Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 10
Welcome to the next part in my Wednesday Briefs flash fiction serial, Innocence & Carnality! Each chapter has to be between 500 and 1,000 words and this week I chose the prompt, use “You do have the right to remain silent…”
Nathan has a serious talk with his husband.
Click here to start from the beginning
Part 10
Drifting through the night sky from a vantage point I never imagined, the propellors were quieter than I’d expected. The chilled breeze caught my hair as I strained to see the darkened terrain in the distance. A stood at the bow with Harston at my side, unmoving after the sun disappeared.
“I assume your silence all day means you’re unhappy.”
I turned to find my husband. He seemed annoyed, which was understandable; I’d blatantly ignored him for most of the day. In the end, I didn’t care, because I had good cause.
“Harston, I’d like a private word with my husband.”
“Of course, Sir Nathan.”
With a polite nod and a fleeting glance at Rother, Harston left us alone. However, now that we only had our own company, I wasn’t sure what to say. Or if I should say anything.
“Are you planning on telling me what’s wrong?”
A frustrated vibration rang through me. “I’m trying to stay calm so I don’t have a repeat of earlier.”
“What happened earlier?”
“You’d know what I was talking about, if as soon as we arrived you hadn’t dashed off to board the ship, leaving me at the coach. On top of that, I was publicly humiliated by your brutish servant when I didn’t move fast enough for him.”
“Don’t let Blythe hear you call him a servant. He does many things for me, but he’s hardly my butler.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Unbelievable. You don’t even see my point.”
“We had a schedule to keep. We didn’t have time to spare.”
It was difficult to keep from raising my voice with the venom fueling it. “I’m being shoved around from place to place, not knowing a soul.”
“Which is why I agreed to Harston accompanying you.”
“He’s my valet. It’s not the same thing.”
“I don’t understand the problem.”
“My difficulties have nothing to do with Harston. I’ve just been married and am now being taken away to a foreign land without discussion. I’m doing my best to maintain myself, but when do you expect me to have a chance to adjust to this?”
Rother’s brow creased. “One would think you’d be happy to be away from your father.”
“I should be.” To make my point, I closed the gap between us so every enunciation would be felt on his face. “I would be… if I’d had a single choice in the matter. In the course of two days, you’ve swept in and upheaved me without so much as a ‘by your leave.’”
I subtle shift of understanding came over Rother as he stepped back. His shoulders dropped a fraction, which was probably the closest to chagrined I might ever see from the man. He averted his eyes as a tiny frown marred his lips.
“You do have the right to remain silent…”
“I think it’s a little late for that. You’re the one who asked what was wrong.” I felt better that I’d voiced my issues, but doing so ran against my grain. Some things were simply not done in public, even if I’d broken my own rules recently.
Rother sighed. “I suppose I did. I’ve been accused of being short sighted when I’m focused. Being driven in business is an asset to success, but perhaps less so in matrimony. We’ll be in Francine in the morning. Once we’re there, perhaps we’ll be able to start fresh.”
Given how self-involved Rother appeared to be, I imagined this was his version of an apology. Although I had to admit, a fresh start sounded good. Once in his homeland, I would hope he’d be more forthcoming and less distracted. Clearly, my homeland vexed him.
“Why do you hate Victoria so much?”
“I despise the class hierarchy your people cling to so tightly. Monarchs, Lords, and Ladies, all born to power as if it’s divine right. The people with the most, do the least to earn it.”
While I didn’t acknowledged his version of the truth, I was somewhat appalled. I was one of those people he gathered into his mass dismissal and I found myself reacting with sarcasm. “Next you’ll tell me you don’t don’t employ servants in Francine.”
“Of course we do. But we don’t base our social standing on it the way Victorian society does. A poor man isn’t forced to stay so forever. He has the opportunity to improve himself. This whole land leaves me with an unpleasant taste. I can’t leave fast enough.”
“If you’re in such a hurry to move forward, I’m surprised I’m still wearing my belt.”
A small grin curled his mouth and his eyes darkened. Rother stepped forward, crowding me as his words took a husky tenor.
“The belt intrigues me. It sharpens my anticipation. I want out first time together to be special. When I unwrap my prize, and make no mistake, you are the most delicious prize, I want you to enjoy yourself enough to want more.”
I didn’t know how to respond. I found myself flustered, as I often did when he advanced on me. It took all my self-control to center my breathing. For a man I barely knew, he was skilled at unsettling me in unfamiliar ways.
Rother’s heated breath singed my neck and ear. “Your deserve to have your first time to be a pleasurable exploration, not a painful fumbling in a nobleman’s coach to be tossed out afterwards with a handful of coins.”
The phrase struck me as odd. Confused, I leaned back so I could look into his eyes.
“What nobleman’s coach are you referring to?”
The lusty visage sobered, his whole expression blanked. Rother stepped out of my space and stood tall. It was ironic how his renewed stance was reminiscent of the Victorian nobles he scorned so openly.
“It’s getting late. I hope your private cabin is to your liking. I look forward to seeing you in the morning. Goodnight, Nathan.” Rother turned and walked away, leaving me alone once again.
Check back next Wednesday for the next installation… Be sure to take a read at the other briefers free reads this week here: Wednesday Briefs
