"It's late. Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Monty caressed Sibella's cheek as he finished asking his question, after he had been woken up and found Sibella still awake.
"I can't sleep," she replied softly. She snuggled up closer to him, resting her head on his chest.
"Why not?"
Sibella held his hand and her thumb was tracing circles on his palm.
"I don't know. I just can't sleep."
He pressed a kiss to her head. "You need to sleep," he urged her, "You'll get terrible circles under your eyes if you don't."
She sighed, "I know."
"Is it Lionel?" he asked after a moment.
She remained quiet.
"Sibella…"
"It's nothing."
Monty held her tightly. "Did he touch you?"
"He's my husband, Monty, of course he's touched me."
"You know what I mean."
Again, she was quiet. Monty felt her slightly stiffen at his words.
"You don't need to concern yourself with my marriage. You have your own to look forward to, and a Miss Phoebe D'ysquith," she said in a tight voice.
"Don't drag Phoebe into this, I'm talking about you and Lionel, don't change the subject." He gripped her chin, and made her look at him.
"Sibella…"
"Why are you so interested in my marriage with Lionel?" she snapped.
"Because I love you. I always will and I always have. And it kills me to know that he touches you, uses you, when I wish I was the only one who was doing those things to you."
He kissed her lips hard. She pulled away after a moment.
"Oh, Monty, don't be so dramatic…" She sighed.
"I'll kill him."
"Don't be ridiculous." She laughed at him.
"I will."
"Monty, just stop," she said in a tired voice. "All of this fighting is making me exhausted."
She laid her head back down on the pillow. Monty pulled her closer to him, and kissed her head.
"I'll always protect you, no matter what."
"You can't protect me all the time, especially not in my marriage bed."
Monty's voice turned ice cold and it sent a chill down Sibella's spine.
"Well, we'll see about that."
Sibella shuddered lightly, but felt a little better. She then fell back asleep, feeling comforted in Monty's arms.