Christopher Hartley hadn't intended on being a toymaker, but like nearly everything else did in his life, it just happened. It wasn't that he hated his job, no that wasn't it at all, it was that he'd always had much bigger plans for himself. He'd wanted to be an inventor when he was younger; wanted to make machines to make everyone's lives easier. Now he was a toymaker, though it was arguable that he was doing basically the same thing he'd always intended. Toys did tend to make parent's lives easier.
"Papa?" His son, Joshua—or Junior as the Washington family tended to call him—stood on his tiptoes, gripping the edge of the workbench as he tried to stretch up and see. "What are you working on? Can I see?"
Chris laughed, scooping the boy up into his lap before plopping him on his knee. "It's a butterfly, see?"
The boy's brows furrowed and he looked up at his father again. "What does it do?"
"Why don't you turn the windup key in its back and find out?"
"You're sure I can?" He looked up and Chris nodded, stroking his son's head before watching as the boy reached for the delicate metal creature. He turned it over in his pudgy fingers carefully before winding the little key on its back and setting it back on the table. Sure enough, the insect's wings whirred, flapping open and closed slowly.
Joshua stared at it a moment, resting his chin on the table before looking back up at his father. "Wouldn't it be miraculous if it could fly, though?"
"Perhaps one day." Chris smiled and stroked his son's hair again before setting Joshua back down.
"There you two are." Ashley was wiping her hands on her skirt as she came into the workshop. "I thought I might find you up here."
"Mama, mama, look!" Joshua ran to her, grabbing her skirt and pulling her towards the work bench. "Look at the butterfly Papa made!"
Ashley bent down to look at it, watching as the butterfly's wings opened and closed before placing her hands on Chris' shoulders. "It's beautiful, Darling."
"You think so?"
She nodded. "How much do you think it'll go for at the shop?"
"I can't be sure. We'll have to see."
She smiled, kissing his temple before pulling away, taking Joshua by the hand. "Minnie says supper will be ready soon. I came to get the two of you."
"I'll be down in a moment; let me just seal the wings."
"Oh, and Christopher, Darling, a letter came for you today."
His tongue poked from the corner of his mouth as he ran his brush over the wing. "Letter?"
"Eric has it, I didn't bother to ask who it's from." She led Joshua from the room. "Don't make me come back up here to get you; be down soon."
"I promise." He smiled at her over his shoulder before going back to sealing the design he'd painted onto the butterfly's wing.
"Your plate, Master Hartley."
"Oh, you didn't have to go to the trouble of fixing it for me, Minnie." He smiled at her before looking the plate over. "It looks delicious, thank you."
She bowed her head in thanks before heading back towards the kitchen.
Chris had only just taken a bite when Eric brought the mail. "Your papers, Master Hartley."
"Thank you, Eric, just set them there." He took another bite before wiping his hands and reaching to read them over.
"Must you read them at the table?" Ashley asked, taking a sip from her water glass.
"I don't have much other time, Ash."
She sighed and reached to wipe Joshua's face with her napkin. "All finished?"
"Mhm!" Joshua nodded.
"That's my boy." She smiled, cupping his chin. "Minnie, would you run the water for his bath, please? I'll be up to bathe him in just a moment."
"I just got down here." Chris looked up from the stack of mail he was leafing through. "Can't he stay a few more moments? I've hardly seen him today."
"It's getting late, and he has to be up early for his lessons tomorrow."
Joshua got up, crossing the room to kiss Chris' cheek before following Minnie upstairs so he could take his bath.
"You didn't have to do that." Chris picked up one of the letters, opening it with the letter opener he kept in his pocket. "He could have stayed up a few moments more. It isn't even that late."
"You've been so distracted lately." Ashely sighed, folding her hands into her lap. "You're either up in that workshop of yours or reading. You're even reading at the table now."
"In case you haven't noticed, it's a lot of work making money these days. Toyshops are always asking for more, and I'm racking my brain trying to come up with it."
"What was wrong with making toy soldiers?"
"Nothing until children became bored of them." Chris ran his hands through his hair. "They want moving parts. Something exciting. Plus, there are others who can produce and paint toy soldiers for a lot less money at a pace faster than I ever could on my own. Inventing something new is all I've got anymore."
"So, that's it then?"
"I don't exactly see your writing selling either, Ash." He looked up at her before unfolding the heavy parchment in his hand. "I'm trying, alright?"
"I'm trying, too." She blinked hard before looking down at her lap. She got up, leaving half her plate untouched before heading from the room.
"I didn't mean it, Ashley." He stood, but she slammed the dining room door closed behind her. He sighed and sat back in the chair. He still hadn't read the letter.
He looked down at the page, seven words heavily inked into the page:
Please come. We need you.
—J. Washington
He thought it wasn't the best idea to tell Ashely he'd already made up his mind about leaving for the Washington Estate until she'd calmed down a little.
Of course, he hadn't counted on her locking him out of their bedroom either.
"Ashley, please let me in." He rested his forehead against the door. "I've just been under a great deal of stress lately. I'm sorry I upset you."
He heard some shuffling in the room, like she was getting up.
"I didn't mean to be so cross." He shook his head. "Please let me in, Ash."
She unlocked the door and pulled it open so he could only see a sliver of her face. Her eyes were puffy like she'd been crying. "You can be a real ass, you know?"
"You know I don't mean to be." He set his hand against the doorframe, leaning in a little. I this didn't go well and she slammed the door, she might take a bit of his nose off in the process. "I'm so sorry, Dear, please let me come in."
She let out a huff before opening the door and taking a step back so he could come inside. He didn't have time to talk before she had her face buried his chest, arms around his back.
"I'm sorry." Her voice was muffled against his shirt.
She stroked her hair, resting his cheek atop her head. "Whatever for?"
"You've been so stressed. My whining doesn't help." She sniffled before looking up at him. "I need to be better."
"Ash, it isn't—"
She shook her head and buried her face in his chest again. "I had Minnie run us a bath. Joshua's already tucked in."
"We don't have to—"
"I want to." She looked up at him, smiling even though her eyes were still puffy. "Please, let me."
He let her lead him into the bathroom attached to their bedroom. She let go of his hand, rolling her sleeve up before skimming the water with her fingertips. "It's warm, just how you like it."
He smiled. "Minnie's good at that sort of thing."
Ashley nodded, reaching to undo her hair from the knot at the nape of her neck she'd twisted it into. "Would you help me undress?"
Chris cupped her jaw, kissing her forehead before looking into her eyes. "Of course."
She turned around, sweeping her hair to hang over her shoulder, and he undid the buttons that ran down the back of her dress. He slid it from her shoulders, skimming his fingers down her arms as he slid it off of her before reaching to undo her corset.
"I always thought Joshua would be grown before we fought like this." She let out a sigh of relief as he pushed her corset off of her.
"I always thought fighting was a requirement of marriage." He pulled her chemise from her body delicately, scooping up her pile from the floor before going to hang it over the changing screen in the corner. "That's how my parents were."
"I never wanted it to be like that." She undid his tie and the buttons of his shirt, pushing it from his shoulders. "This was supposed to be easy."
"We're adults; it's never easy."
She stopped for a moment, holding his shirt in her hands before looking up at him. "You're right; it isn't."
He pushed her underwear down her legs while she undid his trousers, tugging them off along with his underwear before hanging the last of their garments over the screen. Chris still hadn't gotten used to the idea of being naked around Ashely, even though they'd been married nearly seven years. The times they had been, it was dark in the room. Sure, there were only really candles burning now, but this was still too much light. The glow flickered off her pale curves and dips, and oh god he was blushing. He just hoped she couldn't see.
"Would you like to get in first? I think that might be easier." She smiled, coming close to kiss the corner of his mouth. Their bodies pressed close together. He nodded and she slid his glasses from his face.
He lowered himself into the water, sighing as the warmth curled around him. Ashley was close behind, settling between his legs and pressing her back to his chest, leaning her head back against him.
"This is nice."
He nodded.
They sat curled together like that for a while. Chris wrapped his arms around her middle, closing his eyes and relaxing himself into the water. She ran her fingers over his arm, nuzzling close to him.
"Christopher?"
"Yes?"
"I don't want to be like your parents." She turned to look at him and he opened his eyes. "I don't want to fight so much."
"You think I do?"
"Of course not." She ran her thumb down his chin. "Let's try to be better, alright?"
He nodded.
She kissed him, cupping his jaw. He curled his hand around her wrist, kissing her back. She turned herself around, straddling his thighs. He let go of her wrist, sliding his hands up her stomach.
"Ah…" She gasped, brushing her nose against his. "Christopher…"
He trailed his thumbs against her ribs before looking in her eyes. "…in the bath?"
"We've never tried it before…" she grazed her nails against the back of his head.
He trailed his fingertips down her spine before taking hold of her hips. "Oh, what the hell."
She laughed as he pulled her in for another kiss.
When Ashley woke up the next morning, Chris was already out of bed. She sat up, pulling he sheets up around her bare body, looking around the room.
"Christopher?" She yawned, pulling herself out of bed and pulling on a chemise and a housecoat. She twisted her hair up into a bun and pulled on her slippers, stepping into the hall and looking it up and down. "Christopher?"
"Downstairs!" He called.
She headed towards the staircase, then stopped when she saw Chris standing there, fully dressed, his trunk at his feet.
"Yes, Eric, please take that out to the carriage."
"What's going on?" Ashley came the rest of the way down the stairs. "Are you going somewhere?"
"I'm so sorry, Ash, I meant to tell you last night, but…" he took hold of her hands. "The letter I got was from Josh, asking me to come to Washington Estate. It seemed like it was important."
"What about work?" She raised her brows. "You were just going to go without asking me? Without telling Joshua?"
"Of course, I wasn't. And I've already made arrangements with the store, the have enough trinkets of mine to keep selling for two months, if need be." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "This is Josh we're talking about. He's my best friend."
"The best friend you haven't seen in five years? That best friend?" She sighed and folded her arms over her chest. "I thought last night meant something to you. It did to me…"
"Of course, it did, Ash. Of course." He sat his hands on her shoulders. "Remember we said we weren't going to fight? Josh needs me. The twins need me. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."
She sighed and looked up at him. "You promise, do you?"
He nodded. "As soon as I can."
"Alright." She leaned and sat her hands on his shoulders before kissing the corner of his mouth. "I guess I'll work on my manuscript while you're gone."
"I'm sure it'll be great, Ash." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be back soon."
She let go of his hand as he headed out the front door towards the carriage. "You better."