Sinful Duty (The Bentons and Northcutts 1) ✅

Chapter Six 🔥

The bedding ceremony.

Diana clasped her hands tightly as she watched the bishop bless Edmund's bed. Now also her bed. She glanced at Edmund, who was slumped slightly in his chair, and looked back at the bishop. Her breathing was unsteady.

"The bed has been blessed," the bishop announced. "Now, the new husband and wife may prepared themselves for their first wedded night."

The bishop took his leave, and maids and footmen rushed into the room. The former handling Diana and the latter handling Edmund. The maids escorted Diana to the west side of the room behind a screen, and the footmen carried Edmund to the bed. Behind the curtain, the maids helped Diana out of her wedding gown and stripped her of her undergarments and stockings until she stood naked. There was no carpet on this side of the room and her feet quickly became cold. Then they carefully lifted a nightshift over her and pulled it over her. It was white linen, long-sleeved and and the hem reached her ankles. "May I have a pair of socks?" Diana asked.

"Of course, Milady," one of the maids said. Diana sat down on a stool and held each foot out as the maids slid white bed socks onto her feet. Diana stood and nodded shakily. "The Countess is ready!" another maid announced.

"The Earl is ready!" one of the footmen replied. Diana was directed to come out from behind the screen, and she saw that Edmund was already sitting in bed wearing a white nightshirt. His arms were folded, and he still looked half-awake.

Diana was guided to the other side of the bed and she slid under the covers and sat beside Edmund. She tried not to feel uneasy sitting so close to a man while she was wearing so little. This is my husband. This is how I will always dress now when I go to bed with my husband.

The door opened, and their bridesmaids and groomsmen came in. Phoebe, Arabella, Rebekah, Gavin, Rafe, Lionel, and George. The men sat on Edmund's side of the bed and the ladies sat on Diana's side of the bed. Phoebe gave her sister a small smile and encouraging nod, but Arabella couldn't stop looking at Edmund. Diana did not check to see where anyone else was looking.

On the far tablet, two goblets were set up and from a bottle the spiced wine that Diana and Edmund would need to drink was poured. One of the footmen poured only a little into each cup, and then one maid picked up the cup and another footman picked up the other cup. Both the maid and footman drank from the cups and set them down. There was a lingered pause for a moment before the maid and footman nodded and walked away, and the footman poured more spiced wine into each goblet.

What was that about? Diana wondered, but soon the goblets were brought over. Diana was given the goblet the maid drank from and Edmund was given the goblet the footman drank from. Both goblets were half-full.

Diana raised her goblet in toast and drank from it. The spiced wine was sweet, and she felt relaxed when she drank it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edmund struggling to lift his goblet, so she quickly finished hers and reached over to help hold his hands steady. "Here, my love," she said softly, helping him to drink.

Phoebe took her goblet and passed it to a maid, and once Edmund had finished drinking Gavin took his goblet. The moment he passed it to a footman, George pulled something out of his coat pocket and threw it at Edmund. Diana gasped in alarm when she saw the object bounce off her husband's face, but when it landed in his lap she quickly saw what it was. It was the leg of a pair of stockings, rolled up into a ball. It was Edmund's stockings.

"Well, there you have it," George said. "I'll be getting married next." He looked at Diana. "Have a enduring night, my Lady." He bowed and left.

Diana flushed, feeling scandalized, but Arabella suddenly stood and yelled, "My turn!" and threw one leg of Diana's stockings at Diana. The article of clothing however came up short and flittered to the mattress. Arabella huffed and sat back down. "I guess it's not my turn yet!"