13.
~ Ariadne woke up to the bright light of mid day.
She had slept heavily and no dreams or cares tormented her. She longed to go back to sleep, her body was so exhausted and worn out, but the pattern of her bed sheets caught her eye and she looked at them for a long time.
'I'm not in my room.' she thought lazily as she rolled over and had to wince in pain.
The soreness was back in her body. Her legs feeling like she had run for miles and even her arms hurt her.
She was hungry and thirsty as well, but lacked the energy to rouse herself out of the warm nest of bed covers and forage for food.
'I'm in Arthur's bed.' she thought numbly as she looked out at the window. Her naked body still curled comfortably in the sheets.
'I spent the night in Arthur's bed.' she thought.
She remembered every disgraceful detail. Arthur becoming angry with her for going to the meetings. Arthur becoming enraged she had cut her hair.
'My hair.' she thought mournfully as her hands laced the short locks that stuck out now.
She covered her face with the sheet in embarrassment. She had been intimate with him again last night. She wasn't sure what had possessed her. She was like another person who needed to have his affections.
Their first encounter that night had been carnal and full of unrestrained passion. Her body had felt so hot, she was sure it was some kind of fever.
Then, to make matters worse, she had demanded he do it again. Her evil husband tormenting her till he finally gave into what she wanted.
Their second tome had been much more agreeable. Arthur had used his hips and body well and his lips hardly left hers as they stayed joined.
She had like it better than any other time with him. It was slow and easy, comfortable even. Her womanhood blooming wildly at the right time and sending her into gasping moans as she held her husband closer to her.
Ariadne tensed as she heard a door open and hard soled shoes walk across the floor.
She was still hidden under the blankets and foolishly hoped she could not be seen.
"I would wish you good morning, Mrs. Brandon, but you've seem to have slept right past that." Arthur said and she felt the bed sag as he sat down on the edge.
Ariadne peeked out of the sheet at him. He was dressed in his Sunday full on suit and looked his normal, well polished self.
"Why didn't you wake me?" she said and tired to sit up. The soreness in her legs crying out and she tried not to show her discomfort.
"I thought you needed the rest." he said simply. "Are you alright?" he asked. His voice touchingly concerned.
"Fine." she tried to say with a careless shrug as she held the bedding over her body.
"I didn't hurt you last night, did I?" he asked. His face, worried as his hands went to her shorter locks of dark hair.
She smiled back at him. A real smile now and not just the mask she wore.
"No, you didn't hurt me." she lied. She didn't want to make him feel badly for their animal like desires taking over. True, she was sore for their lovemaking, and her bottom still hurt from his spanking her, but she knew those things would go away. What mattered now was the way he looked at her.
What mattered now was that there was a comfortable peace between them.
Arthur was looking at her hair again. His eyes roaming up the hacked of parts the Mrs. Marsh couldn't fix.
"It'll grow back." she promised.
"I know." he sighed.
"I'm sorry I did it." she whispered.
He said nothing and then smiled a little.
"It actually looks rather cute on you." he said.
She tried not to grin. her body feeling so good right now, nothing could make her unhappy.
"I don't want to fight anymore." she admitted.
"Neither do I." he agreed. "Let's talk of more pleasant things."
She smiled back at him. Her body wanting to go back to sleep. To curl into the comfortable blankets and sleep till he decided to rouse her.
"Are you hungry?" he asked.
"Starved."
"I'll bring you up a tray." he said and stood. "You should stay in bed today." he added as he walked to the door.
It was only as he was about to leave her that he added:
"You must still be exhausted."
~ Sunday was Mrs. Marsh's day off. The day she went to services with her family and left the couple she took care of to their own devices. Normally, Ariadne tried her unskilled hands at cooking a simple meal. She was brought up in a house full of servants and admittedly didn't know enough about domestic duties other than boil water, but most of the time, they went out to dinner.
"You've already been to services?" she asked when he came back with a tray of toast and milk. Her husband trying hard to cater to his wife and she appreciated the gesture, even if he forgot the butter and jam.
"Yes, the ladies asked where you were and I made your excesses." he explained as she nibbled daintily on the toast. Her husband gathering up her clothing from last night, shaking out the wrinkles, and folding them neatly over an arm chair.
"My excesses?" she asked.
"That you were indisposed." he said and ran his hands in his pockets.
She held the sheet of his bed closer to her body.
"Well, that much is true." she said and tried not to laugh.
She sensed Arthur was teasing her as he pulled one of the high back chairs next to where she was eating in bed, as though she truly was an invalid.
"Last night was very nice." he said. His eyes were looking over her face and hair.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Mr. Brandon." Ariadne said and refused to look at him.
"I think I liked the second time better." he added and she felt her face burn.
"I should get dressed." she said. She was very uncomfortable all of the sudden. Her husband was looking at her in a way that was making those butterflies flutter around her belly again.
"I think it's best if you stay in bed and rest for the remainder of the day. You're very tired." he said.
"Arthur, I'm fine." she said and clutched the sheet tighter to her body. "Please hand me my clothes."
"I don't think so." he chuckled.
"Arthur!" she said in shock.
"Mrs. Brandon, I would like it if you rested for the day and be refreshed this evening." as he stood and took her clothing with him.
"What's going to happen this evening?" she asked.
He only gave her that self amused smile.
"Get some rest, Mrs. Brandon. I left the roses and box of chocolates on the night table for you as well as the book you were reading."
She gaped at him as he left her. His well dressed form striding out of the bedroom, brimming with confidence and good humor.