Part II

Like Spoiled, Little Children

1.

~ Ariadne rifled trough her clothes. She was filled with a new idea. It had taken hold in her mind and wouldn't let her go.

"Damn corsets!" she fumed as Olivia happily played with her mother's lacy handkerchiefs on the floor.

"Missus?" Maura said carefully coming into the room. "Whats happened?"

"Maura, I'm glad you're here. I want you to take out my dresses some more. I don't want to wear corsets. In fact, there is no need for these mourning dresses either." she said.

"Oh, Missus!" Maura exclaimed. "Are you not well?" she asked.
"Maura, I'm perfectly fine." Ariadne told her as she pulled her black mourning dresses out of the wardrobe and flung them on the bed.
"I want my dresses let out enough so I don't have to wear corsets. Just look at these new fashions in Paris." Ariadne instructed as she showed Maura the magazine sketches of an overly slender girl in a long solid color skirt and a simple blouse. "Much more sensible, don't you think? Why some are even wearing pants now!" Ariadne prompted.

"But Missus, you're in mourning still." Maura said with great shock.

"I want Maggie to go to town and select some new material for me." Ariadne told her as she looked with disgust at her old dresses. Her hand stopping over the plum colored beaded dress Arthur had bought her to wear on the Mauritania. She passed that dress over as well as a few other she knew he liked her in. They would be spared her wrath.

"A dark green; maybe a nice blue." Ariadne told her. "I want the blouse to be comfortable and functional."

"Missus, you're still in mourning, It's not seemly." her maid implored.

"Maura." Ariadne said coldly. "Have Maggie take out these dresses so I don't have to wear a corset; do as I asked."

Maura eyes went wide as Ariadne started ripping up the black dress she had worn when she buried Arthur. Her sewing scissors cutting up the seams that were so uncomfortable.

"What's going on here?" came a voice from the hall.

"Oh, Mr. Eames, she's gone mad! Ripping up her dresses and talking about dressing without proper under garments on! I don't know what to do, sir!" Maura cried helplessly.
"Maura, take Olivia for her nap." Eames said soothingly.

"Oh yes, sir." Maura cried and neatly set down the dresses Ariadne had already cut the seams out of.

She quickly picked Olivia up and dashed out of the room.

Eames watched the show of Ariadne ripping a large black ribbon out of the funeral dress before clearing his throat.
"Go away, Eames." she snapped at him.

"Ariadne, what are you doing?" he asked kindly.
"I want my dresses let out. I'm sick of wearing corsets. Why does everyone question that?" she said and tossed the funeral dress to the floor, stepped on it a few times and took her large sewing scissors to the next black dress.

Eames just watched her.
"Actually, I have no problem with any woman not wanting to wear a certain item of under clothing. You ladies wear far too much as it is." he observed.

Ariadne's dark hair had fallen over her face as she ripped the seams out of another hated black dress and cut the beaded bodice off.

"I'm sure..." she panted as she ripped the black material up. "You don't have a problem with women not wearing any clothes. You're reputation proceeds you, sir."

"My reputation?" Eames asked humorlessly as she started on another black dress. Her scissors flashing in the light as she angrily cut the fabric.

"Yes, your reputation. All you philandering at school and beyond. All the girls you made conquests out of. Got into trouble, and then abandoned. As long as you had your fun, right? Who cares if they were heart broken, penniless and left to rot in some poor house. As long as you-" she tore up the back dress beyond repair. "Had. Your. Fun." she said and threw her last black dress to the floor.

"Who told you all this?" Eames asked her.
"Doesn't matter." Ariadne said. "It's true. We both know what kind of man you are. You're no better than Jeffery. I didn't want to see you for what you are. You use women, I know you do and I ignored it. I'm still a fool." she said manically as she looked down the dress she was wearing and started to cut at the seams with her scissors. The flash of the blades looking like she would stab herself at any moment.
"Ariadne." Eames said worriedly as she tore the bodice up with the scissors and almost cut her flesh.
"Ariadne! Stop it!" Eames shouted.

At his loud words, she waved her scissors at him like a knife.

"Am I a conquest, Eames?" she spat at him. "That day in the pond. That was just you proving you could have any girl you wanted, right? Even a married woman? You wanted to prove you could seduce any girl you pleased no matter who she was married to. That's why you had Fischer call only me to come get you. You wanted proof I cared about you. Proof you had made me love you." she hissed.
"Put down the scissors." he ordered her sternly.
"I'm not staying here in your house to be you live in whore, Eames." she told him and made a stab at him with the sharp blade.

His hands, much stronger than she thought, were over hers, bending her wrist back till she screamed and dropped the scissors.

"Eames!" she cried as he pulled her roughly to the bed and forced her to lay on her back.

He was over her in a second, before she could stop him or cry out again. His heavy, well toned body was pinning her hands over her head as he looked over her with his manic, glinting eyes.
"Clam down." he order simply.

That same independence, rage or dark thread that possessed her to do stupid things when she knew better, made her struggle against this man. Try to fight him off her as he almost lazily pinned her down more securely.
"Ariadne, I said stop it." he said coolly.

She glared at him as he held her arms down on the mattress, the fight suddenly leaving her as her breathing took on a different rhythm.

She watched his eyes move over her ripped up dress. The bodice loosened from the fabric she had cut off. Her chest swelling out as her back arched slightly.

Eames easily secured both her hands in his as he carelessly and rudely ripped the bodice off her dress.

Ariadne was too shocked to protest. She didn't utter a cry or demand for him to stop as he exposed her bare breasts.

She was breathing hard as she feebly tried to wiggle free. His hungry eyes darting over her face and back to her breasts again.
"Still so beautiful." he muttered as his lips made contact with her nipple.

Ariadne gasped as he sucked her delicate breast hard enough to take the milk she had already stopped producing for Olivia.

"Eames!" she panted as she felt slightly dizzy.

His hands released her wrists as they cupped her breasts and his lips pulling angrily on her nipple. His facial hair scratching her skin as his cheek brushed over her breasts.

She felt an excitement stir between her legs as he sucked at her breast and wouldn't let go.
"Eames!" she cried out and managed to push him away.

Like a broken spell, Eames jumped off her. His handsome face looked lost and confused as she covered her breasts back up protectively.

They were both breathing hard as they looked at each other. Twin images of shock on their faces.

"Ariadne." he said at last. "I'm..." he panted and put his hand to his mouth.

Ariadne could still feel his beard on the tender flash of her breast. The sensation of his facial hair on her delicate skin, made her body want to sing.

She was breathing hard as she tired to cover her bare breasts with her arm.
"Leave." she panted at last.
"I want to stay. You know I want to stay." he begged; out of breath.
"LEAVE!" she screamed.