Her cheeks grew red as she smiled and looked down.
“I do hope you have been able to assert your wishes to her in a delicate manner,” he said.
“I have and I believe we have come to a perfect marriage of our styles.”
“I am glad to hear it and am off for my final fitting with the tailor,” he said and then reached for her hand. He kissed it and said, “Tomorrow you and I will be wed, and we shall be the focus of much attention. But once that has passed, our life will be much like we experienced in my home. I do believe that is agreeable to you.”
“It is very agreeable to me, my lord. I enjoyed your home far more than this lavishness. But I do not wish to offend my friend.”
“I agree. Now to one other matter,” he said and leaned in close to her ear. His hot breath sent a decadent shiver down her body.
“And what is that?” she asked a little breathless at his nearness.
“I cannot wait to hear you call my name when I bring you pleasure.”
With that and leaving her a little unsteady on her feet, he grinned as he walked back to his horse and mounted. He took his time riding to the tailor’s to enjoy the moment and not let the whole urgency of planning and making the wedding occur so quickly offset the gravity of what he was about to do.
All doubt had now passed out of him. He was more certain of this decision than any other in his life, right to the very fiber of his being.
His only regret was that his family would not bear witness, and he had no idea if Alain had decided to await his return or leave entirely. He prayed it was not the latter for he wanted to sit with him and Jean and work out their intentions and see how he could support them.
But if Alain had left, he would not blame him, and he would accept any decision Jean made for her own future. In the spirit of his own happiness with his situation, he found himself wanting the same perfect match for those he cared about as well.
And Marion was his perfect match. In every way. He shifted on his horse at the thought of her writhing beneath him as he would pleasure her. He had to push those thoughts away if he was to get through the remainder of this day and evening.
As he arrived at the tailor’s, he secured his horse and noticed a few more people about than he expected. When he entered, he could seethat the place was quite busy with the workers buzzing about like bees in springtime.
To his tailor, John, he asked, “What is happening?”
John looked exhausted, but wore a gentle smile all the same. “Word has gotten out about your nuptials, and every man in town wants to see the deed done even if they are not invited to the feast. Truly, we are now out of everything we had pre-made that could be adjusted for the average build as well as our demonstration pieces. And they keep coming,” he said with a shaky laugh. “My wee shop has never seen so many people in it at the one time and I can only hope the floorboards can withstand the abuse.”
Alexander appreciated the quiet man’s bewilderment and dry sense of humor, and felt a little responsible for springing this on him with such short notice.
“Is there aught I may do to assist?”
“Nay, m’lord. I will bring you back now for your final fitting and leave this gaggle to my staff.”
Alexander looked over his shoulder one last time at the fine gentlemen lifting scarves and calling out numbers as though they were haggling over a lower price, but rather they were seeking to outbid one another for the final pieces of fabric in the shop. When all was said and done, John would be able to boast a fair haul of coin for his troubles. That understanding gave Alexander comfort and eased his guilt enough so that he could settle into the next couple of hours while John finished his outfit. Normally, the work would be done in various stages, but the agreement included final measurements and sewing at the same time, so Alexander would leave the shop with his final product in tow. He was pleased with John’s workmanship and would ensure he was appropriately compensated.
He hoped Marion was enjoying her process, but mostly he thought about how enjoyable it would be to remove the clothing that was currently being tucked and snipped to perfectly fit and accentuate her bountiful curves. And he couldn’t wait to explore each and every one.
Chapter Eighteen
Marion blinked hereyes a couple of times and looked around to find her bearings. She sat upright in her bed and rubbed her eyes as she tried to figure out where she was. After a few moments, she awoke enough to recall she’d been offered a chamber in the queen’s apartment after a long day and evening of fittings.
She could scarcely believe she would be marrying Alexander that day. Yet here she was, having spent a day and a half being fawned over by the queen and her seamstresses who were surely bewitched by magical powers considering how quickly they brought her gown together. She would quite literally be sewn into it this morning with clear instructions as to how the maids were to get her out of it later. The queen had also insisted on several options for her wedding night, each making the heat rise even more to her cheeks. She finally settled on a couple that balanced the naughtiness envisioned each time he was near with a respectable amount of modesty.
Moments later, a knock sounded at the door followed by a slew of servants carrying a copper tub with buckets of steaming water. She was to be scrubbed from head to toe and her hair set in cloth strips to dry so as to encourage long loose curls. The queen had suggested she wear a more modern hood, but Marion was firm she would wear her hair down and uncovered until she absolutely had to cover it.
Laying back in the steaming water, she thought about her motherand the item she had given together with its significance. The pin she’d brought was made of silver in the shape of a gryphon head and for its eye a red ruby. She had shown it to the queen who knew just how to incorporate it onto the neckline of Marion’s gown, which was a light-green soft velvet on which the brooch would surely stand out.
Marion let the maids lift her arms to wash then pour more water over her. She sat up as her hair was washed and rinsed. The whole experience was so soothing she wondered why she didn’t partake more often. Though she supposed she didn’t normally self-indulge as a rule.
Before long, she was out of the tub, dried off, and sat by the fire wearing a thick velvet robe while the maids took the time to roll her hair around each piece of fabric then tie it atop her head. By the time they were done, her neck hurt from trying to keep her head straight.
While she waited, she was brought a platter with a light meal and a tankard of her favorite mead to sustain her until the evening feast which she was told would be far more elaborate than that for the tournament the king had recently held. She recalled her first impression of the courtyard and the mounds of pastries. How they could possibly outshine that on such short notice, she had no idea, but she was excited to find out.
The door opened and in bounded her sister in a lovely blue velvet gown with her hair twisted into ringlets and a gold wreath with little white pearls on her head. She twirled in a circle and then stopped.
