Wasn’t it just yesterday she and her mother had been planning what to wear, what type of refreshments to serve, and accepting RSVPs? Now Cecile stood at the top of the stairs, holding a small bouquet of flowers, and awaiting her cue to descend and join her groom.
The downstairs bustled with greetings to arriving guests, and she could barely contain her excitement. In a few minutes she would actually be a married woman. Her shoulders ached from holding herself so rigidly. Giving a quick shrug of each and turning her head from side to side, she sought relaxation. For as long as she could remember, she’d fantasized about her own wedding, and today those dreams were coming true.
Finally, when all guests were seated, her mother motioned to her. Everyone turned their face to Cecile as she made her way downstairs and into the parlour, taking her father’s arm and joining her handsome groom. Walt’s smile broadened when he gazed at her, but she was almost certain tears welled in his eyes. Reaching down, she clasped his hand and gave it a squeeze.
In her ivory dress trimmed with lace and bows, small flowers woven through her hair, Cecile felt radiant. The proud look on Walt’s face told her he approved. He looked dashing in his new store-bought suit, standing with wide shoulders squared, vowing to love and cherish her until death parted them. The moment the pastor announced them man and wife, her breath seized with joy, and she anxiously leaned forward to meet Walt’s lips.
Her father cleared his throat, obviously letting his daughter know the kiss that sealed the wedding vows lasted far beyond what he considered proper. She stifled a giggle, when with a sideways glance, she saw her mother elbow him.
The couple left the makeshift altar and accepted congratulations from friends and relatives. Light refreshments were served and a few gifts offered. Walt cut each conversation short. With so much to do to get their new home ready before winter, he had planned for them to leave immediately after the ceremony. Cecile felt rushed, yet eager to start her new life as Mrs. Walt Williams. She wasn’t even sure what kind of home would greet her, but he seemed so excited, surely the house was beautiful.
Aunt May had prepared a basket lunch for them to share on their journey. As she handed it to Walt, she swiped at the tears running down her aging cheeks. He gathered her into his arms and squeezed her, once again thanking her for helping to make his dream of owning land come true.
A quick embrace of Cecile’s mother and a handshake with her father, and Walt hurried outside, seeing to the wagon. Before the wedding, he had packed as many of Cecile’s belongings that space allowed, and now he had to cram in the wedding gifts and the odds and ends his new mother-in-law kept insisting would be needed. Cecile and the guests emptied out into the front yard.
The newlyweds said their final goodbyes to friends and family. With things happening so fast, Cecile’s head spun. Hard to believe she was actually a married woman on her way to a home she’d never seen. And her poor mother couldn’t stop her flowing tears. This would be the first time since Cecile’s birth they’d be apart.
Mother’s face showed the pain parting caused her. Cecile hoped her own excitement and happiness would lighten the mood and bring happiness to everyone. She didn’t want to cry on her wedding day, but when her mother hugged her and reminded her to be the best wife she could, Cecile blinked back tears.
“Don’t worry, Mother,” Cecile said, her voice cracking. “I’ll remember to do my best. You’ve been a wonderful wife and mother and I hope I can make Walt as happy as you make Father.”
Walt lifted Cecile onto the wagon seat and climbed up beside her. Strangers though they were, her mother and Walt’s aunt clung to one other for support as they called out one last tearful goodbye. With a snap of the reins, the wagon lurched forward, and as it slowly creaked past the last building, Cecile stopped waving and turned to look forward, toward her new life.
Walt’s chattering began and continued as the wagon slugged across the vast emptiness of the prairie. He talked about their new home, the rolling hills surrounding it, the nearby lake, and his plans for expanding the house. He’d seen the land, found it for sale, and decided it was where he wanted to settle down.
“We’re all set. The money has been wired to the bank, the sale has taken place, and it all actually belongs to us.” His azure eyes sparkled with happiness.
He rattled on about buying a small herd of cattle, horses, and other farm animals. “And I plan on having children... lots of children,” he added.
His excitement was contagious. She envisioned it all. But children! She simply smiled, stunned at his declaration. For heaven sakes, they hadn’t even shared a bed yet.
The thought of the inevitable niggled at her. Intimacy was part of her role as wife, but she found it hard to put things into perspective when she had yet to get beyond her first experience with lovemaking. She brushed aside the growing apprehension and tried to concentrate on the vividly colored wildflowers intertwined with the prairie grass. Walt finally ceased his constant chattering and hummed over the sound of the creaking wheels.
When the sun dipped low in the sky, he halted the wagon at a stream, next to a lone oak with large spreading branches. The farther they traveled from Silver City, the more scarce trees and shrubs became. The land resembled an artist’s palette; rich in colors but, like an unfinished painting, devoid of anything to give her clues as to what to expect.
Cecile clambered down, welcoming the opportunity to stretch her legs and give her behind a well-deserved rest from the uncomfortably hard wagon seat. She explored the area downstream while Walt watered the team at a wide spot near the grassy bank.
The soothing sound of running water beckoned her, and she knelt in the grass and dipped her fingers into it. Beyond her fading reflection she gazed at the myriad of stones and pebbles long ago polished smooth by deeper and faster running water. While fingering one, she thought of all the things for which she was thankful, the primary being water to wash up for her wedding night. She rose and joined Walt and the horses in the walk back to the wagon.
While he searched the perimeter of the camp for fuel to build the evening fire, Cecile spread the checkered cloth from Aunt May’s basket on the ground and laid out the food she had provided. The newlyweds sat next to the blossoming fire and enjoyed their first meal as husband and wife.
Impending ‘bedtime’ was all Cecile thought about. She had mixed feelings. Her stomach twisted in a knot. What would lovemaking be like? Would it hurt? She’d heard it did.
Intimacy wasn’t something people openly discussed, so she really had no idea what to expect. Bits and pieces of conversations she’d overheard between married women at various socials sounded conflicting. Some liked sleeping with a man, some didn’t. Anything remotely close to intimacy was not something her mother talked about, so what little Cecile knew, or thought she knew about the mating ritual, she learned from gossip.
She tried to concentrate on eating, but her nervous stomach churned each time she swallowed a bite of bread. She pushed on her tummy and took a deep, calming breath as Walt hungrily devoured his sandwich. If he was nervous, he certainly didn’t show it. Tonight would either prove or disprove the questions in her mind, and she really hoped the love she felt for her new husband along with his patient demeanor would sustain her.
“Cece, wait till you see the place.” Walt broke the silence. “You’ll love it. I can’t wait to get started fixing it up. I’ll bet you’re as excited as I am, aren’t you? Well, aren’t you? Cecile…!” He snapped his fingers.
Her thoughts had wandered and she hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation. Had she missed something important? She smiled and nodded as if she hadn’t.
“Wait till you see all the animals we’ll have. Sure, we have a lot to do…repairs, cleaning, planting…mostly repairs before winter. We don’t want to freeze to death.” He laughed while eating one of Aunt May’s raisin cookies.
“No we don’t.” She couldn’t quite get an image of her new home in her mind. His descriptions we
re vague, to say the least.
The flames dwindled. Walt got the bedroll from under the seat and began preparing their marriage bed. Before spreading the blankets out underneath the shelter of the wagon, he cleared away pebbles and stones.
Cecile took her valise and ventured back to the stream to wash away the prairie dust. Overcome by modesty, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Walt was occupied and not watching. She quickly undressed and lathered as much of her body as possible with a small bar of lye soap. The cool water invigorated her while the harsh aroma replaced the musty smell of a prairie traveler. Thank goodness she had some lavender-scented toilet water with her.
While she performed her toilette, Walt hummed as he went about the task at hand. She imagined what thoughts caused him to be so happy, and goose bumps formed on her wet skin. Was she cold or scared? Regardless, she found herself revitalized by the feeling of cleanliness, and, although apprehensive, his humming brought her a warm, comfortable feeling. She pulled her hairbrush from her bag and drew the bristles through her tresses the usual one hundred nightly strokes.
Strangely, feeling less nervous she returned to the camp clad in the nightdress that was a last minute purchase from the mercantile. Its combination of ribbons and lace conveyed the very image of femininity she wanted to portray to her new husband. She stepped to the fire, just a few feet from where he sat.
His gaze rose to meet her; his eyes widened. Cecile realized the fire shone enough to reveal her nakedness beneath her gown. A flush crept up her neck.
“You look like an angel.” He rose, took her hand, and led her toward the pallet of blankets. “I wish our first night together could be in a clean, comfortable bed, but I suppose that isn’t as important as being together and in love.”
She crawled beneath the wagon. Her fleeting sense of calmness departed and a nervous knot formed in her stomach.
Walt peeled off his clothing and joined her, tugging the blankets up around them. As her anxiety grew, her heart pounded. What, if anything, was she expected to do? She didn’t have a clue, and hoped he’d tell her. Even so far from the flames, her face grew uncomfortably warm.
He took her in his arms and pulled her close against him, covering her face with kisses. He bussed her eyes and nose, and then covered her lips with his in a deep and probing exploration that stirred the embers of her soul. Reaching under her gown, he moved his hands over her body—stroking and caressing every inch of her. Such familiar touching of private places made her stiffen in resistance, but the trail of warmth left by his fingers and the sweet taste of his mouth coaxed her surrender.
The urgency to respond in some manner replaced the tension in Cecile’s body. Her hand drifted to his upper torso to feel the muscles she'd previously admired only through his clothing. Her fingers played with the soft downy fur on his chest, then drifted down to feel the tautness of his stomach. Touching him in such a bold manner excited her.
Her lips melded with his, and when he sucked her tongue between his teeth, an odd sensation developed in an area far removed from her mouth. She clenched her legs together, trying to capture the tingly feeling and hold onto it.
Walt rolled her onto her back, insinuated one of his legs between hers, and moved them apart. He tugged on her nightdress, pulling it over her head so that no barrier stood between them. The feel of his bare skin excited her as he slid down her body and captured a nipple in his mouth. He gently nipped at the erect nub, rolling his tongue around and around its edges. She couldn’t believe that kisses in one place raised such wonderful feelings in others.
His mouth trailed across to her other breast, and emitting a throaty moan, she entwined her fingers in his thick hair. Closing her eyes to relish the new sensations, she found herself pulled deeper and deeper into the drowning pool of ecstasy… until she wrenched back to reality the moment his hardened member probed against her most private part.
Walt situated himself above her, paused for a moment, and then plunged into her. Encompassed in burning pain, Cecile whimpered.
“Are you all right? I’ll stop if you want.” He ceased moving.
The pain subsided. “I’m fine now,” she whispered. “Teach me how to please you.” Drawn by instincts she’d never experienced, she thrust her hips upward, urging him to continue. She moved her body in rhythm with his until their growing passion turned into an indescribable feeling of pleasure.
She arched to take in every bit of his pulsing organ, begging him to fill her completely, while her fingernails raked across his naked back. The way her inexperienced body reacted to his touch amazed her, and caused her every breath to come faster and faster until she found herself caught in a swift moving current of passion. With bodies interlocked, she rode with him to calm waters.
***
They woke almost simultaneously. The bright morning sun shining in their eyes made sleeping no longer possible. Cecile rolled in the opposite direction to escape the orb’s harsh glare, her movement causing burning and soreness between her legs. The discomfort verified that last night had not been a dream, but very real, and her painful reaction to merely shifting her weight worried her. Was it normal?
She slowly rolled onto her back, but the blankets didn’t move with her. The cool morning air chilled her and made her nakedness apparent. Her mind spun, trying to figure out how to get to her clothes without an uncomfortable display of nudity in broad daylight.
Walt pulled her close in an embracing cuddle. “I never knew loving someone could be this exciting. Last night was wonderful.” He heaved a contented sigh.
Recalling the events of the evening sent a warming flush up her neck and stirred a mix of emotions. Last night she'd let him command her body, touch every inch of her, and now she feared being seen unclothed. How prudish was that? And making love did hurt like she'd heard, but then, after the pain… how did one describe that wonderful feeling? She smiled up at him, loving him even more now than yesterday.
“I know last night wasn’t all pleasure for you,” he said, gazing into her eyes, reading her thoughts, “but from now on it won’t hurt as much. It’ll be better, just wait and see.”
Words failed her. How could she explain these newfound feelings to him when she didn’t understand them herself? But, she'd figured out one thing. It was morning and already she looked forward to sunset. She raised a brow. Did that make her a wanton woman?
Cecile closed her eyes and enjoyed the comfort of his embrace, but a full bladder nagged her for relief. Modestly, she pulled the blanket around her and stood, then glanced down. Her mouth gaped. By taking the cover, she bared Walt to the world. There he lay, naked as a jay bird, but it didn’t seem to faze him. His arm shielded his eyes from the sun and he had obviously fallen back to sleep.
She averted her gaze. Why was nudity such a problem? He was her husband, after all. But until last night she'd never even seen anyone else naked, and the experience was quite incredible, she had to admit. She stole another peek, pondering the difference in his… in his... manhood. Despite seeing horses and cows mate, she never guessed that something on a man’s body could grow to such lengths. Her husband was truly amazing.
Wrapped in the blanket, she waddled off to find a secluded place to relieve herself. Sharing her body was one thing, but there were still some tasks one needed to attend to in private.
She returned to Walt’s humming. He seemed even happier than before as he rolled up the bedding, re-packed the wagon, and hitched up the horses. Cecile took her clothes and washed and dressed by the stream, then climbed aboard the wagon for the next leg of the journey. She tucked her folded blanket under the seat with the others.
As Walt walked around making sure everything was secure, she recalled her wedding night, thankful to have gotten past her first physical encounter. “Mrs. Walt Williams,” she whispered, trying out her new name. “I’m really Mrs. Walt Williams.”
Walt climbed aboard and sat next to her, patting her knee and giving her a warm smile before urging the horse
s onward. She gazed at the cloudless blue sky and tried again to picture her new home, but to no avail. As the wheels began to turn, the wagon pitched forward, almost unseating her. She grabbed onto Walt’s arm to steady herself. She prickled with excitement to finally lay the mystery about her husband’s ranch to rest.
“We’ll be home in another two or three days,” he said, as if reading her mind.
With a smile, she breathed a sigh of relief. Home! Her new home, her new life with her new husband. What could be more exciting than that?
The sun climbed higher in the sky and the day grew warmer. She reached behind the seat and grabbed her bonnet. In her mind, she heard her mother‘s voice. “If you don’t cover your head, you’re going to end up with ugly freckles on your face.”
***
Walt was right, the next night of sharing one another’s body felt even better. With only a momentary twinge of pain, Cecile reveled in feelings she never knew possible. Once she reached a certain point, letting him take control of her body seemed as natural as breathing. It just didn’t make sense that when the moment passed, she reverted to her prim and proper ways. Her lack of experience kept her on edge—not knowing for sure what she should do or where she should touch him. She wanted to bring the same pleasure to him that he gave her. She had no doubt that given time she’d learn. Walt was a great teacher.
Despite her nighttime rewards, the days seemed as endless as the prairie they crossed. There was nothing to look at and little to say. Her back and legs ached from balancing on the wagon seat, and her hands had splinters from holding onto the worn wooden sides. Her patience wore thin.
“Well, Cece,” Walt said, breaking the silence, “over that next rise is our new home.” Pride filled his voice.
Destiny's Bride Page 4
