Chapter 2: The Gifts

It was nearly a month since their marriage. She had stopped wondering who the staff meant when they called her "Your Ladyship". She could almost find her way around the house without a map and it no longer made her feel uncomfortable to have the butler present at mealtimes.

She was deeply in love with her new husband and she was rapidly falling in love with this house and the life that they led here. She could never have dreamed of a life like this and here she was, a Countess, mistress of this wonderful house and married to the handsomest, most dashing, most attentive of husbands. Their intimate life together had begun only a few weeks before they married, with exquisite gentleness. Their wedding night had been romantic and tender. And in the few weeks since then, their loving had developed and grown as he had watched her trust grow and judged when to add a little extra spice and when to wrap her up in the protection of a loving husband.

The following day it would be exactly a month from the day of their wedding. It had been an occasion of great public celebration, with families and people from her husband's estate. She planned for them to have an intimate little celebration of their own tomorrow night, to celebrate in a more personal way.

She had carefully arranged their romantic dinner, consulting Mrs Watson about his favourite things and adding a few twists of her own to the menu. She had checked with his secretary that he had no engagements for that evening and asked her to try to keep it clear if she could.

But she was afraid that it had all been for nothing. He had telephoned to say that a business contact was passing through and he had offered him dinner. She tried not to sound disappointed, but he sensed a hesitation in her voice and added that the man would be leaving immediately after dinner since he was due to fly to South America that evening. She told him that she would tell the cook and decided that she could perhaps salvage the rest of their romantic evening.

The following day, she attended to her daily domestic matters, then inspected the flower arrangements the florist had delivered for the table. She had made a long appointment at the salon for the afternoon. In addition to her hair, manicure and facial, she had a full body treatment to ensure that she was soft for him.

Back in her dressing room, she took a box from the bottom of her wardrobe. She removed the lid and folded back the layers of tissue paper to uncover a white satin bustier. Since their marriage, she had noticed that he commented on the pretty underwear she wore. It seemed to her that pretty lingerie excited him, so she had bought some special things for this evening to discover if her instincts on this were sound.

Under the bustier, there were some matching pants and some white stockings. A little shyly she undressed and began to put on these new things. The little pants were tied at the sides with thin satin ribbons. The bustier was boned stiffly so that her already generous bust was squashed into a spectacular cleavage. Both the bustier and pants were delicately embroidered with white rosebuds, which continued down the suspenders.

She drew the stockings up her smooth legs and fastened the suspenders front and back. Examining herself in the mirror, she was happy with the result, but she was a little nervous that she might have misjudged. If it seemed she had gone too far, she could pass it off as a treat for a special day. Feeling the bones against her, she rather hoped he would like what he saw so that she could do this again.

She pulled on a high-necked white blouse and a black velvet skirt which was quite full and reached to mid-calf. Some black patent high-heeled shoes and a small black evening bag finished the picture and she made her way downstairs, laying a gift wrapped parcel on the bed as she passed.

Her husband and his guest had not yet arrived, so she occupied herself nervously, pulling dead leaves from plants and straightening ornaments. She was still enough of the new bride to be nervous waiting for her husband's return home. As her mind wandered to the night she hoped to have with him, she missed the sound of his car in the drive and jumped a little as the two men burst enthusiastically into the drawing room.

Her husband's friend was a charming and appreciative guest and the dinner was most congenial. As promised, he left as soon as dinner was finished, thanking her warmly and apologising for imposing himself on them. Remaining in the drawing room as her husband saw his friend off, she felt her heart race with growing excitement. As soon as he returned to the room he enclosed her in his arms and kissed her deeply. Encountering the bones encasing her body, he drew back and gave her a puzzled look. She raised her eyebrows in an unspoken inquiry and his broad smile gave her her answer.

"You continue to astonish me, my darling. May I give you a gift to celebrate today before I unwrap mine?"

"Of course you may," she told him.

He took her hand and led her into the hallway, where the butler was waiting with their coats. He helped her to wrap up warmly and led her out to his car. He drove them round behind the house and followed the winding road which led to the lake. Arriving at the lake side they came to a building which she had never seen before. It was a neo-classical summer house, which he told her was called "The Temple" and that he had had it built for her. They got out of the car and he took her inside the building. He showed her a large outer room, equipped with picnic things. At one end it had a fireplace and armchairs, which he said would be ideal for thawing out after a winter walk.

He showed her a second room, which was a changing room to use if they swam in the lake, then they passed through another door into the innermost space. In what appeared to be a small sitting room, there were two sofas and a couple of side tables. She told him she loved the temple and they talked of meeting here for many picnic lunches. She kissed him and told him it was a wonderful gift.

"Ah, but you haven't seen the best part," he laughed. Pressing a button on a cupboard door, he stood back as a bed lowered itself gently from the wall.

She laughed aloud. "Well, now that must make it a perfect present." She moved into his arms and kissed her delight into his happy mouth. They spent a little longer looking round the temple, but presently he told her that he would like to unwrap his gift at the house. They drove back planning a picnic in the temple that weekend. Once indoors, he led her up the impressive main staircase, never once taking his eyes off her face.

At last inside their bedroom, he continued to look at her, smiling broadly.

"Now may I unwrap my gift?"

"Certainly," she answered, crossing to the bed and bringing him the beautifully wrapped package. Surprised, he carefully undid the wrapper and found a leather-bound volume of classic erotic prints. Astonished now, he sat down on the bed and looked from the book to her face, then back to the book.

She had come to him green and unschooled in the ways of the bedroom, but he had awakened in her a delight in their sexual life together. But this gift, and the promise of her body specially corseted for his delight, were wildly exciting to him.

As she watched her stunned husband try to absorb this development in their blossoming romantic life, she began to unbutton her Victorian lace blouse. His eyes followed her fingers as they began at the throat and moved towards her waist. She moved forwards and stood before him with her hands at her sides, waiting for him to pull back the lace front and reveal the bustier.

He raised his hands and slowly pulled the blouse open. Pausing to absorb the sight of her, he then reached for the button at the waist of her skirt, letting the heavy velvet drop to the floor. Speechless, he drank in the softness of her breasts which strained over the tight bodice. Sighing deeply, he raised his hand to run it down her boned sides, and across the flesh of her thighs to slip his finger under her suspenders, feeling the smooth, warm flesh of her legs in contrast to the cool satin.

He was lost for words. He had seen and enjoyed her in young-girl pretty underwear, but this was different. This was the vision of a woman who was acknowledging her own sexual personality and telling him with the look in her eyes that she was excited by exciting him. She leaned forward and kissed him, then pulled him to his feet, drawing him out of his stunned paralysis.

She led him across the room to one of the sofas by the fireplace. Stopping repeatedly to spread kisses over his face and neck, she undid his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. She bent a little to kiss his chest as she pushed back his clothes, then reached up his jacket sleeves to unbutton his shirt cuffs. In one movement she pushed the shirt, tie and jacket over his shoulders and down his arms, catching them as they fell. Conscious of his eyes on her, she crossed to the opposite side of the room to place the clothes on a chair. As she returned slowly, she watched his eyes explore the shape of her, the way her movement was different in the tightly boned cage. He looked at her legs, which she knew were enhanced by the seamed stockings and the very high, very thin heels.

Her mouth went straight to his naked chest, kissing round his nipples, teasing him. She knew that they were sensitive and that he loved to have her kiss them. But she was enjoying the effect she was having on him and savouring the wickedness of making him wait.

Just when he was sure she would kiss his nipple, she guided him to sit down on the sofa. Kneeling down, she untied his shoes and slipped them off. She took off his socks and massaged his feet for a moment before getting up and crossing the room with them, for no other reason than to let him watch again. She took her time bending to put down the shoes, letting him enjoy the view it gave him of her backside, hardly covered by the tiny patch of white satin and crossed by the suspenders.

As she walked back, he got to his feet again. Her hands went directly to his belt, a button, a zip, then slid the rest of his clothes to the floor, letting him step out and making her unnecessary journey once more.

When she joined him he sat down and she sat across his lap. She kissed his ear and neck as her fingers circled his nipples, teasing them. His cock pressed against her leg, but she carefully ignored its twitches, until he began to shift uncomfortably under her. She slid down in front of him, parting his legs with her hands and pressing the boned satin against him as she finally applied her lips to his nipples. He gasped his pleasure as she gently kissed each one and licked around the rigid centre. He gasped again as she tightened the muscles of her tongue and flicked each in turn, as she squeezed and pinched the other.

She could feel his hips flex as he pressed himself against her a little harder, so his penis moved against the satin. Raising herself up and pulling him forwards, she let his cock fall between her legs. She pushed her tongue into his mouth as she held his cock between her thighs, tightly pressed up against the damp satin of her pants. Rocking backwards and forwards, she worked his cock as their tongues danced.

Easing him backwards again, she lowered her head to his lap, maintaining eye-contact with him. With her head close to his cock, but not touching it, she ran her hands along his inner thighs and felt the hairs rise under her hands. Letting her breath kiss his penis, she brushed her hand over his balls, barely touching them and feeling them move and tighten at her touch. Still looking up at him, she opened her lips and put her tongue through her teeth. Moving forwards very slowly she let it make contact lightly with the head of his cock and watched the effect in his eyes. She tasted the teardrop in its eye and then let her tongue circle the head which was half covered. Raising her hand, she felt him tense in anticipation, then she wrapped her hand around the shaft, bringing her other hand up to cup his balls.

She gently pulled back the skin, and let her tongue play over the smooth head. She circled the crease, letting her tongue probe under the rim. She poked her tongue into the hole and felt it open to her. Keeping her hand in contact with him, she opened it to allow her to lick along the shaft, starting on the underside of his balls and travelling in lapping strokes up to the tip again. She repeated this several times, each time stopping short of taking him in her mouth.

Pulling back for a moment to look at it, she let her hand massage him in long strokes. As she drew down the skin, she closed her lips round his head, allowing them to pull the foreskin back from the head. Then up again, and on the second down stroke, she let her tongue lick and tease the head. Then up again and on the third stroke she sucked him hard, taking him deeply into her.

Letting her face ride him, she reached up and squeezed his nipples in turn, loving the deep moans it caused him to make. Slowly again, kissing, licking, sucking and masturbating him, she paid attention for a long time to his grateful cock. But she was careful to sense his building pressure and she would wait and let the storm subside before beginning again.

All this time he stroked and caressed her face and shoulders, but he could not reach her body to touch her sensitive places.

"Stand up for me," he asked her. She stood before him, while he untied the satin ribbons that held together her pants. Very slowly and carefully he pulled the wet fabric through, allowing it to stroke her pussy as it slipped free of her.

He turned his hand and slipped it between her thighs, allowing the edge to rub slowly along the same channel as her satin pants. She raised one foot, resting it on the edge of the sofa. He put his hand on her foot, arched high in the stilettos. He ran his finger over the sharp heel, then let his hand move slowly up the inside of her raised calf. Tracing each curve of her leg, he reached her thigh, then crossed the white band at the top of the stocking and on to the pink flesh of her naked leg.