I wonder where he's headed with this. “A bit, why?”

“There's kind of a ridiculous attitude about marital intimacy circling about these days, and I wanted to be sure you weren't confused by it.”

“What would that be?” Get to the point, love, so you can kiss me again.

“Well…” he paused as though considering his words before continuing. “A

small number of people are making everyone nervous by saying—or implying—

that a decent woman ought not to enjoy making love at all, not even with her husband.”

Katerina raised her eyebrows. “Is there any truth to it?”

He shook his head. “None that I know of. I mean, if men want to enjoy passionate relations with women, and adultery is a sin, what option does that leave?”

“Obviously the best one; a happy marriage.” She trailed her fingers over his

jaw, enjoying the prickle of the day's growth of whiskers. “And as you once reminded me, the scriptures are not shy about extolling the virtues of passionate,

married love.”

He smiled, teeth flashing in the darkness, and she could see she'd given the

answer he wanted. “Exactly. I suspect some families, in an attempt to prevent their daughters from being seduced, teach them to fear intimacy altogether, or perhaps even be disgusted by it.”

“That's possible,” she said, pondering. “Also, having barely-willing wives

gives dishonest men the excuse they want in order to be unfaithful.”

His lips twisted. “Perhaps. Well, at any rate, it's not true, and I didn't want you to be swayed by it.”

“You needn't worry about me, Christopher,” she replied, touching her lips to

his forehead. “Even if it were true, I care more for you than I do for the opinions

of those who would best be served to mind their own business. I would rather sin

with you—if it is a sin—than be virtuous.”

“But it's no sin,” he promised her, his silver eyes seeming to stare deep into

her heart. “We're married, so you can rest assured that our lovemaking in no way

damages your virtue.”

“I know that.” She returned his impassioned gaze. “I can feel it.”

“And can you feel this?” He slipped her hand into his lap, below the cover,

onto his straining erection.

She sighed with happiness. “Yes. How lovely!”

“And fortunately, here we are at home. Come along, love.”

He urged her through the icy cold to the door at record speed, and they hurried up into their cozy bedroom where they stripped off their clothing and stretched out on the bed, eager to be close again.

CHAPTER 13

K aterina had never been near a train before and looked doubtfully

at the gigantic metal beast that puffed and snorted ominously at

them through its bulbous smokestack. The black, soot-stained body of the

massive vehicle gleamed dully even with the ribbed and vaulted roof of the station dimming the feeble sunshine. How could such a large and heavy machine

be faster than a horse?

The steam whistle let out an earsplitting screech and she flinched. She wasn't

the only one. Several of the milling passengers jumped at the noise. Christopher

abandoned propriety and wrapped his arm around his wife. This earned them several sharp glances from stuffy-looking matrons, but they ignored them. He guided her up the stairs and found them a seat, quickly stowing their baggage on

racks above their heads before joining her on the threadbare red fabric.

“How are you doing, love?” he asked, concern wreathing his face.

“Well enough,” she replied as she settled back into the seat. “I had no idea trains were so loud.”

“Oh, well anything run on steam is bound to be noisy,” he explained. “It has

to escape, you know? You should hear the cotton mill.”

“May I?” she asked, curious about the work her husband enjoyed so much.

The question made him smile. “If you would like. I wouldn't mind showing it

to you some time.

“I've heard… things about those places,” she said, asking a silent question with pleading eyes.

“No doubt all are true,” he replied grimly, acknowledging how sad factory work was for most employees, “but ours is not like that. Father and I ensure that

our mill is one of the most congenial, best paid and safest. Our employees seem