While she was finishing her bath, he stepped out for a paper. It occurred to him as he walked down the street that it was the first time he'd been out in public as a married man. He wondered if he looked any different. He certainly felt so. More important. More grounded. More a part of the world around him. He had someone for whom he was solely responsible. The happiness of the most important person in the world was in his hands. And he felt supremely up to the task.

Whistling softly, he entered the shop and asked after the paper. The shopkeeper smiled knowingly, but not unkindly, at the newlywed.

"And how is Mrs. Carson?" the man asked.

For the briefest of moments, Mr. Carson wondered why the man was asking after his long-dead mother. But then, with a proud smile, he answered.

"Very well, thank you. Yes, very well, indeed." He seemed almost to be speaking to himself as he trailed off happily.

The shopkeeper's smile widened, and it was fortunate for him that Mr. Carson's mood was such that he did not notice the good-natured impertinence of the younger man.

Upon arriving at his home, Mr. Carson found his wife cleaning their kitchen, dressed for the day in an outfit he'd never seen before. It was a light yellow dress that fit snugly against her corset. She looked as lovely as he'd ever seen her.

Turning, she greeted him with a smile. Still flushed and slightly embarrassed from their time together in the bathroom, she made a deliberate effort to set the discomfort aside, placing her trust in him. Without looking, he set down the paper and his hat. And walked over to her, gathering her in his arms.

"You're looking very lovely today, wife," he stated before kissing her.

She thought to pull away after his kiss, but then he had started to kiss her neck and her thoughts were occupied by trying to remember how to breathe.

"I don't know if I should get used to such praise," she laughed.

Absently, he said, "You'll have to."

He sighed as they separated.

"Well, what would you like to do with the rest of our day?" he asked.

"I think that I would like to laze about, read a novel while you read the paper, lie on the sofa and lay my feet in your lap."

"Delightful," he agreed.

After puttering about the house for a while and making dinner, they'd done just that. He'd abandoned his paper rather quickly after discovering the captivating diversions that were her feet and legs. While she attempted to read, he caressed her calves and rubbed her feet. He was learning the sensitive parts of her skin and committing to memory what made her moan and set her book down on her chest.

A thought occurred to him and he asked,

"Was this why you wanted this extremely large furniture?"

She opened her eyes slightly to look at him and answered,

"Of course." And closed her eyes again.

After a moment of silence, he said,

"You are far cleverer than I will ever be."

She sighed. "It is a heavy burden to bear." And then let out a squeal as he tickled her feet.

"Or perhaps not so clever after all?" he asked with false concern, needing a massive effort to keep from laughing.

She laughed while she tried to dislodge his hands from her feet. After a few moments, he relented and pressed his thumbs to the soles of her feet in loving apology for his antics. Not in the least displeased, she sighed happily as she enjoyed a foot rub from her husband.

After several minutes of loving attention, he looked up to see her eyes closed and a frown on her face. As he watched, a tear slipped out from under one her closed eyelids.

Concerned, he shifted his hands to her knees and asked,

"Elsie? What is it?"

She opened her eyes and sat up next to him. She flung her arms around him and held tight.

"Charles," she began, "I love you. So very much. I have for a very long time, I think. And when you asked me to marry you, I...hardly let myself dream that it would be like this. I'm so grateful. So very grateful."

A feeling of drugged contentment flowed through him at her words.

"I love you, too," he said.

She pulled away and laughed lightly.

"If anyone had told me one year ago that I would be in your arms while you told me that you loved me, I would never have believed it."

He gazed at her for a few moments before saying,

"It's getting late."

"I know," she exclaimed, "I'm not tired at all!"

"Having slept the morning away will do that to a body," he said.

"True," she agreed happily.

"Perhaps we should go to bed anyway," he suggested reasonably.

In answer, she rose and took his hand. Together, they walked to their bedroom. Where he discovered that beneath her new dress was a new corset.

And that she nearly flew off the bed when he kissed the backs of her knees.