" Had she not nursed him with her own hands? Had she not suckled his tongue so ardently? He'd give her time- a day or so only- and then he would invite her again to wait upon him. He'd slide close behind her, whisper scandalous words into her mobcap-sheltered ear, and remind her of all the things she tried so hard to hide beneath black wool and starched linen. And then... oh, and then, he'd see if his little housekeeper truly burned at her core.
Patience.
He could be patient when the occasion called for it, and this one certainly did.
She'd come back to him, even with his true face revealed.
She only needed time.
So. "

― Elizabeth Hoyt , Duke of Sin (Maiden Lane, #10)