“At least show me to the sleeping car, then,” Bliss whispered desperately. It seemed to her that the other diners were looking on, and listening, and she felt self-conscious.

“It’s too early to sleep,” Jamie scolded, and Bliss thought she saw one corner of his mouth quirk, although she might have imagined it.

“Not after the day I’ve had, it isn’t,” she replied ruefully, and Jamie condescended to draw back Bliss’s chair and lead the way to the tiny chamber where they would spend the night.

He unlocked the door for her and waited until she was inside. Soft gaslights gave the cubicle a romantic glow.

“Good night, Bliss,” Jamie said with stiff formality.

Bliss ached for a little understanding and a lot of forgiveness, but she was too proud to ask Jamie to stay. She had a suspicion he would have refused, because of his own pride. “Good night,” she said softly, lowering her eyes.

Jamie closed the door and walked away, and Bliss stood there, fighting tears, for a minute or so. Then, with a rueful sigh, she let herself into a washroom roughly the size of a hatbox and performed her evening ablutions, taking special care in case Jamie should return in a generous mood.

Her satchel had been brought to the car, but Bliss did not put on a nightgown. She stood at the window, peeping out through the blinds, watching as the darkened landscape slipped by. Jamie had told her they would reach their destination before dawn; perhaps that was why he didn’t plan to sleep.

She sighed. The truth was that Jamie wanted to hide out in the club car, that was the one place his troublesome wife couldn’t get at him. This being a moving train, he had the added benefit of knowing that she wouldn’t be able to work any real mischief while he was avoiding her.

Bliss looked at the two narrow berths the cubicle offered, one above the other, and shook her head. Even if she and Jamie had been on the best of terms, they would have been hard put to do anything about it.

Resigned, she climbed into the lower berth and closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected to sleep so readily, but within moments a sweet, heavy lethargy came over her, dragging her downward into the safe darkness. Later, she was awakened by a piercing sort of joy that seemed to spiral magically from the very center of her womanhood.

With a gasp of pleasure, she opened her eyes. Jamie was kneeling beside the berth, caressing her, and she moaned and moved her legs further apart to accommodate his gentle exploration. In the meanwhile, he lowered his lips to her bare breasts, covering them with soft, moist kisses that made their points strain toward him.

Bliss entangled her hands in his rich, rumpled hair and purred with pleasure. “Oh Jamie,” she confessed breathlessly, “I didn’t think you were ever coming back—”

He chuckled hoarsely as he singled out one pulsing nipple to enjoy. “Where—did you think—I would go, Duchess?”