Lord Hartford was a devilish charmer, even at the age of six and fifty. He was roguishly handsome, slick hair pulled back so his face appeared more prominent. Aunt Adeline said the reason he did that was so his dimples would be the first things one saw when meeting him. "I don’t understand the obsession of people with a little indentation in my cheek," he said to Cassy when they were first introduced, "but I can assure you that this little, seemingly insignificant things have gotten me out of many a tight corners."Cassy smiled at him, not bothering to point out that the numerous wrinkles on his face were starting to blend into his dimples. His hair must have been thinning in the middle, which was why he made sure to cover the evidence of his imperfection diligently. The ballroom was somewhat crowded, and Cassy had pulled aunt Adeline to the side so they could silently observe the comings and goings of the ton. Lord Hartford was a famously wealthy man, and his sons William and Michea

They were married at ten o'clock in the morning. It had been a private ceremony at Eastland's insistence and had been performed in the small chapel on the county estate. Only a few servants had attended, and when Cassy turned to walk back down the aisle of the chapel, she happened to catch Sheldon's eyes. He seemed pleased, as did the others, who were all smiling, and she managed a shaky smile in return.Eastland had agreed to the ceremony of wedding breakfast but insisted that it be before tenants and servants, with the gates thrown open to allow the villagers in to partake of whole roasted sheep, oxen and cows. There was even a multitiered bridal cake on one table, intricately decorated with festoons of icing and small pink roses. A variety of foods sat heavily on long tables on the broad lawns of Eastland's country house, and the gardeners had worked feverishly to trim grasses and bushes. An archway of roses cascaded over the chairs where Cassy and Henry were to sit, along with Adel

Bending his head, Henry captured her lips with his, one hand moving to tangle in her hair, pulling it free of the ribbons that held it atop her head, his fingers winding in the heavy strands to keep her from moving away from his kiss. His tongue coaxed her lips apart, easing inside with a velvety pressure that took her by surprise and made her jerk away. He held her still."No, please," she gasped out when he released her mouth for a moment, hearing her own voice as if from far away. It sounded drugged, hazy and she realized with a start that was how she felt all over. Everything about her felt weighted, her arms, her legs, even her eyelids. Henry's searing mouth found no opposition when he kissed her again, long and hard, his lips moving from hers up to the curve of her jaw to her ear, pausing to tease that small satiny patch at the base of her neck."Don't fight it," Henry muttered thickly when she lifted her head, her eyes smouldering with blue embers beneath the heavy fan of her la

She left the house and went into the sunshine, not even stopping to grab a parasol to shade her face. Freckles would probably take over her face one day, she thought ruefully, but she was in so much of a hurry to stop. The stables were some distance from the house, and he might be gone by the time she arrived.For some reason, she wanted to see Henry again; to hear the deep, rich sound of his voice, and see the way his jade eyes rested on her with an aloof expression. One day, she mused, she would banish the aloofness from his gaze and he would tell her that he loved her.Cassy found Henry talking to Smith, who had become the head groom. As she approached, Henry half-turned, his brow lifting. He excused himself and walked toward her with a lazy stride that made her heart catch."Your grace," she murmured almost shyly, aware of the interested gazes in their direction. "I thought I might see if you were in the mood for a picnic."She'd had no idea what excuse she would use for looking fo

"Why do you have to go to London?" Lifting her skirts in one hand, Cassy skimmed down the steps in front of Eastland hall to cling fiercely to Henry, surprising him. His arms closed around her in a reflexive embrace, and she snuggled up against him."Sandra," he said against her ear, half embarrassed, reluctantly pleased by her artless gesture, "you know why.""No, I don't," she insisted, her voice muffled by his greatcoat. "Can't they do without you awhile longer? I mean, parliament has managed this long, and it's not as if there's about to be a war or something."An amused smile curled his lips, and Eastland's head lifted, his gaze meeting that of Sheldon, who politely looked away. There was a somewhat puzzled expression in his jade eyes when he said dryly, "I know, but I have to show up on occasion in order to keep my seat in the house.""But we've only been married for two weeks," she muttered into his coat, "and you're always busy doing something for one of the estates, or checkin