“Your bed you didn’t sleep in!” she pointed out.
“Till now.”
“Nye?” she whispered. He turned his head to look at her. “Did you really want me then? That first night, I mean?” He nodded. “Oh.” She smiled at him.
“Nothing like as much as I do now, though,” he admitted, reaching down and dragging her leg over his hip. He twisted his body, so he lay on his back, bringing her over him. “When I think about how I left you to walk back to The Harlot like that in the dark and on your own—” He broke off angrily. “I hate that I did that. Can you forgive me, sweetheart?”
Mina relaxed her body into his with a sigh. “Yes.”
“Really?” She nodded and the expression in his eyes grew warm. “You’re so good to me, sweet Mina.”
Mina hid her hot face against his shoulder. Sweet Mina? “You wouldn’t say that, if you knew what I fantasized about doing to you all the way up that hill,” she mumbled.
He let out a laugh, then dropped his voice. “I hope it was filthy.”
She swatted his shoulder. “Of course, it wasn’t! I was a virgin bride at that point and hopelessly clueless.”
“What was it?” She squirmed and he grabbed her backside and ran his thumbs under the lace covering her buttocks. “Tell me.”
“Pulling off my shoe and flinging it at your stupid, handsome head,” she admitted.
He chuckled, then looked instantly contrite. “And instead you dripped candle-wax all down your poor little wrist,” he sounded so regretful, Mina looked up in surprise.
“I didn’t realize you’d noticed me do that.”
“Of course, I noticed it. I wanted to pull up your sleeve and check your skin, but I thought you’d likely piss yourself with fright if I touched you at that point.”
She made a rude noise. “I probably would have snapped and boxed your ears,” she said.
He laughed. “It’s just as well you didn’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because then I would have snapped,” he said. “I don’t think my little virgin bride was ready for me at that point.” He grew suddenly serious. “When I said that about Effie tonight, I only meant that none of those women have your sweetness, Mina.”
“You’re the only person who ever found me sweet,” she answered honestly. “Even my father said I had a sadly sharp tongue at times.”
He laughed. “I like your tongue. But I still don’t know why you think tonight reminds you of that first night at The Harlot,” he admitted.
Oh.” Mina’s frown cleared. “I meant those people out in the corridor looking at us with such disapproval and shock. That was like me on that first night. My face must have worn the same expression.” She giggled, then covered her mouth. “I’m definitely tipsy,” she said. “I never giggle.”
“I think, you are a little tipsy,” he agreed with a slow smile. “You may have a sore head in the morning.”
“Really?”
“I won’t mind,” he said agreeably.
“Because you won’t mind missing our planned trip to the botanical gardens?” she asked archly.
“We can just go later in the day,” he said with a shrug.
“I’m sorry I caused a scene,” she whispered, lowering her face to touch her brow to his. “I don’t know why our wedding day keeps springing so forcibly into my mind today. It makes me over-emotional. “
“I do,” he said. “It’s because this is what it should have been like. A celebration. An occasion. I wish it had been,” he said regretfully. “I regret so much—”
“But not marrying me,” she interrupted anxiously.
“God no!” He carried her hand to his lips and kissed her palm before setting it down over his heart. “That’s one thing I will never regret.”
“Then the rest doesn’t matter,” she said softly. “For we have the rest of our lives to do things the right way.” She bit her lip. “Though, I do think we might be one of those couples that fight as much as we reconcile.”
“So, we’ll never grow bored,” Nye shrugged. “Besides.” His eyes gleamed. “The fighting’s just part of the making up. And I really like making up with you, Mina.”
“Yes,” she murmured in agreement, smiling as she tried to remember who it was that said that about them first. Then she realized it was Gus and hastily changed the subject. “We must stop referring to it as The Harlot now,” she reminded him. “For it is not The Harlot anymore.”
A new sign now swung over the courtyard, one that bore the likeness of a man hunched in a fighting stance, stripped to his waist with his fists clenched. It looked rather like Nye, and Mina admired it excessively.
He nodded. “I will probably slip up every now and again. It was The Harlot for a long time.”
“Well, now it is The Prizefighter, named in your honor.” She dropped a kiss on his jaw. He angled his head for her to kiss the other side and she obliged with a spurt of laughter. “Edna is thrilled about the change of name and so is Corin’s granny. And you must own, we seem to be gaining a good deal of new custom.”
“Mmm,” he agreed, his gaze locked to hers. She ignored the blatant message in the dark depths of his eyes and leaned an elbow onto the pillow behind his head. It thrust her lace-clad bosom practically into his face, but she pretended not to notice this or the way his gaze was riveted to it.
“The new name means I can now invite my old maid Hannah to stay with us as our guest next summer, for you must own it sounds a good deal more respectable. Even Teddy is now permitted to ride over and visit with us, so long as he brings a groom. By the way, we must remember to pick him up a present before we return to Penarth. Preferably something pugilism themed, for he is becoming almost as enthusiastic about boxing as he is horse racing.” Nye’s hands settled firmly on her hips. “Perhaps we should take the opportunity to buy an engagement gift for Corin and Herney now they are walking out together? For I’m sure it will not be long before—” Her words ended in a shriek, as he rolled her under him. “Nye!”
“Tease,” he breathed. “You do know I adore you, Mina, and that I always will?”
She caught her breath and nodded. “I know it, William Nye,” she confessed. “And I wholly reciprocate the sentiment. As for teasing you, I bought you a present this morning.” She colored faintly. “It’s in your bedside drawer.”
He frowned but reached across to open the drawer, withdrawing a slim cream cardboard box. He lifted his eyebrows and flipped up the lid. What he saw there made his gaze catch fire. “Red stockings?”
She nodded. “The store assistant seemed a good deal shocked. She could barely look me in the eye as she wrapped them.”
Nye laughed, rolling off her at once and propping himself up against the pillows. “Put them on now and do it slow.”
“Like a showgirl?” she asked, sitting up and slipping her wrapper off her shoulders. “You know, you’ll have to take me to the music hall, if I’m to learn how to do this properly.” She shook out a red stocking.