She took true enjoyment in every one of their endeavors. No passive observer, she didn't just watch them, she included herself in their games and play. Enthusiastically. Joyously. It made Felix wonder what kind of childhood she'd had, because she seemed far too happy to indulge in childish antics and games, all with the wonderment of a newcomer to them. He could only guess that it had been an even more repressive childhood than she'd hinted at when she spoke of her father.
Eventually Gabrielle looked up at the sky and sighed. "We should be getting back," she called out to Felix. "Otherwise I won't be able to spend any time in the garden with your mother."
This was met by a chorus of disappointment by the children, and led to promises by both Gabrielle and Felix to come play with them again.
As they walked back across the fields, Felix took Gabrielle's hand in his. Despite the interruption to his plan of seduction, he'd enjoyed his morning with her and the children. It was hard not to think about what kind of mother she'd make and how she might play with their children. Which, of course, led him to thinking about the act of creating those children, which made the lack of privacy all the worse. He couldn't even try to seduce her here in the fields, just in case the children decided to follow them back to the manor house.
"Thank you for taking me to your creek," Gabrielle said, sounding almost shy as she peeked at him through her thick lashes. The pretty pink flush in her cheeks and her loose, disheveled hair from playing made her look younger than she was, and much more innocent. "I enjoyed playing with the children."
"I could tell," he said, smiling down at her and squeezing her fingers, enjoying the shared moment of pleasure. "Did you have a creek when you were growing up?"
A shadow crossed her face and he was immediately sorry that he'd asked the question as her expression became more closed, like a cloud had suddenly obscured some of her joy.
"I was not able to explore much of my father's estate."
"That might not be such a bad thing," Felix said, with false cheer, trying to recover the moment they'd had. "I spent far too much time in that creek, often fully clothed after one of my brothers pushed me in."
Just as he'd hoped, Gabrielle laughed and the shadow of her past lifted. "Did you push them back?"
"Well, I tried, but being the youngest I was also the smallest," he said, happy to doll out embarrassing stories about himself if she would just keep laughing and smiling like that. "Mostly my attempts just ended with me being tossed in again - unless, of course, I could convince one of them to team up with me."
Felix found himself dominating the conversation the entire walk back, much as he had on the walk there, but it seemed to be how Gabrielle was most comfortable. He thought he was starting to get a hang of keeping her pleasant and happy - romance her with meaningful gestures, find children for her to play with, and don't talk about her past.
******
Although Gabrielle was a bit reluctant to end her morning playing with Molly's daughters and some of the other servants' children, as well as watching Felix engage with them, she enjoyed her afternoon in the garden with Felix's mother just as much. The older woman shooed her son off and then plied Gabrielle with tea and a small luncheon in the gardens, happy to be able to chatter with Gabrielle and share all the country gossip and then listen to Gabrielle's tales from London. She was obviously thrilled to have Gabrielle's company and, it occurred to Gabrielle, that she must be a bit lonely.
From the Viscountess' talk, it became clear that the Viscount was not fond of the hectic fervor of the London Season. Apparently they often alternated years – one in the country and one in London – or made short trips to London for the Season. This particular Season they’d opted to stay in the country because last Season they’d spent the entire time in town and the Viscountess had been quite exhausted by the end of it. She obviously kept up with quite a bit of gossip through letters, but visits during the Season would be few and far between, and country life was always a little slower.
"Perhaps we could have a ball," Mother said, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "Just a small gathering to celebrate your and Felix's marriage. Or a house party..." She sighed then, looking a bit regretful. "Of course, I keep forgetting that this is supposed to be your honeymoon. We'll have to hold off on any celebrations until the end of the Season, I suppose. Just because you came here for your honeymoon doesn't mean it should be interrupted."
"What about a dinner?" Gabrielle asked, immediately wanting to find a way to please the older woman. "It would be lovely to meet some of your neighbors."
Truthfully, she would prefer to get to know her new in-laws better, and spend her time figuring out how to make her husband fall in love with her, but Mother looked so resigned that she wanted to make the offer. And it worked. Mother immediately brightened, her countenance matching the cheery, yellow, cambric dress she was wearing.
"What a wonderful idea," Mother said, beaming. "I'll speak with my husband and Felix about it. You're such a generous sweetheart."
A dinner was a small price to pay for her new Mother's happiness. Gabrielle beamed back at her.
They took a walk around the gardens, with Mother going into detail on the care of her flowers. The rose garden in particular was a thing of beauty, and Gabrielle listened to Mother's careful directions to the gardeners on exactly how she wanted each bush cut. She even let Gabrielle make a small bouquet of the roses, one in each color, with the thorns carefully trimmed. Tying a ribbon around the stems, Gabrielle already knew she would carefully dry and press each flower before it wilted, as a reminder of this wonderful day. They could go in the same book that she'd put the flower Felix had given her.
Both women soaked up each other's attention, delighted to be in one another's company. Gabrielle was surprised at how interesting she found every aspect of gardening - or perhaps Mother's enthusiasm was just catching, as she enjoyed having an eager, female student.
By the time they came in to change for dinner, Gabrielle felt as though her head had been stuffed with useful knowledge. She wondered where she and Felix would live during the year... something they'd never talked about. Wherever it was, she hoped it would have a garden. Gabrielle would love to be able to put some of Mother's advice to good use, and then be able to show her how well she had followed all of it.
Molly was in her room, ready to help her change for dinner.
"I'd like these in a vase, by my bed," she said, placing the small bouquet down and went over to her basin to wash off her face and hands. She dampened a cloth and wiped away the dirt and dust from her exposed skin. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time for a full bath.
"Absolutely, my lady," Molly said smiling. She held up two dresses from Gabrielle's closet, a russet silk and a blue and ivory jonquil. "Which would you like to wear for dinner this evening?"
"The russet, please," she said, undoing the buttons of her day dress. The russet would look well against her skin, which was still flushed from being outdoors all day. She really should have taken a parasol, or worn a bonnet, but being back out in the country she'd forgotten. On her father's estate, she'd rarely needed either accessory, since she'd been unable to spend much time outside.
Putting the jonquil away, Molly helped her into the russet silk, the skirts whispering as they swept into place. Gabrielle looked at herself in the mirror as Molly laced her up. The bold color made her skin look paler and creamier by comparison, so that the effects of the sun didn't show as much, just as she'd hoped.
"The girls were so happy to spend some time with you today," Molly said. "It sounds like your new husband is a kind man. They said he was a right one."
"Yes... he surprised me," Gabrielle confessed as Molly led her over to her vanity and began to drag a brush through Gabrielle's tangled locks. While country life was not as formal as in the city, she still needed to be presentable for meal times. Hearing movement in the room next to hers, she smiled. Felix was in there, also getting ready for dinner. She'd missed his presence this afte
rnoon, although she'd enjoyed the time spent with his mother. "He said he played there quite frequently as a child, although I hadn't expected to see him playing today."
Despite the circumstances, he'd still managed to look quite masculine and formidable, even with his jacket off, his trousers and shirtsleeves rolled up, and wading through the creek pointing out the various insect and wildlife to the rambunctious young boys that had followed him around like he was the Pied Piper. It had been wholly adorable, a word she'd never thought to use to describe Felix. Since they'd left the city, she'd seen several sides to him that she'd never seen before. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug that by now, surely, she must know him better than Cordelia did, no matter how close they'd been in London.
It had also heartened her to see how well he managed with the boys and the girls. He'd been open and indulgent, firm when he needed to be, and he never mocked any of them - in fact, he'd swiftly stopped any teasing that veered towards cruelty. Every single child had merited his attention at one point or another, and they'd all ended up practically worshiping him for it. Gabrielle didn't even think he'd realized how they'd regarded him, but she certainly had. Felix would make a wonderful father.
Even if he was a bit strict. Look at how he'd dealt with her after all. Still, as long as a spanking was followed by comforting, discipline was surely not a bad thing. She could only wonder how differently she might have felt about her childhood if someone had cared enough to spank her when she'd warranted it. But, once her nurse had been replaced by her governess, no one had. Her governess had always allowed Gabrielle to do as she pleased, which had been satisfying at the time but it certainly hadn't made her feel cared about.
Cordelia had.
The Marquess ultimately had.
And now Felix was.
"There you go, my lady," Molly said, her voice filled with satisfaction. "You look lovely."
Blinking, Gabrielle focused on the mirror. She hadn't realized how lost in thought she'd been.
"Oh..." Gabrielle reached up to touch her hair. Molly had done it a bit differently than usual, leaving about half of it loose and long, hanging down her back in soft waves. The front had been pulled away from her face and piled into curls at the back of her head, tumbling down from there. While Gabrielle would never have worn her hair like this in London, she rather liked the effect for her. The lack of formality made her appear softer, more approachable, and yet still gave her an air of grace that she appreciated.
"Do you like it?" A touch of anxiety tinged Molly's voice.
"Oh yes," Gabrielle said, smiling in reassurance. "I love it. I'm sorry, I was wool gathering and then I was just taken aback and how different I look."
"You look happy, if you don't mind my saying so," Molly said. "I think the country suits you better than the city... or perhaps it's the company that suits you so well." That last was said with a sly look that made Gabrielle giggle.
"It might be both," she said a bit ruefully. "I always dreamed of balls and excitement, but I didn't realize how exhausting they could be. And the company there can be quite wonderful or quite tedious. I certainly wouldn't want to spend all my time in the country, but I believe this break from the Season has already been quite beneficial."
"And a new husband doesn't hurt," Molly said cheerfully. Gabrielle had the sneaking suspicion that Molly had decided she liked her new employer and so was encouraging her mistress to be happy with the situation as well.
Surprisingly, she was finding that she was.
******
Dinner was an interminable affair. Felix was truly wishing he'd made some kind of alternate arrangements to the summer house, but he hadn't thought he'd need some kind of back up. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy his parents' company, he just hadn't wanted it on his honeymoon. Especially since this was not the usual situation for a honeymoon.
When he'd had the thought that he could use his parents to help turn Gabrielle to his side and make her more compliant to the idea of being his wife, he hadn't realized that they might actually distract Gabrielle from him. It was a strange situation to be jealous of his mother in regards to his wife, and yet there it was. The two of them had obviously bonded during the afternoon and as they chatted about flowers and fauna, the best times to plant certain breeds, and how much sunlight roses needed, he found himself feeling rather left out.
So when his mother suggested having a small dinner with the neighbors, he felt as though he had to put his foot down. Bad enough that he'd spent today sharing his new wife with children and his mother, he wasn't going to spend an evening conversing with neighbors when he should be using that time to seduce Gabrielle. Fortunately, his father backed him up.
"You should plan a celebration for after the Season is over, when more of our neighbors are in residence anyway," his father said amiably, quite a concession for him considering that would swell the guest list numbers. However, it also made his pouting mother perk up, which was all for the good. Gabrielle had looked worried, but she smiled when his mother seemed happy with the proposed solution.
Was she hoping for more socializing? Or did she just want to make his mother happy?
Felix fervently hoped the latter. The idea that Gabrielle was already eager to have others' company, specifically, other men's company, had him grinding his teeth. At least his father had squashed his mother's notion for a dinner party. He was determined that by the time their 'honeymoon' was over that he would have Gabrielle bound to him, emotionally and sexually.
After dinner, his mother played on the pianoforte while he danced with Gabrielle. His father was content to listen to his mother play and watch the younger couple dance, smiling as his foot tapped in rhythm on the floor. He'd never been much of a dancer, although he indulged his wife on occasion, but he'd always had a love of music.
Gabrielle's face was wreathed in smiles as Felix danced with her, her eyes alight. He realized that he'd seen this expression on her face many times in the ballroom, although rarely when she'd danced with him. It was a bit of a relief to realize that it was because she loved dancing, not because she loved the attention, as he'd always assumed. After all, there was no reason for her to show him a false demeanor, they were already married. And there was no other audience here, so she wasn't playing to anyone else.
She was just happy when she danced, and it showed.
Since the room was otherwise empty except his parents, the dancing was much more intimate, and he didn't have to hand her off to anyone else. Of course, it also meant that his parents were watching their every move, which meant that he didn't feel comfortable trying to actually seduce her. He supposed this would be what his mother called wooing, which he wasn't as comfortable with, but going by the expression on Gabrielle's face, he was doing well enough.
"I like your hair like this," he said as they spun across the floor, her waist tucked neatly into his arm as his mother played a gay waltz. Tendrils of hair brushed against him, swaying behind her as they moved. "It looks beautiful."
A pleased pink flush spread across her cheeks. "My maid likes to try out new styles on my hair. I rather like this one myself."
Giving her his most rakish smile, Felix pulled her a little closer, so that her breasts brushed against his chest. Not close enough for his parents to think anything untoward, but just that little brush of their bodies made Gabrielle blush even harder and almost stumble.
"It puts me in mind of how beautiful it looked last night, spilling across my bed."
"Felix!" She hissed, turning as red as her bottom had last night. "Your parents are right there!"
"They can't hear what I'm saying."
Her little nose went up in the air, making her look both saucy and haughty at the same time. Felix couldn't help but chuckle, but he desisted. Time enough for that as soon as he could sweep her away to his bedroom. A few more dances should satisfy his parents, and then Gabrielle would finally be all his again.
Chapter 8
Nervousness made Gabrielle fidget a
s Felix showed her into his room again, rather than taking her to her own. She didn't know why she should be nervous; last night had been wonderful, but she didn't know what to expect now.
Fortunately, Felix didn't give her very much time to think. As soon as he'd locked the door behind them, he was standing in front of her, pulling her into his arms and lowering his mouth to hers. Gabrielle's lips parted immediately, welcoming him in as she pressed herself against him. Dancing with him had been almost torturous. He'd flirted and charmed, giving her small caresses as they moved, and all Gabrielle had been able to think about was whether or not he'd want to indulge in the marital act again.
She'd certainly hoped so.
It looked as though that wish was coming true. He truly wanted her! Happiness rushed through her as she kissed him back. Last night she had been a bit worried that he'd only been aroused because perhaps it had been a while since he'd been with a woman. Or from spanking her, which he'd obviously enjoyed. Or just because he felt like he needed to do his duty and consummate their marriage.
But his desire seemed to have increased, not waned, and he showed no interest in spanking her now, and with his duty done there was no burden on him to consummate with her again tonight. Not unless he wanted to. Her heart fluttered, her lower belly filling with warmth and need in response to his ardent kiss.
Nimble fingers divested her of her dress quickly and efficiently as his hands expertly caressed her, fingers sliding against her skin and setting her afire. This was so much better than last night, when she'd been desperate, anxious, and then spanked. Now she was starting to feel a bit desperate, but only physically. Desperate to have him closer to her, to feel his skin against hers, to have his weight pressing down on her... now that she knew how wonderful it felt.
Gabrielle did her best to help him undress, fumbling a bit with unfamiliar garments, but Felix just smiled at her and kissed her, distracting her even more as they slowly moved towards the bed.
Gabrielle's Discipline (Bridal Discipline Book 3) Page 10
