~ Part III ~

~ The Divide ~

1.

~ "So are you going to marry Charlotte?" Juniper asked as the dinner party adjourned to the library.
"Mother, I hardly think we're there yet." Eames grumbled as he watched Ariadne take Phillipa to her room for the night.

He wanted to chase after them. Explain that he had only mentioned Charlotte to make her mad and perhaps a little jealous. A hope that Ariadne could know how angry he was at her for spending time with Fredrick.

"I think she's a lovely girl with a good head on her shoulders." Juniper said.
"The fact is, Eames." Lady Percy interrupted when they were sure Ariadne was out of the room. "That we have little time to get you settled into a marriage."
"Precisely. As soon as the money reverts back to Arthur's widow, she will marry this Fredrick person, and take our fortune with her." Juniper said.
"Cast out of our ancestral home? I couldn't tolerate it." Lady Percy added.

Eames looked at his Aunt. The older woman still had not fully recovered from her illness and looked too sickly to be up and about.
"I'm aware of the situation, Aunt. I'm not ready to make plans with Charlotte or anyone else." he said.
"You need to make plans, Charles." Juniper hissed. "You have to secure this estate through a marriage."

"What if I marry Ariadne?" Eames suggested. "We get along well enough."

"Certainly not." Lady Percy scoffed. "The widow of your cousin?"

"Why not? She already lives here and her daughter is related to us." Eames said.

"Charles, it would be best if you married a girl more familiar with how a house like this should be run. Ariadne is a fine girl, but she's used to a more simple life." Juniper cooed. "I mean, the slacks and not having a nanny for Olivia. It's perfectly scandalous."

"Ariadne and I are very similar in our ideals. I have no problem with a forward thinking wife." Eames argued.
"We need a lady of the house who will host dinner parties and balls. A thing Ariadne has failed to do since she arrived here." Lady Percy added.
"When she arrived here, Blue Rivers was on the verge of bankruptcy. Also, she had a new baby to deliver and care for. All these things take precedence over some party, Aunt." Eames said. "Let's stop pretending what this is really about. You like Ariadne, but the fact is; she's an American girl and will never fit into our society."

"Well, I'm glad you said it." Lady Percy muttered. "It would have sounded perfectly ghastly coming from me."

~ "What do you think of cousin Eames' friend?" Ariadne whispered as she tucked Phillipa in her bed.
"She's very pretty. But not very nice." Phillipa told her.

Ariadne nodded. She wished she knew what this mysterious Charlotte person looked like. Eames seemed to like her well enough to bring her up at dinner. She hated to admit it that her heart burned with jealousy.

"Will he marry her?" Phillipa asked.

"I'm not sure." Ariadne whispered.

"Will you marry that man with the little boy?" she asked.
"Phillipa, that's grown up talk. We don't need to worry about that now." Ariadne whispered.

"If you do get married, can I come and visit you?" the girl asked.
"Of course." Ariadne said with a smile. "When your season comes, you'll need me to help you. And when you get married, I'll be there to help you with the wedding as well. I'm not leaving you, Phillipa." she whispered and kissed the girl on the top of the head.

She stood to leave and gasped in fright when she saw Eames standing in the door.
"I wanted to say good night to Phillipa." he said and didn't bother to look at his friend.

"Will we go out again tomorrow?" Phillipa asked hopefully.
"Certainly. We have to develop our film tomorrow to." he told her.

Eames leaned down and kissed Phillipa on the cheek.

"Are you going to say goodnight to Olivia?" he asked Ariadne, again without looking at her.
"Olivia is staying in my room again." Ariadne told him curtly as she shut the door to Phillipa's bedroom.

"Why?" he asked.

They were alone in the hall, and free for the first time that day to be honest.
"Because I want her in my room, Eames. I'm also going to be locking my door for now on." she told him and turned to go.

He grabbed her arm and she pulled free. Her eyes angry.
"This Fredrick person, why is he coming around?" Eames asked her.
"That's not your business." she told him.
"I'm your closets male relative. You're under my house and protection. It's in every way my concern." Eames said.

Ariadne shrugged and looked proud of herself.
"Fredrick has asked to court me with the intention of a marriage before he goes to war. I've accepted his terms." she told him coldly.

Eames felt that poison seep into his blood again. His heart stopping at the idea of his Ariadne marrying some mercenary from Town.
"Does he know of your situation? That you have no prospects other than what this estate provides you?" Eames whispered.
"Fredrick doesn't seem to care." Ariadne told him.
"Of course he cares." Eames growled.
"It is possible a man might be interested in a woman beyond money, Mr. Eames. Love, for example." she told him.
"Yet you don't want my love." he added.

She looked as if she had been struck and her breathing picked up slightly.
"What about this Charlotte person? You've never entertained ladies at Blue Rivers before. What is she to you?" Ariadne asked.
"She wants me to marry her. She's the only one who will have me. I see no reason not to marry her." Eames said.

"Well, our love lives are coming along nicely." Ariadne said stiffly.
"I won't." Eames started to say then lost his courage.

"You won't what?" Ariadne taunted.
"I won't marry her if you don't wish it. I love you. I want to marry you." he whispered.

Ariadne looked as if she wanted to say something. Her face became softer as they stood in the hallway alone.

"If you do marry her, will I still have a home here?" she whispered sadly.
"Of course." Eames breathed and tried to take her hand.

She moved away from him.
"I don't think I will. Fredrick has offered me a comfortable home for Olivia and I. We'll be able to live there and it will be our home forever." she said and sniffed back a tear.
"Blue Rivers is your home." Eames insisted.

"Blue Rivers is your home now. Your home and whom ever you marry." Ariadne said and turned to leave him.

"Ariadne." he called back and watched her enter her bedroom; the lock on her door turning.