Scold's House Read online

  "Anything you want, Io, you can have," he'd said.

  Well, she wanted the guests gone from the house. She wanted that more than anything. Xavier said he sent a letter to his eldest brother to come and collect the women. He promised if he couldn't come soon, he'd send his mother south to his younger brothers. He asked her for the time it took the letter to reach the man and the man to make the trip. Knowing it'd eventually come to an end put a smile on her face.

  "And what has you looking so pleased with yourself, my lady?"

  Io started at the sound of Xavier's voice. She hadn't expected him, or anyone for that matter. She'd done her part as lady of the house and sent everyone out hawking for entertainment. She stood then retook her seat at the sharp pain in her foot. "Has something happened? Why are you back? Is everyone back?" She wanted a little peace today. If everyone was back there'd be no peace. The divide in the house, created by the power struggle between her and Lady Charlotte, caused conflicts not easily resolved.

  "Io what happened to your leg?" Xavier took a seat so close he was almost on top of her and reached for her calf.

  "My leg? Nothing, why are you back?" She grabbed his hand and placed it in her lap. He gave her a suspicious look, then slipped his hand from hers and before she could stop him he took her arm and jerked her face down over his lap.

  "Something happened to your leg, Io. I saw the look on your face when you stood." He reached for her foot as he spoke and Io tried to squirm away.

  "Stop, nothing happened to my leg." Kicking kept him from getting a hold for the moment.

  "Io." His hand connected hard with her rump but she wore work cloth so the smack was hardly painful. "Do not lie."

  "I am not, Xavier. Let me go. I stepped on a thorn, nothing of concern."

  "A thorn went through your shoe?"

  Io groaned as he managed to capture her foot and pull it out from under her skirts. "Not exactly through my…" Io felt him go tense and the skin on her arse crawled a bit.

  "Shoes," he bellowed. "Io, wear shoes. I have them made for you for a reason."

  "Xavier," she whined looking back over her shoulder. He intently examined the bottom of her foot, his strong hand holding her ankle. When he couldn't see the injury he placed the fingers of his other hand at her toes then slowly stroked down. His index finger hit the tender spot and Io hissed. "Xavier." Twisting back as much as she could, Io pouted more.

  "Io, wear shoes." He placed his right hand on her ankle as his left slid along her leg. He turned to look at her and she watched the disapproving scowl turn to one of those smiles he wore when they were tumbling into bed.

  She held to the pout." Did you come here only to scold me? Because I have had quite enough of that."

  "I did not come here to scold you. I am not scolding you. Only asking, please wear shoes I do not care to see you hurt." He leaned forward and kissed her.

  "It was a silly thorn; I am not hurt. Please let me up."

  He kissed her again then flipped her over but kept her in his lap. "Better?"

  "Yes." She was surprised the relief she felt. She mostly only found herself over his lap when she did something he deemed hazardous. But even when she'd nothing to fear, being face down looking at Xavier's feet made her stomach twist. Io leaned against him, put both arms around his neck and took the time to enjoy this moment. They were rare since the arrival of his mother.

  The thought caused her to groan and Xavier pulled away to look at her hard. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Thinking over much. You did not answer my question. Why are you back? And is everyone with you?"

  "I am alone." He tucked her back against him. "They are out with the hawker and should be most of the day. That was a very good plan. Lady Claire was quiet happy with it. And, Io…" he tightened his hold, "they will be gone before too long."

  "Why are you back then, if not to berate me about my dress?" Pouting seemed to be working well today.

  She could feel his body shake as he chuckled. "I am not berating you. I did not come with any intent to find you at fault for anything. I do not find you at fault. You simply need to wear your shoes so you do not have thorns poking you." He nuzzled her cheek.

  "But you did come back to see me?"

  "I did."

  "And if not to tell me I am not as you want, what is your reason?" She knew she pushed too far when he took hold at her waist and firmly sat her up on his knee then took a hold of her chin and forced her to look at him.

  "This is the last time, Io, the very last. You are what I want. I want no other. I want you no other way."

  She took a moment to search his face, judge his words. He seemed to present as truthful. Io couldn't rid herself of the niggling doubt. "All right," she conceded for lack of any other recourse.

  "Io." There seemed to be a warning in his tone.

  "All right, Xavier." He stared hard at her for a moment more. "Xavier, it is as you say." She smiled, if weakly. "Why did you seek me out?" When she tried to lean into him, he let her.

  "Everything will be fine, Io, it will." He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. She simply nodded. He sighed, gave her a quick squeeze then changed the subject. "I received a notice today and I wanted to speak with you about it."

  "Is it good?"

  "Well, that is what I want to speak with you about. I want to think it is good, but if you do not, I will yield to you."

  "What is the matter?" Io again put her arms around his neck.

  "There is going to be… well, an event I suppose it can be called."

  "An event?"

  "Well, yes. In a few months a festival will start." Now his tone was a mix of uncertainty, excitement and nervousness.

  "Is it like this one that comes in a few weeks? I want to attend, Xavier. I want you and I to attend. You said we would," Io reminded him.

  "I know. We will attend together as you want. But no, this will be different. The one in a few weeks will be small. The one I am speaking of is far bigger."

  "You will take to the field again?" She hadn't cared for the last tournament. Xavier won but the brutality of it was not to her taste.

  "It will not be a tournament, Io, it will be a festival; they are different. And this festival is very different. It is rarely near enough that we might attend." More excitement entered his voice.

  "Very well, what will be at this festival to make it worth attending?" Io had never attended a festival. The one in a few days would be not only her first but her first official outing with her husband at her side. She still made plans to make it the best day it could be.

  "Well there will be actors, jugglers. There should be some acrobats, trapeze perhaps…"

  "What are those?" Io sat up and twisted to look at him.

  "They are performers who do unimaginable feats." His face was alight with his enthusiasm. Io had never seen this in him before. "There will be animals."

  "Animals? What kind of animals?"

  "Well, the last time I attended there was a lion."

  "A real lion?" Io couldn't believe such a thing.

  "Yes a real lion, and there were camels…"

  "Camels?"

  "Yes they are strange looking." He shrugged. "You will have to see them. There may even be an elephant."

  "And we will attend this festival and see this?" Io was a little giddy with excitement.

  "Yes well, I would enjoy taking you, but…" Now he seemed uncomfortable again.

  "But?"

  "Io, this festival travels; they do not come to every house. They will not come here." His voice took on a tight edge. "We will have to travel to this festival. We will have to leave here for as long as a month."

  "We would leave here?" The thought was frightening. To leave this house, a place she'd become attached to with people she cared for.

  "We will come back, Io, this is home. We will always come back. This is why I wanted to speak to you. We will have to travel away from home and we will be gone for awhile."

  This wasn't as
simple as going to see a lion or a camel. This was about leaving a place and trusting she'd come back. She never came back. Leaving was forever. Still he said they'd leave together. She never left a house with someone from the house. Always a stranger took her away.

  "Io." He put his thumb on her bottom lip and pulled it from between her teeth. "If you do not want to travel I un—"

  "May I think on it a while?" she stopped him. "I want to think on it. There is much to do. I am still learning and there are my lessons and…" And what if those women were still in residence? Would they allow her to come back?

  "Io, of course you may think on it and there is no wrong choice. If you do not want to go, we will not. If you do, we will." He pulled her closer, holding her tight for a long moment.

  "When must you have your answer?" The chance to see a real lion and all the other things Xavier mentioned, Io long ago learned to not to allow temptations, still a real lion.

  "You think on it, when I must have your answer I will ask again. For now, you need not be rash." Leaning to his left he reached down and set his hand on her bare foot then started sliding it upward under her skirts. He stretched to put his lips at her neck.

  "You do not wish me to be rash, but I think maybe you would have me be unseemly." Io giggled when his fingers tickled the back of her knee.

  "Unseemly and vulgar." His hand moved further up. She spread her thighs his fingers fell into the crevice then stilled.

  "How vulgar, husband, do you wish me to be?"

  "How alone are we?"

  "Out here?" Io frowned. "Not very."

  "Then perhaps we should find a more private place. I would have you be as vulgar as you might." He lifted her into his arms then stood in one fluid motion.

  "We might get there quicker if I were to walk," Io teased.

  "Oh Io," he sighed then tossed her up and over his shoulder and gave her bottom a hearty smack. "We will get there quick." True to his word Io found herself carried inside, up the stairs, into their apartments and tossed onto her back on their big bed before she could complain about being treated brutishly.

  Then, however, Xavier slowed everything down.

  Chapter Eight

  Xavier looked down at his wife as she lay back on the bed with a wicked grin on her face. He hadn't seen her look so warm and welcoming in some time. When he found her in the garden with a real smile on her face it took all his will not to throw her to the ground and take her there and then. He never thought about how her mood could affect his level of desire. He always wanted his wife. The last few weeks Io spent more time angry, frustrated, depressed and reserved. When Xavier and she managed to both find each other, their love making seemed more a function of marriage than a matter of emotional connection.

  Although never unsatisfying, the act lacked something. Even when he tried to prolong it something was absent. There were no smiles or laughter. Xavier found immense satisfaction in a slow, soft loving interlude. But what man wouldn't miss the wild romps that could be had with the right woman. Io wasn't just the right woman; she was the only woman Xavier wanted regardless of the bed sport to be had. Lately though sex happened like a chore no matter how they tried to adjust.

  "Xavier?" Io beckoned.

  Xavier wasted no more time pondering his good fortune. He'd be thankful for it and take advantage. With a laugh he fell on the bed and pulled Io on top of him. He put a hand behind her head and forced her lips down to his. His tongue swiped her full bottom lip and she opened her mouth and sucked it inside. Her tongue twisted around his in a dance that provoked a fire in his blood and hardened his body.

  His fingers found the laces of her gown the same time her fingers started tugging on the ties to his codpiece. Between giggles, laughs, kiss, bites, licks and slaps they undressed each other. Rolling several times, changing who was in the dominate position, ending with Xavier over Io, leveraged between her thighs with nothing but a breath of space still between them.

  "Io," he called so she looked at him as he entered her. He enjoyed the look on her face, in her eyes, when he first seated himself in her warm folds. Always she looked in awe, always pleased and then her expression changed to one of power. She looked to have more self assurance, more confidence, more trust than at any other time. That he made her feel those things was inspiring and humbling. He could've stayed in the moment forever, his wife not so long. She lifted her hips to draw him further in then flexed them back to move him out. When she couldn't achieve the fluidness she wanted she wrapped her legs around his hips and again lifted and flexed. Xavier waited until he was again deep inside before settling down on her with his full weight. "Io?" She moaned, tried to force him back then growled when she couldn't. "Io." He laughed. "Let me do this."

  "Then do it," Io snarled. Xavier laughed again lifting his weight he began thrusting, long and slow at first then faster. "Xavier, more please," Io's request came on a long moan, her arms wrapped around his back and her body arched into his.

  "Anything you want." Xavier complied.

  They made love with fervent devotion and joyous climax. Io crying out each time Xavier pushed her past pleasure into rapture. Several times Xavier changed their position. Io would be beneath him, then over him. He moved them so she was over him facing away then laying back over him, spooned next to him and finally he placed her on her knees taking her hard from behind her hair wrapped in his fist.

  "Io," Xavier whispered her name before slipping out of her hot dripping cunny and placing the head of his cock between her bottom checks. She looked over her shoulder giving him a saucy smile. He pushed into the small, tight hole with a loud groan. Io cried out, relaxed and fell right into rhythm with his strokes. Xavier placed his fingers on her clit rubbing, hoping he could take her there one more time before he was lost.

  His body continued to grow tighter from the strain, holding back any longer would probably kill him. He heard Io's moans building and felt her body straining. She was almost ready but he was beyond and two more deep thrusts Xavier spent so hard it was almost more pain than pleasure. The sensation coming from so deep inside his gut cramped down and his head spun. He spilled inside of Io and then spilled again only to feel Io reach her own release. Strength failed them and they collapsed down in the tangled of limbs and bed clothes.

  Xavier gasped for breath waiting for the blood to flow back to his extremities. Under him Io panted as well. He slid partially off, only enough she could take a deep, full breath. Not enough she could move away. Brushing her hair away, he put his lips to her shoulder and kissed the hot skin. She snuggled into him. He kissed her shoulder again. They'd everything they needed, no matter where they were, as long as they had each other. He'd encourage Io to choose to go to the festival. She should have as many enjoyable experiences as he could obtain for her. A small gathering close to home, a magnificent event in a new place and eventually he'd take her to court and she'd know everything her life would be as his wife.

  * * *

  Io remained seated. There was no reason to rush from the table. She knew Xavier wouldn't bother to spend any more time with her. She only bothered to come to the hall to be with him, even if she was mostly ignored.

  The desire to reach out and touch him was actually painful as he stood with his back to her helping his mother from her seat. This morning they found a few moments. Xavier not concerned about getting to training, stayed late in bed. Io slipped under the covers and down his body. The taste of his skin stayed on her lips most of the day. She was impatient to finish what they started.

  Now though he gave the guests in his house his attentions. Already the Ladies Blake, Claire and Sabrina were standing. Io knew they'd go from the hall to a formal sitting area. Xavier's mother placed the better pieces of furniture in the room. She'd even taken Io's chair from the bedchambers a few weeks ago. Io said nothing to Xavier. There was little chance he'd take it back and Io didn't care to quarrel over it. They'd all retire there and talk, about what Io didn't know as she wasn't privy to the
gathering. Besides she'd lessons this eve on reading the stars. And she wanted to retire early so she'd be ready for the spring festival on the morrow.

  The thought made her smile. She waited for this since Xavier brought her here. It'd be the first time she and Xavier attended anything, especially something formal as husband and wife. On the morrow though, they'd go together and host the event as a couple.

  "Well do not have her sit there." Io heard Lady Brice gripe. "I do not understand at all why you allow such lack in manner. It is a duty to be a proper host and she is lax in this."

  "Io." Xavier's hand appeared before her face. She looked up, not knowing what he wanted. The smile tugging his lips upward was encouraging. "Come be a good host."

  Io allowed him to help her stand unsure what he expected but happy to be noticed. Then she caught the look on his mother's face and became suspicious. "What would you have, Xavier?" she asked even as he started them walking.

  "I would have you show your wit and knowledge." Io wasn't sure why but she felt instantly uncomfortable with the idea of sitting with the group.

  "Look," Lady Brice snapped. "Look at her she thinks herself to good to keep company with us."

  "I do not," Io denied then turned to her husband. "Xavier, I cannot join you. I have things to attend and I must prepare for tomorrow."

  She tried to pull her hand from his; his grip tightened. "Io, you have plenty of time to make ready for the festival. You need not overwhelm yourself with it. We will go, you will be beautiful and fun will be had for all."

  Io felt herself flush at the rare compliment, but she had lessons tonight. "I have other duties, Xavier. I have—"

  "I am correct; she thinks herself above everyone. Wonder she doesn't demand to wear a crown like she is queen," Lady Brice said to the other women who nodded. All three turned away.

  Io felt Xavier bristle. He stiffened and shifted to the stance she'd see him take before he lashed out. His grip on her hand became painful as he started walking them towards the room. "You have nothing so important you cannot afford a guest in this house a little of your time."