Page 40 of His Illegitimate Duchess

She exhaled, and her heart was overflowing with gratitude, but an undercurrent of anxiety ran through her joy.

Why hadn’t her husband visited her chambers the night before?

Was he not feeling the same pull she was?

Was she the only one who wished for a repeat of their coupling?

Had it not been as life-changing for him as it had been for her?

A new maid came to tend to the fire this morning. She said her name was Hannah, and she seemed less timid than Catherine.

“The tub will be brought right up, Your Grace,” she said.

“I didn’t order a bath,” Elizabeth replied, confused.

“His Grace bathes daily, and we have our orders regarding his bath, so we just assumed the same would be done for Your Grace,” Hannah said anxiously.

“Very well, you did well, thank you,” Elizabeth said, eager to comfort the young girl.

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Elizabeth then sent her to fetch Mary so she could get ready for breakfast. She debated whether to ask her friend about acceptable marital behaviour, but quickly changed her mind.

Robert and Mary have always shared a room and a bed; admittedly, I'm not sure it was by choice.

It would have been hard to find separate bedrooms for them back in the Church Street house, Lizzie thought and then shook her head at herself.

Besides, what do the Wards know about what is acceptable among the married couples of the peerage?

The truth, however, was that Elizabeth felt vaguely ashamed and insecure, and she needed to lick her wounds alone before she shared her issue with anyone.

I need to write to Lady Burnham as soon as possible, Lizzie thought. She’d need a lot of help navigating her new circumstances, she realised with a sigh.

*

“What does Your Grace typically enjoy for breakfast?” the housekeeper, Mrs Hughes, asked her casually as she escorted her towards the morning room after they had met at the bottom of the stairs. “The cook wants to make sure she prepares something to your liking,” she smiled conspiratorially.

Elizabeth was about to protest and say that she could eat anything, but was interrupted by her husband’s voice from the grand staircase, “Tell Mrs. Clark that whatever sweet treats she provides shall make her new mistress very happy.”

Mrs. Hughes couldn’t contain her joy and awe at her master’s intimate knowledge of his young wife’s habits, and, flustered by it, she ran off to the kitchen, most likely to inform all and sundry about it.

“Good morning, wife.”

“Good morning,” Elizabeth said, surprised but pleased. “How do you know what I like to eat?”

“I told you last night, I’m very perceptive.”

“Ah,” Elizabeth said, tempted to argue that his absence from her room last night proved the exact opposite.

Instead, she just started walking towards the morning room that Mrs. Hughes had pointed to earlier.

Her childish, hurt feelings caused her to select eggs and toast from the abundant spread, instead of indulging in the custard-filled pastries that her heart actually desired. Talbot simply watched her without saying anything.

When they were done eating, they set off on the promised tour of the house.

Each room was more impressive than the next, generations of wealth and prestige evident in every piece of furniture and every gargantuan piano they encountered, but Elizabeth could muster up no enthusiasm for anything Talbot was showing her.

While walking through the long gallery and being subjected to portraits of his seven predecessors in various dukely poses, she completely abandoned the pretence of listening to him.

“And this Sheraton bookcase here, my late father had it specially made to complement the furniture in my mother’s favourite sitting room.

Seven men had to be called to carry it up the stairs.

I was but a boy, but I remember that day clearly,” Talbot explained enthusiastically, but stopped upon not receiving the expected response.

“What is with you today?” His exasperated voice finally reached Elizabeth.

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at his frowning face.

“It’s like you are a different woman today. I’ve heard about ladies changing after matrimony, but this is quite extreme, don’t you think?”

Elizabeth clenched her teeth together angrily. He was the one to talk to her about change! He was all but bedding her in the carriage yesterday, and look at him now!

“Did I do something to displease you?” She asked, trying to appear calm.

“Yes, you’ve been quiet and sullen and frankly absentminded all morning,” he listed readily.

“Not today,” Elizabeth clarified, “at the inn.”

Her husband looked as confused as she felt.

“At the inn?”

“Yes,” she hissed quietly, stepping closer to him, “why didn’t you come to my room last night?”

Understanding dawned on Colin’s face, and he looked slightly discomposed. He took a step closer to her as well.

“I thought you might be tired. Or that you needed to… recover,” he whispered unnecessarily.

Elizabeth shook her head, then asked, “Do you not wish to share a bed when… without expectations?”

Talbot raised his eyebrows.

“We can,” he said slowly, looking like he wasn’t certain why he was entertaining such a common request.

Elizabeth exhaled in relief.

“I know some people prefer to do it differently, but I’ve always thought I would share a bed with my husband,” she said shyly.

Talbot took her hand and led her to one of the drawing rooms he’d shown her.

“May I show you what I’ve always thought of doing with my wife?” he murmured into her ear as he pressed her back against the door he was locking.

Her bosom heaved so strongly that she felt like she’d just run up the enormous staircase.

“But… It’s the middle of the day,” she managed to say.

“If one can share a bed and not do anything at night, is it not logical to assume that one can do certain things during the day, while not in bed?” he asked as he deftly unlaced her bosom from its prison.

“You’re too familiar with female garments,” Lizzie complained as she unbuttoned his waistcoat.

When her breasts spilt out of her dress, all his restraint seemed to follow them.

“I’m afraid I am speechless,” Colin breathed and stared at her breasts before leaning down and sucking on her right nipple. Elizabeth moaned but then quickly put a hand on her mouth, remembering that servants would be moving around the house at this hour.

“You want to know whether you pleased me at the inn,” Colin said when he finally straightened up again, now palming her breasts in his hands.

Elizabeth’s head was thrown back, and she was biting her fist to keep quiet. She was unable to keep still, and her lower body kept squirming into his, asking for more.

Colin looked around the room before picking Lizzie up and setting her down at the steady mahogany sideboard in the corner. As he stood between her legs, their eyes met, and it was clear both were remembering the moment in the coat room.

Colin looked almost sad for a moment, but then he quickly pulled Elizabeth’s dress up to her waist, exposing the entire length of her legs and her sex to the cool air of the room. She gasped.

“I still haven’t seen all of your naked body in decent light,” he mused as he ran the back of his index finger against her goosebump-covered breasts and her stiff nipples.

Elizabeth grabbed his hair and pulled him into a kiss.

She could feel him frantically undoing his trousers and running his cock against her warm, wet flesh.

The friction felt insanely good, and he always managed to find a particular spot that was more sensitive than the rest. Their teeth were clashing, and there was a lot of tongue-sucking and lip-biting, but Elizabeth couldn’t remember the last time she felt so unburdened and satisfied.

It felt like she’d spent the last few years walking through thick fog, and now, clarity had finally arrived. She felt that this was what she was made for – passion , a hitherto forbidden and even dirty word.

“Colin,” she whimpered into his mouth when he still hadn’t entered her a few minutes later.

All the rubbing was leading her somewhere, but she didn’t know the way, not without his help.

“Easy, pet, I’m here,” he said as he took her behind with his two large hands and positioned her closer to him.

He still held on to her buttocks with one hand as he guided his cock into her with the other, and Elizabeth sighed happily.

The ache was slightly relieved. Colin stared at where they were joined, his eyes half-lidded and hungry, which caused Elizabeth to look down at herself and see her soft, white breasts spilling out in different directions, her wrinkled dress gathered at her waist, her legs spread wantonly around her husband’s hips, as his coarse, darker hair was kissing her downy mound, both of them shiny and wet with their mixed juices.

Her insides clenched at the image, and Colin moaned from the pressure.

“Not only did you please me,” he said earnestly, having miraculously remembered his earlier thought.

He stared at her lips as he started thrusting into her at a maddeningly slow pace.

“But you keep driving me to madness and surprising me with every touch, every look, every little sigh that comes out of your beautiful mouth.”

Elizabeth’s eyes rolled back in pleasure from his words, and she put both her palms down on the sideboard so she could thrust back at him, but he held her hips still.

“No, pet,” he grinned devilishly, “I see what you are attempting to do.”

“Colin, please,” she squirmed, and he laughed.

“I don’t want to go faster. I want to take my time, and then someone will come needing us, and they will knock and wonder why the door is locked,” he teased, and her sex clenched around him again.

“Oh my, does my little wife like that idea?”

“No,” Elizabeth said and shook her head for emphasis, but Colin didn’t believe her.