Sometimes the dimension between awake and asleep can be difficult to distinguish. Ella was somewhere between these two worlds when she became aware of a light pleasant scent that invaded the obscure corridors of her mind. It had a vague familiarity to it that couldn't be placed. She had nearly completed her ascension from the murky depths of her shadowy refuge, but she was enjoying the last bit of warmth and serenity that it provided. The further she climbed though, the more aware she was that she was not in a familiar place.
Ella was first aware of a dim light interrupting her sleep and then realized in a start, that she was in the downy softness of a large very comfortable bed. This was not the first time she had woken up in an unfamiliar bed and she had a knot in her stomach at her luck of having such a thing happen to her again. The first time was when she woke up in the infirmary bed, which didn't bode too ill for her, but she didn't think this time would end as well. Again, the faint smell wafted to her nostrils. It was a familiar and pleasant scent, but she still couldn't quite place it. She looked around, holding the covers tight under her chin, as if they would protect her if someone were to jump out at her. The furnishings in the room were large pieces, an armoire, a dresser and a chest of drawers and they were made of dark mahogany and there was a black leather chase lounge sitting near the bed. One thing was becoming evident, this was a man's room. He heart began to pound as she realized where she had smelled that familiar scent...it was Nicholas's cologne. There was no doubting that this was Nicholas's room. Before she could even move to get out of the bed, the door flew open and in came a very cheery Maggie in her booming voice with a team of about 3 other girls, whom she gave specific instructions to of what their chores were. Ella was confused and dumbfounded. The last girl to enter carried a long, beautiful gown with her and soon she hung it on the large armoire. It was her wedding gown. Today was her wedding day. This was Nicholas's room. What was her future husband going to say about her waking up on the morning of her wedding in another man's room? The weight of the entire situation came down on her and she had to choke back tears. She was going to marry a man that she couldn't stand. She not only couldn't stand him, but she was frightened of him as well. She had heard rumors of how his previous wife frequently had bruises from "accidents" that always happened to her. Everyone suspected that the man was abusing her, but no one could prove it, nor would she admit that there was a problem. Her mysterious death also hung over Ella's head and made her heart heavy. Nicholas had promised he would not allow the ministry to force her into a marriage with this man, but here she was, only hours away from marrying him anyway. And now, she was in Nicholas's bed. What if her new husband found out about this? He would surely be angry even though the circumstances were completely innocent...or were they? The memories of the previous night started creeping into Ella's mind. "Oh nooooo..." she thought to herself. She remembered how Nicholas had touched her and how she had begged him to continue. She was so ashamed. She had begged him not to stop but thankfully he did. What if he told her new husband? He was angry with her for trying to escape last night. Was it a punishment for trying to get away? Was it another way to mock her? Was her new husband going to find out about last night? How would she ever live down last night. She was sure to see Nicholas again, especially with her in his room. What if he came back to the room while she was in here? What if he wanted to complete what had started? She was going to be a married woman in just a few hours, and she was in another man's bed. The tears overflowed and she was in complete despair. There was absolutely no way out of this. She was completely defeated. There was nothing she could do except face the consequences of her actions. She would marry a man she despised and have to accept her punishment for her actions.
"Why are you crying dear? You should be elated. This is your wedding day. Don't you think your dress looks grand? Isn't it gorgeous?
Maggie was so genuinely happy and excited for this day. Ella couldn't bear hurting the older lady's feelings by bashing her new husband's name. She decided she was going to be strong and proud, and she was going to do everything possible to be a beautiful bride. She dried up her eyes and crawled out of the bed and walked over to the dress and examined it. It was exquisite and the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was made with such minute detail. It was ivory/blush pink, with beautiful flowers adorning the bodice and sleeves. It had a clinched waistline with a bateau neck. There were many layers of beautiful material which were embellished with delicate beautiful silk flowers trickling down each side. The long dress was accompanied by a train that was complimented with muted floral embroidery. The dress was full, like something a princess would wear. She did her best to sound happy and excited about this day and the gorgeous gown. "Oh yes Maggie. It is beautiful. It's the most beautiful gown I've even seen."
"Oh dear, you are going to look so beautiful on your wedding day. I can't wait to see it on you."
Ella was shewed away to the shower to begin her preparation for the day. Soon she was sitting in a chair while her hair was being styled and the nails on her hands and feet were being done in a beautiful blush pink to match her dress. The dress was donned and when Ella looked at herself in the mirror, she almost cried. She had to admit that she looked beautiful in the gown. Her hair was put up in a beautiful updo and a beautiful strand of pearls was the final piece of the outfit.
Once all of the preparation and grooming were completed, Maggie and her crew left Ella to herself in the large, now empty room. The nagging feeling crept back in. How did she actually end up in Nichola's room? Who brought her here? Was Harvey Smedley going to find out about it? Out of all of the women who were there helping her get ready, some of them had to know this was Nicholas's room. It was bound to get out eventually that she was in Dr Moustakas's room on the morning of the wedding. Ella had learned how quickly rumors could spread since being at the school. It was surely only a matter of time before Mr. Smedley heard about this. She wondered what would happen. She wondered if he would hit her. What would she do? Would she try to run away again? What could be worse? Living in an abusive relationship or being tortured and killed by a literal monster? These were her two choices in life right now. She wished she could talk to Mother Christina about it all, but she knew what she would say. She was petrified that Erebus was going to get to Ella and it was like nothing else mattered to the nun. She just wanted Ella to be safe and Ella couldn't even say her grandmother would choose to take her away from Harvey Smedley as long as staying with him meant Erebus couldn't bother her. It didn't matter now anyway, her fate had been set.
Ella sat on the edge of the bed thinking about the months that had passed since she first came here. A lot had changed. She had changed. She had become so much more cognoscente of life's pitfalls and turmoil. She wasn't the innocent child she was when she first came here. She was starting to understand love and physical love as well. Nicholas had made sure of that. He had made sure to imprint that in her mind before her wedding day. She knew she would never have another experience like the one she had last night. He did that on purpose as a way to mock her. He wanted her to see what she could never have. Sometimes he could be so sweet to her lately. There were times he was kind and thoughtful, only to turn around and be cold or even angry with her for no reason. There were a couple of times that she thought he was even starting to have feelings for her, but she knew that was only a figment of her imagination. A man like him could never love a simple girl like herself. She had seen his type of girlfriend. They were beautiful and glamorous women. Nothing like her simple, earthly self. Would he care that she may suffer the consequences of being in his room or even last night? He must know she is there in his room. There is no way Maggie would let her be there without his knowledge. Maggie adored Dr Moustakas as did Agatha and the other older ladies. Since he had grown up there at the school and they all had a small part in raising him, they all felt like he was theirs. He was truly Agatha's though. She did raise him after his mother died. She was his Godmother. Maybe Agatha could help her? No...no she had to remind herself. It was as it would be now.
A light knock on the door startled Ella. She looked up and before she could answer, the door opened slightly.
"Hello? Is it safe to come in?" the voice was that of the Headmaster Heinrich.
"Oh yes Headmaster Heinrich, please come in." He entered and stood there for a moment speechless as he looked at Ella.
"Ella, you are a most beautiful and comely site. I don't think I have ever seen anyone so lovely as you are right now."
"Oh headmaster...thank you. You are so kind." Ella did not believe that he could mean what he said, but the headmaster did mean it. He was taken aback by how stunning she was. He was the one that would walk Ella out to the wedding. He would be walking her down the aisle. Ella had to wonder now if everyone was actually ok with her being in another man's bedroom on the day of her wedding. Was it just her or didn't they think this was strange and a little taboo? Well, this was just another person that knows now and could possibly inform Mr. Smedley of his wife's whereabouts on the morning and day of her wedding. It was to the point that it didn't matter to her now. Nothing mattered. Her life was over as she had known it. It would never be the same after today. Even through all of the struggles and turmoil, she had always been safe as long as she followed the rules, but now it would not necessarily be like that. She may never be safe again, but she was stuck. There was nothing she could do about it now.
The headmaster told Ella it was almost time and took her by the arm and gently placed hers through his, intwining their arms together. They both heard the music start in the great hall downstairs as they started to walk. Ella couldn't help it as tears started falling down her face. Luckily the veil had been placed over her face, essentially hiding the tears. They exited the room and walked down the hallway to the stairs. They started down the stairs and once down, turned to enter the great hall. The wedding music started to play as the two entered. Everyone stood up and Ella looked at all the people. The hall was full. It didn't look like a seat was empty. Ella scanned all of the faces as she passed each row. She dared not look at the groom standing with the priest. She had no desire to see him before she actually had to face him. As the rows got closer to the front, she couldn't help but look for Nicholas. She wondered if he would be there. Especially after last night. Especially with her waking up in his room. So far, she had not seen a single sign of him. Could he really do this to her? Promise her she would not have to marry a monster and then on the day of her wedding to that monster, just disappear. Only three aisles from the front and still no sign of him. Finally, the two came to a stop at the front and still no sign of Nicholas. Ella's heart was in so much pain. The tears were pouring from her eyes. She dared not look at her groom, because she didn't know if she could go through with this wedding. She had promised herself she would, but now that it was actually here, she didn't know if she could. She had to look at him first though. She braced herself and began to raise her head toward where he was standing. When Ella's eyes finally looked up she was so confused. She saw Nicholas standing there at the altar.
"Is he standing with groom?! How could he have the nerve to do this to me?" Ella looked for the monster of a man she was so afraid to find but could see no sign of him. Where is the groom? She looked through each person standing at the altar. There was Nicholas, Dr Findlay, who was Nicholas's very good friend, and the priest. Where is her groom? Why is Nicholas standing up here? Ella's heart was beating so fast, she was sure the others could hear it. She was so confused, so when Nicholas gently took her hand from the headmaster's arm, Ella was shaking and when he put her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers softly, her knees almost buckled from her own weight.
"Ella, I want you to be my bride." Nicholas looked directly in her eyes behind the veil. Ella was speechless. What was happening? What was he saying? Was he asking her to marry him? What was happening? Finally, the tears fell harder but this time for a different reason. She looked at Nicholas, still waiting for him to say it wasn't so.
Nicholas whispered in her ear..."if someone wouldn't have decided to run away yesterday evening, we would have already had this conversation." As he put a diamond engagement ring on her finger. "If you would rather wait, I understand", he said to her, with a serious but soft look in his eyes. "We can wait and carry on with this at a later date if that is what you would rather do." Ella let him put the ring the rest of the way on her finger and shook her head "yes"...
"You want to wait?" Nicholas looked at Ella with an understanding look on his face. Ella was crying so hard and trying to speak but she couldn't because of the tears. "No...No"
Nicholas was confused now. Did she want to wait or did she want to continue on with the ceremony. "What do you want to do Ella?"
"I want to marry you." She finally tearfully chocked out
"Good! I was afraid you wanted to wait. I want to marry you now. I'm in love with you Ella."
"Are you kidding me? You promise you aren't joking with me."
"Ella, I would never joke around about such a serious and sensitive subject. I love you. I have loved you for a long time now. I have loved you since the first time we met. I was angry at you because of it. I resented you, because I was not ever going to love any woman. You came along and proved me wrong, and I did everything I could to change the way I felt, but to no avail. I am in love with you, and I hope you feel the same way as I do.
"I do. I love you too." The tears were steadily running down her face, and she needed a tissue for her nose. Nicholas handed her his handkerchief, and she wiped her tears and wiped her nose. Nicholas laughed as he took the soiled item back and stuffed it into his pocket. He put his arm around hers and walked her to the awaiting priest, where the nuptials were carried out. Nicholas was very gentle and kind when he raised her veil to place it over her head. He used his fingers to raise her chin up to him and gently place a soft kiss on her lips. Ella felt butterflies flutter around in the pit of her belly. This was her husband now. Could it be real? She felt like she was in a dream and actually pinched her own arm to try to wake up, but she was indeed fully awake. This was not a dream and she had just married a man that she once was so frightened of. She never would have thought he would love her. She knew she had feelings for him for a long time, but she tried as hard as she could to push those feelings away, thinking that they were only a wasted wish that could never come true. She did have an inkling that Nicholas cared for her though, but he cared for all of his students. He was always there to rescue her, and she had known that as long as he was within sight, she was safe from anything or anyone. It didn't take long for her to realize that. However, last night was somewhat of a surprise and one that she had mixed feelings about. She was still so embarrassed and even ashamed of herself at the way she reacted to his touch, but now a lot of it made sense to her. She had thought it was a punishment for running away and maybe it still was, but the care he had taken to taunt her was evident. Was it done out of love or spite or maybe both? No matter what the reason, her reaction baffled her and had worried her, but now, there was a new worry. With every wedding was a wedding night and this would be no different. He would expect her to finish what had started. He even had said that. He said they would finish another time. Now that made sense too. So many things were coming together but that didn't change the fact that she was still afraid of what was going to happen. She wasn't sure if she was ready to finish what had started. How was she going to explain that to him though, especially after the way she acted? He will have to give her some time. She is not ready to complete what was started. He would have to understand. This is all so much for her to comprehend, so he will understand. He has been so sweet this evening. She feels safe that he will understand and give her the time she needs.
She was hoping she could have a moment alone with him to talk about this. She wanted to enjoy her evening without worrying about these things. Everything was set up so beautifully. There was a dance floor, a band and all of the flowers were amazing. The tables had been set beautifully too and it looked as though there was going to be an evening meal served. The cake was one of the most gorgeous cakes she had ever seen. It was four teers, white with an ornate silver and white ribbon around each teer and white flowers with silver leaves adorned the top and along the sides of each layer. It was simple, not overly decorated. Ella could not have chosen any better if she had picked it out herself.
The first person to come to Ella once the nuptials were completed was Mother Christina. She grabbed Ella and pulled her in to hug her tightly. Ella cried tears of joy as did Christina. "Oh child...I'm so happy you look happy. I'm so happy God has sent a man that will be able to protect you and keep you safe. I have prayed so hard for God to shower down an answer to my prayers, and now he has." Mother Christina pushed Ella out from her just a little, so she could get a good look at her tear-stained face. "Tell me how you are feeling about all of this Ella. I know this is a shock to you, but you were supposed to find out last night. I know there was a delay in that." Ella couldn't help but blush. Apparently, there was a plan for dinner and a proposal last night from Nicholas that everyone was aware of but her. She could imagine the panic when it was realized that she had tried to leave. She felt bad for scaring everyone, and she was also embarrassed at the way she had acted, but of course, her Gam wouldn't know about that part.
"I'm sorry Gam for running away, but I was so frightened of marrying Mr. Smedley. I couldn't let that happen without at least trying to get away. I think I would rather have been dead than to marry him."
"Oh child, don't say that. Nothing is worth your life, but you don't have to worry about that now. You could have waited, but I'm so happy that you didn't. I'm so glad that you decided to marry Nicholas. He is such a good boy, and he always has been. I'm happier that I have known him all of his life. We didn't think he would ever get married, but then again, I didn't think you would either, so God works in mysterious ways!" Mother Christina laughed and so did Ella at her last comment. Soon Agatha and the headmaster were surrounding Ella, congratulating her. Nicholas was beside her now, as he had excused himself for just a moment to speak to the headmaster for a second while Ella and Mother Christina were talking. Ella was in a whirlwind of emotion, but this time, it was happiness and excitement. She was excited for her future. She was truly in love with this man and the more time lapsed, the more she realized she had been for a long time now.
The photographer arrived to meet them to discuss photos, which were taken immediately before the dinner. Once they were completed, everyone was sat at their appropriate table and dinner was served. The dinner was delicious and soon, it was time for the tradition of cutting the cake. Once the cake was cut and served, everyone relaxed while the tables were being cleaned off and some were moved to enlarge the dance floor. The bride and groom's table stayed put though and Nicholas and Ella were left alone for a moment. This was Ella's chance to speak to him about such a private matter.
"Nicholas...I was wondering if we could talk for a moment?"
"Of course, darling. I was wanting to speak to you also about something that I have been thinking of."
Ella was curious about what he could be talking about, so she let him go first. Maybe he was going to bring up the same matter. Maybe he knew she was nervous and uneasy about their wedding night, so he was going to suggest giving her some time. He had been so sweet and understanding tonight, that she bet that's what he was going to say. "You go first then."
"Very well, I will. Ella I know you have been through a lot and last night and today have been extremely emotional for you, so I think you should spend this evening dancing and celebrating with your friends. You don't have to stay with me. I've never been one for dancing, other than our first dance of course, so I'll be over with the other men, having a brandy and maybe a cigar. We will have dancing until 9:00 so go enjoy your friends my dear. Now what was it you wanted to say?
Ella was somewhat disappointed. Not because he wanted her to spend the evening with her friends, but because he wasn't on the same page as her. She was hoping he would have the same state of mind about their wedding night, but that's not what he was thinking after all. She was determined to speak with him about her request to give her some time when a trio of excited voices ran up to them and grabbed her in a tight hug. It was Millicent, Lucy, and Sibylla. They all hugged her at the same time as the music started to play. This was the sign for the first dance so they all finished their hellos with a quick goodbye knowing they would see each other in just a few moments.
Nicholas took Ella by the arm and walked her to the dance floor and took her in his arms. He was a good dancer she thought, and wondered why he said he wasn't much for dancing. He was swirling her around the dance floor with ease and he was easy to follow as well. The music was quite loud though. She knew this was her best opportunity to speak with him about the important subject of their wedding night, but she had to speak loudly for him to hear. She was really insecure about screaming her subject matter out for anyone to possibly hear, so she decided she would have to catch him at a later time to talk about the issue. Perhaps after this dance? This caused her a little bit of anxiety because she didn't want to wait until the last minute to speak with him about such a serious subject. She did enjoy the last moments of their dance though and was surprised at how well that went considering she had never danced with him. When the music stopped, he took her to the edge of the dance floor and gave her a sweet peck on the forehead before sending her off with her friends who were waiting for her.
The first thing they did was pull her to their table that was on the far side of the room from where Nicholas had perched himself at the bar with several other men. She decided this was not so bad because she was hoping to escape his watchful eye for a moment while she had time to process the events of the evening. Her life had just instantly changed, and she needed a moment to sit down and think. Meanwhile, a song came on that completely excited her friends, and they pulled her out on the dance floor. It was a line dance and soon she was dancing to the instructions that were called off by the performer of the song. She loved it and for a moment forgot all about her predicament of needing to discuss her issue with Nicholas. She decided she had a few hours to address the subject matter with him, so she may as well have a good time for the moment. That song ended, but immediately after, another one was performed that was even better and her friends were teaching her the moves to this one. Soon she was dancing with the group and keeping up with the others and this went on and on. Every song that was performed was better than the last and she was having such a good time with her friends that she completely lost track of time. She also didn't realize that the doctor had been standing at the bar talking to people and enjoying watching her dance. He had barely taken his eyes off of her.
Soon 9:00 had come and Ella was completely oblivious of the time. Maggie had sent word to one of the housemen to ask Dr Moustakas if he was ready to have Ella taken upstairs. Nicholas, while watching Ella dancing with her friends, his eyes narrowing in on her for a moment that told of his intentions, decided she was having much too good a time at this second to make her leave, so he instructed the houseman to allow thirty more minutes before making her leave. The minutes passed by quickly and soon, again, the houseman was asking Nicholas if he was ready for Ella to be taken upstairs. Nicholas watched Ella again for several seconds, eyeing her up and down with quite a serious look on his face while he nodded his head yes. The houseman sent word back to Maggie that the doctor was indeed ready for Ella.
"Ella...oh Ella...it's time to go upstairs dear."
Ella glanced at Maggie with a questioning look on her face. "I thought we had until 9:00 Maggie?"
"Dear, it's 9:30 now."
Ella's face lost its confident expression as she turned and looked at her friends. She didn't dare look in the direction of Nicholas because she felt his stare on her. "Oh...I see." She gave out a laugh, trying to hide the fact that she was nervous, but the laugh only gave her true feelings away. "It is, isn't it? Time goes by so fast."
Again, her meek laughter and timid words only proved what Maggie already knew. She had taken more than one bride to the wedding chamber in her days. Ella was no different from the rest and was understandably uneasy about the evening ahead, Maggie thought to herself.
Ella stood there for a second, unsure exactly what she was supposed to do. She couldn't help but glance in the direction of Nicholas now, hoping he wasn't watching her anymore, but when she did, his gaze met hers for a second until she quickly looked away, but not before noticing his unamused expression with a raised questioning eyebrow, as if to say, "why are you still standing there?"
She turned and looked at her friends again. "Well, I guess I'd better go upstairs." She tried hard to disguise the trembling in her voice and limbs, but to no avail. It was obvious she was shaken up, but her friends could do nothing for her except to hug her goodbye.
Maggie couldn't help but feel sorry for Ella as they made their way down the hallway to the staircase and then started up the stairs. "Oh, come now dear, it's not that bad. You're going to be just fine. The doctor wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Ella just looked at her and nodded her head in agreement. She didn't speak because she was afraid if she opened her mouth to talk, she would start crying. She quietly made her way up the stairs and then to Nicholas's apartment. Maggie opened the door to the apartment that went directly into his bedroom and then there were two other ladies that met them at the room shortly after she and Maggie arrived. Once everyone was inside, the two other ladies directed Ella to the shower and insisted she undress and step in. Ella was a little taken aback by this. She wasn't in the habit of undressing in front of people, but the women insisted and called Maggie in to help them get their point across. Maggie told Ella it was ok and finally, being completely outnumbered now, she undressed and stepped in the shower. The women instructed Ella to keep her hair up and they would be taking it down once she was finished. Ella washed the sweat from the fun evening away with a little sadness. She had never gotten to speak to Nicholas about their wedding night and she was praying it wasn't too late to reason with him. She had actually had a really great time with her friends, and she wished so bad it could have lasted a little longer. She wished more that she would have found the time to pull Nicholas aside to have her conversation with him. She wouldn't be near as worried now if she would have had time to get him to agree to give her a few days, or better several days before she would be required to perform her wifely duties. Surely he would understand her predicament. The memory of the night before crept into her mind though and she became more nervous and worried. He would have to understand that she was caught off guard last night and tonight was so different. Surely he would see her point and be willing to give her this small favor after everything she had been through. She was hoping so anyway.
Soon Ella was done showering and the two bossy women instructed Ella to dry off and apply the scented oil that they had brought with them. Ella didn't like these two because she didn't need instructions on drying off or applying body oil, but the women insisted on telling Ella every step to take. Soon she was done and had been given a beautiful but completely sheer dressing coat to put on. That was it. No underwear or gown to wear under it. Ella looked at the ladies and asked them if they had forgotten the other items but they both ignored her and told her to put the garment on and sit in their chair that they had pulled into the bathroom so they could fix her hair. They released part of the updo so that a good portion of the hair was hanging long but portions of her coiffure were still intact in just the right places, to look beautifully undone. Once they had completed their mission of making Ella's hair look even more beautiful than it had earlier, they gathered their things and left the room. Maggie had been in the bedroom preparing the bed by pulling the covers down and fluffing the pillows. Her real mission had been to make sure Ella behaved and did as the two women told her. She didn't trust Ella at this point because she knew how nervous she was about the evening. She wouldn't put it past her that she may try to sneak out again. Once Ella was completely readied for the evening, she again tried to calm her nerves by offering her a cup of tea that someone had brought to the room while she was showering. Ella did take a few sips hoping it may help, but it really did little or nothing for her. Soon Maggie left, but she didn't move too far from the door, again, not trusting Ella to stay put.
Once Maggie was out of the room, Ella began to pace back and forth. The bedroom was the same room she had woken up in earlier in the day. There was a large fireplace across from the bed and beside the bed, there was a black leather chase lounge. Ella sat on the edge of the chase for a moment, trying to get her heart to slow its racing down. She was nervous and to make it worse, she had nothing on to hide her nakedness. The gown was completely see-through. She didn't have a stitch of underwear on either. She dreaded Nicholas coming to the door, which was on the far side of the room facing where she was sitting. She would have to speak fast, because she wanted him to understand that she wanted to discuss things before anything started. She desperately needed him to give her more time to prepare for what was inevitable. It's not that she didn't want to do the things a wife was expected to do, but she just needed more time to get her mind in the right spot. She didn't want to be fearful of him and she wasn't any more in a lot of ways, but in some ways she was.
Ella was in deep thought when she heard footsteps coming toward the door. Her heart leaped from her chest, and she stood up waiting for the door to open, being so nervous that she momentarily forgot how see through the grown was. She heard the doorknob start to turn and the door opened to display Nicholas standing there. His eye roamed freely over her and she felt the butterflies ramped in her belly.
"Hello darling. I must say you look absolutely beautiful. Even more beautiful than you looked earlier this evening. He stepped inside the door and shut it behind him. Next, he took off his jacket and hung it on the coatrack near the door. As he did this, Ella was desperately trying to find the words to start her plea.
"Nicholas..." her voice had a slight tremble to it, and he could tell that she was hopelessly nervous... even frightened.
"Yes dear? Is there something you wanted to say?"
"I...I was wondering if we could have a moment to talk?
"Of-course darling...what would you like to talk about?"
"I was wondering if you could give me some time. I need some time to get use to this...use to being a wife I mean."
"Yes dear, you can have as much time as you like." Nicholas's words were convincing, but he slowly walked ever closer to her as he talked with no evidence he was going to stop until he got right in front of her. This made Ella even more nervous, but she tried to stand her ground. She didn't want to be mocked by him. He came to stand very close to her and spoke "but first, surely you wouldn't deny your husband a kiss on his wedding night."
Ella knew she couldn't very well refuse to kiss him and after all, it was just a kiss. She had kissed him before and had to admit it had been quite nice. "Ok Nicholas, a kiss will be fine."
Nicholas's used his fingers to lift her chin as he did earlier during their wedding, except this time, he captured her eyes in his and wouldn't let them go. He used his free arm to wrap around her back and pull her in closer to him. The shock of feeling her nakedness pressed up against his clothed body made her shiver as his lips softly met hers and then his tongue found hers and gently played with it. She felt his hand slide down to her bottom and then he pressed her into him. Something started to happen to her...again...as she remembered the night before. Her breathing was becoming ragged once more and the butterflies in the pit of her belly had taken over her entire body. Before she knew it, his kisses had moved down to her neck and then her ear and back to her neck. She was starting to lose touch with all of her senses and all she could think about was how good his hands felt on her back and butt. Within a second, her breath halted in her throat as she felt his warm, wet mouth on the peak of her breast, and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped from her mouth. She felt herself being lifted for just a second and then found herself being lowered down until her butt was sitting back on the edge of the chase lounge. "Maybe they are going to talk as she had requested" Ella was a little confused as to why he had sat her there, but before she could think more about it, he was kissing her again, deep and long and then she felt him pushing her backward until her back came to rest on the soft chase. He rose up, leaving her lying there, with her butt at the edge of the chase and her legs spread wide. He went back down and kissed her ear again, then neck, then down to her breast, and down to her naval, and farther down... she was panting now and unconsciously spreading her legs when his kisses had traveled to her outer, then inner thigh. Another moan escaped her, and she didn't care about talking anymore. All she had wanted him to do was finish what he had started the night before. He raised up now, placing his hands under her butt and using his fingers to tease her between her legs, barely touching for just a second where she wanted him to go. He moved his hands along the backs of her thighs and then to the tops of her thighs, slowly teasing her until she found herself pleading with him, like she had done last night. She cried out when she felt the hair from his head softly touching her belly and then her inner thigh. He continued to tease her over and over until she didn't know how much she could stand until she felt the warm, wet softness of his lips gently kissing her most sensitive area, moving deeper and deeper until her world exploded around her when his tongue touched her clitoris ever so gently. He was caressing and teasing her clitoris with a gentle stroking motion until she screamed out in ecstasy as she felt a deep contraction of her entire being. He refused to stop until she pushed him away. She was being tortured at that moment but at the same time felt a deep sense of complete satisfaction in her core. Her breathing was deep and hard, but she was so relaxed that all she wanted to do was close her eyes and enjoy the full depth of her euphoria. She had never felt anything like this, and she didn't want it to stop. It wasn't long before she realized he was standing up and he reached down, and she felt him picking her up in his arms from the chase. She wrapped one arm around his neck as he carried her to the bed and gently placed her down. He bent down to kiss her, which she slightly pulled away from his kiss, but he wouldn't allow it and told her it was ok. He kissed her deeply and used his hands to pull her knees up and then laid them outward. He ran his hands over her breasts and down over her belly and between her legs. He then used two of his fingers to gently slide inside her. As he did this, she arched her neck back and to the side and let out a breathy moan. He used his knowledge and skill to find her perfect spot, and she grasped the sheet of his bed tightly, as if it would help her control the spasm that erupted through her. She tried her best to subdue the scream that emitted from her throat with the back of her other hand, but it did little to muffle the sound. He felt the contraction inside her and he continued his erotic assault on her until a gush of milky fluid poured out. When he felt her body relax, he leaned over her and kissed her again..
Once she opened her eyes, she realized that he was starting to undress now. She watched as he unbuttoned each button to pull off his starched white shirt. She had never seen him without clothes covering all of his body and was surprised to see how muscular his arms were. Once he had removed the entire garment, she saw that his belly and chest were very muscular too. She watched as he unfastened his belt and unbuttoned his pants and pulled his pants and underwear down. It was evident that he was excited before he even removed his lower garments and when he completely removed them, Ella couldn't help but look away quickly with embarrassment. He reached down to her hand and whispered for her not to be afraid and he placed her hand on himself, having her feel its hardness. She let him direct her and had to admit that touching him made her feel empowered and like she had a mysterious control over him. This was all so new to her. She didn't understand much of it, but she knew she liked it. She had never felt so free of her inhibitions.
He bent down to kiss her for a long moment while playing and teasing her taunt nipples. He then made his way down with his mouth to suck and nibble on them. She couldn't stop the moaning that came with every breath. She couldn't' believe the pleasure this gave her, and she found herself wanting more. He had touched her in places that she had not even touched herself. She would trust him to do anything because she knew he would never harm her or laugh at her. Everything he had done had felt so intensely exquisite and she wanted to give herself to him completely now.
"You know I would never do anything to hurt you, don't you?" Nicholas wasn't sure how much Ella understood about the pain that would happen during the loss of her virginity, but he didn't want her to think the pain would last. She had been told that lovemaking was bad and painful all her life, and he didn't want that to skew the way she felt about it now.
"I know. I'm not afraid," she whispered, and she was ready to lose her virginity now without the least bit of reservation. He laid on top of her and made sure she was comfortable. "You know though that this may hurt for a moment? But you must relax. If you relax, it will only hurt for a few seconds and then it will feel better. Do you understand?"
"I do...I do understand and I'm ready."
Seconds later he was pressing into her warm, wet flesh and Ella let out a cry when she felt the stinging burn of the loss of her virginity but just like he promised, within seconds of the pain, the pleasure was taking her over with every movement of his body on hers. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he directed and with each slow rhythmic movement she felt herself climbing higher and soon, she was crying out in ecstasy again. It wasn't much longer than she heard him breathing deeply and she could tell that he was reaching the same climax she had and soon he was lying beside her, kissing her, and caressing her face for several seconds before he spoke. "So dear, you wanted to discuss something?" Nicholas couldn't pass up the chance to be humorous. Ella laughed at him, not because he was funny, but because he had never tried to be funny before.
Several minutes passed while they were lying together, just holding one another. No talking was necessary but soon Ella broke the silence with a question. "Why do you think everyone told me that would be so terrible? Do most women really hate that? Ella was truly curious about what others thought about the act of sex. She never dreamed it would feel as good as it had, and she had no clue why anyone would not want to do that with their husband.
Well darling, you have to consider the women that have told you that sex was a bad thing. Most of them are women that have either never had sex and perhaps the others were women that have had a bad experience with sex. Sex with the wrong person can be very bad. It also helps if the man is knowledgeable about what a woman wants and needs. The female body can be quite temperamental and has to be handled with extreme care.
Ella looked at him with a questioning expression. She couldn't help but ask him. "How did you know what to do? How did you know what would feel good to me?"
Ella, I am a doctor. I do have a lot of knowledge about a woman's body. Also, I am a lot older than you. I was taught at an early age by a couple of women who were older than I was. They weren't afraid to tell me what they wanted and how to give them exactly what they needed.
"Who were they?" She was curious. A small twinge of jealousy nipped at her.
Darling, those women were from many years ago and are no longer in my life. There have been many others since then, up until a few months ago. However, they are no longer in my life now so you can rest easy. There is no reason for you to be concerned or jealous. Ella accepted his explanation and it wasn't long before she had drifted off into a deep slumber. He watched her as she slept and couldn't believe how in love with her he truly was.