#kitty gamble

She slid her hands over Robert's shoulders and down his chest, at last reaching for the buttons on his coat. His grip on her waist relaxed, allowing her to stand back for more room. His coat was light green wool, quite complimentary to the colours in her gown. This coordination was not a coincidence, and it must have looked pleasant as they were walking from the church. It made her smile to think of how well they fitted together already.

His hands remained at her hips as she moved to his waistcoat, unbuttoning it fully before

tackling his cravat. She tried tugging on one end, but it did not come undone. She paused, smiling up at him. "I do not wish to strangle you."

He smiled and reached for his cravat himself. His eyes ran over her. "I do not wish to harm your gown, and I have no notion of where to begin..."

With a laugh, she reached down to carefully unpin her gown from the stomacher. Her

hands were slightly unsteady as she worked. She could feel him watching her, and though

removing the gown revealed nothing more than her shoulders to him, it was not in any way

like undressing in front of Ruth.

She laid the gown on a chair and turned her back to him as she unpinned the stomacher

itself from her stays. They were pretty, too, but she suspected it wasn't the fine embroidery

along the edge that had caught Robert's eye. As she loosened her outer petticoat, she

couldn't resist taking a deep breath, and was gratified by the way his eyes widened slightly

as he followed the rise and fall of her chest.

She laughed softly as she loosened the her overpetticoat enough to let it fall to the floor, slipping her shoes off at the same time. "You have the advantage over me, yet I began undressing you first.” She reached out playfully to slide his coat from his shoulders.

He kissed the side of her head as she divested him of his outer layers. "Your enthusiasm is reassuring."

She laughed. "This is one of the main benefits of marriage, is it not?"

"Is it?"

"You heard the minister today: 'So that such persons as have not the gift of continency might marry, and keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body.'" She trailed her fingers

over his neck and down the opening in his shirt. "Not that I have 'kept myself,' of course. Not completely." She looked up to meet his eyes. "Have you?"

He shook his head with a wry smile. "My body has been most thoroughly defiled."

That was the answer she was expecting, of course. As a man, he was likely to be experienced, even given his intended profession. She was even relieved - her knowledge only went so far, so it would be good to know one of them knew what they were about.

"How shocking," she murmured playfully. "Of course, I particularly like the final reason.  'For the mutual society, help, and comfort, that the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity.'"

He nodded and leaned in to kiss her softly. “I couldn’t help thinking how well the line ‘reverently, discreetly, advisedly and soberly’ applied to us.”