The Convenient Wife: what if?

After Arthur's death on "The Empress of Ireland", Ariadne is left a penniless widow. With nowhere to go, she and her daughter Olivia are dependent on the care of her late husband's cousin, Mr. Eames. But when other relatives, war and romantic rivals come to Blue Rivers, her lingering stability is threatened.

An Inconvenient Husband

Part I

The New Beginning

~ Blue Rivers ~

~ June 1913 ~

1.

"Yes, well you are home. I suspect Ariadne was glad to see you. You two were always close." Arthur observed as he helped himself to more Sake.

Eames said nothing. He knew what his cousin was getting at.

"Too close. I think." Arthur mussed as the Sake seemed to make his tongue more lose.

"I don't know what you mean, cousin." Eames said at last.

"Well, let me clear it up for you. I saw Ariadne returning to the house today with her dress rumpled and her corset and underthings in her hands. You followed her a few minutes later. Now tell me, Mr. Eames, what am I to think of that? What is a husband supposed to think happened between his wife and another man?" Arthur said helping himself to another drink.

Eames felt like he was a school boy in trouble with the master. As if he had been caught doing some naughty thing and the master wisely wanted a confession out of him before punishment.

He gave his cousin a smug smile.

"You'll have to ask your wife about that." Eames said.
"I'm asking you." Arthur barked.

Eames shook his head.

"Eames," Arthur growled, emboldened by the drink. "Leave her alone. She's my wife. I don't have to tell you how much I care for her. Our marriage my have started out as a business arrangement, but it's more than that now."

"If you care so much for her, why dose she want me?" Eames asked. "Why does she sleep in another room?"

Arthur sat back.
"Did she say she wants to be with you?" Arthur huffed. His hands curling into a fist.

"She didn't have to say anything, Arthur." Eames said with a grin.

Eames saw Arthur was breathing hard as the lord of Blue Rivers stood.
"How much?" he snarled. "How much do you want to leave us in peace?"

"What do you mean?" Eames asked.
"Every man has a price. How much will it take for you to just walk away from Blue Rivers? Walk away tonight and never come back?" Arthur asked.

Eames stood. He could handle his drink better than Arthur, who was already turning red in the face from over indulgence and anger.
"There is no price. I care very deeply for Ariadne." he said.
"Has she been indecent with you?" Arthur barked. "What exactly happened today?"

"Why should you care?" Eames bristled.

He wanted to challenge this heir to his family home. The wealthy young man who breezed into Blue Rivers with everything; appreciating nothing.

"She's my wife." Arthur said with a manic glint in his eye.

Eames chuckled.
"Your wife." he said teasingly. "Who sleeps in another bed. Why should you care if she has a dirty little affair with me? Why should you care so much if she derives satisfaction with me that you can't provide?"

Eames didn't expect Arthur to punch him.

He had been in plenty of fights before. Most of them for money or bragging rights, very few filled with any passion stronger than the drink. But Arthur was crazed at the moment.
"You leave my family alone!" he shouted as Eames blocked another blow, fell back over a potted plant and manged to right himself again.
"Don't do this, Arthur." Eames said calmly.

He knew his cousin was no fighter. True, he was lean and agile, but Eames was in possession dense musculature that always gave him an advantage.

Arthur lunged at him again and Eames punched him hard in the face.

His American cousin fell back over the coffee table, jumped back up, and went to hit him again.

Eames had to hand it to Arthur, he didn't know when to quit. He recovered from each punch quickly and managed to get a few hits in.
"Sirs!" came the shocked cry of the one of the footmen. "Sirs! What is happening? Stop it! Stop it now!"

Eames pushed Arthur off him and it took the interruption of the two footmen to bring the gentlemen back to their senses.

~ Eames looked sadly at the way Ariadne cared over her drunken, bleeding husband. Never mind that he was drunker, bleeding more and his suit was torn on top of it. Ariadne only care about Arthur.

It was then his great loved turned on him like a wolf.

"You did this?" She snapped at him.

Eames felt his face fall as the petite little woman looked bitterly angry at him.

"We were drinking." Eames said at last. "These things happen."

Surely she could understand how men were when they drank.

She looked ready to boil over with rage.

"Michael, Andrew," She said to the footmen "Please have Maggie, and Maggie alone, come downstairs with her sewing box. Tell no one but her, and she needs to be quite and discreet."

"Yes, ma'am." The footmen said with a little bow.

"Gentlemen?" She called after them. They turned and looked back worriedly. "Thank you so much for attending to this matter so well. For keeping this house and family above scandal." She told them.

The young men looked happy with the praise and left her.

She turned to Eames like a rabid wolf.

"You attacked my husband?" She growled.
"No." Eames tried to explain. "He attacked me first."

"I don't believe that." She hissed.

"It's true. He's a different man when he's been drinking."

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing." Eames said unable to stop the smirk on his lips.

"Nothing?" Ariadne accused.

"He seems to think there is something going on with us."

"Why would he think that, Mr. Eames?" She said.

Her eyes narrowing as he sensed a raw hatred radiating out to him.
"Mr. Eames, I think you should remain at the village for the rest of your stay here. As soon as possible, I would like you to return to London." She told him at last.

'She must be joking.' he thought.
"Ariadne?" He whispered.

"Maggie is here, ma'am." Miles said suddenly.

Ariadne turned to see the very pretty new maid with flowing red hair and bright blue eyes.

"You're Margret Williams?" Ariadne asked her.

"I am. Yes, missus." Maggie said in a frightened tone.
"Maggie and her son James are staying in the maids quarters till they can find a place in the village." Miles explained.

"I see." Ariadne said looking at the fair skin and enviable red hair of this young woman. "Maggie, I know this is unusual and it's very late, but Lord Bradford has had an accident. He doesn't want to upset the doctor this late at night, but I think he will need stitches. Miles thinks you can do the job, but I will understand if you don't wish to." Ariadne told her as diplomatically as possible.

"Oh, no, missus. I've sew stitches on skin before. It won't bother me." Maggie said.

The two women attended to Arthur before the lady of the house turned back to him.
"Mr. Eames, please go to your room. I think we've all had enough excitement for tonight." She told her him.

Eames felt a horrible sense of rejection coming over him.

What a fool he was to think a woman like her cared for him. Of course she would never leave a man like Arthur. She was settled nicely in the grand house with money and comfort. She would never leave those things to be with him.

He left Blue Rivers that night; vowing never to return.

He packed a ruck sack and forgot his typewriter and camera entirely. It was only when he was halfway to London, did he remember them.

~ Blue Rivers ~

~ June, 1914 ~

~ The funeral procession back to the house, was a long one. The little chapel by Blue Rivers was small, and the memorial service for Arthur Bradford was held in the quite church yard where they buried an empty casket next to all of the late Bradford family members.

Ariadne had been surprised there were so many people who waited outside of the service. The chapel not able to hold all of the people who wanted to pay their respects.

Olivia, an unwieldy toddler now, kept trying to pull her mother's black mourning veil off. All the ladies weeping at what a shame it was to have a such a young widow.

"With a babe in arms, no less." she heard one of the old biddies whisper. "She won't know what to do."

That much was true, Ariadne had no idea what to do now. Mr. Cobb had arrived to Blue Rivers just the day before. He wanted to be at the memorial service for his old friend. Even though there was no body to bury.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Ariadne." Cobb whispered as the family and servants walked back to the house after the burial. Eames was in the lead of the procession with Phillipa clutching tightly to his hand.

The little girl, already an orphan, had taken the loss of Arthur hard. Harder than Ariadne had thought possible. She had once more gone into her shell and refused to talk.

Lady Percy was still indisposed and remained at the house.

Ariadne and Cobb found themselves walking at the back of the procession. The servants even walking ahead of them.
"Cobb, are you sure there is nothing you can do about the entail?" she asked looking worriedly at the broad shoulders of Mr. Eames.
Cobb shook his head.
"Nothing. I'm afraid you're very limited in funds." he whispered. "His life insurance was only $10,000. Also, that might be called into dispute as apart of the entail if Mr. Eames wishes it." Cobb told her.
"So I'm penniless and at his mercy?" Ariadne said. "I refuse to believe Arthur would have let this happen."

"I don't think Arthur was planning on dieing." Cobb said gently.

~ They reached the elegant house. Olivia had fallen asleep on the long walk back. Ariadne received many sympathetic looks from the servants as everyone gathered in the main hall.

She wished everyone would just forget all this mourning and go back to normal. She was uncomfortable in her black dress and Olivia had pulled her mourning veil loose.

She felt just as ridiculous as she did on her wedding day. That overly done hat perched on her head as she tried to look grown up.

"Thank you so much for showing your support of my dear cousin Arthur." Eames said to the staff who all sniffled and cast little looks to the widow and baby who would never know her father.

Ariadne shifted as she caught sight of Maura. The poor girl looked ready to die from all the crying. Even Maggie looked sad, although she hardly knew Arthur. James was standing in front of his mother. His little face pulled into a frown.

"I want each of you to know that life at Blue Rivers will go on. Not exactly as it has before. But we will endure. Tomorrow, the sun will rise and it will rise the next the next day to. We will be a different house, that much is sure, but we will carry on. We've dealt with the tragic loss of my other cousins on board the Titanic. Ours is a family that is no stranger to tragedy. Hopefully, this will be the end of tragedy and the start of better times." Eames said.

Ariadne looked at her friend. How different he was after Arthur's death on the Empress. He had taken charge of all the details. Hired the lawyers, alerted Mr. Cobb. Had him declared dead and made the arrangements. Gone was the arrogant playboy that she had called her friend.

She didn't know who this man was now.

"Sir, you've had a telegram arrive for you." Miles reminded Eames after the servants left.

Ariadne had kept away from her friend ever since he declared Arthur dead. Eames kept wanting to talk to her. To make her understand why he had done what he had done.

"What now?" Eames grumbled as Ariadne turned to Cobb and tried to think of polite conversation. She didn't want to be alone with Eames just now.

Cobb seemed to understand and ran a hand over her arm.
"I'll stay as long as you need. If you want to go back to America, you and Olivia are welcome in my home." he whispered.

"Will this madness ever end?" Eames said harshly.

Ariadne turned back to her friend.

Phillipa looking up at the new man of the house nervously.

Eames looked annoyed and, truthfully, a little scared.
"What is it?" Ariadne asked. "What's happened?"

Maybe it was a mistake. Could Arthur really be alive? Maybe there was a mix up on the rescue ship and he was coming home.

Eames turned to her a helpless frightened look was on his face Ariadne had never seen before. Not even when he was in Fischer's charity hospital, did he look so lost.
"My mother is coming to visit." he said.