“How are you finding marriage so far?” Daniel asked as Richard sat back in his seat.

“It has not even been a full day yet,” he pointed out with amusement.

Daniel shrugged. “Christiana appears terribly wary. I think she fears you will suddenly begin criticizing and berating her as George apparently did.”

Richard nodded, not surprised his friend had noted the wariness that often clouded Christiana’s eyes. It was seldom missing. The only time it seemed to him that she managed to completely shed it was when he stirred her passions. Then she managed to forget everything but the pleasure they were enjoying together, and to trust him with at least her body. It gave him hope that eventually she would trust him with more and he said, “Time will help undo the damage George did. When she sees that I do not change and do not try to change her, she will relax and be more herself.”

Daniel nodded and said with a grin, “She made a good start this morning racing Lisa downstairs barefoot.”

Richard smiled at the memory. That had surprised him. Christiana had been so polite and stilted when she first awoke, the complete antithesis to the warm passionate woman he had made love to just hours earlier. In truth, he’d been disappointed when he’d kissed her that morning and she’d not kissed him back. It had made him worry about what it might indicate for their future together. Would she be one woman at night, a warm passionate lover in their bed, and then another woman, the cautious, wary proper lady during the daylight hours? Not that that would have been the worst thing in the world to deal with, many men were not even fortunate to have the passion. However, Richard wanted more from Christiana. He wanted her to trust him and to be as unguarded and warm with him all the time as she was in their bed. He wanted the easy affection he saw her shower on her sisters and even Robert. He wanted her as a friend as well as a lover.

Much to his relief, the episode in the dressing room before he and Daniel had left had gone a long way toward reassuring him, however. She hadn’t been a proper lady then, and they hadn’t been in their bed either, but in the closet in broad daylight. Richard wasn’t sure what had caused the difference in her, but was grateful for it. He was truly beginning to believe they would more than make a go of this marriage. They might actually have a sterling one like his own parents had enjoyed. Theirs had been a love match and while he’d never really thought about it before, Richard now decided he would like that for himself as well.

“Here we are.”

Daniel ’s words drew his gaze out the window to see that they’d arrived on the street where the tailor was. A glance along the busy lane told him his driver wouldn’t be able to find a spot close to the tailor’s without some difficulty and he commented, “It looks as if we will have a bit of a walk to reach the tailor’s.”