11. Expectations #3
“The latest style from Europe,” Kizzy sighed.
“Untie and relax the laces for me, and I’ll show you how it works.
” When they were loose, she took a deep, freeing breath.
“Sort of like your linen, but not,” Kizzy laughed, rising to stand beside the bed.
She motioned to Clem to sit still. “You stay there and watch.”
With a short shiver and teasing smile, she tugged the lowered sleeves until the unbuttoned gown dropped, collapsing at her feet, leaving her standing in new blue silk pantaloons lined with lace, and her loosened corset.
Arms busy behind her as she undid the laces, her breasts fell out, rising free as the heavy contraption of whalebone came loose.
Teasing, Kizzy held it up in front of her breasts to cover them, then turned around, showing her back as she dropped it on top of the growing heap of her clothing.
“Stay like that a moment, beautiful,” said Clem, eyes drinking in her delicious form, the opening in her silk pantaloons providing a delightful view of her round bottom. “I like these pretty wedding dainties.”
“Do you?” asked Kizzy, moving to see herself in the mirror. Shock and outrage crossed her face.
“What? Eek!” she cried, both hands plunging down to cover the opening to her crotch.
She wheeled around and saw the rear side was just as open, and split her hands, front and back.
“Oh, my God!” she shrieked, blushing bright red.
“I had no idea. I just thought they were soft and light!” Shuddering with distressed laughter, she covered her face with both hands.
Clem laughed, unconcerned about how a bridegroom’s delight might sound to the partiers below.
“So, you didn’t know what you showed me when the hoops sent your skirt up?
” she teased. “It was a sight to behold, one I’ll never forget.
” She rose from the bed and walked to Kizzy, who stood trembling with shock.
Running hands up and down tense arms, she massaged with gentle fingers.
“And shall treasure always.” Clem folded the flustered young woman into her arms, holding her close.
“These aren’t mine. I’m not this type of woman.” Rigid against Clem’s shoulder, a sound half laugh, half sob escaped Kizzy, who then hiccupped. “My bloomers aren’t open; I don’t wear things like this.”
Clem almost laughed at Kizzy’s sudden embarrassment about pantaloons after faking such passion a moment earlier. But, holding the unnerved girl, she remembered Kizzy’s mortification earlier when she explained the town’s expectations.
Raised religious, she’s probably never been anywhere but her finishing school.
Having to put on that act was humiliating, and those frou-frou things aren’t like her church-girl bloomers.
The women who dressed her weren’t her mother and friends, and I am not a normal husband, which she never bargained for to begin with. I didn’t give her much choice.
Kizzy trembled as she suppressed another sob, followed by a choked-off giggle, and another hiccup, lip quivering. “I’m just b-be-being silly.”
Standing in the center of the room, Clem wrapped her in protective arms. “No, you’re not. In fact, I think you’re quite a woman. At barely eighteen, banished by your father in a public denunciation, you didn’t cry and beg to stay; you struck out on your own.”
“How do you know that?” She looked up at Clem.
“I was on the platform and heard it all. As you said goodbye to your mother, I was the one who took your suitcase and helped you aboard.”
“I don’t remember.” Her small voice sounded apologetic.
“You were a little busy at the time.” Clem rubbed her shoulders.
“You caught my attention even then, handling the situation with grace. And then, Kizzy, when you did focus on me, you saw me as a woman in an instant when no one else ever has.” Clem tipped her chin up to meet her eyes, smiling into watery blues.
“Then, you fearless minx, you chased me down in the night, and invited me to your room to check my ‘bona fides’ for yourself, then convinced me to take you to California, with a pistol ready if I got out of hand. You’ve got gold fever as bad as any man I know, and were savvy enough to grab an opportunity when you saw it.
Tomorrow you head west on a wagon train, doing what most never do, chasing a dream.
” Clem intensified her gaze, meaning every word.
“Kizzy, you are the bravest woman I’ve ever met.
” She brushed a thumb across her trembling lips.
“All things considered, it’s no wonder your emotions are raw, poor girl. ”
She leaned down to taste her lips, urging limp arms up and around her neck. Another thought struck her. “And even though you’ve been to bed with other women, they weren’t me. This is our first time.” She kissed Kizzy with the gentleness of a spring breeze.
Leading her to the edge of the bed, Clem sat and pulled her onto her lap, wrapping her in both arms. “It’s alright,” she soothed, rocking her.
“Please don’t be embarrassed. You’re safe with me, darling, I promise.
” She waited, holding Kizzy until her misty eyes rose, and trembling lips offered her a kiss. Clem took it with all of her heart.
“Now, inside that box over there,” unwilling to loosen her arms, she pointed with her nose, “there is a surprise for you.” She kissed Kizzy again, longer, deeper, and welcomed her rising response.
“I don’t know if you’ll like it, or want to wear it,” she said, “but I just couldn’t let you have a wedding night in that prim and proper nightgown.
” She rubbed her face, chagrined. “It’s probably the reason Mrs. Blair supplied such spectacular pantaloons. ”
Curiosity piqued, Kizzy rose from her lap and crossed to the box, holding it in front of her as she brought it to the bed.
Lifting the lid, she gasped. “Oh, Clem,” she sighed.
With both hands, she raised the soft pink material to bunch up around her face.
“It’s beautiful!” She pulled out two pieces, one a slender sheath of pale pink silk, the other a robe in a darker shade.
“They’re beautiful,” she amended, holding the gown against her and returning to the mirror.
Clem admired the view, both front and back, without moving.
When Kizzy’s reflection grinned back at her from the mirror, she rose and crossed to stand behind her.
Putting both hands on her shoulders, she kissed her head and met her glance.
“I’m going to go downstairs before the bar closes and get us something to drink. I’ll be back up in a few minutes.”
“Wait,” said Kizzy with a sly grin, her playfulness returning.
“You can’t go down there looking like that.
” She turned around and unbuttoned Clem’s vest, yanked her shirttail up from the waistband of her pants, and did the vest up again, one button off.
She looked her over with a critical eye.
“Your hair’s disheveled, but you don’t look kissed enough.
” Kizzy reached both arms around her waist, snuggling her bare breasts into Clem’s catawampus vest.
They kissed, arms tightening as it deepened, the sense of anticipation returning between them.
“Give me ten minutes,” her pretty young wife said, then shooed her out the door. “And bring me some cake if there’s any left over.”
Sailing downstairs, Clem didn’t have to pretend to be a smitten bridegroom.
That’s what she was.