Free Just One Kiss by Stephanie Sterling Page A

There was a hot prickly kind of appreciative heat swirling in the pit of her stomach as she drank in the sight.
     
    Edward cleared his throat softly, and Daphne’s eyes flew back to his face.  Her cheeks burned at the knowing smile that quirked one corner of his mouth, but then he suddenly turned serious, and Daphne was suddenly afraid of what he might be going to say, so she spoke first.
     
    “It won’t happen again!” she blurted.
     
    Edward blinked at her.  Slowly.  And Daphne really wanted to crawl under a rock, or into a hole, or disappear and hide anywhere really, just so that she wouldn’t have to keep looking into her husband’s face as he stared at her as though she was completely and absolutely certifiably insane.
     
    “The piano playing,” Daphne mumbled, wishing that the ground would open up and swallow her (and also that she was wearing one of her nicer nightdresses).  “I didn’t mean to bother you.”
     
    “I didn’t say that I was bothered,” Edward said evenly.
     
    “No, but-”
     
    “How long have you been having trouble sleeping, Daphne?” Edward asked bluntly.
     
    Daphne looked away from his face and twisted her fingers in the sheets.  It had been years really since she’d had a good night’s sleep, nothing seemed to help.  She had tried all of the different remedies that she could think of, and many more that had been recommended to her, but nothing had ever made the nightmares go away for good.
     
    “I suppose it started after father died,” Daphne confessed in a small voice.  She made a move to slip out of the bed, but Edward suddenly reached for her.  He caught hold of her wrist and held her still.
     
    “My mother said that happened four years ago, Daphne!”
     
    “Three and a half,” she mumbled.  “It’s not every single night,” she muttered quietly, looking down at the bed sheets again.  She pulled her hand free and then got to her feet, staring embarrassedly at the floor as she crossed her arms in front of her body.  “I should go and get dressed,” she whispered, backing towards the door that separated their rooms.  “I- thank you,” she blurted quickly, and then she was gone.
     
     
    The day past in a flurry of activity, which seemed largely to pertain of Daphne avoiding Edward at every given opportunity.  He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say to her exactly, but he knew that they needed to talk.  However, Daphne had vanished to visit friends that morning, and he’d had business meetings all afternoon, by the time that he had finished, Edward was informed that Lady Coventry had retired to her room to prepare for the evening’s ball.
     
    Edward didn’t imagine that they were going to have the luxury of a moment alone all night, apart from the carriage ride to and from the Butterworth ’s !  …and then Edward began to worry over when he had started considering Daphne’s company a ‘luxury.’
     
    He was in his study- or William’s study?  Edward was having a hard time thinking of the house as his own- nursing a glass of whiskey (to fortify him for the trials of the evening ahead; Edward wasn’t looking forward to his reintroduction into London society) when there was a soft knock on the door.  Edward downed the rest of the glass in one swig, and called for the person to enter. 
     
    Wilkins pushed opened the door.  “I believe that Lady Coventry is ready now, my lord.  Should I order the carriage?”
     
    Edward gave a curt nod.  “Thank you, Wilkins.”  He still couldn’t bring himself to like the butler.
     
    Edward picked up his gloves from off the desk, and went in search of Daphne.  He didn’t have to search far; his wife was standing in the front hall waiting for him, but her eyes were on the grandfather clock by the wall, so Edward had a moment to appraise her full figure before Daphne realize d that she had an audience.
     
    Edward was actually glad that he was afforded a moment to gather his thoughts, because