Inside Darling (Darling #1) [complete]

Chapter Twenty-Two

E L I Z A B E T H  H A R S H L Y  bumped shoulders with Louelle at breakfast the next morning. Louelle had been falling asleep in her chair after the long night she had, and unfortunately no longer had Ruby to make the morning tea that helped her get through a lot of her days. She hadn't meant to let her head fall and her eyes flutter closed.

"You should have just not come to breakfast this morning if you are so exhausted," her mother hissed. Elizabeth wore a forced smile so as to not draw attention to the disappointment she had with Louelle. "Perhaps if you retired earlier instead of focusing on those lousy dress designs, you would be awake enough to participate in conversation."

Louelle sat straighter and attempted to blink the tiredness out of her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy, as did every muscle in her body - especially after the overexertion they endured the night prior. The memory of her and Thatcher tossing around under the sheets brought a simple, joyous smile to her face, and a fire churned in the pit of her stomach. She wondered when the next time would be where he'd make her his all over again.

He had been so gentle with her - the first time around, that was. He wished to stop it all after seeing the tears forming in her eyes, afraid he had once again hurt her, but she urged him to continue. The pain was unbearable for the first few minutes as he took away her innocence. Eventually, she began to enjoy the feeling of him inside of her; the way her muscles involuntarily contracted around him; when he'd hit her sweet spot that suddenly made her feel barbaric and drag her fingernails down his back.

The reminiscing of the night before created a new heat in between her legs. She squeezed them tighter together. She had an inkling to give the prince at the opposite side of the table "the look," stealing him away into a quiet and secluded corridor to help her get rid of it.

But Elizabeth's harsh whisper had made the feeling vanish, having remembered where she was.

"Do not think your father and I have not heard of your run-in with the king," Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.

Her forced smile was tighter and her eyes were wider. She was fondling her cloth napkin to make herself appear busy, but the way she was grabbing it was aggressive. Louelle nervously shifted in her seat.

Elizabeth leaned closer to Louelle to relay her threat. "Expect a punishment once your father decides on one."

Louelle was not fearful for the anticipated consequence from her father. Nothing could have possibly been worse than Thatcher striking her.

"Yes, mother," Louelle meekly replied.

With that, Elizabeth laid her napkin across her lap and listened in on the conversation her husband was having with King James. Louelle never understood why her mother would try to give her input in those conversations, as the king always ignored her, seemingly unimpressed. Elizabeth never appeared to be embarrassed by the king's disregard for any one of her comments; she only behaved oblivious.