An Unacceptable Arrangement

by Victoria Winters

  When they came to, the sun was beginning to set. They were awakened by a knock at the door and a voice calling to them. It was one of the kitchen staff letting them know that a tea tray had been set in the outer room. They began to laugh as they disentangled themselves. Frederic kissed his wife on the tip of her nose and climbed out of bed, retrieving robes for both of them. Cassandra giggled; her husband was wearing one of her robes and it fell to mid-thigh on him. He broke into a silly little jig for her amusement and she laughed even harder. He helped her out of bed and into her robe and they stumbled to the outer room where the tea tray was waiting. They were both famished and Cook must have somehow known that for she’d sent up quite an elaborate spread. There was sliced veal and tongue and an arrangement of cheeses and pickles and, of course, an assortment of the usual sandwiches, cakes and cookies. They fed one other, sucking on each other’s fingers sensuously and drank the entire contents of the teapot, the Earl Grey tea heavily laced with Devonshire cream.

  Frederic finally spoke. “I daresay I should come home early from work more often.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t find me complaining about that,” his wife replied coquettishly.

  “This state of affairs – marriage – I’m finding it quite delightful, how about you?” her husband asked. They weren’t a couple given to lavish declarations of love but their happiness was palpable.

  “I love you Frederic. I know I don’t say it enough but I really do.” Cassandra said, the love in her eyes bearing the truth of her words. “You may not be what I thought I wanted in a husband, but you are definitely what I need.”

  Frederic looked at his wife with surprise. Leave it to Cassandra to just come right out and say what he had been thinking.

  “I searched for a very long time to find the right wife, Cassandra. As soon as I saw you at the ball, I knew for certain you were the one. I looked into your eyes and knew I’d found the face I wanted to look at for the rest of my life.” Frederic flushed. Suddenly he feared that his words were inadequate to express what he was really feeling. But Cassandra seemed very touched by what he’d said. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  They set the tray out in the hallway and returned to bed until dinner.

  This time Frederic took her languidly. He ran his hands over her body, caressing her firm, plump breasts and then every so delicately rubbing his thumbs over her little nipples. They stood up like two soldiers, as hard as they could be. He leaned over and suckled at them, taking his time, delighting in how soft her skin was. He stroked down her belly to her thighs. His wife laid back and let him touch and look his fill. She moved under his hands sensuously, delighting in the sensations. As his hands traveled up the inside of her thighs she opened her legs, no longer embarrassed to have him examining her private parts. Frederick arranged himself between her spread thighs and leaned forward, allowing his lips to travel where his hands had been. His lips moved down her softly curved belly until he reached her mound. He loved the sight and taste of her. They had once playfully bathed together and he had taken it upon himself to shave her between the legs. They had both liked it so much that now she kept herself that way for him.

  He spread her nether lips and looked between them. Her inner lips were the most delicate pink. He kissed them each and then licked them. Cassandra squirmed; he could hear her little moans and cries as he reached her innermost core. He ever so delicately pressed his tongue to her love button. She moaned, loudly this time, and began to beg in a throaty whisper, “Please darling, please, lick me harder.” She planted her feet on the bed and then lifted her hips, offering herself to him wantonly. He slid his hands under her buttocks, and pulled her to him, then entered her with his tongue, gathering up some of her cream, which he applied to her clit. Then he swirled his tongue around her button, teasing her, not touching it.

  “Oh, oh, ohhhhhh,” she sighed, her excitement beginning to build. He heard the headboard rattle. In her ecstasy she had grabbed it and was holding on tight. He smiled. He had restrained her often, loving her frustration as she couldn’t reach out and touch him, as he did all manner of delightful things to her. His training had paid off. Her hands were now out of the way, just as if he’d tied them there. He took his tongue and started at her opening and then licked upwards, applying direct pressure to her clit. She squealed and squeezed her thighs. He took his time, spreading her lips, looking and licking at her, only occasionally allowing his tongue to touch her where she most wanted it. Her moans were growing louder; she seemed crazed with his teasing and began to plead with him to finish what he’d started.

  “Please beloved, please my darling,” she begged moving her mound closer to him. He held off, wanting to hear her call him “My Lord” and “Sir.” He loved the submissive way she sounded when she called him that. Finally, finally he heard what he wanted as she whispered “Please, my Lord, Please Sir, please make me come...” He flicked her with his tongue, repeatedly until she screamed “Frederic, my Lord, my love!” and bucked repeatedly. He stuck his tongue up inside of her as far as it would go as he felt her spasm around it and then drank down her cream.

  She opened her eyes afterwards and looked at him. He hadn’t taken his pleasure yet. He was sitting and looking down at her in such a proprietary way that it made her shiver. It reminded her of how he’d looked at her at the altar. “How may I pleasure you, my Lord?” she whispered, looking up at him. She knew she must be a mess with her hair all wild about her, but she now knew that her husband loved it when she looked like this. He turned from her and sat on the edge of the bed.

  She scurried out of bed and then knelt before him. “You must clean me my wife. I have been well used.” He enjoyed occasionally having her do this - clean him with her tongue after an intense session of lovemaking. He believed that it was her duty as his wife to tend to his manhood. She looked up into his hypnotic eyes and nodded, then lovingly took his stiffness in her hands. She began to lick it, starting with the top. She worked her way down his shaft and then lower still, sucking on his sac, taking each testicle into her mouth and swirling it around, thoroughly cleansing him. Her submissive nature came to the forefront as she labored over her husband’s manhood. When she was finished she looked up at him. He was as hard as steel and she loved the feeling of his soft skin covering his engorgement.

  “Take me in your mouth Cassandra, I wish to spend there,” he ordered. She lowered her eyes and enclosed him in her mouth. She had learned how to relax her throat and took him a bit deeper each time. This time she could feel his hair around his shaft tickle her nostrils. She squeezed him and ran her lips over him, building up speed. When she reached the pace that she knew he preferred, she kept going. Suddenly her husband grabbed her head and she knew he was close. She kept up her momentum while holding his sac and felt him stiffen as he prepared to ejaculate. He cried out his pleasure and she lowered her head to feel him shoot down her throat. She held her position as he came for a very long time, lovingly drinking his essence.

  Afterwards, he helped her back into bed and the two lovers held each other and continued to stroke one another and whisper sweet nothings until it was time to dress for dinner.

  Chapter 10

  Married life continued happily for Cassandra. Before she knew it, she’d been a wife for six months. It was around that time that Frederic announced a treat. They were going to hold an evening soiree the Friday after next. He had already spoken to the staff and invited the guests. They were business associates and their wives, people he wanted Cassandra to meet. Cassandra was most pleased, they were finally going to do a spot of entertaining. She began to look very much forward to their evening.

  The day of the party dawned and wonderful smells were wafting up from below stairs. Cassandra went to the kitchens to check on the progress. She discovered, to her dismay that they were serving chicken as the main course. Chicken? To dinner guests? She would have selected a prime rib or at the very least a rack of lamb. Sh
e scolded herself; she was going to have to get over her grand ideas now that her circumstances were reduced. At least the food smelled good and, thanks to Cook’s skill, she was certain it would taste delicious.

  She returned to her quarters and decided which of her debutante dresses to wear that evening. She chose a pretty yellow dress that she had not worn yet. She had found a circle of lace on the top of a chair in the parlor; the housekeeper had called it a ‘doily’. She had Liesl sew it into the bodice to cover her cleavage. She also had her raise the neckline that draped about her upper arms so that it now covered her shoulders. Then she had Liesl fashion sleeves out of two strips of lace. Afterwards she studied her reflection in the mirror. The dress was a little odd looking but it was dressy and at least she was more decently covered. Now her dress was more suitable for a married lady. Perhaps when they got to Germany, Frederic would allow her to purchase some clothing similar to what the other women were wearing or she might find discarded gowns around the house that could be adapted. Striving to be fashionable was apparently forevermore out of the question. Cassandra sighed. She loved nothing more than pretty new dresses.

  Frederic came home from work early and looked over the preparations that the servants had made. He seemed to approve of everything and then disappeared into his rooms to dress. When he emerged an hour later, Cassandra sighed with delight. He really was a most handsome man. He looked her over in her yellow dress. “Is it new?” he asked. Cassandra looked at him, surprised. How would she purchase a new dress? Before she could ask that question, they heard the front door bell ring. Soon the maid was admitting their guests, right on time.

  Frederic and Cassandra stood as the company was admitted to the parlor. Cassandra almost fainted at the sight of her mother and father standing there with hopeful smiles on their faces. She coldly nodded and curtseyed to them as if they were any members of the nobility, with no trace of warmth on her face. She had two spots of red on her cheeks, a signal to all that she was angry. She glared at her husband. How dare he do this to her, once again present her with these people that he well knew she had no wish to socialize with!

  Her mother gasped and came up close to her, whispering in her ear. “What are you wearing, Cassandra? That dress is a debutante dress, it is not at all proper for a married woman. And what is this white thing tacked over your chest? And those sleeves, oh my...”

  Cassandra glared at her. “Not everyone can afford new dresses on a whim, Mother,” she hissed in response. Luckily there were more guests arriving right behind them so she was able to focus her attention elsewhere.

  At dinner, to her dismay, she found herself seated next to her father. As was traditional, the men and women were not seated next to their spouses and were staggered male/female around the table. It was not at all socially acceptable for her to be seated next to family. Frederic had taken care of the seating arrangements; he’d done this on purpose! She shot a look at her husband that could not be misinterpreted, in case he’d missed the spots of anger on her cheeks. She was determined to ignore both he and her father. She instead chatted animatedly with the gentleman to her left and the one across the table from her.

  Finally her father leaned over and spoke to her. “Why are you acting like this? You are breaking your mother’s heart…”

  Cassandra turned and looked at him. She spoke quietly in a low voice. “Why are you here? You gave me away. Why do you insist on attempting to stay in touch? You wanted me gone and so I am gone. Leave me be.”

  “My dear that was never what we wanted,” her father whispered sadly.

  “What did you want then, Sir? What did you expect?” They were speaking so quietly that no one was looking their way but her husband broke the visible tension by tapping on his glass. He shot Cassandra a warning glance. Oh this is unbelievable, she thought, she would probably end up over his knee once their guests had left because he’d thrown her parents in her face!

  Frederic thanked everyone for coming to their party and formally introduced his new wife, his “lovely acquisition” he playfully called her. His associates laughed and toasted her. Cassandra blushed and smiled, enjoying the cute way he’d introduced her to his business associates. She began to smile upon her husband with more warmth.

  Cassandra actually knew several of the couples. She had not before realized that these men were her husband’s business acquaintances but she knew several of the wives socially. As the soup course was served, one of the women, a catty, known gossip, began to question Cassandra.

  “My dear, we were so surprised to hear of your marriage.”

  “It was rather sudden,” Cassandra agreed, trying to deflect any rude utterings this unpleasant woman was sure to come out with.

  “One night you were the darling of the new debut season and the very next day you were wed and to the Baron here – someone no one even had seen you dance with. Tell me, how did the two of you meet?”

  Cassandra decided that honestly was the best policy. “It was an arranged marriage. We met at the altar.” The women at the table collectively gasped. Arranged marriages were so old-fashioned. One did not hear of them much anymore but usually the couple was acquainted, sometimes for most of their lives.

  One of the men spoke, genuinely puzzled, “Tell me, my dear, why would you agree to marry a complete stranger when you had the choice of any single man in the peerage?”

  “I was an obedient daughter, Sir Thomas. I did as my father ordered.”

  “And are you still an obedient daughter?” another gentleman asked playfully.

  “I have learned that obedience is not a quality that is valued in my family.” The assemblage looked puzzled.

  Her husband quickly interjected. “I value obedience a great deal, my wife.”

  “And now, instead of being an obedient daughter, I am an obedient wife,” she replied, smiling brightly. Everyone laughed and she watched her husband visibly relax.

  One of the gentlemen proposed a toast; “To obedient wives...” The assemblage once again laughed as several of the wives threw their husbands saucy looks.

  Another wife, a sweet, kind woman chimed in. “Well as long as you are happy, that is all that matters.” Cassandra took a sip of wine and decided to go for broke. “I don’t believe that my happiness was one of the factors taken into consideration.”

  She looked over at Frederic and instantly regretted her words. He looked hurt. It was very difficult to let her parents know that they’d ruined her life, without making her husband think that she didn’t love him. This party was beginning to give her a headache. Soon she suspected by the storm clouds gathering on her husband’s countenance, more than her head would hurt.

  The woman gossip spoke again. “Why, I’m dying to see your engagement and wedding rings, my dear. Why are you not wearing them?”

  Cassandra looked coolly at her husband. He suddenly looked exactly as he had at the altar, as if he hadn’t given the idea of rings another thought since that moment.

  “In my husband’s country, the custom is to exchange anniversary rings rather than wedding rings,” Cassandra rescued him by explaining. Everyone looked thoughtful. She had made that up, but nobody knew for certain if it was the truth or not, so the topic was dropped. Also, perhaps it would give her husband some ideas for future gifts. She hoped he’d notice that she had no jewelry at all while all of the other women at the table were dripping with jewels. It was unseemly to wear one’s childhood jewels; married women wore only the jewelry their husbands gave them. Then the thought occurred that perhaps once in Bavaria she could have her jewels reset into something more adult.

  She glanced at her parents out of the corner of her eye. They sat quietly listening to Cassandra explain the unfortunate details of her marriage to her dinner guests, both of them unhappily looking down at their plates. Good, she thought, perhaps they are learning not to unexpectedly descend upon me.

  Again the gossiping woman needled her. “Don’t you miss your old life my dear, your friends an
d activities?” Cassandra realized that she should have at least glanced at the calling cards the butler had presented to her. This woman knew she wasn’t usually taking callers, had she tried to visit?

  “I never look to the past, Lady Ashley. I only look to the present and to the future, with my husband, the Baron at his side in Germany.” She swore she heard a sob from her mother but when she looked at her, she had not changed position.

  Frederic began to feel uncomfortable. These people, none of who knew his true identity (except for Lord and Lady Newblythe, of course) seemed to be insinuating that he wasn’t good enough for Cassandra.

  “I can assure you that I have a very large estate in Germany,” he volunteered, feeling the need to defend his suitability. “And I am taking my wife on a wonderful wedding trip as well, as soon as my business affairs are in order.”

  “Oh really!” The gossip turned to him. “Wherever are the two of you going?”

  Cassandra deferred to her husband. All she knew about was their five-day trip up the coast that never seemed to materialize. This was the first she’d heard of this “wonderful wedding trip.” She too was curious to hear where they were going.

  “We are going up the coast to visit some lighthouses and then we will tour some cemeteries in the north of England.” Frederic beamed as he looked around the table. One of the older gentlemen agreed that it sounded like an interesting trip but the women at the table did not meet his eyes. They all looked down at their plates. Only Cassandra smiled at him with excitement in her eyes. He could tell she was truly looking forward to their upcoming trip.