[1.5] The Duchess of Kent and Strathearn | B. Bridgerton

Chapter 3

Make You Feel My Love

Kensington Palace, London

Half an hour later, Charlotte was in the Queen's Room, waiting for her husband to arrive. Fatima had just left the room. Her hands were shaking out of nervousness. She wanted everything to be great, to be perfect, but... She didn't know how to do that.

The new Duchess stared down at her new favorite jewelry. The ring her Duke gave her on their wedding day. It was their promise. They would be together forever, from this day forward.

"Charlotte! Pardon my tardiness," he chuckled as he quickly entered in their bedroom, and closed the door behind him. "I will be honest with you. I got lost for a while. This place is—"

Benedict stopped talking when he laid eyes on his wife. Her back faced him, and she was sitting in the middle of their large bed, just wearing her chemise. Her hair was long up to her back, and wavy from the braids.

After a while, she looked back at him, over her shoulder, with a small smile on her face. She crawled out of bed, and slowly walked towards him. However, when her eyes met his, she froze in place. Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as she stared at him.

Before he could have had the chance to speak, she turned around, and started breathing heavily. Her hands clenched into fists in frustration for the scene she was making.

Benedict expected this, her being nervous, but all he wanted was for her to trust him that he would take care of her in her most vulnerable moments.

Charlotte heard his footsteps coming closer, and closer towards her. She could hear him breathing right behind her. However, goosebumps rose over her entire body as he gathered his hands in her loose hair, and he placed it slowly and gently over her shoulder, to expose one side of her neck.

Charlotte closed her eyes and silently enjoyed the feeling his gestures had on her. It was all intimate, but gentle too.

She was breathless.

But it was also then, when Charlotte realized she was not as ready as she thought she was. Of course, she has heard George complain of Caroline and how she does not meet his standards in bed like his illegitimate wife does, and she was afraid the same shame her cousin and sister-in-law feels, would happen to her.

It embarrassed her to no end how clueless and ignorant she was.

"What's wrong?" He whispered as he ran his finger from behind her ear, all the way to her shoulder, making her title her head to the side. "Talk to me, Char."

"Ha– How should we do this?" She asked lowly. "You know, Benny. I– I do not... I don't..."

"I know. I understand," he said as worked his way from her shoulder, up to behind her ear with open mouth wet kisses. "Let me love you the way you deserve to be loved."

His hands snaked around her waist until they rested over her curved hips. He buried his face in the crook of her neck to inhale her smell. Lavender. As feminine as she is.

Charlotte slowly turned around to face him. His hands still rested on her hips, while hers made his way up to his shoulders. Her touch was delicate, but sweet.

The tension in the room was undeniably notable, and the way he was staring down at her drove her crazy. He leaned his head against hers, and their noses brushed against one another.