Free The Earl's Inconvenient Wife (Regency Collection Book 1) by Ruth Ann Nordin Page B

Clement once you give Lord Roderick an heir?  You can trust me.  I won’t tell anyone if that’s your plan, and it’s not a bad one either.  Considering Lord Clement’s handicap is hereditary, you’re smart to avoid passing it on to a child.  I just hope you remember to cover his…whatever you call it…with a sheath when you enjoy intimacies.”
    Claire groaned.  “No, I’m not going to take any lovers.  I don’t want that kind of life.” Shooting her sister a critical glance, she asked, “And what is a sheath?”
    “It’s something a gentleman uses to catch his seed so it doesn’t go into a lady’s body.  That way she doesn’t have a child.”
    Claire gasped, and checked out the window to make sure the carriage was still moving.  Turning back to Lilly, she hissed, “How do you know all of this?”
    Lilly giggled.  “The housekeeper and cook were talking.  They didn’t know I was listening, but oh my goodness!  The things I learned!”
    “You’re horrible!”
    Her eyes grew wide.  “Me?  Horrible?  I wasn’t the one talking.  I was only listening.” She gave a slight shrug.  “I was curious.  Mother makes it sound like it’s nothing more than a wifely duty, so when I heard them talking about how much they enjoyed it immensely, I saw no reason to deny the opportunity to learn why they didn’t agree with Mother.  Besides, I’d like to know what to expect when my time comes.  And now that I know, I won’t be so nervous.”
    “So you already know everything?”
    “Well, I can’t say they went into a lot of detail, but I put the pieces together.”
    “Then why did you even ask me about it?”
    “To see if your experience was like Mother’s or theirs, to find out if it’s something you want to do because it’s your duty or because you really enjoyed it.  You’re my sister, and I figure however it was for you will be similar for me.  It’s a shame you don’t remember it.  Judging by the housekeeper and cook, it sounds like it’s something a lady would want to remember.”
    “Does it?” Claire asked, not entirely sure that was true but hoping so.
    “Yes.  They look forward to doing it any chance they got.”
    “They didn’t come out and say that. ”
    “They did. ”
    The carriage came to a stop and Claire sat up straight, adjusted her gloves and took a deep breath.  She didn’t think the f ootman would be able to tell that she and her sister were having an inappropriate conversation.  At least, she hoped he wouldn’t.  As long as she gave a polite smile, he would assume they’d been engaging in boring ladies’ talk.  Oh, how she hoped that would be his assumption!
    He opened the carriage door and Claire hesitated but followed her sister out of the carriage.  She passed him and swore she saw him snicker at her.  But when she studied his expression, his face remained impassive so maybe she imagined it.
    She cleared her throat and told him, “After this, I’ll be returning home.”
    “As you wish, my lady,” he replied.
    It seemed to her that the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile.  Her heart stopped.  He knew.  He just had to know!  The shame.  He’d tell her husband, and her husband would lose even more respect for her, if such a thing was possible.
    “Come on,” Lilly said.  “I’ll faint if I don’t eat.”
    Reluctant, Claire turned from the footman and went over to her sister.  With a final glance back at him as he gathered Lilly’s packages to bring into the townhouse, she let out a long sigh and headed for the steps.  She could only pray that this day wouldn’t get worse.  But it probably would once her husband found out how much she spent today.  Careless spending…the unladylike talk…  Too bad she couldn’t crawl into a hole and hide there until the next century.
    “Claire,” her sister whispered.
    Turning her attention back to her sister, she joined her and went into the house.

Chapter Seven
     
    “C