A Stern Lord for My Lady Page 5

  He shook his head.

  “No. I am needed at Court, so we’ll stay for at least two more months or until I’m no longer needed.”

  She heaved a sigh, knowing he had to be present at Court, if his liege lord had decreed it. But that didn’t mean she should be here with him, did it? She despised Court, and she felt out of place among the sycophantic courtiers. Besides, the whole court had witnessed her humiliation. She’d rather be elsewhere.

  “It seems to me only you need to be at Court,” she told him with a frown. “I can go to one of my estates, where I’m certainly needed.”

  She cast him a defiant look, daring him to set his boundaries. She already knew he’d spank her if she misbehaved. So, it was as good a time as any to test the limits of her new husband. Would he spank her for speaking her mind?

  He heaved a heartfelt sigh.

  “Queen Eleanor will be here until her son’s wedding in August. She insists you should remain by my side, lady wife. Besides, we’re newly wed.”

  He did not seem angry at her for her boldness, which was a good sign. The fiend was maybe not as unreasonable as she’d thought him.

  “I just despise Court,” she said with a frown, deciding to test him further.

  He raked a hand through his brown hair, and cast her a sympathetic smile.

  “So do I, for that matter.”

  The fiend seemed reasonable, so far. And Alicia was not as unreasonable as to think they could go against a direct royal command.

  “So, I guess we’ll have to stay at the royal castle for the next two months,” she said in a resigned voice.

  He shook his head with a smile.

  “No, not at all. I have a house in London, didn’t you know?”

  She hadn’t, and she found herself smiling at him in relief. A place of her own would suit her fine, as the bedding in the palace would be uncomfortable and cramped. They’d only had use of this bedchamber because it had been their wedding night, but courtiers who remained at Court had to make their bed in the common space, with just a screenfold to separate them from the others who slept in the same room. The prospect of a house seemed mightily pleasing to Lady Alicia.

  “When can I see the house?” she asked excitedly.

  Again, her husband rewarded her with that smile which made him look impossibly handsome.

  “Soon, wife. Today, after we’ve paid our respects to our lieges,” he told her.

  Alicia didn’t have time to give her acquiescence. The servants, accompanied by two of the ladies who’d been present at the bedding ceremony last night, came to take away the sheets. One of the ladies, Lady Edith, the one who’d made the ribald joke about impaling, frowned upon the sheets as she was inspecting them.

  “So little blood,” she muttered waspishly, closely examining the sheets.

  Alicia found herself blushing fiercely, as the lady in question glanced disdainfully upon her, as if she was calling her honour into question.

  “More seed than blood,” Lady Edith further commented, making Alicia blush even further.

  She felt deeply embarrassed, since she knew too well the whole court would be still having fun at her expense.

  “That would be all, my lady Edith,” Sir Bertran said in a cold voice.

  Lady Edith seemed to linger though.

  “I’m bound to ask, since this is my duty,” the elderly lady said, casting the new husband a shrewd glance. “Are you satisfied with the state of your bride, my lord?”

  Alicia thought she would die of mortification.

  “Aye, truly satisfied, my lady,” Sir Bertran replied in clipped tones.

  Mercifully, the lady Edith took the hint and soon made herself scarce, together with the others. Still, Alicia felt suddenly cross and despondent. She was no longer a maiden, but a married woman, and, as such, from now on, she would be subject to her husband’s rule. The husband in question was eyeing her with a cocked eyebrow.

  “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed, wife?” he asked pointedly, gesturing at her nakedness.

  Alicia had never been shy, and she’d forgotten her husband’s gaze was upon her when the attendants had entered the room. Again, she blushed fiercely. Her late mother would be tossing in her grave. What could her husband be thinking of her, behaving so immodestly?

  “Aye, my lord, it’s high time I got dressed,” she muttered.

  She didn’t call for attendance, and she proceeded to do so herself, under her husband’s gaze. It seemed his hazel gaze was watching her every movement. Soon she began to feel aroused by the hungry way she perceived he was perusing her. Did he want to have her again? Alicia already knew herself to be willing - this man’s gaze seemed to kindle a fire between her legs every time he looked upon her. She glanced at him uncertainly, not knowing what he would want of her. He was, of course, within his rights to claim her.

  She looked upon him in plain disappointment when he at last told her he had court business to attend to this morning. They would meet later in the Hall, he told her, when it was time to see their monarchs.

  Chapter 5

  Bertran spied the look of sheer astonishment that crossed his wife’s face, as she glanced upon the dwelling they’d entered. His townhouse. It used to be a beautiful home, but since his first wife had passed, there’d been no one to oversee it properly. Embarrassment started to burn within him, as Lady Alicia began to inspect the chambers, noting their dusty and neglected state. In truth, now that he realised, the bedchamber, where he slept, was the only place in the whole house that was reasonably clean. The solar lay cluttered and unused, as for the kitchens she’d inspected earlier, they were in a sorry state indeed.

  He breathed in sheer relief when his wife finally declared she had seen enough. Her inspection had been thorough, and the look written on her face was plain for everyone to read. She was not happy. Bertran braced himself for sharp words. She had all the rights to berate him for the state of his property.

  “You do not spend much time at your London home, my lord,” Lady Alicia spoke, and her voice was calm as she did so.

  He smiled, rather sheepishly.

  “In truth, I don’t. During the day, I’m mostly at Court, and when I am at home, I spend most of the time in the yard, practicing with my men.”

  She nodded.

  “I see.”

  She made no further comment to Sir Bertran’s astonishment. He’d already perceived Lady Alicia was a haughty woman, and he’d expected she’d take this opportunity to show her further disdain of him. Besides, she was entitled to her rancour. The state of his house left much to be desired.

  As it was early evening, they soon had their repast, and Bertran had further occasion to feel embarrassed by the shabby Hall and ill cooked, tepid meal they were served. He’d never paused to notice these things. As a soldier, he was not fussy about his meals, and always ate what was put before him, keeping his mind on the pressing business of the day. But he could see Lady Alicia was not used to such fare, and she ate but little, choosing instead to study her surroundings with keen green eyes. He could also see she chose to address his men, in a courteous, but firm manner, which left no doubt as to her station as the new lady of the house. She seemed at ease among them, as if she were used to being obeyed, and Sir Bertran began to realise that it was indeed so. Lady Alicia was a great heiress, and from what he’d heard, she, rather than her father, had held the reins of their vast estates. He was, in truth, beneath her, in wealth and rank, just as she’d stated in her letter of rejection.

  He was still musing upon this even later, when time came to seek their bedchamber, and Lady Alicia had asked for a hot tub to be readied. He found she’d already entered her role as the lady of the house, effortlessly, as if she’d been long used to commanding his servants. And he noticed the servants already hurried to do her bidding.

  When the tub was brought in, his lady wife dismissed the servants, readying to attend to him while he took his bath. She was behaving like a gracious wife, and he decided to
be gracious in return.

  “You should have your bath first, my lady,” he told her, gesturing to the streaming tub.

  She frowned at him.

  “Husbands bathe first and wives attend to them. ’Tis custom,” she told him.

  He shrugged.

  “I do not stand for ceremony. And I am used to tending to myself,” he told her in earnest, watching as she widened her green eyes at him.

  “You do not want me to attend to you then?” she asked, and it seemed to him her voice was displeased as she did so.

  His cock gave a throb as she spoke the words, and he recalled how famished he was for her touch. Perhaps he had been hasty in refusing her gracious offer. He glanced at the steaming tub. It looked inviting and, come to think of it, big enough.

  “We could attend to one another,” he said softly, striding to where she was.

  He cupped her face, claiming her lips for a kiss. For a woman who was haughty and defiant, his wife tasted truly sweet. He kissed her long and deep, taking his time to savour her full lips and to explore the hotness of her mouth with his tongue. She kissed him back, with the same abandon.

  They undressed each other, and he noted with a smile that she was more adept at undressing a male than he was at undressing a female. In truth, he was unused to undressing women, as his wife had always done so herself, and the other women he’d coupled with during his widowed years had not required such assistance.

  He studied his new wife with hungry eyes, as he began to lead her to the bathtub.

  “Will it hold both of us?” she asked dubiously.

  He helped her climb inside, pausing to glance at her luscious bottom as she did so. It was still pink, but only slightly so. He suppressed a small sigh, which felt strangely like disappointment, as he knew he would not have occasion to apply any discipline on this luscious bottom tonight. She had been gracious, and gracious wives deserved rewards rather than punishments.

  He joined her, exhaling in pleasure at the hotness of the water, and unmindful that the tub was somewhat overfull.

  “There’s water dripping all over the floors!” his wife cautioned him, but he shushed her.

  “No matter.”

  She frowned at him. “You seem unmindful of it, but the serving girls will have to clean the mess we’re making.”

  She spoke reason, and he was not usually unmindful of those who attended to his needs, but tonight he felt like indulging himself.

  “I promise to take better care in the future,” he told her, as he sat himself comfortably in the tub, pulling her into his lap, so she was now straddling him.

  “See,” he added. “Now there’s room enough for both of us.”

  Again she frowned, but he picked up the soap that lay beside the tub, and started tending to his bride. He could not resist, so he began with her full breasts, lathering them thoroughly. She was no longer frowning as he did so, and he just loved the look shining in her green eyes. There was a mixture of hot desire, puzzlement and innocence that he revelled in. Her rosy nipples had peaked, and, as he rinsed her breasts, he knew there was one more ministration he needed to add. He bent his head and took one delicious nipple into his mouth. She moaned, as he began to suckle it, his lips tingling pleasantly. After a while, time came to attend to the other parts of her, and he did so diligently, starting with her long hair, and saving her quim for last.

  “Almost clean now, my lady,” he told her after a blissful while. “Apart from your cunt.”

  He took pleasure in the way she blushed as he uttered the word. Her cheeks might be blushing, but her full lips parted, and her green eyes shone with desire.

  “It is a pretty little chatte. I should attend to it thoroughly,” he said, lathering his hand, in order to make the entry of his fingers slick.

  The fiend had clever fingers, Alicia thought in a sort of a daze, as the fingers in question were kindling the fire between her legs. Soon, she abandoned all coherent thought, and let herself be carried by the way they slid in and out of her sheath. When she thought she’d swoon with joy, she knew his clever fingers had already found that part of her body, which brought her the most pleasure. Some went as far and called it the devil’s teat, that secret part of a woman’s sex, which was said to bring them indescribable delight. Was it sinful, what he was doing now? And would they have to do penance in Church for it? At this point, Alicia decided she’d worry about penance later. Pleasure was robbing her of all coherent thought. And it came crashing over her, like a wave. She peaked against his fingers, feeling her sheath pulse and clench in rapture.

  She heard him curse softly under his breath, and found herself, once again, straddling him in the bathtub. He didn’t wait, but just impaled her on his cock, grabbing her hips firmly, and beginning to pump inside her, hard, unmindful of all the water that was dripping on the floor. She braced her arms against his shoulders, keenly feeling the hard length of him as it slid in and out of her. There seemed to be more of him than there had been yester night. Even more hard length thrusting fiercely inside her. Soon, she forgot to ask herself why that was, and was seized by a new wave of bliss, and shouted her joy at the same time he spent himself inside her.

  The water was lukewarm when she disentangled herself from him. She frowned, understanding she’d been remiss in her wifely duties. She’d let her husband tend to her in her bath, and she hadn’t tended to him.

  “Just let me do your hair and back at least, husband,” she muttered.

  When he acquiesced, she did her duty to the best of her abilities from her position in the cramped tub, lathering his hair and soaping his back. There was a bucket of clear water by the tub, and she helped him rinse his hair, just as he’d done to her earlier.

  “There, all done,” she said at last, knowing they should get out of the tub, as the water was getting tepid.

  “Good wives don’t leave their husband’s cocks unattended when they bathe,” he told her with a smile, as his left hand was rubbing his eyes, to get them clear of water.

  She stared at him.

  “I thought I already attended to that,” she muttered in puzzlement.

  He chuckled.

  “You’re a new wife, so I’ll be lenient tonight. You can further tend to it when we’re both dry and warm.”

  He helped her stand up, and then got out of the tub, helping her out of it. Alicia looked mournfully at the wet floors, knowing that cleaning them thoroughly was another thing on the long list of household chores to add on the morrow. She would be busy setting this house to rights and directing the obviously unschooled servants to do what it took.

  The fiend was as solicitous as ever, tenderly wrapping her in a dry towel, before he saw to his own drying. As he did so, she saw his long cock had gotten stiff again. She frowned. Had her late mother’s lessons been remiss? Before her passing, when Alicia had been but fourteen, her mother had insisted on lecturing her on her marital obligations. Husbands’ cocks were stiff when they needed to couple, and went limp after the coupling was done and their appetites assuaged. Did the stiffness in the fiend’s cock mean she’d failed to assuage his appetite properly? Had he been right to chide her for her wifely neglect of him?

  Once they were dry, Alicia went to put on her night shift. Her husband frowned upon her.

  “Come here, wife,” he commanded, extending a hand to her.

  It was Alicia’s turn to frown at him. So far he’d been gracious, but she disliked the tone of command in his voice. In truth, she was unused to being briskly ordered, and more used to commanding others in her employ.

  She pretended not to hear him, and strode to lie on her side of the bed. He was free to come to her, if he wished more to do with her. He joined her, but there was a displeased crease on his brow as he did so.

  Pulling her to him, so they were both lying on their sides, facing each other, he hoisted her nightgown to her hips, then proceeded to remove it altogether.

  “Next time I tell you to come to me, my lady, I expect to be obey
ed,” he told her in a firm voice, which was, nevertheless, laced with teasing.

  “What will you do if I do not, my lord?” she countered, feeling her temper rise. “Spank me? As you did in the Hall?”

  His hand was now resting on her bottom, and Alicia drew in a sharp breath, understanding he now had full access to her bottom if he wished to apply chastisement on it. That treacherous ache settled inside her sex, and she wondered if the large hand that was now caressing her behind would see fit to redden it for her defiance.

  For a moment it seemed he was preparing to do just that, but he did not. Alicia was astounded by the strange disappointment she felt.

  “Perchance I should continue to be lenient tonight,” he told her. “I am, in truth, a lenient husband, my lady, and mild-tempered,” he went on, speaking softly. “Just have a care not to step too far out of boundaries.”

  He kissed her, without giving her a chance to reply, and she thought he would claim her again. But, after a while, he broke the kiss he’d been bestowing on her mouth, and began to kiss his way down to her belly. Alicia bit her lip in both puzzlement and delight. Her mother had never told her of this, or of the other things he’d done to her this night. Did all husbands behave such, or only hers? After a while, she found she did not truly care. He laid her on her back, and this time, there was no discomfort, as the pain in her bottom had fully subsided from yesterday.

  The next thing he did, astonished her mightily. As he parted her legs wider, he bent his head and seemed to be inspecting her sex thoroughly. She blushed, knowing he was the only person who had ever looked upon her body thus.

  “What are you doing, husband?” she asked, in full wonder.

  “Just verifying if I tended to your cunt properly earlier, my lady,” he countered with a smile in his voice. “It seems perhaps I didn’t,” he added in a playful voice.