Just Fluff and Stuff

Stuck in the Middle

"Knee him in the balls, that should put a damper on his ardour." The woman declares snidely.

"Nay, Not him. He pads his codpiece too much to feel it. Best to just laugh at him until he goes away." The other ladies tittered their amusement and continued their embroidery.

"Madame. A word." The deep voice disturbed the ladies enough to look up from their task. She grimaced and got up from her seat, laying her piece on the small table next to her.

"What do you want?" She says to him shortly as they stand in the hall out of ears reach.

"First off, please refrain from insulting my guests in public." He replies. She snorts at him.

"Keep your guests from molesting mine and I will stop insulting them." She retorts. He sighs and looks away.

"I need you to arrange a dinner for next week. I will have the guest list sent to you later this afternoon." He says resigned. She purses her lips but nods.

"Fine. Make note if there is anything you want during the meal." She turns away to rejoin her friends and he stops her with his last words.

"Could you at least pretend to like me?" He is watching her stiff form as she freezes.

"Why? We don't have to like each other to be married. Besides, I don't insult you like I do them. I tolerate you. That's the best I can do right now." She sniffs and goes back into the room full of women. He stands a moment longer, processing her words. He sighs again to the empty corridor and goes back to the great room.

*

"Stop flirting with him. If you know what's good for you then you'll keep to your lady's company, understand?" He was angry and crowded her to the wall. She glared at him and sniffed.

"Fine. Then keep to your gentleman's company. Just because you are a man doesn't mean I will stand for you fucking any woman in my house. The moment you married me it became MY house." She growled at him.

"Wrong. It is my house that you have the privilege of living in. Until you act like these people are yours and this place actually matters, it will not be yours." He rejoins. She turns her head away and shakes her head.

"Who do you think had a choice in this? You think it was easy to be forced into this?" She huffs. He laughs, a tired and insulting sound hardly from amusement.

"You think I had a choice either? You are living in a dream world Catherine. Your father didn't leave either of us a choice. I am trying to make the best of it. I can't do that if you won't try too. I don't care why we married, I just want to keep living my life as best as I know how." He stroked her cheek and she closed her eyes.

"I was in love." She looked at him now with so much pain and he pulled her into his arms.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry. I can't help that right now." He kisses her head and hugs her tightly as she sobs. Her strong frame seems suddenly fragile. Her strong front crumbled before him. He feels her misery but truly knows they are trapped.

"I don't hate you." She finally mutters against his chest. He nods.

"I'm glad. I don't hate you either." He smiles as she huffs a laugh into his chest. She snuggles in to him and he just spends this moment hugging her, comforting her.

"I'll try. I can't promise I will be perfect, but I will do my best." She says as she pulls away minutes later.

"Thank you." He bows to her and leaves her to stare after him.