Love's Abyss (St. John Series) (5 page)

“Well, all right. I’ll return in one hour.” Miss Ruby laid down her knitting, grabbed her shawl and headed out the door.

As soon as Ruby had reached the end of the drive, Madison raced out the back door towards the old oak tree with the swing on the back of her father’s property. The huge oak tree had been standing here for hundreds of years. Her father hung the swing when she was a little girl, only after some begging on her part. She smiled as she approached the swing, remembering the fun times she had there as a child.

She sat down and floated back and forth allowing the wind to blow her hair. Closing her eyes, she felt the warmth of the sun on her face.

She heard a noise coming from across the stream. A figure emerged. It was Andrew. Oh he was strikingly handsome in his navy blue coat and white trousers. He was wearing his traditional Commodore wig, and it lined his square jaw accordingly. There was a twinkle in his light brown eyes.

“The most beautiful fairy in all the land,” he said in a charming voice.

“Oh, Andrew,” Madison blushed.

Walking towards Madison, he gently picked up her hand and guided her towards the bench beneath the tree. He pulled her down to the seat by the trunk of the tree, took a deep breath and began, “Thank you for coming. I know this is terribly improper, but there is something I need . . . no . . . I must discuss with you.”

“What is it, Andrew?” she questioned with concern in her voice.  The request for this secret tête-à-tête had heightened her interest, causing her heart to beat quickly. She couldn’t take her eyes off his handsome face.

“Well, Madison . . . you know how I feel about you. I can’t imagine my life without you,” lied Andrew sweetly, trying to sound desperate. “I was planning to ask your father for your hand, but needed to know if you would have me first.”

“Oh Andrew!” She placed her hand over her heart.

“If you won’t . . . or don’t want to marry me . . . I . . . well, I . . . couldn’t handle the rejection if your father gave me his blessing and you . . . you,” he paused for dramatic effect before adding, “but I . . . I love you.” The fabrication rolled off his tongue with ease.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” exclaimed Madison. “Of course, I’ll marry you!”

Andrew mustered a pursed-lip smile. He gently grasped Madison by her shoulders and leaned towards her. He was just inches from her face. “You don’t know how happy you’ve just made me,” he whispered as he leaned over and kissed her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and tentatively kissed him back. Her single act of innocence excited Andrew. He kissed her more intently. Their kisses became more passionate. He jutted his tongue inside her mouth. She attempted to pull back, but he held strong and leaned harder into her. Madison’s back was pressed up against the hard oak tree. She suddenly felt his hand on her breast. She quickly turned her head away from his kiss and protested, “Andrew! Stop!”

He stopped suddenly and reminded himself of the plan at hand. He quickly thought of a lie to tell the young beauty in front of him. “I’m so sorry, my dear Madison. Please forgive me. I began thinking of our marriage and was already thinking of you as my wife. Being this close to you . . . I suppose I just let my heart take over my mind.  I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

As the fib fell off his lips he turned his head, pretending to be ashamed of his actions. Deep down, he wasn’t ashamed. He thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her plump, firm breast in his hand and the way her tongue felt on his. Andrew started thinking about how it would feel inside her, taking her innocence. He grew hard just thinking about it. ‘
Stop, think, breathe’
he reminded himself.

She looked at him intently and studied his face. “You’re forgiven, but don’t let it happen again,” she pronounced sternly. “Now, I must go. Miss Ruby will be back soon.”

“Thank you for your forgiveness, my love. I’ll go promptly to speak with your father. Shall I walk you back?”

“No. If Miss Ruby spots you, she’ll never leave me to myself again.” She smiled sweetly at the handsome Commodore. “Go now. Travel quickly and speak with my father.”

He gently picked up both her hands and kissed them. He stood to leave. As he was turning he heard Madison say his name. He spun towards her. “Can we announce our engagement at dinner tomorrow?”

“Of course, whatever you wish.”

“I was thinking, the sooner we announce it, the sooner we can wed. I think June would be a lovely time. The jasmines are in full bloom then.”

“June it is. Until tomorrow.”

Madison hurried back to the house. When she arrived at the back entrance, Cassandra was standing at the door with a motherly look on her face. “And just where have you been, Miss? I was worried when I couldn’t find you.”

Madison smiled excitedly at Cassandra.

“You snuck out to see him, didn’t you,” Cassandra said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, Cassandra, don’t tell Miss Ruby.” Madison and Cassandra had become fast friends since she was acquired a few short months ago. Her real name was Cornelia Cassandra Beauregard. What a dreadful name. Almost everyone called her Nellie, except Madison. She didn’t like Nellie either, so she called her by her middle name.

“I’ll keep it a secret if . . .”

“If what?”

“You tell me all the details,” she stated with a meddlesome smile.

Madison smiled at her curious little friend and quickly told her what transpired leaving out the kissing incident. If she mentioned the improperness of Andrew to her, Cassandra would do something brash, like demanding a removal of one of the Commodore’s body parts. Come to think of it, she was always threatening to remove something from someone if they upset her or her friends. “Don’t tell anyone though, Cassandra. Promise me you’ll keep my engagement a secret until tomorrow night. Promise.”

“I promise,” Cassandra said.

The next evening Madison and Andrew announced their engagement at the dinner party her parents were hosting to celebrate Governor Sinclair’s reappointment to his position. Cheers were all abound. It was decided that once they were wed, the reception would be held at Andrew’s inland estate. All were excited that in six short months a grand wedding would take place and the lovely Lady Madison would become Mrs. Andrew McClain.

Chapter Six

It had been five months since Andrew asked Madison to marry him. Madison was so excited because Andrew was taking her down port to pick out her wedding dress! She could hardly wait. She hopped out of bed and hurried over to her wardrobe. Cassandra entered the room to find Madison tossing dresses onto her bed.

“What are you doing Madison . . . er . . . Lady Madison?” she asked as she remembered her place.

“I have to pick out the perfect dress for my trip down port,” Madison declared excitedly. She picked up one of the dresses, held it up in front of her, tossed it down, and grabbed another.

“Here now, Miss. Let me help.” Cassandra looked through the dresses tossed haphazardly about the room and picked up a dress from one of the piles. “I think this one would suite perfectly for a trip down port by ship.” It was made of a light, mint-colored material. There was a pale mint green sheer over the heavier material and the waist was accented with a pale pink sash.

Madison looked at the dress. She had forgotten about that one. She didn’t like it much, but everyone said she looked lovely in it. The coarse material was very uncomfortable though. She reluctantly donned the dress and turned to view herself in the mirror. “I believe you’re right, Cassandra.”

A knock came at the door. “It’s time to leave Madison,” came her mother’s voice from the other side of the door.

“Coming, Mother!” Madison turned towards her friend. “Help me with my bonnet.” Cassandra assisted Madison with the small flat tan bonnet that sat just slightly towards the front of her head.  She adjusted Madison’s curls around the cream ribbon of the bonnet. Madison readjusted the ribbon at the base of her neck. She viewed her reflection in the mirror and thumbed the necklace Andrew had given her. She smiled dreamily at her reflection and then turned towards her friend. “I wish you were coming with me.”

“I know, Miss, but I don’t sail. Makes me dreadfully sick,” smiled Cassandra. “Besides, you’ll be spending all your time with Commodore McClain,” she said with an impish grin on her face.

“Take care, Cassandra.” Madison gave her friend a small hug. “I’ll bring you back a surprise,” Madison told her friend as she hurried out the door to the waiting carriage.

As the carriage pulled up to the docks, Madison gazed upon
The Armada.
It was a grand ship, one hundred fifty feet from bow to stern. The dark wood of the ship was accented with intricate hand carved designs. There were many small portals on the side each lined with gold edging; some were open allowing passersby to observe the large cannons hidden behind each. As the waves lapped the sides, she could see the copper bottom of the ship. She looked up at the massive size of the three-mast ship. Her masts were tall and strong, each with a crisp white sail tethered up against, waiting to be unleashed for the breeze to carry her out to sea. It amazed Madison that Andrew commanded such a grand vessel.

The crew on board hustled about following the orders of the lieutenant. She could hear him shout something, but it was difficult to understand due to the activities happening around her.

“Over here!” she heard Andrew command the driver. He was wearing a deep royal blue coat lined with golden buttons. It was gathered around his waist by a large black belt. Andrew’s left hand rested on the handle of his sword. His wig sat perfectly in place upon head. He had an air of authority about him, and it was very attractive.

The driver pulled the carriage around to where Andrew was standing. When it stopped, Andrew approached with a wide smile on his handsome face. He extended his hand to help Madison descend from the carriage. Once on the ground, he leaned over, lightly brushed his lips against her hand, and then smiled. “Are you ready for a grand adventure, my love?”

“Oh, Andrew,” replied the beautiful woman before him. “We’re only going down port.”

“Ah, yes, but you never know what may be in store on the seas,” he teased. He turned towards her parents. “The Governor’s ship is over there,” he informed them and pointed to a ship two docks down. “
The Armada
will sail out first.
The Triton
will follow suite shortly after.”

“The ships are departing at separate times?” questioned Elizabeth.

“Yes,” replied the Commodore.

“But why?” she questioned again.

“For safety’s sake,” he responded. “The
Armada
will be sailing about a half an hour or so out in front of
The
Triton
. That way if any trouble is spotted, we will take care of it before the Governor’s vessel is in danger.”

“Madison,” stated Elizabeth. “I would feel better if you sailed with your father and me on
The Triton
. Especially if the Commodore thinks we might run into trouble.”

“Rest assured, Lady St. John,” the Commodore comforted the countess. “It’s only precautionary. There are no pirates in these waters. There hasn’t been in months, thanks to my crew and myself. We keep them in check. The pirates know the full power of
The
Armada
and steer clear of these waters,” he boasted.

Feeling better after the Commodore’s reassurance, Elizabeth reluctantly agreed to allow Madison to sail on
The
Armada
. But she still had a feeling that something was to go wrong.

The Commodore assisted Madison and Miss Ruby onto
The Armada
. Once on board Madison insisted upon a tour.

“My dear,” Andrew said, “the tour will have to wait.” As he spoke the words, Madison lowered her head and looked at him through the top of her lashes. She stuck out her lower lip in a poutish fashion. “Don’t give me that look . . .” 

She kept up her flirtatious persuasion. With a reluctant sigh, he conceded. “All right. Once we’re at sea, I’ll give you a tour.” A huge smiled crossed her face. “But until then, please wait in my quarters. With the crew hurrying about in preparation to sail, I’m afraid they may bump into you.”

“Oh, Andrew, just a few more minutes on deck,” she pleaded. “I want to look at Governor’s Harbour from this vantage point.”

“As you wish,” he replied. Andrew walked Madison and the prudish Miss Ruby to the railing. “How’s this?”

Madison gazed out over the port. The activity below was like a hive full of bees. Sailors and visitors of every shape, size, and culture were bustling around pushing barrels, loading horses, unpacking huge nets full of cargo. They were stacking and unloading wagons with boxes of every shape and size. She gazed up the hill towards the city. She could barely make out the houses, but the Governor’s Mansion stood out majestically, a symbol of his power and authority. She turned towards her husband-to-be. “Alright, Andrew. Show me to your quarters.”

He escorted Madison and Miss Ruby to the quarters. Once inside he gave a quick bow, excused himself, and left. Madison’s eyes absorbed everything in the room. There was a large desk at the back of the room with a burgundy leather chair seated behind it. The desk was covered with maps, charts, and instruments. A small oil lamp was secured to the corner of the oak desk. There were numerous other, smaller chairs scattered throughout the room. Behind the desk was a large pristine glass window. Madison casually strode to it and looked out. She peered at the clear water below and smiled to herself. She walked over and pulled one of the large leather chairs over to the window. The legs of the heavy chair screeched in protest of being moved.

“Madison, what do you think you’re doing?” questioned the prim Miss Ruby. “Proper ladies don’t move furniture.”

“Oh, Miss Ruby, I just wanted a good view for our voyage,” she told her tutor. “Besides, the chair wasn’t
that
heavy.”

Madison sat in the chair and looked out from her vantage point.
This is so exciting
. The sounds of the crew working from outside captured her attention. She could hear voices shouting to each other, their exact words muffled by the heavy wooden walls of the ship. “Hoist the anchor!” she finally heard Andrew yell. It was repeated several times by various members of the crew. The loud clicking noise of the anchor resonated as it made its slow climb up. A sudden small jerk, then a pop occurred, as the vessel gently moved.

Focusing on the scene from the ship’s window, she watched as the vessel gradually moved past the other ships docked at port. Madison felt like a kitten in room full of darting birds.  She looked to the left and right excitedly. To her left she could see where
The Triton
was docked, as well as her parents standing on deck with the Governor. She looked to her right and noticed a scantily clad lady standing on the deck of another ship. Her skirt was short with a slit up the side, showing her entire leg. She had her body pressed against the man, as if attached to the sailor next to her. The barely clothed seductress grabbed the sailor’s hand and placed it on her leg.

“Disgraceful! Madison, turn your head from that indecent act!” Miss Ruby ordered. Madison turned her head to the front quickly; however, she peered from the corner of her eyes, curious to what was transpiring with the meagerly clad woman and the sailor, but they had already disappeared below deck.

Madison could feel the slow, methodical rock of the ship as it traveled farther out to sea. She glanced towards Miss Ruby who was turning a rather greenish color. Ruby’s knuckles were gripping the arms of the leather chair she was sitting in so hard they had turned white. Madison laughed to herself as she spied the shiny brass container Ruby had placed besides the chair.
Wonder how long it will be before she uses that.
The slow rock of the ship started to make her sleepy.

Madison gave a stretch and peered out the large window again. Governor’s Harbour was quickly becoming a small image as the winds caught the huge sails of
The
Armada
. She gazed down at the water behind them. The speed of the vessel was churning the water and it swirled with waves and small white caps.

As they passed the tip of the cape Miss Ruby looked at Madison. “Has your mother talked to you about what happens on your wedding night?” nosed the gray haired lady.

“No. Why?” Madison asked suspiciously. Actually, Elizabeth had told she would tell her what occurs between a man and a woman closer to the wedding, but she was curious as to what the prudent Miss Ruby had to say on the issue.

“It figures she would leave that task to me, being your tutor and all,” the old maid thought aloud. “Well, after you are wed and all the guests have gone home, your new husband will expect certain husbandly privileges.”

“Privileges? How do you know about these privileges?”

“Well, my previous life is no concern of yours.” Miss Ruby took a long sigh as she commenced. “He will expect you to be waiting for him in his bed . . . naked,” she declared with disgust. “But don’t be. Being naked and allowing someone to see you completely nude is disgraceful. Anyway, it’s a wife’s duty to please her husband only on the wedding night. Afterwards, the only time to do that dreadful act is when he wants an heir . . . the
only
time. It’s not pleasurable and you should not receive any joy for that horrid act.”

“What act?” Madison questioned, her mischief taking over.

“The act of consummating your marriage on the first night, as man and wife, and there on after. He will climb on top of you, grunt around like a pig, and then be done. It is not pleasurable at all for any proper young lady,” sneered the prudish Miss Ruby. “There will be pain at first, but only the first time. Otherwise, it’s just embarrassing. It hurts one’s pride and respect they have for themselves.”

“But Miss Ruby, you’ve never been married. How do you know of such things?”

“Never mind that,” flustered Miss Ruby. “Just remember my words. It is not ladylike to enjoy what happens . . . that dreadful act of sex. He may try to coerce you into the act before you’re wed, but that’s not what a true proper lady does; only those dreadful tavern women do such sort of things.”

Madison just stared at the now angry Miss Ruby, wondering why she brought up a conversation that was taboo. Apparently her mother had a different perspective than the prudish Miss Ruby; she had nine children after all. After Miss Ruby had her say about what transpires between a man and a woman, she grew quiet again and her green color returned. Madison was thankful for Ruby’s seasickness for it allowed her to enjoy the trip in peace.

They were at sea for about an hour when there was a faint knock on the door, and it slowly opened. A thin, short figure appeared. “The Commodore requests your presence topside.”

Madison smiled and stood up. It took her a few moments to gather her bearings and balance. As she walked towards the sailor, she swayed from side-to-side with the rocking of the ship and gave a short giggle. “This takes some getting used to,” she told the sailor.

He very seriously said, “Yes, it does, Miss, but with some time it comes to you.”

Madison looked towards Miss Ruby. “Are you coming?”

“That’s quiet alright, Dear,” moaned the now greener Ruby. “I’ll wait here and make sure. . . make sure . . . ”

Before she could finish her sentence, she picked up the brass container and placed her head inside. The violent noise of her seasickness gave Madison a good reason to leave her companion quickly.