The year was 1877. It was my eighteenth birthday and my wedding day. I am the fourth child out of a family of five girls. I can't say that my mother, a widow of five years, was sad to have me married off. She tried her best to be what she could for us after father died. But she had never really had a hand in raising us. My parents were wealthy aristocrats. We saw mother for fleeting moments throughout the day, between her shopping excursions, visits with other ladies and evening balls and so forth. Father had always made time every morning to have breakfast with us and kiss us goodnight in the evening. This meant a lot to me. I knew how hard father worked.
After father died, his man of affairs, Mr. Avery, advised mother to stop spending, but she continued to live as she had all along. Two years ago, while walking past father's office, I heard mother crying. As I spied through the keyhole, I saw mother sitting across from Mr. Avery.
"I told you that you would not be able to live as you had. I warned you that this would happen, Mrs. Arkwright. Your husband left very little cash. Most of his money was tied up in stocks, which as you know, did not do well. But his largest investment was in your estate and the assets within. If you sell.."
"Stop. I will not sell my belongings. It has taken me a lifetime to accumulate them. I'm not about to auction off my life's work to the highest bidder."
"If you do not do something soon, your creditors may force your hand in that matter."
I was stunned. We were in dire straights. It was shortly thereafter that mother arranged for my eldest sister, Margaret, to marry. Her husband was young, handsome and one of the more wealthy men of the ton. And Margaret was happy.
The next season, it was Alice that was wed. Her husband was a dreadfully old man. Alice cried and begged mother to find someone more suitable to her age, after all, she had just turned eighteen and her husband was almost seventy. I wept for Alice. She did as she was told. Whenever I see her, she does her best to look as though she is happy. But I'm afraid that even her pregnancy has not lifted her spirits.
Sarah married that year as well. Her husband was more suitable. He was twenty nine and had already made an excellent name for himself in the financial world. He was tall and thin, rather willowy and his pock marked face left a bit to be desired, but Sarah was happy enough to not share Alice's fate.
This year it is my turn. Mother has strategically placed each one of her attractive young daughters with wealthy husbands. She cares not about their age or appearance. She has auctioned off each of us to the highest bidder. Although, I do believe that I am the luckiest one. I inherited my mother's good looks and my father's charm. My beauty is uncommon and as for my body, well, I have ample curves in all the right places. My maid has told time and again that the man who wins my hand in marriage will never let me leave the bedroom. I don't pay much attention, since I really don't know much of what husband and wives do in their secret chambers.
Until tonight that is. Mother came in to talk to be briefly about how a man and a woman "couple" as she put it. She told me that after I was in my husband's chamber, he would want me to remove my clothing. He would want to fondle me in the places I considered to be private and that I should let him. She told me that I should allow my husband to do whatever he wishes to do with my body and that I should always obey him in every matter.
The ceremony seemed to take forever. It was held in mother's garden and was terribly warm. My husband, Marshall Devon, looked dashing. Every woman sneered at me during the ceremony. They were all so envious of me. My husband is wonderfully handsome. He is thirty three years old which makes him neither too young nor too old. He is tall and carries his large, muscular frame with such confidence and poise. Men want to be him and women swoon at the sight of him. We have not had much of a courtship, but he has visited me on several occasions; always bringing me exotic flowers and chocolates.
After the ceremony, we stayed long enough for him to greet those that had attended the ceremony. He ushered me around with his hand placed at the small of my back. It was such a romantic and gentle gesture. He smelled so fresh and just being near him makes my heart flutter. Every once in a while I would sneak a look at his handsome face. When he caught me, he smiled tenderly down on my blushing face.
During the carriage ride home, Marshall slid a little closer to me. Our bodies almost touched, which was closer than I had ever been to any other man. My heart made little flips during the entire ride.
When we arrived at his house, he ordered the maid he had acquired for me to draw a bath in my chamber. The bath was wonderful. The water smelled of rose petals and orange blossoms. When I stood up, the skin on my supple body reflected the flickering light that danced in the hearth. The door clicked open and in walked my husband. Being caught off guard, I pulled my hands over my breasts to cover myself. He dismissed my maid who lowered her eyes immediately and curtsied quickly as she scurried out of the room.
"Put your hands down." He ordered in a low soothing voice. My mother's words echoed in my head. I did as he ordered.
"Step out of the bath." My toes dripped onto the rich oak floors.
"Come forward. Stop right there." At this point I began to nervously shake a little.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"No. Yes. I'm not sure."
"Pull your hair back behind you, I want to see your breasts."
While I hesitated, my face burned. But I soon did what he commanded. He sat back on a chair behind him and unbuttoned his shirt. "Open your legs."
"What?" I asked in a hushed tone.
"Do not talk unless I ask you to. Now open your legs, I wish to see your cunt."