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Judith nodded, but the way in which her mother saidfinallywas not lost upon her. It seemed as if Lady Fenice believed Tristram could have come sooner. Yet Judith instantly dismissed her mother’s words, recalling with a smile the eager way her husband had kissed her on the stairs. He had been quite eager for her – just as eager as she’d been for him, and this night she shouldn’t tarry to tell him of her own eagerness.
“All’s well I hope! And I suppose I should give you advice for the bedding which is to take place tonight,” Lady Fenice added.
Judith had been reluctant at first to tell her mother of what had gone on in the bedchamber between Tristram and her during the first night of their marriage. She’d felt shy of it, but she had seen that Lady Fenice had been concerned for her welfare, so she’d hurried to assure her Tristram was not at all one of those men given to brutish urges towards their wives. He’d been considerate and kind and willing to wait for her to get accustomed to him before they bedded.
“Certainly, Mother, if you wish,” Judith now said rather awkwardly.
She felt loath to speak of the maddening heat in her belly and nether parts, and of the way she could think only of Tristram and of how he may thrust inside her tonight. Certainly, she would never share such thoughts with her mother.
“You’re eager for his touch already, daughter, I see,” Lady Fenice said, as astute as ever when it came to her daughter.
Judith nodded with a deep blush in her cheeks. Could her mother so easily tell how fiercely she burnt for Tristram?
“Have a care not to appear too eager. Men take such eagerness to mean women are loose. And men think less upon such women,” Lady Fenice said lightly, brushing a kiss on her forehead.
Judith frowned. Why would Tristram ever think her loose? And wasn’t it right for a wife to crave her husband’s touch?
“Men like such loose behaviour from their commoner lemans, but they expect restraint from their noble-born wives,” Lady Fenice added pointedly.
All Judith’s playmates had been commoners while she was growing up. She’d played with them rather furtively, because she’d known her mother disapproved of boisterous games. Yet Judith had loved those games the other children played, and she had cherished her borrowed time with them, coming to see these children were not so different from her. Perchance her mother was wrong. Tristram had kissed her ardently, so it was plain he would like an ardent response from her. Or… Judith recalled he’d hastily stopped his caresses. Had it been so because, just as her mother was now saying, she’d been too wanton in her response to his touch? And what didwantonmean? Was it wrong to feel so eager for one’s husband? She sighed, but she soon resolved all she needed to do was to ask Tristram plainly how things stood. They talked of many things, and she felt sure he would speak to her of this and tell her of those matters he already knew better than she.
She steered the talk upon other things, yet it was not long before she came to see Lady Fenice’s face was very pale, and her mother seemed to be wincing in pain from time to time. Judith knew only too well her mother’s heart pained her sometimes, and this time Lady Fenice appeared to be suffering more than she had before. So she felt loath to leave her mother’s side. Her mother made little of it, telling Judith to go to be with her husband, yet Judith started to feel worried at the suppressed pain in her voice. So she lingered, holding her mother’s hand and talking to her soothingly.
It was perchance an hour later that Dame Berthe came to look upon them.
“Why are you still here?” she asked in plain surprise, upon perceiving Judith still by her mother’s side. “What of your husband? He’s surely waiting for you in the bedchamber!”
Lady Fenice sighed deeply.
“I keep telling Judith she should go to him and do her wifely duty, but the child won’t leave my side.”
It seemed to Judith that Dame Berthe’s voice was sharp when she said, “Fenice, just let her be! She should be with her husband!”
“Why are you saying this? Can’t you see I’ve been urging her to go?” Judith’s mother retorted in a pained voice, and Judith felt it unfair that Dame Berthe should reproach her mother for a thing which was plainly not her fault.
“It is not Mother who’s been keeping me. I want to be here!” Judith said hastily.
Dame Berthe scowled at her, “I am here now, and have things well in hand. Off you go, to be with your lord!”
Judith started shaking her head, but Dame Berthe simply shooed her away.
“You are to go at once. We have no need of you at this time,” she said, now beginning to shove Judith out of the room.
Judith opened her mouth to speak, but Dame Berthe cut her off with a half-smile.
“Just go to him. It’s plain he can’t wait to hold you in his arms. So let him have his heart’s desire. I daresay you’ll be both happier for it!”
Dame Berthe was usually stern, and spoke but little, but her words had been spoken kindly, and Judith found herself suddenly cheered by them. She trusted Dame Berthe would let her know if her mother needed her help. So she rushed across the hall to where her bedchamber was, knowing the hour had already grown quite late and Tristram must have already waited long for her to come. Yet when she entered the chamber and approached the bed, she found Tristram already sound asleep in her bed, undoubtedly already weary from the long journey he’d undertaken to come here. He looked even more beautiful in his sleep to her, as she was able to peruse him at leisure. Hair the colour of honey, and dark eyebrows and lashes, in strange yet pleasing contrast with his hair. A straight nose and sinfully full lips. She longed to kiss those lips, but was loath to disturb him when he was sleeping so peacefully. Besides, he might not like it that she should kiss him while he was asleep. She found herself wondering what it was he would like her to do, knowing without a doubt she felt ready to do whatever he asked, because he wielded a strange power upon her.
She undressed to her shift with a sigh and went to sleep by her husband’s side. She had resolved to ask him of lovemaking in the morning. Certainly, she would feel shy to do it, but they were married now and she felt sure he’d set her mind at ease regarding the way a man and his wife should behave towards one another. She soon fell asleep, exhausted herself from the excitement of this day. She dreamt beautiful dreams, of Tristram, and when she woke up in the morning, she became aware she’d been sleeping in his arms. They had plainly sought each other out in their sleep, and now Tristram’s hard body was pressed against hers. He was still asleep, but his hand was now possessively cupping her breast and his hard manhood was poking hard against her bottom. Judith found herself smiling, and reached to caress the long-fingered, graceful hand he held upon her breast. Yet a knock on the door made her startle, and Tristram instantly stirred, opening sleepy eyes.
“My lady, your mother wants you at once!” a serving girl’s voice was heard from behind the door.
Judith jumped out of bed, and started dressing hastily, calling for the servant’s assistance. Her mother had been feeling poorly last night, and she’d selfishly thought only of her own enjoyment.
“Good morrow,” she called to Tristram as her serving woman was lacing the back of her gown. “I must go at once!”
Tristram sat up, rubbing his beautiful dark eyes, and nodded. She felt loath to leave him without so much as talking to him, but it was plain her mother needed her, so she mustn’t tarry. As soon as she was dressed, she raced to her mother’s room. It was with relief she saw her mother looked well and was having her breakfast.
