Serenity (The Child Catcher/OC)

Chapter 10

The days seemed to pass by in a flurry, though Mary was appreciative of the work she performed in order to distract herself from the reality at hand. She lived in her own little world when she was in the sewing room. Even at the village, she had never felt so focused, no matter if it was because of who it was for. The seamstress hadn't taken such care of her work since Reuben's project.

It was well into the night and the woman hadn't left the room since lunch. With the catcher out and about she hadn't a reason to leave as he was always the one to drag her away from her work. Her movements were slower, more sluggish in her tired state. She was too close to finishing with the Baron's attire to stop. As always with practically muscle memory, she made final adjustments and corrections, clipping off dangling strings and whatnot.

Mary missed the presence that entered the room, the disappointed yet adoring look across their face. She heard a sigh from behind her and didn't turn to see them, already knowing who it was.

"I'm almost done, I promise." Mary answered his silent plea.

"You shouldn't put your work over your health." The catcher removed his hat and made way to stand beside her to see the finished product.

"How did it go?"

"Found two of them under a bridge." His usual pride was concealed by his own exhaustion. Any other time of the day he would've been boasting about it like a hero, which he was in a way.

"Two?" Reuben nodded. "How old?"

"I believe six and four."

"I don't ever remember seeing so many in such a short amount of time. That would make five in a little over a month."

"It happens from time to time. Nothing is ever consistent when it comes to children." He nearly spat. Mary finally quit fussing over her work and set down her scissors to face Reuben. She offered a weak smile.

"Finished." The man huffed incredulously, biting back a smile before the two of them made their way to his quarters. As Reuben began shedding his layers Mary undid her hair and jewelry, then turned to him. "Reuben?" She called gently and he turned to her as he pulled his cravat over his head. "Can you...?" She motioned to the back of her dress.

Without hesitation he stepped over to her, beginning to untie it in silence. It was a comfortable silence, however, and it was these moments that they seemed to cherish the most. It was a calm break from the chaos of the day, allowing them to wind down and relax, basking in the comfort of one another.

Reuben softly patted her waist when he finished and she thanked him, then made her way to the bathroom to finish changing. Mary made a beeline for the bed when she emerged, burying herself under the covers and closing her eyes for much needed rest. The room dimmed beneath her eyelids as Reuben turned off the overhead light, leaving on a faint lamp on the end table beside the couch as he opened a faded book.

She began to realize that the sheets started to smell like her, and less like the man they belonged to. Either that or it was starting to become a weird combination of the two which she personally didn't mind. It began to make her wonder if they were really together that often, or if anyone else noticed besides the Barons.

She couldn't remember ever having to rely on someone as much as she did Reuben. Not even her own mother. Perhaps it was because of trauma, that her mind would cling to anyone that gave her the time of day. She wondered if it would ever wear off, or if he would grow tired of her. As close as they were now, even with a fresh courtship, she couldn't bear the thought of being away from him. It scared her to even think about the chance of it happening.

Half an hour passed and she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She was exhausted, and the sound of pages being turned occasionally kept her in her sleepy state, but her mind had other ideas as she tossed and turned. Mary opened her eyes and glanced at Reuben. His head rested against his hand, elbow on the arm of the couch with his legs crossed as he continued to read his book.