"Marry me, my darling?"
"Yes," she whispered. "Oh, yes!"
"Tomorrow?"
She glanced downward, at her dress, and he smiled. "I know your gowns all perished with the Charlotte. But I'll take you shopping, and we'll pick out some new ones, along with a wedding dress for you."
"What if we don't have time—"
"Then, we can marry the next day. As long as we're man and wife before we arrive in New Orleans. I want to do it right for you, sweetheart. But most of all." He tugged her into his arms. "I want you happy."
"Oh, Gregory," she whispered. "I will be!"
His hand slid downward, to cup her bottom, and gave her a light swat. "But you do understand I'll expect you to obey me?"
She reached behind her and moved his hand upward, to the small of her back.
He moved it back down. Another swat followed. This time, she giggled.
"I understand, sir. And I will."
Chapter 16
The Weddings
Bella stood in front of the mirror adjusting the light blue wedding gown Gregory had bought for her earlier that day. She was bouncing from foot to foot with excitement. Her smile lit her face and made her eyes sparkle. Gregory had offered to buy her several more gowns, but her tastes were simple, and she settled quickly on a few things to hold her over until she could have new things made. The only other luxury she'd bought was a book for Chloe, since Gregory's library had gone down with the Charlotte.
But Lily had decided, in her normal fashion, that she was not going to settle for less than the best. She'd fought Earl every step of the way.
He had stormed into the room where they had dressed. Marching over to Lily, he'd promptly dropped to one knee. But as he sensed she was about to gloat, he lifted her by the waist and plopped her over his raised knee with her bottom in the air. Turning to Bella, he had lost his smile.
"A warning for you, Arabella. Gregory is waiting. If I were you, I would be out there within ten seconds. As soon as I finish here, our ceremony will follow yours."
At the uncharacteristic frown on his face, Bella hurried from the room and left them. But she found herself smiling. Whatever Lily received, she deserved.
Sarah sat on the front row, promising there would be no honeymoon aboard the ship unless she was satisfied any marriages were binding in the eyes of God and man. Chloe sat next to her, watching, her mouth curved into a full grin.
Gregory's deep brown eyes captured Bella's as he waited in the front. When she reached it, he tucked her hand through his arm.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join…"
The aging minister took his time. The wiry little man worked hard to keep a monocle tucked in front of his right eye as he sought to emulate the hard-nosed countenance of his stuffy forefathers. Unfortunately, he was having difficulty accomplishing it. His Bible, he kept moving closer and closer. When his notes slipped from the page he was reading, he hunted for them urgently until Gregory picked them up and handed them to him. He glared and then nodded, reaching for them as the monocle decided to replace the notes on the floor.
Bella tried to stifle a giggle, and Gregory tightened his hand on hers.
After a moment, the minister cleared his throat. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Honorable Mr. Gregory and Mrs. Arabella Smythe as man and wife."
"Wait!" Sarah, on the front row, put up a hand.
The minister glared at her. Chloe couldn't hide her chuckle.
"The vows," Sarah said, glaring back. "You forgot the vows."
The little man stood before them, befuddled, and eyed Gregory, who gently prompted, in a whisper, "Dearly beloved…"
"Oh." The minister stared down at his notes, confused, and then nodded. After glancing out at the crewmen, whose chuckles had been silenced by a severe look from Gregory, he started all over again.
"I do." Arabella had finished her vows and looked up, with dancing, impish eyes.
This time, the minister looked toward Sarah, who nodded.
"Man and wife," she directed.
He nodded. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the…umm…" He looked down at his notes. "The Honorable Mr.…"
He got no further before cheers went up around the room. Gregory took Arabella's face into his hands and then quickly swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly, passionately. The seamen hooted and cheered as the pump organ began to wheeze out the wedding march, once again. The men sat down.
Gregory leaned down into her ear. "Shall we stay for the next ceremony, Mrs. Smythe?"
She grinned and whispered back, "It should be entertaining!"
"Indeed."
He seated her beside Sarah, who folded her into her ample bosom. Chloe did the same, and Gregory leaned down. "They're coming, sweetheart."
Earl came forward, urging a recalcitrant Lily. But she was intent on dragging her feet, and Earl lost what little patience he had, three steps down the aisle. Hoisting her over his shoulder, he brought her down the aisle and set her down in front of the minister, smacking her bottom sharply. Seconds later, he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. The seamen cheered.
The minister scowled. "That part comes later, young man."
Starry-eyed after his kiss, Lily numbly followed the holy man's directions. It was not until the introduction to the congregation and his announcement of them as, "the Right Honorable, the Viscount and Lady Darbey," that she finally found her voice. She whispered up at him in fury.
"A lord?" she quipped, her voice growing more intense by the minute. "You are the son of an earl? You let me believe all this time that you were a commoner, and you were nobility the whole time? Earl, I'm going to kill you!"
He grinned. "And you are a lady now. It's time you acted like one."
Gregory, sitting closest to the minister, grinned. He was the only one who heard the elderly little man mutter to himself in a provoked tone, "Damned English."
Bella took the news that her husband was the heir to his father's title as Viscount of Yorkshire well. Perhaps her father would eventually take solace in that. At least she would be able to see her mother again; he had promised her that Lady St. John was welcome whenever she chose to come. Gregory's family had a country home in Yorkshire, not too far from her family's place. She tried to think of her new life's good points, trying to stop worrying about the coupling to come.
"My darling," Gregory interrupted her daydreaming. "You'll be walking off the plank if you don't pay attention. Shall I carry you? It might be faster."
She paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "But where are Earl and Lily?"
"They decided to stay on land for their wedding night. Come, or we'll still be on the plank, come sundown."
Arabella gave a small, nervous giggle. She was getting jittery now. She loved Gregory with all her heart. She wanted to be the best wife possible for him. But she had no idea how to go about pleasing him. Her mother had not been able to explain the ways of things between a husband and wife. Her father had rushed her departure, and there had been no time to ask questions.
Bedding Mr. Picou had been of little concern to her. Bella knew such things were part of her duty. She'd planned to endure his touch and pray to conceive quickly so he would leave her bed.
But Gregory… She breathed in sharply. Being intimate with Gregory was something she could not allow herself to fail at. His mere touch had her swooning. What if she failed to satisfy him? If she became pregnant too soon, would he be repulsed by her growing belly? There were so many concerns nagging at her.
Gregory swept her up suddenly and finished carrying her up the plank.
"Here, sweetheart. This will get us there faster."
She shivered. She had no idea what a naked man looked like. Would she be expected to touch him? Did he understand the way of things? Did being with a man hurt overly much? She had heard tales of blood the first time a woman was taken by a man. How much blood would there be and from where would it flow?
/> "Cap'n. Mrs. Smythe." A friendly, familiar voice spoke. Benny was standing at the top of the plank, with Mercer.
Bella wiggled down out of Gregory's arms and ran up to hug them both. Gregory, however, quickly corralled her, lifting her off her feet once again and striding toward the captain's cabin.
"Arabella." His deep voice drew her eyes upward. They were just outside the door when he stopped and set her down. Turning her toward him, he smiled down at her.
"Do you trust me, my love?" Gregory placed his hands over her own.
Her voice quaked a bit. "I trust you more than any other living soul."
"You have nothing to fear. I know this is all new to you. I won't rush you. I promise to guide you through it."
"What if I disappoint you?" She shared her concern in the barest of whispers.
"Impossible. We were made for each other. I'll teach you the ways of making love. If I'm disappointed, it will be from my own shortcomings. Not from yours."
Slowly, she released the breath of air she'd been holding and leaned her forehead over onto his chest.
He held her there, quietly, for a long time. Finally, he turned her toward the door. When she saw the sign on the outside, she inhaled sharply. It read, "Captain of The Arabella." The lettering was elegant and stole her breath away.
"You renamed the Mermaid—after me," she said softly.
"So long as this ship is our home, it will bear your name."
She lingered at the outside of the door, uncertainly, as she reached out toward the handle. "Will we—umm—need to remove our clothing? It's rather chilly."
He grinned. "Yes. I believe that's the way it is usually done. You are a beautiful woman, Arabella Smythe. I promise to warm you up."
"Will you keep your clothes on, then, sir?"
"Arabella, your knuckles are white from gripping the handle, my love."
Blushing, she looked away. "The door is stuck. Maybe we should go fetch something to eat while your men see to opening it?"
He lifted her by the waist and set her down away from the door. He easily tugged on the handle and threw the door wide open. "I have had our meal already laid out. Now, it's time to carry you over the threshold." Reaching for her, he swept her up again and took her inside.
Gulping, she glanced warily at the room. This was it. There was no more stalling. When he set her on her feet, Gregory reached down to draw her small hands to his lips. "You can keep your clothes on while we eat," he teased, before setting her on her feet. "But, first, shall I show you around your new home?"
She nodded, her eyes large and frightened, and Gregory leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Relax, my darling." He took her by the hand. "This cabin is quite different from the one on the Charlotte. Come and see."
Bella left her hand in his, as she wandered from one thing to the next, asking questions. There was velvet everywhere. The cabin was lined with fine, dark woods, and like the Charlotte, the large windows lined the stern of the ship. But unlike her, there were curtains that could be drawn for privacy. His star and sea charts were on one end of the table, along with the fine instruments he used. There was a four-poster bed in the corner and a hammock near it. Bookshelves lined most of the walls, On the other end of the table, a nice dinner was set out.
"Complements of Sarah," he said, grinning. "Sit. I'll feed you."
She nodded and smiled. But he was only able to get her to eat a few bites. Finally, he set the fork down and raised her to her feet.
"The food will keep until later. There is no need to be so afraid, sweetheart," His voice was gentle and touching. "I know this is frightening for you. Shall I explain everything I plan on doing? Will it help you to relax, if you know?"
She gulped. "Perhaps, sir."
"All right, then." He smiled and leaned in to kiss her temple. "I'll start by kissing trails down your delectable little ears." Moving to her right ear, then her left, he planted butterfly-soft kisses down each one.
Bella closed her eyes. She had never considered ears to be arousing. But as he slowly placed his soft, feathery kisses, she took in a deep breath. "Oh," she whispered. "Oh, Gregory."
"And now, your neck. Such a slender, beautiful neck you have. As soft and pale as ivory."
Bella moaned as he moved to the hollow of her neck and tilted her head backward. Something was stirring deep inside. She'd never felt like this.
"I'm going to turn you to face away from me, sweetheart. And bring down this lovely blue dress. You chose well today. And I'm going to kiss each spot, on the way down, as I undress you."
His voice was devilish, and at the same time, hypnotic, and she felt his hands ever so gently move the material apart as he undid each tiny button. His lips caressed her spine as he eased the gown apart, little by little. She squealed as he nipped a spot on her shoulder, before moving on.
Finally, the dress had been unbuttoned all the way, and he moved it away to reveal her corset and the shift underneath.
Gently, he brought the dress down to the floor. The slippers and stockings came next.
Lightly raising her hand, as if he were asking her to dance, he drew her aside, helping her step out of it, and moved over toward the big bed with her.
Once again, he turned her away and began to carefully undo the laces.
"What—are you doing now?" she whispered.
"Now, sweetheart, I'm going to take off this instrument of torture they call a corset, so you can breathe." When she laughed softly, he added, "One lace at a time."
Slowly, she felt the corset grow less snug, and eventually, it fell around her ankles. She stood only in her shift before him, now.
"And now, my love, I'm going to remove this last piece between us." He slid his hands under it, touching her bottom, and she gasped.
Her hands were clenched into the sides of her shift now, and Gregory brought her back against him, moving her hair so it cascaded over one shoulder. He began to kiss first one shoulder, then the other, as he slowly moved the shift upward, until she felt the air against her skin. He pried the material away from her fingers and then raised her hands, kissing them.
She knew she was naked, as he lightly raised it over her head and dropped it to the floor.
"Arabella." His voice was deep and melodious. "It's time to see you. All of you."
She closed her eyes, covering her breasts with one arm and hand while the other moved to cover her most guarded place. She felt him gently turn her to face him.
"No. Covering yourself from me won't be allowed, young lady. Hands behind your back."
She didn't move.
"Arabella? Did you hear me?"
She whimpered. Gregory took her wrists in his hands, firmly moving them behind her back and clasping both in one of his hands.
"You're so beautiful," he breathed appreciatively.
"And you're so…dressed." Her voice sounded petulant, and she knew it.
He chuckled. "But I won't be for long. And I promise, you can help me disrobe, when it's time."
She nodded, trembling as he kissed his way down her neck and leaned down to capture each breast in his mouth delicately. She felt her nipples grow taught as he sucked gently, and she again felt something stir deep within her belly.
"Gregory?" Her breath was coming in pants.
He paused in kissing his way down her belly. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"I feel something," she said, frowning.
He lifted her in his arms and laid her down among the pillows. His face was inches away from hers for a moment. He brought one hand down to her thighs and then moved his fingers between them gently, slowly. "What does it feel like?" He began circling slowly.
"I-I don't know how to describe—oh!" A surprised moan escaped.
"Like that?"
She looked up into his eyes and nodded.
"I'm going to begin touching you, sweetheart. Part your legs for me a little more."
"Will it hurt?" She frowned but uncertainly obeyed.
"This? I promise, it w
on't. It should feel pleasant. Trust me, Arabella?" He waited until she nodded and then reached in further, circling slightly faster. She gasped, again, and felt her back begin to arch. She was pushing against his hand, unable to help herself.
"Keep your eyes on me, sweetheart." Gregory was smiling. "Good girl."
Her panting was coming in shallow gasps. Her eyes were fixed on his, when she threw her head back suddenly and cried out. Her body began convulsing, and she gasped repeatedly, until she uttered a huge sigh and relaxed against the pillows.
When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she blinked. "Gregory? What—just happened?"
"You came, sweetheart." He leaned down and kissed her nose. "How did it feel?"
"Wonderful." She was still staring up at him when he kissed her mouth.
Gregory's eyes were a deep shade of dark brown. They were dilated and hungry, and she felt lost in them.
"Prepare yourself, young lady," his dark, masculine voice said, in her ear. "You'll do that many more times before I let you rest tonight."
Gregory smiled down at his bride with adoration. He was delighted with her responsiveness. Gathering her up in his arms, he flipped her over on her belly and brought her across his knee.
She peeked up at him over her shoulder, and he laughed softly.
"I'm not going to spank you, sweetheart. Relax. But I am going to show you some other things that may be enjoyable. Part your legs for me."
She hesitated, and he popped her bottom lightly.
She whimpered. "You said you weren't going to spank me."
"And I'm not. As long as you obey me and behave yourself. Clear?"
She sighed. "Clear."
"I asked you to part your legs."
"You ordered me to—Ow!"
"Arabella?"
Slowly, she obeyed, but she was looking up over her shoulder at him and frowning. He grinned. His fingers delved into the softness between her legs, and she jerked forward, gasping.
"Get used to me touching you there. I'll do it. A lot." He leaned down and kissed the spot he had just smacked with his hand. "And you, my darling, will learn to enjoy it."
Conquered by the Captain (The Conquered Book 1) Page 15
