Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

antics and broke into a grin.
    “You clearly were not expecting to have separate rooms and,” he leaned close and said quietly, “I’m gratified that you wish to share my bed,”
    “I…I…that is the general way of things in a marriage,” said Nellie in an even tone, definitely not wanting to appear eager. If Robert taught her anything it was the marriage bed meant pain.
    “Ah, but we don’t have a regular marriage, now do we? Let’s get the children settled and Bertha started on the trunks, shall we? Then we can discuss this in a more private situation.”
    He set Violet down.
    “Why don’t you go help Bertha now Violet,” said Nellie, relieved the business part of this arrangement would soon be handled.
    The little girl ran to Bertha, talking a mile a minute.
    Nellie looked over at Bertha, who was busy opening the trunks and from the looks of it, trying her best to ignore her mistress’s conversation with her new husband.
    Heat rose and Nellie’s cheeks burned.
    “The room is beautiful,” said Nellie, surprised at the normalcy of her tone. She wasn’t lying. The room was done in soft blue and cream. The wall paper was striped with solid blue and cream panels, interspersed among panels of pale blue roses.
    Rich Persian rugs covered a wood parquet floor. A large four-posted, white canopied bed stood in the center of the wall to her left, with matching nightstands on either side. Directly across from her was a large window seat.
    To her right stood a bureau, the style matching the bed, and on the same wall was a door. She walked through it and found a sitting room with settee and two Queen Anne chairs upholstered in a rich, rose damask material in front of a window seat that matched the one in the bedroom. A tall, dark wood table sat between the chairs holding a lovely oil lamp. A low table sat in front of the settee. A small writing desk rested against the wall to her right. As was all the furniture in the bedroom, it was painted white. Considering the dark wood of the other tables in the room, the desk was a bit out of place.
    From the sitting room, she explored through the other door in the room and was taken into a large dressing room with rods for clothes on three sides and built-in shelves and drawers on the fourth wall to the right behind the door. Another door was directly across from her that led to the bathroom.
    A large claw-footed tub that she was anxious to try out stood against the far wall, along with the flush commode. White and black checkered marble floors and a marble sink completed the room. On the opposite side of the door she looked through was another door.
    “That leads to my suite,” said Blake, standing next to her, nodding to the closed door.
    Her stomach clinched and she wondered if he would want to consummate the marriage that night. “I assumed as much. This suite is fabulous.” She met his gaze and smiled. “I’m sure I shall be very comfortable here.”
    “I hope so. The doors between our rooms will remain unlocked. I will knock before entering.
    “Oh, so you do plan on entering.” What was the matter with her? She could have bitten her tongue. She had no idea where this comment came from. Though it sounded otherwise, she most certainly was not anxious to couple, regardless of how attracted she was to the man.
    He laughed. “Have I offended your sensibilities. Or perhaps your vanity?”
    “I just…I…never mind.” She shook her head. I’m being silly . “A business arrangement is most agreeable to me. As long as my children are safe and well cared for, any situation you have in mind is acceptable.”
    “Come with me.”
    He took her by the arm and pulled her into his dressing room and then on through to his bedroom.
    His room was as dark as hers was light. The walls were dark wood from floor to ceiling. Burgundy drapes, covered a huge window that opened onto a balcony, and matched the spread covering the massive bed. She’d never seen such a large bed. It,