Mrs. Brandon: The Story of Christopher and Marianne

Chapter 3 - Being Mrs. Brandon

Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Sense and Sensibility! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates on the second and fourth Saturday of each month!
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Marianne had been a guest at the Brandon estate many times before, yet she felt as if she were entering a strange place while she walked through the front doors for the first time as Mrs. Brandon.

Mrs. Millins, the property's head housekeeper, stood with the rest of the staff who eagerly waited in a neat line to receive the couple.

As Colonel Brandon walked into his home with Marianne beside him, he nodded at his staff and gestured to her with his free hand as he spoke, "I would like to introduce you all to my darling wife, Marianne Brandon, the new lady of the house."

Marianne nodded at each person as they all clapped politely in cordial greeting as she and Christopher walked past.

To Mrs. Brandon, it seemed odd to be at her new husband's side as they ascended the stairs.

To Mrs. Brandon, it seemed very odd to stand in the Colonel's bedroom, a place in the house Marianne had never visited before.

Regardless, it filled Mrs. Brandon with excitement to watch Christopher close the door behind himself and entrap them in the room alone with each other.

Marianne smiled at her new groom as he smiled at her while they stood on opposite sides of his canopy bed.

Mrs. Brandon thought that her new circumstances seemed almost obscenely delightful.

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Marianne's heart raced as Colonel Brandon approached her in elegant strides while they stood in complete privacy.

To her surprise, he walked past her and retrieved a different jacket from his armoire, which stood behind her.

She blinked as she watched him remove the outermost layer of his military uniform and replace the garment with one she often saw him wear during their many picnics and walks in the countryside.

As he strode over towards the bedroom door, he seemed nearly as nervous as her about their situation as he nodded and explained, "If you will allow it, my love, I will send for Mrs. Millins to help you out of your wedding dress and into a more suitable outfit for the afternoon."

".......The afternoon?" Marianne asked with a soft smile that conveyed more than a hint of disappointment.

"I had thought we would enjoy an hour or two in the garden before dinner this evening." Christopher frowned as he gazed at his wife, "Unless another pursuit comes to your mind, my darling."

The idea of even suggesting her lascivious thoughts out loud seemed scandalous to Marianne as she blushed with a gasping laugh.

She glanced down at the floor for a brief moment before she summoned the courage to meet her groom's intense state and ask, "Are we.......Are we not meant to consummate our union, Christopher?...I've heard stories for....for months of what this day would be like.....Do I repulse you that much?"

Colonel Brandon's face twisted in anguish as if his wife had just screamed horrible abuses at him.

"My dear Marianne..." Christopher began as he focused his gaze on his beautiful bride, "Do not make the mistake of thinking there is anything in this world I desire more than you.....However, I am a civilized man, not a savage. It was merely my thought that we may pursue more passionate....endeavors.....as all decent people do, in the evening time, after we've sought the quiet respite of our bed."