B00BWX9H30 EBOK (7 page)

They carried the food to the dining room. It was a lovely room. Ella quite liked the natural wood that the room was completed with. It was masculine. It reminded her of Nathan. Strong, lean.

After all the men had filed in and were seated, Nathan introduced her. “Men, this is Ella, my new bride. I know you’ll all make her feel welcome.”

They replied, “Welcome Ella” or “Welcome Mrs. Ravenclaw.”

She and Martha put everything on the huge dining room table and it was now laden from end to end with food. Ella had never seen anyone eat as much as these men did, including Nathan. And none of them were fat. Most of them were lean, one was even skinny. He was called Slim and he ate more than anyone.

By the time they finished and were leaving to get to work, the sun was up and Ella was already exhausted.

Martha noticed and said, “You’ll get used to it. The first couple days ’ll be the hardest, but I kin tell yer not a quitter.”

“No, I’m not. But it may take me more than a few days to get used to it. Nonetheless, what’s next? Dishes I assume.”

“Yup. You wash and I’ll dry and put away. You can watch where things go and then after dinner, you’ll dry and put ’em away.”

“Okay, let’s get started.”

As soon as they finished the dishes, Martha had them start making the bread for dinner. They’d let it rise while they started the housework.

“How do you get anything besides cooking done? Feeding eighteen people, sixteen of them hard working men, takes a lot of food. I noticed you keep beans on the stove all the time.”

“I want ’em to have something to eat whenever they’re hungry. They work too hard to go without food when they need it.”

“I agree. So what do we do when we’re not cooking?”

“Today we change the linens and dust. There’s not time for much more’n that.”

“I do know how to change a bed. I always took care of my own room at home.”

“Good. The clean ones are in the closet in the little bedroom. Figured it would take a while before you’d be using that bedroom,” cracked Martha.

Ella felt the heat in her cheeks as she turned left the room. She got clean sheets for her and Nathan’s bed and for Martha’s. The beds in the other rooms hadn’t been used and she didn’t see any reason to change them.

After she’d finished that, she got a dust rag from Martha and started dusting. Everything. Luckily Nathan didn’t have a lot of knick-knacks to dust. Still the house was big and there were plenty of surfaces that gathered dust.

By the time she finished, it was time to fix dinner. Martha killed and plucked four chickens. Ella thought she’d be sick.

“I’m not doing that.
Ever
. Don’t even bother trying to teach me. If you don’t do it and Nathan wants chicken he can kill them and prepare them. I won’t.”

Martha laughed. “Finally some gumption from ya. I was beginning to think Nathan had his own little slave.”

Ella pouted. “I don’t know what you mean. I want to learn how to be a good wife to Nathan and except for the chickens, I think I’m doing well.”

“Never said ya wasn’t.” She handed Ella a bowl of fresh peas to shell. “Yer doin’ great. But you need to know yer limits or you’ll get stampeded right under.”

“Stampeded? What is that?”

“A stampede is when all the cows get to runnin’ in one direction. They’ll run over anything or anyone who gets in their way. It’s real dangerous.”

Ella sat down and started shelling the peas for supper. “Does that happen very often?”

“No,” said Martha as she took a seat at the table with her own pile of peas to shell. “Thank the good Lord.”

CHAPTER 4

By the end of the third day, Ella was beyond exhausted. She was so tired she couldn’t think straight and was questioning her decisions much less her skills. When she and Nathan got to their room all she wanted to do was fall into bed. She sat in the chair in one corner of the room and took off her shoes and stockings. Next she took off her skirt and blouse. By the time she was down to her bloomers and chemise she’d had enough and decided to sleep in them rather than wrestle with her night gown.

She lifted her arms to take down her hair and groaned. Her arms were so sore and tomorrow was laundry day. She’d never make it. Ella wasn’t a quitter, but this was so hard. She started to cry.

Nathan, who had been watching her, was suddenly there, holding her. “It’s alright. I know you’re tired. That’s all, you’re just tired. Here let me help you.” She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He removed the pins from her hair and it fell around her waist. He ran his fingers through the thick sable tresses and loosened them. Then he massaged her scalp. It felt so good, she relaxed some.

“Feel better?”

“Hmm. Yes. Thank you.”

He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. Then moved her hair to one side and kissed her neck. Shivers replaced the soreness of her muscles.

“Take off your chemise and bloomers.”

“I…”

“I want to see how your sores are doing.”

She nodded not wanting him to stop kissing her.

He helped her get off the top pulling it over her head. Then she stepped out of her bloomers. She should be embarrassed to be standing in front of him naked while he was fully clothed, but she was too tired to care.

“Beautiful,” he said looking at her, his eyes dark with passion. “Turn around, let me see your back first.”

She turned and he gently touched her. “They look better. I’m going to put some more salve on them.”

She had to admit it felt good. Whether it was the ointment or his touch, she wasn’t sure.

“Now turn around.” When she did he lifted her breast to see the sores underneath. Then as he released it he ran his thumb over her nipple. She swung her gaze to his. It felt so good, sending shock waves right to the center of her womanhood.

He did it again and she moaned, “Nathan.”

His lips crashed down on her. He took all that she would give and then some. She opened her mouth to him. She learned quickly and it was now as automatic as breathing. Her hands worked their way up his chest and around his neck. He crushed her to him.

Exhaustion gave way to passion. His shirt was in her way. She wanted to feel his naked skin against her own. Warmth against warmth. Flesh against flesh. She began to undo the buttons on his shirt. Frustrated she ripped one off and he ripped the others, buttons flying everywhere. She’d have to sew them back on tomorrow, but right now she didn’t care.

“Nathan, please.” She didn’t know what she asked for only that she needed more and he could provide it.

He toed off his boots, undid his belt and dropped his drawers and pants.

She stood back and admired her husband who’s manhood stood long, wide and proud.

“Come here” he commanded and she eagerly complied. He lifted her up, carried her to the bed and lowered them both to the mattress. “What do you want from me, Ella? Tell me.”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Do you want this?” He kissed her neck.

“Yes.”

“And this?” He licked where he’d kissed and then lightly blew on it, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“Yes.” Her breathing came in pants now. But what she really needed was
more
. More what, she didn’t know.

He moved lower and circled her nipple with his tongue and then sucked it into his mouth. He pulled back with a resounding pop. “How about that?”

“Yes.” She pulled his head back down to her. “Oh, God, yes.”

He chuckled. “I knew there was passion in you.” He took her other nipple into his mouth and lavished it with his tongue pulling little mewling sounds from her.

“Nathan, you said you wouldn’t make love to me until I asked, well I’m asking. Please, make me your wife.”

“With pleasure, darlin’. With pleasure.”

He moved from her breasts down her stomach to her belly button, poked his tongue in and out of it. She wasn’t totally naïve. She knew he’d be making that same motion with another part of his anatomy in short order.

“I’m going to make you the happiest woman on earth. Are you ready?”

She squirmed on the bed, his hands and mouth giving her wonderful sensations that traveled direct to her lady parts. He kissed her and moved lower. As embarrassed as she was, she couldn’t stop him, didn’t want to stop him. She needed the completion only he could give.

The next thing she knew his mouth was on her, his tongue stabbing against her pleasure nub. She throbbed and arched off the bed, needing closer to his wonderful tongue.

“Nathan!” She wrapped her legs around him trapping his head where it was. He laughed and the vibrations nearly sent her over the edge.

“Nathan, please. Help me.”

“Alright, love, alright.” He slid one then two fingers into her warmth and sizzored them in and out, stretching her as he did. Then he sucked her little bud and stabbed it, flicked it with the point of his tongue.

“Oh, oh my God. Nathan!” she shouted the words as she became a star shooting through the heavens.

As she came back to earth, Nathan raised himself over her. “I’m sorry for any pain I cause you.” With those words he slid his member inside her as far as he could easily, then back out and in again a little farther. She felt him against her barrier and then he backed out and slammed back into her, shoving through the barrier in one swift strike. There was some discomfort and he held himself still at her sharp intake of breath.

“Hold still, Ella. It’ll be better in a moment.”

“I don’t want to hold still.” She moved her body against his. “There’s no more pain. Love me now.”

He kept still only for a moment at her words. Then began to move in and out of her. She was a little awkward, but soon had the rhythm down. Back when he did and up when he pressed forward.

Soon he was moving fast, slamming against her. Fire built within her with each stroke of his penis inside her. She exploded. He followed with a roar of her name then buried his face in her neck and pumped once, twice, three times, his hot seed pouring into her.

Her heart pounded, her breathing was ragged. His was the same. She heard his rapid heartbeat beneath her ear. They laid there, her arms around his shoulders, her legs relaxed to the sides of his as they caught their breath. He rolled to the side taking her with him.

“Ella.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings between us. We are married in every sense of the word, but there is not love. There may never be.”

“Because of my scars.” She tried to pull away from him. He refused to let her.

“No. Not because of your scars. I simply don’t believe in love. I thought myself in love once. I was shown the error of my ways by being run out of town. Never again will I put myself in that position.”

“What about children? Can you love them when you don’t love their mother?” She sounded whiny to her own ears, but she didn’t care.

“Of course. Children are different. They are a part of me. They are innocent, their love pure. I have no doubt you will be a good mother. That’s all I require. As we get to know each other, we’ll form a friendship. Of that I have no doubt.”

“You’re lucky I want children or I’d never have sex with you again.” Angry, she tried to pull away from him, but he held her fast. She was angrier than she’d ever been, though she wasn’t completely sure why. Maybe it was because Nathan refused to give them a chance before they even got to know each other.

“Yes, you would. You have too much passion. But tonight is your first time and you’ll be sore. Stay right there.” He got up and went to the commode and poured water from the pitcher into the basin. Then he returned to her with a damp washcloth. “Let me ease your soreness. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

She let him clean her. He was extremely gentle. Unexpected from someone supposedly devoid of feelings.

Her heart knew her husband wasn’t incapable of falling in love with her. But he was scared. Frightened of being hurt again. She understood that. She could, would work around that.

He insisted her scars didn’t matter and she’d take him at his word for now. She intended to make him fall in love with her because, fortunately or not, she was afraid she’d already fallen for him.

* * *

Daniel Adams spent the first two weeks of his stay at the Astor House searching for Ella. He frequented the mercantile and the other shops in town, hoping to run into her. His patience was finally rewarded when she came in with her husband, an admittedly handsome man with golden skin. Quite the contrast to Ella’s exceedingly pale, white complexion.

Ella was shy, kept her right side, her good side, to the store’s owner. Finally, she faced the man and he was able to see her scars. Daniel eagerly anticipated the horror on the man’s face when he saw the red lines that crisscrossed her cheek and neck.

He was bitterly disappointed. The man had no reaction, as though he saw someone like Ella every day.

The owner noticed him lurking among the shelves. “Ah, Mr. Adams, come meet some of our leading citizens. Nathan and Ella Ravenclaw this is Daniel Adams. He’s new to our fair city. He’s from New York, too, Ella. Planning to open a law office here.”