patience. He jerked his dark head in the direction of the bed, his hair falling softly across his cheeks as he did so.
She climbed up on the raised bed and faced him.
Frowning, Caroline twisted her lips. She just wanted a different start than her first marriage. She moved to draw her knees up to her chest but thought better of it. Now was not the time for her modesty. That move might cause him to strike out or tell her to spread them like Lord Halvard had done.
The silence stretched between them.
Then he did something so unlike Lord Halvard and commanded. ‘Speak of what you wish to talk about and do so with much haste.’
Caroline wet her lips, a ray of hope lit inside her.
She really didn’t know quite where to start, so taken aback by his unexpected favor. Lord Halvard had whacked her for asking that question.
Helen had said once that all men were not the same. Norman he might be but he was still a man.
She need make an attempt to keep the peace and any harm away from herself and for her son.
She blurted what came to her first, detesting the tremor in her voice. ‘I-I will do my best to be a good wife to you.’
His hard-edged reply came without pause. ‘You will be. After this night I shall be away a great deal. The less we see of each other, the better a union it will make. You will have your freedom. You and your son. A marriage of necessity, naught more.’
Caroline cringed under him as he leaned in closer. ‘Twas not exactly the response she’d hoped for. Her wanting to start off well seemed futile. Then again, he had given her his ear, albeit brief. Lord Halvard had beaten her for her talkativeness. Something he’d viewed as disobedience. She would have the beating out of the way now if the Norman aimed to do the same. Rather his ire on her than Kelbie.
But he could expect her to fight back as she’d done with Lord Halvard. Aye, though she’d lost, she’d left her mark on her first husband all the same.
‘I ask not for a marriage of love, my lord. I merely wish for one of mutual understanding.’
‘I’ve just spoken of that just now, did I not? Enough of this. Time to get on and finish this act. I merely wish to commence this union and you can go back to your son. Move closer,’ he ordered her.
Oh, she wasted her breath with this man!
Caroline scooted her bottom toward him on the feather bed. She did not know where to put her hands. She soon found she worried for naught for he placed them beside her on the bed. Fear and want warred inside her watching his long lashes and shimmering eyes watch her back.
He slid his large hands up and over her calves, knees and thighs.
She bit her lip to stop the sound that bubbled up in her throat, but she could not contain the shudder that shot through her from his restrained touch and at what those rough hands ignited.
She had survived Lord Halvard, she would survive him.
But she knew this was different.
This man was not older like her first husband had been.
He stirred a spark in her which Lord Halvard had failed to do miserably at each encounter.
His expression was one of displeasure and annoyance and it showed in his posture, his every gesture as his hands roamed her body.
He may not have beaten her, but he was still just as cold. Caroline waited. Worry of what was to come tightened her chest and made it hard for her to breath.
She gazed at that part of him to see if there was a change and there was not. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth and tried to still the rising panic as she crawled backwards away from his touch. He made a face at her movement.
She hoped something changed down there for if it did not he would blame her and she did not want that. When he placed both of his hands on her hips and pulled her back toward him, she bit back a scream and held her breath. His exasperated sigh told her his patience was quickly waning.
He did not kiss her.
Neither had Lord Halvard indulged in the act, calling it silliness
She climbed up on the raised bed and faced him.
Frowning, Caroline twisted her lips. She just wanted a different start than her first marriage. She moved to draw her knees up to her chest but thought better of it. Now was not the time for her modesty. That move might cause him to strike out or tell her to spread them like Lord Halvard had done.
The silence stretched between them.
Then he did something so unlike Lord Halvard and commanded. ‘Speak of what you wish to talk about and do so with much haste.’
Caroline wet her lips, a ray of hope lit inside her.
She really didn’t know quite where to start, so taken aback by his unexpected favor. Lord Halvard had whacked her for asking that question.
Helen had said once that all men were not the same. Norman he might be but he was still a man.
She need make an attempt to keep the peace and any harm away from herself and for her son.
She blurted what came to her first, detesting the tremor in her voice. ‘I-I will do my best to be a good wife to you.’
His hard-edged reply came without pause. ‘You will be. After this night I shall be away a great deal. The less we see of each other, the better a union it will make. You will have your freedom. You and your son. A marriage of necessity, naught more.’
Caroline cringed under him as he leaned in closer. ‘Twas not exactly the response she’d hoped for. Her wanting to start off well seemed futile. Then again, he had given her his ear, albeit brief. Lord Halvard had beaten her for her talkativeness. Something he’d viewed as disobedience. She would have the beating out of the way now if the Norman aimed to do the same. Rather his ire on her than Kelbie.
But he could expect her to fight back as she’d done with Lord Halvard. Aye, though she’d lost, she’d left her mark on her first husband all the same.
‘I ask not for a marriage of love, my lord. I merely wish for one of mutual understanding.’
‘I’ve just spoken of that just now, did I not? Enough of this. Time to get on and finish this act. I merely wish to commence this union and you can go back to your son. Move closer,’ he ordered her.
Oh, she wasted her breath with this man!
Caroline scooted her bottom toward him on the feather bed. She did not know where to put her hands. She soon found she worried for naught for he placed them beside her on the bed. Fear and want warred inside her watching his long lashes and shimmering eyes watch her back.
He slid his large hands up and over her calves, knees and thighs.
She bit her lip to stop the sound that bubbled up in her throat, but she could not contain the shudder that shot through her from his restrained touch and at what those rough hands ignited.
She had survived Lord Halvard, she would survive him.
But she knew this was different.
This man was not older like her first husband had been.
He stirred a spark in her which Lord Halvard had failed to do miserably at each encounter.
His expression was one of displeasure and annoyance and it showed in his posture, his every gesture as his hands roamed her body.
He may not have beaten her, but he was still just as cold. Caroline waited. Worry of what was to come tightened her chest and made it hard for her to breath.
She gazed at that part of him to see if there was a change and there was not. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth and tried to still the rising panic as she crawled backwards away from his touch. He made a face at her movement.
She hoped something changed down there for if it did not he would blame her and she did not want that. When he placed both of his hands on her hips and pulled her back toward him, she bit back a scream and held her breath. His exasperated sigh told her his patience was quickly waning.
He did not kiss her.
Neither had Lord Halvard indulged in the act, calling it silliness
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