Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One- Four Days Until the Wedding, the Afternoon

The day after the ball, no one woke up earlier than noon. The party had been a success, filled with lots of fun and good times; but all successful parties end with a bang. Most guests had left drunk and half-asleep as they all gathered into their respectable carriages. Some of the more drunken guests could hardly stand straight, and so were given rooms to stay the night. The pirate crew all had their own fun, enjoying the expensive foods and wines and women. Even Walter slept past noon, and awoke fifteen minutes before one o'clock in the afternoon.

He opened his eyes, then closed them again quickly when the afternoon sun coming into his room from the window burned his tired pupils. He turned his head away from the window and slowly opened his eyes again, seeing blurs and sparks of light. He stretched his tired muscles, some of his back bones cracking and relaxing. He brought himself up into a sitting position and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He put on his slippers and robe and slowly shuffled out of his bedroom.

He entered the hallway, where servants were running back and forth, trying to clean everything up before all the guests woke. Walter continued to shuffle his way down the hall towards Dianna's room. He reached the grand double doors that led into her bedroom, and knocked lightly against one. He slowly turned one of the door's knobs and cracked the door open.

"Father?" Dianna asked. She was all wrapped up in her blankets in her bed, only her head sticking up out of all it.

"I didn't know if you were awake," Walter said quietly, smiling at her.

"Just woke. I'll get up and--"

"No, no! Rest. You had a long journey and no time to relax what with that ball last night right after we picked you up. Go ahead and stay in bed today. Catch up on sleep. I have some work to finish up anyways. But tomorrow, it's our day. Tomorrow, you get out of bed, and I'll get out of the office, and we'll spend the day together. Alright?"

"Alright," Dianna smiled sleepily at Walter, and Walter could feel his heart warm with quiet joy.

"Alright. Rest, I'll see you tomorrow." Walter nodded at her, and left the room to start on his work.

Once Walter closed the door, Josey came up from under Dianna's bed and hoarsely said, "I am getting too accustomed to hiding under beds."

Dianna giggled and said, "Shhh, he might still hear you."

"Let him. At least if he found out about us, I wouldn't be hurting my back trying to squeeze under these bone-crushing monsters," Josey replied, slapping his hand on the mattress in feigned exasperation. Dianna giggled again and kissed him, pulling him onto the bed beside her. Josey was completely naked, but Dianna still had her corset and underskirts on. Both their hairs were a mess because they had both run their fingers through each other's hair while they had kissed and cuddled and slept in each other arms during the night. After Mack had gotten himself a lady for the night, Josey had found his way to Dianna's room, surprising her by crawling into her bed, naked, in the middle of the night.

Now, as they kissed, Josey lay Dianna down on her back and wrapped his arms around her.

"Josey! I don't know if we should do this in my old bedroom... In my father's house..." Dianna whispered as Josey kissed her neck. Josey abruptly pulled away and looked her in the eye firmly.

"You had better get used to letting me have you, where and when I want. When I am your husband, you will be my good little wife and please me when I ask for it, even if it's in the bloody queen's palace." Josey whispered in a joking sternness.

"Oh really?" Dianna asked, unamused. She used all her strength to push him off her. She pushed him down into his back, and climbed on top of him, holding him down with her small body, and pinning his arms down with hers. "And why should a wife have to obey her husband so completely? Why is it my duty to make sure you are pleased in the bedroom? And if I want to be pleased?"

"You will be pleased every time with me," Josey told her, smiling a crooked half-smile.

"No," Dianna replied firmly. "What if you are tired, or we are somewhere you don't feel comfortable having me in? What if I order you to to let me have you?" Dianna asked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Well, I don't know--"

"Then I'll tell you, so you do know." Dianna interrupted. "I own you just as much as you own me. I don't care how many women you have been with; from now on, you are only mine. You say you have claimed my body as yours; think of this as my claiming of your body. You are mine now, Josey Thatcher, and I shall never let you forget it." Dianna said the last sentence in a whisper, bringing her face closer to Josey's.

"Good; I hope you never do." Josey replied and brought his face up the last few millimeters, closing the small distance between them and kissing her. They kissed passionately, feeling their bodies respond to each other.

Josey pulled Dianna's skirts up and Dianna positioned herself on top of him. When he was inside of her, Dianna began to move on top of him, rolling her hips back and forth, showing Josey that he may be the more experienced of the two, but she was a fast learner and she would surprise him. Josey groaned and rolled his eyes back into his head as the desire welled up inside him and almost suffocated him. Dianna was not holding back, and she pleasured Josey like he had never been pleasured before.

When they were done, Dianna flopped down onto the bed next to Josey, both of them breathing heavily and their bodies shaking as their lust died down. Josey chuckled quietly, and Dianna lifted her head up to ask what he found so funny.

"It's not funny, it's just strange." Josey replied to her, pulling her close to him so they could hold each other. "You see, I've never gotten sore after having a lady; I mean, a body as big as mine is hard to get tired and sore."

"But?" Dianna asked, encouraging him to continue.

"But ever since I've been with you, my body has been hurting. When I'm not with you, my body hurts to be beside yours. When I am with you, it hurts with desire. And after I have been with you, I am sore with contentment. It's amazing. You truly are a woman different from others."

"Of course I am! Different, and made for you." Dianna responded, pecking his neck. Josey sighed with happiness. Then became a bit thoughtful and Dianna could feel his thoughts wandering. "What?"

"I was just thinking: we need to plan. How and when should I tell your father that I am the only man you will ever marry and be with?" Josey asked. He could feel Dianna stiffen, and turned to see what was bothering her.

"Maybe we shouldn't tell him," she replied quietly, not looking into his eyes.

"What? Why not?"

"I know you want him and everyone else to know that I am yours and only yours, and whatnot, but maybe we shouldn't. We shouldn't tell him or anyone. Maybe we should just run away." Dianna said, still not making eye contact.

"Dianna, he just got you back. It would break his heart if you left him again," Josey replied.

"Yes, but I was going to leave anyway. Could you actually live here in Manchester in a mansion?" Dianna asked Josey, finally meeting his eyes. This time, Josey was the one to break eye contact because he knew she was right. He belonged on the seas, and when he married Dianna, she would have to be on the seas with him. "Perhaps we could visit him sometimes, like Mack visits his family. But I think we should just leave in the night, not tell anyone. I can't stand to stay here much longer, watching him look so happy. It breaks my heart to think of all the lies I'm saying to his trusting, smiling face." Dianna looked down, trying not to cry.

Josey didn't want to make her sad, so he tried to move on with the subject. "Why don't you spend tomorrow with him like he asked? Then you can tell me your final decision, and if you still want to leave, we can leave. But at least spend tomorrow with him. It could be the last time you see him in a long time if you want to leave." Dianna nodded at his words, then rested her head against his chest.

Before she had to worry about her father and the mess they were in, she was going to just lay back and enjoy her day in bed with Josey.

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