by May Burnett
“Come to bed,” Nell suggested, softening her voice. “I want you to hold and kiss and caress me. Maybe we should listen to our bodies rather than our brains.”
He eagerly followed her suggestion. She found it impossible to remain still and passive under his caresses, and began, a little clumsily, to reciprocate. His breath came more heavily, and she could feel his member hardening even more as it strained against her thighs. She was so hot that she felt sweat collecting under her bosom. Embarrassing, but then the only witness was not in any condition to notice.
Maybe his member’s condition would offer clues how to proceed. She gingerly put her right hand around it.
“Nell!” he shouted, and a thick liquid spurted from the tip onto the bed linens. Gradually his flesh softened under her hand, while he lay panting; yet within moments, what had been soft was beginning to stir and become firm once again.
“I think I understand,” Nell said thoughtfully, “this is supposed to happen while it’s stuck inside my body, isn’t it?”
The question alone led to a quicker hardening. He groaned. “You are killing me, Nell.”
“You look perfectly healthy to me,” she disagreed. “Why did the touch of my hand have this effect?”
“As you surmised, being held in your hand mimics the proper positioning, um, inside you; this body part is too stupid to know the difference. Men and boys all over the world use their own hands for the same purpose.” He did not say if he had ever done so, and she tactfully did not ask.
“So now that we know how your body works,” Nell concluded, “try to get mine to show us the way.” He was still panting. “Take your time. I am not going anywhere.”
“You are wicked,” Thomas said, but it did not sound like a reproach. “After this, I shall have to take my revenge by doing everything I have imagined, and more.”
“I am not afraid of you.” It sounded like a challenge. For some reason, Nell’s nervousness had subsided almost completely. All that remained was curiosity and a thrumming excitement in her breasts and lower body.
“Nor should you be.” He rolled over, covering part of her body with his, though keeping most of the weight off with his elbows. “Let’s start with these delectable ears…”
The night turned out to be too short to indulge in all of her new husband’s vivid fantasies. He described them with words in between licking and kissing, and discovering a surprising number of sensitive spots on her body.
Once or twice he tried to push that hard part inside her body, but immediately desisted at the resistance he found; each time she instinctively clenched her knees together to ward off the threatening invasion.
“I’ll try not to,” she said guiltily after the second time. “It is involuntary.”
“I suppose nothing worth having is easily won.” He was not angry at her reaction, as she had feared. “I shall have to distract you, or maybe try a different position.”
“Like what?”
“In one book there was a picture of a man sitting in a wooden chair, his pants around his legs, and a woman sitting atop his member. It must be very pleasurable for a man to do that, and make rocking motions.”
She frowned. “Only a shameless woman would climb on top of a man’s naked body on a chair. And how can it be pleasurable for her?”
“There is nothing shameless as long as it’s between spouses. In the picture, the woman looked pleased enough to be so skewered, but then we both know that drawings are not always accurate.”
“I am willing to try it. It is humiliating that we have not succeeded yet.”
“Don’t worry, we will. If that does not work we’ll simply try something else. He kissed her naked shoulder. “I am enjoying our efforts, even if my poor member is beginning to hurt from frustration.”
She kissed him back. She was also enjoying herself, despite her vexation at her body’s reserve, now when it was no longer needed or warranted.
Chapter 19
It was not until late the next morning, after a few hours of sleep, that they jointly managed to solve the riddle, and consummate their marriage. For Nell it was a little uncomfortable the first time – not to mention highly undignified – but by the second attempt, a half hour later, things already went a great deal more smoothly. Nell felt overwhelming relief, and optimism that now they had managed the matter with fair success, marital intimacy would become a perfectly tolerable part of marriage. She enjoyed the kissing, caressing, and cuddling; the other was a small price to pay, in view of her husband’s evident pleasure.
“This was far more complicated than I expected,” Thomas admitted as they were resting after these exertions. “No wonder many women are said not to enjoy bed sport. Compared to the female body – if you are typical, which of course we cannot know, – the male one seems very simple and straightforward. It knows what it wants, and hates any delay.”
Nell could not deny it. “I would be lying if I said I completely enjoyed that first time. If you had been less patient I might well have conceived a lasting dislike of the whole business. As far as I can tell, one needs to forget all about dignity and decorum, and shut off the mind for a while. Not everyone will manage it.” It had not been easy for her either, but Thomas had gamely persevered to the point where her inhibitions had melted under his amorous attentions.
“More detailed practical knowledge would have been useful,” Thomas said ruefully. “Theoretical descriptions and even those pictures were a most inadequate preparation for the reality.”
“And I did not have even that much to go on. It is a wonder that humanity has not died out yet, but instead seems to be increasing its numbers daily.”
“But once you have the trick of it, it becomes bearable?” he asked with endearing anxiety. “You must have been able to tell that I was happy and excited, but if I felt you were a martyr to my lusts, that would soon spoil my own pleasure.”
“The last time was quite pleasant, and I have a feeling that with practice it may become better yet,” she reassured him. “To be safe from those fatal diseases your father warned you about seems well worth a little extra effort at the beginning of our marriage. My own father was not faithful; he had a mistress and other more casual liaisons, quite frequently. Though he did not infect my mother it might have happened all too easily. I am glad you are not going to expose me to such dangers.”
“Never,” he vowed. “Your lovely body is quite enough for me, as long as you are willing to share it, as we have just learned to do. I meant the vows I spoke in Church yesterday. That your father was unfaithful is a pity, but then his generation in general was more licentious than ours.”
“So they were. Many people are disgusted with the excesses of the past.” Yet how long would this stricter new morality prevail? Eventually the pendulum would swing back, hopefully long after her lifetime.
“Do you feel very changed, after giving up your virginity?” Thomas asked curiously.
“Not that I can tell. Do I look any different?”
“You look lovely, but then you looked lovely yesterday. Maybe the eyes sparkle more – or the skin has a pinker tone – but I cannot tell for sure.”
She scrutinized his body - that belonged to her now, for as long as they lived. “You need a shave. Though with your fair hair it is not so very noticeable, unless by touch.” She passed her palm caressingly across his rough cheeks, and he pressed a kiss into it before sitting up.
“You are right, we should get up and wash and dress. Our family will wonder what keeps us secluded so long.”
“They must surely guess,” she said, blushing. Hopefully none of them would have the slightest notion of how much experimentation they had needed. No word would ever escape her lips about the details of this wedding night. She sat up too, and looked around for her wrapper. It would be awkward to order hot washing water at this time of day, but then newlyweds were generally accorded special latitude.
Thomas slipped into a dressing gown and tied the belt across his slim
stomach. “How do you feel about a week or two of holiday here in Scotland, to practice our newly acquired knowledge?”
She hesitated. “What do you wish, Thomas?”
He smiled. “I asked first. Do not ever feel that you have to suppress your own wishes and preferences. I daresay we shall argue and disagree now and then, and I may overrule you if I feel it is necessary for your safety, but I want you to be as frank with me as I shall be with you. That is how my parents act towards each other, and I have always felt it is the best basis for a successful marriage.”
She could not disagree. In truth, it was not in her character to dissimulate her opinions and desires on a regular basis, or defer to anyone all the time. If he asked for frankness, frankness he would get.
“I could not truly enjoy such a holiday, while the fight with my Uncle is still ahead of us. My preference would be to confront him sooner rather than later. We can always enjoy our new pastimes during the nights. I trust you to keep me safe, and if we travel as Mr. and Mrs. Seymour, who will even suspect my identity until I claim it? Once we have won we could go on a lengthy wedding journey to celebrate – I would like to see Paris, or Italy.”
“You take for granted that we shall win? Let us hope your confidence is justified. Being in the right is not necessarily a guarantee. I want you to regain your inheritance to spite that greedy uncle, but I hardly care for my own sake. My ambition has always been to do something useful for my fellow men. Great wealth was never a consideration.”
“You can only speak thus because you grew up in security and comfort,” Nell observed. “Had you been born poor it would be very different. In Liverpool I had occasion to observe how much the character of my fellow teachers and pupils was shaped by their family’s circumstances.”
“Very likely,” he allowed after a moment’s consideration. “Mother inherited our estate and a considerable fortune from her parents before my birth, and father derives a good income from his clinic. Though I cannot indulge in extravagances like racing, gambling and betting, I have never known a moment of want or hunger.”
In Nell’s opinion, nobody could afford to indulge in these extravagances, at least not for long. “I hope our children will be able to say as much. Unfair as it may seem, to grow up with such security is often beneficial for the character; the more fortunate can focus on loftier objectives than mere survival.”
“What of yourself, Nell? You have known wealth and want – or at least deprivation, for the life of a teacher in a boarding school must have been very hard after growing up as the daughter of the house at a large estate.”
She did not have to think about her answer. “Like you, I had no early experience of poverty. The lack of stimulation and the strict discipline of the school were difficult to bear at times, but I never felt poor. Besides, I always kept something in reserve.”
“I should not be surprised, knowing you, but how did you manage that? I always understood that salaries for young teachers are miserably low.”
“True, but then I had very few occasions to spend it. And I had hidden assets, in the literal sense. When I heard that my father was about to marry that debutante,” she confessed, “I was very angry that this interloper would supplant my beloved mother. I determined that she would never have my mother’s favourite trinkets, the ones that came from my maternal ancestors. In the weeks before father’s death I gathered all of mother’s private jewels that I could find in Colville Hall, and hid them with my mother’s hoard of guineas for emergencies. In the event my father’s remarriage never took place, and I could draw on those funds and jewels to finance my escape.” Would Thomas understand why she had acted as she had? Nell was uneasily aware that anger and underhandedness were not particularly admirable attributes. No matter how much she might wish it, she would never be a perfect lady.
Her husband did not look at all censorious, merely interested. “Have you sold all of your mother’s jewels? If not, if there are unique pieces among them, they might be valuable evidence.”
“I took a few of the smaller rings and brooches with me to sell in emergencies. Of those, only three are left. The journey to Chatterham was financed by the sale of a pearl brooch. The larger jewels are hidden in the park of Colville Hall. I buried them under an old sundial in a remote corner of the estate, inside a wooden sewing box. My plan was to sneak back in and unearth them later. They must still be there.”
“Interesting,” Thomas said. “Can you sketch the place, so we can retrieve them, if our solicitor thinks it advisable? It would be too risky to go yourself, of course.”
Would he try to wrap her in cotton wool, now they were married? “I disagree – I can easily enter and leave by hidden means. I know every yard of that park.”
“It may have changed in the years of your absence. Until you have lodged your legal claim, you must on no account enter the lion’s den.”
“My uncle is no longer my heir, so he would gain nothing by murdering me at this point.”
“But he is not yet aware of that, is he? And without you alive and well, who is to challenge the story of your drowning? I shall keep you safe, Nell, against your will if necessary. That is a husband’s duty. And it is not as though you needed those jewels for survival. Even if you lose the claim against your uncle, as my wife you will never lack for anything.”
“That is a reckless promise,” she teased him. “What if I take it into my head to desire a large ruby necklace?”
“You are not so capricious,” he said, unruffled. “If you survived as a humble teacher, you must have learned to distinguish reasonable wants from the opposite.”
“You are too sensible,” she complained. “Let me be at least a little capricious now and then, Thomas.”
“I can always distract you.” He claimed her mouth for a lingering kiss that indeed drove all thoughts of mythical rubies out of her mind. “Now, what was it you wanted, ma’am?”
“Another kiss,” she decided. “And maybe more? Breakfast can wait a little longer.”
“Good choice.” From the determined way he grasped her in his arms, she could see that he meant business. She liked this masterful side of him. Would he react that way whenever she pretended to be capricious and wayward?
She looked forward to finding out.
Chapter 20
Roger possessed himself of patience during the day after his cousin’s wedding. It stood to reason that the bridal pair would require privacy and time to enjoy each other – though when the afternoon arrived and Thomas and Nell still had not left their suite, he could not help wondering why they were spending so much time on something that in his own experience required about twenty minutes. Thomas was young and virile, but even the most eager bridegroom could hardly make love that often and long – could he?
Doctor and Mrs. Seymour spent their impromptu holiday walking around Edinburgh arm in arm. He described the sights to his wife, who listened attentively to the noises of the city as well as her husband’s voice. She rarely left Yardley Manor, and to all appearances enjoyed this outing in pleasant summer weather.
Roger left them to it and perforce passed the day with his cousins Amelia and Charlie. They had also walked around town for some hours, more energetically, and returned to the hotel’s dining room for tea and sandwiches by four.
The sisters were discussing the sights they had seen, but Roger fell silent as he imbibed the reviving draught.
The wedding of his cousin inevitably put him in mind of his own, at some future and as yet undetermined date.
Had he been so inclined, Roger could have been long married. As the prospective heir of the Amberley earldom he was a most desirable parti, and independently of that expectation, he and his siblings would inherit two estates and considerable wealth from his father’s varied investments.
Since the previous generation the Ellsworthys had a tradition of marriage for love, which did not make matters any easier. What if he married without being sure of his feelings, and later fell in love w
ith a different woman, when he was no longer free? It would be tragic for everyone concerned. Yet how long was he supposed to wait for the right woman to appear, when each year he met the most attractive debutantes and dashing widows of fashionable society? His heart seemed to be quite as hard as his head. On the other hand, twenty-five was not old, though his father had been younger than that when he married.
Judging by the happiness and lack of doubt Thomas had exhibited at his wedding, his cousin had found his true love. Roger envied him that certainty, and hoped it would never waver, that Thomas would never be touched by the cynicism Roger had naturally imbibed amongst the ton. Although these days under the young Queen’s influence morality and virtue were held in higher esteem, the practice did not always agree with theory, especially among privileged young men. They might have to exert more discretion than the previous generation, but only their women were truly held to the stricter modern standards.
Nell did not strike him as likely to have much trouble in that respect. That the new Mrs. Seymour was indeed the former Lady Marian Colville, Roger no longer doubted after spending several days in her company. The children of the aristocracy were subtly different from the middle classes in their diction, preferences, and attitudes. He knew ladies of similar estate –his cousins Verena and Amy, or Lord Pell’s four children. Nell, as she called herself, would fit right in with them. Never mind that she had spent her childhood isolated on her father’s estate, and the last years as a schoolteacher; her kind of breeding was ineradicable after the first few years, and would always shine through.
“You look pensive,” Charlotte said, “are you wondering what Thomas and Nell are up to, at this moment?”
“Charlie!” Amelia admonished. “How often am I to blush for your lack of delicacy?”
“Very often, I should think,” Charlie replied, unabashed. “If you redden as easily as that.”