She touched his arm. “Does your head pain you much, Thomas?”
He shuddered. “Hell is empty, and all the devils are here inside my brain. They are giving me my just deserts for my shameful conduct toward you. I think I have died several times since daybreak. I may not survive this morning jostling around on the back of a spirited horse.”
Once again, he thawed her with his words. She squeezed his arm. “Lie back, and I will try to drive away your tormentors.”
With a sigh, he inched his way down onto the bed until his head settled in the hollow of her lap. “Am I too heavy for you?” he asked, looking up at her.
Alicia stroked him lightly across his forehead. “Nay, Thomas. Methinks you will never be too heavy for me. Now close your eyes.”
He did so without further comment. She massaged his temples with gentle circular motions, using only her fingertips. She felt him relax. While she worked, she admired his chiseled features. Thomas’s long dark lashes fanned across his high cheekbones. A tremor ruffled his full, sensual lips. She had an overwhelming desire to kiss them.
“You have the touch of an angel,” he murmured.
“Shhh,” she replied.
Alicia snaked her fingers through his beautiful, though damp, sun-kissed hair. It was incredibly soft—almost like a baby’s. Cradling Thomas’s head in both her hands, she rubbed more vigorously. He moaned.
She paused. “Have I made the pain worse?”
“Nay, I am lost in pleasure.”
His answer warmed her, melting the last of her icy reserves. A shameless idea sprang into her mind. I will seduce him. The people can wait a while longer. Now…how did Katherine say I should start?
She leaned over him, allowing her unfettered breasts to touch his hand. “Breathe deeply, dear heart,” she suggested in a low voice. “‘Twill banish all your pains and turmoil.”
His eyes still shut, he turned his head toward her. His lips were less than an inch away from one of her nipples. She changed her massage into a caress, sweeping back his hair from his face. She trailed a fingertip around the contours of his ear. He shivered under her touch. Her nipples peaked and hardened. They tingled as if stroked by fire.
“Thomas,” she murmured. “How do you feel now?”
He grinned. “I cannot remember if I am in heaven or on earth.” He opened his eyes, and saw her breasts barely concealed inside the thin material. “Great Jove!”
She circled her arms around his head. “Is something amiss, Thomas?”
He gaped at her like a landed trout, but formed no words. Alicia felt scorched by the heat rising within her. Then his lips brushed her nipple through the filmy cloth. The desire within her surged at the intimacy of his touch. She pressed his head against her, much as a mother would hold a nursing babe. His tongue caressed her swollen rosy tip. She gasped with delight as the startling new experience propelled her into an undiscovered sparkling realm.
His eyes glowed with blue fire at her response. He cupped her breast with his palm. She arched under his touch.
“Is something amiss, Alicia?”
“Aye,” she panted. “I think I have caught fire.”
He untied the ribbon that held her shift in place. “You need cooling.” He loosened the material, then took her bared breast once again in his mouth. He suckled her with growing abandon.
Alicia dug her fingers into the padding of his shoulders. “Kiss me, dear heart, or I shall die.”
He released her with a final flick of his tongue on her nipple. Rolling over on his stomach, he bore her backward onto the pillows. His long body imprisoned hers with his passion. “Do not die.” His lips touched hers as he spoke.
Then he claimed her mouth, crushing her to him. The hunger of his kiss thrilled her. She returned it with a reckless abandon. He growled his pleasure.
They rolled on top of a lump under the covers. With a yelp, Taverstock clawed at them through the sheets. Then the little terrier pushed his way out of the bedclothes.
Paying no attention to the dogs, Alicia wrapped her legs around Thomas’s waist The hardness of his arousal pressed against her stomach. His heat drove her to greater heights of desire.
Without warning, Tavie took hold of her shift in his sharp little teeth, and ripped it almost in two. Vixen began to bark. Georgie added his bass tones. All three dogs joined in a chorus of yapping and baying, as they frisked around the couple. Thomas swore under his breath before he heaved himself upright.
“Taverstock!” He picked up the littlest one by the scruff of his neck, and shook him. The dog blinked with surprise. Thomas cast a look of supreme regret at his wife. “I had forgotten we were not alone.”
Barking, Tavie wiggled in his grip.
Still a little dazed by the intensity of her first foray into lovemaking, Alicia gathered together the remains of her nightgown to cover her nakedness. She took a few deep breaths in an effort to control the rapid beating of her heart. Before she could say anything intelligent, someone knocked on the chamber door.
“Good morrow, my lord, my lady,” Andrew chirped through the keyhole. “I have brought hot water for your bath. Master Konrad has already packed a fine picnic for you, and the horses will be saddled within this half an hour. The day promises to be a particularly fine one.”
Thomas glared first at the squirming dog in his hands, then at the door. “Hang you, cur!” he growled at Taverstock. Then he raised his voice to Andrew. “And you, you insolent noisemaker, you can hang, too!”
Andrew merely laughed in reply. Tavie licked Thomas’s nose.
Alicia sighed with regret at the sudden interruption of her seduction. “I see we are outnumbered.”
“Aye,” he agreed. “And outflanked as well. Cover yourself, Alicia. I do not want to give Andrew any more ideas than he already has running around that woolly head of his.” Then he roared, “Come in!”
The squire entered the chamber, leading a procession of servants, who carried the bulky wooden tub and buckets of steaming water. All of them grinned at the bridal couple, and exchanged many a wink at each other. Alicia sank deeper among the pillows as she watched chaos bubble around her. The squire and Audrey, now promoted to lady’s maid, bustled around the chamber with self-important airs as they laid out fresh clothing for their master and mistress.
The line of bucket-bearers seemed never-ending. Alicia suspected that everyone in Wolf Hall used this excuse to catch a glimpse of the newly wedded couple after their first night together. She gripped the sheet tighter under her chin. The dogs added their own accompaniment to the general din by barking and skittering around the servants’ legs. Stokes watched the scene from the doorway with a broad smile on his face.
How disappointed everyone would be if they knew the truth! Alicia cast a quick glance at Thomas. He struggled to appear perfectly calm in spite of his flushed face and his obvious headache. He drew the curtains around the bed, enclosing Alicia within their velvet confines.
When the last of the servants had finished gawking, Andrew pushed everyone, including Audrey and the dogs, out the door, then shut it behind them. With a great deal of merry chatter, he helped Thomas out of his stained wedding finery. Alicia covered her mouth lest they heard her gasp of shock. She had not realized that Andrew meant to strip Thomas to the skin, and bathe him practically under her nose.
‘Tis natural, now that we are man and wife. Everyone thinks we have already seen quite a lot of each other. She pulled the sheet up to her eyes. She could see them through a tiny crack in the curtains at the foot of the bed.
The boy lifted Thomas’s silken shirt over his head. “Did you pass a good night, my lord?” he asked with a wide grin.
Thomas inspected his fingernails. “Tolerable, tolerable,” he muttered. Then he whistled woefully out of tune.
The squire chuckled, then called to Alicia over his shoulder. “Your good husband could never sing, my lady. Pray, never allow him to serenade you.”
She tried to answer him, but all that came
out was a strangled “awk.” She had no breath left to speak. She had never seen Thomas bared to the waist. His body was magnificent. His broad chest and powerful shoulders looked as if they were molded in bronze. Thick muscles rippled across his flat stomach. She felt very light-headed.
Andrew knelt to take off his master’s boots. Then he untied the laces that held up Thomas’s golden tights.
“Oh!” Alicia squeaked, then threw the covers over her head.
“Be quick, stumble-fingers! I grow cold,” Thomas growled.
Huddled under the bedclothes, she strained to hear what happened next. Thomas said nothing, nor did Andrew. She drew up her courage to take another peek. Perhaps they had left the room. Then she heard a great sloshing of water, and realized that Thomas had gotten into the tub that stood on the other side of the drawn bed curtains. He grumbled under his breath.
Curiosity got the better of Alicia’s maidenly virtue. She parted the hangings, so that she could see a little more through the crack. Thomas sat with his back to her, while Andrew scrubbed his master with silent industry. Alicia admired her husband’s back almost as much as she had enjoyed his front She wished it were her hands that roamed over his glistening skin. She shivered at the thought.
The squire poured a bucket of clean water over Thomas’s head. His master reacted with a deep bellow, then shook his long hair. Water droplets flew in all directions. Before she realized what would happen next, he stood up. Water rolled down the hollow of his spine, past his slim hips, and between his tight, flat buttocks.
She stuffed a corner of the sheet into her mouth. Sweet Saint Anne! Her husband was no mere mortal, but some demigod come to earth—and to her.
Andrew handed a large piece of toweling to his master. Thomas threw back his head, as he rubbed the material across his back. Then he turned around, and faced the draped bed.
Alicia nearly choked on the linen wadded in her mouth. She couldn’t help staring at the most private and intriguing part of her husband’s anatomy. “Oh!” she moaned, chewing on the sheet.
Thomas looked up, saw that he had an audience, and turned scarlet—all over. Quickly wrapping the toweling around his middle, he stepped out of the tub. “Take my clothes to the antechamber,” he snapped at Andrew. “My lady needs some privacy.”
He stomped out the door. Andrew followed, but paused long enough to toss a wink at Alicia. She ducked behind the curtains until she heard the door close behind them. Then she lay very still, and listened to her blood pound in her ears.
An hour later, the bridal couple rode out of Wolf Hall. A small retinue accompanied them. Andrew wore his most outrageous cap decorated with many feathers and colorful baubles. Mary, freed for the day from the onus of Mistress Genevieve’s dull lessons, challenged everyone to race with her. The master huntsman carried a prized peregrine falcon on his arm—“just in case we see something,” Thomas explained to Alicia. Audrey perched nervously on a gentle gray mare.
Kip, one of the cook’s boys who was placed in charge of Master Konrad’s lavish picnic, sat astride a sleepy mule behind a half-dozen men-at-arms. He led a second pack animal that was loaded down with provisions, rugs, pillows and other assorted comforts. One of the assistant huntsmen rode ahead of the party, and blew his horn whenever they approached a hamlet, farm or village. With their heads up and tongues hanging out, Taverstock and Georgie ran alongside the horses. Heavy with her litter, Vixen chose to remain at home.
Alicia lifted her face to the sun. The day proved a glorious one with the earth in its fullest summer ripening. In the fields, families harvested hay and wheat. Plump green apples hung heavily from the trees. Hidden birds caroled the party as they trotted along the byways of the vast Cavendish holdings. The sweet-scented breeze banished the last vestiges of Alicia’s marital concerns. She reveled in the cheerful company, especially that of her handsome young husband who rode by her side.
Once past the stone battlements of Wolf Hall, Thomas underwent a transformation—almost as if he had shed a dark, heavy cloak. His serious expression changed into one of boyish enthusiasm when he pointed out his favorite haunts to his wife. He laughed at the slightest provocation, and teased his sister, who gave back as good as she got. He smiled often at Alicia, and constantly asked if she was comfortable, if she was enjoying the ride, if she was thirsty, hungry or tired. Though she was not used to riding a horse, she returned her husband’s smiles, and assured him time and again that she was very comfortable. To herself, she vowed to soak for hours in a hot bath at the day’s end.
At every cottage and humble croft, the tenants waited to do courtesies to their lord and his new lady. Alicia was overwhelmed by the people’s genuine love for their overlord, and the warmth of their welcome to her. At every stop, they were offered something to eat as a token of hospitality: bread and butter at the poorer homes; sharp cheese and blackberry pastries from the more affluent. Their health was toasted with foaming mugs of ale. Alicia suspected that they would never be able to do full justice to Master Konrad’s picnic.
Village children capered beside her horse, and offered her ragged bunches of flowers gathered from the fields. Alicia’s cape soon overflowed with daisies, buttercups, blue cornflowers and red poppies. She was deeply touched by the many little kindnesses showered upon her, as the company progressed over hill and dale.
Women of advanced years used the handsome earl’s visit as an opportunity to kiss his hand, and to be rewarded with a peck on the cheek and a silver penny in return by the red-faced bridegroom. Alicia didn’t blame the old dames one whit. Thomas’s good looks appealed to females of all ages, from six to sixty. She was very lucky to be his wife, she told herself.
At one farmhouse, the children offered Thomas a reed-thin puppy. He dismounted, tossed the horse’s reins to Andrew, then hunkered down in the mud of the stable yard to inspect their furry gift. Georgie helped himself to the water in the horse trough. Tavie stared at the pup with a jealous expression on his face.
Mary nudged her sister-in-law, then pointed to the terrier. “Tom will have a great deal of trouble on his hands, if he takes another dog under his wing.”
Alicia nodded. “For once I agree with Tavie. I am just getting used to three dogs—a fourth might make me lose my wits.”
Holding up the pup, Thomas scrutinized its paws, teeth, legs and joints. “Aye, you have a right fine hound here,” he complimented the three little barefoot girls in front of him.
The eldest bobbed a curtsy. “He is yours—and the lady’s—so please you, my lord.”
Thomas leaned closer to her. “Pray, does this most excellent dog have a name yet?”
The girls looked from one to the other. Then the youngest volunteered, “Da calls him that deuced dog.”
Their father, who stood behind the trio, coughed behind his hand. The men-at-arms chuckled. Thomas managed to keep a straight face though Alicia saw that it was a struggle for him.
“Deuce is a brave name,” he agreed. “Methinks he will make a good hunter when he is grown.”
Alicia glanced at Mary, and whispered, “By my troth, he means to keep it.”
Thomas looked up at his wife, then at Tavie, then he returned his attention to the girls. “Your Deuce is a bit young to follow the pack now. Pray, will you keep him for me until he is half-grown? Then my master of hounds will train him for the chase.”
The little girls nodded with great seriousness. Their father looked taken aback. Alicia suspected the man wanted to be rid of the gaunt animal. Thomas rose, then dug into his pouch, and gave the farmer a gold sovereign. “Methinks this will pay for Deuce’s board with a bit left over to buy these pretty posies of yours a few fripperies. Do not forget your good wife, my man. I have recently discovered that wives cherish a loving gift or two.” He grinned at Alicia.
With a laugh on her lips and a fluttering in her heart, she acknowledged his salute.
The farmer smiled broadly as he fingered the gold coin in his hand. “‘Twill be as ye say, my lord,” he
promised.
Thomas remounted Silver Charm. With many a wave, they continued on their progress.
Once out of sight of the farm, Alicia leaned over her pommel, and said, “I am right glad you did not add Deuce to our family circle.” ,
He nodded. “Aye, our bed is crowded enough as it is,” he replied in a low voice.
She blushed to remember the early morning’s debacle. Thomas reached over, took her hand, and kissed it.
Her skin sizzled where his lips touched. She struggled to maintain her composure. “You treated the children well.”
He grew serious. “‘Twas little enough for them, poor poppets. The children look healthy in the summertime, but when the winter winds howl down from the north, they suffer with coughs and fevers. Their parents almost lost the youngest last year. When the girls are a little older, I plan to take them into service at the Hall—with your permission, of course.”
His concern for this poor family touched Alicia more deeply than she had expected. “Aye, the girls will enliven our hearth with their sweetness.”
He wiggled his brows at her. “More likely they will enliven the pot boys to lusty thoughts. Have to watch that.” After kissing her hand again, he accepted Mary’s challenge to race to the far side of the nearby meadow.
Alicia reined in her horse, and watched her husband and his gray charger dash across the waving grasses dotted with colorful wildflowers.
What a wonderful father Thomas will make—if I can ever get him into bed without those deuced dogs!
Flash and Demon stood by their horses under the cover of the forest that edged the meadow. They watched the Earl of Thornbury gallop after a flaxen-hair chit on a white palfrey.
“He is a monstrous brute,” Demon observed.
Flash shrugged. “Aye, but ‘tis his wench we want” Shading his eyes, he peered across the grassy expanse at the tall woman who watched her husband’s progress. “She is a match to him. Methinks she is a head taller than you, Demon.” He cuffed his associate on the shoulder.
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