*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
Seth bid farewell to their guests for the evening and made his way up to his bedchambers to his young wife to make sure she was doing well. He sent the servants away as he reached his bedchamber. "I can take it from here," he said. They bowed to him and hurried out of the bedchamber shutting the door behind them. "I see you're doing well," he said as he took off his coat and threw it onto the chair. "I thought you were unwell."
"Seth," she began as she sat up in their marital bed. "You don't understand how uncomfortable that was for me. Celia is in love with you don't you see that. I'm not the wife that you need or the one you deserve. You deserve someone like Celia not a Farmer's Daughter," she said as she approached him cautiously.
"I married you did I not? I believe I am the one that speaks of what is worthy of my affection or not, neither you nor Celia have the right to say what I am worthy of. I find you to be the most beautiful woman in the world and I do love you, Della but the way you behaved tonight did not make me happy."
"How did I behave? I wasn't going to sit there and allow your guests tear me apart, talk poorly about me in front of me. I may be a farmer's daughter and I may not have gone to a real school but my mama taught me everything I know. I am not uneducated. I have a good education it may not be as wonderful as yours or Celia's but it is worthy of something. My mama is not an uneducated woman, I know how to add numbers, I know how to read and I know other things I am not stupid," she argued with her husband.
"I didn't call you uneducated," he responded, "but your behavior tonight was unacceptable," he said grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him. His grip tightened on her arm. "I have never been more embarrassed in my life than I was with your behavior at supper."
"Seth, let go you're hurting me," she pleaded with him to loosen his grip on her arm. "Please," she begged with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Della, you're my wife you will behave as such," he began as he shook her, his grip still tight on her arm. "If we have guests for dinner you will not excuse yourself from the table. You will treat them with respect as you will treat me with respect, is that clear?"
"Seth," she said tears burning in her eyes. "Please."
"Listen to me when I'm talking to you," he demanded. "You're my wife now and you will follow my rules and you will not embarrass me. You will be an example wife to those around us. You will not speak unless you are spoken to and you will not embarrass me again like you did this evening? If I cannot control my wife how can anyone expect me to control medicine," he said as the evil he had hidden deep within began to surface. Della looked into the eyes of a man she had not known. His eyes weren't full of love anymore but of possession, darkness and evil. He is not the man she married just days ago, he can't be.
"Seth, I didn't mean to upset you," she said with tears falling from her eyes. "I was uncomfortable," she stated. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"But you did and you disrespected me by excusing yourself from dinner. You're not ill," he began.
"I didn't know what else to say," she said as his grip loosened on her arm. "I just had to get away."
"You will not do it again," he warned. "If you do," he said, "you will not like the consequences."
"What? What are you talking about?" she asked. "The consequences?"
"I explained to you that if I can't control my wife, many will believe I cannot control my practice and that makes me look bad," he explained. "There have to be consequences to your actions, Della so that you learn not to disrespect me again. You are MY wife, you will do as I wish and what I tell you to do," he said.
"I do respect you, Seth, I thought you loved me? You're not the man I married," she said.
"I am every man that you married," he said before he took the back of his hand to the side of her face causing her to cry out in pain before he threw her to the ground and stood over her. He looked down at his young wife, "you're my wife you will respect me and do as I tell you to do. Your job is to be by my side and support me that includes sitting through dinner with my colleagues and my friends. God knows I spent enough time with your family so that I could get what I wanted."
"Seth," she said through her tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a poor wife, I'm sorry," she apologized as she held her cheek. "I'll be a better wife; I promise," she said.
"You better, Della," he said. "You better be a better wife to me no more running out on dinner because you dislike a few comments that were made. Your job is to be there," he said, "just like your job will be to raise our children because we will have plenty," he said. He all of a sudden turned into a man she did not know, a man she thought loved her soon turned to one that seemed to resent her. "You owe me that much. I rescued you from that God awful farm life you were living. You should be willing and grateful to me."
"I will, Seth," she said as she sobbed through the swelling and bruising of her beautiful porcelain doll like face. "I'm sorry," she cried.
"Get up," he said with hatred in his voice. "Stop crying," he said before he finished undressing himself and getting himself ready for bed. Della stood up from the floor holding onto her face as she walked to their bed. She crawled into bed and buried her head into her pillow, tears streamed down her face, heavy sobs escaped her chest. She wanted to go back home with her Mama and Papa. She wanted to be free from the evil monster she had married. Seth climbed into bed with his wife, blew out the candle flickering the light, turned his back to her as she cried and sobbed through the night.
Days and weeks passed and Della was stuck in her own marital hell with Seth. Everything she did was wrong she couldn't even eat properly, he yelled at her, cussed at her, hit her. He made her life miserable. If the clothes weren't folded correctly he lost his temper and yelled at her, hit her till she cried. The abuse got worse as the time went on but Della had no way out, she had no way to return back to England. She knew she never could without being seen as a damaged woman. Divorces were frowned upon and women from divorces were seen as less than even what she used to be. She tried to do everything she could to make Seth happy, the cooks he promised her never arrived so she spent her late afternoons preparing him dinner and tidying up their home so it was up to his standards when he returned home after a long day of work. She had his beer and his pipe ready for his return so he could relax until dinner was prepared. Della looked forward to her days because she was Seth free as he was out working, healing people of their illnesses. She felt she could do no wrong and had no fear during her days but as he returned in the evening her evening depended on the day he had at work. She did what she could to be a good wife but it was never good enough for Seth. He had his days where he treated her like a queen but more often than not she was treated poorly through his abusive ways. She had nowhere to go, no one to help her she could only endure the pain he inflicted mentally and physically. She was stuck in their home during the day and at night she was stuck in their home. She had no life and she was feeling like she was trapped. She would give anything to go back to her mama and papa to live on the farm, to help on a farm even be a farmer's wife as long as she was able to get out of her home.
While Della endured her personal marital hell, Roman was escaping from his and searching for Della. He had been searching for her quite some time. No one could tell him where Della had disappeared to. He knew she had wed the physician but he was unsure if they had returned to Spain or stayed in England. He had no luck finding her in England so he turned his search to Spain. He sent people to Spain to see if they could track Della for him and he was ready to give up hope of finding her until he had received word that Della and Seth had acquired a private residence hidden in Spain. Seth was hiding her from the world. He was holding her captive from the world. Roman arrived in Spain within days of hearing the news of her presence in Spain.
Roman ventured through Spain following the man that informed him of Della's whereabouts, he paid him to take him to Della. They rode their horses through the countryside, the hooves of the horses clanked through the dirt on their way. Roman was trying to figure out his words on their travel, he had an idea of what he wanted to say to Della but he wasn't sure how he wanted to word it to her. He loved her, there was no doubt. Nothing seemed good with Amelia. He didn't truly love Amelia, his heart was not hers but it did belong to Della. He left his wife and his home in search of the woman he truly loved. He would make her something more, more than a Farmer's wife. Society would frown at their relationship, frown at them being together but she made him happy. He was never able to get Della out of his mind. He didn't want her for a mistress, he wanted her for a wife but right now a mistress would be all that she could be but he would always love her more than he ever thought he could. He didn't need to be with her but he wanted to be with her more than he did with Amelia. The man he followed took his horse into a private residence and stopped in the front of a beautiful Victorian home. "Is this where she resides?" I asked him.
"Yes," the man answered. "This is the residence of Seth Rollins and his wife."
"Why so secluded?" he asked as he hopped off his horse. "No one would possibly be able to find them in this seclusion."
"I am positive that was what he was going for," he responded.
"Is he at home or is he out for the afternoon?" He asked as he tied his horse to the post in front of the beautiful home.
"He is out for the day he doesn't return home to early evening," he answered.
"Is she in there?" asked Roman.
"Most likely," he answered him. "She tends to the home while he is working the day."
"Thank-you," said Roman as he paid the man. "Thank-you for your services."
"You're welcome," he said as he placed the coin in his pocket.
"I have another job for you to do," he said.
"Another job?" he asked. "What can I do for you Lord Reigns?"
"For the time being I need you to find me an Inn or a small cottage somewhere to reside until I am able to take Della for my wife."
"I will do what I can," he said with a smile. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank-you," he said with a smile before he went on his way to do what Roman had asked him to do before Roman made his way to the front porch of Della's home.
Roman knocked on the door a couple of times before it opened slowly and carefully but not fully. "Hello," he said. "Is someone there?"
"Who is it?" said a voice familiar to him. It made him smile because he knew it was Della.
"Della," he said softly, "it's Roman. It's Roman."
She opened the door fully and stood face to face with the man she was trying to wait for before Seth took her for a wife and before she fell in love with the man she thought he was. "Lord Reigns," she said, "what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here?" she asked as she looked around.
"I have come for you," he announced.
"I can't go with you," she said. "Seth would never allow it and you shouldn't be here. You need to leave before he comes home from work."
"Della," he said, "I love you."
"Lord Reigns," she said as her heart melted at the words she had been dying to hear weeks ago but he never spoke the words truly. "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe for you or I if you're here."
"Della," he said as he reached his hand up and ran his fingers over her bruised cheek. "What happened?"
"It doesn't matter, Lord Reigns, you shouldn't be here you need to go before Seth comes home."
"He did this to you didn't he?" he asked as he brushed it with his fingertips. "He did this to you didn't he?" She looked down at the ground. Her blue eyes weren't full of happiness anymore but fear and hurt. She wasn't the same Della he had fallen in love with. Seth had ruined her, destroyed her. He tore her down and took away her happiness. It broke his heart but filled him with rage at the same time. "I'll kill him!" he said. "I will kill him."
"Roman," she said looking up at him with her deep blue eyes that were filled with tears. "No."
"No? You're coming with me," he said. "You need to come with me," he said taking her hand into his.
She pulled her hand out of his grip and said, "No, I can't go. I need to stay here for my husband. I need to honor him and respect him. I cannot leave with you. And you shouldn't be here. You need to go. He will be home soon."
"Della, if you think I am going to leave you alone with that monster so that he can hurt you again you're wrong. You're either coming with me or I'm staying," he demanded.
"I'm staying," she said, "but you're leaving. It's not safe for you to be here. If he comes home and finds you here…" she began. She looked up at him and he smiled at her beautiful face. "It won't end well. He said I am his wife and it is my job to honor him, respect him. I can't run away with you or leave with you I'm sorry. I have to be a wife, Roman."
"Della," he said softly as he caressed her face. "Please I can't stand the thought of him hurting you like this. You deserve more than that. I will give you more than that."
"Roman, you need to leave," she said, "he's going to be home soon. Please don't make this worse for me."
"Will you at least talk to me? Will you at least consider leaving with me?" he asked.
"Roman," she let out a sigh. "You never came for me."
"Please give me the chance to explain that. Please, when can we talk?" he asked.
She let out another sigh and looked at him, "Tomorrow when he goes to work. I will meet you in the woods. There is a sitting rock beneath a tree. Please meet me there and we will talk tomorrow. I can't risk him coming home to find you here," she said. "It will only make things worse."
"When does he leave for work?"
"7," she answered him. "I will meet you tomorrow at 8 in the woods at the sitting rock. You have to go," she said as she pushed him. "He's going to be here soon. I will see you tomorrow."
"I will see you tomorrow," he said he leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "Be safe."
"Bye, Roman," she said with her heart aching. She wanted to leave with him as he stepped off the porch and made his way to his horse. She wanted to be free but she couldn't, not now. She couldn't escape Seth right now. It wasn't safe for her to do so. She needed a plan; they needed a plan. She shut the door and went back to making dinner so everything was ready for Seth when he arrived home but Roman stayed on her mind. He had finally come for her. He had found her. She was happy for the first time in weeks.
"I'm home," hollered Seth as he shut the door behind him as he entered his home that he shared with his wife after a long day at work.
Della hurried to greet her husband. She had his drink ready for him and his pipe. "Hello," she said with a smile as she reached him. He greeted her with a rough kiss. "How was work?"
"Slow," he said as he took a seat in his chair. "How was your day?" he asked as he lit his pipe.
"It was good," she answered. "Dinner is finished if you're hungry."
"Wonderful," he said as he stood up to follow her to their kitchen. "Did you have a visitor today?" he asked.
"No," she said. "Who would possibly be over this way to find me? We are secluded in the middle of nowhere. No one was here," she answered as she bit her lip.
"I could have sworn I saw horse tracks leading to our home. You wouldn't lie to me would you?"
"No, of course not, Seth, I had no visitors, maybe there were just hunters out in the woods."
"I hope so because if I find out you're lying to me, Della," he said as he took a seat. "You're not going to like the consequences."
"Seth, I'm not lying to you," she said as she scooped him out some soup. "I promise you. I was here alone today, like I am every day." She said as she rolled her eyes. She placed a bowl of soup in front of her husband before scooping her own.
"I would hope so," he said as he began to eat his soup. "I don't like to be lied to."
"I know, Seth. I know," she said as she joined her husband in eating their dinner. It was done in silence like it was most nights. They were like strangers barely spoke a word to one another except when he was angry or they were in their bed trying to make offspring. Della wished deeply she would never become pregnant to that man because she could not bring her child into a world where it would never be happy and it would be fearful. She couldn't. "Do you mind if I go out tomorrow?" she asked. "If I went into town?"
"Della," he sighed. "Why do you need to venture into town you have everything you need here."
"I need to pick up some foods for dinner," she answered. "I would also like to just get out of the house for a while. It's been so long."
"I would rather you didn't, Della. I will have them deliver goods to the house for dinner write me a list and I will deliver it to the grocer on my way to work in the morning."
"All right," she said feeling defeated. "I suppose that works." But Della wanted out. She wanted to be free enjoy time away from her residence. She was lonely. She needed interaction but Seth did everything in his power to keep her secluded from the outside world. She was his prisoner not his wife.
*A/N: What did you think of Seth changing the way he did? Do you think he had other intentions when he married Della? What did you think of Roman finally coming to find her? Do you think he will save her? Will she go with him or continue to endure her hell? How do you think their talk will go? What about Della lying to Seth? Do you think he knows the truth? Did he make her his prisoner instead of his wife? Please review and thank-you for reading.