by Nancy Wells
“I trust you, Your Grace.”
When she closed her eyes, he removed her hands and placed them to her sides. He lowered his breeches and his manhood sprang out. Brushing the stray hair from her forehead, he lay on top of her. Supporting his weight on one elbow, he lined his erection against her slick opening and entered slowly until he reached the barrier of her hymen. Her opening was so tight; it was becoming difficult for him to control his urge to thrust into her.
Emily felt a pressure in her cunny as his manhood penetrated her. She moved a little and the friction from his thick manhood against the walls of her cunny made her gasp loudly. She felt her desire building up again. The duke groaned when she moved again.
“Emily, stop moving,” he rasped.
She did not heed his words and thrust herself upward, seeking the intense release she had experienced a few moments ago. Her eyes shot open and she screamed in pain when he breached her maidenhood. She was squirming beneath him, pushing at his chest to stop him from making her more uncomfortable. She did not like this part. She was hurting and uncomfortable with his large member inside her.
“Shh, the hard part is over. There will be no more discomfort now. Keep still for a few moments.”
Elliot kissed her all over her face to make her forget about the discomfort and stop her from moving so much. Elliot remained motionless inside her and let her adjust to his size. He kissed her hard on her mouth. When he felt her becoming relaxed beneath him, he started to move inside her with caution.
There was discomfort at first but then she felt pleasure replacing the pain. Holding her under one knee, he slowly pulled out his member and then entered again to the hilt. Her breath quickened when she felt the same pleasure coursing through her body and centered at her nether regions. She saw stars dancing behind her eyes again and blacked out from the sensations as his manhood entered her with steady thrusts.
When she opened her eyes, he was thrusting at an increased pace. He grunted and she felt his warm seed spilling inside her. Turning to one side, he tucked his manhood back in his breeches and collapsed on the bed beside her.
Breathing hard, he asked, “How do you feel? Did I hurt you too much?”
“I feel fine, Your Grace.”
She felt more than fine. She felt divine. The small discomfort was worth all the pleasure she received in the end. No one had ever mentioned the pleasure to her. Everyone had scared her so much that she was sure she would not survive the pain.
He left the bed and she instantly felt the loss of his touch. Holding a cloth and a dish in his hands, he came near the bed again. Putting the dish on the side table, he sat on the edge of the bed. Dipping the cloth in the dish, he squeezed the extra water in the dish and looked at her face.
“Open your legs, Emily,” he said, softly.
She opened her legs slowly and saw concern coming to his face. She followed his gaze to a trail of blood between her legs. He brought the cloth near her open legs and she blushed to the roots of her hair when he wiped the remains of their coupling away. Discarding the cloth in the dish, he joined her in the bed and tucked her head beneath his chin.
“I want you to take a servant with you and visit the seamstress,” he said. “Let her take your measurements. I will pay the bills and order a new wardrobe for you on my way back.”
Emily knew only two servants in the whole household. She would have preferred a female companion but she was out of options. The kind butler who had called her a child will have to accompany her to the seamstress. The duke did not specify which servant she should take, so she was free to choose.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Pulling her tightly against him, he yawned. He was tired and needed rest. It had been a long time since he exerted his energy so vigorously. Enjoying the soft flesh of her feminine body against him, he decided to let her sleep in his bed. He loved the warmth of a soft body against him.
“Good night, Emily.”
Emily was pondering her options when the duke graciously pulled her next to him. To sleep with him was a novel idea except for one small fact; Emily was not comfortable without a stitch of clothing on her body. She did not trust herself without the shield of her clothes. Her own body might betray her if she felt his gaze on her body again.
“I cannot sleep without my clothes, Your Grace,” she said, meekly. “I am not comfortable with lying naked.”
She hid her face against his chest when he looked down at her. He had already seen her body. There was nothing for her to hide anymore. Smiling at her innocence, he playfully swatted her bottom.
“My nightshirt is in the wardrobe,” he said.
Elliot watched her as she slipped from the bed. She was covering her bottom and back with her arms. He smiled and kept watching her as she went near the wardrobe. Keeping one hand on her bottom, she opened the door of the wardrobe. Elliot’s blood ran cold when he saw markings of old scars on her back.
“Who did that?” His voice came out sharper than he intended.
The nightshirt fell from her hands when she looked at the murderous gaze of the duke. She had offended him by hiding her body from him. She started to tremble as he strode towards her in anger. Putting her arm protectively before her face, she whimpered. She was sure he would beat her for her act of foolishness. Her aunt had warned her against him. Emily was regretting cozying up to him a short while ago.
“I am sorry. I am sorry,” she sobbed as she felt his hand on her wrists. “I will not defy you again. Your Grace, forgive me.”
Blood drained from his face as he watched his wife trembling in fear before him. His outburst had given her the wrong impression. He was known for his cruelty and heinous crime in the whole village. People changed their paths when he went past them. Elliot might not be guilty of everything they were accusing him of but people believed him to be heartless. Strong men were afraid to confront him and yet he foolishly shouted at the girl. He had scared her to death.
Pulling her hands from her face, he embraced her in his arms. “Hush, now. No one is hurting you. Kindly forgive my rude behavior.”
Picking her up in his arms, he brought her to his bed and pulled the sheet over her. She curled into a ball when he went to pick up the nightshirt. When he saw the condition of the girl, he wore the nightshirt himself. He left her in his room and stayed the night in his study.
Chapter 4
When Emily woke up late in the noon, she was alone in the bed. She was feeling sore between her legs. She smiled when she recalled the good events of last night. Her husband was a great lover. His threat of consequences did not seem so sinister now. A man who would worry about hurting her when he took her maidenhood could not be a cruel person. She was expecting him to use her body without worrying about her comfort, but he surprised her with his tenderness and affection. Lots of women in the village mentioned that they had to think of other things when their husbands fell upon their bodies. Last night, the duke made her feel so good that she could not think of anything except him as he played melodious tones on her body.
Emily’s smile diminished when she recalled the unfortunate incident when the duke became angry with her. Emily was puzzled at his behavior. He had been kind all night, starting from the dinner table to his room. Everything changed the moment she opened the door to his wardrobe. He screamed, “Who did that?” and then charged at her. The duke was a strange man. She did not understand whether to believe the man who held her in his arms or the one who screamed at her. There were two sides to his personality. She did not like the second side.
A knock came at the door and she held the sheets to cover herself. The sour maid came inside and Emily looked away from her. The maid was looking at the sheets where stains of blood were spotted.
“A warm bath is drawn, Your Grace.”
Emily thought the maid was talking about her husband, but then she realized as a wife of a duke she was now a duchess. The maid was talking to her. The weight of the title felt heavy on her shoulders. She did no
t wish to disappoint him. She wanted to remain in his good graces.
“Where?” Emily asked, timidly.
The maid did not like her question. She picked up all her clothes angrily and scowled at her. Emily was scared of her. She could not ask the maid to give her back her clothes. If she were to go to her chamber then she would need something to cover herself.
“In your room,” the maid said, annoyed by her query.
Emily did not know what made the maid so annoyed with her. Emily was already afraid of her new life, and she had just offended a member of this house. It was never her intention to make enemies at the beginning of her time here.
“I have other duties too. Stop wasting my time,” the maid said in anger and left her alone in the room.
Emily did not want to get into trouble. She had no other choice but to use the sheets until she reached her own room. It was her good fortune that no one was around when she went out of the room. Running as fast as she could, she reached her own room. When she entered her room, an ivory bathtub with intricate designs of small flowers was placed by the side of her bed.
She was looking at the décor of the tub when the sheets were suddenly snatched away from her. She looked in horror at the woman who was staring with disdain at her body. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, she tried hiding herself with her hands. The maid snorted at her attempts in disgust.
“There is a sponge and soap by the tub.”
The maid left the room without looking back and shut the door with force. Before she went out, Emily heard her mumbling. She was calling her a filthy harlot. Yesterday she called her a beggar and now she had fallen even below that status. She was now a whore in her eyes.
Ignoring her rude behavior, Emily looked back at the bathtub and took a small step towards it. She was used to being ridiculed; it did not hurt her that badly. She slowly immersed herself in the warm water of the tub. She sighed deeply once she was settled in the tub. The warm water felt good against her sore muscles. Picking up the soap, she lathered herself in the lavender scent of the soap and then washed it away with the sponge.
Leaning against the back of the bathtub, she closed her eyes. She stayed inside the bathtub until the water became chilly. She dried herself with a soft towel lying beside the bathtub. Dragging her trunk from under the bed, she picked up another old gown and her brown wool cloak. The duke had asked her to go to the seamstress, and she was not stupid enough to defy his direct orders.
Untangling her hair with a hairbrush, she braided her hair and hid it under the hood of her cloak. Coming out of her room, Emily ignored other servants and looked for the butler. He was standing with the gardener near the flowerbed. She ignored the curious eyes of other people and focused on the kind smile of the butler. He bowed as she approached. Emily felt uneasy with his subservient behavior towards her.
“Your Grace, how may I help you?” the butler asked.
The gardener was noticing her attire. It was not her fault that she was poor. She did not ask to be brought amidst these people. The duke had asked her to go to the seamstress. It would be the last time she had to endure the disapproving stares of the servants.
“I need you to go with me to the seamstress. The duke asked me to give my measurements to the seamstress.”
“What about a maid, Your Grace?” the butler asked, puzzled.
Emily did not want the maid to go with her. She despised her and reminded her too much of her aunt. If the maid pushed her around, she would not be able to object. All her life, she had remained oppressed. Standing up to her intimidators would require courage, but sadly she was not brave enough to face her tormentors.
“I want you to go with me. Please, sir.”
Both servants looked at her strangely. Emily could not see the flaw in her choice of words. She was the mistress of the house and yet she was requesting a servant rather than giving him a direct order. She did not realize that the servants were starting to sympathize with her. No one believed she could survive for long under their cruel master. He killed their former mistress even when he was in love with her. There was no hope for the poor girl who had no one left in the world who would be concerned for her safety.
“Let me get the carriage. I will be back shortly.”
The butler was familiar with the girl. He had lived in the same village for a long time until he got hired by the duke. The girl was only eleven or twelve at the time when he had seen her taking heavy pails of water to her cottage, while other kids of her age were playing hide and seek. Every now and then, someone would mention the fate of the child in sorrow. Despite her hard work, she was beaten like an animal by her own aunt. No one interfered because it was a family matter.
Sitting in the carriage, Elliot smiled as he recalled his new wife lying beneath him, rubbing herself wantonly against him. He could not help but compare her to his former wife, Sara. They were different in many aspects. Sara was the daughter of an Earl, well-mannered and a proper lady while Emily was the exact opposite of her. Sara had black hair and blue eyes with a voluptuous body of a woman. His mind went to the past, recalling the most unfortunate incident of his life.
Sara was a vibrant woman. She took care of his household while he looked after the affairs of his estate. Elliot was head over heels in love with her. He was the happiest man in the world. He had a beautiful wife who was the belle of every party and he was envied by his peers for having her as his wife. Sara was a perfect partner for him both outside and inside his bedroom. She never slept with him in his bed but it never bothered him because it was a normal behavior for any fine lady. Her chambers were in a separate wing of the manor. Elliot bought her every fine jewel she pointed her finger at. His life was perfect.
One day, he went on a trip to inspect a new property he had purchased in Rochester. When he returned home after five days, his house was quiet like a tomb. There was not a single soul present in the house. He turned his house upside down looking for a living soul, but his house was empty. His wife was missing, servants were absent, the coffers were empty and the family jewels were all gone. He was scared for the life and safety of his wife. He searched in the neighboring villages but there was no sign of her.
The next day, when the servants returned to the house, they told him that the duchess had given them leave for five days. Getting puzzled and frightened, he sent a letter to Russell and Shane, who were experts at finding lost things. Within a week, they informed him that his wife had run away to the colonies with one of his servants. Elliot was crushed at the news. His own wife left him for a mere servant. He loved her dearly and that was how she repaid him. Elliot became bitter and rude towards anyone who asked him about his wife. All his servants started to fear him as he became stringent and austere towards them.
Fearing that everyone would ridicule him and he would be a target of mockery in every social event, Elliot leaked fake news to his servants about the death of his wife. People of society abandoned him when rumors of his hand in his wife’s murder emerged. When the ton shunned him for taking the life of his own wife, he was devastated at first, but then with time, he realized the merits in those rumors. Not a single person approached him because he was a cold-hearted murderer. He never put a stop to those rumors because people left him in peace. He did not need the presence of all those fake people in his life, nor had he any intention of taking another wife at the time. He focused all his energy on building his estate and reducing his company to his two friends and an occasional visit to a brothel. In the meanwhile, he was portrayed as a cruel and heartless beast. People started to fear him.
The carriage stopped and he was jolted back to reality. Entering his house, he found it odd that his butler was absent. He looked for Emily in the garden and in her room but she was nowhere to be seen. Sitting in his study, he rang the bell for a servant.
A middle-aged maid that he vaguely recalled came with Sara, stood before him obediently. The same maid was there last night when Emily came to join him for dinner. He did not lik
e it when she made fun of his wife.
“Your Grace,” she bowed her head.
“Have you seen your mistress?” he asked. “She is nowhere in sight.”
Elliot wanted to see the girl and ask her some questions. His mind was in turmoil about the markings on her back. It was possible that she might have fallen and hit something sharp, but he wanted to confirm his suspicions before arriving at any conclusions. He wanted to apologize for his behavior too.
“I saw her going out with the butler, Your Grace.”
Elliot clutched the armrests, imagining the worst. She was quite shaken last night. He did not want to go through the same pain of being abandoned by his wife. Emily meant little to him but Sara was the love of his life. If she could betray him so easily then Emily would do the same to him.
“For what purpose?” he asked.
He hoped the maid would give him a good reason for the departure of his wife. Emily did not ask for his permission but there was a possibility that she might have talked to someone else. He wished she was not alone with the butler and a maid was with them. He had dodged a bullet when he assured everyone that Sara was dead. He was not strong enough to go through the same experience again.
“No one knows, Your Grace. They left alone in the early noon and have not returned since. Forgive me, Your Grace, but that girl is not trustworthy. Instead of asking a maid to accompany her, she preferred the company of a man.”
Dismissing the maid, Elliot paced in his study. His worst fears had been realized. His wife was yet again dallying with a servant. Her aunt warned him about the girl but he fell for her innocence anyway. If he had not returned early today, he would have remained unaware of the budding relationship between the girl and his servant. Sara kept an illicit affair behind his back. She broke his trust when she eloped with the servant. Emily was doing the same to him. She was conspiring with his butler behind his back. He should have heeded the warning of her aunt and kept a close eye on her. She was behaving like a harlot. Taking out liquor from his cabinet, he tried soothing his anger with a drink.