“I think he is the most wonderful man I know,” she said, deliberately not revealing her true emotions.
Her mother looked at her sideways. Teresa could tell that Doña Isabella knew that she was not telling her everything. She had always been bad at lying to her mother, but at least now Teresa wasn’t stammering.
“Then I say again, Teresa, you must bring him to your bed. It is the only way you are going to maintain your marriage. Otherwise, there is nothing to stop him from seeking out other women. It is only a matter of time, querida.”
Teresa could not stand the idea of Richard being with another woman. Just the thought of it made her stomach tighten into knots. Very reluctantly, she agreed with her mother. “But I do not know how, Mama.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed and her mouth curved up into that secret smile that had so confused Teresa the night before her wedding.
“You must take the initiative. You must be the one to seduce him. To entice him to your bed. He will come willingly, I am sure.”
Teresa was flooded with anxiety. “But how? How could I possibly do such a thing? I do not know the first thing about… about that.”
“Oh, you do not need to lead the love-making. You simply need to bring Merry to the point where he won’t be able to stop himself. He will take over and you will know what to do.” Doña Isabella smiled slowly again. “You are my daughter, after all.”
Teresa swallowed hard. No, there was no way she could do this.
“Teresa, do not worry over much. Men love it when women take the initiative. Why, I do not believe your father ever initiated our love-making.”
“Mama! I… I do not think I should hear about… about you and Papa.”
“Really, Teresa, do not be so high in the instep. Your father and I loved each other very much and we had a wonderful life together—in bed and out of it.” Doña Isabella paused. “He was perhaps not quite as passionate as I would have liked. But then, I am a very passionate woman.”
She smiled at her daughter and took her hand in a reassuring manner. “You need to discover whether you have inherited your passion from me or from your father. If it is from me, you will have no problem bringing your Merry to your bed. If it is from your father, well, then you must try harder to overcome it. But remember, querida, if you do not entice Merry to your bed and make him consummate your marriage, you will have to live with the love lost.”
Teresa tried to perch on the arm of Richard’s chair. The pose effectively showed off her ankles, she thought to herself, but it was extremely uncomfortable.
As she leaned closer to her husband, she inhaled his very masculine scent. As always, he smelled of his Bay Rum shaving lotion, but she had not smelled it at such close proximity for some time. It made her senses reel.
Richard gave her a funny smile, as if he was trying to figure out what she was doing. Ignoring his look, she smiled at him in what she hoped was an enticing manner and then swung her leg to emphasize her bared ankle.
She knew what she was doing was incredibly bold, but she also knew that her mother had been right. It was the only way to save her marriage, now that she knew for sure that this marriage was what was best for both her and Richard.
The past few weeks had taught her that perhaps Richard had been correct when he told her that she was attractive. Oh, she knew she was not beautiful like her mother, or as witty and charming as her, but surely she had something that attracted members of the opposite sex. Otherwise gentlemen at the Debenham’s ball would not have surrounded her. And if there was indeed something, then there was no reason why Richard would not also feel that same attraction.
Richard raised an eyebrow and then stood up and moved away. “I don’t mean to take that chair if you would rather sit in it,” he said, much too politely.
“Oh! Ah, no. I just wanted to be closer to hear what you were saying,” Teresa lied. She lost her tenuous balance and slipped off the arm of the chair. Luckily, she caught herself before she fell onto the floor. But, she thought ruefully, it was not an elegant move and certainly not seductive.
Richard’s lips twitched. “But I wasn’t saying anything.”
“Were you not just telling me about Fungy’s horse?” Teresa asked.
“No. I finished telling you about that about five minutes ago, before we came to the drawing room,” Richard said, looking at her oddly before turning to pour himself a drink.
“Oh.” Teresa bit her lip. She had not meant for him to find out that she wasn’t paying any attention to what he was saying. She had been too desperately busy, trying to think of ways to entice him.
She wished her mother had been more explicit in her instructions, rather than simply telling her that she needed to bring her husband to the point where he could not stop himself. She never told her how to get him started.
Despite watching her mother for years, Teresa could not recall anything in particular that she had done to attract gentlemen.
Perhaps it was her décolletage?
Teresa pulled her dress down as low as it would go. But then looked down at her distinct lack of cleavage. She simply did not have the curves her mother had. She leaned over to see if that would help.
“Are you all right?” Richard asked.
Teresa looked up, suddenly aware that he was watching her. She straightened up quickly, and cleared her throat to stifle a sudden fit of giggles. She knew she was being ridiculous.
“Yes. I, ah, I thought… ah, I thought I lost my earring on the floor, but it is here.” She fingered her ear lobe, where her pearl earring was firmly secured. That was quick thinking, she thought with relief.
“You have been acting oddly all evening, Teresa. Are you sure you are not still upset over this afternoon?” he said, sitting down on a different chair further away from her.
“No, I assure you. My mother and I discussed it and she has promised not to… ah, not to do that again,” Teresa finished awkwardly.
Richard nodded, although he still looked skeptical.
“I trust you, Richard, honestly I do. I know you would never… er, behave inappropriately with my mother.” Oh dear! The problem was that she had also trusted him not to take advantage of her either—and now she wanted him to.
Teresa looked over at Richard. He had his usual melancholy expression on his face. Now that she thought about it, the only time he actually looked happy was when they were out at a party. But that, she was sure, was simply an act, a face that he put on for society. She was glad that he felt comfortable enough with her that he did not put on the act with her, but she also wished that he were happier. Perhaps it was just as her mother said, he just needed some love and someone to love in return. Teresa squared her shoulders— she was going to be that person.
She searched in her mind for something, anything, she could do to entice him. Richard had only kissed her once before, she thought with chagrin. How was she to get him to kiss her again?
Inspiration struck. Of course, the pianoforte. He had kissed her at the pianoforte.
“Richard, would you like me to play for you? The pianoforte, I mean,” she said.
Her husband stood up rather quickly. “Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Richard sat in his usual seat next to her at the instrument. She moved her chair a little closer to his and began to play a soft sonata by Haydn. But as she played, she transposed the music to a higher key so that she would have to lean across him to play the notes.
He moved his chair further to the right so that she could reach the keys she needed. Smiling to herself, she stopped playing momentarily to move her own chair closer to his.
He could now not reach to turn the page of music without leaning across her. But that would have disrupted her playing, so instead, he stood up and moved to her other side.
Teresa frowned. She was stymied once again and beginning to feel overly embarrassed by her forward behavior. It was a fun game, but it was clear that that was all it was going to be, a game. And now with
Richard standing on her left and well away from her, what could she do?
She stopped playing.
“I… I think I am tired. I am going to go to bed, if you do not mind.” She hoped he would follow her up to her room as he had the other night.
He looked confused, but a little relieved. “All right. Good night, then.”
“Good night.” Teresa stood up and moved toward the door, but her husband did not follow her. “Are, aren’t you going to come up stairs?”
“No. It is still early. Perhaps I’ll go out to my club. I believe Fungy, Huntley and Reath said they would be there this evening.”
“Oh.” Deflated, Teresa realized that her initial attempt at seduction had been an abject failure. But there was nothing more she could do. “Good night,” she said again before slowly walking up the stairs to her room.
What had she done wrong? She had completely embarrassed herself all evening by bending over him, getting so close she could feel the heat of his body and smell his scent. Surely, if he was at all interested in her, these tricks would have elicited some response from him.
A laugh escaped from her, causing her maid, who was helping her to undress, to look at her oddly. Teresa bit her lip to keep the rest of her laughter inside. The whole evening had been ridiculous. She had been reduced to chasing a reluctant husband around the drawing room and then the piano in an absurd game of tag. And the expression on his face when she slipped off the arm of his chair…
What a fool she had been.
She was glad that she was laughing, because otherwise, Teresa was sure that she would be crying.
Chapter Nineteen
Richard watched Doña Isabella talking to her daughter quietly in the opposite corner of the room. All the guests from Teresa’s dinner party had left except for Lady Swinborne, Lord Stowe and his mother-in-law.
The evening had been an eye opening experience for Richard. He had learned that his new wife was an excellent hostess, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for the few guests they had decided would be necessary to invite. The evening had gone remarkably well and Richard had not had to do anything himself beyond simply showing up and playing the congenial host.
He had also discovered throughout the course of the evening, that there was something beyond a platonic friendship between Doña Isabella and Stowe. Their behavior, while strictly circumspect, still had led him to this conclusion, and he knew Teresa had been completely oblivious to it.
They had shared the looks and small touches of those who knew each other intimately. Suspecting that his wife had hopes in Stowe’s direction, he wondered what she would do once she found out that he was not going to be available for her to marry after he’d had their marriage annulled.
Well, it was a problem that could be put off for another day. At the moment, Richard was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the expression on his wife’s face. She looked very upset with whatever her mother was telling her.
He watched for a few moments, debating whether he should intervene or not. Somehow, it looked like Doña Isabella was lecturing her daughter or explaining something to her, but it wasn’t something that Teresa was happy with. Her color heightened moment by moment and she’d begun shaking her head.
Finally, Doña Isabella laughed and said in a louder voice, “Querida, either take my advice or not, it is up to you.” She then gave her daughter a kiss and said good night. Stowe had offered to walk both Doña Isabella and Lady Swinborne home, so the three left together.
Teresa looked oddly him, her color becoming more intense.
“R-R-Richard, I am going to retire,” she managed to say.
He felt terrible. Whatever it was her mother had said to her, she was clearly still upset by it. His heart weighed heavily in his chest. He desperately wanted to make her feel better, to protect her from her mother’s harsh words, to do anything he could to help her.
He gave her arm a bracing squeeze. “Of course, my dear. It has been an exhausting day for you.”
She did not look consoled at all. Instead, she was looking at him oddly, as if trying to figure something out. She reached some sort of conclusion.
Turning her head slightly, she looked up at him from beneath her long black eyelashes and gave him a slightly hesitant smile.
Richard took an involuntary step back. He knew that smile. It was almost exactly the same look her mother had given him the other day when she had been flirting with him.
When given that look by Doña Isabella, it had made his blood warm. But when Teresa did it, it boiled. Suddenly his mouth was very dry and his palms were wet with sweat.
He could not fathom why Teresa was doing this, but as he watched her look coyly down at the floor and then up at him once again, he was certain that she was doing this deliberately. Unlike the other evening, however, when he was able to keep himself well in check despite her awkward attempts, this time her flirtation was definitely working. He just had no idea what his wife was up to. Had her mother put her up to this? Was she doing it on her own?
“Richard, perhaps… perhaps you could help me. My maid was feeling ill earlier this evening so I told her to go to bed early. Do you… do you think you could come up and help me with my buttons?”
Teresa’s voice was soft and low. He was done for. The room had become much too warm.
Richard found himself smiling and nodding. “Of course, I would be happy to help.” All of his good intentions to stay true to his promise not to touch his wife flew out the window. His pondering of her motivations dissipated from his brain. He could no more stop himself from following her than he could stop a runaway post-chaise and four.
Inside her bedroom, only one candle was lit creating flickering shadows that danced on the walls and floor.
He closed the door behind him and then stood, unable to move, as he watched Teresa move to her dressing table and slowly pull a few pins from her hair. The blue-black tresses fell in thick waves down to her waist as she gave her head a little shake.
Without noticing that he had even moved, Richard saw his own hand approaching her hair. He ran his fingers through the silky softness that slipped and curled around his wrist.
Teresa’s large black eyes were looking up at him. She looked a little scared, but had tilted her head towards his hand, accepting his caress. Her pale white skin seemed almost luminescent in the semi-darkness. His thumb slipped down her soft cheek and over her pink lips.
Slowly she turned around and moved her hair so that he could undo the buttons down the back of her dress. His hands shook as he slipped each tiny pearl button one by one out of its loop.
He wanted this more than he had thought possible. He needed this woman and his need rendered him deaf to the calls for sanity that whispered in the back of his mind.
Ever so slowly, her dress opened to reveal more of her white skin and the top of her corset. As he undid the last button, her dress slid almost silently to the floor with only the slightest rustle of silk as she stepped out of it and even closer towards him. He took a small step back and began to untie her corset for her. All of the laces opened, and she allowed that to slip down as well.
Teresa turned back around and moved her hair back, revealing her small breasts, which showed clearly through her thin cotton shift. He reached out to touch her and heard her sharp intake of breath as his finger ran over the sensitive flesh.
He was without thought now. All he knew was the beautiful, nearly naked woman before him. The soft glow of the candle behind her was effectively making her white shift transparent.
He leaned closer and inhaled her subtle lavender scent. She smelled so good. His lips gently touched hers. She was warm and trembled ever so slightly. Delicately, treating her as if she were a china doll, he enveloped her in his embrace, deepening his kiss as he pulled her closer in his arms.
Her mouth was sweet as she opened herself to him. He drew a ragged breath and let go of her for an instant, to quickly divest himself of his coat and waistcoat. He d
idn’t want to hurt her delicate skin with his buttons, but before she could say anything she was back in his arms, his lips once again pressed to hers.
Feeling only his intense need for this woman to be his, entirely his, he backed her up until her knees pressed against the side of the bed. Once again he managed to remove his clothing quickly, without interrupting her lovely sweet kisses. His desire was overwhelming everything else.
Soon he was next to her on the bed. Touching her naked body with his hands. He simply could not get enough of her. He had to touch every inch of her. He had to taste her, smell her. He even pressed his ear to her chest so that he could hear the rapid heartbeat inside of her. She made no other sound, but accepted his caresses and tentatively reached out to touch him as well.
As she ran her hand, ever so lightly, along his chest, her fingers caught in his hair. Gentle finger tips glided lightly over his nipples and he thought he would explode right then and there. He swallowed hard and controlled himself, but when she allowed her hand to slide down to his abdomen and below, he could stand it no longer. His blood was pounding in his ears, but he forced himself to remain calm and to move slowly.
He moved on top of her, feeling with his fingers that she was ready for him. With the greatest amount of control he could manage, he slid inside of her. A small part of his mind registered that she was still a virgin and he needed to be careful.
He heard her sharply suck in her breath. Softly, he cooed soothing words in her ear, but he knew that he would not be able to continue moving slowly for much longer. Already his body was demanding more.
He held his breath, not wanting to scare her, or to hurt her any more than was necessary. He could feel the trembling throughout her body. He moved as gently as he could, holding his breath in an effort to maintain his tenuous control over himself and his own desires.
The Merry Marquis Page 15