rooms. She'd long decided both here in the
capital and in the country she'd like her space. Her mother thought her strange,
but she finally accepted it.
On occasions such as this, when she made herself
come, she was ever grateful of her relative seclusion. Now all she had to do
was try to sleep, without dreaming of a tall, dark and handsome man with dark
grey eyes and a wicked smile, who may be the way to fulfill her…
****
"So you spoke to him, and he agreed?" Jane
licked chocolate from her lips and grinned. "The plan worked?" She
picked a pastry from the plate and took a bite.
"Well I'm not certain about that," Susanna
said with caution. "He agreed not to dance or offer for me, and then he let
Godmama coerce him into escorting me into supper. However, I have to say, once
we'd eaten he made his apologies and left. And then this morning, Mama was full
of the fact he must have a partiality for me. She may be my Mama, but she is
such a goose at times." She put her finger to her lips and remembered the
taste of Tony. "I did make his pego stir." Susanna giggled and her
skin heated. "And he did say the only mask I should wear was one he put
onto me so I could only feel, not see."
Jane dropped the pastry, narrowly missing her hot
chocolate. "He did? My, you must have stirred him up. It took Stephen
weeks before he told me any such thing. Even then he said it in such a circuitous way, I had to fathom it out."
"But you had the advantage of growing up with
Stephen. He was your first fumble in the hay, your first spank, and your first
climax," Susanna pointed out. "My first fumble was with Arthur
Cranswick, in the rose garden, and my first spank by Martin Aitken because I
laughed at him. Something I now am ashamed about…but seriously, he had no idea.
He thought that if he kissed my ear I would lift my skirts. I said no and
laughed, and he gave me a swipe on my arse. It was nothing like you described."
She drank her chocolate. The smooth, creamy liquid slid down her throat and
spread a warm glow through her. Nothing like the warm glow she felt when she
thought of how her closeness stirred Tony's body, but pleasant enough.
"And my first climax was by my own hand. Dammit, Jane, even though Tony
had no idea, I know I'll end up as his wife. The Mamas will somehow see to
that. However, no way will I be a compliant one. Well, not unless I am compliant
to his demands."
"As I am to Stephen," Jane said and leaned
in to hug Susanna. "It is called to be a subservient. A
sub. Wherein you let your Master take charge."
"If that day ever comes. However, he did call
me his kitten in Chinese."
"He did?" Jane sounded awed. "Oh my. That is perfect. Stephen calls me ‘little one’
when we, oh lud, well…we call it playing. When we play. It is my signal to follow his lead."
"Well, he said he would call me that if he was
my Master, but didn't elaborate," Susanna said. "Jane, I have to know
if this life you enjoy is for me. After all you've told me, and I thank you for
that, I want to experience it for myself. Hearing from you that Tony has the
same ideas as Stephen, then being told I am to marry him, and not be part of
that? I refuse to accept it. If he wishes to…" She paused. Even though
this was Jane, her friend, her confidante and the only person she knew who
would understand, it was still hard to express her desires out loud once more. "To
tie up, spank, or blindfold anyone, I intend it will be me who experiences
those delights. Not some demi monde who accepts such ministrations and commands
for the guineas, not the need. Now how do I achieve that?"
"Do you truly wish to be his wife?" Jane
asked her. She picked up her pastry once more, and took a dainty bite.
"Mmm, this is good."
Susanna formulated her thoughts. Did she? "Only if he treats me as his, his partner, and not his
encumbrance. If our ideas suit. That is something I need to find out. If
he is determined to shut me out of what matters most to him, then I will
somehow refuse