"I could never grow tired of your kisses, and though I yearn for another, I will not cross the line drawn between us. I must get dressed for bed," Damien said, releasing Eloise from his captivity. "I know you want to hide yourself beneath the blankets before I join you."

Damien stood up from the bed, leaving Eloise to ponder what had occurred between them.

Eloise stared at the ceiling above them for a moment before sitting up to look at Damien.

"I am considering your feelings. I don’t want to get carried away with my actions now that I know how you feel. I don’t want you to misread my actions," Eloise explained the reason for her reluctance.

Eloise was yet to sort out her feelings for Damien. They had only just reunited. Though she thought about Damien at times in the past, she wasn’t ready to claim she loved him.

"I know that you don’t share the same feelings as I do, Eloise. I’ll know when you do so before then, I won’t misread your behaviour. That doesn’t mean I won’t enjoy teasing you or being in your presence," Damien replied.

"As long as there are no misunderstandings between us, I am well. Must you get undressed before me?" Eloise asked, tearing her gaze away from Damien. He unbuttoned his shirt as though he were alone in the room. "Have you no shame?"

"It is only my shirt, and since you have forgotten, we are married."

"Yes, but our marriage is not the same as others. You have made yourself quite comfortable," Eloise said, trying not to let her gaze wander to where Damien stood.

"You can make yourself comfortable as well. I won’t mind," Damien replied, letting his shirt slip from his arms. "You will need to get used to it. I won’t be running to the bathroom to get undressed and dressed forever."

"I fear it won’t be so easy. I have never been in closed quarters with a man, and the last time I saw a man’s body, I was younger and eavesdropping on them playing in the river," Eloise confessed a secret she had never shared before.

"Oh, you are one of those naughty ladies. The kind who peeps at unsuspecting men," Damien accused Eloise.

"I am not. I was younger, and the girls in the town wanted to tease the boys. We did not expect them to be poorly dressed," Eloise said, her eyes still looking everywhere but at Damien.

"I am not judging you. I am merely disappointed that you don’t seem to be interested in taking a glance. For the sake of being well educated, you should know what your husband’s body looks like. Aren’t you curious what a grown man’s body looks like?" Damien asked, knowing Eloise bore some curiosity.

Eloise shook her head. She turned around to crawl to the top of the bed to claim her spot.

Damien tilted his head, taking in the view Eloise presented him with for a moment before looking away to respect her wishes. "You have a lot to learn," he said.

Eloise covered herself with the blanket. "You must let me know when you are dressed for bed."

"You do know that I sleep without a shirt, right? Or, do you want me to be hot during the night?"

"I want you to be comfortable, but I will give you privacy when you get dressed," Eloise responded, keeping the blanket over her head.

"How are you to one day give me the heirs you spoke of when you cannot look at me now? Perhaps you don’t know it, but to carry out the act of making children, you would need to be touched," Damien taught Eloise.

"I know how children are made," Eloise said, and lowered the blanket.

Eloise looked in Damien’s direction. He was only without his shirt, which made her feel silly for being so shy, but it wasn’t Damien’s body making her behave this way. Eloise didn’t like the newfound thoughts she had when alone with Damien.

She was suddenly curious, and that curiosity brought on improper thoughts. She felt it was wrong to think of Damien in that manner when he didn’t have a single clue about it.

Fortunately, Damien walked away to change into his trousers, and by the time he returned, Eloise was busy looking out the window.

Damien got onto the bed, placing himself under the blanket, and reached for Eloise’s hand to pull her close. While he would be patient with Eloise regarding her feelings, it would take years for Eloise to open up to his presence if he didn’t give her a little push.

Eloise’s cheeks grew warm as she now found herself pressed against Damien’s bare chest. His left arm was placed on her waist, weighing her down.

"It’s normal to be flustered with all the new thoughts you might have. I’m certain your father kept you well-protected, so you are not familiar with the company of a man. Getting undressed or dressed before you doesn’t mean I want to harm or bed you," said Damien.

Eloise relaxed in Damien’s arms. "It is not that I think you will harm me. It is only because this is all new to me. We are not children anymore, so I notice all that you do and how you appear. I don’t know how to face these new emotions, so my first thought is to hide away," she confessed.

"I urge you to face them head-on and not cower away, though I find it entertaining at times. If curiosity gets the better of you, I am here to test all your new feelings," Damien offered.

"It sounds as though you are offering your body to me," Eloise noticed.

"As your husband, I should help with all your needs. Are you uncomfortable in my arms?" Damien asked, loosening his hold on Eloise.

"No. Truthfully, it is helpful," Eloise said, turning her head to face Damien. "It makes the room feel smaller. I know that I am not off to a good start, but I do want to do better as your wife. I don’t want to make any mistakes, and I certainly don’t want you to regret this union."

Eloise knew there was a long, challenging path before her, and she could not act as carefree as she once did, as it would only place Damien in a predicament to aid her.

"You must promise me that if I make decisions that are not wise or if I am trusting the wrong person, you will share your honesty. No matter if I am stubborn when you first speak of it, please tell me," Eloise pleaded.

Eloise trusted Damien’s judgment, and so far, he had not guided her wrong.

"That was my intention right from the start. I would be an awful husband if I allowed you to surround yourself with bad people or make awful decisions," Damien replied.

Eloise rolled on her side, slowly growing more comfortable. "And do I get to tell you if you are making an awful decision, or are you the kind of man who believes he knows best?"

"You may, though I know you won’t have to. Sleep," Damien said, using his right hand, which was trapped under Eloise, to nudge her head towards the pillow. "You have a tiring day ahead of you."