Christina knocked gently on the door and pushed it opened a crack. "Miss Shay. You have a visitor."

Shay lifted her head from the pillow. The one she had just laid her weary head on. "What are you talking about, Christina? It's ten o'clock. I've just climbed into bed and was about to put out my light. No one comes visiting at this hour. At least not to this house."

"It's, it's... he says he's the Duke of Irvine. Albert wouldn't have let him in except that's who he says he is so... well... he's, a duke, miss. Your fiancé. We couldn't say no."

"You can tell him." Shay pushed up to sitting position, clamped her mouth shut to contain her anger, and then looked at Christina. "Tell him. Tell him I'm indisposed, and he'll have to call again tomorrow."

Christina was back in less than five minutes looking very nervous. "I'm sorry, Miss Shay. He says you better hurry up and become disposed, because he hasn't ridden for fifteen hours in a saddle to be left waiting in the parlour." Christina swallowed. "He also said, if you remained indisposed, he would be more than willing to come up and bathe your head with a damp cloth."

"Oh, for goodness sakes, Christina, tell him I am asleep." Shay threw herself down onto the pillow and pulled the covers over her head.

Christina knocked again. "I'm sorry, miss. He won't go. He said if you don't come down in five minutes, he's going to come up and haul you out of bed." Christina shrugged and gave a sheepish grin. "He's very handsome, miss."

"I don't care if he's handsome." Shay sat back up and tried to think of another excuse not to go down.

"He's also very angry, miss. Well, he wasn't to start with, but each time I go down he's getting angrier and angrier."

Shay threw back the covers and stood up. "Tell him I'll be there soon. God damn him."

"Miss!"

"I have every right to be angry, Christina. What kind of beastly man turns up at this time of night, and then insists on..."

The door suddenly swung completely opened and banged against the wall. "The sort who expects his fiancé to receive him, no matter what hour it is." Samuel glared at her from across the room. His long legs had him in front of Shay taking hold of her upper arm before she had a chance to grab something to cover her nightdress.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Listening to my future wife's unpleasant tongue, no less." Samuel looked at Christina. He smirked at the shocked look on her face. "Leave us."

"But, sir I..."

"Now!"

Christina scurried to the door and peered at Shay.

"You can't." Shay tried to pull out of his hold. "Christina, stay, I will not have my reputation ruined. This is not proper, sir."

Samuel held Shay in place and looked back at the maid. "I am Miss Lytton's fiancé. We are to be married in two weeks. Her reputation will be safe with me. Please leave us. Now. And close the door."

Christina's eyes went from his to Shay's, and then back again. She curtsied and quickly closed the door behind her.

Traitor, Shay thought, she tried to pull her arm free once more. "What do you think you're doing? This is very improper. You shouldn't be here."

"You should have thought of that before dismissing me with a wave of your servant's hand." Samuel had been fuming. Now he held his breath and looked from Shay's angry emerald eyes and down at her nightdress. It was made of fine white cotton and clung to her body. The ribbon had come undone at the top of the bodice, so her creamy skin and the mounds of her breasts were exposed. Her nipples hidden, peaked as a flurry of goose bumps coursed over her flesh. Samuel wondered what had caused that reaction. He swallowed. She was right. He shouldn't be here, but he was glad he was.

When she clutched the fabric together with her free hand he looked back up at her face and dragged in a long slow breath. "You are very beautiful, Shay." She stared up at him, her pink lips parted, yet no sound came out of her mouth. Sam chuckled and cupped her chin with his hand, and then ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "What? No retort. No harsh comeback. No slipper to hit me with." He tilted his head and pouted at her. "I'm feeling a little disappointed, Shay. Or does being told you're beautiful quell the fire in your heart."

"You need to leave," Shay whispered. He scared her, and she wasn't sure why.

"I've ridden for fifteen hours to see you. Six to Lytton House, to be told you had left, and come to London, and then another nine to get here. I said I would be back at Lytton House to spend some time with you before we marry. Instead of waiting for me, you had more pressing matters to deal with. I'll leave when I'm ready."

"I waited two more weeks than I should have." Shay tried to sound confident. She pulled on her arm again, and though he wasn't holding it as tight, he still wouldn't let go. "Two weeks longer than you deserved. I am being forced to marry you as a convenience. If I inconvenience you, I'm sorry. That is something you will have to live with, because I will not be inconvenienced by you, or this ridiculous marriage." She sucked in a breath. His eyes flickered with something like amusement. The fire she felt in her belly ignited. "I have a life, sir. Not one I am willing to put on hold, to wait for some stupid man, who has made a stupid offer, to stop the ton from hounding him to marry one of their stupid daughters. Now let me go!" Shay wrenched against his hold. He let her go. She stumbled and fell back on the bed, her arms flung wide.

"Ah...there she is." Samuel smirked. Excitement flared in his chest. The top of her nightdress opened and only just covered her nipples. He took her by the wrist and drew her to her feet. If he didn't, he'd have her legs spread as wide as her arms with him buried between them. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist, lifted her, and then sat on the bed with her knees straddled either side of him. Samuel closed his eyes. The sound of her heavy breathing and the feel of her body against his, had him fighting to control urges that raged through his entire being.

She wasn't fighting him, because shock had her frozen in his arms. Samuel opened his eyes, her breasts directly in his sight. He pulled the fabric aside, put his mouth to her nipple and ran his other hand from her waist and down over her backside.

Shay jerked away. The feel of his warm mouth on her flesh sent a shock wave to the centre of her core. "What are you doing?" She grabbed the hair on each side of his head and forced his face upwards. He looked at her in a way no man had ever looked at her before, and then gently drew her closer. Shay pushed backwards; her chest heaved with panic as she stared down at him. One of her breasts was completely exposed. She had no idea what he intended, or why her body had reacted with pleasure, rather than revolt when his lips had touched her. This wasn't right. She was disgraced. Shay fought back tears. They ran down her face anyway. She looked to the ceiling, closed her eyes and gasped in another breath. What did all this mean? Shay flicked her eyes opened as he turned her onto the bed, and put her head on the pillow. He drew her nightdress together, pulled the covers up and smiled forlornly at her.

"I'm sorry, Shay. I didn't mean for my visit to transpire into this. I bid you goodnight," he said as he bowed, turned towards the door and closed it gently behind him.

Shay sobbed into the palms of her hands. She had no idea what had just happened.

Yes, I know.  Samuel wasn't very gentlemanly, but he's a red blooded young man, with a beautiful fiancé, almost naked in his arms.  And this is 1837 so please forgive him.  Insert author grinning and shrugging ;)

He does seemed to have awoken sensations in Shay, that she has never felt before.  I'm taking this as a positive. ☺

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