Good Evening, another update for you all! Happy ready! -Sevy14


The sham of a wedding had gone by quickly. I had been relieved of this. My Mother and Father had been there, of course. Each tried to speak to me, both before and after, but I was uninterested in hear from them. I allowed them each to give me a hug, as appearances for Detective Inspector had to be kept. I had been acutely aware of his hand upon the small of my back and his eyes following me as I moved about the chapel before the ceremony had started. Detective Shine had not been terrible, but controlled. There had been some men there for D.I. Shine that I did not recognize, but I noticed Father knew them. Obviously they were shady characters. The nuptials were quick and upon completion we left. Upon exiting the church Detective Shine quickened his pace, forcing me to walk, skip, jog to keep up with him. I was sure he noticed, but obviously, he did not care. Reaching the carriage he pulled the door open and helped me in and then shut the door. I watched as he moved about the carriage. Seconds later he opened the other door and stepped up and sat down on the other side, opposite of me. With a sharp click the carriage door was shut. He rapped the roof of the carriage with his cane and we lurched forward.

"So now what?" I ask. Our eyes met when he turned to look at me.

"Now, we are going back to your parents home and you are packing up your belongings and then, Mrs. Shine I will drop you off at our home." I say to her. She doesn't say anything, just nods her head and makes an 'Oh' with her mouth, and looks out the window. "Then, I will go back to work." I finish. She did not look back at me and I did not continue the conversation.


We arrived back at my now, childhood home, just after my parents did. The whores were all in fine form, aware of what had taken place. The teetered and flitted about when Detective Inspector Shine led me in, the overwhelming smell of perfume, sweat, cigarette smoke and lust assaulting our sense instantly. I went past them quickly, Shine opted to stay downstairs, my Father approaching us and I did not stop to address him or Mother. I shut the door to my room and leaned against it, letting out a breath. I looked about suddenly feeling small and my life out of control. Yesterday morning I had awoken and my life was as it had always been, then, a few short hours, I had learned that everything was going to change, flash forward to today-To now! Everything had changed. I was married and packing up, moving out. In the corner of the room my chest sat. I went to it and opened up. Opening up my wardrobe I was thankful for the fact that I did not have an excessive amount of clothing. It was easy for me to pack my clothing away. I did not have many possessions, since Father and Mother had never thought it necessary to pay me and so rarely did we have money for gifts, even on Christmas or birthdays thanks to Father's gambling, all I had could fit into one trunk. A light knocking upon the door and I move across the room and open it.

"Mother." I say, flatly. I look at her. She shuffles her feet, moving side to side.

"Hi Honey... Do you need any help?" She asks, her voice soft and trembling. She had wept at the wedding. While still upset with her, I felt a twang of pity for her now.

"No. I'm done." I say. We stare at each other for a minute before she speaks again.

"Honey I am so sorry. I am." I nod at her. Not really wanting to have this conversation with her, with anyone, ever. She takes my silence as an invitation to continue I suppose. "I know you are mad and disappointed in your Father and with me. I hope though that you will allow us to remain a part of your life." Still, I don't speak. I am not sure what to say really. Right now I want nothing to do with them, my disappointment to raw. I shrug and sniff a little. "At least me?" She says, her voice so quiet that I almost didn't catch it. A tear drops from her left eye and I sigh.

"Mum..." I lean forward and give her an awkward hug. Her arms wrapped around me so tightly. "I need space. Time." I feel her nod and she doesn't speak. Just sniffles and rubs my back. "But someday, okay." Again she nods. I pull away from her, feeling bad that I was putting her through the same ire that I was my vile Father. "I cannot promise I will ever speak to Him again, though." I say.

She wipes her face with a kerchief. "I understand." She says, offering me a small smile.

"What happened to your arm?" I ask, pointing at it, only just now noticing the large bruise on it.

She pulls away, "Oh nothing Honey... You know how it is." She says. "Now-"

"Mother." I say sharply. "Was this Father? Did he do this to you?" I ask. But she doesn't answer me, she just shakes her head in a noncommittal way. I could tell though that it was he who had hurt her. "Mum, why did he hurt you? Are you okay?" I say, reaching out.

"Honey, I am fine." She says. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'm fine." She presses the front of her dress down and then looks down the hallway, even though there had been no creaking on the floor, we both knew no one was there. That was Mother's nervous tell. "Now, we should probably get you and trunk downstairs, hm?"

I nod. "Probably. Detective Inspector Shine has things to do, I am sure." I say. She nods again and gives me another smile, sad and regretful. All the anger I had towards her dissolves. It was was gone. I loved her. But I was mad still. Still quite mad at my Father. I really disliked the man. "If he ever touches you again though, you come to Detective Shine's house, okay?"

She nods. "Alright Dear, now lets get you going." Mother and I knew that if it happened again it was unlikely she would leave and come to where I was to live. She wouldn't leave the whores. She loved them, probably just as much as she loved me.


Mother and I descend the stairs. She was rubbing her arm, in the place that Father had left a nice dark bruise. I made eye contact with him and glared, he acted as though he did not see or was not affected. The sorry man from this morning in Detective Inspector Shine's office was not present in the whorehouse. No. He had face to save, so he stood, unwavering, tall and appearing to be in control. Everything about this situation and the abuse Mother had suffered. Father held his stern face, seemingly unaffected, saving face in front of his whores and customers. I noted though, that even though he was standing with his head up and shoulders square, he paled in comparison to the way Detective Inspector Shine stood. He, with broad shoulders seemingly relaxed, but broad. Face unreadable and his demeanor was of someone who was in complete control. If a stranger walked in, they would think that it was He who owned this place and all in it, not Father, for he looked like a small man pretending to be big and powerful. This realization at the difference between the two by seeing the two men standing side by side shook me. This, was the man I was now married too. A man who took up the room with his persona and I suspected that this persona was not even close to the man suit wearing it. I was sure that whoever Detective Inspector Shine truly was, he was not this calm, and definitely not, compromising. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs Mother spoke.

"Joseph, Dear, could you get one of your men to gather Emmylyn's trunk from her bedroom, please?" Her voice was soft and light. She was in business mode.

Father nodded to Mother, "Of course." He turned and left the room, disappearing down the side hall to where his henchmen sat, waiting for a customer to get rowdy.

"I think, Detective Inspector Shine, that I am going to walk my Daughter out to your carriage to wait, if that is alright with you." Again, Mother with that light, fluffy voice the one that drew men in and made them feel comfortable and at home.

He gave me a once over, eyes sweeping across me, then her, and then answered. "Of course Madam. Joseph and I will be out shortly." Mother nodded at him. We walk past him, eyes on me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and goosebumps run up and down my arms.

Mother and I exit the house. "Do you want me to send over the quilt your Grandmother knitted?" She clearly felt bad and was doing what she could to make both she and myself feel better, I knew this.

Nodding, "Yes, I would like that, thank you Mother." I say. She smiles at me as we make our way down the walk to the waiting carriage. She eyed our drive, Jude. "Mother, this is Jude." I say. He turned his head and looks at us. "Jude, my Mother." He nods but doesn't speak. Mother nods back eyeing him warily.

"Have you seen Detective Inspector's home, yet?" She asks.

I nod, "Yes. Before... Earlier today." I said. Still not quite able to speak the words 'Before I got married.'

"What was it like? Is it suitable?" She asked. Her face full of concern.

"Mother, it is... Decadent." I state. "Truly." I lean in and whisper in her ear so Jude could not hear, "There is no way he acquired it with money from being a copper." At this she offers me a look of admonishment. But I shake my head. "Really Mother. You must come see the place. It is incredible, the rugs and tapestries alone are something out of a museum or-or the palace. Something like that."

"Oh Emmy!" She replies. Shaking her head still at my dramatics.

"I am being serious Mother. You will see." I say. A noise behind us makes a turn. Detective Inspector Shine and my Father were on the front porch, the chest being carried in front of them. I look at Mother for a moment, eyes wide and heart instantly beating faster.

She pulls me close. "I'm so so sorry Honey." Rubbing my back and squeezing tightly. "I love you. Always." She says.

I nod and whisper back into her ear, "I love you too Mum." She squeezes me once more and lets go.

"Ready?" Detective Inspector Shine says.

I glare at him and nod. "Yes." I say sharply. He pulls the door of the carriage open and I turn and step inside. He shuts it behind me and I look out the window at my Mother, ignoring my Father. I have nothing to say to him. I am not even sure I ever want to see him again.

"Well, Joseph." Detective Inspector Shine says. He extends a hand and my Father takes it.

"Jedediah." His tone was gruff and face tight. My Mother was looking at me, eyes so full of tears it looked as if they would overflow at any second.

"I will take good care of her, Madam. I promise you." Detective Inspector Shine said to my Mother as he passes by. She only nods at him and then turns back to me, hands over her mouth. The sight of her broke my heart. I was relieved when Detective Inspector Shine had entered the carriage and shut the door, tapping the rough signaling for Jude to pull away. I watch as my Mother disappeared from view, my heart, broken, world shattered and reborn.

I dared not look at Detective Inspector Shine, I couldn't. I stared out the carriage for the entire ride until we pulled up to his, no... Our home. The air was sucked out of me a bit at the realization that it was now our home. He hopped out and was around the carriage and opening the door for me before I could breathe again. "Emmylyn." He said, reaching out with a hand extended out to me.

His tone was softer than expected. Perhaps he sensed my mood or the vast variety of emotions brewing within me. I took his hand and stepped down, "Thank you." I dropped my hand from his the second I was steady on the ground. Needing space between us I started up the walk, before stopping and turning. "You know, there is no food in your kitchen." I say.

He made a face, one I could not read. "Well, then that will have to be fixed, won't it?" Was all he said as he stalked up the walk behind me. He passed me and made his way up the stairs and opened the door before turning and facing me. "Come along then." He motioned to me. I looked back at my trunk and the carriage. "Jude and Arthur can handle your trunk." Turning back I glared, but did not respond.

Walking up the stairs I stop and wait for him to enter, but he was resolute in making me enter before him so I squeezed past him on the stoop of the door, my arms erupting again with goosebumps at our proximity. Once I was in he followed me, leaving the door open for his men to come in behind us.

"In here." He said and I followed him to the room with all the books. I realized the fire had been lit at some point while we were gone. So, there were others who had access to the home.

He plops down in one the chairs in front of the fire. I make my around the room before sitting opposite him. "Who else has keys to your home?" I ask. He looks at me.

Looking at her, "Why?" I ask without looking at her, my eyes fixed on the fire place.

I look over at him. "I do not want to be stuck her by myself only to find that there is a myriad of people who are able to come and go."

It seemed silly. She grew up in a whore house. That's all that ever happened. People, coming and going. "Just a few of my associates, that's all." Was all I said.

"Well... I would appreciate it if they are not here when I am here alone... Please." He isn't looking at me. Just staring at the crackling fire.

Not even two hours in and she's already nagging. I sigh. "Right. Well, I am off." I say leaning forward in my seat and rise.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask, also standing. "Just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?!" He offers me a weathered look.

I did need to get back to work. "Jude and Arthur will remain." She moves to speak but I put up a hand. "People will be here shortly to drop off your bed and a wardrobe. They will also have groceries." I finish. She is looking at me with annoyance.

"Must be nice to think of everything all the time." I say. He could have just said so at the beginning. I roll my eyes and sigh.

Insolent child. I think. "It is. Just trying to make your move easier. I did not have to do anything, you know." I say sharply. At this she looks at me, a mix of annoyance and guilt. "I assume you are not going to want to stay here once the movers leave." I give her a look. "Jude will escort you to some shops."

I square my body towards him, "I do not need a babysitter." I say, huffing. "I am an adult. I-"

It was amusing to see her riled up. She was small and fiery but not in the least intimidating. "Jude will escort you or you will not go." I say my tone sharp and forceful. "Is that understood, Mrs. Shine?" She recoiled at my usage of her new title and name.

Too soon for that, I think. I shake my head. "But-" He raises his hand while turning to face the noise in the hall.

"Jude, Arthur." He says as the men come into view. They both stop and look at him. "Mrs. Shine," he emphasizes my new title and name and I roll my eyes and sit down on the chair, arms crossed. "May leave to shop once the movers are done here with you, Jude, escorting her. Got it?"

Turning to face my new wife, "Now, I will return home after work sometime this evening." I give her a look and she me, before turning and making my way out of the house. "Jude. Arthur." Nodding at them, and they, nod at me. Muttering, "What have you done, Jedediah, what have you done?" I say, shaking my head, as I take my leave.


I hope you guys enjoyed it. Have a good night and happy reading. -Sevy14