Page 69 of Walk on the Wildsyde

Clara followed him as he led her through the bedroom to a door that opened onto an opulent bathing room.

“Oh, my word!” Clara exclaimed.

He knew very well that they did not have such a thing at the vicarage. She would have made do with a jug, bowl and a flannel most of the time, a dip in the tub before the kitchen range being a good deal of work for her and Mrs Macready to prepare.

Hamilton went to the bath and put in the plug before turning the ornate gold taps and Clara gave a squeal of delight as water poured into the tub. Steam rose from the hot tap, and she gasped as she hurried forward and ran her fingers under it.

“Hot water!” she breathed, looking quite overwhelmed.

Hamilton laughed. “Aye, and an indoor water closet too,” he said, which was quite indelicate, but her eyes grew round all the same. “And we’ll have this in our home too, love. So ye can bathe in hot water whenever ye wish to.”

“How decadent,” she said, watching with interest as he poured scented oil into the bath and the room filled with the heady perfume of roses.

“My favourite,” she said, smiling at him.

“Mine too, now,” he replied with a swift grin. “I thought ye might enjoy a bath in hot water now, and that… well, I might help ye bathe, if ye have nae objection.”

She turned pink at the question but shook her head. “You’re my husband now, Hamilton, you must do as you wish.”

He took her hand and squeezed it. “Nae lassie. That’s not how it will be, and dinnae make out like ye would allow it to be, either. Ye will tell me plain if ye dinnae like something, just as ye always have, and it doesnae matter if that is in the kitchen, the garden or the bedroom. Ye will talk to me and tell me ‘no’ if something doesnae suit ye.”

“How stern you are,” she teased him, but there was a warm light of approval in her eyes that did much to settle his nerves. She was no milk and water miss that he might accidentally crush. She was Clara, strong and fierce and ready to do battle when the need arose.

Hamilton laughed and reached for the little ribbon tie that gathered the neck of her chemise, giving it a tug. “Can I take this off ye now?”

To his surprise she shook her head, and he wondered if she was suddenly overcome with modesty. He ought to have known better as she undid the little ribbon tie at the neck herself and began slowly lifting the shift, revealing her lovely legs an inch at a time. Hamilton stood watching as his bride was revealed to him in torturously slow increments. She paused as the first hint of dark curls appeared and he made a sound of protest which made her grin broadly.

“Have mercy,” he croaked, which made her laugh and tug the shift over her head, casting it aside with abandon. His mouth went dry as he looked her over, his gaze alighting on her splendid breasts.

“Heaven be praised,” he whispered in awed tones.

“Hamilton,” Clara protested, smothering a choked laugh. “I’m sure that’s blasphemy.”

“It is nae, for I am quite in earnest,” he said, gazing at her in wonder. “I would fall to my knees in thanks to God for having given me such a gift, and that’s the truth. In fact, I shall do just that. Let me see the rest of ye, love, before I run mad.”

Hamilton knelt before her, tugging down her drawers with more haste than he intended. Forcing himself to go slowly, he took his time, running his hands up her stockings, aware of the fine material sliding beneath his palms. He paused to stroke the fine skin of her inner thigh and leaned in to press a kiss to the dark triangle of curls, hearing her swift intake of breath.

“Ye liked it when I touched ye here,” he said, gazing up at her.

She nodded, biting her lip as he toyed with the soft thatch tickling his fingers back and forth. “I liked it too, I liked hearing yer pleasure, Clara. I hope to hear a good deal more of it too. Not only tonight, but for the rest of our days and nights. I intend to love ye often and well, lassie.”

“I don’t think I shall have anything to complain about then,” she replied, making him smile as he heard the tremor of nerves in her voice.

“I promise ye shall nae, and if ye have, ye must tell me at once, aye?”

“Aye,” she replied, and he chuckled, and then just gazed at her for a long, silent moment until he saw her shiver. Rousing himself from his trance, he helped her to step into the bath. Once she was settled, he bent and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be but a moment, I’ll just get rid of some of this getup. I dinnae want to accidentally stab my bride with this blasted sword,” he said gruffly, not wanting to leave her but thinking she might want a few minutes to herself.

“Have I told you how splendid and handsome you look in all your finery?” she said before he could leave. “I was so proud when I saw you waiting for me in the church. I thought I would burst.”

Hamilton grinned at her. “Aye, ye did, but ye can tell me as much as ye like. I did think I looked well, though. The Anderson men have fine legs, ye ken,” he said, twitching his kilt to give her a flash of his knees. “Dinnae pretend ye have nae noticed,” he added, waggling his eyebrows.

“Dreadful, dreadful man,” Clara said, laughing helplessly.

“I speak nothing but the truth,” he said airily as he went into the bedroom, removing the sgian-dubh from his sock and unpinning the huge brooch on his chest. With as much speed as he could muster, he removed everything but shirt and kilt and hurried back into the bathing room, rolling his sleeves up as he went. He stopped just inside the door, committing the picture before him to memory.

Clara lay back in the bath with her eyes closed, her body and face flushed from the heat, tendrils of dark hair falling about her face and curling in the damp air. The oil scented water clung to her skin where her body broke the surface, glistening and making her appear like some beguiling water nymph, come to tempt him down into dark water. He’d go without a second thought, he decided, moving to kneel beside the bath.

Her eyes flickered open as she realised he was back, a slow smile breaking over her lovely face. “This is bliss,” she said with a sigh.