Go. May you find joy in your marriage bed.” Before Orrick could speak, Gavin grabbed the jug of wine from the table, handed it to him and strode off.
His body reminded him of the woman waiting for him and he took one more look around the hall before leaving. The expressions of his people told him that they knew his condition. With nothing more to do or say, he carried the jug of wine with him and made his way to his chambers.
Her skin itched where he had touched her. Marguerite shuddered as she thought of his mouth on her hand and her wrist and the way he touched her face. Thankfully the meal had ended and, if she could endure the next hour, she would be free of him and his attentions for at least several days. ’Twas the reason she played this game with him now—let him have his way with her and then hopefully she could keep him away while she worked on a way to return to Henry.
She walked up the stairs silently. Edmee and his mother trailed her, whispering words that she neither could hear nor cared about. Soon she reached the third floor and walked into her chamber. Spying the door that opened into his room, she crossed to her dressing table and sat down. Edmee poured water that had been heating in the hearth into a bowl and brought it to her for washing.
The tension in the room grew as her mother-by-marriage remained at the door watching her. Finally, the lady ordered Edmee from the room and closed the door behind her.
“He is a good man, Marguerite.”
“Of course, he is, my lady.” She turned to face the older woman.
“If you give him but a small opportunity, he could bring you great happiness.”
Marguerite forced a smile to her face and nodded. “Of course,” she said again.
“But play him falsely and you risk great loss. He has been kind to you, making every effort to welcome you and to accept you in spite of…your past. Do not mistake his kindness for weakness or you will rue the day you underestimated him.”
“Have I done something to offend you, my lady? I offer my apologies for my behavior during our journey. I confess that I was overwrought due to the hardness and length of it.” She lowered her head and waited on Orrick’s mother.
“I am not offended, my dear. I simply offer my advice as one woman to another who understands the difficulty of being the stranger in a new place.”
Luckily, a knock at the door interrupted them. Marguerite rose and went to the door, ignoring the hard stare that followed her across the room.
“My lady, my lord Orrick is on his way from the hall.”
She waved the servant in and faced Orrick’s mother. “If you will excuse me, I would prepare for my lord’s arrival.”
Lady Constance came close to her and spoke so that the servant could not hear. “I know you are not a stupid woman, Marguerite. Heed my warning.”
Shaken by the implied threat, she would not give the older woman the satisfaction of knowing how the words had affected her. Marguerite used the look of startled innocence she had perfected long ago and blinked several times. The sound of Orrick’s approach prevented anything else from being said and Edmee closed the door after Lady Constance left.
Orrick’s steps continued past her door and she could hear his servant speaking to him. Marguerite stood before the fire and allowed Edmee to unlace her ties and remove both her tunic and the gown beneath it. When the girl reached to lift her chemise, Marguerite stopped her and waved her out.
She had not stood naked before a man in many months and she hesitated to do so now. She slid her hands over her breasts and her stomach and wondered if the changes were apparent to anyone else. Would he know she had given birth? Was there some way that a man could tell? ’Twas at times like this that she found herself wishing that she had someone to ask. Marguerite was so used to depending only on herself, that it occurred rarely, but still…
The snap of the wood in the hearth dragged her attention back and she realized that she was not alone. Turning, she saw Orrick standing in the shadows of the doorway. She could hear his breathing and swore she could feel his heat as much as that thrown off by the hearth. She would play on his desire and get this over as quickly as possible. Quick and over.
Her thin chemise allowed the light of the flames to pass through it and Marguerite stood so that the material became transparent. From his indrawn breath, she knew she was exposed to him. Reaching her arms up, she lifted her braids and tugged the ties from them. Shaking her head, she allowed her hair to unravel behind her. Orrick probably did not even realize that he had taken several steps toward her. It had never failed her in the past and it did not now.
He approached her stealthily, like a hunting cat moving in on its prey. He pulled the loose robe he wore off and stood naked before her. She could not help but admire his muscular form and masculine attributes. He fisted and opened his hands as he got closer and she shook her head again, teasing him. She knew she’d been successful when he took her in his arms and held her so tightly that she thought she could not breathe. Then he slid his hands into her hair and wrapped it around his hands over and over until she could not move.
His mouth was hot and wet and took hers. His tongue sparred with hers and he tasted of wine and lust. Although she stood trapped in his embrace, she was not idle. Leaning against him, she let him feel her body with his. She met his kiss and his tongue with her own and felt his hardness press against her belly. He was breathless when he lifted his mouth from hers and she closed her eyes so he could not see how unmoved she was.
Then, suddenly, he released her and stepped away. The air chilled her now that his heat was removed. Startled by his action, she watched as he looked over her from toe to head and then his gaze focused on her belly and breasts. His breathing was rough and labored and now she found hers matching it. Unable to stop it, her body tingled now under his gaze and moisture gathered in the place between her thighs.
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