His Beastly Ways

Chapter 6

The next evening Nalia had just put Arabella to sleep when the door to her chambers was opened and her husband walked in.She had not seen him from the morning when Ara had fallen ill and she had been glad of it.The sting of his cruel words had stayed in her heart all the time and she felt herself stiffen even now.
"May I my lady?"he asked her from the door.She hesitated a moment,if she said no he was surely to bid her goodnight and head back to his chambers, if she said yes he would come in and most likely ignite her ire and cause Ara to wake from their voices.Besides this she really did not want to speak to him yet he may be needing to take his rights from her.Grudgingly she made the decision to let him in.With Ara in the room,he would not force her.
"Of course your grace."
She saw him raise an eyebrow at her formal address as he stepped into her chambers and she retrieved her shawl and covered her arms where her night gown had been left open.
"Your grace,Nalia?I should think ours is past the stage of being so formal.We are married and it is consummated... "
"Thank you"that is the last thing you said to me my lord.I do not think I can forget consumming the marriage."
"My lady,I am no gentleman and so it would fail me to apologize if that were your expectations."he paused before continuing"I sent you a gift that eve but my valet says you returned it."
Nalia again fought down the retort she wanted to throw in his face,he was without shame.
Refusing to jump to answer him until she received a question, she brought her chin up and raised her eyebrow in the way her mother did whenever she was greatly displeased about one or other.
She saw his eyes fill with mirth before he quickly sobered up.
"I meant to ask why you did not like my gift.Was it too beneath you?"
Before she could stop herself a scoff left her lips and she felt all her tucked away ire rise.
"I spent my wedding night with you Hahn,I believed you enjoyed it as much as I did.Yet with my nay experience in such matters I should have known I had deluded myself.All that would have been a bit less hurtful were it not for your thanks that morn,and the 'gift' you promptly sent soon after.
I know I did not behave properly with you but to treat me like a common whore or a kept mistress, well,that is beneath me."
Nalia took a deep breath as she realised she had raised her voice and been speaking faster.
"My lady,it would seem that I... "

"Mama?"a small muffled voice brought their confrontation to an end and Nalia felt herself smile at the small form unseen beneath all the linen and quilts."yes my love,I am here."
She turned to her husband about to ask for his leave when a more impatient "mama!"tore a smile from her and she moved towards the bed and climbed into it to re pat and re tell a story.

Hahn stood at the door to his chambers pride,guilt and confusion battling for dominance within him.
He had been the one who had forgotten himself and behaved ungentlemanly. When morn had come and he had awoken to the soft warmth of his wife's body pressed next to him, an even more intense hunger had flooded his blood.He thought to put her off especially when she had covered herself so quickly as if ashamed of what had occurred. Unfortunately his mind and body seemed to remember her and he had longed to claim her once again.All day and all night.It had been so difficult.
He himself could barely understand why it was that when he saw her he wanted to take her pretty little mouth and kiss it.
'Tis;but her resembles to Talia. Aye,that was all.

Yet now as he watched her murmuring to the toddler in her bed,her eyes focused only on her,her mouth turned into a smile her voice soft and affectionate, a tug pulled at his heart and he yearned so much to caress her and join them both on that bed.He started to go towards them before quickly stopping himself and walking to his room.

The next morning as Nalia came from her short walk with Arabella and Merith,they saw carriages coming to the manor and recognizing the banners on them,Nalia gave a quick delightful scream ,scooped Ara into her arms and urged Merith to increase her pace.
She reached on time to meet the carriages at the gate and as 3 ladies flung themselves out of the carriage, Merith sensing her excitement, took Ara and Nalia waited impatiently as her friends curtsied before engulfing them all into hugs with screams and jumpings going round.

A small tag on her gown reminded her of the presence of her child. She moved a bit back to introduce her friends to each other.
Marsha had already taken Ara into her arms and Kat was tickling her. Seeing as Nicola was the only composed lady Nalia smiled and said "lady Katrina may I present my new friend Merith,countess of Havcrook."
The two ladies gazed at each other before smiling and quickly becoming intuitive to the fact that they would form fast friendships.
After the introduction ,the band of 5 and a toddler gathered themselves and entered the house.

The dowager duchess met them at the front entrace, all smiles and cheers.Nalia re did the introductions and Kat apologized for not sending notice in advance.
"Faith child,this is your lady's house.You should not apologize for being here,least of all to me."
Nalia smiled lovingly at the woman.She had been very kind to her since she had arrived here.She had gracious taken care of Ara's medical expenses from her own income,no thanks to her son though.
Trying not to be bitter,Nalia instructed that the west wing chambers be readied for her guests.
She had been quite busy since her marriage and had surely failed to take the household reigns from her mother-in-law.The woman did not complain but somehow Nalia could tell she wished to dispense of the duties as soon as possible. So whenever she could she would ease some of the duties as she had so run her manor in Havencreed by herself since she was ten and five.
Her mother by marriage seemed to appreciate the fact that her son's wife had not taken over the reigns abruptly displacing her position and it had created some peace between them.

Supper that eve was a burst of festivity. The food was plenty,the wine flowed and although the table was unevenly placed with only two men,her husband and the earl,her ladies entertained them with stories of the horrors they faced at the inns where they took shelter that Nalia laughed out loud and even the dowager duchess supress her smiles.

"...and then the man stepped on Kat's foot and apologized repeatedly ,Kat being as gracious as always smiled politely and continued with the dance.My word it was her greatest mistake. She had to suffer through more apologies as he spent the next two sets stepping even more on her feet."Marsha paused to catch her breath as everyone had broken into laughter even Kat.
"Oh Lya,you should have seen Kat's face.She was smiling so politely but her skin was so stretched and blotched I thought she was having an attack of apoplexy."Nicole added
Kat's grin widened as she cast a pitying look to Nalia, "I myself thought I would faint dead away... if I did not spare my feet further harassments."
Nalia smiled inwardly as she felt at peace and content.This had been the usual dinner habits back home whenever they were without guests. They would talk about their days, always in a more comical rendition.Laugh at each other and drink up.
When they returned to the parlor,Nicola and Nalia played a traditional piece,they even got Merith to try some of the dances.
By the time all six of them had gone up to Nalia's chambers,it had been an agreed consensus that they would put Ara to bed and then go to sleep.
It was thus their blessed luck that they had dressed for bed-Nicola found a nightgown to lend to Merith- because they found themselves opening their eyes in the morn,all of them tangled up in the position they had been in as they laughed and gossiped and made ammends for the time apart.It warmed Nalia's heart to see that Merith had become a quick member of the band of friends.Their gazes held and they smiled at each other.Somehow her life seemed at peace.