From This day Forth By Rosa17
AN: Scene to tie in with Tell me the story Chapter 4 Part 4
Ross lay in bed with the comfortable weight of Demelza's head resting sideways on his chest as he stared up at the ceiling feeling replete and wondering why he had not thought of taking his mind off his broken heart sooner.
Demelza broke the silence between them. "Folks will wonder and not understand. I don't rightly understand."
"What?" Ross broke out his thoughts. His tone was more abrupt than he intended but Demelza was used to his ways his moods now.
"How it came to happen…..us…..we."
"You are not required to understand. You are required to accept it as a fact of life." He elaborated, and it was a fact of life, it had been on the verge of happening for some time, clearly people knew and did not approve of his kitchen wench living up at the house without a proper housekeeper, Prudie did not quite fit into that role. Even the vicar of Sawle had commented on his marital status some time ago and knew of the gossips of his own class disapproving. Well he for one didn't care, he would rather a wife he got along with, who understood him and didn't make demands on him that he was unable to give than some gently reared young lady whose expectations he could never meet. That and the fact Demelza was so different from Elizabeth that she didn't remind him of her on a daily basis. He and Demelza worked well together, conversed together, laughed together, she encouraged him when he thought he could not go on and he had nurtured and cared for her providing in a manner which her family could not. Her family, he hadn't meant it that day when he told her to go back to her father, of course that was out of the question, he had been drunk, upset about Jim and riled beyond his bearing, and now here he was with his new wife in their bed. He hoped it would be forever, that he could believe in forever, that their friendship and companionship was enough to build a marriage on. Good marriages had been built on less after all.
"So is it to be a secret," she ventured softly uncertainty in her voice of her station now in his life.
"Why should it?" He looked down at her the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. She rolled off him and propped herself up with her elbow. Reaching our he let his index finger trail down the side of her face before he cupped her head and drew her close to him, their lips touched and he levered her closer still, deepening and lengthening the kiss. He didn't want to think anymore, hell he didn't want to talk anymore, he just wanted to feel her, touch her, make love to her until they both fell asleep exhausted.
0000
He had on his mind the next day that if their marriage was not to be a secret and it wasn't, that he at least should inform his family before they found out from the gossip of the servants, via Prudie and Jud who no doubt would be tittering the news across Cornwall this day. He rode out to the Poldark mine and set about on foot when he heard that Francis was at the engine house. He came upon Francis walking towards him his mouth in a grim line and Ross wondered whether Francis had heard his news already.
"My father send you?" His tone was curt.
"Why would he?" Ross shrugged, not retaliating on Francis' sour mood, perhaps he had lost at cards again.
"Read me the riot act, tell me what I'm doing wrong, or was it my wife huh? She think I'm falling short off the mark?"
"Is she right to be concerned?" Ross enquired, he knew of course that Francis had been keeping bad company and that Elizabeth was indeed concerned about the situation.
"What she doesn't know won't hurt her." Francis bit back anger bubbling on the surface.
"What she suspects might," Ross informed him gently, hoping that was enough to make his cousin consider his actions, but knowing perhaps it would not.
"Gaming, whoring, what gentleman doesn't occasionally indulge?" Francis added for good measure.
"This one," Ross' lips tweaked in a smile as he looked up the path towards the cliff top.
"Since when?" Francis was disbelieving of his cousin and Ross realised he must seem to be acting out of character somewhat.
"Since my wedding." Ross replied, there was no point in delaying the news any longer and he felt another smile coming on as he witnessed Francis' bemused and startled expression flick across his face.
"Who?"
"Demelza." Ross knew there was a hint of pride and happiness in his tone and Francis clearly disregarded this and blundered on.
"Your kitchen maid….. But Ross surely you must see…with such a wife… you cannot hope to have entry into any respectable gathering…..You will cut yourself out of society, consign yourself top…."
"A life of peace and seclusion?" I must try to bear it as best I can," he smiled broadly at his cousin who was still flabbergasted. "May I leave you to share the glad tidings at Trenwith?" He grabbed Francis' shoulder in a brotherly fashion and not waiting for a response ambled back up the hill satisfied that he had delivered the news with a punch. He walked away with a smirk, it had felt good to see the astonishment on Francis' face, drop him down a peg or two, Ross didn't hold for the way his cousin was treating Elizabeth.
Elizabeth. While it pained him to see her mistreated, ignored, belittled, spurned and hurt. It didn't carry the same pang in his heart that it once did when he thought about her as the wife of his cousin. What he thought about instead was his fiery headed wife waiting for him at Nampara. Although Demelza would not be waiting idly. He gave a wry laugh to himself, she would be baking and cooking and cleaning and helping with the animals and in the field. Ross smiled again, fondly this time as he imagined her face as he walked through the front door later that day. That was the reason he was getting him through the day, gave him a meaning to get up in the morning, to work in the day and a place, a home to go back to at night. His wife. Demelza.