The Art of Being a Gentleman

Chapter 7

The first day of October brings slight wind, a dark gray sky, and heavy rain. It ruins Harry and Victoria's original plan to spend the afternoon at the park, so Harry suggested that they'd eat at a cozy little coffee shop right at the edge of town. Victoria hates coffee with a passion and doesn't appreciate the smell of it, but she agrees to go with a pageant smile plastered on her face. Harry, of course, could see right through the act, but he didn't say a word about it.

They're sitting on a sofa at the corner of the shop, soaking up the casual and laid back ambiance. Victoria is absorbed in her latest novel, which is a bit more depressing than her usual fluff, and Harry is discreetly texting Louis as he sips his coffee.

Harry: Are things getting any better with your mother?

Louis: No.

Harry: Sorry love :( Want me to come over?

Louis: Don't piss off the beauty queen by cutting your date short

Harry: Fuck that. If you need me i'll be there.

Louis: Hoorah. Chivalry isn't dead...

Harry frowns at the bitter sarcasm that's evident in Louis' texts, feeling useless for not having the ability to make things better for his lover. For the past two weeks, Louis has been in hot water with his mother. He won't tell Harry the entire story of what happened, but from what Harry can gather, Louis said something to her that he probably shouldn't have said. Harry knows for sure, though, that the problem doesn't involve him. Marie wouldn't keep allowing Louis to come over to the manor if that was the case.

"Darling," Victoria whispers, instantly gaining Harry's attention. "You seem stressed. Is everything alright?"

Harry nods. "Everything's fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"You can tell me anything, you know," She says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to spend the rest of our lives together, you can trust me with anything that's troubling you."

"Nothing's wrong," Harry insists, leaning away from her touch.

Victoria tries not to let her face show just how much Harry's rejection hurt her, but she doesn't do a great job of it. Harry suddenly feels guilty, remembering what Evelyn said about Eli, how his notorious lack of emotion and ability to open up saddens her. Harry doesn't want to be like his brother or any other man that makes his wife feel lesser in any way. He wants Victoria to be happy, not unappreciated, useless, or miserable like other wives that stroll around Alton. He takes her hand and gives it a squeeze, lifting it up to his lips to give it a gentle kiss, the first kiss he's ever laid on her skin.

Victoria's cheeks flush as she looks away from Harry. "Th-That was lovely. Thank you."

Harry smiles. "I promise that nothing is wrong, love. My mind is just going in a thousand different places at once."

She bites the inside of her cheek, obviously thinking about something she doesn't want to think about. "Are you... unsure?"

"About..."

"Us," She clarifies. "Are you unsure about us?"

"Of course not," Harry scoffs, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "I want nothing more than to be your husband. That is something you can put your faith in."

Victoria faces Harry, her expression wary. "Are you sure? Even after the, you know, incident at the pageant?"

Harry scoots closer to her and wraps his arms around her torso. "We all have our bad days. Nothing to worry about."

Victoria grows still in his arms before she returns the hug and buries her face in his shoulder. The rigid state of her body tells Harry that she's trying to hold back an emotional breakdown, but he doesn't comment on it, mostly because she wouldn't want him to.