Robert Sermaise - The fleshly prelude

I myself drew down her dress, after furtively kissing the nude, moist thigh; I myself veiled, with amorous precautions, my beloved's beautiful breasts, so that no harm could come to their fragile, rosy nipples. Then, closely pressed one against the other, we ascended to our rooms. The open window on the landing was already glowing with a phosphorescence which heralded in the approaching end of night.

Therese was leaning on my shoulder and whispered in my ear:

"You have been infinitely tender and deliciously indulgent, my darling. But I implore you not to be disappointed over this first night of our marriage. To me it has been so full of love, — infinitely more beautiful, richer in voluptuousness than all my dreams. Don't you see how I am still all a-tremble through your caresses? — and how madly in love I am with you? I don't know how to tell you all this. But it is with the whole gift of my body that I would thank you."

On the threshold of her room our lips were again united, and then I took refuge in my own bed-chamber.

Therese was standing before me in a state of complete nudity, and laughing so uproariously that her breasts danced up and down. Her very haunches joined in the rhythm. Moreover, her mocking laughter was directed against her husband, for my sole article of clothing was a shirt so short that it barely reached my navel. But her hilarity was above all incited by the pitiable appearance of my virility, which had shrivelled up to a condition of total impotency. She ended, however, by taking pity on me and awakening my sex by a few caresses, after which she threw herself on the bed and began to go through a series of frolics of the most disturbing obscenity. Maddened with lust in my turn, I threw myself upon her, whereupon she slipped away, dashed towards the window, and jumped into space!

A cry escaped from my lips and brought this erotic nightmare to a sudden end. I awoke, covered with perspiration and my sex in a state of erection. Though still heavy with sleep, I resisted the desire to snuggle down under the bed-clothes again. Better get up immediately: a modicum of fatigue would, I decided, certainly do me good.

I had, at first, some difficulty in re-arranging and re-valuing my recollections of the preceding evening. Was it possible that my marriage dated only since yesterday? But soon a dominating, luminous idea came uppermost: the certainty that out of our union I could produce a masterpiece of intellectual and fleshly harmony. I repeated my oath. And though, on two occasions already, I had experienced its fragility, on the other hand, that morning I felt more sure of myself. Measuring the splendour of the goal to be reached, I accepted the trial cheerfully.

For a few seconds I listened behind the door. My wife was still asleep. I waved a kiss to her with my hand and then went to dress myself.

On re-entering my room, my toilet completed, Therese heard me, and began to talk through the partition.

"Good-morning, darling. What time can it be?"

"Nine o'clock. But have another snooze. It was so late when we went to bed."

"No, I want to see you. Come and give me a kiss."

"You think that that is a very obvious thing to do?"

"Clearly, you old and neglectful hubby."

"But the door's locked."

"Liar! — you know very well it isn't."

So I went in and knelt down by the side of the low bed.

I was astonished to find my wife more divinely beautiful than I had pictured her in my mind. Her blond hair, which she had never consented to have cut, lay like a stream of liquid gold on the bedclothes, while the changeful blue of her eyes, that morning, had turned to a deep azure. She was wearing a most chaste night-gown: too chaste to my taste, since it barely left one shoulder and a slight portion of one of her breasts visible.

I gave her a long, long kiss. But when my lips strayed down towards her bosom, which my hand had already reached, she stopped me, with a caressing movement.

"Listen, darling. You must be reasonable this morning. Last night you made me quite crazy, — and my breasts still hurt me a little."

Then, as she concluded, she began to laugh:

"I know a gentleman who is certainly borne down with remorse, and very much disinclined to start again."

On my looking sulky and knitting my eyebrows, she added:

"You don't want to be reasonable? We can profit by the still fresh morning hours to sit in the garden. And this afternoon, when it gets too hot outside, we can take refuge there. You will then find me… as I am now, if you like."

"And you'll try to be pardoned for your naughtiness."

"Yes, bad and exacting man that you are! But on the condition that you go away immediately."

"Why?"

"To let me have my bath and dress myself."

"Upon my word, if that's the reason, I'd rather remain here."

She gave me a little tap on my lips, and then said, smilingly:

"Promise that you'll go away at once, and you shall have a reward."

Without waiting for my promise she uncovered her breasts, one after the other, and presented them to my lips.

Under the dense foliage of the linden-tree arbour, we spent, as foreseen, a most "reasonable" yet charming morning. Therese was a veritable chatter-box, sparkling with wit; and, on several occasions, she spouted long classical passages, or verses by Ronsard, as proud as Punch at being able to show that she knew much more than I did on that score. She appeared to have completely forgotten the look of care which, on the previous night, had sometimes veiled her eyes. When I questioned her on that subject, asking her if she were no longer frightened of her husband, she replied, half-playfully, half-pensively:

"I had no fear on my own account, you know; I was disquieted on account of your love. But I have slept on it, and from to-day onwards it is on you I rely, on your wisdom… or on your folly."

"You have seen, however, that my folly can be obedient to you immediately?"

"Yes. But shall I still have the strength to will that you obey me? At certain moments certainly no longer."

After a short silence, burdened with our combined thoughts, she concluded:

"But you who can perceive better than I do. Think of our love: protect it against the blindness of our desire."

We had luncheon outside. The somewhat ordinary restaurant was, on the other hand, agreeably cool, and so we decided, at first, to dawdle there awhile. But soon a feeling of uneasiness crept over us. Without daring to admit the fact to ourselves, all our thoughts were concentrated on the privacy of our house, — and on the feast of the senses which was to be resumed there. We hurried over the end of our meal and by the beginning of the afternoon were back again.

I advised Therese, in order to make up for her too short night's rest, to get right into bed; and I promised to let her sleep. But she insisted on my remaining with her and, holding me by the hand, led me towards her room. She made me sit down on the edge of the bed, moved towards the bath-room, came back to make me swear that I would not run away, and then disappeared for a short time.

When she returned she had the air of a child, in a long and barely decollete chemise; and this illusion was completed by two thick plaits of hair the shadow of which attenuated the outline of her breasts. I held my arms open to receive her, but she escaped from me and quickly slipped under the sheet, laughing at its momentary freshness.

On the other hand, the room was very warm, the shutters having inadvertently been left open. I ought to have had a care for Therese's repose. Only, a secret joy ascended from my loins. Under the thin sheet, covering my wife, my eyes began to follow with amusement the lines of her body.

"You feel sleepy, dearie?"