The Art of the Corset (2017)

Chapter Forty Five- A Choice To Be Made

It had been an hour since Evelyn received the letter that turned her entire world upside down. Not only had it been a surprise, but a tough decision that was in her midst. Clutching the parchment tight in her grasp, Evelyn anxiously awaited the return of Marth as he was due elsewhere for the remainder of the morning. When the doors finally came open, he swept her into him and attempted to seize the moment with a romantic encounter, Evelyn pulled away from his advances.

"My love?"

"There is something we must discuss." With a strong tremble, she handed the letter to Marth as he slowly read each line carefully before slowly shaking his head.

"What are you going to do?"

"I haven't the fainest idea."

"You want to go back to that? That life of...the life before here?"

"The life that brought me here..."

"I didn't think that it was you anymore. I thought you had...I thought you had decided to stay here with me."

"I have young girls counting on me...those who I can change from being women of the night-"

"Do what you must. If you'll excuse me." Growing furious with her conflicted mind, Marth excused himself from the room and left Evelyn alone with her aching heart. The note that now laid upon the ground stated the passing of Madame Belladoux and how she wrote for her estate to then go to Evelyn upon her death. Along with the belongings within and the keeping of the girls. She contemplated what it was that she was meant to do. If she were to stay with Marth, the girls would most certainly die but if she were to go, a part of her would...

It had been nearly ten hours since she had seen Marth last. He had been sitting upon the dinner table with a focused gaze on his steamed fish while Evelyn slowly placed herself at his side. As he did not speak, she collected herself as she could see how his annoyance was still present.

"How was your day?"

Ignoring her with a cruel scoff as he took a sip of his wine and shook his head, Evelyn closed her eyes tight as she tried to muster whatever strength she could in order to talk to him.

"I decided to go." His gaze shot up to her as she could see his jaw was clenched. "I cannot let the girls who I was raised alongside to be rats in the gutter just to stay in a place that I do not know my place in. I have nothing but you Marth, and perhaps not even that."

He glared in her direction. "You believe that you do not have me?" He stood up and went to leave before she followed after him, realizing he had only gone to close the dining room doors. "You make me bloody unhinged, Evelyn. You have from the minute my eyes came across you. I desire to know your every thought and push to make every fantasy of yours to be real...but I cannot condone this. Everything that life made you...everything it had done to you...I can't be associated with that..."

"These girls are my family. I know we haven't spoken in quite a long time, but that's the thing about family-true family...you can go years and when reacquainted it would be as if not a day passed in between..."

"Then you should go. Do what it is that you think should be done. I will not ask you to stay."

"You will not?" She asked with a slight twist of her tone to seem disappointed rather than curious.

"No, because this is who you are-you help people when they need it the most. It is one of the many reasons that I have grown to love you as I do." Tears filled his eyes as he placed his hand on her cheek. "I am to rule this kingdom and cannot do so...what if I took away my throne?" He looked to her with deep focus.

"I would never allow you to do something such as that! You are good for this kingdom! You do so much-"

"And yet, without you I will crumble. Either you stay with me or I go with you."

"I cannot ask you to do that."

"You are not. I am sure there are others well suited for the crown-ones that can care solely for politics and not whatever it is I have been doing. I am evaded war and perhaps that is what we need most...I am not a man with a just heart-I am a man with a stolen one. Every thought I make to do with ruling is done for you. Even when we despised each other's company. Please do not ask me to stay here without you."

"I fear you will regret giving this up for a keeper of harlots."

Placing a chaste kiss softly upon her lips and then pulling Evelyn into a hug, Marth let out a soothing sigh.

"I have lost you once already, twice if we are technical with it. I refuse to allow another to show you affection. Marry me again, Evelyn. Marry me in a grand scheme of it, rather it is the entire kingdom to witness or you and I and the man of God himself. Do not refuse me for I shall become destroyed if you do. But know I also do not wish to force you. Will you be my wife, again?"

Without hesitation, Evelyn slowly began to nod as he picked her up and spun her around before kissing her when her feet touched the ground.

"We can do so very much for all those girls-give them schooling and dowries...something they would never have before. Are you sure you desire this?"

"I never imagined you would sacrifice this all for me."

"I would sacrifice anything...I have as a matter of fact...but I would do it a million times."