Their wedding day finally over after what seemed an endless exercise of both formal Candleford and local Lark Rise traditions, Dorcas and Gabriel Cochrane at last found themselves together in their private quarters - rooms that had previously been Dorcas' alone.
Now, though, the reality of sharing them with Gabriel left Dorcas alternately thrilled and slightly at loose ends. Minnie had pegged him right from the start - a "man's man," and one Dorcas appreciated fully in that regard, even as he supported and, indeed, loved the independent streak running so deeply through her veins.
"He is a man and I am a woman," she'd told Minnie, allowing her hazel eyes to settle on Gabriel's strong yet tender body. Dorcas recalled all the times she'd surreptitiously scanned his physique as he toiled at the forge, sweat beading on his skin as he hammered away at that mysterious machine of his.
His hands… Dorcas imagined them working at more personal, intimate, tender tasks than hammering out gears and cranks. Each night, she'd savored the fantasy of knowing Gabriel's touch. Surely hands so adept at creating intricate machinery were similarly skilled at bringing a woman's body to life in the bedroom.
Now she was to find out whether she'd been right.
For a moment, the two of them merely gazed into one another's eyes.
At length, Gabriel spoke.
"Dorcas…"
But before he could continue, she kissed him hungrily. He responded in kind, pulling her to him with a fierceness that enthralled her.
They embraced in this manner for minutes, raw desire overtaking both of them in the heat of the moment. The rest of the night was a heady mix of heated promises and shared intimacy never to be known to others. It was theirs alone; they savored each minute together.
Sir Timothy was now a distant memory, as was James. The heat of Gabriel's hands searing Dorcas' bare skin drove every other thought from her mind.
At last, as dawn broke, Dorcas and Gabriel lay spent, side by side, her arm flung possessively across his chest as they dozed.
"Sleep well, my love?" she asked drowsily, knowing the answer to the question before ever asking it. Her new husband ran his hands through her thick, curly hair.
"Sleep?" Gabriel teased, his voice soft and thick with masculine satisfaction, grinning as Dorcas nuzzled his neck.