back to their work.
Averill tended to agree with them. The man had shown a disturbing enjoyment of insulting her, and his hand when he’d grabbed her breast had been pinching, not soft and seeking like Kade’s later was. Thoughts of that night reminded her of something else she wanted to know, and as Bess tested the water, nodded at the temperature, then urged her to step in, Averill asked, “Are your breasts supposed to tingle when he touches them?”
The dead silence then lasted so long that Averill couldn’t resist glancing up once she was settled in the water. All of them, even Old Ellie, lookeddiscomfited, and they were all staring at her with wide eyes. However, when she glanced at them, they all turned to Bess, silently handing this one off to her.
“How do you know about that?” Bess’s voice was almost strangled.
“I overheard one of the maids talking,” she lied in a mutter, ducking her head.
They all sighed, relaxing at the same moment.
“Aye, well,” Bess said at last. “I suppose if he does it right, and if you like it, they may tingle.”
“Oh Bess, you poor thing,” Sally said sadly. “Have you truly never had the tingling?”
Bess flushed and turned away to begin folding Averill’s discarded chemise, obviously unwilling to respond.
Averill bit her lip, feeling guilty that she’d caused the woman such discomfort. Bess had been married when she was younger to a man she often spoke of fondly and claimed had been fine and good. Obviously, his fine and good had not stretched to the bedroom. It had taken little more than a kiss and caress from Kade to make her tingle. Hoping to distract them from Bess and ease her discomfort, she cleared her throat and asked her next question. “What about the…er…the wet?”
“The wet?” they asked as one.
Averill flushed and grimaced, but really wanted to be sure it was normal. Kade had commented on it, after all. Clearing her throat again, she concentrated on dunking the small bit of linen Sally had used to make the imaginary piffle in the water, and said, “Between the legs. Is it normal to get wet there?”
“That—You—How could you—?”
“She overheard the maids talking,” Sally answered for her, but there was a twinkle in her eye that suggested she, at least, was no longer fooled that that was the case.
“Oh, of course,” Bess muttered. She was silent for a moment, but then paused and looked to Ellie for help.
The old woman rolled her eyes, but said, “’Tis natural. It greases the way for the sword to slide in your sheath.”
It seemed horses and stables wouldn’t do for this explanation, Averill thought wryly, but merely nodded. So long as it was normal, she was happy. She’d worried it was unnatural or something. Now that she knew it wasn’t, she relaxed a bit, and asked, “How do I please him?”
Old Ellie had picked up her empty buckets, preparing to leave the room, but dropped them abruptly at the question and whirled back. Sally had only just bent to gather her own buckets, but paused, her shoulders shaking with what Averill suspected was silent mirth at her questions. Bess, however, was looking absolutely horrified.
“Please him?” her maid asked weakly.
“Aye, well, you said he would kiss and caress me.What am I to do to please him in return?” It did seem an important question for her to ask. Kade had made her gasp and moan with pleasure in his arms, and all she had done was hold on for dear life and writhe under his caresses. She wished to be a good wife and would like to please him as much as he pleased her.
“Nothing,” Bess said finally. “You just lie there.”
“That’s all?” she asked doubtfully.
Old Ellie clucked impatiently. “’Tis no wonder you’ve no children, Bess. You and Billy didn’t have a clue what you were doing,” the maid snapped. She then soothed the insult by adding, “You were both young, though, when you married, and not much older when he died.”
“They like it
Averill tended to agree with them. The man had shown a disturbing enjoyment of insulting her, and his hand when he’d grabbed her breast had been pinching, not soft and seeking like Kade’s later was. Thoughts of that night reminded her of something else she wanted to know, and as Bess tested the water, nodded at the temperature, then urged her to step in, Averill asked, “Are your breasts supposed to tingle when he touches them?”
The dead silence then lasted so long that Averill couldn’t resist glancing up once she was settled in the water. All of them, even Old Ellie, lookeddiscomfited, and they were all staring at her with wide eyes. However, when she glanced at them, they all turned to Bess, silently handing this one off to her.
“How do you know about that?” Bess’s voice was almost strangled.
“I overheard one of the maids talking,” she lied in a mutter, ducking her head.
They all sighed, relaxing at the same moment.
“Aye, well,” Bess said at last. “I suppose if he does it right, and if you like it, they may tingle.”
“Oh Bess, you poor thing,” Sally said sadly. “Have you truly never had the tingling?”
Bess flushed and turned away to begin folding Averill’s discarded chemise, obviously unwilling to respond.
Averill bit her lip, feeling guilty that she’d caused the woman such discomfort. Bess had been married when she was younger to a man she often spoke of fondly and claimed had been fine and good. Obviously, his fine and good had not stretched to the bedroom. It had taken little more than a kiss and caress from Kade to make her tingle. Hoping to distract them from Bess and ease her discomfort, she cleared her throat and asked her next question. “What about the…er…the wet?”
“The wet?” they asked as one.
Averill flushed and grimaced, but really wanted to be sure it was normal. Kade had commented on it, after all. Clearing her throat again, she concentrated on dunking the small bit of linen Sally had used to make the imaginary piffle in the water, and said, “Between the legs. Is it normal to get wet there?”
“That—You—How could you—?”
“She overheard the maids talking,” Sally answered for her, but there was a twinkle in her eye that suggested she, at least, was no longer fooled that that was the case.
“Oh, of course,” Bess muttered. She was silent for a moment, but then paused and looked to Ellie for help.
The old woman rolled her eyes, but said, “’Tis natural. It greases the way for the sword to slide in your sheath.”
It seemed horses and stables wouldn’t do for this explanation, Averill thought wryly, but merely nodded. So long as it was normal, she was happy. She’d worried it was unnatural or something. Now that she knew it wasn’t, she relaxed a bit, and asked, “How do I please him?”
Old Ellie had picked up her empty buckets, preparing to leave the room, but dropped them abruptly at the question and whirled back. Sally had only just bent to gather her own buckets, but paused, her shoulders shaking with what Averill suspected was silent mirth at her questions. Bess, however, was looking absolutely horrified.
“Please him?” her maid asked weakly.
“Aye, well, you said he would kiss and caress me.What am I to do to please him in return?” It did seem an important question for her to ask. Kade had made her gasp and moan with pleasure in his arms, and all she had done was hold on for dear life and writhe under his caresses. She wished to be a good wife and would like to please him as much as he pleased her.
“Nothing,” Bess said finally. “You just lie there.”
“That’s all?” she asked doubtfully.
Old Ellie clucked impatiently. “’Tis no wonder you’ve no children, Bess. You and Billy didn’t have a clue what you were doing,” the maid snapped. She then soothed the insult by adding, “You were both young, though, when you married, and not much older when he died.”
“They like it
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