Part 27 (1/2)
”Dominic.”
”Of course.”
”But aren't you.... I mean, you never”
She gathered the folds of her dress around her cleavage and hiked it higher. ”I am of vestal modesty,” she said. ”If that is thy question.”
”It is, Ursula. Exactly. You know that being a virgin is something special, don't you? Why would you rob Dominic of that gift?”
I watched her brows gather in a furrow. ”Gift?”
”Yes. It is a gift when a young woman saves herself for the man she loves. It is something one can only share once, so why not share it with someone special? Do you understand?”
”Aye, but Lilith said”
”Lilith? Oh here we go. I should have known. Don't tell me this was her idea.”
”Not so, exactly. She said a man likes it when a woman knows how to please him. That is how she keeps you to herself.”
”Well, sure that's true, but....”
”And she said of thee, thou art a good specimen on which to practice.”
”She said that?”
She smiled shyly. ”So she tells me.”
”Ursula, I'm sure she didn't mean that you should practice on me. She was simply using me an example.”
Her face grew noticeably whiter. She drew her fingers to her lips and gasped softly. ”Oh, dear.” Her hands began to tremble. ”What have I done? I have brought shame upon the coven and thee.”
”No, no.” I reached for her hands and cupped them gently. ”You did no such thing.”
”But I kissed thee.”
”Yes. You kissed me, and I kissed you. But that was all.” I a.s.sured eye contact. ”That was all. Right?”
Her panic retreated. ”Of course. That and naught.”
I gave a sigh. ”Good.”
”Dost thou remember more?”
”No. It is just that I was worried because I had a dream the other night that seemed so real. I thought you came to me in my room and you ahm....”
”Yes?”
I shook my head. ”Forget it. Look. You have to know that Dominic loves you and wants you just the way you are. You don't need to practice anything before marrying him. Just be yourself and I a.s.sure you, your wedding night will be magical.”
”Oh, what great relief, Master Tony.”
”Yeah?”
”Aye. 'Tis a burden shed that I most dreaded, that of copulating with thee.”
”Come again.” I admit I felt offended by that. ”Are you saying you were not looking forward to having s.e.x with me?”
She shook her head. ”No more than any ch.o.r.e.”
”Ch.o.r.e?” I laughed to deflate my defensive posture. ”Why would you think it a ch.o.r.e?”
”'Tis something Lilith said, is all.”
”What did Lilith say?”
She turned away bashfully. ”I should say but not.”
”No. You should say. Tell me.”
Her eyes came back to me through a side glance. ”Do not hate me.”
”I won't hate you.”
”Lilith said you are the bomb in bed.”
”The bomb?”
”Aye. Her words, not mine. 'Tis a bad thing, I know. I am sorry.”
I reached across the table and gave her a hug. ”That's all right,” I told her, smiling. ”Lilith has said worse things about me.”
As I backed away, she said, ”Thou art a good kisser, though. I shall tell her that.”
”What? No. No, you mustn't tell her that. You will tell her no such thing. You understand? And you must never tell Dominic either. Tell no one what happened here this morning. If anyone asks, we did not kiss. I didn't see your a.s.s and you didn't grind your pelvis into my crotch so hard I popped the st.i.tching in my shorts.”
Her eyes grew frightfully wide. ”That was thee?”
I settled into my chair a bit uneasily. ”Yes. What did you think?”
Her eyes fell to my lap. ”I thought it was thy gun.”
I let it go at that. Later, when I was about to leave, I returned into the kitchen. Ursula was back at the sink, finis.h.i.+ng the dishes she started earlier. I said to her, ”Ursula, can I ask you something?”
”Aye?”
”When I came home this morning and we talked, you sounded like Lilith. In fact, you had no old English accent at all. How did you do that?”