Kitty by MC Beaton Read Free Book Online Page B

stock.
    “Yes,” whispered Kitty, wishing he would take her in his arms.
    He turned around and looked at her with some irritation. “I’ll stay here and have a drink. Why don’t you go and see your rooms.”
    Kitty nodded and went up the stairs, noticing that the house seemed to be very dark. Burne-Jones stained-glass windows filtered the gloomy light down into the hall. Colette was waiting in the bedroom, unpacking the trunks.
    She looked up as her mistress came in. “Well, you don’t look much like a new bride,” she commented.
    Kitty felt this was an unpardonable piece of insolence, but had no spirit left to reply. She dismissed the maid and stretched out on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and wondering what the night would bring. At last she got to her feet and began to arrange her books on the shelves and a few of her photographs. She unwrapped her precious picture and looked around for a place to hang it. A heavy oil painting, depicting a group of damp, highland cattle looming through mist, hung on the wall facing the end of the bed. Kitty lifted it down and put it on the floor. She hung her painting carefully in its place. At least her new husband would see that she had some artistic taste.
    Without ringing for Colette, she changed her dress and descended the stairs to look for her lord.
    The house was empty and appeared deserted. A barrel organ was playing at the end of the street and the tinny music seemed to dance through the heavy silence. Timidly, she rang the bell.
    Checkers informed her that his lordship had “stepped out.” His watery eyes, sunken in wrinkled flesh, managed to convey that he considered this unsuitable behavior.
    Kitty dismissed him and sat on the window seat, staring out into the twilight and longing for the courage to walk away from the house herself. Gradually her eyelids drooped and she fell asleep as the dusk gathered in the corners of the room.
    She was awakened three hours later by the sound of the front door slamming and her husband’s voice. “That’s all right, Checkers. I shall be needing nothing further this evening.” Then the door of the drawing room opened and he walked in.
    His silk hat was placed at a rakish angle over his black curls and his eyes held a hectic gleam. He bent and kissed her full on the mouth. He smelled strongly of brandy.
    “Why don’t you run along and get ready for bed, my dear,” said her new husband. “And I’ll join you shortly.”
    Kitty looked at him with troubled eyes and then bent her head and left the room. What was she expected to do? If only she had had the courage to ask somebody.
    Trailing her lace shawl behind her, she walked slowly upstairs to her bedroom. Was she to go to her bedroom or his? Well, he was in charge now and would surely let her know.
    Colette had laid out a filmy nightdress on the bed. Kitty looked at it doubtfully and decided to wear one of her old flannel ones to give herself a feeling of comfort and protection. She slipped it on, buttoned it high at the throat, and climbed into bed where she sat upright, staring at the door.
    After a few minutes it opened and her husband swaggered in. Kitty shrank back against the pillows and watched in dismay as he started to strip off his clothes in the full glare of the electric light. At last he stood naked, his slim, muscular body gleaming like polished marble. Kitty had not only never seen a naked man before, she hadn’t the slightest idea of what one would look like.
    Unaware of her distress, and more than a little tipsy, Peter Chesworth put one knee on the bed and prepared to climb in. His eye caught sight of Kitty’s favorite picture on the wall and, with an exclamation, he went to take a closer look at it, standing with his hands on his hips, affording Kitty an excellent view of his naked back.
    “Good God,” he said slowly. “How on earth did that get there?”
    “It’s my favorite picture,” said Kitty, with a trace of pride in her voice, despite her