Godiva: Unbridled (12 page)

“Are you ready to go free yourself?” It was as if Thomas could read her thoughts as he whispered against her ear. “And relieve us all of the taxes that burden our fair town?”

Godiva’s mind stalled on his words. So many people would benefit from this deed, it was as though she’d forgotten about the original reason for her wager with her husband, the final chink in the armor which would be the undoing of their loveless union. Part of her condition had been that he would have to let her go, and once that was done, then she could pursue what life she chose. She rolled over in Thomas’ arms, wrapped her own arms around his neck and looked into his eyes.

“I am ready,” she said, feeling stronger than she had last night, stronger the more she thought about being free of Edwin forever. “Once I ride, Edwin will have no choice but to release me. And after I am free of him, you and I will have forever to live our lives. We can stay here secretly for awhile, then someday, when the time is right, maybe we can leave this place, find another town to start over. I’ll have my land, we can go there, you can have your own tailor shop, and we can buy a farm of our own. Spin our own fleece. Maybe your uncle will let you have those little lambs to start your own flock.” He smiled, and she leaned up, kissing him deeply on the lips, pouring all the emotion she felt through the kiss. He kissed her back, heated, needy, grasped the back of her head with his hand. When she drew back, she smiled.

“I’ll not tempt you any further,” she whispered. “I shall honor your wish, to respect my status as a married woman. But after today, that status is null, as I will have fulfilled my side of a bargain, which guaranteed my freedom. So tonight, when I come to you… I expect no restraint.”

Thomas squeezed her tight, closing his eyes against the sensation, memorizing the feeling of holding close this woman that he loved.

Chapter 18

The Lady Godiva stood in the bathing alcove, running a comb through her damp hair, making sure that there were no tangles, that the comb ran smoothly through its entire length. She examined herself in the mirror, first from the rear, looking over her shoulder, scanning her legs and back, the roundness of her bottom, the swell of her hips. Her hair touched just to the top of her legs, and as she turned around to view her body from the front, she pulled her hair around to cover herself, sweeping the wet strands to conceal her breasts, to just barely shield the hairless mound of her sex. She tipped her head, scanning her nakedness, veiled by her hair. Then she gathered up her hair in both hands, holding it atop her head, turning around in the mirror. She liked the idea of clipping her hair up, completely revealing her body for this ride. She imagined that Edwin thought she might mask herself with her flowing locks, but the brazenness of proudly baring her body seemed even more defiant, and the thought of this appealed to her. Taking a closer look at the V between her legs, she frowned, running her hand over the golden stubble that had begun to sprout. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.

“Thomas,” she called. “I’m afraid I need your help.”

He poked his head inside the curtain where Godiva stood, holding the towel to her chest. “What did you need?” he asked, averting his eyes from her nearly naked body.

“It itches,” she replied in a whisper, as though someone else might hear. “Down there… is that normal? For it to itch so much as the hair grows back?”

Thomas smiled, and even laughed a little, bringing his eyes back up to hers. “It does itch as it grows back,” he said. “You have to keep it shaved, otherwise wait until it grows past the itchy phase.”

“I want to shave it all off again,” she said. “I’m sorry to ask, Thomas. But can you help me?”

Thomas paused, looked at the floor.

“On this day, I shed all that I was, leave my former life behind. I bare myself to the open air as a new person, not weighted down by who I used to be. With you, I lived here, happily, simply, tried something new I never would have considered and scraped my body clean. I liked it. It represents me as I choose to be now, with you. I want to show myself as a new woman. Who loves not for station or convenience. But simply for the sake of love itself.”

“Please don’t speak of love just yet,” Thomas said, still staring at the floor. “When you know not what awaits you today. I loved you when you were merely a nameless maiden who fell off her horse. I love you still, knowing your true name today. To consider anything more than that, and possibly lose you in the end is a pain I don’t want to face.”

“Very well,” she said, walking toward him, and lifting his chin to look at her. “I understand your caution. But I know what awaits me. Freedom! I am keeping my half of this bargain. Edwin will be obliged to keep his. And, if he doesn’t, I will run as I ran before. Either way, I will come back to you and then we shall speak of love.”

Thomas looked up at her, determination set in her expression, and he sighed then glanced to the stool by the washbasin. “Go on then,” he said. “Fill the basin with water and get settled on the stool. I’ll fetch the stones and the shaving kit.”

She did as told, and perched in her towel atop the wooden stool. Thomas returned in a moment with the kettle of hot stones and the tongs and carefully laid several of them in the washbasin, causing the water to sizzle and steam and he laid a cloth inside the heated water. She watched as he took the lanolin from a little pot and mixed it together in a bowl with the foamy soap, creating the creamy lather that he’d used on her before. When he turned to her, she opened up her towel, exposing her bottom half, but still clutching the top against her chest. Thomas took in a staggered breath at the sight of her bare sex, closed his eyes to regain himself. He waved the heated towel to cool it then pressed it against the golden stubble that had emerged from her shaven skin. Pressing the cloth and hiding her nakedness beneath seemed to help him but the warmth of the towel and the pressure of his hand against her pelvic bone caused Godiva to shiver, and involuntarily, she tipped her hips against his touch. Thomas smiled slightly at her undulation and looked up at her, and she exhaled, returning his unspoken acknowledgment of their mutual desire. Reaching for the bowl, he dipped his hand in, covered his fingers in the creamy froth and removed the cloth, massaging in the lather. Godiva held her breath again at the gliding touch of his fingers as they spread the cream, and her eyes wandered up the muscular arm, the strong shoulders, and the seemingly focused concentration of his handsome face as he reached for the seashell to start the scraping. She felt him lay a palm alongside her hip, holding the skin taut, and she bit her lip to hold still and not react to the feeling of his large hand laying so firmly against her. She wanted to reach to his hair, to wrap her legs around his shoulders, press his face against her heat. But she remained still as she could, aside from some slight quivering that she wasn’t sure if Thomas could detect or not. He scraped her bare again, his focus never wavering, and when he was done, dunked the cloth into the steaming water and placed it between her legs one last time. When he removed it, he inspected his work, saw that there was nary a hair or sign of any golden stubble left behind. He stared at her porcelain skin, the womanly swell of her hip, desire brewing like a thirst he could not quench. His hardness strained desperately against the leather ties that secured his pants. Just days ago he could have unlaced his breeches, seated himself to the hilt inside her slippery, welcoming heat with one fulfilling thrust, without hesitating, without concern, a mutual joy of pleasure and need. He looked up to her face. Her towel had gaped open and her breasts heaved with anticipation, and he knew she wouldn’t stop him if he grabbed her, locked her against him. Instead, he looked back to her creamy, hairless mound, taut, youthful skin, and placed his lips just to the side of where her hairline started. He felt her tremble at the touch, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his face flat against her pelvis.

“Tonight will be a celebration,” he whispered. “I can hardly wait. Perhaps I’ll shave myself again, too.” He squeezed her tightly then stood, giving her a small smile. He tightened her towel for her and emptied the basin before he left the bathing alcove so that she could continue getting ready.

Chapter 19

By three o’clock, Thomas had brought all the animals inside and given them an early dinner. After much protest from the cow in particular, everyone was safely enclosed in the barn with extra helpings of their favorite treats. The chickens clucked and fluttered around restlessly, adding to the nervous atmosphere that had started to build. Niklada stood just inside the entry of the barn, and Thomas
 
was arranging the drape on her back that would serve as both a blanket and a cloak to conceal the Lady Godiva
 
before and after her ride. Thomas had used the fabric he’d gotten from Aggie Smithton and attached the golden fringe along the edges. It was also sectioned, so that the front had leather-lined makeshift stirrups, giving the lady more control, and the back could be flipped up and over, so that on her way into town, and also, on her way back out, she needn’t go bare. Thomas had also reinforced the seat with a coarser material, so that there would be less chance of any falling, should Godiva need to flee. She had just finished doing her hair, and she walked up to try out the drape. She hopped up onto the back of the horse and fitted her feet into the stirrup openings, finding them helpful and sturdy.

“Grab right here,” Thomas said, showing her tassels on either side of the horse’s hindquarters. She reached back, easily grasping the tassels and pulled the drape up around her shoulders, where she could fasten it with a loop at her neck. Two other loops with ties were lower along what proved to be the front hem of the makeshift cloak, but the top one she could secure or unfasten with one hand, if needed.

“How do I look?” she asked, the fabric draped around her, seated high on her horse’s back.

“Wait, and I’ll show you,” Thomas replied, and dashed to the bathing alcove to get the mirror from the wall. He held it up so that she could see her reflection, the ornately decorated fabric as it spilled over Niklada’s body, the gold fringe and tassels making it seem even more luxuriant than it was. She had braided a section of her hair and wrapped it around the crown of her head, weaving in some of the lavender blossoms that grew in abundance outside the barn. She twisted her hair along either side of her temples and the sections reached to join into one twisted braid in the back. The rest of her blond hair hung long and loose, cascading over her shoulders. As she stared at her reflection, she reached to the fasten at her throat and the cloak fell away, spilling in a burgundy pool over the horse’s back. Naked now, she stared at herself, more impressed with the beauty of her horse with her ornate drape than the nude woman who sat astride her.

“You are stunning,” Thomas whispered. “It is a shame that the entire village will not be witness to the beautiful creature that you are.”

“Well,” she replied, swinging herself down from the horse. “They will reap something more valuable than the sight of my naked flesh. And I will be free to live my life so after today we all gain something grand.” She took the mirror from Thomas and walked toward the bathing alcove. “Quick visit to the privy then we’ll be on our way. Edwin is never late with his speeches so we’ll want to be leaving at present.”

Chapter 20

They rode double atop Niklada, going around the outskirts of the village and all the farms and houses that surrounded it, to avoid any possibility of detection. Once they arrived at a spot where Godiva would need to take a more common road to reach her destination of the south entrance of the town, Thomas gave her a squeeze before he dismounted. Looking up at her, that same determination was set on her face; pure focus, mindful of but one goal. He caressed her leg beneath the drape.

“Ride with care,” he said. She nodded, not looking down. Thomas leaned into Niklada’s neck and spoke to the mare softly. “Be steady and swift, Niklada.”

“I will be with you tonight, Thomas,” Godiva said. She grasped at the whistle sewn into the drape that covered her shoulders. “If there’s trouble, I will whistle, and you will come find me.”

“I will keep close watch,” Thomas promised, and grasped the whistle that hung from his neck on a leather cord. “Tonight we celebrate.”

Finally, she looked down to him, and nodded. Then she looked back up and turned Niklada toward the direction of the road, trotting away.

Thomas watched for a moment, then looked around. There was nobody to be seen in this desolate patch of hills and fields, so he headed in the direction of the town. He would gather with the rest of the citizens to hear Edwin’s speech, whatever it would be. Then he would shutter himself in the tailor shop and wait. Anxiety stabbed cold and sharp through his stomach and he began to run. He needed something to burn this nervous energy, and he hoped he would have enough time to blend into the crowd without much notice. As he crested the hill, he could see almost the entire town, and the crowd that gathered at the south archway. He didn’t know what Edwin looked like, but nobody was standing at the podium just yet. Everything seemed in place, and there didn’t appear to be a show of force anywhere. None of the potential exits were blocked, all of the side streets that he had discussed with Godiva on their midnight walk through town were clear and open. He sighed, a little relieved. Perhaps all his worrying had been for nothing.

Thomas walked up Merchant Road, which crossed the town in the center, wanting to appear as though he’d come from nowhere. He didn’t want anyone to see him around the tailor shop, although he might get asked where he would go once the villagers were ordered inside. Voices rose from where the crowd had gathered, so he headed in that direction, hoping to avoid any questions. Now he could see the Earl at his podium, looking out over the people who watched him. So this was the man that Godiva called husband. He was not unhandsome, but had a certain demeanor upon his face that gave him the appearance of arrogance. Though not quite as tall as Thomas, he seemed a strongly built man, and nothing to bring shame in outward show. However, his eyes lacked warmth, and his mouth had no smile lines. Thomas could easily see how someone so free and open as Godiva would feel trapped beneath his stern and unyielding manner. Near to the podium were two men on horseback, and immediately, Thomas felt the knot in his stomach tighten again. He had never been one to attend town functions or speeches, so he wasn’t sure if this was customary, perhaps ceremonial? One of the men had a similar build to Edwin but had a kinder, bearded face, the other was clearly some sort of guard. His horse was huge to accommodate his rider’s muscular frame, and his angular features intimidated even from a distance. Thomas looked away from the podium, glanced about the crowd. For the first time, he felt like maybe he should stand near people who knew him. He saw Aggie Smithton and started to go toward her but then wondered if Godiva would appear before the crowd, in advance of her naked ride, draped in the fabric that Thomas had gotten from Aggie herself? So Thomas found Mrs. McFarland and blended into the group of people who gathered around her, all gossiping and talking. This felt communal enough to be part of the crowd, but not so intimate that he would have to converse. Thomas looked up again and saw Edwin gazing over the group of people and he quickly looked away, remembering the gallows outside of town. He had the sudden and irrational fear that his own thoughts and memories might be on display at this very moment, should Edwin so much as glance into his eyes.