Philip's Rules (Bridal Discipline Book 1)

by Golden Angel

  As he caressed her, kissing her lightly from brow to lips, and stroked her hair, Cordelia smiled dreamily and reflected that it would be very, very easy to fall in love with her husband.

  ******

  Although Philip would have liked to spend the entire afternoon cuddling and showering affection on his wife, he'd reluctantly let her up and sent her on her way. She had her own responsibilities around the house to take care of, after spending the morning shopping and then being disciplined, and he had his. It was amazing how much he'd enjoyed having her on his lap, doing nothing more than kissing and touching. Even more delightful had been her occasional wriggles when her sore bottom pressed too firmly against his thigh.

  Other than Gabrielle's spoiled antics and Cordelia's insecurities when it came to dealing with them, Philip was already feeling quite happy in his marriage. It still bothered him a bit that Cordelia hadn't realized she now reigned supreme in the household. Had it just been old habits, or had she somehow thought he would follow in the way of her late husband and support Gabrielle?

  Hopefully, either way, she now knew that misbehavior on Gabrielle's part should not be tolerated.

  After Cordelia had left, he'd summoned Bonnie to his study. The maid was quick-witted and had kept an accounting of every item Cordelia had desired but discarded in order to cater to Gabrielle's demands. The full list made him frown. Because of the scene in the foyer, Bonnie hadn't been able to give him more than a sketchy report when the ladies had first returned from their jaunt. Seeing the list of dresses and accouterments that Cordelia had given up for Gabrielle's greed only worried him further.

  She truly was willing to go to great lengths of selflessness in order to appease others. Yes, her submissive nature was part of what had drawn her to him in the first place, but now that he was her husband, it was up to him to protect her from allowing that nature to be taken advantage of. Obviously, Gabrielle was quite used to doing so and Cordelia was accustomed to allowing it. Would she be able to adjust and begin to value herself more and squelch Gabrielle's pretensions?

  Well, if she couldn't do it herself, Philip would assist her.

  And she'd have a very sore bottom to keep her mindful of the consequences, should she forget to put herself first.

  ******

  That evening, Gabrielle ate in her room and Philip and Cordelia dined together alone. It was an option that would not be available to them very soon, as the Season would start in earnest the next week, and all of them would be expected to attend any number of formal dinners, balls, routs, and other events as Gabrielle debuted. The ton would also expect to see the Marchioness of Dunbury, in her new position, so they could gawk and gossip. Of course, if Cordelia didn't sally forth, the gossip would be ten times worse.

  Philip was comforted by knowing his cousins Hugh and Eleanor were in town; his family and his friends would be supportive of Cordelia. The feelings of protectiveness over her wouldn't allow him to let her loose into Society alone either. It wasn't fashionable for a husband to dance attendance on his wife, in fact many considered it unseemly, but he was caring less and less about that. Originally, he'd planned to let Lady Irving and Eleanor steer Cordelia's introduction to the ton and be her guards. His presence would only incite more gossip and speculation, as well as occasional disparagement by those who thought husbands and wives should be separated in public. Most of those were the high-steppers, the most snobbish of Society.

  He hadn't wanted to subject Cordelia to their scrutiny or to those who would sneer at his disregard for conventions. Of course, he'd noted that Hugh, Edwin, and their friends, and to a lesser degree, Irving, didn't heed that stricture, but their relationships were already well established and their wives all had a large support system around them. Cordelia had no one but his friends and family, and him.

  The urge to be near her was becoming stronger every day - every hour. Just seeing her smile made him want to slay dragons. Watching her sit down gingerly in her chair at the table made him want to carry her off to the bedroom. The idea that any other man might approach her with either of those thoughts in his head... well it was just another reason why he was already changing his planned approach to their foray into Society.

  After all, newlyweds were always granted some leniency, even by the highest sticklers, and there was a certain cachet to a woman whose husband only had eyes for her. Philip knew he was not the type to cause his wife pain by straying - he'd seen far too many marriages torn asunder by the keeping of a mistress, including his own parents' - but it hadn't occurred to him that he wouldn't even feel tempted. Then again, those men who vaunted their affairs or had a woman on the side were also the ones who said finding happiness in marriage was a myth.

  Hugh and Edwin said differently, as did their friends Spencer and Brooke. Although Philip had only just become acquainted with Irving and his wife, it was clear that there was true affection and happiness there as well. As far as he knew, Irving had never had a mistress either.

  Now, married to Cordelia, Philip completely understood. Why would he want another woman's bed when he could have Cordelia in his? While other women might be attractive, while they might be beautiful, his interest in finding out what they'd look like unclothed or wracked with passion had waned. He knew what Cordelia looked like and he wanted to see it again and again and again.

  Without Gabrielle's presence, the meal was highly enjoyable. Despite the fact that she was sitting gingerly, Cordelia blossomed during their conversation. They shared tidbits about their childhoods, and Philip learned that his wife loved horses but had never really learned to ride. He immediately offered to take her out once she was able to sit more comfortably, and the beaming expression on her face was reward in and of itself.

  Strangely, London was the perfect place for Cordelia to learn how to ride. While Hyde Park was the only location for riding, ladies were expected to keep their horses' paces at a walk the whole time. More advanced riders, such as his cousin Eleanor, chafed at the restrictions, but for Cordelia it would be perfect.

  It occurred to him that Gabrielle would benefit from similar lessons. Although she had the usual skills of a debutante - water colors, embroidery, and he assumed she had some kind of musical talent (although "talent" was a bit of a stretch when it came to the competency level of most young ladies) - most gentlemen weren't interested in such pursuits. He'd always wondered why all young ladies were expected to learn them, and expound on them, when such conversations sent most men running. The logic behind impressing such skills on every debutante remained one of the great mysteries about women. If he wanted Gabrielle to find a husband faster, riding would be a necessary skill to learn. And he knew that both ladies had riding habits, even if they lacked much experience.

  However, he didn't feel up to escorting two novice riders around the park, especially as he still didn't trust Gabrielle not to cause mischief. Granted, with her inexperience, she could be an issue even without meaning to.

  Perhaps his cousins would be willing to accompany them on some rides, and he could always enlist Felix if need be.

  Either way, he looked forward to sharing that part of his life with Cordelia. They were more than compatible in the bedroom, but he truly enjoyed her company outside of it as well. He was sure she was beginning to look at him with true affection also, and not just the gratefulness that came from being rescued from her situation. Although that appreciation had been more than enough to satisfy him originally, he found himself wanting to be more to her than just a white knight. He hadn't even thought about it before, because being her protector seemed enough, but something had changed, and now it wasn't. He wanted to be more than that to her.

  ******

  Utterly thrilled that Philip was willing to teach her to ride, Cordelia didn't even care how sore her bottom was. She knew riding was important to him, and she wasn't a very good horsewoman. He’d seemed very pleased when she’d shown interest, and, as she'd always loved horses even though she didn't have much experience
with them, it certainly was no hardship on her part.

  Of course, that would have to wait until she was no longer squirming when she sat.

  Every time she wriggled in her seat, Philip would give her a knowing look, and she would blush hotly. It was strange how something like a sore bottom could make her feel so loved and cared about, cherished even.

  It didn't even surprise her when Philip announced his intention to retire, as soon as dinner was over. She blushed, as she agreed to join him, immediately.

  That night, he made wonderful, glorious love to her, kissing and caressing her all over until he finally plunged inside of her and they moved together to an intense climax. Snuggling in his arms afterwards, only wincing every now and then as her sensitive cheeks rubbed against the sheets, Cordelia was sublimely happy.

  Chapter 7

  At breakfast, Gabrielle flounced into the room and then glared at Philip. Meeting her gaze mildly, he wasn't surprised when her angry stare lost its fire after just a few seconds and her eyes darted away. Pursing her lips, she moved towards the buffet, where the food was laid out, as Cordelia watched her with a bit of concern. Seeing that, Philip knew he would never understand, nor fail to appreciate, how big his wife's heart was. Even now, she was worrying over Gabrielle, despite the chit's antics the day before.

  Speaking of which...

  Trevalen, his butler, came into the dining room and gave Cordelia and Philip a quick bow. "Good morning, my lord, your packages have arrived."

  "Very good," Philip said, setting down his newspaper. "Please bring them here."

  "Packages? You ordered something?" Cordelia asked, looking confused. Dressed in a soft, blue, muslin day dress, she was sitting a little more comfortably than she had been the night before. She set aside the invitations she'd been going through as she looked at Philip.

  "You'll see," he said, a mischievous grin moving across his face. Normally, he wouldn’t have packages delivered at breakfast, but these were special. And not for him.

  At the other end of the table, Gabrielle was frowning as she set down her plate and settled into her seat. Philip saw her wince as her bottom met the chair, despite the fact that she'd sat down as normally as she could. He assumed she was pretending yesterday's spanking hadn't affected her at all. Apparently, she was feeling rebellious again today.

  Well, if need be, they'd repeat the lesson.

  As if she could read his thoughts, Gabrielle averted her eyes and applied herself to her breakfast. Philip smiled his approval, even though she couldn't see it.

  A few moments later, Trevalen returned to the room, leading a small processional of footmen carrying various boxes. Unable to pretend disinterest, Gabrielle watched, her eyes growing wide with astonishment as the footmen all presented their packages to Cordelia, laying them next to her place at the table, before leaving the room. Next to the large pile, Cordelia sat with her mouth hanging open, good manners completely forgotten.

  As the last footman relieved himself of his burden, her head swung around and she stared at Philip. He took a sip of coffee to cover his smile.

  "What... what is this?" she asked faintly, confusion and uncertainty evident on her face and in her voice. Once again, Philip had reason to curse her late husband for his ineptitude in bolstering Cordelia's confidence. She shouldn't be so shocked at presents, nor should she have any reason to doubt that they were for her.

  Putting down his coffee cup, Philip leaned over and brushed his fingers over her hand. Feeling her slight tremor made him want to frown, but he smiled instead, not wanting to cause her any anxiety.

  "Think of it as a token of my affection, sweetheart. Now open them and let's see what's inside."

  As a tremulous smile appeared on her face, her eyes took on a watery sheen, but the sheer gratitude in them made his own returning smile completely sincere. Whatever lack her first husband had left in his treatment of Cordelia, Philip had no qualms about making up for it.

  ******

  Even though sitting at the breakfast table wasn't entirely comfortable, wild horses couldn't drag Cordelia away right now. Her heart almost hurt, it felt so full to bursting as she looked over the packages that the footmen had brought in. She recognized the names of the shops that she and Gabrielle had visited yesterday, but she couldn't quite believe that...

  But there was only one way to find out.

  With trembling hands, she lifted the closest package and set it in front of her, opening the pretty red and cream striped box. Inside was a pair of ivory, lambskin gloves that she'd wanted to buy yesterday but had put aside when she'd realized how much Gabrielle was purchasing. They were so soft and buttery, and had a gorgeous scalloped edge; the nicest gloves she'd ever touched. Her mouth dropped open, and one of the tears she'd been trying to hold back slid onto her cheek.

  Immediately, she dashed it away. She couldn't even look at Philip, all she could do was stare at the gloves in the box, completely flummoxed.

  His hand reached out and touched hers. "Keep going darling, there's quite a bit more."

  Silently, Cordelia reached for the next box. And the next. And the next.

  Gloves. Stockings. Fans. Reticules. Lace. Ribbons. Boots. By the third box she didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. She was so overwhelmed, so consumed with joy and touched at Philip's thoughtfulness... every single item she'd admired, but ultimately decided to buy at a later date when she'd realized how much Gabrielle was spending, was now in her possession. The maid that had gone with them must have made note of all the items Cordelia had desired but hadn't bought.

  Somehow, Philip had purchased all of them for her, so she didn't have to go without.

  As she opened the last package, pulling out a gorgeous, peacock blue parasol, Gabrielle jumped up from the table and ran out of the room. For once, Cordelia didn't have even the slightest impulse to follow her stepdaughter and smooth things over. She could do that later. Right now, it was more important that Philip knew exactly how wonderful she thought he was.

  Unfortunately, she couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She just looked at him, opened her lips and her tears started to spill down her cheeks like a waterfall.

  "Oh, sweetheart," he murmured, quickly standing.

  Cordelia found herself swept up into his arms; he cradled her almost like a child as he sat down in her chair with her on his lap. Her bottom protested a bit as she settled against his hard thigh, but the discomfort was barely noticeable against her emotional onslaught. It wasn't the money he'd spent on her which had caused her reaction, it was the incredible thoughtfulness of it. Not only had he spanked her for allowing Gabrielle to flatten her during the shopping trip yesterday, but made sure she had everything that she'd wanted.

  "Thank - you-" she managed to stammer out as she clutched at the front of his shirt, practically sobbing. Philip had already been her white knight, the man who'd saved her from having to succumb to the new Baron's advances or another man's indecent proposition; now she felt like he was even more than that. She was safe, under his roof, perfectly protected, and there had been no reason for this gesture. In fact, if he'd truly wanted to teach her a lesson about allowing Gabrielle to overspend, making her go without the things she'd wanted for a while longer would have been perfectly reasonable.

  Instead, he'd provided all of it for her.

  As he held her, he made soothing noises, and Cordelia felt awful for crying on him when he'd been so incredibly wonderful. It didn't seem to bother him at all though, and as her tears finally dried up, Philip tipped her head back and brushed his lips across hers.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered, mortified by her utter loss of control. It was the same as the night before, when he'd spanked her, and all of her emotions that had been held in for so long had drained out of her; although, now it was more as though the bulwarks that she'd had in place were gone after that experience. It had been impossible to hide her emotions from him, both then and now.

  "No harm done, love," he said gently, brushing so
me of the wetness from her face with her napkin. She smiled a bit crookedly at him. A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. "Do you not like your gifts? Do you want me to send everything back?"

  "No, I love them!" she cried out, sliding her hands around his neck and pulling him into a hug. Her wet cheek pressed against his as she whispered in his ear. "I love them. Thank you. Just - thank you."

  "Perhaps, later, I'll show you how you can show me your appreciation," Philip murmured in her ear, his hands sliding down her back in a way that made her shiver. His hands cupped her bottom, sparking a heat inside of her and making it clear that whatever he had in mind, it had to do with their bedroom activities.

  Breath caught in her throat, Cordelia nodded. He turned his head slightly and pressed his lips to her skin, just above the collar of her dress, and the little spot tingled. Then he pulled away and stood up, gently setting her on her feet. Cordelia clung to him for a moment, her hands on his chest, his on her waist, as he smiled down at her.

  "I have some matters to attend to this morning," he said, his fingers stroking her hips through her gown. "But I would like to take you and Gabrielle for a ride in Hyde Park this afternoon."

  "On horseback?" Although she wanted to ride, Cordelia wasn't sure if she was up for a test of her riding skills so quickly.

  "No, the landau for today. The park is too crowded in the afternoon for any riding lessons; that will have to be a morning activity. Perhaps tomorrow?"

  Cordelia nodded, tilting her head back for another kiss from her husband. It struck her, as his lips descended, how very brazen she'd become in just a few days as Philip's wife! She would have never dared touch her first husband in so casual a manner; pressing her hands up against his body or practically requesting a kiss with her mannerisms. Not that her first husband had ever kissed her after their wedding ceremony. Even when he'd come to visit her bedchamber, he hadn't put his lips to hers. Being Philip's wife was so very different that her previous marriage, and the past few years following the Baron’s death, seemed almost like a very bad dream.