An hour later, and Morticia was stood by the front door, conversing quietly with Cousin Itt. She had sought him out, unable to shake that nagging feeling that had been bothering her ever since that admittedly glorious – kiss. Why had Gomez been so intently focused on that woman, immediately after parting from Morticia. Come to that, exactly who was that woman in the first place? She questioned Itt gently, knowing if anyone would know, it would be Itt himself.
Cousin Itt appeared a little reticent at first to divulge his cousin's past, but Morticia's charm and reason won him over, as it did all she met. She listened, outwardly calm, but with a growing inner rage, as Itt relayed the story of Lady, the last woman Gomez had courted, before he had fall desperately in love with Morticia. Lady had been the daughter of a friend of Gomez's parents, and both families had enthusiastically encouraged the romance.
"How serious?" Morticia asked through clenched teeth, as Itt paused in his narrative.
She learned that the relationship had lasted eight months, and had ended nearly a year to the day before she herself had met Gomez. Her fists clenched as she heard how Gomez had been about to propose to Lady not long before they parted company. Itt sensed Morticia's anger and jealousy growing ever more present, and hurried to reassure her that it had been Gomez who had ended the romance. He had been pressured by his family to propose, but even after eight months, could not bring himself to do so. Itt gently reminded Morticia that Gomez had known her all of four hours before he had asked for her hand in marriage.
Morticia permitted herself wry smile. That was true. But she still felt that green eyed beast, now fully roused within her chest, undoing Itt's attempts at reassurance.
"He never told me about her," she seethed. "I thought we knew everything about each other's past loves."
Itt considered his reply. Morticia's expression softened just a little as she listened to him describe how, following the break-up, Lady had pursued Gomez for months, unable to handle rejection, it would seem. Gomez had been kindly at first, not wishing to add to her distress, but as time went on, he had grown more frustrated and less sympathetic. From the moment he had met Morticia, every past conquest of his had been driven from his mind, Lady included, and he had never looked twice at another woman.
Morticia smiled thankfully at Itt. She knew he was keen to defend his cousin's honour, and his passionate vocalisations regarding Gomez's love for Morticia were nothing but well-intentioned.
"Thank you, my friend," she bowed her head gratefully, before turning to her side as she heard a soft rustle of fabric. Margaret stood, somewhat awkwardly, clearly keen to speak to Itt, and not wishing to interrupt. Morticia raised her eyebrow at the pair, secretly excited at the prospect of a new romantic adventure beginning that night, thanks to the Addams' bringing them together. She took her leave of the couple, and made her way back inside.
It didn't take long for her to spot him, her eyes were conditioned to seek out her husband's form above all else. He looked politely bored, eyes a little unfocused, but a civil smile upon his lips as whoever he was talking with clearly failed to hold his attention. Morticia made a beeline for his side, intending to rescue him from the drudgery of small talk with vague acquaintances. As she approached, her eyes alighted upon the woman Gomez was conversing with; their most unwelcome guest, Lady. Morticia felt a knot of pure fury well up within, something quite foreign to Morticia Addams. It overwhelmed her usually steady and collected inner voice, causing her to quicken her step, and her usually peaceful brown eyes to flash with fire and anger. She could not even comprehend why she felt this way; after all, Gomez adored her, he had spent the past seventeen years demonstrating his love for her every hour of the day. What's more, he had ended things with Lady. Still, she couldn't shake the unease she felt at his never having mentioned this woman before.
"Gomez, darling," she purred as she reached his side, placing a protective hand on his near shoulder.
"Tish! Cara mia, allow me to introduce an old family friend, Miss Lady Atthaws. Lady, this is my bonita, Morticia."
Both women couldn't help but notice the change in Gomez's tone as he had spied his wife. From uninterested and monotonous throughout his conversation with Lady, to engaged and passionate the moment Morticia had appeared. A small smile of victory spread across Morticia's lips, barely visible before she rushed to arrange her expression in to something far more socially appropriate, as Gomez slipped a strong arm around her waist.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Atthaws," Morticia nodded courteously. "Welcome to our home. May I offer you a drink?"
"Thank you, no. I must be leaving soon. I just had to see for myself what I had missed out on all those years ago. This could have all been mine," Lady replied somewhat rudely, gesturing around the grand ballroom, but her eyes never left Gomez's face, and her meaning was not lost on Morticia.
"I am truly lucky," the dark-haired beauty spoke softly in return, but her gentle words and tone were quite at odds with her actions, as she instinctively pressed her nails down upon Gomez's shoulder, causing a hiss of pain from her husband as she marked his skin with her initial. Gomez cast his eyes over his wife's face, a perfect mask of politeness, but he could feel an unusual heat radiating from her body, burning through his clothes. She was jealous, he realised with a thrill. He had always known she worshipped him, but that 'green-eyed monster that doth mock', that feeling of pure possessiveness, that had always been his, and not hers. He tightened his grip on Morticia's waist, and managed to grab Lumpy Addams as that young man lumbered past.
"Lumpy, old man, would you excuse Morticia and I for a short while, please do apologise for our sudden departure, and reassure our honoured guests that we will return. An important matter has arisen and we must attend to it at once. Thank you, old bean. We will be thirty minutes or so." Morticia dug her nails in to the tender spot on his shoulder once more, and Gomez hurried to correct his statement.
"An hour! We will be an hour."
They had barely made it through the first corridor leading from the great hall, when Morticia had turned and pushed him back against the wall, partially cloaked by the shadows.
"Mine," she hissed, biting and kissing over his neck, her hands tangled in his hair, forcing his head backwards against the wall.
"Yours, always," Gomez gasped, relishing the role change that was currently being played out; his usually cool, teasing wife driven wild with jealousy and a need to bite and brand his skin, acting solely on animal instinct not, and himself, enjoying the blatant display of desire by his lover.
"If this is my reward when I make you jealous, I will endeavour to do so far more often in the future," Gomez teased, his eyes closing in abject bliss as his words spurred Morticia on, fuelled by equal parts anger and lust.
They would be much more than an hour in returning to their party, he mused, as he felt his beloved drop to her knees, red nails clawing at his clothing as he tangled his fingers in her hair. Yes, it was definitely worth making her jealous every now and again.