Tender Cruelty ~ A Ratigan Romance

P13

Tʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ: Nᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴏ Rᴇᴛᴜʀɴ

Time had passed in isolation from London but in a curious kind of bliss for Rowena. Though she might have begrudged Ratigan's desire for her departure at first, the dear Captain Doran was ever at her side. They had found a comfortable cottage in the South Downs where many town dwellers holidayed in the summer and envied the rural life. For Rowena, it was certainly a different place to live and a different kind of thinking as the locals did not care for species as much as what someone did as their job. Swiftly the female rat had a job in a village hall as a cleaner along with a few other mice and rats that were all talkative and exciting.

The cottage sat on the outskirts of the village overlooking the downs on the edge of a sheep paddock; Doran busied himself during the day by collecting loose wool strands or working on predator traps. Within a week, they'd become celebrated in the village when Rowena had bashed a weasel about the head with a cooking pot and Doran had wrestled a stoat! They had many friends and for once Rowena felt quite sure she was in the right place. Issues over Padraic and Basil' were not known out here and though Doran kept an ear open for trouble, Rowena was content to ignore the papers and instead waited for letters. Letters from Ratigan were frequent, charming and on some occasions rather blunt with his desire for her or his caution regarding Doran.

He was indeed a jealous lover and though Rowena kept her first name on arrival, she had Doran had adopted the surname of Grey-Whisker and unfortunately, they had been assumed newlyweds straightaway. They'd been too worried about getting caught out that they'd accepted this to be the situation and Ratigan always made a complaint of it in the first line of every letter. But the captain never lay a paw on Rowena, keeping his distance in the manner that was deemed morally appropriate for the time. In fact, there were many who joked with Rowena that her husband, Doran, must be a very impassioned male when in private quarters due to the way he always looked at her with longing. It always made Rowena blush but whenever she would start to wonder about her relationship with Doran, the professor always arrived to visit.

As far as anyone was concerned, he was being titled Rowena's brother and this allowed him to walk around and talk to her freely without any concerns or suspicion, but it made Doran clearly uncomfortable. Of course, the ladies at the church hall made amusing comments after each visit about how exciting it must be once the brother was gone to stifle her very private partner. Sadly though they could hardly imagine how opposite the situation was for Rowena, every time he came to visit she was inside nearly all the time, lounging on the bed with him and purring at the sounds of his voice and desperate for him not to leave. He spent all the time talking about his plans, explaining all his interesting ideas with her and then making sure she knew how much he adored her.

Even Doran commented on how unique that was... Padraic never cared about anything other than taking over as much as he seemed to care about her! The jealousy between the two male rats was obvious, but for Rowena, there was only love for the professor. He always seemed to arrive to see her looking uncomfortable and frustrated at another foiled scheme thanks to that damned mouse, but he would leave clear in thought and relaxed. She began to realize that this was the reason he had told her to go to the country so that he never had the fear that he would bring trouble to her again.

By the end of the fourth year, there was odd talk in the village regarding Rowena and Doran, whispers and questioning rumors that bothered her greatly whenever her slender ears caught a snippet of it. From what the locals had expected from a newly-wed couple, there was usually a baby by the end of the first year, but Rowena had not produced anything. As a rat she was expected to produce a decent brood within the first few years of her marriage and yet nothing had happened. Doran had the rumors too and he heard a few things that questioned the constant visits of the professor, who was being called a doctor in front of the strangers. Suddenly there were thoughts that Rowena was a female with a very unfortunate problem and the single female rats in the area, had started to get a little too fascinated in the captain....

Rowena knew that there was pressure on her to have a baby and after four years she had begun to ponder about whether there was a problem with her or whether it was with her partner. She'd begun to growl and bite her lip at the thought of not being able to have a child, she began to look at all the village babies forlornly and it only made the whisperings of the locals worse. In the city there had been no expectation like that, she had never really thought of that kind of thing... but here it seemed your wealth was measured by your children and their success over your own prowess. Rowena could hardly accept it, but then she decided that there must be some way to deal with this. There must be some way she could have a child and... if Ratigan did not want a child with her... well, the Captain was pretending to be her husband after-all and it would make the situation less suspicious.

When she next got a letter to respond to from Ratigan, she noted how he had written in a vexing tone, as if he had been swearing over his shoulder at someone not doing their job. It was usually Fidget and every so often a splat of the ink pen indicated where he'd paused to actually yell. She was amused that she could read such situations in the manner of his letter when he wrote only of good things and on this occasion, had included a rather hefty sum in a parcel of gifts that had been to soothe her anxiety about him not being with her. In response to it, Rowena put forward her wish quite firmly in a simple letter that she hoped would make the point clear in its single sentence.

His response was oddly abrupt and came as a shock....

Rowena had been quite happily walking through the churchyard with the local vicar that lunchtime, enjoying her talk as Doran had been out in the pub with his new friends. She had just come in view of the gate when she'd spotted the dark cloaked figure standing in the way, glowering at her as if he were about to leap out and throttle her with his mind. Rowena had jumped rather swiftly in surprise and urged the vicar to look towards the large rat with a slight whimper of dismay. He looked petrified as Ratigan had strolled out with his cane towards them, a cold smile upon his face as he greeted the vicar before he ushered Rowena, he pretend sister in this meeting, to come straight to her cottage with him.

The vicar had been quite concerned and automatically questioned the health of "Mr. Greywhisker", which had encouraged a snarl and sneer from the professor before he'd put on a false smile and given a soft chuckle. He'd managed to convince the fellow it was a matter of their parents' inheritance that needed to be discussed urgently and the figure made no motion to say anything more. Rowena had no choice in the matter or permission to talk as she was grasped rather roughly and beckoned to move. She had insisted he was rushing her and then when he mentioned her letter, she had started to pick up her feet. The vicar's ears had strained to listen, gossip being one of his great pleasures but he noticed the sudden look of delight on Rowena's face at the mention of the letter and he was oddly reassured. Perhaps it was indeed something so simple as a muddle in inheritance... lawyers were taxing individuals after-all.

But no sooner had Rowena been rushed into the house then Ratigan had made a point to close all the curtains, to keep away from view of anyone... though there were no neighbors or walkers to interrupt. Indeed Rowena was so startled by the reaction that she almost dared to question what he was doing until he'd grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the bedroom. Once in there he had locked the door, closed the windows and Rowena had sat trembling on the bed in fear as the professor had removed his cape, his hat and been left in only his undershirt and trousers before he'd settled down on the bed beside her. He then lunged, pinning her with a squeak to the bed as his lips had slammed against hers, his hands keeping her shoulders down as he seemed to lean over her and growl as she blushed and shirked his furious eyes.

"My dearest Rowena... I was quite startled by your letter and more than a little vexed!" He practically spat, his claws seeming to stretch and snatch tightly within her flesh, making her whimper slightly in fear. She had not implied that she had wanted a child with anyone else, but she worried that he might have become jealous of the captain, simply because of the guise they had chosen. It would not be beyond the professor to be so angry about such a thing, to assume such, after-all the situation with Basil had quite startled Rowena when it had occurred, but on this occasion, she had not been thinking of another male. As he had shaken her gently and hissed at her, she had dared to spin her tail about to whip his legs sharply and make him drop her with a yowl before she had straightened herself and swiftly snatched him by the collar of his shirt. She was not going to be bullied by him, not when he was the one being ridiculous and fantasizing something stupid.

"My darling Padraic... obviously, you did not understand the message. I have asked you, for one thing, one final thing I wish more than anything else you have dared to flatter me with and I do not want anyone else to assist in the production of such a thing but you. Is that clear? Is it understood that I want a child with you... I'm not asking you to stay with me and raise it, merely that you give me the one thing that will help me bear your absence." She felt foolish for daring to say such things or indeed produce a tone so aggressive as she had grasped him, but it had encouraged him to pull his hands from her side and standstill. Indeed, with her seeming to take charge of a rather smug expression had scrawled across his face and he had practically purred at the way she was 'demanding' he give her a child. Knowing this, Rowena had been swift to try and turn the situation into something gentler as she had kissed his cheek tenderly, stroked his face and then sighed pitifully. Her sad sigh had removed the smug expression and he'd actually looked a little concerned. "Forget it then... it's obvious you just don't understand what an honor it would be for a lady like me to have something so precious as a child claiming heritage to the Great Professor Ratigan."

This had an even more curious effect on the professor, he adored praise when it was given and to know it would indeed be something important, he was almost convinced to think about it. Rowena had been honest of course, for her, there was nothing more important in life than to have a child to pass on her stories and blood to the future... to gain immortality in raising something so wonderful. She moved away from him, settled upon the bed and produced a miserable groan of dismay before she rolled onto the bed and then stared up at the ceiling. She knew that the professor had intended to indulge her in his passions, but she was quite sure any excitement and romance in the matter were lost by his seeming aggression.

"What would be so wrong in me having your child anyway? I have not asked you to marry me, I have not insisted you share your everything with me... I have only given you the space you have requested and yet you treat me as if I am a burden. Am I a burden to you these days my love, do I still have any importance to you save an outlet for your pleasures?" Rowena sighed as she remained on the bed, suddenly becoming miserable as she questioned him over his unwillingness and indeed their relationship. She had at first assumed that his urgency to take her to this bedroom had been to agree with her, to thank her for the opportunity to have a child or indeed to take the opportunity to indulge himself as much as any other time. But she could hardly imagine what was bothering Ratigan, or indeed why he was so upset.

In truth, Ratigan was thinking about what he had experienced in his previous life within the confines of man and the cruelty he had endured as well as the services expected of him there. He had been encouraged to have children before and witness them all perish young to the whims and fascinations of creatures with no more regard for life than they had for the pollution they pumped into the air. Ratigan had been forced into such encounters, made to think he was nothing more than a monster and they encouraged the feral streak that wounded his heart so greatly and haunted his dreams. But Rowena haunted those dreams all the more, calmed his feral nature and more than anything else she was so very dear to him... so why did she want to hurt him by making him father a child?

"Do you have any idea of what you're asking me? I'm not a young mouse my dear, I am in my later years and certainly not the kind to show affection to any bastard child I might produce." Padraic growled, suddenly rubbing at his temples as he clenched his teeth together and tried not to howl out in his frustrations at the memories that bounced within his head. Why did she want this of him? Why had she wanted him at all? He was a worthless creature, ruthless and seething with hate for the world that had permitted his torture before rejecting his intelligence for the simple matter of his species! As he groaned and grumbled over the matter, Rowena could see that he was stressing and she was pulled out of her depressive malaise by the desire to go over and comfort him.

"Dearest... dearest... I am not expecting it of you." Rowena swung herself off the bed, rushing over to his side and swiftly hooking her arms about him in a firm embrace. He groaned at the soppiness she was showing him until she kissed at his lips again before stretching her hands up to rub at his temples for him. Her actions were more soothing, more affectionate and easing than any of his own and with a soft grunt of appreciation, he took her hands for his forehead and brought them to his lips in a gentle kiss. Rowena continued to stare at him in a loving manner and then she breathed another gentle sigh before kissing his cheek again. "All I want is a part of you and me that will carry on... a child that I can raise in safety and in ignorance to the torment you have suffered. I do not want to bring something into this world that will be suppressed or forced into the slums... out here there is no such prejudice and no mouse to chase his tail."

"Perhaps you're right my dear... perhaps you are indeed correct in thinking that we should consider the future more carefully." Padraic sighed, feeling guilty and at the same time still unhappy over it all. He had no idea if he could ever father a child at his age, but would it hurt to try when she was so determined? With a soft sigh, he had kissed her firmly in return before lifting his hands to stroke at the soft fur of her body. She was such a unique, pretty thing and he was so fascinated by her strange coloration and her gentle nature. She really was determined, as she had been in other things and he was happy for it... envious perhaps that her wishes could be so small and simple, so why deny them? "If you wish for a child then you shall have one."

"Thank you my darling... I appreciate it so much and I love you so very much." Rowena sighed gently before slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt and encouraging him to settle upon the bed alongside her. Indeed, there was very little more to discuss between them as they settled into a frenzy of kissing, stroking, apologies and other rolling emotional movements to soothe the other's dismay and reignite the affection that lay between them. Whether it would indeed become successful was unpredictable, but Rowena was sure that something had been achieved and indeed, she ensured that there was no chance for him to leave her unsated during this visitation.

Within a month or so of this encounter, Rowena was quite sure of the motions of her body and the possibility of a pregnancy by the time she next met her love. Padraic had not wanted to encourage her to hope over the situation too much, but it was clear he was fond of the thought of a child. Even Doran was pleased to see that this little fake family of his would not be disturbed by the presence of a child or indeed by the professor and during this visit some interesting plans were laid out. By the time it was over with, Rowena bade farewell to her love and pondered over the great scheme within his mind now... a scheme that would come to fruition roughly about the time the child would be due. Indeed, Rowena could only imagine how exciting it might be to inform a child that their sire was the royal consort....