To Love A Duke

First of many nights

Song Recommendation: TAKE MY BREATH AWAY by EZI

Black! And on one’s consummation ceremony! Most unheard of mi lady, most unheard of..

“Lay a few out, and I’ll have my pick” she said to Jules taking off her wedding jewelry. Pretty little diamond earrings that her very absent husband had somehow remembered to gift her on the morning of their nuptials. As Jules unclipped her skirts and untied her stays she thought of Strawberry jellies, she was suddenly craving them. She remembered she and penny would sneak to the kitchens to have a jar or four, that was before papa had discovered how plump she was getting and put her on a strict diet. as a very efficient jules helped her with her toilette she realized she felt more caged and lonely now, she missed penny terribly and wished she was here right now. Poor penny would be so worried for her, penny would be furious she hadn’t been present for the wedding. Well, it wasn’t exactly the wedding they had dreamed of. She decided she would write to her as soon as she could. He had really left her here all by herself, and by he she meant the man who she had just pledged her life to this morning. “To Love and To Hold indeed” she snorted to herself and Jules faced her with a curious and worried glance as she filled the tub with steaming water, she looked to the bed when an array of night rails in all colors had been laid out. Then she took a look around the room it was richly furnished in green silks and she recently discovered she liked the color green. The color of his eyes. Not that she would admit it, in-fact she mentally took notes to redecorate. She stepped into her little heaven and exhaled loudly. Jules chuckled and Artemis smiled softly, at least Jules wasn’t a stuck up shy girl. They would really get along then. The water was making her bold she decided she might as well pick the black night rail after all she mourned her wedding night or the lack thereof.

“Pick out the black one if you please Jules”

“The black mi Lady?” Jules sounded horrified

She ignored her, closing her eyes and letting the water soak in. “B-but mi Lady..” Jules was saying something, probably trying to dissuade her from putting on black on her wedding night of all days.

She sank deeper into the water until Jules voice became a muffled sound. She would wear the black tonight, no questions asked. She almost wondered at his reaction then she remembered he wouldn’t see her in it, she let her mind relax and wonder only about the blissful feeling of a very hot bath.

The moment Orion stepped into his rooms he knew she was on the other side, Dungnan had said she retired to the duchess chambers which was aggravatingly connected to his and somehow when he walked in he felt her presence near. the mere thought that just a wall separated them was enough to stir him up, hence the hours spent riding to dampen his ardor went to naught. Damn and blast, he shook his head in exasperation and collapsed his arse on the bed, he was exhausted but he most certainly won’t be getting much sleep tonight. He had pushed his horse far today, he had hoped a good ride would help him cool of, which it had until he had walked in here and felt her, he groaned, as he bent and took off his boots she had made it plain this wasn’t a real marriage and she didn’t want him in her chambers but the thought of catching her asleep and venerable like he had the first time appealed to him. A time when those vivid blue eyes won’t be so intense and reprimanding, he took off his jacket and as he unbuttoned his shirt his legs took him to the other end of the room like she silently beckoned on him, he couldn’t help himself he tried the door to her room. It wasn’t locked. Why hadn’t she locked him out of her chambers?

He had wondered if she would simply go to bed and have a long uninterrupted slumber or if she would be awake all night, turning and stirring and thinking of him and what this night ought to be. He stepped in, the room hadn’t been altered since Madre owned this space the theme of jade and dark green still dominated the huge bed post, the sheets, and most of the portraits. Madre had loved green, when he had asked why she had explained it was the color of the leaves, and the color of her sons eyes. He and Apollo. Ah, he buried those memories somewhere deep and dark within and walked further in, But the smell was different now, it smelled of roses and …. There was the faint smell of strawberry in the air. She still loved strawberries. He inhaled in the mixture of roses and strawberry. The room was almost dark, the fire in the grate had died down and it was merely ember glows now, no candle was lit but the glow from his room spilled in and he could make her out quite clearly. she had made it plain she wasn’t interested in consummating their marriage but here she was lying wide awake like she was waiting up for him. Was she? Lord help him she had her hair down and the sight took his breath away.