Clarisse took a deep breath "come" she called out and stood up as the door opened
"it's just me" replied Joseph "I came to check you are OK? and bring a broom to sort this glass out" he said walking over to it
"Oh I am fine and thank you" she said looking at him as he started sweeping the broken glass up "I can do that though" she added as she walked over to him
"it's no bother" he replied looking up at her "he didn't hurt you, did he?"
"no" she shook her head "I promise he didn't"
"good, I just wanted to make sure" he replied studying her face "I worry about you, that's all"
"I know" Clarisse replied looking up at him "thank you" she smiled and walked back over sitting on the sofa "actually can I talk to you about something that happened?"
"of course" he answered resting the broom against the wall and walked over sitting next to her "what would you like to talk to me about"
"it stays between us?" she said looking at him
"Of course, you should know that" he answered with a nod
"thank you" she looked at him "it was really weird actually, because we was talking about the night I had Philippe" she said moving her gaze to the coffee table in front of them "and then he started talking about us having another baby" she said looking back at him "I mean I could still have a baby yes, I am still in age and everything but its just weird, it's not like him to talk like that" she said puzzled
"hmm" Joe started and raised his eyebrow looking at her
"what was that hmmm for?" Clarisse asked
he sat thinking then looked at her "its not my place to say"
"Joe please tell me" she said turning a little putting her hand on his arm
he looked down at her hand, his heart breaking then looked back up at her "he told me about 10 or so years ago when you was away for that month that he had an operation so that he couldn't have another child" he looked at Clarisse as she gasped "there is something else"
"what" she said scared to hear the answer
"he thinks we are sleeping together" looking at her as she jumped up out the seat "so with that and him wanting a baby, I wonder if its a trap"
"what do you mean?" she whispered as she sat back down next to him
"that if you agreed to have another child with him and you fell pregnant, it would confirm to him that you are sleeping with someone else"
Clarisse shook her head trying to put things together "how could he do and think this" she said looking at him "how did you know this anyway?"
"well, he had talked to a few of my men this last couple weeks" he said hating the fact he had to tell her this "and they came to me just a little while ago and told me as he asked Paul today, and he asked what ever gave him that idea, well Rupert replied its the way they are together"
"so he thinks we are sleeping together" she asked as he nodded
"does he know about us?" he replied looking at her
"no I haven't said anything to him" she answered looking at him "and no one else except my sister knew about it, and she hasn't been here for years so I doubt it was her" she looked back at the coffee table "he makes me so angry" she whispered standing up and started walking around the room "do you no he had an affair for 5 years about..." she stopped
"about when?" Joseph said watching her
she looked at him "about 10 years ago" she slumped in the seat the other side
"how did you know that?" Joe asked
she looked at him "the maids, they know everything" she closed her eyes "I can't believe I stayed and that we actually celebrated 25 years of marriage just a few weeks ago" she whispered and slowly opened her eyes looking at Joe "I never denied him, he could of had me so many times but it took him 15 years to actually do something about it" she closed her eyes again trying to stay calm "even when I found out about the affair I could of easily had one too" she opened her eyes and looked at Joe again "or left him"
"you don't deserve this Clari...Clarisse" Joe said and moved next to her
she looked at him "it's ok Joe, you can call me Clari" she studied his face "sorry I snapped last time"
"its ok, I totally understand" he said taking her hand "you honestly deserve so much better Clari" he watched as she lifted her hand up and looked at her wedding ring
"I need to think" she said looking at him "can you leave now" she asked
"of course" he smiled giving her hand a squeeze "I am here if you need me, remember that" he whispered and lent over placing a kiss on her cheek
"thank you Joe" she smiled at him
Joseph left her to have a think, after cleaning up the mess Rupert caused she sat at the table running everything around her head then went to talk to Helen about something, then went to see Pierre followed by Joseph. When she was done she took a deep breath and headed to Rupert's suite, walking straight in and slamming the door behind her making Rupert look up in surprise.
Clarisse looked over at him "so you think that me and Joseph are having an affair?"
He nodded "I do"
"what makes you think that?" she asked
"its the way you are together, you always smile whenever you see him, I have caught you both flirting with each other many times over the years, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's why you never slept with me"
She gasped "how dare you, I told you two weeks ago that I would never deny you, it was you who didn't want to know me, not the other way around" she said starting to get angry "for the record we are NOT having an affair, but..."
He looked up at her "But what?"
"he was the person before you" she said feeling a little bit better at telling him "I slept with him in the hope my parents wouldn't let the marriage go ahead, but they brought it forward" she said "and I hated that"
"So you have a history with him?" he asked as she nodded "it makes sense now" he nodded a little "I still think you are with him"
"What?" she asked in surprise "I am not some tart Rupert, I slept with you two weeks ago on our Anniversary, if I was sleeping with him I wouldn't do that" she snapped "oh and what about all this baby talk huh?" she said looking at him "I know you can't have another child Rupert, so why talk shit to me?" He looked up in surprise never having heard her swear before "I also knew about the affair you had 10 years ago"
"how?" he asked
"the maids...the maids know everything, remember?" she replied still looking at him "is that why you had the operation? so you couldn't get her pregnant because then you knew you'd be in trouble?"
"no" he shook his head as he walked over to her "Risse please" he put his hand on her arm "I am sorry about all that, can we put it behind us and move on"
"No" she snapped "you disgust me Rupert" she said looking at him
"I deserved that" he nodded still holding onto her arm and looked her in the eyes "alright, I will tell the truth. I did have the operation because of that fact, I have no idea why I started the affair for, knowing you was here" he shook his head "I made a big mistake and im sorry"
"you didn't just cheat on me, you cheated on your boys, your best friend and your country" she said looking at him "then had the nerve to accuse me of having an affair when you knew the truth" she shook her head pulling her arm free "I don't no why I stayed married to you for so long for, I was a fool to stay with you after I found out about that woman" she said looking at him
"I deserved that too" he replied looking at her
"we buried our son today, you have not been there for me at all since he died" she said looking at him with tears in her eyes "then I found all this out tonight" she said starting to cry and put her hands up covering her face
"I am so sorry" he said putting his arms up wrapping them around her as she cried
"No" she said trying to pull free from him "NO" she shouted and pushed him away "you have no right to touch me" she cried
"Clarisse please, calm down" he said reaching for her hand
"don't you touch me" she said stepping back
he put his hands up "ok, Ok, I won't touch you" he said standing still
she wiped her tears away and looked at him "you no, even though Joe and I have a history he has remained my best friend, he treats me right, he looks out for me, was there when my Grandparents died, was there over this last two weeks, when I really needed someone he was there" she said looking down as a couple tears fell "he would never treat me the way you have" she said looking up at him
"then why don't you go run of with him" he replied
"it's tempting" she snapped back "I would love to be with him, have him hold me, care for me as a man should, as I know I ain't ever going to get that from you"
he looked at her "what do you mean by that?" he asked
"I think you know" she replied "I have learned the hard way" she whispered looking up into his eyes "and I no I am never going to make the same mistakes that you did, I won't let myself"
"Clarisse please" he said standing really close to her "don't do this"
"Rupert, everyday I have to force a smile and even a laugh to just get by, the only real smiles I wore was when the boys was around or when Joe was near" she whispered as Rupert started crying
"I'm so sorry" he whispered as Clarisse got teary too
"2 weeks ago, I loved you as a friend and a husband after agreeing to give it another go" a tear escaped her eye as he put his hands on her sides "today after all of this and finding out the truth, I don't love you as either" she looked up at him "I will stay married to you for now, because of your country"
"it's your country too" Rupert replied
"No" she shook her head "it isn't, not anymore" she looked up at him "tomorrow I will leave with Helen and Amelia and spend sometime in America to give us some space" a couple more tears fell
"will you come back?" he asked
"I don't no" she looked up studying his face as she wiped away stray tears "I really don't no right now, and as I said we will stay married for the sake of your country, but that's it" she placed her hand on his chest and looked at her wedding ring "if I return here I will still stay here and act like a married couple, but my heart doesn't belong to you anymore" she said slipping of her ring and took one of his hands placing it in his palm "if anyone asks why I ain't wearing it anymore, I will just say that I lost it" she whispered closing his fingers around the ring as she cried
"Clarisse please" Rupert said crying "don't do this to us"
"I'm not doing anything" she said looking up at him "you done that all on your own when you cheated on me for 5 years then accused me of cheating on you, that was the final straw" she said looking up at him "we have to admit really, there hasn't been an us for years" she whispered reaching up and placed a kiss on his cheek then went to step back but stopped
"please don't go Clarisse, I love you" he watched as she turned to walk away, he wrapped his arms around her waist crying as she started crying too and slumped back against him "please" he cried resting his forehead against her back
"I have to Rupert" she cried "please let me go" she whispered through crying as they both fell to their knees
After a few minutes he let her go, where she walked out crying and headed to her suite. Rupert stood up a few minutes later and placed the ring on the coffee table before slumping in the chair crying, knowing it was all his fault.