Page 23 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)
The next morning, although determined to get out of bed as early as was expected by his parents, Edward found himself once again late to breakfast after waking and finding his wife eager to repeat the previous evening.
As he slid inside her, she spoke to him, asking him how it felt to him.
The question was enough to take his mind off it for a moment, and enable him to stay in her for a bit longer.
"Oh, Alessandra.
It feels warm, like a fine fur coat wrapped around me tightly.
It is exquisite - you are exquisite," he said in reply to her question as he stayed still deep inside of her and kissing her.
When he felt her move slightly, he let himself go with the feeling of physical pleasure as they started to move together, before he let go completely.
Alessandra revelled in the feelings that came from the new connection she'd found with Edward.
The feeling of joining took her to another level of happiness.
She found it difficult to comprehend how other women could not enjoy it.
She watched his face as she saw him recover from the moment of bliss.
Focusing on her once again, Edward gave her a shy smile.
"My parents are going to tell me off again," he laughed quietly, making Alessandra smile.
"Yes, sorry," she said, teasing him.
"I think you are not at all sorry, my beautiful wife.
I think you are enjoying getting me into trouble almost every morning!" he laughed back at her as they pulled themselves from the warmth of their bed and readied themselves for the day ahead.
"Edward!" they both heard as they entered the breakfast room.
The sternness of his father's voice made the two of them jump.
"This has to stop.
You have responsibilities that need to be attended to. Eat quickly as we are expected at the lawyer's office ... now!"
Edward grabbed what portable food he could in a napkin, and ate as he walked out of the room, only having time to give Alessandra a quick kiss.
After he and his father had left, Alessandra remained at the breakfast table with Edward's mother.
Expecting a similar reprimand, Alessandra sat quietly while choosing a selection of food to eat, but could feel the eyes of Edward's mother on her.
"I remember how it is in the first weeks of marriage, Alessandra.
Do not worry so much.
Edward's father is eager for Edward to take over the full running of the estate, so he wants him to prove his sense of responsibility.
Charles has forgotten what mornings were like for us also at the start," Alessandra heard Edward's mother say quietly. When she turned to look at her, she noticed a slight blush on the woman before her.
"Enjoy this time and make the most of it," she continued.
"Once a child comes along, something changes between a husband and his wife, and things are never quite the same again.
Work hard to hold on to what you now share."
Alessandra nodded while quietly eating, not sure how to move forward with the day from such a conversation.
Edward's mother resolved the uncertainty, beginning a conversation about the storage of linen that relieved Alessandra's mind of having to think about pleasure anymore.
"Come, Alessandra," Edward's mother eventually said.
"Today you and I are going to visit and talk to every staff member who works in this household.
It will help you know who everyone is by name, and what their role is.
I know it is not a common practice, however since I have been the mistress of this estate, it has always been important to me that the people who work for us are all treated with respect and appreciation. For some of them, us simply remembering their names shows them how much we need and respect them," she added as the two of them began walking through the large house. It was quickly becoming home to Alessandra, even though she was sure she had still not been into even half of the rooms.
Alessandra spent most of the day in the company of Edward's mother.
When she was dismissed later that afternoon, she made her way to the glass room she had grown to love so much.
Sitting behind the glass in complete solitude in the late afternoon sun was something she appreciated doing every day when she could be spared.
Always there was so much for her to remember from what she considered her daily lessons in the manor management. It was invigorating to someone who loved learning, and viewed everything as being a possibility to discover new things. That invigoration didn't stop her from becoming overwhelmed when she took a moment to consider that one day she would be running it all.
Determined to not put herself in a panic, Alessandra turned off her mind, closed her eyes, and let the sunshine warm her face.
She sat like that until she heard the door quietly open and close, and then felt a presence sit beside her.
"You look so tranquil," she heard Edward say.
She turned to see him smiling at her.
"I do love being in this room," she replied, enjoying looking at him.
Almost instantly, she was transformed into a woman of desire again, even without him touching or kissing her.
Edward moved closer to her and leaned in to softly kiss the side of her neck while taking her hand and holding it in his.
Alessandra moved her head so she could grant him access to her neck completely.
She sat with eyes closed once again as she felt him softly move his lips slowly but steadily all over her accessible skin.
From a distance, Edward's mother watched the interaction and felt a huge sense of sadness.
On the one hand, she was sad because she felt like she was losing her son - the one person who she had always felt needed her.
On the other hand, she was sad because she had lost that level of physical interaction so many years earlier.
Even though she had put that aspect of her marriage out of her mind in recent years, she found the memories resurfacing at a rate that was starting to affect her greatly.
Suddenly, she was aware of her husband moving up behind her.
She briefly turned and smiled at him before resuming her stare at the young lovers.
"You miss that, I think," he said to his wife.
She knew him well enough to know there was no point in not being honest.
"Yes.
I had forgotten for so long, but when I see their faces when they are like that, I do miss what you and I shared." She was silent before continuing.
"I am sorry that I was restricted from the possibility of conceiving.
I know that you have missed out..." she started to say before he cut her off.
"I have not missed anything.
I have you, I have Edward, and now we also have a daughter who I believe we both highly regard," he said and saw his wife nod in acknowledgement.
He turned her slowly so they could look fully at each other.
"I did not know you missed our physical closeness so much.
Come with me," he said to her softly.
Taking her hand, he led her to the room that he now slept in alone.
She stayed quiet, not sure why she was in the room that was foreign to her.
"You are still the most beautiful woman in my acquaintance," he said.
Upon recognising that he was in the mindset to make love to her, the thought made her fearful.
"I know that we agreed we would keep apart all those years ago, as a way to ensure you did not get with child," he continued, as he began to undo her gown.
As nervous as she was, she did not stop him.
"We are older now, and we can better control what we do.
Let me help you to feel like the desirable woman that you are. I will not put you in danger of conceiving a child, but we can still give joy to one another."
He continued undressing her until she stood naked before him.
He drank in the sight of his wife of so many years, while he removed his clothing.
She fell into his arms, realising then how hungry and lonely she had been in body.
She let him kiss her all over, including that special spot he had found all those years ago.
Once he'd settled there, he teased her until she experienced the first release she'd had in almost two decades.
After her climax, she grew worried again.
It was always after that moment that he would join with her.
What she didn't know was that in the time they had spent apart, he had learned, as a way of managing his desires, the art of self-pleasure.
He took her hand and placed it on himself. She had never pleasured him in such a manner. It was as new to her as it was to him, to have her touch him in such a way. They kissed as she did as he showed. It was not long at all before he found that release came.
They lay together, holding one another, relishing the contact of their bodies once again.
"I did not know we could both find pleasure without joining," she whispered, feeling tears come to her eyes as she considered all the years they had stayed apart from one another in body.
Charles held her even closer.
"Oh, my dearest love, I love you as much now as I did when we began our marriage, and I have always desired you.
When you miss this, you only need to let me know," he said, and suddenly, with remembering how it was, he was more understanding of how his son could have been so distracted and late to breakfast every morning.