Chapter 18
Robert sat on his bed and considered the day. He had woken early, having fallen asleep just after Lucy with her in his arms. Luckily, he had woken before the maid who set the fires had come in, so she had not seen him in Lucy’s bed.
He’d then caught a few more hours’ sleep before getting up and dragging Beattie and the boys out of bed. Beattie had been more than willing to don a pair of breeches and teach the boys to swim. A couple of the older boys were already reasonable swimmers so between them all, the younger ones all had help.
By the time the ladies and Eleanor were up and breakfasted, half the day seemed to be over. Robert saw his man of business and arranged a further one hundred pounds. He had no idea if Lucy remembered or indeed had just been rambling through tiredness, but he did know that the money would be procured in the next few days. Better to have too much than too little.
The afternoon had been spent doing lessons outdoors along with a game of cricket. Eleanor had joined in and had squealed with delight. It was not often the girl made any noise and it always seemed to delight Lucy when she did.
He’d had to coax Lucy away from Eleanor and down for dinner that evening, but nurse had assured her that the little one would be fine.
Robert had checked to see if Lucy was in her room when he had arrived in his room half an hour before. She had not been. Now he sat on his bed, naked, his cock as hard as stone and wondering if he should put on his dressing gown and check again or leave her, when a knock sounded at the connecting door.
He called for the only person who could possibly be standing behind that door to enter. Then felt slightly self-conscious about his nakedness.
Lucy walked through the door, biting her lip and clutching her dressing gown to her. Her eyes widened and immediately dropped to where he had covered his erection with his hands.
“Lucy.”
“Robbie.”
“I… um… was not sure if I should come to you this evening. You were not in your bedchamber earlier.”
“I was checking on Eleanor. She is fine. I can go if now is not a good time.”
He dropped his hands to his sides. “Come.”
“Do I take off my dressing gown?”
“If you wish.” She hesitated. Was he doing the right thing letting her make the moves. He did not want to force her. Did not want her to think she was under any obligation like she had thought she was with Dick.
She allowed the garment to slide from her body revealing a sheer night rail. A slightly ugly old fashioned frilly ensemble but he could see her beautiful breasts through it and the nest of curls hiding the treasure he coveted, so he was not going to complain about the night rail.
“My great aunt bought it for my trousseau. I have no idea why I thought to bring it here. Mayhap I knew something like this would happen. Mayhap I knew you were dangerous. Mayhap I knew I had no self-control and that I am a lightskirt and this is inevitable.”
Robert was off the bed and had her in his arms in seconds.
“You are no lightskirt. You are a lady. A proper lady. You know I intend to marry you. Lieutenant Dick intended to marry you. It is hardly his fault, or yours for that matter, that he was injured.”
“But I keep refusing you.”
“But I still have weeks to convince you. And my charms are legendary.”
“Legendary with whom.”
“In this bedchamber.”
“And how many ladies have you had in this bedchamber.”
“One.”
“One other than me?”
“No, just you. I do not indulge in the local women in Cumberland.”
“You only… only in London?”
“And on the occasional visit to Edinburgh. Scottish ladies are very accommodating I find.”
“You are a brute.”
“I do not recall you finding me brutish yesterday when I was licking you here.” He pressed his hand to her cleft, forcing her legs slightly apart. She gasped.
“Robbie.”
“Yes, my love?” He placed his lips on her neck and began kissing in earnest and he stroked her through the sheer night rail. Lucy placed her hands on his shoulders and moaned as she bucked into his touch. “You see, my charms may not yet be the stuff of legends, but they shall be one day.”
“You think I shall write poetry about your skills in the bedchamber?” she gasped.
He smirked against the round globe of her breast to which he was currently paying attention. “A man can dream, my love.”
Robert moved her back towards the door through which she had entered and caught her pert backside in his hands, lifting her against the door so that her damp heat rubbed deliciously against his aching prick and he had a better angle to suckle on her breast. Damn she was so pliant and perfect in his grasp as she gasped and clutched his head to her. Lucy wrapped her legs instinctively around his waist and when he rubbed against her cleft, she rubbed back, despite, or perhaps because of the sheer fabric between them.
“Robbie?”
Her voice was… he could not put his finger on it, but it was not a cry of pleasure. Reluctantly he let her nipple go with a wet plop and caught her frowning gaze.
“What is the matter.”
“I… well… is this how men prefer to do the act?”
He was somewhat confused. Had Dick done it differently? Was she a virgin after all? Oh God, he had not taken her there? He had not done a Byron, had he?
“This? To what do you refer?”
“Up against the wall, on hay bales, not on the bed where it is…” she shrugged looking a little lost and helpless. “Comfortable.” Her voice was quiet now, as if she was afraid she had said something terribly silly and gauche.
Robert could not believe the feeling of relief he felt that he was not going to have to explain that damned poet’s sexual proclivities. And frankly he was relieved he was not about to deflower a virgin. In all honesty, the only reason they were here, in his bedchamber, about to do the deed, was because she had admitted to not being one. Of course, he had gone far too far at the waterfall yesterday when he did think her a virgin. But then once she had taken his prick in her luscious mouth, all bets had been off. But he was sure he would not have been willing to deflower her at least until she had agreed to marry him.
“My Lord, this is… I am being silly. Carry on.”
He realised he had been wool-gathering and shook his head.
“I would prefer the bed too, my love. I apologise, I got carried away. Hold on tight.”
She was light, and he moved one hand up her back to steady her as he moved the other more centrally under her pert buttocks. She made a little noise of surprise that made its way straight to his hard prick. God, how had he resisted this temptation these past days. His cock twitched when he lost contact with her damp flesh, as he walked her over to the large bed.
Once he had laid her on the mattress, she dug her heels in and dragged herself up to the pillows, suddenly looking vulnerable. She bit her lip, eyeing him warily.
He lay down beside her and placed one hand on the outside of her hip. Cocking his head, he considered her gravely. “Lucy.”
“Yes.”
“You may have come in here in this… confection of a night rail, but that does not mean you are obligated to go through with anything you would rather not. I do not force myself on unwilling women.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I am not unwilling. I am just a little… apprehensive. It hurt so before.”
He nodded. He had assumed Dick had taken her more than once but perhaps it had been a farewell bedding. One last hurrah for the soldier going off to war.
“I understand but now your maidenhead is breached, it should not be painful. You may feel a little stretching since it has been a while since you have done the act, but it should not be painful the second or third time you make love.”
“But it was. Eddie and I, Lieutenant Dick, I mean, did it four times. Every time it hurt. Perhaps the other times were not as bad as the first time, but they were not comfortable. But maybe…” She sighed and looked away.
“My darling, I am lying naked beside you, I think the time for being embarrassed is over. Let me say that making love four times with one man makes you far from worldly wise. You are still to all intents and purposes an innocent. I promise that your questions cannot possibly be the cause for ridicule.”
“I tried putting my fingers in there before. I read a book that it brought pleasure. It was a book on a high shelf in my brother’s library. I know I should not have but it was quite enthralling. Anyway, it was still uncomfortable. But when you did it yesterday by the waterfall, it was not at all uncomfortable. It was wonderful.”
“Because you were ready. You were wet. Your body produces moisture. If a gentleman prepares you properly it should not be painful. Do you trust me?”
“Yes.” Her answer was immediate.
“Open your legs and let me touch you.”
She did as he asked, and he lifted her night rail out of the way. He placed the heel of his hand on her mound and ran one finger through her crease. She was already slick from their earlier excitement and her breath hitched.
“Is your finger damp?” she asked, frowning. He chuckled.
“No, my love. You are. Deliciously so.” He tested her entrance with the tip of his finger and her mouth dropped open. He leaned over to her and caught her lips in a kiss. It took mere seconds for her to respond to him fully and soon two of his fingers were buried deep inside her wet heat thrusting to the same tempo his tongue was into her mouth. Lucy threw her leg over his hip and thrust hard against him. For a woman who was damned near a virgin, she was exceptionally sensual. She would make a wonderful lover. He moved atop her, unlacing her sheer negligee, and Lucy broke the kiss, extending her neck for his kisses. Her skin smelled and tasted of lavender and lemons, fresh and innocent but with an underlying hint of the seductress she was becoming.
As he trailed his mouth down the pale orb of her breast, she urged him on, eventually tugging his hair until his lips were over her nipple and she was wriggling underneath him, tempting him and silently begging him to take it into his mouth. After a moment of teasing, he extended his tongue and licked around the areola, then around the budded tip, aware of her now frantic trusts onto his fingers. She was fully lubricated and so close to the edge. He could take her now while she was desperate, and she would be less likely to tense and experience any discomfort.
“Robbie?” he raised his eyes to her gaze and smiled around her nipple Her mortified look eased and she bit her lip as she worked towards finding her pleasure. He moved his hand so that he could circle her pearl with his thumb. Lucy whimpered.
“Oh no.” He let go of her breast and brought her head to his chest.
“Find your release, my love. Let go. Come off for me.”
She continued to thrust, and Robert lay still, barely able to breath, his nose buried in her hair as he thrust his fingers in and out of her. His cock ached but this was her moment. So, he concentrated on pulling the rag out of the bottom of her plaited hair and running his finger through it until the hair was free flowing and tangle free. Luscious red waves flowed down her back and across his dark blue silk sheets. The sting of her nails in his back told him that she was going to be more than ready for him in a minute or two. Her deep-throated moan of pleasure as she arched against him and tightened her muscles as the walls of her delicious wet cunny pulsed around his fingers. He’d never witnessed a more beautiful sight in his life.
He slid his fingers slowly in and out of her until she began to relax then laid her back as he removed his fingers and placed them in his mouth. The taste of Lucy’s nectar assaulted his tongue and he grunted in satisfaction. Dash it all, he would forego food for a fortnight for a night of tasting her.
Lucy looked less impressed. Clearly she had not been as enamoured with her taste in the cave as he had been.
She did, however, look deliciously rumpled and ready for his cock inside her. He positioned himself between her thighs.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Robbie?”
“Yes.”
“Eddie did not go into the specifics of how you make sure you do not, um… conceive.”
Robert sat back on his heels. She really was innocent.
“Well I suppose if it was not well lit you may not have seen the specifics, but I just pull out before I release and either release onto the sheets or, if you do not mind, onto your stomach.”
“By release, you mean when you grunt or shout and the white stuff, the seed, comes out.”
“Yes.”
“And that is how babies are prevented.”
He pushed his hand through his hair.
“Well, it is not a hundred percent guaranteed. Nothing ever is. But my love, if you were to fall with child, you know I would marry you and the child would have a name.”
She nodded.
“Is it difficult for you to pull out?”
Robert gave a wry chuckle. “I suspect with you it may be more difficult than with others. You have quite an effect on me, but I would never see you in harm’s way.”
“And it is not in any way going to harm you to withdraw like that?”
She always seemed to be terribly concerned about his welfare and more importantly the welfare of his nether regions. He did wonder what other tall tales Dick had spun to get the poor chit to perform other sexual favours on him.
“No, not at all. It just requires a little self-control on my part.”
She frowned and she looked down at her hands, wringing them in her lap. What had he said to upset her so?
“Lucy? Are you quite well?”
“I am well. I have just realised how badly I have misjudged someone.”
“Pray God it is me and you will agree to marry me after all.”
She shook her head. “Alas, I cannot. Even more so now. But Robbie, may I ask one thing?”
“Anything.”
He reached for her and she climbed onto his lap, straddling him so that his hard length nestled between their stomachs. He ran his fingers through the silken strands of her hair.
“Make love to me just once so that I know what it feels like with a… well a man. Eddie was just a boy. I was a silly girl.”
“He is older than you, is he not?”
“Yes.”
“And you are now, what?”
“Four and twenty.”
“And how old was he then?”
“One and twenty.”
“He should have known how to make love without hurting you, my darling. He should have known to withdraw to keep you safe. He should never have coerced you into doing things like sucking his prick, even if your sweet mouth is the most wonderful feeling imaginable. That said, yes, I will make love to you and I hope it shall not be the only time we do it.”
He captured her mouth is a sultry kiss, taking his time as he roamed his fingers over her body. He tugged at her sheer nightgown and she made a little noise of protest. He understood that some young ladies worried about their figures. It was all those silly fashion plates they looked at when they visited the modiste.
“I want to feel your skin against mine, my love. Just feel, that is all,” he murmured against her ear.
Lucy relented and as her bare breasts touched his chest, her hard nipples crushing against the hard muscles of his chest, he groaned in pleasure. Lifting her, he placed her on her back, positioned himself and eased into her body.