Beneath Montana's Sky: A Montana Sky Novella (The Montana Sky Series Book 0) by Holland Debra

Author:Holland, Debra [Holland, Debra]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2014-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

After the wedding festivities, hand-in-hand, John escorted Pamela to the guestroom. He brought her fingers to his lips, sending a shiver down her spine, then excused himself so she would have privacy to change.

Instead of the regular oil lamps, long tapers on the dressing table and next to the bed cast a romantic glow around the room, and a fire burned in the fireplace. A vase of white roses perfumed the air. With a nervous shiver, Pamela glanced at the big bed with the elaborately carved headboard.

Her maid, Jean, rustled forward. “Congratulations on your marriage, madam.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at her maid. “And you too, Jean, on your approaching nuptials.”

Pamela had asked Jean to move to Montana Territory with her, but the maid had chosen to remain and marry her childhood sweetheart instead. She hadn’t had time to find a new maid—one who could also do household tasks—so Elizabeth had taken on the job of finding one and sending her West.

Jean removed the tiara and veil, then helped her out of the wedding gown. As lovely as the dress was, Pamela was glad to be free of the weighty material. Forty pounds of fabric and reinforcing garments was far too much to wear for hours.

As soon as the corset was unlaced, Pamela inhaled the first full breath she’d had all day, then frowned at the deep gouges in the flesh of her waist and sides from the stays.

She rubbed the grooves to no avail, before shrugging. John had promised to wait for intimacy, and while she was eager for his embraces, she wasn’t quite ready for complete surrender. Her husband wouldn’t see the marks tonight, and in the future, she wouldn’t wear her corset so tight.

Jean slipped Pamela’s silk nightgown over her head, the material lighter than air, then helped her into a matching robe. She gestured for Pamela to sit in front of the dressing table and began to remove the hairpins from her heavy coif.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

At the sound, Pamela’s heart thudded. “Come in.” She turned toward the door.

John entered, looking as resplendent as a Mandarin prince in a black silk dressing gown embroidered with red Chinese symbols.

The sight drove away her nervousness. She raised her eyebrows.

He pulled a comical expression. “A present from Great-aunt Hester.”

Pamela giggled. “You look quite splendid.” She turned to her maid and smiled. “I can finish my hair. Thank you, Jean.”

“Yes, madam.” The maid bobbed a curtsey before leaving.

Pamela stared after her. “How strange to be called madam, not miss.” She pulled a hair pin out of the braided and curled mass.

John walked over to stand behind her chair. “Good strange?” Watching her in the mirror, he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the muscles.

“Mmm, very good strange.”

He hit the tight spots and pressed.

She winced.

John immediately lifted his hands.

“No, no, don’t stop. It feels wonderful. I just didn’t realize how sore I was.”

He resumed his massage of her shoulders and neck, his eyes on hers in the mirror.

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