“Could you bring me something to eat in Alex’s room?” Jess called over her shoulder.
An hour later she looked up to see Alex opening the door of his bedroom. She was sitting cross-legged on his bed, the household ledgers that Pitman kept so closely guarded, all about. Also about her were scattered bread crumbs, half a piece of apple pie, a wedge of cheese, three plums and a mug of ale.
“Hello, Alex. Where have you been?”
Alex stood in the doorway staring at her. Her hair was disarrayed, her clothes were half unfastened, as if she’d started to undress and stopped in the middle of the process, and there were crumbs on her chin. She was beautiful—and he was all too aware that he couldn’t touch her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked crossly.
“Taking care of your house, what does it look like? Want something to eat?” She held out about half a pound of cheese. “Sit down and quit scowling. Take off your coat; take off your wig; take off your shoes. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Because you run about in various states of undress, doesn’t mean I plan to,” he said primly, handing her a hand mirror.
She brushed the crumbs off her face. “All right, have it your way,” she said, looking back at a ledger. “Another one! Your brother-in-law cannot add. Nearly every column is misadded.”
Alex sat on the end of the bed, as far from Jess as possible. “Here, let me see that.” It took Alex only minutes to figure out what Pitman was doing. “Jess, how many pairs of shoes have you bought for yourself since our engagement?”
“None, of course. What do I need with new shoes? I have a pair of shoes. Only patched once.”
Alex winced. “We’ll fix that tomorrow, but according to this, you’ve bought three pair of expensive satin shoes in the last week.”
“Satin? What a waste they’d be. Step once onto the rocks and they’re gone.”
“Didn’t you read these columns?”
“I’m better at adding than I am at reading. Look at this, Alex. It says here that Eleanor bought the kids three pair of shoes each.” She looked up at him. “Why’s he lying?”
“Because he presents these accounts to my father each week and my father authorizes his steward to release the money. And the totals are wrong as well?”
“The actual totals are less than his figures. Not much but some. The money adds up after a couple of ledgers. It looks like your brother-in-law is embezzling money.” She shoved the ledgers off her lap and stood. “Alex, you’d better eat something.” She gathered all the food remnants and set them on a table by him. “If you’d like, I’ll get you something hot.”
“No, thank you. Jess! What are you doing?”
“Undressing. I’m going to bed.”
“But you can’t do that.”
“Alex, I promise not to roll over on you in my sleep. I don’t snore, I don’t grind my teeth and I don’t even take up very much room. And since I don’t plan to do any naked dances, you’ll not be expected to perform any husbandly duties. But I do plan to sleep in here with you tonight. I don’t want to be alone in that other room tonight.”
“You can’t sleep with me, Jessica,” Alex said.
“I don’t think your back is strong enough to carry me out of this room.”
“What’s wrong with that room?”
“I don’t like the window.” She moved ledgers and stacked them on the floor.
Alex caught her hand as she started to push her dress down over her shoulders. “It’s the Raider, isn’t it? He comes through the window. You’re staying with me b
ecause you can’t resist him.”
Jessica groaned. “Alex, I’m staying with you so I can get a full night’s sleep and also because I don’t like sleeping alone. Now, please get undressed. I’ll never be able to sleep with that coat flashing at me.”
Alex sat there and watched as she removed her dress, but turned away when she started on the laces of her underwear.
She put a cool hand to his forehead. “Alex, are you well? You’re sweating. It isn’t that fever returning, is it? Now go get undressed. I promise I won’t look.”
It was a long, long night for Alex. He lay in bed, Jess curled up beside him and sleeping like a child, and he couldn’t allow himself to touch her. He felt every movement of her breasts against his side. Her nightgown rode up and her long, lean legs touched his. He’d gone into another room and put on a nightgown, leaving his wig on and returned to her. She was already asleep and as soon as he put his weight on the bed, she had groped for him, her hands seeking his body, and pulled him to her as if he were a child’s comfort toy.