Her Wicked Proposal novel Chapter 53

Clad only in her chemise, Anne headed toward the water. She felt rather wicked, being so scantily clad, but this was her property now, by virtue of marriage, and she wanted to do this. Only her husband had the power to stop her from doing as she wished, and he was far off on the other side of the lake. The thought almost made her laugh. He would be furious no doubt, but rather than scare her, the idea instead amused her.

It had been awhile since she'd indulged in such improper behavior of swimming in her underclothes. Even though she remembered little of her past, she couldn't deny how freeing the water felt lapping at her bare legs. As she pushed deeper into the cold lake, a memory surfaced.

Frolicking in the shallows of a similar lake, an older man watching her, an indulgent smile on his kind face. She laughed, a child's laugh, happy to play while her father remained close.

The pain of seeing that man's face for only a moment cut deep.

Papa. He had been dead only a week before she rushed to the altar? What had motivated her to do such a thing? Why had she married Cedric? And furthermore, why had Cedric agreed to it? No doubt the scandal of it would be the talk of the ton for the next decade. Anne placed a hand on her stomach, wanting to ease the creeping dread that settled there.

Focusing back on her desire to swim, she tiptoed farther out until she was waist deep, the chill of the water a stark contrast to the warmth of the air. It would take her ages to coax herself out fully at this rate. There was no other option but to plunge in. She dunked herself under and gasped at the sheer iciness of the water.

Soon the cold water felt good against the hot burn of her healing shoulder. She used her good arm to paddle out a bit farther and kicked her legs. This was her element, the physical pleasure of knowing one's body and understanding how it worked.

She stretched her limbs, feeling the muscles strain and work-it felt so good. Anne wasn't a thin woman. She was curvaceous with a bit of natural strength that tended to make gown fittings irritating when the dressmaker muttered about how she bulged in the wrong places. Her body wasn't perceived to be beautiful, not by the standards of the ton, but she'd stopped caring about such things long ago. That much she was sure of.

Anne swam far out into the lake, momentarily forgetting to keep her eye on Cedric's fishing boat. It wasn't until she had dived deep a few times before she noticed the fishing boat had pulled up onto the shore and a scowling viscount stood at the bank's edge glaring in her direction.

Cedric tapped his booted foot in the soggy grass, creating an odd squelching sound. Anne stifled a giggle as she read the look in his sightless gaze. He was promising her punishment for her wanton recklessness. Farther back, Lord Lennox was conversing with Hartley, both keeping their backs to her. Anne went as still as possible, using her legs and good arm to tread water.

"I know you are there, Anne. Come out at once. You should not be risking yourself, not with your shoulder." He punctuated this with a jab of his index finger at the ground near his feet, as though to make her heel like a spaniel.

"I'm not coming out with you there," she responded, trying to keep from laughing at her sudden need to play the imp.

"I cannot see you and the others aren't looking."

"No," she stoutly refused. The clenching of his fists told her that once she was within his reach she'd be in trouble-what sort of trouble she was unsure, but she doubted he'd hurt her.