"N&S: John Thornton, Love Lessons", by Gratiana Lovelace (2013-2014) (Done)

Ch. 27 (R-rated, S): John and Margaret's Loving Evening and Such

Margaret:  Margaret cannot suppress a giggle.  “Ha ha ha ha ha!  Oh no, John!  Fanny is the most vocal of the four of us about kissing--about her kissing Baird, I mean.”  Margaret purses her lips.

John:  John’s eyes bulge and have a look of thunder at the news that his sister Fanny is kissing her almost fiancé Baird.  “I’m going to kill him.” John growls deeply.  “Fanny is still underage!  Not yet twenty-one.  And at twenty-nine, Baird is much older than she and he should know better as a gentleman not to seek a lady’s kisses until he is married to her.”  John fumes.

Margaret:  Margaret smiles and raises a knowing eye brow and tugs at her husband’s dressing gown lapel.  “How quickly we forget, John Dearest.  You kissed me--and more--before we wed.”  John blushes with heated remembrance of their first loving each other--as does she.  “And you are older at thirty four to my twenty one--the difference being even more so than Baird is older than Fanny.”

John: “Ugggh!”  John expels in frustration at her irrefutable logic.  It is so difficiult for man to be the brother of a marriageable aged sister.   He puts his arms out in mock protest. “Margaret, please, no more revelations tonight.  I am just trying to get through Mother’s wedding before I have to think about Fanny’s possible wedding.”  He covers his face with his hand and rubs his lower jaw as a self comforting mechanism.

Margaret:   “John?”  Margaret traces circular patterns in John’s chest hair peeking out of his dressing gown.

John: “Yes?”  He sighs.

Margaret: “When are you going to allow Baird to formally ask Fanny to marry him?”

John: “Never would be too soon.”  Now Margaret blanches.  “I would say that I’m not ready yet.”  John shakes his head tiredly.  “But if Baird is stealing kisses from Fanny, then I had best get the two of them well in hand.”  Then an alarming thought occurs to him. “Margaret!   You’re not encouraging Fanny’s kissing of Baird, are you?  You haven’t told her about … well, about us?”

Margaret: “What?  That you bedded me the week before we married?”  She asks saucily.

John:  “I did not!”  John whines a bit.  Margaret looks at him askance--for she was there as a witness, and as a willing participant.  “What I mean to say is.  You came to my bed, if you will remember.  And I would not want Fanny to get such a notion into her head about Baird.”  He intones imperiously.  But it backfires on him.

Margaret:  “Oh.”  Margaret sighs quietly and she sits up away from snuggling with her husband John.  Margaret demurely clasps her hands together on her silken gown covered lap as her face frowns and then saddens.  She asks him in a hushed penitent tone. “John?  Do you … do you think less of me because I allowed you to …” 

Margaret does not finish her thought as she feels embarrassment for her wanton behavior then.  Her cheeks are aflame with shame for her brazen act--their brazen act.  And even them being married well and truly for three months and more cannot forestall Margaret’s uncertainty about her earlier actions.

John: Gathering his wife back into his arms, John soothes her. “Not at all.  You are my exquisite lady and none can besmirch your honor.  That we gave ourselves in love to each other after the trials of the mill almost being burned to the ground is our own private joy.  I could never regret it, nor wish that we did otherwise--nor do I want you to feel regret, My Love.  I could not bear it if I felt that I had injured you in some way.”   

Then John kisses Margaret tenderly and adoringly for some time--until she feels completely cherished and respected and loved [(3) right].   After their kisses, Margaret caresses John’s face and asks.