𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑆𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑜𝑛-𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒜𝓇𝓉𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒟ℴ𝒹𝑔ℯ𝓇//ʲᵃᶜᵏ ᵈᵃʷᵏⁱⁿˢ

𝙴𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛， 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦．
－𝑀𝐽𝑇

𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑅𝐷

MARY-ROSE HAD ALREADY BEGUN TO INACT HER PLAN and although she may be finding it rather boisterous to dig up any dirty details about the Cracksworth man, she was determined she wouldn't rest this evening without it.

She needed to save her family, even if it were to cost another's.

So the best bet at doing so, was to visit his wife. Luckily, Rosie had been friends with the woman before Darius caused drama in the town, when they were all just a couple of young tomfooling adults.

Mary-Rose places the tea cup down onto the wooden coffee table with a small clink. She was hoping the hot liquid would soothe her stomach, yet it only seemed to make her even the more queasy. "Mrs Cracksworth, are you aware of your husband and his work life?"

"Oh, my Darius tends to keep work seperate from the family, he says it's not a need for us to bother with," she cross her ankle over her knee with a fond smile thinking of her husband. "We don't speak of it inside the house," The woman dressed in a floral dress with white seams smiles behind the biscuit she'd brought along with her to sit down. She hadn't spoken to Mary for months before this evening and she was rather enjoying the company due to the solitude within the Cracksworth home since her husband was more absent than present.

"Of course of course," The Budel woman tried to think of the right approach to the troubling concept. Swallowing she tried to keep the pot in her stomach from falling too far. She wasn't feeling too well. "What exactly does he do, to be exact?"

"I understand he seeks overdue payments on behalf of the Governor, is that what you're asking?"

Mary hums in thought. That could quite possibly mean Darius has kept the job secret for a reason. It's not particularly a dangerous job for the family. Even if it was, she was sure Darius wouldn't care about the consequences his wife would suffer, he seems to have no problem with other people who receive his wrath either way.

"Is Darius absent from home on a regular basis?"

"He's a busy man, looks after this house the best he can," Mary wasn't sure who the other woman was trying to convince, herself or her. But surely Darius couldn't deceive his wife of nearly a decade, surely she was the slightest of concerned for her husband's antics of late nights and days of not returning home. Mary knew if Jack ever even thought of undergoing such a thing, she'd have plenty of her own questions for the man.

"You're not even the slightest bit unsure on how or why your husband disappears for days and returns home without a word?"

She thought for a moment, thinking back on the earlier evening. Mrs Cracksworth frowns. "I suppose some of his methods are questionable."

"Does he ever, I don't know, smell, differently?"

Mrs Crackswortb freezes, she wasn't expecting that question. How did the simple greeting turn into an accusative interview? "Well, I mean sometimes he smells rather like, something like a bitter sweet sort of scent?"

"Is he ever come home disheveled on frequent occasions?" She leaned forwards, determined to get even the slightest bit of intel from the woman across from her. Mary didn't want to be rude, but to ensure the safety of her family, she needed to work at all angles and to see every possible opportunity. "Maybe talks to other women?"

"Mary, are you suggesting something?"

She shakes her head profusely, her blonde curls bouncing with the action. "No no, of course not," she tried to think of an excuse. "I'm just inquisitive."

"Well, I'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave," Mrs Cracksworth gets up from the sofa, her hands on her hips. "I've got quite a few things to do this evening, and unfortunately this isn't one of them. I'll see you out."

Mary follows the woman to the front door where she steps out onto the cobbled pathway. "Thankyou for the tea, Julia."

"Thankyou for your company, Mary," she crosses her arms with a stern look, her back leant against the wooden chipped doorway. "But one more thing. I'd suggest to keep your nose out of others' business if you knew what was good for you. You hear me, Miss Budel."

"I'll consider it."

With those three words, Mary-Rose was on her way down the hustling and bustling of Wilson Terrace, her mind refusing to wonder anywhere but the information she'd gotten from her friend. She tried to ignore the uneasy feeling that had washed over her, she hadn't drank too much today so she chocked it all down to dehydration.