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Eight

Adalene was dressed for a banquet. Or, as much as a peasant maid knew, it felt like she was dressed for a banquet. The gown she wore was the most beautiful, luxurious gown she had ever worn in her entire life and she almost fainted upon first sight of it!

The skirt, flaring from a high belt tightly tied on her ribcage, was dark blue. The underskirt was brighter turquoise. Her headdress was like a cone sitting atop her head, and a pale blue veil cascaded from its peak down her back. It concealed her hair, which had never appeared that shiny or soft or lovely, and enhanced the blue in her luminous, wide eyes. She spread her arms so she could see the embroidery of gold thread trimming the sleeves in the biggest mirror she had ever seen in her entire life. Under her skirt, she was wearing the softest undergarments. And on her feet were the most beautiful scarlet slippers.

If her mother could see her now... or her friends, but she could barely recognize herself in the mirror. Whatever the case, her mother would be very happy to see her swathed in this luxurious creation.

“If only I can learn to sew something as beautiful as this,” she whispered. “If I can only learn...”

She looked at her image again in the beautifully gilded mirror.

She could not believe how beautiful she looked. She felt so amazed at what clothing, powder, rouge, and a good, perfumed bath could do that she somehow felt she could actually forget the disastrous happenings of that morning.

It was like I was looking at a beautiful stranger.

Maybe she could be, while she was in the Baron’s chateau. Ever since he rescued her from her despicable groom, he had shown her a world she could only dream of. He led her to become like someone else, daring as she could only think about. He showed her a man could be so gentle and sweet, even though he was so large and tall and virile.

And so handsome he could possibly get whomever he wanted.

And he wanted her for tonight.

Once she was in Louis Didier’s house, it would never be like this. She would never feel the purpose of dressing up like this. She didn’t think he would spend money on grand gowns, or that he would give her money for them. He would make her pay for every coin paid to her family for her. She just knew.

She took a deep breath and recalled this day that now seemed longer than any other day, but still wasn’t quite finished.

She was betrothed to Louis Didier, a plantation owner, and the marriage was arranged by her father in the hopes that she would land a better life with a wealthy husband whilst her family would receive a hefty bride token.

She already knew she was going to be married to an older man. She had become quite old at eighteen to marry a younger man and her mother didn’t really want to marry her off to one of the peasant boys. She thought that since Adalene was taught to read and write and understand basic mathematics, she could at least find a merchant to marry her only daughter so her skills would not get wasted on a simple man.

But she had not been that exposed to many merchants. They were either already married or stayed too short to get Adalene acquainted with any of them that ventured out into peasant farms. Unfortunately, no one expected Louis Didier would be older than her father and most odious in his mannerisms, as well. She suspected he only went for a peasant bride because he could not fool any woman in his station to marry him. He had certainly fooled her father.

Louis Didier possessed not only an ugly physical carriage but also an ugly personality. He was nasty and smelled bad. He also made it quite obvious he looked down upon her family, so there was no hope he would ever treat her like a person.

God’s grace lent the Baron, Lord Fabian Deschamps, pass by the chappelle with his men.

As he had mentioned this afternoon, her family and friends had created so much noise that he and his men decided to approach the chapelle to find out what was going on. Then he took pity on her situation and invoked his right to her first night.

Shocked and unbelieving she might have been when he rode away on his horse with her and his men, but even Adalene could appreciate her fortune at being able to at least experience a few days of respite with the Baron before she finally went back to the nightmare of being Louis’ wife. She believed he would not do anything to her that was not warranted, because the law he’d invoked was out of pity.

She was wrong.

And an adventure it was, she thought, as she remembered her first chance under the Baron’s skillful hands. When one might expect she would be forced, she was not. To her utter surprise, they talked and understood each other... more times than even she had thought. They also laughed and touched like they didn’t just meet each other today—even if he was her Baron. It was more than she could ever dream of!

But when she remembered what an embarrassing disappointment she was when she tried to give him back at least a little of what pleasure he made her feel and failed.

So she was now doubtful she could do anything for him in the coupling that was meant for tonight.

It was very late in the afternoon when they arrived at the chateau dusty and tired, but there was time for rest before getting ready for a dinner that was moved a little later tonight to accommodate their arrival, as they needed to rest, clean up and change into clean garments.

She was not able to take a nap as the Baron ordered before they parted in the parlor. Her sight of the chateau and of every opulent object she had seen since had so overwhelmed her that when the servants finally escorted her to a chamber full of pretty feminine things, her head was swimming.

She lay on the bed during the time she should have been taking a nap and resting, wrapped in silk sheets and a thin sleeping garment she had brought with her, restlessly tossing about as thoughts about what happened on the river bank and what was about to happen tonight mingled inside her head.

She was restless because of the swirling of emotions and the terrible curiosity that plagued her. She had never thought her body could be used as an instrument of sexual pleasure for herself. She thought that when she married, her body would be used for her husband’s pleasure.

And yet, the Baron... that beautiful, virile specimen of a man, had taught her differently this afternoon. She wondered about what he did between her thighs; that spot that he’d rubbed and kissed, and sucked and played with. And where was that soaking opening that his fingers had explored? She knew there should have been a place there where a man’s phallus could deposit his seed so a woman could get pregnant. But she had never dared explore herself. She had never dared try to find out what or where it was. She never believed her cousins' protestations about the kind of pleasure it could give. They said it was like flying off to heaven in just a few seconds. It seemed impossible.

But at that moment, her curiosity got the better of her, as always.

And as she lay there in the big, comfortable bed, alone while night crept in the sky outside and brimming with wonder, she started her exploration.

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