Once straddling him, Seonaid slid her body back and forth over him, but while that eased her frustrations at first, it did not wholly satisfy her. She wanted to feel him inside her again, filling her to capacity and plunging in and out as he had done before. Shifting, she reached down and found him with her hand, then steered him to where she wanted him and eased herself down. A small sigh slid from her lips as he filled her, and she peered at him through half-closed eyes as she wiggled with pleasure.
Blake watched her, a small smile stretching his lips; then he suddenly sat up, caught her beneath the behind, and lifted and shifted her.
"Oh!" Seonaid gasped, her legs moving around his back of their own accord as their bodies rubbed together in a more satisfying manner. Then Blake shifted with her and dropped her on the bed. He came down on top of her, driving into her with the move and surprising a grunt from her. Seonaid caught her arms around him, her fingers digging first into his shoulders, then shifting beneath his arms to clutch at his back, and finally dropping to cup and knead his behind and urge him on as he propelled them both toward the release she was craving.
Truly, if she had realized what she was missing due to his dallying in collecting her, Seonaid thought she might have hunted the man down and dragged him back to marry her.
In fact, she decided, she would have a good talking to him later about all the time he'd wasted. On the other hand, she had already admitted that she was benefitting from the skills he had learned while neglecting her, and perhaps he would not have been so skilled had she gone after him. Perhaps everything had its time, and this was theirs. She determined to simply enjoy it and the fact that she had a husband who could do this for her. She suspected that this would not be as enjoyable with less skilled men, and that her father had done her a grand favor in betrothing her to the dreaded Sherwell. She'd keep that to herself, though. There was no sense giving her father a fat head.
Blake caught her head in hand, turning her to seal his lips on hers, and Seonaid suspected he had recognized that her thoughts had wandered. He now forced them back to him and what he was doing as he thrust his tongue into her mouth in time with his thrusting body, and Seonaid gave up thinking about anything as they both struggled toward and finally found their explosive release.
A knock at the door made Seonaid's eyes flutter open. Her gaze slid over the empty expanse of bed beside her, then she pushed herself up on one arm and peered around the equally empty room. She had apparently dozed off again. Blake had not. Or, if he had, he'd already awakened and left the room
A second knock made her growl, "Aye?"
The door opened at once and Janna entered, a bright smile on her face. "Good morn, m'lady."
"Morn," Seonaid grunted automatically, then opened her mouth to ask what the woman wanted, only to snap it closed again when several servants traipsed in behind her. Half of them carried empty buckets, which they used to empty the tub, scooping the cold water out and dumping it out the window. The rest of the servants carried bucket after bucket of fresh water.
"I didna order a bath," she said.
"Lord Blake ordered it, m'lady," Janna informed her. Then, as the last woman entered bearing fresh linens, she added, "He ordered the bed remade too."
Seonaid glanced around. She was naked as the day she'd been born, covered just by the sheet she was lying on, twisted up and pulled across her torso as if Blake had tried to leave her decently shielded. The rest of the linens and furs from the bed, as well as the cushions, were scattered willy-nilly on the floor. Even the base sheet was gone.
Rearranging the sheet twisted around her so that she wore it in the old Roman toga fashion, Seonaid stumbled off the bed and began tossing the furs and cushions back onto it as she searched for the bottom bed linen. She knew from when Iliana and Duncan had married that her father, Rolfe, and the bishop would soon arrive to witness the bed linen and the blood that should stain it, proving she had been a virgin last night. But the linen was nowhere to be seen.
"The bottom linen is missing," she said with concern.
"Aye, m'lady. Lord Blake brought it below with him earlier so yer father and the others would no disturb ye."
Seonaid grimaced. The stupid thing would be slung over the banister and hanging down into the great hall by now, for all to witness her innocence. At least, that was what they had done with the linen from Iliana and Duncan's wedding night. The idea actually made her squirm, but she merely grunted and walked to the tub as the last of the water was dumped in.
She hadn't been terribly interested in the idea of yet another bath on first realizing they were preparing her one. Preferring not to smell like a barn animal, Seonaid had never shunned baths as her brother used to before Iliana taught him the benefits of bathing. But four or more baths in two days seemed excessive. However, the moment she stood up and started to move, she'd become aware of the sticky wetness between her legs, and the idea of a bath was suddenly appealing. She saw many, many baths in her future if Blake continued to be as enthusiastic as he had been last night.
It had been considerate of her husband to think of it. She smiled softly to herself. He had proven himself very considerate indeed last night. Lady Wildwood had said that some women enjoyed the bedding part of marriage and some did not. Some women detested it, but she had found over the years that those who did not like it usually had selfish husbands who did not trouble to be sure their wives found any pleasure. She had added that from all she had heard of Blake Sherwell, Seonaid would not have that problem. And she had been right. The man had been most thoughtful. In fact, she was sure that she had found more pleasure than he last night. And this morning.
"Shall I stay and help ye with yer bath, m'lady?" Janna's question drew her attention to the fact that the servants were finished filling the tub and making the bed and were now filing out of the room.
"Nay. I--" Seonaid began.
"We'll help." Aeldra entered the open door, with Helen on her heels.
"They'll help." Seonaid dropped her sheet and stepped into the hot water. "Thank ye, Janna."
"Aye, m'lady." Janna slipped out, pulling the door closed behind her as Helen and Aeldra moved to the tub. Both women watched silently as Seonaid began to run the flower-scented soap over her body.
"Well?" Aeldra said after several moments had passed in silence.
Seonaid lifted her head and glanced at her in question. "Well, what?"
Aeldra tsked with irritation. "Well, how was it?" she expounded. "What was it like?"
Seonaid grinned at the question. How was it? Sweet Jesu.
Aeldra contemplated her expression, then began to grin as well. "That good, huh?"
Seonaid started to laugh. "Ye wouldna believe it."
"Judging by the mess yer hair is in, mayhap I would," she said with amusement, and Seonaid raised a hand to feel the back of her head, frowning at the rat's nest it had become. She was confused for a moment, then recalled twisting and thrashing her head back and forth on the bed and understood.
"You shall need help with that," Helen murmured, kneeling beside the tub. "Come, I shall wash your hair. Tip it back."
Seonaid did as instructed, tipping her head back as Helen picked up a bucket, scooped some water out of the tub and poured it over her hair, trying to avoid pouring any over her face. Once she had soaked her hair thoroughly, the woman began to wash it with what was left of the herbal vinegar from the night before, working her fingers through the knots as she went.
"Yer getting yer veil wet," Aeldra warned Helen and Seonaid smiled faintly as the other woman tsked with irritation. When the work on her hair paused, Seonaid opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to the side to see Helen removing her headwear to reveal her red hair pulled back in a knot.
" 'Tis annoying anyway," Helen muttered, setting it aside. " 'Tis hot and bothersome. I will put it back on afterward."
Seonaid said nothing. She merely smiled, closed her eyes, and tipped her head back again for the work on her hair to continue
. They were all silent for a moment; then Aeldra said, "So yer no goin' to get more specific about what happened?"
There was a pause, and Seonaid supposed Aeldra was giving her a chance to speak up if she so desired, but she held her tongue. There was no way to describe what had happened last night. She could tell them what he'd done, but until they'd experienced it, neither woman would understand what he'd done.
Heaving an irritated sigh, Aeldra continued, "Then I suppose we might as well figure out what we're goin' to do next."
Seonaid smiled softly, her mind immediately going to Blake. She wondered where he was and when they would next get to--
"About Helen's problem," Aeldra added dryly, apparently reading Seonaid's expression.
She felt ashamed of herself. She had completely forgotten Helen's problem. Good Lord! How could she forget the threat to the woman's life and the possible threat against her father?
"Seonaid?" Aeldra said when she remained silent for several moments.
"Aye," she murmured, opening her eyes to assure them she had not fallen asleep. "I was thinkin'."