Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 11

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 “Be careful before you fall!”

Nathan gets his first taste of life in Francine.

Click here to start from the beginning

Part 11

I welcomed Rother’s decision to stop for lunch. Strung tight as a clock spring, I’d barely eaten in the last two days. My appetite couldn’t hold out much longer.

The cafe was charming if not the most meticulous. The decor was dark and sumptuous yet strangely lived in. All the wrought iron and stone sported flaws softened by lush fabrics. It lacked the grandeur I was accustomed—it was hardly a luncheon at high court—but Rother sat back in total comfort. While he had chosen a private table for two, I found it disconcerting with Blythe and Harston at a separate table in the main dining room, eating with all of us. Such a thing would be unheard of at home, yet no one objected here. I felt very out of place in this rustic environment.

“Francine is a lovely town, no?” he asked.

Even through the picture window’s flawed glass I had a clear view of the city. Located along the sea, Francine was a destination for businessmen and travelers alike. The deeper into the city we went, the more varied the population. The same menagerie of merchants to businessmen to pedestrians walked the street as I would find in Victoria.

I found it garish as one man dressed in a waistcoat and bowler shouted in greeting to another across the street, waving wildly. Neither man appeared dirty or uneducated. No other passerby noticed or seemed to care.

AT another moment, Blythe interjected himself between us and a panhandler who, I was told, wasn’t actually poor.

As odd and varied as the people were, there was a vibrancy about them, something missing from my homeland. They moved with a swagger, spoke with laughter, and carried themselves with vigor and life. My fine clothing in dull earth tones seemed dour in comparison.

“It certainly is colorful.”

“Is that a positive reaction?”

I left my window view of the street and faced my husband. Relaxed and handsome, he looked at home with his top hat resting on the table. “I hope so.”

“Once you learn to relax, you’ll embrace the differences. Lean back in your chair already. You look uncomfortable.”

Sitting upright, my back did not touch the splat of my seat. My learned posture was considered a mark of breeding and manners. Slouching in a chair marked a man of laziness, something forbidden to me as long as I could remember. Although, Rother wasn’t mannerless. In fact, he held himself quite well, but lacked the refinement Victorian society held in high regard. It’s why my father’s acceptance shocked me.

“It will require more than one full day as your spouse to unlearn a lifetime of manners. You could stand to meet me somewhere in between.”

A wicked gleam sparked Rother’s eye. “Am I too coarse for your prim standards?”

“That’s not what I said.”

Rother scraped his chair backwards and stood up high on the seat. The other patrons all looked our way as he clasped his hands over his heart.

“Oh pray tell I should confess to these fine folk my husband finds me a vulgar boor!”

“Rother, stop!” I hissed. “Everyone is staring!”

“Whatever shall I do? However shall I survive?” He projected his voice as he began gesturing with all the dramatic flourish of an amateur thespian. The chair legs titled and clapped on the floor as his weight shifted back and forth. I wanted to grab his arms and drag him down to earth.

“Be careful before you fall!”

As much as I hated being mocked, the spectacle I foresaw was much worse. Rother bounced to the floor, leaning over the table with his hands poised before me. With a rakish smile, his voice darkened.

“You’re the only one about to fall, my dear.”

Chuckles of the other diners softened into nothing as he righted himself in his chair. I flitted my gaze around and everyone went back to their meals, as we were no longer of interest. Once again, my face flamed in his presence. If I didn’t learn to control my reactions, it would be a difficult marriage indeed.

“A little discretion would be in order, I think.” Unlike my husband, I lowered my voice so only he and I could hear.

“About what?”

“You’re shouting out about our marriage—”

“You’re not in Victoria anymore. No one cares about the betrothal of men here.”

I resisted the urge to look around. “You’re sure?”

“Passion is the basic tenet of Francine. Enjoy what the world has to offer. While we may not be obsessed with precision aesthetics as in Victoria, we understand the pleasure involved in all things. Our styles are looser, but no less beautiful. If it’s not enjoyable, why waste your time with it?”

I imagined an entire country of men and women acting out their every whim without strict rules of decorum to follow. How could anything but chaos be the result?

“It sounds like a recipe for hedonism.”

Rother chuckled. “From your viewpoint, I imagine it does.”

I didn’t have time to answer as the portly woman who served us returned with our lunch, carrying an overloaded tray on one hand. After setting a steaming bowl in front of each of us, she placed a small basket of dense bread and a carafe of wine on the table.

The stew looked hearty in its simple crafted bowl and I tried to ignore the scuffs and scratches on the unpolished silverware. Rother wasted no time pouring us each a glass of red wine and dove into his meal.

“Go on. Eat,” he said with a mouthful of stew.

I stamped down my unease and dipped my spoon into my dish. The scent was bold and rich, unlike my usual fare. There was nothing offensive about the rough chunks of meat and potatoes on my utensil, so I risked a bite.

It was magnificent. I believed it was the best thing I’d ever tasted.

“Francine may grow on me yet.”

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