“He kissed me! And things got a little heated!” said Sarah, blushing furiously. “And then he stopped and sent me away and didn’t come near me again all night!”
“Oh, Sarah!”
“Does he have a disgust of me, do you think?”
Daphne smirked, her eyes dancing. “Not at all, you silly girl! He’s protecting you of course, and himself, from temptation. The duke is not the sort of man to anticipate his vows.”
“Anticipate his—” Sarah broke off, scandalized. “He wouldn’t. I wouldn’t.”
“Of course not, which is why he left you alone. My dear, this is even better than I had hoped for you. Sarah, there really is no need for this long face, I assure you.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” She had an inkling, but she wanted more plain speaking. She was tired of dancing round the point.
“My dear, hasn’t your mama spoken to you about these things?”
Sarah flushed and shook her head. “Mama said that things might be a little painful at first, but that if my husband was considerate, things would be vastly better with time and even enjoyable.”
“Did she explain the mechanics at least?” asked Daphne.
“Um, in the broadest terms.” Sarah hesitated and added, “Being in the country, I have, um, observed farm animals. Mama said it was similar.”
Daphne swallowed, and Sarah just knew she was trying not to laugh, which was mortifying but also funny. She giggled, partly with nervous embarrassment. Which gave Daphne permission to laugh also.
“So, you’re in possession of the basic facts but not much else,” said Daphne, wiping her eyes.
Sarah plucked at the sheet and took a deep breath. “Yes, I feel as if there is much more to know. Is there?”
“A great deal, my dear, much of which I can’t tell you because I don’t know myself. My experience is not vast, but I do talk to other ladies, and I do know it can be a great deal better than it was for me at first. Things did improve.”
Sarah looked at her slightly puzzled. “Can you explain what you mean by that?”
“Gentlemen have a requirement for regular physical—release. It is considered a wife’s duty to provide the means for that. In so doing we may, if so blessed, conceive also.”
“So, the duty is double—to provide release as well as children?”
“Indeed. Hubert, my husband, was kind and quite patient with me, but the first time was not felicitous. We eventually reached an accommodation that was satisfying for us both, but it took some time and, ah—experimentation.”
Sarah looked at her helplessly. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Daphne, pink cheeked, waved a hand to cool her cheeks and said, “Well, it turns out that ladies can experience this—ah, release, too! I didn’t know that when I was a bride. I thought it was all on the gentleman’s side and that ladies were supposed to—endure, I suppose.” Sarah widened her eyes and Daphne went on. “The release, my dear, is extremely pleasurable.”
“Oh.”
“And” she added, as if conveying a deep secret, “it is possible to achieve it alone as well as with a gentleman.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know, and I’m not going to give you the details. It will be the duke’s privilege to introduce you to those pleasures, as I am sure he will.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Gentlemen prefer it if the lady participates in the pleasure. It heightens it for them, too.”
She recalled the viscount’s words:he would most assuredly welcome it.That would seem to support Daphne’s statement.
“So, you think R—the duke is leaving me alone because he finds me too tempting?”
“Yes.”
