“Ah, of course. There probably will not be much left in the area to come back to, however.”
“No, and that is a shame, but I suspect it will return in some form before too long. “Now”—he led her into what she suspected had been the parlor—“I have set up a small feast for us in here. A picnic ye might call it.”
“You are getting a lot of use out of this house.”
“Aye.” He moved to light a lantern he brought in from the hall where it had sat on the table near the door.
Abigail saw the same table they’d had their picnic on before. There was the bread and cheese and this time it was with thinly sliced ham. Yet again there was wine and glasses to sip it in.
“Did you play cards with the major again?” she finally asked.
“I did. He did say he suspects I put the drink to better use than he does and I already opened it to pour him a glass. Used my share of the rations to get the bread made and paid a woman for the bread, cheese, and butter.”
“Oh yes, I heard you had gotten a recent hearty delivery of supplies.”
“It was, but the supplies are already going down. A lot of the people in town either sneak or beg some. It is not attacks by Rebs weakening our supplies now but the need of the people in town. The prize still being sought is food. It is in short supply in too many places.”
“Probably has always been the same where armies are.”
“Aye. It is why my brother keeps having troubles, from the gray and the blue. We have lost a number of our sheep, which angers the Jones brothers. They are our shepherds. David and Owen.”
“Sheep? You sell mutton?”
“And wool, which brings us more actually.” He placed a piece of ham on a slice of the bread. “I never thought I would say this, but I miss the shearing.”
She laughed as she added a bit of ham to her meal, placing it carefully on the bread. “You miss the companionship of your family I suspect, so anything you did together shines brighter in your mind.”
“That is probably true.”
“I wish I knew where my brother was so I could return to him. Together we should fare well enough.”
“If he had gone with the Blues, maybe I could have helped more.”
“The Union had its draft. It is a way of roping in someone who doesn’t really want to be a soldier.”
“True.” He stood up, walked over to where she sat, took her by the hand, and pulled her to her feet. “When the leaders decide they are going to fight they will get the men they need any way they can.” He sat down and pulled her down beside him. “But”—he pulled her into his arms—“I dinnae want to talk on war or leaders.”
She leaned into him. “What do you want to talk about?”
“This.”
He kissed her, and as he stroked the inside of her mouth with his tongue he pushed her down onto the settee so that he could sprawl on top of her. Abbie loved the feel of his body on hers. She knew he held up most of his weight on his forearms but the weight he did allow to rest on her felt as warm as a caress. Abbie wrapped her arms around his body and held him close, savoring the hardness of him between her thighs.
He began to stroke her, his hands going up and down her sides, brushing against the sides of her breasts. That felt good, but then he undid the buttons on the bodice of her gown. She was enjoying the seductive play with his tongue, the hot kisses followed by the kisses on her throat and neck, when she suddenly became aware of the fact that he had finished opening the bodice of her gown and was covering the swells of her breasts with the damp heat of his kiss.
He returned his kisses to her mouth as he slipped his hand beneath her skirts. Abigail tensed as he touched her where no man had ever touched her, but with one stroke of his fingers she lost the unease that had gripped her. She clutched at his shoulders as he teased her body to a blaze. Then she felt him tug at her drawers and lifted her hips a little. When he tugged them off her, she blushed even as she kissed the hollow of his throat.
It was not until he tugged her bodice down, exposing her breasts that she got nervous. Or embarrassed. She was not sure which it was that had her hastily trying to cover her breasts with her hands. He smiled then caught her hands in his and pulled them away. Then he licked her nipple and she shuddered with the strength of the feeling that went through her.
As he kissed and licked at her breasts, Matthew released himself from his breeches. This was not the way he planned things, but he would take his chance now and try to make the whole matter more romantic for her later. Kissing her mouth even as he kneaded her breasts he eased himself inside her. He heard her squeak in surprise, maybe even pain, and tried to move slowly but his body had different ideas. He grabbed the back of her legs and lifted them until she curled them around his waist. Kissing her mouth, he moved and this time she moaned in a way that fired his blood.
Abbie gasped from the pinch of pain as he entered her then felt the fullness of him inside of her. She was still savoring the sensation when he began to move and kissed her. When he lifted her legs, she wrapped them tightly around his body and the sensation of him moving inside of her grew stronger. She clung to him as he moved faster and her body grew tighter. Then the heat that had been building inside of her swept over her and she cried out against his mouth. She was still shuddering from the waves of feeling as he moved faster, drove himself as deep as he could, and tensed, a low growling noise escaping him.
When he slowly left her Abbie became all too aware of what they had just done. She hastily pulled and tugged at her clothes to make sure everything was covered when he moved to the side. Her first clear thought was: What did someone say afterward? Should she politely thank him or yell at him and leave? Then he brushed a kiss over her mouth. Moving her hands, he carefully redid the buttons on her bodice.
“Abbie?” he said softly.
“What?” she asked as she searched out her drawers and tried desperately to put them on again without exposing herself.
He put his arm around her and gently kissed her on the forehead. “I cannae tell if ye are just embarrassed or upset with me.”
She rested her head against his shoulder. “Neither can I.” She smiled faintly when he laughed. “I just didn’t know what one says afterward or if one says anything.”
“I have no idea. Interesting thought. Compliments?”
“About what? None of the things that happened are things I can speak about.”
“Of course.”
“And how could I give compliments? You must have guessed I have never done this before.”
“Um, yes, I noticed.”
“Lieutenant? Miss Jenson?”
“Oh no, not again,” Abbie groaned, and thumped her forehead against his chest.
“That you, Mabel?”
“Yes, miss. I was sent to tell you that Julia, well, it is time.”
“Time for what?”
“The baby, miss. She is having the baby.”