A/N: Please note that this chapter contains so called mature content, even if it really is lots and lots of love.

An epilogue is really just supposed to wrap things up, but I do not think that anyone would want Sidney to rush in the bedchamber so here comes the longest chapter of this entire story. I advise to read it alone and hope you enjoy!

Epilogue

When two hearts sing the same song

When Sidney raised his hand to knock on the door to his wife's bedroom, he felt like everything in his life had led up to this moment. As if all the heartbreak and rough times he had been through, had served the sole purpose of shaping him into the man he now was and transport him on winding paths so that he would end up right here, right now, ready to belong to her and, he hoped, worthy of it.

This was everything he wanted. Still, or perhaps because of that, he was incredibly nervous. He had been with women before and was aware he usually did not disappoint, but it had never been like this. He had never been with a woman who he cared so deeply about and wanted to spend the rest of his days and nights with. He wanted to make everything right for Charlotte. When she with a pink tinge on her cheeks had handed him that key and he understood what she meant, his heart had almost burst with happiness. She wanted them to be together. He had to make sure she did not regret that wish.

He knew of men who had married the woman their heart desired, but yet managed to ruin the relationship during the wedding night, or at least cause considerable damage. He had listened to the drunken complaints of these disappointed and ignorant men, who did not understand why their wives were so cold in bed. To Sidney it had seemed obvious that the reason was that they were more preoccupied with taking than giving. Their own pleasure came first and last with no regard to the wife's wishes and when her enthusiasm was not what they had hoped, many turned to mistresses. He did not want to make the same mistake and forever ruin the intimacy between them. He knew that if he could not have this with her, he would not want it with anyone else and he wanted her to take delight in it as much as him.

It had never before mattered to him if he was a woman's first and he always considered men who saw a virgin as a coveted trophy pathetic. With a snort he reminisced how little he had appreciated the 'special birthday gift' his friends arranged for him at the brothel and how determined he had been to turn it down. Little had he known it would bring the ray on sunshine that was Charlotte into his life. Now things were so different, and it seemed like fate that they had met. He was eternally grateful that he would be her first so it would be in the safe harbour of marriage and love, not forced on her but also boyishly proud that he would be the one to introduce her to such intimacy.

Without a doubt he wanted them to be each other's last. He wanted to make her happy and content in all possible ways, including physically. Now he was nervous because he wondered if he would do well enough, if he would be able to make her enjoy it. If he would know how to introduce her to the act of making love in the right way.

When her soft voice beckoned him inside, his heart made a somersault and he turned the door knob.

He had half expected to find her buried up to her nose under the quilt like in Willingden, but this was not the case. She was standing in the centre of the softly illuminated room and was so beautiful that she looked like she was from another world. The fireplace cast a golden shimmer over the dark hair, cascading untamed down her shoulders. She had worn it pinned up since he came here and now he noticed it was much longer than when they parted in London. It was a reminder of the sad months that had passed in between, but her showing herself like this to him again also symbolised the newfound closeness between them. He felt an urge to run his hands through the long locks, bury them there and tie himself to her using the silky strands as ribbons.

However, her hair was far from the only appealing feature about his wife in this moment. Her white, ankle-length nightgown was made of cotton so thinly woven that it almost revealed more than it covered. Through the single muslin layer, without any stays, chemise or petticoat underneath, he could clearly see her soft curves. Enticing hips, narrow waist, rounded breasts, even the shadow of her nipples. His breath hitched and his pulse raced, in fact his entire body reacted at the sight of her and his only concern was how he was supposed to hold back, so he would not overwhelm her with the immense desire that welled up inside him.

Charlotte watched the door swing open to reveal Sidney's tall, broad shouldered frame. Apprehensively, but with a big smile on his lips he stepped inside. She noticed his Adam's apple bob once and almost giggled with relief when she understood that he was nervous too. His gaze was first fixed on her face, to read her expression but when he saw her welcoming him, he allowed it to travel down her body and then up again whilst he slowly stepped closer. When his now almost black eyes met hers anew, filled with warmth, love and undisguised desire, she knew without a doubt that he very much approved of what he saw.

He put aside the candle he had been holding to light his way through the hallway and for a moment they stood still, facing one another, just taking each other in. He was so handsome and overwhelmingly masculine that she found it hard to breathe. His change of attire alone made her feel like they were more intimate than they ever had been before. Gone was the top hat and cane, the coat, waistcoat, cravat, breeches, socks and shoes. Similar to her, he was dressed only in a white nightshirt, reaching to his knees, exposing his calves and bare feet to her for the first time. Curiously she registered how muscular his calves were compared to her own slender ones and covered with dark hairs. A need to see more of the man hidden under that shirt shot up inside her, striking like a lightning where her thighs met.

As on a silent signal, both stepped closer. She placed her palms to his chest, and he placed his hands gently on her shoulders, to then run them down her arms, close them around her waist and pull her to him. A sigh escaped her because this felt so completely right, and she could almost feel how this made his lips smile as he pressed them to the top of her head. For a moment they simply savoured the feeling of their bodies pressed flush against one another, separated only by two layers of thin cotton. She inhaled the heady smell of the skin by the pit of his neck, freed of cravat an exposed to her. Instinctively she pressed her lips there and felt rather than heard how he too sighed with contentment. She noticed how he, whilst still holding her upper body as tight to his own as before, shifted his hips slightly away from her. She wondered why and immediately missed the pressure. There was a pulsating place between her own thighs craving it. When she turned her face up to his he was watching her intently, with a slightly embarrassed smile but gave no explanation as to what made him do it. Instead he cradled her head in his hands and leaned down to kiss her. She wondered how lips could be so soft and wonderfully demanding at the same time.

Sidney was almost embarrassed over how much the sight of Charlotte and first touch aroused him. He felt himself grow hard and moved away his groin from her, defying the need to press himself to her. He did not want to frighten her and did not want to rush things.

Despite that they had kissed several times already today, the feeling was new when they kissed now, the touch of her lips exceedingly tingling and exciting. For the first time they were kissing behind closed doors, where no one would walk in on them. They had all the time in the world and now they claimed each other little by little. He tentatively parted his lips and she willingly followed and opened up for him. Softly he let his tongue run over her lips, which to his pleasant surprise made her nibble his bottom lip. Mutely they explored one another, soft grazes turning into deeper kisses, lips parting more and more, noses softly bumping which would have made them laugh had it not been so intense between them. The kisses elicited a soft moan from her, telling him he was doing something right. It was like her response fuelled embers glowing beneath his skin into full-blown fire and now he deepened the kiss even further, allowing his tongue to swirl into her mouth at the same time as his hands moved down the small of her back to cup her buttocks.

His large hands on her body made Charlotte feel tiny, but also safe, protected and aroused. It was the strangest combination and she thought that it must be right to feel like this with one's husband. She felt embarrassed when sounds involuntarily escaped her but noticed how it only seemed to spur him on. With her mouth latched to his, she coiled her arms around his neck, buried her fingers in his hair and almost unconsciously pressed her hips against him again. This induced a low groan from him, and she nearly jumped back in surprise when she felt a prominent hardness that was not there before press into her. It was not a sharp cold shape, more like a warm, softly rounded form with definitive solidity underneath.

When she looked down his nightshirt was tenting out.

"I did not mean to frighten you. I hope I didn't. That I don't."

"No, but what is...?"

She was slightly terrified even if she did not admit it, but most of all terribly curious about this new discovery.

"It is just how it is supposed to be when a man who loves and desires his wife, is alone with her like we are now. Then this happens."

"Can I touch you there?" she asked before she could think.

He swallowed.

"If you want to."

Carefully she touched ever so lightly over the bulge and felt it twitch underneath the fabric. This almost made her giggle, but she stopped herself when his eyes fluttered shut and she saw the sensation of pleasure that ran through him. Obviously he enjoyed being touched there. Was it even a burning need, similar to what she felt between her own thighs now? She would like if he touched her there but would not dare to ask. It seemed vulgar to do so and if it was meant to be, he surely would. For a few moments longer she caressed him through the cotton and felt how this part of him seemed to grow even longer and harder from her touch. When he opened his eyes again and stared into hers, his irises were darker and more intense than ever. Her curiosity was over-ridden by sudden shyness and she retracted her hand. She wanted him to look at her like this but was unsure how to respond to it.

Sidney understood that she was not ready to explore him more like this right now. In fact he had been surprised when she dared to touch him there at all but thanked God for her innate inquisitiveness. She wanted to learn about his body, she wanted to touch him. He could not imagine a better beginning and there was absolutely no need to push her to do things faster than she was comfortable with. It was obvious that she knew very little of what was to happen in the bedroom, and he lamented that their hasty marriage likely had not allowed her mother to prepare her properly for this. He hoped he would do it well enough. Now he caught her escaping hand, laced his fingers with hers and smilingly led her towards the bed.

"Come."

"Did I do anything wrong? Touching you?"

"No, you did everything right, believe me, but let's just wait with that. We don't need to rush anything. In fact we don't need to do anything you don't want to do tonight. We can kiss until we fall asleep, or we can just hold each other. Don't get me wrong, there are so many things I want to do with you, but not too fast. I won't risk ruining anything between us when we can have a lifetime of wondrous nights together. You set the pace."

"But I do not know what we are expected to do. What I am expected to do."

There was a hint of frustration and desperation in her voice. For a moment she looked heartbreakingly vulnerable and his need to protect her overshadowed his arousal.

He took her face between his palms and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Don't worry Charlotte. We will find out together and only do what we both desire and then we can do nothing wrong. You must know that you can never disappoint me. By just being here with me now, as my wife, you are giving me more than I could ever dream of."

Charlotte could see in his eyes that he was speaking the truth. It did not disappoint him that she did not know exactly what was to be done, he was more than willing to show her and do so at the pace she decided. The only problem was that she felt she wanted and needed so much but did not know exactly what it was. Perhaps they together could find out how to satisfy this disconcerting yet thrilling hunger. She hoped they would.

Now he sat down on the edge of the bed. Smiling up at her he guided her to stand between his open legs, something which made his night shirt slide a bit further up, exposing his knees and lower thighs. Her heart fluttered from exhilaration and nervousness at seeing more of his bare skin exposed. She willed herself to relax, but it was easier said than done. His strong body could make her feel safe, but it was also unchartered territory and she was very conscious of her own inexperience in this moment. It seemed like her wonderful husband could sense her lingering insecurity and wanted to make her feel more comfortable. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he placed his palms to the small of her back and let them run slowly up and down. He leaned his head to her stomach, first just hugging her and then began placing languid, open mouthed kisses over it. She gasped at the sensation of his lips there through the thin muslin. He looked up at her face again.

"I have never seen a vision as beautiful as you in this moment. I love you and I cannot believe how fortunate I am to be with you."

The combination of his words and his reassuring, simultaneously rousing touch made something fall into place inside her and her nervousness faded. She accepted that she could do nothing wrong tonight. There was no way she would disappoint him, because his highest wish the same as hers; to be as close as possible.

"I love you Sidney. I feel the same", she told him and bent her neck so they could kiss.

She was not sure which sensation that was most enticing; his tongue swirling deeper into her mouth than it had before, or his hands slowly travelling over her back and buttocks. He allowed his fanned fingers to run up and down her sides. His thumbs grazed the side of her breasts and then, watching her reaction, he let his other fingertips follow. Through the sheer cotton she felt the soft pressure, the heat and the tickling sensation when he found her nipples. With fascination she watched him gently play with them until they were visible as stiff lite nubs through the fabric. He moved a little further in on the bed and brought her with him, so she came to sit straddled over his legs instead. It took her slightly by surprise, but she enjoyed this new position with their faces level with one another, his warm firm body under hers, his arms around her. Slowly, he untied the ribbon holding the nightgown together at the neckline and even slower pushed it down over her shoulders.

Charlotte remained slightly nervous was but more and more curious and confident that he would guide her. She could feel the unknown need pulsating through her body. When he untied the ribbon and exposed more of her skin, her shoulders, clavicles and some of the roundness of her breasts, her spinal reflex was to cover herself up. Years of exercising chasteness appropriate for a young unmarried lady had taught her to act like that, but then he met her eyes with a look of pure wonder in his and she knew that this was what she had been saving it all for. For him to discover her. In that moment he leaned in, placed his lips to her neck and began kissing along the neckline and the collarbone, then trailed upwards again to a spot right under her ear which turned out to be surprisingly sensitive. She closed her eyes and felt his lips travel soft and hot, his teeth now playfully nibbling one earlobe. It was such a wondrous sensation that she would have relaxed completely in his arms, if she had not been so excited and curious about what he would do next.

He paused and looked at her, bashfully.

"Do you... like it?"

She thought that saying that she 'liked' it would be a grave understatement.

"I find it very... stimulating", she smiled in response, somewhat short of breath.

"Stimulating is good", he mused and let his fingertips caress over her collarbone in slow, tender circles, for every time circling a little wider and lower. Now she almost forgot to breathe altogether out of anticipation, as he gently cupped both her breasts again. She had always thought them a bit on the large side, but they fit so perfectly in his palms that they seemed to be made for being cupped by him. For a moment he simply held them like that, then moved to cup from underneath so he could graze her nipples with the pads of his thumbs again. She was still getting acquainted with the new thrilling sensation of being touched there with only the sheer muslin between, when he pushed the nightgown even further down so her bosom was fully revealed. She found it slightly shocking but also incredibly arousing, especially since he continued his ministrations, caressing one breast but leaning down to kiss the other one. Everything, the proximity and sight of him, his sensual touch and the feeling of sitting on his lap, increased this new feeling inside her. She was not sure how to define it; a thirst, a pressure, a need, an urge – but for what? All she knew was that she needed more of what he was doing with such attentiveness and so much love. For every new inch of bare skin that was revealed to him, he looked like he was watching a miracle unfold and he made her feel like she was wrapped in a cocoon of adoration.

Sidney took his time worshipping her breasts. They were every bit as perfect as they had been in his vivid dreams, heavy in his hands and with light pink nipples as pretty as everything about her. It was astounding that something so innocent simultaneously could be so seductive. He had never been so aroused in his entire life and needed to sternly keep himself in check not to go to fast. It pleased him enormously to see how she fought to try to hold back moans of pleasure yet was not quite able to prevent them from slipping over her lips. He was determined that he would draw those sounds out from her in due time, they were too sweet to be dampened.

When he pushed down her nightgown a little further, he noticed how she shuddered slightly even if the room was not cold. He understood that it sooner might be because she felt a bit exposed sitting half naked on his lap while he still had his nightshirt on and berated himself for not thinking of that before. Gently he put his arms around her and flipped her around, so she came to lie on her back. She giggled with pleased surprise and her brown eyes twinkled with mischievous happiness. He felt a bit choked at the wonderful sight of her lying with the dark hair spread over the pillow, with flushed cheeks, lips plump and rosy from all the kissing and her beautiful breasts still uncovered. She made no attempt to pull up her nightgown and the fact that she allowed herself to be like this with him increased his arousal further. Her smile beckoned him closer.

He placed one knee on either side of hers, then slowly lowered himself over her holding his weight on his arms. When her mouth met his again, it was with a new hunger, one similar to the feeling he tried to restrain. She twined her hands around his neck, holding him to her, drinking him in and the feeling of her body stretched out under him like this made him a bit light-headed. He tried not to press himself into her but knew she must feel his hardness against her thigh because there was truly no way to hide it by now. It did not seem to scare her though, instead she adjusted her position slightly, wriggling almost by instinct it seemed, so he rested between her thighs. He could not hold back a moan and just barely refrained from pushing hard against her, nearly overwhelmed by desire.

He moved her so surprisingly easy from the position sitting on top of his lap, to lying down with him covering her and his evident strength stirred something inside Charlotte. Had he not been so gentle and loving, he could have felt like a predator ready to devour her but using his strength and agility in the way he did, he made her want to be under him like this, more than anything. When he lowered his hips onto hers, she could feel that fascinating hardness she had touched briefly before and just knew she needed it to rest between her legs. He seemed to like it like that because now it was his turn to moan in the same way which she had found so embarrassing when she did it, but found utterly delightful now when it came from him. The realisation that she could provoke such a reaction from him made her feel jubilantly powerful, like she was in possession of magical abilities herself unbeknownst up to now. She let her hands move on from tugging the locks at the nape of his neck, to instead roam his back. She lost herself in this for a moment meanwhile he kept kissing her neck and her breasts in the most marvellous way, because she loved to feel the broadness of his back and the contours of his muscles through the night shirt.

Suddenly she felt it was not enough.

"Sidney?"

She placed a palm to his stubbled cheek, and he looked up from kissing her collarbone, almost drowsily.

"Yes?"

"Would you… would you take off your shirt? I would like to feel your skin. Can I?"

It seemed like he was incapable of producing a coherent answer. He just swallowed and nodded, then wriggled his hips a bit so he could hoist up the long shirt and in one fluid move pulled it over his head and discarded it. Even if she had requested it, she was slightly taken aback by the speed with which he fulfilled her wish. He remained hovering above her, supported on his arms so she could take in what he looked like. His hips were resting on hers again and she would anyway not have dared looking further down, not yet anyway.

She had seen his naked upper body once, a glimpse, and that had been alluring enough to set her imagination on fire. Now he was going nowhere, he was hers and had every intention to remain in this bed with her. She could not stop staring at him in awe and her heartbeats were resounding very loudly in her ears. He was so different from her, so beautiful and tempting. Hard and sculpted under the smooth, warm skin, with a dusting of dark hair trailing downwards. Trembling she touched him, using first only her fingertips to draw patterns, then returned to his back to feel his flexing muscles under her palms. When her exploring hands reached the small of his back, she returned upwards every time because she did not yet have the courage to wander further down. She wanted to tell him how much she loved his male form but would feel strange to say words like that. Maybe one day she would but for now she had the feeling that he anyway could read it in her eyes, by how she touched him and by the way her own body was humming at the contact with his.

She was very aware that her nightgown now was the only thing separating them and yet that was beginning to feel like an unwelcome barrier rather than protection. She was craving to be skin to skin with him now and when it was hoisted further up by a combination of their hips moving and his hand caressing up her thigh, she did nothing to pull it down again.

Still supporting himself on one arm, Sidney let his other hand caress down her body, following her curves all the way down to her knees. Her nightgown was hoisted so far up that their naked lower legs were free to be entwined and he revelled in the feeling of her smooth legs mingling with his own for the first time. Almost of its own accord, his hand found the soft skin at the backside of her knee and began touching her there. He was encouraged when he noticed how she shifted position slightly to allow him better access, without attempting to adjust her nightgown. Whilst kissing her, he therefore let his hand slowly but purposefully slide up her leg, all the way along the roundness of her hip, bringing the fabric with him, exposing more of her leg. He could feel her skin prickle under his palm and noticed how she unconsciously raised her hips from the bed, to press herself against him. His hand now ventured under the hem of the up-hoisted nightgown, to caress her waist, the slight curve of her stomach. It made her shiver under him and she kissed him deeper and more fervently than before. He kissed her back with the same feverish intensity and moved his body a little to the side to be able to reach where he now was aiming. This made her break the kiss for a moment, with a look disappointed, but it was changed into wide-eyed wonder when his hand now continued down the slope of her stomach until it reached the dark triangle of downy hair.

Now lying beside her, propped up on an elbow, he softly placed his hand between her legs and let it rest there without moving further. With eyes fixed on his face she parted her legs a little more and when he remained still, almost invisibly moved to press herself towards his hand. He could feel it against his palm and fingers rather than see it, and it increased his own arousal to the brink of what was bearable.

Light as a feather, almost lazily, he began moving his hand again. Her hairs were so soft, and her female folds even softer, like velvet. He dipped his hand further down in the warmth between her thighs but touched her only on the outside and sometimes deviated down the inside of her thighs. Her legs fell even more open, inviting his touch and he watched her bite her own plush bottom lip, unaware how sensual she was to him. He bent closer to claim her lips again and she met him with the same hunger as before. It was almost difficult to believe that they had shared their first chaste kiss at dawn this morning, because their bedtime kiss was something different entirely. They let their long pent-up needs out here in this bed, starting slow but with increasing intensity.

Charlotte loved the touch of his hand. She had never known that this was a place that longed to be caressed but he had stirred it awake. Now that he had changed position, she could feel his hardness press into the side of her hip instead, rubbing her bare skin. She wondered what it would be to have that rubbing her where he now had his hand, with nothing between them, but would not ask and instead simply enjoyed on the wonders his fingers now were accomplishing. It seemed he had found one place where she was extra sensitive and for a while he focused his attentions there, whilst continuing to kiss her mouth, her neck, her breasts. Then, his thumb kept circling that place, but a long digit strayed downward, tickled her entrance and then dipped inside briefly. Her breath hitched and she froze for a second but immediately knew she wanted him to repeat it. He had stopped kissing her to watch her reaction and she looked back at him with parted lips, wordlessly asking for more. Before he returned there he allowed the finger to migrate upwards and spread some wetness that seemed to come from within herself, so that when his thumb continued its ministrations it was deliciously slippery and the touch even more arousing. His finger moved down again. This time she was prepared when he pushed inside, now a little deeper and she felt a slight stretch. It all felt excitingly forbidden but she realised at this was the marital bliss that could not be much spoken of outside the bedchamber. When he carefully pushed his finger inside next time, she pressed against it, needing him deeper inside and whimpered at the amazing feeling. She wanted to keep him there and this time he did not pull it out fully, instead began slowly moving it in and out of her, continuing to circle with his thumb on the outside. The strange sensation she already had inside continued to build and when he inserted another finger, the glorious feeling exceeded the small discomfort it initially caused. Suddenly she was overwhelmed by the need to have him cover her not lying beside her. She did not want him to stop but she needed more.

"Sidney?"

"You want me to stop?"

She adored the sudden concern in his voice, revealing he feared that he had let himself get carried away.

"No, not really. I... I enjoy it very much, but I want to be closer. I want to feel you. All of you."

"Would you like me to undress you?"

"Yes", she admitted coyly.

He grinned with relief and an urgent need to do exactly as she wished. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head, so he could help her get rid of the nightgown. His hands were warm as they ran over her naked body, sliding the garment with them until it came off. Now as naked as God created her, she leaned back on the pillows again and watched him resume his position on top of her. Skin to skin, almost too wonderful to be bearable. She could feel the warm, pulsating hardness resting between her thighs and it felt like it was made for being there. Like they were made for being joined at that place.

He looked at her seriously now. His strong arms were framing her head again, allowing the length of his body to rest on hers only so much that it was comfortable for her, keeping her warm, safe and utterly aroused. His hips and legs pressed her down in the mattress with an thrilling heaviness. His eyes conveyed the deepest love and affection and a wish to make her happy. He was not sure what she wanted in this moment, but she knew.

"I want you to make me your wife."

It was almost a whisper and she would not have dared to repeat it because she was barely brave enough to say it a first time, but he was completely tuned in on her and heard her request. There was a tug upwards at the corner of his mouth, as if he wanted to be solemn in this almost sacred moment but was so incredibly happy he could not keep it inside.

"Yes, of course my love."

He reached down and adjusted himself so the tip of him nudged her entrance, then slowly began to ease himself inside her. He kept his eyes trained on her face and seemed to register her initial shock at the fullness she felt.

"Are you alright? Tell me if I should stop, I don't want to hurt you."

It did hurt a little, more like a chafe from the friction that a stinging pain, but behind that there was a more powerful sensation. The feeling that this was the answer to the elusive craving she had felt. That having him inside her, joined with her, was what she had wanted. Her instincts told her that if they continued, the pain would eventually fade away and be replaced by the incredible sensation that had started to build up inside her when he caressed her before. She also knew that if he left her now she would feel empty and bereft in a way she would not be able to bear.

Her hands found their way to his cheeks.

"No, don't. Don't stop. Stay with me."

He wondered if her hazel eyes could see inside his soul. It felt like it and he found that if it was so, he would not mind because he had nothing to hide. Not anymore. He wanted to share everything that was him with her. Speechless because he was overwhelmed with emotions, he continued to push himself all the way inside her. He paused and kissed her again, touched her face, stunned by the sensation of being inside her, enveloped by her soft heat.

Then he moved, with slow, deliberate strokes. He stayed close to her all the time, did not forget to read her for a split second. He adapted his pace so she could follow, moving her hips in rhythm with his even if this was new to her. After a while she spontaneously arched his back to meet him, twined her legs around him and splayed her fingers over his buttocks as his hips worked more intensively. Having her wrapped around him was so astounding that he realised he would not hold out for very long this first time. He had wanted it for too long and desired her so much. The combination of the strong emotions and sensational physical experience was like nothing he had experienced before. When a loud moan escaped her, it was his undoing and with a groan he buried himself in her one last time, deeper than before.

Shaken to his core he collapsed on top of her, but not more lost than to remember to hold his weight so he would not crush her underneath him. He felt almost like he was returning to his own body after an experience hovering outside of it, even if he had been very much present in the bed. His skin was covered with a thin film of perspiration, his breath was ragged but slowly returning to normal, his drumming pulse gradually sounding less loud. He remained inside her, just resting there now, but unwilling to separate from her. He felt like they were meant to always be joined, two parts of one unity rather than two separate individuals. He buried his face by her neck and inhaled her scent deeply and felt her heaving chest move slower in pace with his own and delighted in the sensation of her slender legs still wrapped around him as if she did not want to let go either. Her hands which had been clasping his back so firmly just now, instead began a lazy fingertip dance, caressing and almost tickling him. He felt her breath fan against his temple and turned his face up to hers again. She was smiling, not only her mouth but her eyes too. She looked out of breath, wonderfully flushed and as if she had had an epiphany of sorts. Like something had changed her perception of the world as it had been up to now. He understood this because it reflected his own sentiments exactly. He knew he had not managed to make her reach the peak in the same way as him this first time, but it made him very happy to see and feel that it had been special and intimate for her too nevertheless. With this start he was confident that they would reach there together in due time.

Now he pressed his lips to hers and could feel her smiling even through the kiss.

"I love you, you know." He said against her lips.

"I love you too."

The three little words had a different meaning to Charlotte now than they had earlier this day. In the glade and at the church she had known they belonged together forever, but now she sensed it with every fibre of her being. She had given herself to him, he had made her his, and he had simultaneously given her all of him in return. The act of making love had been shockingly all-consuming and she realised that whatever her mother could have told her about it, would never had been words enough to explain or prepare her for this overwhelming reality. She was endlessly grateful she was allowed to discover it together with Sidney.

Their kisses were tranquil now, filled with post-coital satisfaction and affection. After some time, he rolled off from her and to lie down on his back. His arm went around her, to pull her tight to his side and make her head nestle against his chest. Her hand almost distractedly caressed along the streak of dark hairs over his flat stomach but paused when she reached the quilt covering him from hips down. Some other day she would touch him there again, she knew she was too curious not to touch that alluring male part that could bring her pleasure, but for now she had had enough excitement for one day. He seemed to be perfectly content too, because he pulled the quilt higher up to cover them, so they would not get cold during the night and gently began stroking her hair. She felt completely serene and fulfilled and could hear the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeats under her ear.

"Good night Mrs. Parker. I hope we will spend all our nights like this", she heard him say just before she fell asleep.

-o-

As a newlywed couple they mapped out how they wanted their life together to be, much like their imaginary journey that time in the library, but this time it was for real and they made the plans whilst lying entwined in bed instead of with their noses over an atlas.

Their first priority would be to be apart as little as possible. They decided they would spend most of their time in the countryside because it turned out both felt most at ease here. Charlotte was a bit surprised when Sidney confessed to this, because she had imagined that London society was his natural habitat, but he told her that living here together with her made him feel more at home than he could remember feeling since he was a child spending his days by the sea in the small coastal town Sanditon, where his family still lived.

Sidney's business did however require him to be in London from time to time, and when he went Charlotte would come with him, take the opportunity to socialise and renew her wardrobe content. It would be just the right dose of the London beau monde to satisfy them both.

"It might be more difficult for me to join you when..."

"When what, my love?"

"If we have children one day", she said, blushing because they had not spoken of such things before.

"I certainly hope we do and whatever adjustments we need to do, we will do them then, but for now I simply want to indulge my wife as much as possible."

He put his arms around her and silenced her giggles with a passionate kiss. The truth was that they indulged one another as often as they could and would not have it any other way.

Sidney also suggested they would travel to Sanditon and visit his family for a few weeks during the summer season. Charlotte was a bit hesitant to leave the estate to its own fate until Sidney pointed out that Stringer surely could be entrusted with it and tempted her with the prospect of sea bathing. Charlotte had never seen the sea and going for a swim sounded like an experience she would not want to miss out on.

"There are indeed many good reasons for us to visit Sanditon", Sidney continued his persuasion attempt. "I cannot wait to introduce you to my family and I'm sure you will love the sea. Especially, I would like to show you a secluded cove where I used to go swimming alone. In fact, it is so private that I am sure no one would notice if we went swimming completely naked you and I."

The last words he murmured with his lips pressed to her neck and Charlotte felt the by now familiar desire well up inside her.

"Your proposal is positively shocking, Mr. Parker. You know very well that we would not be swimming if we were alone and naked."

"Oh, I know", he said laughingly without a hint of shame and pulled her on top of him. Strangely, no further objections were heard from his usually opinionated wife.

The first time he jested about things of intimate nature, she had been so mortified that her cheeks burned, and he had seen himself obliged to sheepishly apologize. Under his admiring gaze and loving hands she had become increasingly comfortable about her own nudity as well as his. The more secure she became in bed, the more playful were their physical interactions. Tentatively she also attempted to joke about such matters and these days jingling laughter was often heard from the Parker's bedchambers. The laughter somehow made everything even more intense once desire overwhelmed them anew and left them serious and breathless.

To their happy surprise, Lady Esther had also taken Babington's country house to heart during the weeks they spent there for the wedding preparations, so now the couple wanted to spend part of the year there and Charlotte and Sidney met with them frequently and to everyone's merriment.

Much time the spent together alone though, and that was what they enjoyed most. They loved each other's minds, but they also worshipped each other physically and could not keep their hands off from one another for long. At night. they usually stayed awake long after they had withdrawn to their bedchamber and never slept in separate rooms. Sometimes they woke up in the middle of the night, spooning, and were compelled to drowsily make love as if in a dream. More than once had they hurriedly left the breakfast table to return to the bed, too much in love to be bothered with what the servants might think about their behaviour. They had to tidy up a pile of books from the library floor, which strangely had ended up there because someone had rocked them out of the bookshelf. The horses in the stable had once been startled when Sidney shouted out Charlotte's name too loudly, when they overwhelmed by sudden need after a horseback outing made love hidden behind a haystack. This had made Charlotte burst into fits of laughter even if she was half terrified that someone would walk in on them, though not terrified enough to resist when he had sneaked up on her from behind and began caressing her front an kissing her neck. He was her weakness but one she did not mind to possess.

She was madly in love with her husband and her desire for him grew stronger every day, as he willingly helped her discover her own body and his and find out what she took pleasure in. She loved everything about him and could spend hours just watching him and touching him while they lay in bed talking about everything an nothing. She loved the solidity of his chest, the ridges of visible muscles on his stomach and the angled sharp lines pointing down towards his groin, but her obsession was his back. She found this broad, smooth muscular surface which exuded strength absolutely captivating. She did not tire of caressing up and down his spine, trace the contours of his fascinating muscles, kiss along his shoulder blades or circle down to the firm buttocks. Sometimes she stretched out on top of him to feel the full length of his strong body under hers, but then he usually did not remain still for much longer.

Sidney was more than grateful for her wish to explore him and noticed how she gradually became bolder. He let her have her way with him, sometimes almost slumbering because it made him so relaxed, sometimes with increasing arousal so he had to move and take action. Especially if she stretched out on top of him so he could feel her round breast flush against him, her nipples rasping against his back and her hairs tantalizingly tease his buttocks. He was still the one guiding her, but her perceptiveness left him in no doubt that in a near future they would both be guiding each other.

A month in on their marriage, Charlotte asked Mrs. Morris to have a lunch basket prepared for them so she could surprise Sidney with a picnic like he once had her, with the difference that she made him carry the basket all the way to their intended location.

"I hope you have not planned for us to walk very far, because I can swear that Mrs. Morris has provided us with enough food to feed a battalion. For a month. We should have transported this on a horse instead."

"Don't whine. I promise it will be well worth your effort."

She threw him a cheeky glance which made him increase the length of his strides until she almost ran beside him and mumbled between gritted teeth that he intended to hold her to that promise. When they reached the edge of beech forest, Sidney realised where she was headed.

"We are going to our glade", he said triumphantly.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Sidney. Couldn't you at least pretend to be surprised?", she laughed and did not really mind he had guessed what she planned.

True enough, the trees soon opened up and they found themselves in the glade. The lilies of the valley were no longer in bloom, but it was anyway a beautiful place, almost like a secret green cave now when the foliage was denser, and one which held a very special place in their hearts.

"Now you may put the basket down", she said graciously when she spread out the blanket.

"Am I really allowed? That is very generous of you, milady", Sidney answered with feigned humbleness. "And what is my reward?"

"You reward?"

"You promised it would be worth my while."

He stepped closer, looking intently at her.

"Oh, I simply meant you will have a nice meal, here in the glade, with me. Isn't that reward enough?"

She was jesting but felt how the piercing intensity in his gaze made her not want to joke anymore. That look and his presence was enough to make her feel a surge in her stomach.

"I can think of something else I would like more, here in this glade, with you."

A wry smile played on his lips, but his words were serious and suddenly the air between them was charged. It seemed like Sidney knew by the way she looked at him and parted her lips already before he reached them, that she wanted the same as him.

In the month they had enjoyed each other, she had learned that sometimes she wanted Sidney slowly and tenderly, sometimes fast and hard. First she had been embarrassed to admit she could need him like that, but he had taught her not to hide it and not to hold back. He had told her that the most sensual thing he knew, was to feel that she desired him, no matter how, no matter where. They had never been together out in open nature before and for a split second she thought of how shameful it would be if someone saw them, but then pushed it aside because her need was too strong and the likelihood that someone would come across this place in this moment infinitesimal.

Kissing fervently they ended up on the blanket, but she was not fully aware of how it happened. Sometimes, or in truth quite often, she became so lost in Sidney that everything around them disappeared. The attraction he exerted on her grew stronger the more she had of him and it certainly seemed to be the same way for him. Today he seemed uncommonly eager even for him and she had a feeling that the cause was her teasing combined with returning to the glade. Now he tugged at her dress by the neckline and loosened her stays a bit so he would be allowed access to her breasts. Perhaps she ought to scold at him for not behaving gentlemanly, but she wanted it too much. She even felt impatient during the moments it took for him to get past the garments and when his lips demandingly closed around one nipple, while caressing the other, she moaned with relief and satisfaction.

His other hand had started to grope under her skirts, hoisting them further up. With matching eagerness she reached down to unbutton his breeches and was excited by how the hardness underneath implied that imminent pleasure was to be expected. She was therefore a bit taken aback when he caught her hand an removed it.

"Later, my darling. There is plenty of time for that, but first I want to do something for you."

His voice was hoarse with want, which made her excessively curious about what he was up to when stopping her. Accepting his wish she leaned back, supported on her elbows and simply watched her beautiful husband.

"I know you enjoy it when I do this", he said.

His hands now grazed up the inside of her thighs, and instead of responding verbally she allowed her legs to fall apart. It was no longer a secret that she was quite partial to him caressing her there and she bit her lower lip as a hand found its way to the downy hair between her legs and a very specific destination there. He slipped a finger inside her and teasingly kept it still there until she impatiently pressed back to show him she wanted more. She was already turning wet, so he retracted the finger and spread some of that wetness and then began circling lightly on the outside, provokingly avoiding her most sensitive place.

Sidney revelled in the lovely, slippery feeling of his wife's arousal and knew very well that it annoyed her when he toyed with her like this. Today he had a special purpose with it though.

"Don't you?" he paused his touch, challenging her to answer if she wanted more.

Her eyes fluttered shut.

"Yes, you know I do", she admitted with flushing cheeks. This was one of very few topics she was not yet comfortable talking to him about.

She was wet for him every time but had not yet had her first orgasm. He knew such things could take time for women and he was aware that he had brought her close to the edge several times but not managed to take her over it. He was determined to try to give her that gift today.

He moved his mouth close to her ear, nibbled her earlobe and dotted hot kisses along her neck.

"Would you then allow me to try something new? Something I think you might enjoy even more?"

"What would that be?"

He moved to her mouth and kissed her, let his tongue probe inside.

"Kiss you."

"But we already have? You already are?" She asked confused, then followed his knowing gaze down her body.

"Oh, you mean..?"

His fingers now drew circles down below again and she realised she was very keen to know what it would feel like to have his lips there.

He nodded with an disarming smile.

"Sidney, are such things even allowed?" she giggled, with a hint of anxiety.

"If you allow it."

She still wondered if it was appropriate for a lady, but his fingers felt so good and she could not resist.

"Yes."

Given permission, he let his lips travel down her body. He paused half-way to give attention to her nipples until they were so pointy and hard that they almost hurt, and she was desperate for him to continue to the intended destination. Only then, he finally moved down and hoisted up her dress above her hips. He spread her legs further apart, placed himself between them and paused briefly to watch her. She felt embarrassed in the midst of excitement and diverted her gaze, but he found her so beautiful and utterly desirable and told her so. With her white skirts spread around her, she looked like a flower belonging in this glade, though he was pleased that she was not as delicate as the lilies of the valley.

She could not look away from him for long, too curious when his dark head lowered itself until it hovered above her so she could feel his warm breath tickle. Was he really going to do what she thought he might?

She gasped at the first feel of his tongue when he slowly began exploring her. He started by tracing along her folds and slipping his tongue inside her, then moved closer and closer to where she most needed his touch, until his tongue finally ran over her centre. First casually, almost unintentionally. Then again and again, until his firm lips instead closed around it and he began sucking softly. Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise and pleasure, causing her to gasp and bury her fingers in his locks. Simultaneously, he let a finger slide inside her. Her hips bucked from the ground to meet him and he inserted another. He increased the intensity of his lips ministrations and pumped his fingers harder in and out of her, angling them so he touched a part of her walls that he had made her aware was very receptive to stimulation. She tried to stifle her moans but was unable to, then ceased to care at all if anyone but the forest animals heard them.

"Oh Sidney, I think you ought to stop... I am... I feel..." She did not want him to stop but the pleasure that rolled through her was almost too much to take.

But he felt how her walls began to clench around his fingers and had absolutely no intention to stop until she reached her peak. He only slowed down a little to drag it out and let his tongue lick softer but made sure to keep touching just the right places. He heard his wife's words become more incoherent, replaced by louder and louder moans. She was writhing under him, but keeping herself towards his hand and mouth, holding his head firmly in place where she needed him and then she came undone in her first shattering orgasm, his name echoing through the woods, stirring up the innocent birds.

She finally opened her glazed eyes again and stared up into the green roof, where the sun broke through the foliage. His fingers were still inside her drawing out the last twitches, his mouth lingering in a tender kiss while her body ceased to shiver and eventually relaxed, more wonderfully at ease than it ever had been. She had seen stars. She had felt something erupt. She had fallen and she had flown. Sidney had made her. Charlotte almost felt like crying out of a combination of utter release and love.

"Come here, please", she whispered.

Sidney was quite taken too. Her female taste was so sublime, the feeling of her on his tongue and her response was the singular most arousing thing he had experienced. When he finally brought her to a climax, her reaction had been stronger than he had anticipated. The shyness and thoughts of propriety that sometimes still restrained her in their bed, had been forgotten here in this glade. Her building arousal and final rupture of ecstasy had enchanted him completely. He could hardly believe what an extraordinary passionate creature she hid inside or that he had been able to release her.

Naturally, his own lust had grown while watching, tasting and touching her and when he now moved her eyes widened when she noticed the evident tenting of his breeches. Charlotte's arousal grew anew and she was moved by his expression of reverence combined with boyish pride.

"I almost forgot I promised you a reward my dear husband", she teased and lazily let her fingers caress over the hard bulge.

"To be honest, I was already rewarded in part, but I wouldn't mind if you feel obliged to show further proof of you gratitude for carrying that damn basket all the way."

"Oh, I think you have done other things to deserve my appreciation."

Giggling, she nimbly unbuttoned his breeches and helped him pull them down, so he swayed free. He loved that she no longer was too demure to look at him or touch him. She closed her fingers around him and caressed towards the rounded tip. Normally he would encourage her but not now.

"No, I cannot take teasing now. I need you", he demanded.

"Come then, because I need you too."

This time he thrust hard into her, knowing she could take it by now and because it was what they both craved in this moment. She wrapped her legs high up around his hips to allow him to bury himself deeper inside her and moaned loudly when every stroke hit the perfect spot. She felt the relentless wave of lust flush through her again and when his strokes intensified further at the same time as his hand reached down between her legs, he brought her with him a second time, so they reached the pinnacle together.

In the aftermath of their smallish earthquake they were lying down, facing each other with their foreheads leaned together and still joined by their hips. His eyes were so sincere, his lips so close and his breath so sweet and warm. She brushed her lips against his and felt him smiling.

"We ought to eat our luncheon or Mrs. Morris will wonder what we have been up to during our picnic."

"And may I add that I refuse to carry the basket content all the way back to the house, so you had better eat a healthy portion."

"I thought I had made it worth your while by now, so you wouldn't hold it against me?"

"Absolutely, but we only needed the blanket for that", he grinned.

"Sidney…"

"Alright, since you mention it you have actually made me feel quite starved… and who knows what miracles we might achieve with the renewed strength a meal will give us."

He winked mischievously, but in fact he knew that if he was allowed to fall asleep here beside her in the grass, listening to the birds, trees and humming bees, he would be more content with his life than he ever had thought it possible to be. He loved his wife and every day with her was an unexpected gift.

She touched his beloved face and ran her fingers through his hair, smirking fondly.

"You are indeed very wicked, husband."

"Yes, I have no idea what I did to deserve a wonderful wife such as you."

With a happy laughter Charlotte sat up, adjusted her dress and began unpacking the luncheon.

"The brief answer would be that you visited a brothel, but that would be a story without a proper moral lesson."

He raised a sardonic eyebrow.

"Do we need that?"

"Of course, and there is if you just let me finish. You won me because you have a good heart and because you fought for me, even if you were a bit slow in the start… and perhaps, just a little bit, because you are so incredibly handsome that I cannot resist you."

He threw his head back in laughter.

"And who is the wicked one now?" He pulled her close to him again.

The kiss that followed was anything but wicked. It was gentle and affectionate and expressed the immense gratitude they both felt for being here together.

Charlotte thought that it was impossible to love one's husband more than she loved Sidney.

She also had the distinct feeling that today, right here in this glade, they had planted a seed inside her which would grow to become the ultimate token of their mutual love.

A/N: There it is, the end of the story. I feel a little bit empty now that it is complete and I have to say goodbye to this version of them, but I think you agree we leave them in a happy place.

Once more, thank you all for following this story to the end for being so amazingly supportive. It has been a pleasure writing it.

/Miss P