Gentleman's Guide 02 - His Contrary Bride) (23 page)

Dearest Sabrina,

By chance, do you recall the moral of
Cinderella from
Stories or Tales from Times Past, with
Morales, Tales of Mother Goose
by Charles Perrault
?

“
Beauty in a woman is a very rare
treasure:

Of it we can never tire.

But what’s more, a priceless pleasure,

Is charm, which we must all admire.

That wise instructress, the godmother,

While dressing her fit for a queen

Was giving her power to charm another;

That is what this story means.

Ladies, better than teased-up hair is

To win a heart and conquer a ball.

Charm is the true gift of the fairers;

Without it you’ve nothing; with it all.

You’ve charmed me like no other and have
stolen my heart completely. Be my Cinderella, be my wife and I’ll
try to be your prince for the rest of my life.”

I love you.

*

Sabrina clutched the delicate slipper as the
tears ran down her face. She was practically sobbing and Marius
prayed it was for a joyful reason, but had nothing to compare it
to. He had never seen her cry before. Taking a deep breath, he
approached her slowly and cautiously, retrieving the handkerchief
from his own pocket because she seemed to be without one. Silently
he held it out to her.

Sabrina slowly lifted her eyes to his. With
a shaky smile, her eyes met his and her tears began to flow again.
He was unsure of her reaction. Instead of accepting the
handkerchief, she stood, holding the slipper and grabbed him to her
with her other arm.

Relief swept through his body and he pulled
her close, burying his face in her hair. She was still crying and
laughing, and incoherent. Marius didn’t care. He was holding her
and he knew her answer was yes.

As he tightened his embrace, lifting his
head, wanting to kiss her, Sabrina pulled back. “Don’t.”

His heart practically stopped. Had he taken
her reaction so completely wrong?

“Don’t crush the slipper.”

Chuckling with relief, Marius lifted it from
her hands. “I can have another made.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. I want
this one. Always.”

He had prayed this proposal would work. “I
am sure it won’t fit.”

“I don’t care. Nobody has given me anything
so wonderful.”

“I recall a particular necklace.”

“It doesn’t even compare.”

Though she hadn’t actually said yes. It was
there in her eyes and in her voice. Marius would deny himself no
longer. Lowering his head, he brushed her lips lightly,
lovingly.

Sabrina sighed against him, resting her head
on his shoulder. Nothing else in the world could be this
perfect.

Clearing his throat he had to ask. “Sabrina,
I need to hear your answer. Will you marry me?”

Tilting her head back, she smiled brightly.
“Oh yes.”

Laughing, he lowered his head and kissed her
again, deeply this time, while he set the slipper on the table
beside him, before pulling her tightly against him. He was still
shocked at his own relief at her answer. He hadn’t even admitted to
himself how unsure he had been until that moment.

Reluctantly, Marius pulled away from the
kiss. There was still much to do today. In fact, it had only begun
and very, very soon he would be able to make her his own. “Can I
assume this is the reason you told me no the other times?”

“Yes.” she answered, resting her head
against his chest. “I stayed at the academy for my uncle and
Ramsey. I have only been free a short time and I didn’t want to
sacrifice the rest of my life for the only safety or delicious
kisses.”

“Delicious?” Marius asked intrigued.

“You already know that.” Sabrina argued back
and playfully slapped his chest.

“I hope you don’t consider it a sacrifice to
marry because I love you.” She hadn’t voiced her own opinions.
Still, he couldn’t believe she would marry someone because they
loved her without returning the feelings.

“It is the only reason to marry.” She hugged
him tighter.

“Then I can assume you feel the same?”
Marius asked quietly in her hair.

Sabrina paused for a moment, pulled back and
looked up at him. “Of course I love you. I thought you already knew
that.”

“How could I know that when you never said a
word?”

“I was afraid it was all too obvious.”
Sabrina grimaced. “I have been trying to hide it for quite a while
now.”

Intrigued, Marius looked down at her.
“Exactly how long have you been aware of these feelings involving
me?”

“Since Christmas at least. I knew you didn’t
feel the same way. In fact, I was convinced you only cared on some
form of friendship level and were being kind to me.”

Marius threw back his head and laughed.
“After the way I kissed you until the berries were gone, you still
felt that way?”

Sabrina blushed. “I am not exactly
experienced in these matters.”

“You may lack experience, and for that I am
grateful. At least you had an idea of how you felt.”

“I know you didn’t love me then.”

“You are wrong. I am sure I did, now. I had
decided I wanted to marry you before we came to London. I just
didn’t realize what was driving me and used convenient excuses for
a reason to marry you.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at him.

“Only when you kept telling me no and I
became more determined to have you did I realize why.” He looked
down into her eyes deeply. “Can you forgive me for the
blindness?”

“It doesn’t matter when we knew. It only
matters that we both know now.”

She was the most understanding woman he had
ever met, not to mention desirable. That thought brought him back
to the present and what the rest of the day held, and he slowly
pulled away from her. “There are a few matters I have to see
to.”

The smile fell from her face.

“I promised Juliet that I would send you to
her as soon as I had my answer.”

“Juliet knew that you were going to do
this?”

He shook his head. “She knew that I was
going to ask you again today, one last time.”

“Last time,” she repeated quietly.

“If you didn’t want me, even after
confessing how I felt, I knew I could never bring myself to ask you
again,” he returned in seriousness.

“Then I am glad that I was wise enough to
finally say yes.” She grinned back at him.

“Glad doesn’t begin to describe how I am
feeling, Sabrina.” He wanted to pull her in his arms and kiss her
until the world disappeared, but reminded himself he couldn’t.

“I swore to her I wouldn’t keep you and send
you right up.”

Sabrina didn’t move, but stood there biting
her lip, worry etched on her brow.

“I promise, I will see you shortly. There
are only a few matters to attend to, which cannot be avoided, then
we can discuss our future.”

“Very well. I well go see Juliet.”

Walking her to the door, he paused and
turned towards her. Kissing her deeply once again. “I will see you
very soon.” With that, he left the house.

*

Sabrina started to run up the stairs, only
to stop and turn around to run back into the parlor to grab the
slipper and the notes before flying back up the stairs to find
Juliet.

Sabrina was brought up short upon entering
Juliet’s sitting room. She had no idea Phoebe and Janine had
arrived and were taking tea with her cousin-in-law. They watched
her expectantly.

“Well?” Juliet finally asked.

Sabrina simply smiled, which was answer
enough.

“Thank goodness.” Phoebe stated. “Taylor
feared your answer would be no and we were dreading the next few
years in Marius’s company.”

“Did everyone know he was going to ask me
again, today?”

“We knew when, but not how. Of that he was
very secretive,” Janine answered.

“The poor man was a bundle of nerves last
night, though he tried to hide it.” Phoebe laughed.

“That is why you came to visit?” Sabrina
prompted. Not that it was unusual, but she had her suspicions
regarding this particular visit.

“Of course. We were dying to find out
ourselves,” Janine answered.

“Exactly where have you been, Sabrina?”
Juliet finally asked slowly.

“Oh, I was cleaning the attic. I must look a
fright.”

“Or, Cinderella before she married her
prince.” Phoebe chuckled.

Lifting the glass slipper for them to see,
Sabrina laughed. “I suppose so.”

“Still, perhaps a bath is in order.” Juliet
came to her feet.

“Most definitely. Marius said I would be
seeing him again later so I best do something with myself.”

Sabrina glanced in the mirror when she
entered her room. Goodness, she did look a fright. Thankfully
Marius didn’t see her when he first asked today, with the note, or
he may have reneged. Her hair had fallen from the bun, cobwebs
affixed themselves to her person, and there were smudges of dirt on
her face and the back of her hands. Well, it wasn’t anything a long
hot bath wouldn’t cure.

She took a step toward the bathing chamber
and the first of the pains struck. She wanted to cry, no not today,
on such a perfect day, but a woman couldn’t control these matters,
and it explained why she was a bucket of tears today. She would ask
her maid to get her some tea to sip while she soaked.

“Sabrina.” Phoebe’s voice came through the
door and Sabrina wondered why she followed her in here. She had
intended to soak in the hot tub for a bit. It helped relieve some
of her discomfort. “There is something we think needs discussed.
You just go about what you are doing and we will remain here.”

Startled, Sabrina sat up. We? “What would
you like to discuss?”

There was silence for a few moments before
Janine finally spoke. “It is about marital relations. More
specifically, the marriage bed.”

Complete silence followed. Sabrina had even
ceased moving in the water.

“You see, Sabrina,” Phoebe offered. “Your
mother died when you were young and we were afraid you wouldn’t
know what to, um, what is expected.”

“Mrs. Davies instructed us on what is
involved, in more detail than I care to know.” Sabrina called out
after a few moments. How could she have forgotten that Marius would
want to do much more than kiss her? Oh dear, marriage wasn’t going
to be completely wonderful.

“Good.” Janine sighed. “I really didn’t know
how we were going to explain the mechanics of it all.”

The other two giggled.

Nobody said anything further and Sabrina lay
in her bath thinking, afraid to ask. Finally she spoke up. “Is it
as unpleasant and embarrassing as Lady Davies led us to
believe?”

“Oh Lord, she sounds like my mother,” Juliet
snorted.

“What did she tell you to expect, other than
the mechanics that is?” Janine prompted.

“The first time is horribly painful but
after about the tenth time your body should be used to the invasion
and you should suffer only minor discomfort.”

“That woman is my mother,” Juliet
exclaimed.

“Well at least Sabrina knows more than I
did, though not completely accurate,” Janine stated.

Sabrina wanted to ask what was inaccurate
but Phoebe prompted Janine to continue with her own story.

“As you know, I was in love with Martin and
we had run off to Scotland. You see I had been completely
sheltered. My mother had told me absolutely nothing.”

“What a shock you must have received.”
Phoebe laughed.

“That isn’t half of it. When Martin
proceeded to seduce me, wanting to touch me in places I believed
were forbidden we had a horrible disagreement. I thought he must be
perverted in some manner and wondered what type of man I had
married. He tried explaining it to me, but I thought he was
daft.”

“You have three sons so Martin had to have
convinced you somehow.” Phoebe continued to laugh

“Oh, that poor man. He refused to return to
England until the marriage was consummated. It took him four days
and Scotch whiskey to convince me to trust him”

Sabrina was the only one not laughing. She
still didn’t understand the mechanics completely and the entire
union sounded odd. At least she had more information than Janine
did on her wedding night.

“Well,” Juliet started. “My mother did
explain everything to me, much to her disgust.”

Sabrina had to agree that it sounded as if
Juliet’s mother and Lady Davies were of the same mind.

“She told me the same as Sabrina was told. I
was so tense on my wedding night Ramsey fed me wine to get me to
relax. After I explained what mother had told me, he told me to
forget I ever had a talk with the woman. Unfortunately, I didn’t
get over the fear that perhaps my mother was right until after the
first time. Thankfully my husband is a patient man and proved how
very wrong my mother was.”

By now Sabrina was listening intently and
began to ask in what way her mother had been wrong, but Phoebe
began her own tale.

“Luckily I was blessed with a mother who
enjoyed her, um, marital duties.”

Sabrina sat up in the bath to listen more
intently. Did she say her mother enjoyed the act?

“She explained the first couple of times may
not be pleasant due to the newness of the situation. She also
assured me that in a very short time I would welcome Taylor’s
attention because he struck her as the type of man who would want
to bring his wife pleasure.”

What kind of pleasure? Nobody had ever
mentioned pleasure.

“Yes, you were very lucky. Not all brides
have the luxury of being prepared as you were.” Juliet sighed.

“At least now Sabrina will be more
knowledgeable than we were,” Janine finally stated.

It took Sabrina a moment to realize they
were not going to add anything. Finally, blushing to her roots, she
asked. “Exactly how does a woman find it pleasurable?”