It would do no good to make either of them miserable.
“We will,” he said after a moment. “But I dunna think this is the right time for it. My cottage is not appropriately clean for a woman and I am not so eager tae bed ye that I would do it just anywhere. I want it tae be a moment of discovery and hopefully even pleasure for both of us. Now, if ye disagree, then I’ll take ye over tae my cottage at this very moment and get it over with, as ye’ve said. If it means nothing more tae ye than that, then we’ll go ahead with it.”
She gazed at him, her expression full of confusion. “But… it is not meant for discovery or pleasure,” she said. “Is it? I’ve been married before and, I assure you, there was no discovery and certainly no pleasure. It was uncomfortable and painful and… What more is there to it?”
He could see the bewilderment, and given she’d married an old man who had more than likely not taken any time with her, no tenderness or joy, she knew nothing else. She knew a duty and nothing more.
It was his job to show her the possibilities.
“Thereisa good deal more,” he muttered. “I am sorry yer husband never showed ye that, but ye have a new husband now and, God willing, yer last. I will show ye what more there is tae it and I promise ye’ll like it. And we start by giving the duty the respect it deserves—in a clean bed in our home. But if that’s not something that appeals tae ye, just say so. I dunna have tae be kind or gentle about it. I can treat it like a duty if ye wish.”
There was something hard in his voice as he spoke. Astria could hear it. His expression suggested that he wanted to be kind and considerate, but something in his eyes was… defensive. As if the man didn’t want to be hurt. Truth be told, she didn’t want to be hurt, either.
Her guard went down, just a little.
“That is all I know of it,” she murmured. “I was not trying to be harsh about it, but truthfully, that is all I know of it. If there is something more to it… I would like to know.”
“Are ye at least willing tae trust me?”
“Without question.”
She said it with no hesitation at all, which made him feel better about the situation as a whole. Perhaps all wasn’t lost. Perhaps she wasn’t lost.
Perhaps he could change her opinion after all.
“Then let Athdara and Lisi help ye with the cottage,” he said. “I have a class waiting for me, but I’ll return tae ye, I promise.”
The warmth was back in his tone and it somehow did her heart good to hear it. She hardly knew the man, but she was quickly coming to know him, and she was most definitely learning how he made her feel.
Good.
“As you wish,” she said. “I will do all I can to ensure you have a pleasant home to return to.”
He gave her lopsided smile. Then he bent over and kissed her on the cheek before turning to Athdara and Elisiana.
“I leave her in yer care, ladies,” he said. “I’ll return later.”
With that, he headed off toward the end of the village, where there was another road and big stables in the distance. Astria watched him go, still feeling that kiss, not even realizing that Athdara and Elisiana had crept up on either side of her, watching him go too.
“Come along, Lady Matheson,” Elisiana said, reaching out to take her hand. “We have a big day ahead of us.”
Astria let the woman pull her along. Athdara was calling to the boys, who were still running around, falling down and then piling on each other like puppies. But Astria wasn’t paying any attention to the children. Her focus, her thoughts, were on the big Scotsman she’d just married, intrigued that he should be so concerned about the consummation of their marriage.
Perhaps that was a good thing.
She was about to have a baptism by fire at the Blackchurch Guild.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“We’ve delivered thebride,” Declan said, yawning. “Why do we remain? We should be heading back tae Combwich and our vessels. We’re not getting rich lingering at this place, are we?”
He had a group of men cheering behind him, the same men who had spent the night in the encampment behind the Black Cock and the same men who had been told not to raid the village. The problem was that there were almost two hundred of them and they outnumbered the villagers, but add the Blackchurch army and they would be decimated. That was the only thing keeping them from giving in to their normal pirate behavior.
Annihilation.
It was a fine line that Maude was walking.
“You stole enough on our way here that ye are amply supplied with food, horses, and anything of value from here tae Combwich,” she said loudly. “We’ll leave when I say we’ll leave.”
