. She was glad to see they were in a playful mood; that meant bed right after they’d eaten and she would be free to go belowstairs to her own room for the rest of the evening.
    Patrick carved the bird and poured the wine. Later he peeled a peach for her. It was the first time she had ever seen a peach in her whole life. She decided she liked them excessively. He led her to the couch to finish their wine. He looked deeply into her eyes and offered a toast. “To this moment, and the moment yet to come,” he said meaningfully.
    She was acutely aware of his nearness and thought, “This is what it would be like to be married, just the two of us alone.”
    He said huskily, “What would you like to do?”
    She looked at him from beneath her lashes and said, “Will you let me play with your … watch?”
    There, she had done it again! Her words were eroticallysuggestive, as if she were a practiced coquette, while at the same time she looked at him with innocent, trusting eyes. A desire such as he had seldom felt before swept through him. He murmured Robert Burns’ lines:
    Honeyed seal of soft affections,
 Tenderest pledge of future bliss,
  Dearest tie of young connections,
  Love’s first snowdrop, virgin kiss.
    He crushed her to him. The scent of her breath excited him further and his mouth came down upon hers longingly.
    She sprang up quickly, confused. “Do … do you have a key of your own?” she stammered.
    “Of course.”
    “Good. Then you can let yourself out when you’re ready to leave. I know you’ll excuse me, but I’m just dying to take a bath in that beautiful tub. Oh, Patrick, I can never thank you enough for what you’ve done. Good night!” she said quickly and ran from the room.
    Patrick chuckled to himself and rang for Mrs. Harris. “Milady has decided to take a bath. She’s used to doing everything for herself, so you will have to insist on helping her if she tries to dismiss you. Oh, and, Mrs. Harris, try and hurry her along to bed, won’t you?” he said with a wink. He removed his jacket and waistcoat, stretched out his legs and lit a long, thin cheroot.
    “I’ll draw your bath, ma’am,” said Mrs. Harris.
    “Oh, please call me Kitty, won’t you? Fill the tub right up and pour in some of those lovely lavender bath salts. I feel very extravagant tonight.” Kitty tied up her curls with a satin ribbon and sank into the perfumed water up to her chin. The hot water gave her a sensuous feeling. Although Kitty did notknow what it was exactly, she knew it was an extremely pleasant sensation.
    After ten minutes Mrs. Harris came in and picked up Kitty’s clothes and laid a white gossamer nightgown out for her.
    “Where did you find that?” asked Kitty, surprised.
    “It was in one of the boxes that were delivered. Mr. O’Reilly picked it for you.”
    “I