inspection. Sophronia pulled back.
"It was her daughter that dressed me but she can hardly be blamed. The light was dim," Sophronia said.
"It would have to be very dim for her not to notice such a thing," Claire said.
"Is there some creepy thing in the house that has bitten you? I've never seen any bug leave a mark like this before," Mercy said. Sophronia's face blushed and Nathaniel wished that the floor would suddenly crack open and suck him into the depths of the earth.
Eldon looked up and let out a choking noise. His father coughed delicately.
"It appears to be a bedroom mishap. Nothing any of the rest of us needs to be bothered by. Mercy, find your sister a scarf to wear for the sake of her modesty," their father said. Claire looked over at Nathaniel with a look of confusion and perhaps a bit of reproach. Apparently his brother had never taken to such deep kisses of his wife.
"Perhaps you should go as well," Eldon said to Claire. She nodded hesitantly but stood up to join the other women.
"You did not need to prove to me that you obeyed my command," his father said gruffly after the women had departed.
"What the devil were you doing?" Eldon asked.
"What father commanded me to do," Nathaniel spat.
"I commanded you to consummate the marriage. Anything above that was your own doing so do not blame me," his father said.
"It would not do to kill the girl. Especially if that is my babe in her belly," Eldon growled.
"A few rough kisses would hardly damage either her or the child," Nathaniel defended. Of course, he had not expected following his desire to leave her bruised either. Had he been trying to punish her?
"No real harm done I am sure. She is not the first woman to have a few love bites. Especially from a werewolf. Just try next time to cover them before breakfast so as not to upset your sisters," his father said.
"I do not intend to leave them again," Nathaniel said.
"I should say not," Eldon said. Nathaniel was not sure exactly what Sophronia had seen in his brother. She had liked the loving he had given her even if it had been a bit rougher than a gentleman ought to give his wife.
"I will make sure we rush building you that house. It seems that more privacy is warranted," his father said.
"It is not," Nathaniel growled but the sudden aching in the pit of his stomach made him wonder if his father would end up right. Last night he had sworn he would sleep with her only that one time and only because his alpha commanded but now he was not so sure.
"There is no need to fuss over me," Sophronia said. While Mercy and Claire had been searching for a scarf she had seen the mark on her neck. It certainly looked worse than it felt. She had not even noticed it until they were at the table and she had not thought that her husband's kisses the night before could cause any such thing. Now that the scarf covered it she felt as if it was not real and nothing but a trick of shadows.
"It is not fussing. Not really. I just want to be sure that you get rest," Mercy said.
"I feel very well," Sophronia said.
"Still, it might be better to stay inside today instead of playing battledore and shuttlecock," Claire said. She had mentioned the day before that if the weather remained mild she had hoped to play a game of it.
"Do not be silly. The fresh air will do me good and if I become tired I can sit down," Sophronia said.
"I do suppose the fresh air would not hurt. We will keep it a light game. Have you played before?" Mercy asked.
"Once or twice," Sophronia said. It was not popular with her friends in America but she had played it a few times since coming to Europe and so knew the basics.
"And you will of course stop us if you feel too taxed," Claire said.
"Of course I will," Sophronia said though she expected fully to feel just fine. Women in Europe might be delicate flowers but she was American and from hardier stock. She had heard of Negro women birthing babies in cotton fields and then continuing to pick. It
"It was her daughter that dressed me but she can hardly be blamed. The light was dim," Sophronia said.
"It would have to be very dim for her not to notice such a thing," Claire said.
"Is there some creepy thing in the house that has bitten you? I've never seen any bug leave a mark like this before," Mercy said. Sophronia's face blushed and Nathaniel wished that the floor would suddenly crack open and suck him into the depths of the earth.
Eldon looked up and let out a choking noise. His father coughed delicately.
"It appears to be a bedroom mishap. Nothing any of the rest of us needs to be bothered by. Mercy, find your sister a scarf to wear for the sake of her modesty," their father said. Claire looked over at Nathaniel with a look of confusion and perhaps a bit of reproach. Apparently his brother had never taken to such deep kisses of his wife.
"Perhaps you should go as well," Eldon said to Claire. She nodded hesitantly but stood up to join the other women.
"You did not need to prove to me that you obeyed my command," his father said gruffly after the women had departed.
"What the devil were you doing?" Eldon asked.
"What father commanded me to do," Nathaniel spat.
"I commanded you to consummate the marriage. Anything above that was your own doing so do not blame me," his father said.
"It would not do to kill the girl. Especially if that is my babe in her belly," Eldon growled.
"A few rough kisses would hardly damage either her or the child," Nathaniel defended. Of course, he had not expected following his desire to leave her bruised either. Had he been trying to punish her?
"No real harm done I am sure. She is not the first woman to have a few love bites. Especially from a werewolf. Just try next time to cover them before breakfast so as not to upset your sisters," his father said.
"I do not intend to leave them again," Nathaniel said.
"I should say not," Eldon said. Nathaniel was not sure exactly what Sophronia had seen in his brother. She had liked the loving he had given her even if it had been a bit rougher than a gentleman ought to give his wife.
"I will make sure we rush building you that house. It seems that more privacy is warranted," his father said.
"It is not," Nathaniel growled but the sudden aching in the pit of his stomach made him wonder if his father would end up right. Last night he had sworn he would sleep with her only that one time and only because his alpha commanded but now he was not so sure.
"There is no need to fuss over me," Sophronia said. While Mercy and Claire had been searching for a scarf she had seen the mark on her neck. It certainly looked worse than it felt. She had not even noticed it until they were at the table and she had not thought that her husband's kisses the night before could cause any such thing. Now that the scarf covered it she felt as if it was not real and nothing but a trick of shadows.
"It is not fussing. Not really. I just want to be sure that you get rest," Mercy said.
"I feel very well," Sophronia said.
"Still, it might be better to stay inside today instead of playing battledore and shuttlecock," Claire said. She had mentioned the day before that if the weather remained mild she had hoped to play a game of it.
"Do not be silly. The fresh air will do me good and if I become tired I can sit down," Sophronia said.
"I do suppose the fresh air would not hurt. We will keep it a light game. Have you played before?" Mercy asked.
"Once or twice," Sophronia said. It was not popular with her friends in America but she had played it a few times since coming to Europe and so knew the basics.
"And you will of course stop us if you feel too taxed," Claire said.
"Of course I will," Sophronia said though she expected fully to feel just fine. Women in Europe might be delicate flowers but she was American and from hardier stock. She had heard of Negro women birthing babies in cotton fields and then continuing to pick. It
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