Convenience

Part 32

David's palm closed over the ring. It felt wrong. Holding her ring in his hand. It felt wrong.

He'd expected Beatrice to simply bow to his pressure, knowing as he did, that most people in his vicinity took his word to be the law. She didn't. What was even more surprising was the fact that she simply didn't want a slice of his wealth. The number of people lining up to get a slice was growing by the day, yet, she despite being entitled to a share, was simply not interested.

"It's not that simple." He turned his hand over and opened his palm, studying the gold band that lay there. Now that he had his ring back he realised he did not want it! He wasn't the contrary sort. He wasn't the indecisive sort. But here he was, suddenly realising that the last thing he wanted was for this woman to walk. She intrigued him. She was like an onion: lots of layers, and it could cause tears! His!

David raised his eyes and locked his gaze with hers as he repeated. "It's not that simple." He finally accepted that she was not interested in his money. Of course it could be as simple as he wanted it to be, given he could afford the best lawyers around. But he thought, that it was probably about time that he got to know his rather extraordinary wife a little bit better. Before he made any rash decisions.

Beatrice pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed out a sigh, "Of course it is." Why was he suddenly sounding as if he hadn't come here with this intention in mind? She shook her head at him. "Perfectly simple!" She shrugged. "We've managed to live apart for over five years." He nodded. Beatrice told him, "Applying for a divorce is simple, straightforward." She folded her arms, lifted her chin in defiance and said, "I seriously doubt whether the judge will even need a second to think, before he or she issues it." Her eyes flashed at him and for the life of him he did not understand why that suddenly felt like a dare. "So yes, I think it is simple." Beatrice said.

Beatrice went to rub at the finger that usually sported her wedding band. And realised she no longer had it. It was oddly disconcerting not to have that ring on her finger. Her finger felt bare. But it was more than that. She felt as if something very precious was lost. That ring was symbolic. Despite everything that she had read and seen over the last five years, everything that she had known, despite all that she had held onto the ring, hoping for the impossible. Fanciful, naïve hopes. But in her dreams, Beatrice had hoped that one day David would come looking for her, wanting to make this marriage work. She nearly laughed hysterically. He had come looking for her. But not because he wanted to make this marriage work. Dreams shattered as if they were breaking glass. She knew she was a romantic fool for holding onto those dreams for so long.

David held the ring out to her. "You need to keep this." She tried not to look longingly at the ring. Why it was so important to her she couldn't understand. David watched her reaction and said softly, "Given the disparity in our wealth. The courts, society at large, our peers, will expect us to reach an agreement about sharing our assets. They will expect you to have access to my assets." He told her.

She glared but in his eyes he also saw abject sadness. So now he wanted to shower her with gifts? Now?

"This ring belongs to you." He said gently.

Beatrice shook her head. She was sad. She knew she would sound it. But still she persevered, "You are wrong. That ring does not belong to me. It was in essence the signature to the deal made by our grandparents. That deal is over."

"Not yet it isn't. Until things are finalised, people will have certain expectations..."

"I don't give a stuff about society, the court or your peers' expectations." She'd never had the luxury of being able to worry about that. Not when the people who knew her and knew who she was married to, also knew that the marriage was a debacle given he was seen in public with other women. It was one of the reasons why she had left Auckland and relocated to Raglan. She encountered fewer people with pitying looks. "Or what anyone thinks for that matter!"

That didn't surprise him. She seemed so utterly self-contained. As if what people thought of her was immaterial. But then he figured that as his wife he had probably subjected her to a fair amount of humiliation given he had been dating other women for the last five years. Hardly the kind of thing any wife should be expected to tolerate. Yet she had said nothing. She had neither come looking for him to ask for a divorce, nor had she chastised him and demanded that he remember his wedding vows. Instead she had taken herself away and gone into hiding.