by Vikki Vaught
Melody lay there and remembered all that had happened last night and again this morning. She decided she was really going to enjoy being married, even more than she had ever dreamed. She got out of bed, and suddenly she realized she was a little sore, but it just reminded her of all the wonderful things she had experienced! She went to the dressing table and began to brush her hair. It was quite tangled, but then again it was worth it because she knew how much Henry loved her hair. There was a knock on the door, and she got up to let Millie in. The steaming hot water helped to soothe the soreness. As she washed herself, there were traces of blood on her thighs, and when she noticed it, she blushed all over, from head to toe. Melody finished her morning ablutions while Millie pulled out a fresh traveling dress. As she dressed in her pale blue gown with light gray trim and matching pelisse, she hoped that Henry would think that she looked attractive. Soon, Melody was dressed and made her way down to the dining parlor. Henry was already seated, and he stood up as she entered and said, “Come in, my lovely one, and take a seat. You look very pretty this morning. Breakfast has arrived. I’m starving, and I’m sure you must be very hungry too. After all, you had a busy night and morning.”
Melody blushed and gave a little laugh, then said, “Please, Henry, I’m embarrassed enough, without you talking about that!”
“I’m sorry, love, but you’re just so much fun to tease. Let’s eat, so we can get our day started. We have a full day of traveling ahead of us.” After they finished their breakfast, they went out to their carriage, and he helped her get seated inside and said, “I’m going to ride Jupiter for a while, since I know he needs a good run. I’ll join you in a few hours. Why don’t you take a nap, since you didn’t get much sleep last night?”
Melody watched him mount Jupiter and ride off. The wind was blowing his thick, red gold hair, and it made her long to run her fingers through all that marvelous hair. She admired how nice he looked in his dark green jacket, buff breeches, and glossy black Hessians. His breeches hugged his buttocks and well-developed thighs, and she felt a tingling sensation between her legs. Melody now knew that this was definitely a sign of desire. What a fortunate young woman she was to have such a handsome, virile, young husband. She settled back and pulled out the book she was reading, and soon, she was lost in the story and did not notice the time. The carriage slowed down and then stopped as they arrived at another coaching inn. Henry helped her out of the carriage, and they went inside. They had a delicious meat pie, a variety of cheeses, and dark bread with some ale for their luncheon. The food was delicious, and soon their appetites were appeased.
He joined her in the carriage after they got back on the road. He started telling her stories about his youth, and he soon had Melody laughing over all the mischief he used to get into. She shared more stories about her childhood, and again he wished he could have had parents like Melody’s. No wonder, she felt sad at leaving them. While Henry was not close to his parents at all, Melody was obviously very close to hers. He promised himself that he would make sure that she was able to see her parents often. Even though they would not live close to them initially, they would be close to them in the not too distant future.
Over the next five days, Melody and Henry grew to know each other much better. The nights were glorious as they filled them with passion and tenderness. He was amazed at how adventurous Melody was in bed. She was more than willing to try whatever he suggested. Her untutored enthusiasm was quite arousing. They were nearing Henry’s home, and the closer they got to Sanderford Park, the more nervous Henry became. He had sent word of his marriage, but he knew that the news would not have been well received by his parents. He felt sure they would feel that Melody was not good enough for him. He would just have to make it clear to them that he loved her and that they must treat her with the respect she deserved. After all, Melody’s father was well born, being a younger son of the Earl of Wyldwood and her mother the daughter of Viscount Millings. Melody was just as highborn as he was. If his parents had not been so set on him marrying Lady Penelope, he was sure they would be more willing to accept her.
When they returned to the carriage after their last stop, it was apparent that something was bothering Henry because his face gave it away. He was always so open and honest that it was easy to see when he was upset about something. He had shared enough about his parents that she thought that could be what was bothering him. It seemed that the closer he got to his home, the tenser he became. She hoped he was not ashamed of her, as he had shared how high in the instep his parents were. Melody knew she did not bring a dowry to the marriage, and she was sure it would affect how they felt about her.
Finally, they turned onto a long drive, and Henry explained that they had been traveling on Sanderford Park for quite some time. As they approached the house, Melody became nervous when she saw how incredibly large the house was. It was truly magnificent to look at but very overwhelming. She could not imagine living here, but it was to be her new home, so she would have to adjust.
The carriage pulled up to the portico, and several footmen came out to help them out of the carriage. Henry offered her his arm as they walked up the steps and entered through the immense oak doors. The entrance hall had black-and-white marble floors with white marble statues on each side of the entrance. The room was at least three stories high with al fresco art painted on the ceiling. There was a magnificent staircase leading up to the next floor, and it looked as if it went on forever. It was an incredibly beautiful room but a little overwhelming for Melody. If the entrance hall was this opulent, what would the rest of the house be like? Simpson, the butler, was there and offered to take their outer garments. He called for the housekeeper, Mrs. Milton, and she asked if they would like to go to their rooms to freshen up before they joined the family. They told her they would like that, and she led them upstairs.
The suite of rooms was lovely. There were two bedchambers with dressing rooms attached, and a sitting room was situated between their bedchambers. There was even a bathing room, which Melody had never seen before. The chamber she would be using was decorated in shades of blue and yellow, and it had gilded white French furniture. The counterpane, on the bed, was a lovely shade of blue with ecru lace around the edge and a marching canopy. Melody thought of what it would be like to make love to Henry in that glorious bed and it caused a warm sensation to run throughout her body. There was a small French desk, which would be perfect for her correspondence. French doors led out to a balcony that overlooked a lovely rose garden, and she knew that next spring it would be truly glorious to behold with all the roses in full bloom.
The walls in Henry’s chamber was painted a deep blue with pale gray accents with much heavier dark oak furniture, giving the room a masculine feel to it, and there was an enormous oak bed. It was the biggest bed she had ever seen—two people could easily get lost in it—of that she was sure. She thought she could be very comfortable living here, as long as Henry’s parents accepted her. Before Henry left Melody in her chamber, he said, “Your maid should be up shortly. Why don’t you take your time and rest a bit before you join the family. I’ll return in an hour, and then we’ll go down together to meet everyone.”
Melody met Henry’s eyes and said with trepidation, “Whatever you think is best Henry. I look forward to meeting your brother and your sisters, but I dread meeting your parents. I just know they’re not going to like me.”
Henry shrugged and said, “I don’t want you to worry. Remember what I told you they’re like and that they’re the same way with almost everyone. Try to overlook their rudeness, and I’ll be there to protect you. You’ll love my sisters, and I know they’ll love you. Nelson will be thrilled when he sees how happy you make me, so relax. I’ll return shortly. See you in a bit, my love.”
He rushed through, getting his travel dirt off and hurried down to speak with his parents. When he found his parents in his father’s study, it was obvious, by the expressions on their faces, that they were not happy to see him
at all. His father was sitting behind his big desk, and he motioned for Henry to take a seat. His mother was sitting on the couch by the window looking very haughty. Henry took a seat across from his father and said, “Good afternoon, I hope both of you are doing well. My bride and I have just arrived. Melody will be down shortly to meet both of you. I hope you’ll welcome her into the family. I told you in my letter that she comes from a good family and that I love her very much, so please be kind to her. She’s feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, so she needs to feel welcomed.”
With distain on his face, his grace said, “Why should we welcome her? You know you were supposed to marry Lady Penelope. She would have enriched the ducal holdings. What does this little country mouse bring to us? Not a thing! Her father is a vicar with no consequence to speak of, and you did not even have the decency to let us know you were getting married. We did not have a chance to voice our opinion regarding this marriage. This is so like you, Henry. You have always been so impulsive and thoughtless. I guess we should have expected this type of behavior, as you have been this way all your life! Your mother and I are extremely disappointed in you.”
“Regardless of how you feel about me, you’ll treat Melody with respect. Any wrongdoing has been done by me, and I shan’t allow you to punish her for what you see as my misguided decisions.” It was just as he expected; they were going to give Melody a difficult time. At least he would be there to protect her for a few weeks as she settled in, and he would make sure that Nelson took over for him when he had to go back to his garrison. “Melody is the kindest and most tender-hearted young woman you could ever hope to meet, and she is very apprehensive about meeting you. Please keep your opinions to yourselves and be nice to her!”
The duke looked at Henry with disgust and said, “We will be polite, but we do not have to like her, nor like the fact that you have made her your wife. Keep in mind that you are only our second son, and we do not have to support you or your wife.”
“I don’t need you to support me or my wife because Grandmother left me her estate and enough income that I don’t need assistance from you to support Melody. I have also done quite well with my investments.” Thank God, he had been smart enough to invest some of his inheritance when he came into his majority. “I neither need nor do I want anything from you, other than a place for Melody to stay while I’m finishing up my military career. I’ll be selling out my commission, just as soon as I get all my men settled back into civilian life. Melody will need to live here with you while I travel back and forth between here and my regiment in Kent. Can I at least count on you for this?”
His father nodded his head as he said, “We will allow her to stay here, but just know that we are not happy about this whole situation.”
“Thank you, your grace. We’ll try to stay out of your way as much as possible. Now if you will excuse me, I’ll go get Melody and join you in the drawing room for tea.” Henry then turned and left the study.
He returned to their suite to get Melody, and she could see that he was tense as soon as he entered the sitting room. She wondered if he had been speaking with his parents. He always seemed to tense up when he thought about his parents, and it was causing her to get quite anxious about meeting them. It was hard enough to even think about meeting a duke and duchess, but this was even more intimidating because they were her in-laws.
“Melody, my love, let me take you down to the drawing room. Tea is about to be served, and I want to introduce you to my family. You don’t need to be apprehensive, for I’ll be with you the entire time. You’ll like my brother and my sisters, and they’ll adore you, as I do. Come on, let’s get this over with, and then we can relax.” They went down the stairs and entered the drawing room. Henry’s parents were sitting on the settee. There was a man standing by the fireplace that Melody thought must be Henry’s brother. It was astonishing how much they looked like each other. His sisters were also there. Everyone looked up as they entered the room.
“Hello, everyone. This is Melody, my wife. Her father is the son of the Earl of Wyldwood, and her mother is the daughter of Viscount Millings. As I stated in my letter, Melody is from Little Smythington, Lincolnshire. I hope you’ll make her feel welcome. She’s very excited about meeting all of you.” Henry smiled over at Melody and took her hand as they walked over to where his parents were seated.
“This is my father, the Duke of Sanderford … and my mother the Duchess of Sanderford,” Henry said. Melody politely acknowledged the introduction and gave them an elegant curtsey, and then Henry introduced her to his brother, “Melody, this is my brother, Nelson.”
Nelson walked over, bowed, and said, “It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you. Henry told me all about you when he was here last month. I welcome you to our family.”
Henry turned to his sisters and said, “These are my two sisters, Helen and Kathryn. I’m sure you’ll all get along splendidly.”
The older of the two girls said, “Hello, I’m Helen. I’m so pleased to meet you. Unlike Nelson, Henry didn’t tell me anything about you, but I can’t wait to get to know you. I’m sure we’ll become fast friends in no time.”
Kathryn timidly smiled at Melody and said, “I’m Kathryn, and I’m very excited to meet you. I wish you and Henry all the happiness in the world.”
They all made Melody feel very welcomed except for his parents. They looked at her with a condescending expression on their faces. She guessed that it was to be expected, after all; she was sure they thought she was not worthy of their son. Henry seated her in a chair close to his sisters, and the duchess began to serve tea. Soon everyone began to relax and enjoy their tea and biscuits. Henry ate several sandwiches as usual. After tea was over, Henry escorted Melody back up to their suite.
“Well, that went well. What did you think of my brother and sisters? I told you they would like you and be happy for us. I know that my parents were a little cool, but they’re like that with everyone. I’m just relieved that we’ve got that behind us. Come here, darling, you look as if you to could use a hug, and I know that I could.” Melody went into his arms as he lifted up her face and tenderly kissed her. She responded, and he deepened the kiss and pulled her close to him. She felt desire begin to blossom and tentatively kissed him back as passion took over. Henry picked her up and carried her into his bedchamber, and he undressed her as he continued to kiss her passionately. Soon, they were both naked and laying on the bed. Melody decided to be bold and began to touch Henry on the chest. She rubbed his flat male nipples, and Henry gasped with pleasure as she continued to run her fingers through the hair that grew on the center of his chest. He lowered his head to Melody’s breasts, took her dusky pink, engorged nipple into his mouth, and sucked gently. Then he started to kiss his way down her body and over her soft belly. He spread her thighs and began to lick her little bud of desire between her legs. Melody stiffened up with shock and embarrassment. Surely, this was too wicked, but then it started to feel so good that she just did not care if it were wicked or not. She began to tingle all over, and her nether region began to ache for fulfillment. Her breathing became shallow, and she was writhing trying to get as close to Henry’s decadent mouth as possible. She started to shake, and then she exploded as her body shuddered in ecstasy. Henry lifted his head and grinned at Melody, and she grinned back. He crawled up her delectable body and surged inside her. She reached her peak again, just as Henry found his release. They clung to each other and fell asleep.
They barely made it down to dinner on time as they rushed laughing into the drawing room. Henry’s parents looked disgusted, and they were obviously angry about something. His grace said, “Henry, you know what time we gather here for dinner, and you are five minutes late. You know how much I value punctuality. I do not expect to have to talk to you about this again.”
Simpson came in to announce that dinner was served. Everyone was quiet, and it was one of the most uncomfortable meals she had ever had. The food was superb, but it might as well hav
e been sawdust, for all that Melody could taste of it. Finally, the duchess rose and requested all the ladies come with her so that they could leave the men to their port and cigars.
When they arrived in the drawing room, the duchess indicated that she wanted Melody to sit beside her. This was not a good sign. She began to question Melody about her family. “Are your grandparents still living? I understand you are an only child. What are your prospects? Will you inherit anything from your grandparents? Speak up, gel, and answer my questions.”
Melody hesitantly replied, “My mother’s parents are still alive, but we don’t see them often because they’re in bad health. My father’s parents have passed away. My father has one brother. He inherited everything, and his children will inherit from him. While my mother’s parents are of the nobility, there is no money, so I don’t have a dowry.”
“Just as I suspected! You will not bring anything to the ducal coffers. I do not understand what Henry sees in you. You are not beautiful, and you are a little on the dumpy side. He will obviously grow tired of you quickly and do not expect anything from us. You are all on your own, and when he tires of you, which he most certainly will, you can just go back to where you came from. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, your grace, I shan’t expect anything from you. I think it would be best if I went up to my room now. Please excuse me.” Melody quietly turned around and left the room.