Common Concerns with Consumating

When the church bells rang and the gathered congregation cheered, most brides would have been focused on the happiest day of their lives. Allison, however, was thinking about pulley systems. The lords and ladies cheered, and the vicar closed his book, but her mind was thinking about carefully laid string layouts, perfectly balanced and prepared to deliver their disruptive payload.

It wasn't that she was unhappy. Far from it - her cheeks flushed red, and her heart thudded heavily whenever she saw him. Henry was never far from her side, his strong hands enclosing hers with a gentle grip. His presence as they navigated the well-wishes of the fashionable London families was a source of comfort - but also a reminder of the need for her pulleys.

As the carriage pulled up for them, and she boarded with her husband - husband- she was again reminded of the need for these preparations. Soon the church would be far behind, and they'd be at the adorable cottage Henry's uncle, the Duke of Danbury, had loaned them. They'd be alone for what happened next.

Alone but, Allision reminded herself, not unprepared.

The bucket of pond muck, foul and flecked with green.

The trap filled with frogs, chosen for their large and warted appearance.

The trough of iced water, certain to shock and subdue.

The carriage door made a click as it closed, finally isolating the pair from the crowd of well-wishers. The ground lurched under them, and they set off down the rutted road. Henry's hand was a comfortable presence at her knee.

He cleared his throat. "Seems like quiet a lot of fuss for just two people, doesn't it?" He stuttered. "C-c-certainly, I would have enjoyed that plan we dreamed of - a wedding amongst woods, with trees as an audience and a hedgehog for a pastor."

Allison laughed. "And exchanging acorn caps as rings. Yes, that does sound quite a bit more peaceful."

"Still, I... well. I am pleased for the commotion, for the event will be forever in my mind. I know that this day isn't one I will forget." He gave her knee a squeeze.

Allison melted into his strong shoulder, smiling.

Her ebullient mood lasted until the crested roofs of the summer home cleared the horizon. Under other circumstances, she may have noticed the historic façade decorating the cottage's front, or the rich garden illuminated in the fading light. Tonight, she only noted the pair of uniformed servants, fully packed and leaving the door behind them. The newlyweds would be alone tonight.

Henry seemed to pick up on her anxiety. "I know it is a small place, Aly. Only 12 rooms. The servants offered to remain to offer their services, but I told them to take the night off."

Her throat was dry. The servants waved as they drove up, then walked off toward the main manor. "We are the picture of modern independence."

The inside of the cottage matched its quant appearance. A well-appointed parlor with halls leading off to sitting room, larder, and library. Allison traversed them systematically, simultaneously surveying for threats, and checking the status of her preparations. All complete - her handmaid Lucille had arrived earlier in the day, and had been thorough. Allison checked a rope with a soft tug and her mouth tightened in a grim line.

Henry gave a heavy sigh when he finished the luggage inside. "Ah! That's all then. Which would you like taken up to the bedroom?"

Bedroom-singular. It felt so foreign. Allison felt a drop of sweat run down the curve of her back to dampen her ass.

Dinner was a chaotic and joyous affair. They worked together in the kitchen to create a meal with the ingredients left out for them, tossing vegetables to each other and laughing at oddly shaped carrots. They set the entire dining table and then sat next to each other, their legs bumping under the table. Then came cleaning, a nightcap of brandy, and they were upstairs. The bedroom.

Henry finished placing her affairs into the wardrobe. Allison couldn't help but notice the strain of his muscles under his dress shirt - the line of his back bunching and releasing. Just as she couldn't help but have her gaze drawn to the bed- a sprawling setting of soft sheets and firm pillows.

And then he was in front of her. All rings of dark curly hair, long eye-lashed, and piercing eyes.

"...and then I believe after breakfast we will have excellent weather for the walk," he said, continuing a previous conversation. "Though, if we prefer, I'm quite comfortable with a cozy morning in."

He looks so damn beautiful, Allison thought. One quick deviation from the plans, then.

Henry nearly stumbled when she kissed him. His full lips tried to assemble a word, then instead began to return her kiss. His skin was warm against hers, and his scent of woodsmoke- so familiar- felt both comforting and exhilarating at once. They'd kissed many times before, in moments stolen from chaperones and guardians. This felt different.

His arm came up around her waist, squeezing her tight to his frame. She sighed and tilted her chin. Full kisses bit down her neck, sending shivers through her body. Her chest rode up against his, and the peaks of her breasts pressed into her satin nightgown. She leaned back, her ass brushing the edge of the bed.

The bed. They had gotten so close to it... In the haze of her arousal, Allison's analytical mind cut through. This was dangerous - perhaps one of those moments she's been warned off. Parts of her wanted nothing more than to continue pressing her lips against his stubbled jaw. But parts of her had been raised to recognize a tide of emotions as a threat, and resist.

She always prepared for a threat.

Allison's hands reached out, seeking, groping. Her fingers settled on the bed-side window, and the ropes arrayed by the shutters. She found one- a discrete white chord. With a lurch, she pretended to lose her balance, and sent Henry tumbling into the window. When he hit, it, she yanked the chord.

The window's slid open, enough for Henry to dangerously teeter on its edge. And certainly, enough for the bucket positioned over the sill to tilt over him. A gallon of pond sludge carpeted Henry's unbalanced form. Green flecked and sticky -- when Allison pulled him back into the room, she could immediately smell the nasty ooze.

"Oh, great heavens," she said, her voice unnaturally high. She'd never been a great actress. "Must have been some buildup on the roof."

Henry stood by the wall, glop speckling his face. He seemed shell-shocked at the near danger. The energy that had pervaded the room dissipated.

She felt horribly guilty. Grabbing her muddied husband by the wrist, she led him off the rug before he could drip, and down to the washroom.

The washroom's full-length mirrors reflected marble floors, an imposing bathtub, several pots of oven-warmed bathwater, and now two stumbling newlyweds. "I'm really quite sorry," Allison apologized again, removing the grime-stained coat. "I really should have been more careful." Her fingers found his buttons as she muttered, losing the white dress shirt from his shoulders. "We shall have you washed presently, and... " The cloth fell away leaving the slope of Harry's shoulders and the firm planes of his chest. Her voice fell, hands dropping low.

Henry watched her with intelligent eyes. "Allison. It's quite all right. Everyone trips on occasion.

"And if it troubles you to witness me bathe, I can manage it on my own, then reconvene with you after I'm presentable."

She met his eye. It was just a bath. Part of everyday life. Would she squeal and flee at the site of a human body, like an insensible schoolgirl? No, irrational.

"No, Henry. We are now husband and wife, and it would quite behoove us to learn how to aid each other's bathing. Those jugs are quite heavy." She smiled. "I wouldn't want any of those old maids taking away time with you I could have had to myself."

He laughed, but it trailed off when she fell to her knees. Her fingers delicately found the edge of his stockings, her gaze forcibly drawn to the muscles of his calf, the flesh slowly revealed as she drew the clothing off. She thought she heard a gulp in Henry's throat when her hands closed on his belt. The strap confounded her, and she was become heated at the contraption when his hand found hers, guiding her through the pulling motion. Together they removed the belt, leaving him with his loosened breaches.

Her breath fogged the button of his pants. This was the first time she'd attempted such an action. No need for dramatics, she chided herself. They were now... bound. She drew down the pants, leaving him in cotton drawers. She loved this man, and wanted to be able to take care of him. Her fingers slid under the band of the last layer.

She looked up at him from her knees, trying to smile confidently as she brought the drawers down with a firm tug. Her expression only lasted a second, before crumbling to surprise as his penis emerged to brush her cheek.

"Egad! Allision, I must apologize"

"No, dearest. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Ha ha!" Her laugh was high pitched and faltering. "I have seen quite a bit of human anatomy through my study of biological texts. Now, into the tub please."

She felt a little better once her partner was situated in the brass tub. The process of pouring water, using the brush- it all felt controlled and normal. She could almost forget the impropriety of a naked man only feet from her, her hands tracing his wet skin, a scene that would have caused irreparable scandal only yesterday.

She glanced up at the drainpipe, near the tub's foot. Her precautions granted another layer of security.

By the time she was holding the towel out for him, her shock at seeing the naked form had begun to recede. Indeed, his body held a certain allure, certainly due to her biological curiosity. Surely.

"My warmest thanks. With that sterling example, I am well prepared to execute your bath!"

She stuttered. "B-bath? I beg your pardon. Whatever for?"

Henry's usually expressive face was inscrutable. "First, as you so astutely laid out, it would behoove us both to learn how to best bath each other. Second, your arms must be fatigued from lifting that pot for my benefit- my arms are refreshed. Third- you have become spotted with the window grime. We shall need to remove that stain."

A fully formed argument, right when she'd been least prepared to rebut it. No matter. As she'd established, the human form was no issue to her.

Maybe it was the steam in the air, or maybe it was the exertion of handling water buckets in a tight corset, but she only had hazy memories of what followed.

She remembered him helping her to a sitting position on the tub's edge. The warmth of his hands, tugging off her stockings. The sweet relief to her chest, as the chords tightening the corset were loosed. Having Henry strip her so gently felt like it could be but a dream.

The dream ended when her bare ass touched the tub, and the cold metal sent a shiver up her spine. She saw goosebumps rise up her thighs, her belly, breasts and shoulders. She saw him staring down at her, and the goosebumps multiplied. "Henry, I..."

She trailed off when he started on her shoulders. Hot, strong palms, working in some form of lotion into her muscles. Her shoulders protested initially, but soon her body loosened and slid between his fingertips with every push. "Ugh". Her head rolled back.

He caught her before she hit the metal. Her body sucked in happiness as the first water jug was tipped over her head, steaming waves trailing down the curves of her body. He moved from her shoulders to her back, water and soap eroding the ball of stress she'd been holding between her shoulder blades.

She smiled up at Henry as his hands found her neck, pressing and smoothing away stiffness. "Am I to believe you've been so capable throughout our engagement? T'would seem a gross neglect."

His returning smile was teasing. The pressure on her muscles became harder, clouding her thoughts in a way she quite liked. "Rest assured, Aly. This has been long on my mind." And then he was kissing her. His lips were soap smelling and hot, pulling into her. She kissed back, moving against his face.

Her head swam- from the kissing or his massaging hands, she wasn't sure. He pressed her lips between his tongue and teeth, and she bucked her hips in an unladylike fashion.

This felt... good. She was undressed and vulnerable, but so was he. This was... intoxicating. This was... dangerous.

She felt her hips buck again, and panic coursed through her. Her thoughts were dangerously compromised. With a chaotic lurch, she heaved her body against the tub's edge, sending it sliding slightly over the floor grate. The grate slid open, and the pipe's inhabitants broke free.

It took several seconds for Henry to notice the frogs. His attention finally focused when several of his least-favorite creatures croaked by his foot.

"Augh!" He stumbled back against a wall. The frogs eyed him skeptically, necks inflating and pupils wide.

Allison extricated herself and walked to him. Though she felt guilty using his phobia in this way, she couldn't suppress a slight grin. "Come now. Henry. It's quite all right. Take my hand and I shall lead you to safety."

Henry didn't stop shivering until they were quit of the washroom and seated beside each other on the bed. Fearing he was cold, she draped her arm around his shoulders. She became reminded immediately of their naked state. Somehow, the fact did not subdue her. The lack of covering between her and her husband felt new, and by no means threatening.

"Terrible buggers." Henry settled against her side. "No emotion in those eyes."

"Ah Ha-ha. I'm sure the cold heart of the amphibian has led to many atrocities."

His thumb traced her chin, stopping at the hollow of her neck. She heard her heart in her ears.

"Allsion, are you nervous about tonight?"

Her heart stopped. "Tonight?"

His other hand brushed her fingertips. "About what we're expected to do on our wedding night. I know such things are new for us, and could be a source of worry. And you are, quite handy... with your precautions against such worries."

Her mind had run through many scenarios of how tonight could go, many indeed drenched in stress. In none has she considered such a direct confrontation. "Henry, I-I do apologize for the deceit." She tugged her hand into her lap. "But not for taking precautions for my safety."

Henry swallowed. His hand dropped to the bed, but remained close beside her. "For your safety? Allison, I believe you must be misinformed."

"No Henry, I do not believe so." Momentary anger flashed in her tone. "None of us ladies are ever safe. I would have expected you to realize that"

Alison's memory was vivid in her mind. The wives she'd known, at the constant beck and all of their lordly husbands. Her fellow ladies in the ton, driven into social exile by the scandals of being caught too close to a man.

The maids she'd seen crying in closets, the whispers of sudden violence from the men she called companions.

"Sex is anything but safe for ladies. While I do not suppose to be an expert, I have heard of the pain it can cause. I am not trying to impugn your honor, Henry, nor suppose you a monster. But until I know more, I cannot suppose myself secure."

Here it comes, she thought. He will contradict me. And then next... Her gaze flickered to the large, bowl-shaped lamp overhanding the bed- the last of her precautions. Indeed, she thought of Henry as a beloved. But the events of the wedding night were so uncharted -- she had to be prepared.

"It is frightening." His thumb traced the curves of the sheets, never quite reaching the flesh of her leg. "Something quite different then what we've ever done. I've worried about it for a long time. There's far more risk to you, I agree. I worry about hurting you. About bringing space between us."

Allision crossed her arms. It was becoming chilly, with the sheets cold against her bare arse. "I trust you so much. I just don't trust this thing." Normally she would have stopped there, not wanting to give to much away. But she wanted to talk to someone. It just so happened he was her favorite to talk to. "I'm afraid of the pain, surely. There's... more. But it's silliness."

He was still. "It's not silliness to me. It never is."

The air was harsh on her shivering skin. "When we kiss, sometimes, our bodies move without us thinking. I feel terrifyingly good -- but terrified." She shivered. "I'm afraid of that. Losing control of my body, the tiny niche of control I've carved out for myself, despite all else. Despite all of damn England trying to take me away from me."

He was silent for several moments, long enough for her to consider if she shouldn't have spoken as such. It was untoward speech to come from a new wife to her husband.

"I see. It is quite a damn difficult situation; you and your kin are placed within." He glanced at her. "One that I doubt a man could hope to fully understand."

"Not likely."

"Thankfully, I received a lesson on this subject, the other week. From Sandra, and Rebeccah."

Sandra and Rebeccah were their mutual friends. The pair was funny, kind-hearted... and quite a bit more then friends to each other. Not that Henry or Allison would ever give away their secret.

"I told them off my current worry. My fear of tonight, of hurting you. I know so little of woman's bodies, you know. I never could read those anatomy texts of yours.

"The illustrations gave you the vespers, yes." Where was this going?

"... Yes. Anyway, they very kindly offered their aid." Henry released a large breath. "They showed me what love looked like, between them. How they touched each other, and brought each other joy. They had sex, while I touched myself and observed from afar."

Henry's face was beat red. Allison's head was spinning. She felt surprise, some concern, and a little bit of... feeling left out?

"They showed you how they...." Her limited experience tried to imagine two women linked in such a way, conjured a physically improbably vision of contorted limbs, then gave up.

"Yes. Allision, you know how much our friends care for each other. They are not trying to control each other, and I witnessed how they were able to communicate their feelings. It is truly possible. Moreover, I believe we could find joy in each other. By exploring each other and with one-another, we strengthen our intimacy.

"Here is my proposal. We explore each other, tonight. Each moment we will agree to, and each moment we can ask to quash it all.

Her heart thudded. The ideas of sharing joy, of discovery, enticed her. If this... intercourse did indeed offer a way for them to grow closer, she wanted it. She glanced up again at the bowl lamp, swaying over ahead. But only on her terms.

"All right. I accept. I wish to explore with you. However, we must both be in control here." She clenched his hand tight. "You must ask me before performing any experimentation."

"Excellent. May I place you under the blankets, my shivering love?

"Certainly I-"

She gasped when his strong arms wrapped round her naked form. With a firm twist and tug, he rolled and buried them beneath the bed's comforter, his hands still conformably encircling her. Her mind raced at a breakneck pace. They were doing this- pressed skin to skin on the bed. Would it hurt? Would she be able to stop it? And, would she want to. His fingers traced circles from her shaking shoulder to her waist, goosebumps erupting from their path. Henry's breath pooled on her neck. The fingers rudely paused at her hip. "Allison, might I caress your leg?"

She was squirming from the momentary loss of touch. "I must request you do."

A low mewl escaped her lips when his hands continued down her thigh. A firm grip of her hip, a tracing of her knee, a hard thumb pressed into her - each was enough to send her shaking. She liked this. It reminded her of when they kissed - familiar.