He pictured it reaching her knees, swaying about her as she walked. Not likely, he decided. Her chignon hadn't been that big.
He pictured it reaching her waist, teasing her navel and flaring gently as it settled upon her hip. He shook his head. Somehow that didn't seem right, either. Ellie—how he liked that nickname!—didn't seem the sort to have the patience for hair that long.
Perhaps brushing along the curve of her breasts. He could see it tucked behind one shoulder, one of her breasts covered by a fall of red-gold hair, and the other laid bare—
He smacked the heel of his hand against his forehead, as if that could knock the mental picture out of his head. Hell, he thought irritably, he didn't want to knock that image just out of his head. He wanted to send it clear across the room and out the window. This particular line of thought was not doing anything to ease his discomfort.
He needed to take some action. The sooner he seduced Ellie into his bed, the sooner this madness would leave his blood and the sooner he could get back to the normal routine of his life.
He pulled a piece of paper from his desk and scrawled across the top:
TO SEDUCE ELLIE
He used capital letters without thinking, later deciding that this must be an indication of just how urgent this need to possess her had become.
He tapped the tips of his fore- and middle fingers against his temple as he thought, and then finally began to write.
1. Flowers. All women like flowers.
2. A swimming lesson. This will require her to remove a great deal of clothing. Drawback: weather is quite cold and will remain so for months.
3. Dresses. She loved the green dress and has remarked that all her clothes are dark and serviceable. As a countess, she will need to be outfitted in the first stave of fashion, anyway, so this does not constitute an additional expense.
4. Compliment her business acumen. Typical, flowery compliments will most likely not work on her.
5. Kiss her.
Of all the items on the list, Charles was most enamored with the fifth option, but he did worry that this might merely lead to an intensified state of frustration on his part. He wasn't at all certain that he could manage her seduction with just one kiss; it was probably going to require repeated attempts over the course of several days.
And this would mean several days of rather difficult discomfort on his part. Their last kiss had left him dizzy with desire, and he was still feeling the pain of unfulfilled need several hours later.
Still, the other options weren't viable at this time. It was too late in the evening to go hunting through the hothouse for flowers, and it was definitely too cold for a swim. A full wardrobe would require a trip to London, and as for complimenting her business acumen—well, that would be difficult before he had a chance to assess it, and Ellie was too smart not to see through a false compliment.
No, he thought with a grin. It would have to be a kiss.
Chapter 7
Ellie looked around her new bedchamber, wondering how on earth she could turn this imposing space into her own. Everything in the room screamed of wealth. Old wealth. She doubted there was a piece of furniture less than two hundred years old. The countess's bedchamber was ornate and pretentious, and Ellie felt about as at home there as she would have in Windsor Castle.
She reached down into her open trunk, looking for knickknacks that she might use to make the room seem more homey and familiar. Her fingers closed around the miniature of her mother. That would certainly be a beginning. She walked across to her dressing table and set the small painting down, turning it so that the light from the nearby window wouldn't cause the paint to fade.
"There you are," she said softly. "You'll do nicely there. Just don't pay any attention to all of these dour old women staring down at you." Ellie looked up at the walls, which were covered with portraits of earlier countesses, none of whom looked very friendly.
"The lot of you are coming down tomorrow," she muttered, not feeling the least bit foolish for talking to the walls. "Tonight if I can manage it."
Ellie crossed back to her trunk to look for another item that might lend the room a bit of warmth. She was browsing through her belongings when she heard a knock at her door.
Billington. It had to be. Her sister had told her that servants never knocked on doors.
She swallowed and called out, "Come in."
The door opened, revealing her husband of less than twenty-four hours. He was casually attired, having long since discarded his jacket and cravat. Ellie found herself quite unable to take her eyes off of the little patch of skin that peeped through the unbuttoned top of his crisp white shirt.
"Good evening," he said.
Ellie forced her eyes up to his face. "Good evening to you." There, that sounded as if it had come from someone completely unaffected by his nearness. Unfortunately, she had a feeling he could see right through her cheerful voice and bright smile.
"Are you settling in?" he asked.
"Yes, very well." She sighed. "Well, not so well, actually."
He raised a brow.
"This room is quite daunting," she explained.
"Mine is just through the connecting door. You're welcome to make yourself at home there."
Her mouth fell open. "Connecting door?"
"You didn't know there was one?"
"No, I thought—Well, I didn't really think about where all these doors went to."
Charles strode across the room and began opening doors. "Washroom. Dressing room. A storage room for clothing." He made his way to the only door on the east side of the room and pulled it open. "And voila, the earl's bedroom."
Ellie suppressed the urge to let out a nervous laugh. "I suppose most earls and countesses prefer connecting rooms."