Catherine nervously walked into the room wearing nothing but her chemise. Henry sat on the bed wearing trousers and a shirt with the collar undone. He took a deep breath. Seeing her like this was a first and it started to sink in that this was his wife. They were to share the rest of their lives together and share the intimacies of wedded bliss. He held out his hands and she walked toward him and put her hands in his. He guided her to sit next to him on the bed. Catherine loved her new husband very much, but she was blushing so furiously that she could barely meet his eyes. He touched her cheek gently but she still flinched ever so slightly. He turned her face to look into her eyes.

"I love you, Catherine." He said warmly.

"And I love you, Henry. I'm just very nervous." She met his eyes briefly and then looked away again.

"Ah," he said with comprehension dawning, "I take it that you had a certain conversation with your mother this morning then?"

"It was last night. I barely slept at all."

"Catherine, I love you very much. I want us to share this, but it does not have to be tonight."

"No, I want to. The conversation with Mama was... informative, but I already knew."

Henry gasped and looked at her. "What?!" He said, incredulously.

She looked up at him. Realizing what he thought she had meant, she quickly said, "No! Oh no, Henry. You are the only man I have ever even kissed." She laughed softly and proceeded to explain, "I knew about it only from novels."

His momentary shock subsiding, she continued. "Most of the novels I had read were very vague on the matter, skirting the issue as is only proper in proper novels for young ladies to read. But then I read The Monk... Mr. Lewis was much more specific on the subject. Anything that was still not perfectly clear to me after that was made so last night when I spoke with Mama." Henry smiled at his pretty wife as she continued to blush furiously in the candle light.

A question that Catherine had been desperately curious about came forth, "Did… did you know about it?" she said. "I had a very awkward conversation with my father when I was fourteen. But beyond that I have no knowledge other than the drunken boastings of my brother. Unfortunately, Fredrick feels it is necessary to be incredibly detailed about his sexual exploits."

Catherine gasped ever so slightly at hearing her clergyman husband say the words 'sexual exploits'. It felt forbidden and excited her. She bit the lower left corner of her lip and Henry let out a soft sigh. He liked it when she did that.

"Now, Catherine, my love, are you absolutely sure you want to do this tonight?"

"I would like to try." She said nervously but resolutely.

"I will go very slowly, but please tell me if you are at all uncomfortable or want me to stop." Catherine nodded, biting her lip again. That little quirk drove Henry mad, but he had to remain master of himself. He didn't want anything to ruin this night.

"Lay down and try to relax." Catherine complied to the best of her ability but her whole body was tense. Henry leaned down and kissed her lips softly. She started to relax. His kiss slowly became firmer as he moved his lips to catch hers at different angles. She parted her lips and felt the tip of his tongue on hers. It emboldened her. She caught his lower lip between hers and caressed it with her tongue. She could feel Henry's lips move into a smile.

"Are you sure you've never kissed before?" He said smiling at her. She smiled and he proceeded to kiss her again.

He brought his right hand up to cup her neck and she trembled. "What is it?" He said as he immediately stopped.

"No, I like that. What, what should I do with my hands?"

He smiled, "Whatever you would like. Whatever seems comfortable. You could put your hand here on my shoulder" as he said this, he took her right hand and placed it on his left shoulder. "You could place your other hand around me like this." He placed her left hand around his side. It felt so natural, so loving. It reminded Catherine of a drawing she had seen in a German booklet about a new dance called the waltz. It has struck her as a very intimate embrace for dancing at the time and now she knew she had been right. Henry looked into her eyes to gauge if she was comfortable with the new arrangement. He could tell by her smile and that lip bite that she was. He proceeded to kiss her again. Catherine kissed him back with more confidence and excitement. She didn't need to think about her hands anymore. They seemed to know just how to embrace him now. She wrapped her arms around him and continued to kiss Henry more fervently now. As she kissed him she felt a dampness between her legs and gasped. Henry stopped again. "What is it?" He said. Catherine was hesitant.

"I think it is one of the things my mother told me about" Catherine admitted. "She said it meant I was... readying for you" she blushed at her own boldness, but she felt like she could tell Henry anything. Henry smiled in understanding and satisfaction.

"Did she tell you what happens to me when I am ready for you?" He said in hopes of making her cheeks redden further. Catherine's eyes flicked to his trousers before looking elsewhere, anywhere else, but his eyes or heaven forbid his trousers again.

"Yes." She managed to say.

"Well, while I may be physically ready for you, there is more I want to do before we get to that point."

Catherine began to tremble again, but now it was with desire rather than nerves. She was glad he wasn't quite ready either. They kissed passionately. Henry's right hand moved to her waist and she felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach.

Henry's kisses ventured down her neck. Catherine liked that and so followed suit. His shirt covered more of his neck than her chemise covered hers so she found it difficult to proceed further.

Henry, sensing her struggle offered, "Would it help if I removed my shirt?" Catherine took in a small breath and looked into his eyes. There was no pressure or persuasion in them, only love and excitement. She nodded. They broke apart and sat up on the bed. Catherine wanted to take everything in as she saw her husband's bare chest for the first time. He pulled the shirt up over his head and tossed it aside. He was lean and muscular, but not like the muscles she had seen on Grecian statues. His chest was less defined but still looked strong. Also unlike the statues, Henry had a large patch of dark hair on his chest. He looked at her as though waiting for her opinion. She just bit her lip as she looked at every inch of this new revelation. She sat up on her knees and came toward him. She reached out a tentative hand and placed it on his chest. She brought up her other hand to feel both pectorals. Then her hands moved down to his navel. She liked the feeling of her fingers running through his chest hair.

Henry longed to touch her in the same way, but he didn't want to do anything she wasn't ready for. Catherine was thinking about the same thing. She had the unexplained urge for Henry to touch her breasts. In The Monk, Ambrosio had often thought of the breasts of the women he seduced. She knew that it was an anatomical difference between men and women that men seemed to appreciate. She didn't think because she was sure if she thought about it too much she would lose her nerve to do it. She took Henry's hand and placed it on her breast. Henry was surprised by her boldness. The surprise quickly faded however as he felt the warm soft flesh through her chemise. He closed his eyes to savor the sensation. Catherine watched his expression and a thrill shot through her own body. Her own eyes closed and she bit her lip as he started to massage her breast.

They laid back down and resumed kissing, embracing and exploring.

Catherine's right leg was between Henry's. She could feel something hard on her thigh. "It must be his...him." She thought and she was filled with curiosity, but she wasn't certain she was ready to see it yet. Besides, she wanted to share more with him first. She wanted Henry to push her chemise off her shoulders but knew he was too much of a gentleman and would only proceed by her leave. As she kissed him she managed to wriggle the garment down so it barely covered her nipples. She took his hand again and pressed it to her breast. His fingertips curled over the garment's edge, but he looked to her before proceeding further. She smiled at him and nodded excitedly. He slowly pulled it down to reveal her exquisite breasts. They were milky white and her nipples stood erect with excitement and their new exposure. Henry took in the sight as her breasts rose and fell with every breath she took. He gently caressed them one at a time. She really liked this and her breathing began to quicken.

"Kiss them." Catherine said with a hint of pleading in her voice. Henry was only too happy to comply. He knew that this was something that drove some women mad from what Fredrick had said, but he hadn't dreamed that his blushing bride would desire it already. He gently kissed her right nipple and he felt her chest swell. He slowly took it into his mouth and she let out a soft moan. He preceded to her other breast. She brought her left knee up his side and interlaced her fingers in his hair. She felt the muscles in her abdomen contract then, all of a sudden her body started to convulse and she let go and put her legs together terribly frightened. She laid there stiff as a board and grasped the bed clothes. Her heart was racing and she had no inclination of what just happened. It was an intense feeling of the like she had never experienced. It felt wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

"Are you alright? What is it, my love?" Henry said, panicked as though he had hurt her.

"I don't know what just happened. My whole body started seizing. It was very startling. Is that supposed to happen?"

"Yes," Henry smiled. "If I am doing my husbandly duty well. That convulsion is the highest compliment a wife can give her husband in their marriage bed."

"We'll if that's the case," Catherine said, starting to calm down and enjoying the residual effects of the convulsion, "let me compliment you again" and with that she pulled him in for another passionate kiss.

Henry never knew that what had always seemed like debauchery coming from his brother could be so incredibly wonderful and intimate with the woman he truly loved and had vowed his life to. He was enjoying everything they were doing but the tightness in his trousers was a constant reminder that there was more than what they had done thus far.

Catherine was enjoying all of these new sensations immeasurably, but she knew there was still more to it than what they had experienced so far. The parts that had kept her awake the night before their wedding. She was desperately curious, but also incredibly terrified at the thought of what was to come.

Henry didn't want to pressure Catherine, but the impending urge in his loins was growing unbearably strong. "Catherine, Catherine" he gasped and he came up for air, "I need a moment."

"Is everything all right, Henry?" She said, breathing heavily herself.

"Unless we proceed further, I'm afraid I need a few moments to compose myself if we are to continue like this." This was an opportunity to voice her thoughts.

"Henry," she started timidly, "I would like to proceed further, but I must confess that the idea both frightens and excites me."

Henry was glad that there was excitement and not just trepidation on her end. "My feelings are the same. Let us take it slowly and we will stop if it becomes too much. Remember, it does not all have to happen tonight. What would you feel comfortable with doing first? Touching me? Seeing me? Or would you prefer me to touch you first?" Catherine was so glad that he felt the same. She liked that he was leading, but taking it at her leave.

"I don't know what to do. I would prefer you to start" Henry only knew what to do in theory. He thought he would start by gently touching her through her scrap of clothing, but he didn't want to go rampaging towards the final goal. He started by gently dragging his fingers softly over her legs. This sent a chill up Catherine's spine that she thoroughly enjoyed.

His fingers were now at her hip, just inches from where she felt moisture pooling. She felt wicked as the sudden desire for him to touch her there came over her. He was hesitant too, but he wanted to touch her in her most intimate place so badly that his reserve failed him as he found himself straying toward the opening. Catherine gasped as she felt his fingers slip over the opening. Her hips moved into his touch and Henry sighed deeply as she met his touch.

Henry had never felt anything so wonderful. The warm, wet sensation was unlike anything he could have imagined. If this is what his wife felt like to his touch, he truly couldn't even think about what it would feel like to his most sensitive appendage.

Catherine's hips continued to move as his fingers stroked and explored. She couldn't even think straight. Her mind had completely been given over to the whirl of new sensations she was feeling. She felt the same strange unintentional contraction of her abdominal muscles and then the incredible feeling swept over her again, this time she moved with the pulsations instead of tensing up and the sensation continued for longer. She giggled in pleasure and smiled wryly at Henry. This was not the same reaction he had last time so Henry didn't know what to make of it until she added, "My compliments to the master of the house" with more pleasure filled giggles. Henry smiled in comprehension and kissed her excitedly, though it was not enough to stifle the giggles.

She started kissing him back animatedly moving her hands all over his body, through his hair, down his back, over his hips and… she paused as her hands brushed the hardness she had felt on her thigh. She bit her lip and looked to Henry as though telling him it was her turn to explore. He nodded with a gulp and guided her hand to the buttons on his trousers. Henry wasn't used to having help and Catherine wasn't used to buttons on the other side of a garment, let alone on a man's trousers. They fumbled together and managed to undo the buttons along one side of the fall, enough to grant Catherine access. Her curious, but hesitant fingers slipped inside to find the source of the hardness she had felt. She gasped as her fingers encountered warm, taught flesh. She blushed furiously, but Henry let out a soft moan as he felt his bride's hand grasp what made him a man.

Catherine was desperate to see what her hand held. She withdrew her hand and placed one hand on each of his hips to push his trousers down. Henry's gentlemanly sensibilities failed him and he tried to get out of his trousers, desperate to extricate himself. He fumbled and ended up getting off the bed and standing to kick off his last garment. He now stood completely naked and fully aroused.

Catherine propped herself up on her elbows and stared, gazing at her husband's body, now fully bared.

Henry couldn't read her face. Was she pleased? Disappointed? Intimidated? Intrigued? He needed some kind of sign, any indication of what she was thinking.

He got his answer after an excruciatingly long moment. Her answer came in the form of an action. She sat up and removed her own last remaining garment, then held out her hand, inviting him back onto the bed.

Henry was only too happy to oblige and moved back onto the bed. They both gently lay down.

Catherine had been so wrapped up in the excitement of all of the new pleasurable experiences of the evening, that she had almost forgotten about one experience she had been most anxious about. Her mother had told her to expect pain, but that it would get better after a while and it would be better than anything she had ever felt before. She knew it must indeed get better because, after all, she did have nine siblings. She was willing to endure any pain if it meant that she would get to experience something that was better than what Henry had already made her feel tonight, though it was hard for her to imagine that it could possibly get better.

Henry caressed Catherine's core again and her eyes rolled back and closed as she enjoyed the sensation coursing through her body. Henry positioned himself between Catherine's legs. She took a deep breath. "Try to relax" he whispered as he kissed her softly. She took another deep breath. Henry was nervous but he wanted this to be perfect and he wanted to cause Catherine as little pain as humanly possible. He thought that the best way to do that was to go as slowly as possible. He poised himself at her entrance and looked to her to make sure she was ready. She nodded and took one more deep breath as he moved to consummate their marriage.