by Imogene Nix
The woman looked up and smiled. She rose gracefully and advanced, her hands outstretched. “You came.” Amber’s smile was filled with delight. “You must come and rest after such a difficult journey. Did you find the weavers you sought?”
Elspeth found herself pulled along and made to sit beside the princess. “I did, Your Excellency.”
“No! We will be friends, Mrs. Fitzsimmons. I shall call you Elspeth, and you shall call me Amber. I have so few people I can talk to as equals.” Amber clapped her hands, and a woman into her third decade entered the room with a deep bow. “Bring us tea, then we are not to be disturbed.”
The woman scurried away without a sound, and Elspeth shook her head. This was so alien from every other experience she’d had. The lush surroundings, white walls shuttered with elaborate designs at the high windows. The tiles and deep, plush seats grouped around the pond. Paintings of turquoise and gold on the wall, some of them quite erotic in nature. The scent of flowers and incense filled her senses. She’d hoped to visit a harem and was fairly sure that’s where she now was.
“His Excellency informed me that there was talk of riders. I had hoped it was your party returning and you’d remember your promise.” They talked as the tea arrived and was poured, then Amber spoke quietly. “You seem lost, my friend. Is there something you wish to discuss?”
Elspeth bit her lip, unsure who to trust, but needing advice from another married woman. Her innate sense of character told her Amber could be trusted.
“I don’t know. I mean, I have no family, and I’m unsure…” Elspeth glanced away. “My husband married me because he was instructed to.” The words came out strangled and with a miserable tone.
“Oh. A marriage of convenience. I see. My husband spoke of them when he returned to India. That many have no passion or fire, the men are miserable and turn to the comforts of other women—”
“No! It’s not like that. There’s plenty of…excitement. Well, before. But we argued and…” Heat flushed her face, and she ducked her head.
Amber sighed loudly. “You wish to engage your husband fully and don’t know how?”
Elspeth scrubbed her hands over her eyes, which remained averted. “That’s not exactly it. He’s not unfaithful. He’s caring and strong. But he doesn’t love me. When we wed I believed that he wanted me, but it seems that was a lie.” Saying the words embarrassed Elspeth deeply, but she needed help.
The woman beside her patted her hand. “If your husband does not want you, then I’ll become a monkey.”
Elspeth sat up at her words, her wide eyes now focused on Amber.
“My dear, he watches you like an eagle does its favored meal. There is heat and hunger between you, and it’s obvious to a casual observer.” Amber leaned closer. “He desires you, Elspeth. Hungers for you. You must merely allow the capture.”
Elspeth stilled. Considered Amber’s words. “He was very clear in his words to me. And I don’t…” Standing, Elspeth moved to the fishpond and gazed into its depths.
“Men are illogical creatures.” The jingle of Amber’s jewelry echoed in the chamber as she moved her arm. “They say one thing but mean another, and the words they use are deceptive.”
Elspeth whirled back to remonstrate, but Amber raised her hand, stopping her.
“They are not untruthful, but they’re not expected or encouraged to discuss emotions. Perhaps the words he chose did not explain fully the emotion he attempted to convey?”
“I’ll need to think about that.” The words offered new insight, and Elspeth felt that she should investigate it fully.
Meanwhile, a light repast was delivered, redolent with figs and dates. Wine was served from a jug, and Elspeth enjoyed the time until Amber rose. “I will show you to your chamber. Your husband will be next door.”
Together, the two women made their way down a short corridor. When Amber opened the door, it was to a room that oozed luxury and passion. It was decorated in purples and gold, the ceiling high and intricately carved and painted. Deep cushions scattered across the bed and low seats reinforced her summation that this room was meant for pleasure.
When Amber withdrew, Elspeth inhaled deeply, the incense and floral tributes in this chamber as luscious as those in the audience room they’d vacated.
She roamed the guest room, inspecting everything until her eyes settled on a book. The cover was ornately covered with jewels, and Elspeth opened it. Her gaze settling on the vision before her, a surprised “oh” filled the air.
The image depicted was a man and a woman…in an intimate pose.
With a trembling finger, Elspeth turned the page. Another intimate scene greeted her.
The door behind her opened, and she whirled, her cheeks flaming with heat as Aeddan looked at her.
“Elspeth? Is everything fine?”
Her fingers shook, and she touched her mouth. “Oh, yes.”
He came closer, and her memory seized on the images she’d seen, interposing it with herself and Aeddan. Thoughts and hungers rose, swirled, and threatened to drown her in a sensual sea. The closer he came, the more her breathing became erratic. When he reached her, one hand extended, the air around them turned heavy.
“I…”
“Elspeth?”
“Aeddan. There’s this book. It’s…” She gulped the words, unsure of his reaction.
“Book?”
She whirled and pointed. “The book.”
When she turned back his grin turned wolfish. “Ah, the Kama Sutra. I’ve heard of it. Saw one at a distance once. Not this particular one of course.”
“You’ve heard of it? There’s more than one?” Intrigue rose. When would he have seen that, and how did he know of such volumes?
“These books are legendary here in India. Each is individual in style or binding, yet they contain the same teachings. Come, show me.”
Oh God! He was her husband, surely it wasn’t right to share this intimacy with him! Temptation warred with embarrassment though, and she choked out, “But it’s… They’re… They’re naked! Or only semi-clothed, Aeddan!”
“I had heard that before. Come, let us sit and investigate it.”
She staggered to the bed as he reached for the book then followed her to settle on the deep coverlet. He opened the book, and as before, her body betrayed itself, heating and firming.
“Do you know any of the terms they refer to the body with?” His voice carried a dark, warm tone, one that washed over her and promised pleasures.
“I… No.”
“The woman has the yoni, and the man the lingam. She is the sacred temple, and he is the jade stick. The jade stick yearns to enter the yoni. To know pleasure.” Silence stretched as they studied the artwork, then he turned the page, uncovering another scene. “The woman has the pearl, a precious jewel of pleasure, Elspeth.”
“Oh…”
He turned the page again, and another image appeared. A couple on a bed, and her breath caught. Fluttery sensations took wing in her belly as her mouth dried. “Is that… Surely no one could do that?”
He laughed, and the sound reverberated through her. “It’s possible. But perhaps you would try something different? Simply breathe, my love. Inhale deeply and release the air in your lungs. Grant me your breath.”
She did as he commanded, feeling silly. What he asked was easy. When Aeddan demanded she do it again, Elspeth did.
“Keep doing it. Breathe deep through your lips.”
She did.
“Feel it all the way through your body. Down to here.” He gently touched her stomach. “Feel it inside you. Concentrate on the sensations.” His hand shifted, covering her abdomen and sliding further. “Here too.” He cupped her between her legs, and she felt the heat, the melting sensation that betrayed her hunger to him. “Concentrate on the way you sit, the tingle of your body.”
Doing so, awareness bloomed, and as she squirmed, it enticed her further into the web of desire.
“Let me love you, Elspeth. Let m
e adore you.” He drugged her with words, the carnality of his voice chipping away at her thoughts.
“Yes,” she breathed. Her mind whirled madly, reminding her that it seemed an eternity since he’d last touched her like this.
“Good. Keep breathing, my beauty. Concentrate, with your eyes closed, on your body. Don’t let anything outside this room interrupt.”
When Aeddan reached for the closure of her gown, she let him, felt each and every button, the release of her chemise and corset until she sat on the bed naked from the waist up while he whispered of her beauty. It amazed her that without sight the world melted away until there was just the two of them. This room. The scent and touches.
“Your breasts are firm, and the tips pink like luscious berries. Perfect for me. I love to feast on them, to place my mouth on you and suckle.” Light touches reinforced his words, and she bowed into them.
“Aeddan?”
“Relax, my love.” His hands rested lightly on her shoulders, then he started moving, tiny circles of pleasure. Each move more careful than the last.
“Aeddan, will you let me touch you?”
“Not tonight, my sweet. Tonight I will pleasure you. Only you.”
Elspeth surrendered to the pleasure he heaped on her. Every slide of his hand heightened her senses, as his fingertips glanced her rib cage, then slid further south, dipping into her navel.
“Your belly is soft and rounded. Womanly. Just right for me.” He kissed and laved the skin he’d uncovered, and she moved, lying beneath him.
With gentle hands, he disrobed her, until she lay bare. His hand hovered over her mound, then touched. Extending his finger, he slid his hand along her labia in a gentle exploration.
“I want to kiss you, my sweet. Will you let me?” The glance of exhaled breath teased her skin.
“Please, Aeddan.”
The whisper of his breath left her knees quivering as he bent and replaced the touch of his finger with that of his mouth.
“Ohhh…” She gripped the coverlet, fingers digging deeply and twisting the linen as pleasure exploded in her belly.
“Keep breathing.”
Without thought, she opened for him, needing the touch desperately, as her body quickened. Emboldened by his actions, she arched up, her eyes snapping open. “I want you, Aeddan.”
He glanced up, their gazes meeting. Melding. She loved the way he looked in the throes of passion, face a study of harsh lines and somnolent eyes.
“Please, Aeddan. Come to me,” she crooned.
He slipped off his coat. “Tell me what you want, Elspeth. Give me your words.”
“I want you. I need to feel you, the way you slide inside me. How you touch my breasts. I need to feel your skin brush against mine.” Girlish embarrassment held no place here, in this chamber with a lover who lavished her with such attention.
His shirt disappeared, then he reached for his pants and shucked them. “I want you. I want all of you. I love being inside you. You complete me.”
Clothes abandoned, he crawled back to her, miles of sun-tanned skin, the rasp of his cock against her inner leg ratcheting her hunger to wilder levels.
“Guide me. Take me into your body.”
Reaching down, she slid her hand around his erection, glorying in the hot silkiness that sheathed his hunger. His eyes closed, and she drew him closer to herself, twined one leg around his waist as he’d tutored her, and he seated himself with a hiss. Elspeth circled his waist with her other leg, holding him against her.
A small movement, just a nudge by Aeddan, and he entered her body. Smooth friction into her dampness, sensual and hypnotic.
Inside her chest, Elspeth felt the sputter of her heartbeat, blood rushing and thrumming, and her nerves sparked—alive as never before been. The hunger raging as her senses demanded the ultimate pleasure.
“Aeddan. Aeddan.” His name became the chant she held onto as they bucked and moved, slid and gripped, each move and undulation more demanding than the last.
Yearning, keening as he kissed her, the wild conflagration between them burning hotter. Scorching them both as they came together.
Elspeth grabbed his shoulder, her fingernails digging deep, seeking purchase as her body splintered around him. “Aeddan!”
He grunted, stilled, shoved deep and hard. She felt him. The final giving as his body released. “Elspeth.”
They remained entwined, bodies cooling, until the lethargy filled her, and she slept.
Chapter 19
In the morning when Elspeth rose, Aeddan had already risen and left the chamber. The glow of the night before melted away, and she slumped back against the pillows.
It wasn’t a surprise, not really. Things weren’t settled between them, and they would leave this morning, back on the open road and heading for Calcutta. If only she could recreate last night when they arrived back at North Point. Yet how would it even be possible? It wasn’t like she could ask her man of business to find her a copy of the Kama Sutra.
Elspeth rose and set about the task of cleaning and dressing, her mind a whirl, full of memories of what they’d done and said the night before. The abandoned way she’d behaved.
As she left the room, her gaze settled on the book, once more laying on the table where she’d spied it.
Amber was reclined on the lounge in the receiving room, looking paler than the day before.
“Amber, are you unwell?”
The woman smiled wanly. “Oh, I will be. Mornings are a trifle difficult right now. But tell me, did you find everything in the room to your comfort?”
Elspeth’s face warmed. “Oh yes.”
“Excellent. Did you see the book I had placed in there?”
The nonchalance of Amber’s words drew her up short. “You had…”
Amber nodded. “Yes, my dear. I did. What’s more, I have a gift for you. Pray, do not open it until you reach your home though.” She picked up a package, rectangular and thick. It was wrapped in silken purple cloth.
Elspeth wanted to refuse, sure the gift was too much, but when it was placed in her hands, she knew exactly what it was. “I can’t—”
“Please. It is a gift. One my husband and I have other copies of. This is for you.”
Elspeth traced the bright design of the cloth, feeling tears burn at her eyelids. If nothing else, she and Aeddan had pleasure. It would be enough.
Amber rubbed her hand over Elspeth’s. “The pleasure of your friendship means much to me. You will write?”
Elspeth gazed at the woman on the seat. “I will, Amber. I will.”
“Good, that is settled then. Come, eat. Your husband will wish to leave soon, and you will need sustenance for the long ride ahead.”
Chapter 20
The sun dipped below the horizon, and Aeddan determined that with the flat area, it would make an adequate campsite. Since the night at the palace, Elspeth had been distracted, and he wondered what had gone on with the princess.
The prince had offered him some useful intelligence though; that there were small groups of English interspersed here and there with Russians traveling the countryside. According to the prince, more than one had made enquiries about an English memsahib, a Miss Forster, and described his wife in detail. Since then, he’d requested Elspeth wear a net under her hat to disguise her identity. He just hoped when they reached Calcutta, Lytton had managed to find the ring leaders.
His men took turns at night on guard, not that they’d come across any interesting parties. Only one had contained an Englishman, and he’d been heading off to go tiger hunting. If they were lucky, the man wouldn’t meet with any of those who were looking for them.
By day they traveled as swiftly as they could, carrying information pertaining to ruminations of an Indian uprising, the state of India, including the deepening concern of continuing drought that hadn’t yet ended. After what he’d seen of the riots in Bombay, it seemed India was becoming a powder keg, ready to erupt at any moment. The sooner Elspeth, Isabelle,
and himself were on their way to Shanghai, the better.
They found a small watering hole, diminished and muddy, but it contained enough water for the horses. Another day or two and they’d be home. “What is the water situation, Grundy?”
“Grim, Major,” he muttered. “We’ll need to ration the water if we don’t find a source tomorrow. If we’re cautious, we should get home, but there’s no water to spare for washing.”
Summer was waning, traditionally the wettest time of the year for this area, and in Calcutta the monsoon had already been and gone. The next months were likely to be dangerously dry, increasing the pressure of the government. The constant alertness, concern for his wife, and the information he’d gathered exhausted him...mind, body, and soul.
Turning away, he said over his shoulder, “Fine, inform the men. I’ll speak with my wife. Explain the situation. Have the horses watered, and we’ll break camp early tomorrow, before dawn. Get as far as we can before the worst of the heat.”
Grundy nodded, and Aeddan trudged to the small tent he would share with Elspeth. He entered, surprised to see her brushing out her hair, wisps escaping the long plait she’d pinned to the top of her head each morning.
“Elspeth, there’s no water to wash with. We have enough to see us home so long as we ration it cautiously.”
She whirled. “You frightened me. What did you say about water?”
He told her of the situation, and she nodded.
“All right then. If things are indeed as bad as you’ve indicated, would we be better traveling at night and making camp during the day?” she asked. “Surely it would be less taxing for the horses?”
He shook his head. “No. We don’t know who we might run into. Under normal circumstances I might agree to that, but I won’t take chances with your safety.”
Cupping her cheek, his heart raced when she nuzzled in.
“If that’s the wisest course of action, Aeddan. How long until we reach Calcutta do you think?”
