by Morgan King
As it turned out there was not a moment of peace to be had or a moment alone with anyone ‘til Amelia found herself urged to head upstairs by Arthur who whispered in her ear, “They will never leave ‘til you are gone from sight. I think your parents would live every moment of you a Countess at your side were I to permit it. I have no desire to permit it, least of all tonight.”
Indeed the wedding breakfast had been lengthy, and even after all the food had been served, family and friends had lingered, an unforeseen consequence of the event taking place at Henton Hall and not in London or at a friend’s house.
The entire time Amelia felt as if all eyes were on her, and perhaps they were. Surely there could be no surprise that she was tired as the day drew to a close.
With her face a pink to match her dress due to Arthur’s words Amelia took her leave. She bade all left goodnight, felling a twinge of unease that James had departed earlier without her notice. No one had commented on his bruised face, at least not in her presence. She would have to ask Arthur as soon as they were alone together.
It was quiet upstairs as only a large house can be, with all the small noises of life swept into the vastness of space created by large corridors and multiple rooms. Amelia wondered what she should do next. Wait for Arthur to arrive, but should she wait in bed?
That didn't seem right somehow. The bed was new to her, and lying, sacrificial, upon it would be out of character. She felt too restless to settle into one of the armchairs by the fireplace and stood by the dresser, studying the rest of the room and trying to see it as hers.
The décor, with its pale blue-and-gold striped wallpaper, was decidedly more ornate than the plain walls of her bedroom at home, the furniture, more elegant, as proudly advertised by the high shine of its polish. The window, though, was reassuring. Anywhere there was a view to the outside world, Amelia could find a calmness within herself. Here the view from the window was of grounds she had walked with Arthur and through which she had been chased by James. Whenever she awoke and felt her surroundings unfamiliar, she would be sure to look out of a window to reassure herself.
Perhaps now she would not be waking alone. She did not know if Arthur intended to sleep with her. Father shared a room with Mother when they were in the country, but here she and Arthur had separate apartments. There was so much she had yet to learn about married life.
Not least of all how to ensure all her thoughts were for her husband.
Amelia had been shocked at times during the celebrations when she realized she was comparing her new husband with his brother. How fine they’d both looked, and yet their suits and the men beneath were different. James had worn his uniform, the very definition of dashing. At just over six feet James was slightly taller than Arthur, and looked to be more muscular—not so sleek. Maybe firmer of physique. However, they both exuded strength, and surely they were to blame for these thoughts of hers, both having kissed her.
Their kisses had been so different, just like their temperaments: Arthur all outward calm, with passion waiting to burst free from where it swirled madly underneath the surface; James light and teasing, giving and sincere. Amelia had barely tasted the food at the wedding breakfast for thinking of their respective tastes, Arthur with the smooth, decadent hint of brandy that warmed and filled her mouth, James tasting of something sweet, a dusting of sugar, dissolving so quickly she'd need another taste to be sure.
Lost in recollection, Amelia didn't hear the connecting door to Arthur's room open, and only became aware of his presence when he cleared his throat and said, “Am I come to soon?”
“No, you are always welcome,” Amelia said with a tentative smile. She’d arranged earlier with her maid to be left alone this evening, wanting some moments of quiet and sure Arthur would be capable of helping her with her gown.
She wondered if her instinctive response, or her hope that Arthur might want to undress her, was too forward. She never tired of Arthur's company, and she could not imagine this should change because they were now man and wife. In fact she hoped they now could spend as much time together as possible and that they might enjoy doing small things for each other like helping to remove clothes.
****
Arthur moved into the room. He felt nervous, unsure how to proceed. Ironic really, considering he'd fantasized a thousand times how he would make love to Amelia given half a chance. The problem was that his fantasies had always jumped straight to the good stuff, seeing her breasts, dipping his hand to her mound and finding her wet. He'd bypassed thinking about virgin nerves, and his brother hadn't featured in his imaginings at all.
“I am lucky to have you as my wife.” Arthur gave the truth that came straight to mind.
“You don't know that yet!” Amelia said, half seriously.
“I do. Whatever happens tonight, whatever happens in the future, you are a blessing to me.” Arthur wanted Amelia to know he didn't have any expectations of her other than being herself.
“We will have to learn to live together, to be together as man and wife. In order to do that we will have to be honest with each other.” Arthur paused. “If there is anything that I do that displeases you I hope you will feel able to tell me, especially tonight.”
Amelia offered no answer. Arthur could see a fierce blush warming her face, and she was not meeting his eyes.
It was delightful, if a little daunting, to find Amelia shy.
“Amelia, do you know what happens between a man and a woman?” He walked over to Amelia, stepping up behind her where she stood next to her dresser, faced halfway between room and window.
“Of course. Mother talked to me,” Amelia said, then turned her head to glance at Arthur. “She just didn't go into any interesting details. It was hard to understand exactly what she meant.”
Arthur placed his hands upon Amelia's shoulders “Would you like to know any of the interesting details, or do you trust me to show you?”
Arthur pressed his body to Amelia's, unable to resist inhaling her scent as he leaned close. Fresh, fragrant, feminine. He inhaled again, alluring and addictive.
“I know, or rather I hope, there will be more kissing. I also believe you will touch me—and here is where my understanding gets hazy—and you will somehow join us together, and in doing so give me your seed to start a baby, if God blesses us.” Amelia sighed as her body relaxed a little against the solid reassurance of Arthur's embrace.
“There will definitely be more kissing.” Arthur illustrated his words with a trail of butterfly-light kisses down her neck. “I'd like to kiss you all over.”
Arthur felt Amelia tremble as a shiver traced its way up her spine. He pursued it with a glide of his hands. “There will definitely be touching . . . all over. I'm hoping you might like to touch me, too.” Arthur found Amelia's hand and laced their fingers together, drawing both their hands to rest against the soft swell of her stomach.
“As for joining us together, do you feel me pressing into you?” Arthur tilted his hips forward letting his erection give emphasis to his words. “What you feel is my manhood. I will place my manhood inside your woman's parts. Driving it in will feel exquisite to me, and, if I do it right, good for you, too.” Aroused, Arthur expressed more of himself than usual.
“Should we move to the bed?”
There was both a hesitancy and desire to please lacing Amelia’s voice, and despite her brave words Arthur felt the heated blush of Amelia's skin through the layers of clothes separating them. It was all fiercely arousing.
“We don't have to be in a bed, although I believe it will be best for this, our first night together,” he said roughly, while idly using his free hand to loosen her hair from the plait twining it together.
“Amelia, there is something else I must tell you though.”
Soft, so silky soft.
“That it will hurt. I felt sure you were neglecting to tell me something,” she whispered on a breath.
“Well, yes, it might the first time, even if I am gentle. I may not b
e able to prevent you from feeling discomfort.” He gave a fistful of her hair a slight tug. “It will only be momentary, I hope.
“That wasn't what you were going to tell me though?”Amelia asked
“No, I talked to James before coming to you. I left him in my room in fact.”
Amelia looked to the door. “Oh, I can’t believe I’d forgotten. What happened between you? Did he tell you…”
“Tell me how he followed you home and tried to steal you away from me?” Arthur sensed Amelia holding back from saying more than he might already know.
“Yes, and you weren’t angry, or you were, because you must have caused his injury. Did he let you hit him? Did he hurt you anywhere? But you seemed friendly towards one another, so is it all made up?”
Questions poured from her lips. Arthur guessed it had been on her mind throughout the day.
“Yes, we are made up,” Arthur said wryly. “If you meant what you said about wanting him to stay, we have a solution,”
When Amelia didn’t immediately answer but sent him an encouraging glance Arthur forged ahead. “James and I think we might all be able to live together, be happy together ...”
“Really?” Amelia interrupted in hopeful anticipation.
“....if we all share a marriage bed.”
She froze in his arms. Her weight that had relaxed towards him was lifted clear away by stiffening spine. He hadn’t meant it to be such a shock. He held himself back from seeking reassurance by touching her physically.
“So there are no secrets or barriers among the three of us,” he said quickly instead. “Why shouldn't we all have what we want? James and I very much want to be with you without restrictions. We can't both be married to you, but we could both be your husbands, your lovers. You want us all to be happy together, so why shouldn't we all truly be together? If we are together physically how can we not be bound together?”
Arthur knew he was rambling, desperate to make sense.
Amelia didn't pull any further away from him and thankfully wasn't running screaming from the room or trying to defend herself with a poker, both of which were scenarios that in that moment wouldn't have surprised him. She was still, and seemed to be deep in thought.
“Is that what you and James truly want? You would want to share me?”
“With James, only with James. He is my brother. I have cared for him since the day he was born, when mama placed him in my hands and told me that my most important duty—not as the future earl, but as her elder son—was to love and protect James always. I would share everything I have with him.”
As Arthur tried to explain his motivations to Amelia, he felt himself understand what had driven him to this moment. “Society has dictated to me that this house, this estate, is mine. Your father let me marry you because of a title. I let James join the army because he needed a profession, and that was his choice. I want to do something now for love of James, love of you, and even love of myself, despite the fact that society would not understand.”
He no longer wanted to confuse duty and honor to those he loved with a duty to society.
“No one need know of our arrangement but us, and if the three of us together would make us each happy then yes, I would want to share you. Not because I value you less, but because there is no price too high for your happiness. But I don't want to push you into something. When I married you, I chose you, and I will respect any choice you make. I just want to be honest with you from the start about how I feel. I think it is important that we start our marriage as we would like it to continue.”
“And if I say this is too much for me, and that I want no part of this marriage at all after what you have suggested?”
“Then I will seek to earn your forgiveness over time. James, I think, would be gone by morning.”
****
“I am being given an ultimatum then?” This was all so new to Amelia, and she felt trapped.
She was being given the ultimate freedom—the chance to love two men—but she felt trapped.
There were only ever two people in a marriage, according to her understanding of the world, but her heart wanted to break free. Her body wanted to be able to connect with the two men she felt love and desire for.
Would it be so very different from many marriages where men had a mistress on the side? That spouses were not faithful was willingly accepted by society, though she would never be unfaithful to Arthur. A commitment from them both to James was, she felt, more open and honest. It could not really be contrary to her nature, or else her heart would not respond to both of them as it did.
Was she seriously considering this then?
“What if James changes his mind? Maybe not tomorrow, but what if he wants to get married in the future, have children of his own?”
“James would no more change his mind than I would. I know my brother in this. It is not the marriage that binds us together but love.” Arthur felt no concern in speaking for his brother when it came to feelings for Amelia.
“Any children will be our children, James's, yours, and mine. I will be their legal father, and James the doting uncle, but in truth we will love them just the same. James and I share the same blood, so there will be no betrayal of the family name, and this way James's child may well inherit.”
“How would it work? Would you take turns?”
Arthur clearly guessed what she was alluding to. “No, everything would be shared between the three of us together, including the marriage bed. There would be no awkwardness of secrecy.”
He made it all sound so neat, so possible, even if she didn’t fully understand how they could all be together physically. Maybe they would both kiss her, at the same time, in different places!
****
Arthur held his breath, barely able to believe that Amelia was considering saying yes. More importantly, she wasn't saying no. It was up to him to show her it could work. Mindful to be sensitive to the smallest sign of resistance, he led Amelia across the room to the door that connected to his. She made no objection as he reached for the handle. Turned it.
Together they crossed the threshold.
Chapter Five
James was seated on the edge of the bed, the back of his knees not meeting the cover. He might have looked poised to jump up quickly, except his head rested in his hands. Upon hearing them enter he raised his head.
Arthur motioned to him to be silent, and then looking to Amelia he said, “We would very much like to undress you.”
Amelia's eyes flashed to James, looking for confirmation of Arthur's words.
She must have found the answer she sought as she fingered the ties of her nightgown, tentatively releasing the delicate bow holding them together.
Arthur heard James gasp. With Amelia facing towards him he was getting first look at her breasts. Judging by his rapt expression, including low hanging jaw, they were entrancing.
“So beautiful,” James whispered hoarsely.
Arthur wasn't jealous, but he did desperately want to see for himself. Gripping Amelia's shoulders gently he spun her round to face him. Oh, yes. Arthur didn't think he'd ever seen a pair so beautiful.
Until now Arthur had always thought breasts were breasts, beautiful whatever their size and shape, but Amelia's looked so ripe, so firm, upward-tilted so that her plump little nipples stood proud on their large areola cushions. Clearly a handful and a mouthful at the same time, and they were his to touch! No wonder James had appeared so awed. After his long stretch of abstinence he must feel like a lad looking at a pair of tits for the first time.
“You're staring. Is something wrong?” Amelia moved to cover herself.
“Not wrong, perfect.” Arthur tentatively reached out his index finger to trace a line down the slope of her breast. They both moaned.
“That feels so good, like nothing I've ever felt before.”
“Your nipples are hard for us. They're excited to be touched, so that's why it feels so good.”
“Do it again, please.�
��
Arthur felt a thrill of pleasure. They'd barely touched her, and already she was begging for more. He'd never imagined she could be so responsive.
Fitting both hands to her breasts, he stroked, kneaded, and, unable to help himself, even pinched. Her every gasp and moan gave him encouragement. She barely stopped for breath.
Her hands now gripped his shoulders, and her hips were rocking back and forward as if trying to ease the sensation she felt in her womb.
Her nightdress was draped around her hips, and when James came to stand behind her, his hands reaching around to caress her breasts, Arthur guided it to the floor. He couldn't resist putting his hand to her curls. Warm moisture greeted his palm. He slipped a finger in to seek the center of her pleasure. Chances were she'd never touched her bud. Arthur pressed. Then in shock he watched rapt as her body trembled, and she rubbed her pussy wildly against his hand.
“She's peaking, Arthur; I think she's peaking!” James cried excitedly from the other side of Amelia.
Arthur rubbed her slick flesh vigorously. Arthur couldn't have been more amazed or pleased. In his previous encounters with women he had always sought to give them pleasure, sometimes more successfully than others, but never without a great deal more time and coaxing. He had secretly hoped to bring Amelia pleasure this first time, as her initiation into lovemaking, but he had by no means felt assured of success. Now he wondered whether he could do it again.
****
“Ohhhh … ohhh.” Amelia felt her legs give way. With James's arms around her Amelia let the weight of her body fall into him without a moment of fear.
He caught her as she knew he would.
No previous experience had prepared her for what had just happened. What had just happened? Her body had centered on where Arthur had touched her. A single touch on a single point of her body detonated an explosion that had shaken her physically and left her emotionally drained. It had felt fantastic. She itched to feel it again.
