Mansfield Park "The Crawfords' redemption"

Chapter 17

As soon as they had washedoff some of the dirt of the road in their chambers, they gathered inthe drawing room for refreshments, and Edmund and Mary were alreadytaking Sir Thomas' advice to heart, sitting close and holding handsopenly.

Henry did not find thatoffensive, for he soon found a welcome as warm and as intimate withhis very own Fanny, who looked very eager for such a modest creature.Sitting as close to her as he dared, he was silently enjoying theturn his life had taken, a bit tired also from two days of constantattention to the horses and the road, and he let his head rest onFanny's shoulder.

He could feel his eyesnearly close, so incredibly happy that this was his reality, almostmarried to the best and sweetest girl he had ever seen, his sisterengaged to marry his friend, and in London for a visit of amusementof the truest and most exalted kind. He would get a paper first thingin the morning, and see what the city had to offer this.... That wasas far as his musings got, for he felt a small, warm hand on the bareskin of his back.

His passion went intooverdrive, and he felt an excitement in another place that he wasglad his sitting posture hid rather well, made easier by the factthat the only other people in their company were engaged in their ownaffairs, though probably a little less forwardly.

The hand stayed put for amoment, and at the precise moment that he had adapted to the feel ofit, schooling his expression to his former sleepy satisfaction,relaxing his muscles one by one, it moved again, feeling the whole ofhis back, his shoulders, as far as it would reach.

It explored his firmmuscles, his slightly ticklish sides, the softer skin under his arms.

By now he was used to thetouch, and he enjoyed it very much, the feeling itself but also thefact that Fanny was tired of waiting and dared to take the initiativefor some forbidden fruits. He leaned against her, letting hissleepiness take over again, and soon he felt his eyes fall shut,still relishing her loving touch on his heated skin.

Then suddenly the hand wason his stomach. Wide awake, anxiously checking their companions, hefound them totally involved in each other, talking quietly andintimately, touching as much as they dared.

He schooled his expressionback to sleepiness, tried to relax, as the hand, unseen under hisloose shirt, did the same as before, only on his other side. Heleaned back and tried to enjoy the caresses, but it was difficult tocontrol his urges, he wanted so much to grab her and kiss her.

Still, he got used to thissituation too and managed to give himself up to her gentle stroking,first of his tight stomach, then his chest, with its sensitivenipples and the short hair covering most of it. He managed to look atFanny and she was enjoying herself hugely, deriving pleasure from thefeel of him, but also from his strong reactions.

For some moments he wasafraid she'd let that hand slide into his trousers next, however muchhe wanted her to do that, he was sure he'd lose every semblance ofcontrol if she did. But she didn't, fortunately she didn't dare dothat in company, or maybe not at all until they were married.

She merely rested her headagainst his, and caressed his chest-hairs gently, stroking them,curling them around her fingers, and then his muscles again, slowlyand very gently.

A whole week left until hewould have the right to touch her, it seemed like eternity. Butcompared to the situation little more than two weeks ago he hadgained the world, so he would accept every intimacy his Fanny wasprepared to give him, but he would not try to touch any part of herbare skin unless it was that of her hand. Somehow there was adistinct difference between a lady touching a man, or the reversesituation. He could wait, and waiting would make the moment in whichshe surrendered herself to him even sweeter.