"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021 (Done)

Ch. 18 (PG-13): Loving Tenderness

"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage",
Ch. 18 (PG-13): Loving Tenderness, by Gratiana Lovelace,
August 28, 2021 (Post#1410) 
(An original Regency Romance story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021; All rights reserved);   [(1) story cover above left] 

[Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them. So from time to time, I will illustrate my story with actors and such, including: Richard Armitage as Lord Edward Carlisle, Daniela Denby-Ashe as Lady Emily Creighton Carlisle, Blake Ritson as Lord Kittredge Wells, Polly Walker as Lady Patience Creighton, Bill Nighy as Lord Nigel Creighton the Earl of Stoke, Christina Cole as Lady Cecily Englewood Wells, and others as noted.]

[Author's Note: This original Regency romance is a work of fiction, and as such, any character names, scenes or other descriptions were written at the creative discretion of this author. And this is a gentle and tender romance (G to PG-13), but with some frank discussions about love and marriage put to humorous effect. This is my disclaimer.]

Ch. 18: Loving Tenderness

Silk. His wife's skin feels so soft and smooth, like fine ivory silk. And her long golden curly locks smell of rosewater. Then Lord Kittredge gently, softly bestows a tender kiss upon her soft bare shoulder. His senses are heightened as he awakens upon their first morning after their wedding night. He smiles drowsily to find himself with his arms wrapped around his newlywed wife Lady Cecily, with her bare back flush against his bare chest. She is a tiny thing and fits perfectly within the tenderness of his arms' loving caresses.

Then memories of their tenderly loving wedding night flood back into his thoughts and become a waking dream as he remembers their each tender moment together—evoking feelings of newness and wonder, in him at least. He has yet to solicit her opinions upon the matter, she is still sleeping. And he will not intrude upon her rest. Though happily, her sweet responsiveness to his kisses, caresses, and such, last night were wholly encouraging of his [nascently] loving ministrations.

Then Lady Cecily moves slightly—she wiggles actually, nestling further into her husband's loving embrace of her from behind. And quite naturally, Lord Kittredge finds himself quite not so sleepy any more. And this pleasing tactile intimacy of husband and wife is all so new to him, that he is uncertain whether his wife will want to be not sleepy with him, again.

For their marriage was [finalized] last evening with their consummating their marriage. The towel with the Earl of Fielding crest embroidered upon it lies slightly folded in the wicker basket to the side of the bed, with the towel bearing the legal evidence of their union. And they had agreed to only one [loving coupling]. So he feels that he must respect her wishes upon the matter—unless, of course, they have altered, as have his. And he muses that they do have a second embroidered linen towel, under her bed pillow.

Lady Cecily: "Hhhh!" She sighs in her still sleeping state, her feeling warm and cared for within her loving husband's arms. Her memories of their loving wedding night inhabited her sleeping dreams in a very pleasant way—for Lord Kittredge was a most tender and considerately loving husband—despite the painful bit in the middle.

Realizing their bed chamber has turned cold, Lord Kittredge moves to slip out of their bed to stoke up the fire. Lady Cecily instantly feels his absence—of his personal body warmth and his loving embrace. She turns [onto] her back and drowsily opens her eyes to see her husband sitting up in their bed, and she reaches out to gently touch his arm.

Lord Kittredge: He turns back toward her. "Ohhh! Good morning, Cecily Darling. I am sorry to have woken you. I am simply going to stoke up the fire to warm our room." He pauses. "Uhh. Then I must, ah, ...do a few things before returning to bed." He strokes his stubbly chin, which needs a shave if he is to not irritate her skin with his kisses, he hopes. And he must chew on a mint leaf to freshen his breath, and such.