Debutante || BRIDGERTON

[19]: Oceans Apart

1813 ― Clyvedon Manor

The next morning, Sienna sat at the pianoforte. The maidservants noticed how quickly she was playing the song, but Sienna always played the pianoforte faster when stressed. She and her husband have not spoken since last night's argument after she tested him. She had been tempted to stay on top of Simon even after he said "wait," but she also knew that if that moment had gotten her pregnant, she wouldn't have wanted to bring a child into this world out of spite, and that's why she got off of him. But Sienna was also so angry at Simon that she didn't know if she even wanted to have children with him, let alone stay married. Well, she knew she had to stay married to him, divorce was unacceptable unless the circumstances were dire.

A gunshot interrupted her and she stopped playing.

She turned to the door and saw Simon was outside shooting, so she decided if he wanted to interrupt her, she was going to interrupt him as well. She stood up from the bench, walked over to the door, and opened it. Simon turned around and saw Sienna in the door, but then he turned back to his gun and the field.

Sienna started playing again at the same quick tempo and loud enough for Simon to hear because it broke his concentration from his shot, but he continued anyway. BUt because of Sienna's playing, he kept missing the pigeons he was shooting at. His gunshots no longer threw Sienna off, she continued to play and Simon continued to miss his targets.

Sienna slightly slowed down, but then she quickly picked the tempo back up again, and her playing only got more intense with each shot that Simon took until he took his last one and she played her last note and let out a deep breath.

She was still angry.

⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎⇎

Later that night, Sienna and Simon sat at opposite sides of the dinner table in awkward silence. Sienna could feel how tense it was in the air between them. Anyone could cut the tension with a knife. Sienna let out a deep breath and turned to the side to look at one of the butlers. "Would you please ask Miss Nolan if my personal effects have yet been removed from the duke's bedchamber and placed in the duchess's rooms?" Sienna asked. That's where she slept last night after she stormed out on Simon. The butler nodded at her.

"Would you please inform Her Grace that I will allow no such thing?" Simon responded and Sienna scoffed.

"Should I really deliver the message, Your Grace?" One of the butlers asked since Sienna was sitting in the same room as him and she obviously heard what Simon had said because she looked up when he did.

"You cannot believe I shall welcome you back into my bed after your lies and deception?" Sienna said to him as she took a sip of her wine.

"Rest assured. Marital relations are the least of my concerns after your recent efforts." Simon said as he drank his wine and Sienna rolled her eyes. She never cared that it wasn't ladylike.

"Then for what other purpose could you possibly wish to detain me?" Sienna asked and Simon slightly slammed his chalice down on the table.

"Because you are my wife." He snapped and Sienna slammed her chalice down as well.

"It is customary for a wife to reside in her own bedchamber once the honeymoon is over... a time that has well and truly passed, would you not agree?" Sienna asked as she looked at him. Their honeymoon phase ended as soon as Rose explained to Sienna how women come to be with children and she put together Simon's deception.

"I will be kept informed as to the success of your conjugal endeavors," Simon said and Sienna rolled her eyes.

"What conjugal endeavors? I got off of you before you could finish. I would never bring a child into this world out of spite. You say you do not want one, well frankly, you do not deserve to have one." Sienna snapped at him. Simon's eyes slightly narrowed, but before he could say anything, Mrs. Colson walked into the room.