Not Much of a Honeymoon

Emma suddenly felt all of her worry and fears slip away at Nathan's words. She suddenly felt as if she could be truly happy with him. She just needed to give him a real chance...to open herself up fully to him and to be honest with him. She looked at him as he took her hand and watched as he placed it upon his left breast. She could feel his heart beating hard and fast in his chest and it caused a few tears to come to her eyes. She then smiled at him.

"I'm looking forward to going to Sussex with you. I think we will have a wonderful time together."

Their dinner went on in a much better light then. He explained that the entire household was hers to command. He wanted her to order meals the way she wanted, and told her what he really enjoyed to eat. If she needed a coach all she need to do is speak her wishes to Aster, the head butler or either of her own attendants who carried her authority when she wanted them too.

For dessert there was a chilled chocolate mousse in a large crystal bowl set before them. It looked incredible. Nathan liked his sweets and this mousse, he explained was very good. “I wonder if it might taste better...if we ate it upstairs?” He suggested. “In bed?” he added. And smiled at her. “Maybe we can work on a few things while we eat,” he whispered. This was insanity, that's what this was, he thought but her scent, her beauty it was making him so. You are a Duke! He argued. But her blushes made his cock hard just thinking about it now.

Emma was much more relaxed during the rest of dinner. She felt much better about everything and any doubts she had had were now gone. She listened to what Nathan told her about the household being hers to command and it made her smile. This would really be the first time she would be in a true position of authority. While living at home that had been either her mother or father. But things here would be different and she warmed up rather quickly to that idea.

When dessert was served Emma had to force herself not to dive right into the chocolate mousse. She too had a sweet tooth and had always kept a box of French chocolates in her room at home. However, before she could pick up her soon Nathan suggested softly that perhaps they should take their dessert upstairs. She looked at him slightly and blushed but then smiled and nodded a little.

In her nightgown and he in his pajama pants they were leaned up against the pillows which were many. They each has a golden spoon and took turns taking small spoonfuls of mousse as they talked. 

She learned that he was involved with the French and that a large part of their business involved silver mining. The ore was taken by ship to France where it was smelted and minted. In France he got a better price for the ore but it was his payments that have been getting lost due to pirates. He didn't elaborate on their families shortfalls but he did say it was causing them undo financial burden. 

He also told her that he had the king's ear and had invited him and others to Sussex. When she looked to complain he soothed her worries by insuring her that before any of that happened she'd likely be ready to come home after a week or 2. Sussex was nice he agreed but it wasn't home. 

Before he continued on some mousse almost fell from her spoon. She caught it with her fingers and Nathan, indulging himself licked it from her fingers and sucked what was left from her thumb. It was then that they began to feed one another like that, using their fingers and then kissing one another with a bit of mousse in their tongues.

Emma was intrigued by what Nathan told her of his business. She didn't know much about ore mining, but if this was part of their business she wanted to learn as much as she could. It worried her to learn that pirates had been intercepting his payments and knew that she would have to be more careful with their money than she had originally thought.

She began to take another spoonful of mousse, but it some began to fall from her spoon. She managed to catch it before it fell onto the bedding. She was unsure of what to do with it at first, but then Nathan suddenly moved closer and began to lick it from her fingers and suck on her thumb. He then fed some mousse with his fingers and she slowly began to lick it from his fingers as he had done to her. He then began to kiss her and she slowly kissed him back. She wanted to feel some desire for her husband, but even now it was difficult. She continued to try though, hoping that it would just take time.

Nathan had sex with her, they had eaten over half of the mousse and though it was better, he fondled her middle which felt pretty good and managed to get her far enough that it was far more comfortable than before. There were...moments that she felt...something too. It could have been the way he moved or that they both shifted just right but it felt...good. They were fleeting though and Nathan was just...a large man. His body just didn’t fit well with hers. Helen had suggested different positions before Emily shushed her. What that all meant she couldn’t really picture in her mind just then. Mostly because she didn’t really want to. All this talk about orgasms and such, for the man perhaps but for her? When she finally managed to relax and felt on the edge of sleep, Nathan, her husband, began to snore.

Their coach was a large, black affair with silver gilt ornately lining it. Their team of 4 was all black, large draft horses who moved excellent together. Helen, Emily and Aster were in the rear coach and Aster was teaching the women how to play Bok, a card game that involved lacquered cards with 4 suits and numbers on them. It was all the rage now, he said and they enjoyed playing it. Her dogs sat sleepily on her lap and surprisingly the coach didn't bounce to bad as others she had been in. it had springs of a sort which cushioned the ride and Nathan was more than happy to explain it all to her when she asked about them. To him, knowledge was important for a Duchess and he encouraged her to ask questions of things she wanted to know.

Her stowell was of the finest mink and the Duke had brought in a hat maker for her with his newest designs for her to purchase. All that did though was add a few more bags to the pile of bags she was bringing with her. During their stops to rest the horses they were provided chairs and tables, snacks and drinks and all served on silvered trays. She hadn’t noticed the third coach until their first stop which had 4 servants and a small chest with food, silver serving ware, pewter cups for wine and a sweet white wine to wet their lips. Helen and Emily stayed a respectful distance away and though they looked eager to talk to her they understood their place and were patient.

The next morning Emma rose early, after another night of little sleep. Nathan snored rather loudly and Emma was used to quiet when she slept. The bed at least was very comfortable and felt like she was lying on a cloud. She chose her light blue dress for their travels and decided not to wear a hat since they would be in a carriage all day. She did, however, decide to bring an umbrella and a fan in case it became warm in the carriage.

With her dogs at her heels she walked down to their carriage. It was quite an impressive sight with the four black horses. She allowed the footman to take her hand and help her up. Her dogs jumped up themselves and immediately jumped up onto the bench where she was seated. They put their front paws up on the window's edge to look out as the carriages began moving and even barked at a few passersby. Emma laughed at them but finally shushed them and put them onto her lap where they finally began to yawn and calm down. The carriage ride was smooth and Emma was impressed by the ornately decorated interior. She asked Nathan questions about why the carriage ride was so smooth compared to others she had been in and listened with genuine interest as her husband explained it to her.

When they stopped late in the afternoon Emma found herself thankful to be able to stretch her legs. Her dogs relieved themselves and barked at a few birds as they ran around. Knowing they wouldn't go far, Emma took a seat and accepted a glass of cool, sweet white wine. She had opened her umbrella to keep the sun off her face while she relaxed. She ate a few small sandwiches before getting up and walking over to Emily and Helen, whom she hadn't really seen very much all day.

"Are you both enjoying the trip thus far? I hear you both have been learning Bok."

Helen rolled her eyes. “Emily is a natural. She...she bluffs so well,” she said. “Aster is just a good teacher,” Emily said being her usual humble self. “I see you’re doing well?” Helen said and her smile spoke of them having a talk about last night too. She had seen the bowl of mousse and was quite curious about that. “If you need help with your pups Emma, just ask,” Emily said then asked if she needed anything.

They were going to stop in Guildford which was a modest, quaint little town but with a very nice inn for them to stay at. They had periods with they didn’t speak at all and others where either she or he began to talk and they entered into a conversation. He laughed at her stories if they were funny or cute and he liked it when she did to his. He spoke more about their trading and troubles with pirates and the mining business. If she was interested he’d show her their ledgers and explain them to her.

Her dogs still didn’t seem to warm up to him though they didn’t really bark at him either. Waking up from a nap the coach finally stopped. He smiled at her yawn and the footman helped her out. Indeed the inn and the town that surrounded it was quaint but it also had a certain charm and appear to it too. People that passed by waved to them and she was shown inside as the servants began to unload their baggage.

Dinner was nice though, a sliced beef in gravy with beets and green beans. Dessert was a pie with apples and whipped cream which they both had seconds though Helen had mentioned that she should try not to eat so much...She called it, ‘Gobbling sweets’ which made Emily chuckle.

The rest of the carriage ride went smoothly. Emma talked some with Nathan and told him more about herself and stories from when she was growing up. She also listened and asked more questions about the business and he seemed more than happy to show her his ledger and explain things in detail. Emma was determined to be the best wife and Duchess that she could and she wanted to learn as much about the business as possible.

Late in the afternoon she dozed off with her dogs in her lap. Both of them stuck close to her during the ride and while they never barked at Nathan, they seemed to prefer Emma. As they neared Guildford Emma awoke and yawned as she stretched her arms. She was thankful that they had stopped for the evening. She was getting cramped from sitting in the carriage for so long and longed to stretch her legs. As she exited the carriage she glanced around at the town and found it to be rather charming. It seemed quiet and the people smiled and waved at her. She waved back before heading inside.

She left her dogs with Helen and Emily while she ate dinner with Nathan. She was hungry, but forced herself to eat smaller bites and to eat more slowly. It was difficult, particularly when dessert was served. She even partook in a second slice, despite knowing what Helen would say.

"How much longer until we reach Sussex?" she asked after dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

“Oh a few more days,” he said smiling at her with ‘that look’ in his eyes. “Do you not like to travel?” He asked as he touched her hand. “I enjoy it very much,” he said. “They have a wonderful library here too, sometimes I’ve fallen asleep right there in the common room near the hearth,” he admitted. There was a large, brown, very comfortable looking chair near the hearth and a fire roared in it now. “But I don’t think I’m much in the mood for reading,” he said and smirked at her. He looked around but there was no one really near them. “Make love to me Emma,” he whispered. Apparently he really liked being with her last night and now he couldn't wait to be with her again, it seemed.

OOC-Did we want to jump forward at this point, or did you want to play out this night as well?

The next three days were very much like the first. The weather, thankfully, remained fair, though the morning of the third day it was rather overcast. Emma rode in the main carriage with Nathan while Helen and Emily continued to travel with Astor. The girls had fun playing Bok and telling stories and Emma spoke quietly with Nathan when he wasn't busy going over is business accounts. Her dogs remained well behaved, though each time they stopped to rest the horses they eagerly jumped out and ran around to get out their pent up energy. They would bark and wrestle each other playfully and try to chase birds and squirrels. However, once back in the carriage they would yawn and their eyes would slowly close and they would doze quietly.

Each night they stopped at an inn for the evening and after a quiet meal together they would retire up to their room where Nathan would make love to Emma. While Emma had come to respect Nathan more, she still did not find him desirable, though she tried. Nathan enjoyed their nights together, but Emma found herself faking smiles. For the most part she would just lie there, letting Nathan do as he pleased and pretending it was enjoyable for her. Then, Nathan would fall asleep and she would lie awake listening to him snore. It was during the day that she would take naps and become more refreshed.

Emma just wanted to reach Sussex at this point. She was growing anxious riding in the carriage all day and wanted to see the sea. She hadn't been to the coast since she was a girl and so when they finally made it and Emma looked out and saw the ocean she smiled happily and felt her childlike excitement grow.

"We finally made it," she said to Nathan with a smile.

Nathan had ordered them to take a route that brought them along the coast for a few miles. The ocean was every bit as beautiful as Emma could have hoped for. It was endless and the waves crashed against the coastline in never-ending waves. Seagulls flew over the shoreline as they looked for food and and she even saw a few boats and a ship as they sailed upon the water.

The resort was2 stories high and had several sets of apartments on each floor. There were alot of black coaches set side by side in the courtyard and a large stables set back at the edge of the cobbled pavement. There were sitting areas in the front and the back and the hedges and shrubbery were all well manicured and tended. There was a large, marble stone well at the center of the courtyard, 2 mermaids intertwined with one another, their breasts obvious and water that spurted from their mouths.

The outside of the building was painted a light pink with white trim. It had ornate edging and columns and look absolutely amazing. Inside the ceilings were high painted in colorful murals and the floors were of a speckled white marble tiling that made the rooms cooler than she thought they would be. The walls were mostly white with some paint in some rooms but it was an expansive place and seemed to go on and on. Three rooms with 4 poster beds, tons of closet space, dressers and sitting areas. Tables and nooks and even a library with shelf after shelf of books. Bored? How could anyone ever get bored here? She might think. She hadn’t missed the badminton courts outside either as she looked out over their massive terrace. It alone with all the seating could hold 50 people. When she went to the front terrace though on the ocean side, smaller than the one in the back, that is where she knew she’d spend her time. The ocean view was spectacular there and the breeze that came to her smelled of flowers and the salt form the ocean. The shore was a ways off and she could see the docks and the ship harbored just beyond them.

The Duke came up to her and put his arm around her shoulders right then. “I’m glad you like it Emma,” he said though he looked distracted with all the movement going on behind her with their bags and everything. When she smiled and looked at him he kissed her softly then left her to do what she wanted.

Emma felt happy looking out over the water. The blue of the water was calming and relaxing and the sun sparkled off the surface making it look like diamonds. Above, gulls called and when she breathed in she could smell the saltiness of the air. She knew immediately that she wanted to be down at the water's edge. After Nathan left she grabbed her umbrella and her dogs and headed outside. When she got down to the sand she took off her shoes and opened her umbrella to keep the sun off her face. Her dog sniffed the sand and ran down to the water. They growled and barked at a few fish in the water and then proceeded to begin chasing a few gulls. Emma laughed and smiled and let the run as she walked down to the water's edge. She held up the hem of her dress and laughed when she felt the water on her feet. It was quite cool, but felt wonderful. She then began to walk along the water's edge, looking out at the ocean.

Though she hadn’t noticed him before, there was someone else on the beach. Well, not on the beach exactly he was coming out of the water. He was at a distance and all he wore were a pair of dark brown leather pants and a belt. He was tanned, with long, golden blonde hair now wet and smoothed back on his head and neck. She had met another man with hair similar to his at her engagement ball but it wasn’t clear to her if it was the same man at all. There were 2 others with him, a large, bald man with a long, curly beard and also a thin man...no, by how her wet shirt clung to her body, she could clearly see her breasts it was a woman! Taking their ease in the warm sand just down the beach from her. They hadn’t really noticed her, and as she looked around there were a few other son the beach also but it was this trio that caught her eye. She knew she had seen them before. They had a small fire going and the woman took her shirt off completely to wring the water out of it then put it back on. They looked her way but didn’t seem interested in her...until she saw the blond man looking her way. Even from where she was she saw how blue his eyes were and knew who it was. It was the same man from the ball! The thin woman sat near him and it was clear even then by how she acted with him that she liked the blue eyed man. A woman knew these things and she was certain that’s what she saw.

They laughed and the woman touched his bare chest and danced around the fire holding a bottle of what was undoubtedly rum or wine. Hardly decent to be dressed and acting so.

Emma was thinking about turning back when suddenly a small group of people on the beach caught her eye. They were just coming out of the water and were laughing and talking loudly. There was a large, bald man and another that the believed to be a man at first until she realized she was wrong and that it was a woman. There was something familiar about these two and when she noticed now short the woman's hair was she remembered seeing them both after their cart struck her father's carriage. If they were then then that meant...

Seeing the blonde haired man again caused anger to course through her. How could she have allowed herself to be tricked by him? Nothing he had said to her that night had been true. He had just been using her to steal from her. Thinking about her mother's diamond bracelet made her feel as if she might cry. Even from this distance the man would be able to tell she was angry. Calling her dogs to her, she turned and began to walk away.

Silas and his crew were on shore leave. He along with Reggie and Nels went for a swim and decided to have a fire and stay out to look at the stars and drink until the stars got blurry to look at. Nels had never told Silas that she was madly in love with him. She was thin, with short blonde hair, hazel eyes and very tanned skin. She was thin and lithe, with smaller but firm breasts and though her butt held some roundness to it her hips were narrow as well. She had a lean musculature due to the hard working conditions aboard ship and she had been doing it for years. She coveted the diamond bracelet Silas had given him though he said it was just a simple thing, a gift for her loyalty. Nels treasured it above everything else she had ever been given and the last man who tried to steal it from her had a permanent scar on his eyebrow. She had almost cut his eye out completely and intended to before she was pulled off of him. Nels was a woman but tall at 5’10” and she knew how to fight and was the stealthiest seaman he had on the ship.

She danced as Reggie’s low voice sang his favorite sailing song. And Silas smiled and laid back on his arm and watched them with a bottle of rum in his hand. He had seen movement from further down the beach, a woman he noticed but with the light of the fire nearby he couldn’t really make out more than her dress was very nice and she had a look of anger toward them. She must be from the resort and didn’t much like them ‘disturbing’ her walk. Rich people were always like that he knew. Feeling as if the entire world belongs to them. Well he raised his bottle to her anyway, he could tell she was pretty, did he recognize her? He thought he was certain he had seen those beautiful blue eyes before. Nels provocative dancing made him avert his gaze.

Silas Mormont was the Captain of The Flying Wolf, a Brigantine sailing vessel modified with an extra running sail and fewer but larger guns like the big War Galleons. His ship could shoot further than most and was almost as fast and maneuverable than ships smaller than his. With his ship he had 2 others, The Courtier’s Fan and the ocean’s Secret, 2 sloops with the same guns and extended bows to accommodate an extra running sail. All 3 ships could sail in fairly shallow waters and were quite adept at outmaneuvering their opponents and picking them apart like a pack of wolves might. Thus they had enjoyed 4 years of success and as a result their nesting was quite large.

Nels would do whatever Silas asked no matter what. She loved him and respected him and everyone knew it. Silas had strong feelings for Nels...Nellie which was her real name. But he didn’t love her romantically. That didn’t stop him from fucking her though, sometimes. The ocean was a lonely companion often and Nels slept in a small cabin between his and Reggie’s. There were 2 other, larger cabins but she wanted to be next to Silas incase he ‘needed’ anything at any moment.

When Emma returned and the lights in and around the resort were lit, giving it a wonderful glow in the moonlight. She could smell the delicious food being prepared and the sounds of the other men and women at the resort. A couple were standing out on the front patio when she came up to them. “Ah, you must be the Duchess of Cumberland?” A woman asked. She was shorter than she in an offwhite silk dress with stripes of gold at the hem. That alone called her out as of noble born and the man next to her had on a dark blue suit with stripes of gold on his sleeves. They came up to her. The woman curtsied and the man bowed regally to her. “I look forward to attending the conference, I hear the Duke has an important proposal and I’ve have it on good authority that the King is going to be here as well,” he added smugly. His lady gasped. “Do you really think so? The King?” She said and looked over at Emma wondering if she could corroborate what her man had said.

Emma slowly walked back to the resort, trying not to continue to think about the handsome blonde man. She felt mixed emotions about him. On the one had she was very angry at what he had done to her. He had stolen from her and probably lied to her! However, that did not stop her from continuing to think about the kiss he had given her. It had been unlike any kiss she had ever received before. It had left her feeling tingly and lightheaded and she felt her heartbeat increase just thinking about it. But it had probably all just been a lie to get her bracelet and that thought broke her heart.

When she reached the resort the sun had already set and the lights around the resort had been lit. She could smell dinner being prepared, but the depression over her bracelet made her not feel hungry. As she walked up the steps to the resort she spotted a man and woman standing on patio. They looked at her and smiled and the woman asked if she was the Duchess of Cumberland. She nodded and curtsied to them in return as they approached her.

"I heard from my husband that the King will be attending. He wants the King to hear what he has to say and believes the King will back him up. I know nothing more than that unfortunately."

The woman in their surprise had not introduced herself and she leaned into her. “Not very romantic is it for a honeymoon? Congratulations on your marrying the Duke. He’s a fine catch,” she said softly and smiled at her. “That’ll do Grace,” the man said. The woman giggled. “Oh, do you play this new game called Bok? We and some of the other ladies really love it...something to do while our husbands are...busy,” she said in a disapproving voice. Her man sighed again. “You’ll have to pardon my wife Duchess, she believes that every holiday should revolve around her,” he said dryly. Grace narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s her honeymoon Dale! I’d never have put up with such from you!” she said and scowled. “Dinner is waiting,” he said and nodded another bow to her. “Grace,” he said and held out his arm. She took it and touched Emma’s cheek in a friendly manner as they departed.

The dining room setting was amazing. Crystal chandeliers, a huge table covered in white, crystal, silver and gold utensils for eating. Wine decanters and bowls and plates filled with all sorts of things. Fresh seafood in a chowder soup, fish, scallops with a poached egg on top. Summer peas in a butter sauce, and other things. People had already began to gather. Men and women some younger, some older, all with stripes either many or fewer that denoted their social standing. Nathan had seen her and moved up to her. He held a crystal goblet in his hand for her. He kissed her on the cheek as he handed it to her. The women in the room were all looking at her and thought the gesture quite romantic. She could hear how they seemed to agree with Grace about the Duke and they complimented her youth and her beauty as well.

OOC-Did we want to move forward from here or was there more that evening that you wanted to do?

ooc-just a bit more, maybe describe the next week. Them being on the beach, going for walks, becoming more used to one another sexually, becoming a closer couple. then, he having to go to these conferences in the middle of their honeymoon etc.

OOC-Ok, I will try to write up something later on. I'm getting ready to go to lunch soon and then we have a staff meeting. I'm also waiting to hear back from my doctor about the results of my gallbladder ultrasound that was done on Friday. I'm in a bit of pain and am hoping that the gallbladder is the issue so we can get it fixed.

ooc-thats fine, i know this is boring stuff but it really sets up the more exciting stuff for later. please stay with me Kristen!

I hope all is well with your insides. Pain is definitely a sign that something is wrong.

The first week of their Honeymoon was quite wonderful. They slept in and would lounge about for the first few hours while having a leisurely breakfast out on their balcony and then mid morning they would dress and head out to walk along the beach. Her dogs would chase after gulls and dig in the sand and run through the water while she walked arm in arm with Nathan. Then they would have lunch alone with some sweet, cool wine and fresh fruit and then play a game or read. Nathan had started teaching her Bok and she was catching on quickly and enjoyed it very much. Before dinner they would dress more formally before going down to join the others. They would politely chat with everyone before dinner and then would join other couples for some tea or coffee afterwards with a few small desert cakes.

Alone at night in their bedroom Nathan and Emma would make love every night. As time went on they were beginning to understand what each other wanted and needed and things had progressed since their first night together. However, despite this Emma still felt no real desire for Nathan. He was very nice and treated her well and seemed to care about her, but there was nothing about him that caused her to have passionate thoughts about him. She was content however and felt she could find happiness with Nathan.

One week in to their Honeymoon, Nathan suddenly began to have to attend conferences and would be away for sometimes the entire day. Emma would still take walks along the beach, but would do so alone. She tried to ask Nathan what these conferences were about, but he seemed hesitant to go into any great detail.

ooc-new thread