Chapter 15: Two Of Cups

Marriette woke in the morning and smiled. The warm security of Torrance sleeping at her back was something she'd missed horribly in the past months. She rolled over and reached down under the blankets. Torrance woke with a start, then a smile to match his wife's spread across his face. By the time they made it downstairs they were far too late for breakfast. They went for a walk while they waited for the noon meal to be served.

The day was warm and bright. People aired out rugs and blankets while the sun shone. Torrance greeted many of them by name. Marriette was surprised at how pleasant it was to just hold hands. She craved physical contact as much as she had feared it before. Several times they stopped for long, passionate kisses. They had missed lunch by the time they returned to the inn. Fortunately, Bill had set a couple of plates aside for them.

"I remember the first week or so after I married my Beth; we would have starved if my ma hadn't put food in our hands."

Even the cold meal was delicious; Marriette and Torrance didn't notice when Bill cleared the dishes away. If they talked, Marriette couldn't remember what they had said. The only sense of passing time was Bill putting a hot meal in front of them. He snorted at their astonished expressions.

The couple stayed at the inn for two weeks rising late and retiring early. After the first few days they tentatively started exploring each other's lives as well as bodies. Marriette could talk about her father more easily while Torrance's strong arms surrounded her. She learned that his guilt over LisAnne had kept him from hearing her before. He had been so afraid of hurting her that he was afraid to love her. They found forgiveness and atonement in each other's embrace.

"Did you find Art?" asked Torrance one day, while they sat on the window bench watching a spring snowstorm swirl through the village.

"No, but I heard many terrible stories about a person that might have been Art. He wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a monster who killed at the slightest excuse. Something truly evil must have happened to change him so."

"The demon bandit might not be Art."

"I dreamed it, love," she said. "In the same dream that I saw Bill's niece was a redhead. We were never lovers, but there is something that connects us. I don't know why."

"We will just have to wait and find out," said Torrance squeezing Marriette to remind her that there was definitely something that connected them.

"There is no chance I will go anywhere without you," she said putting her hand on his. "We are truly joined, body and soul now."

"Just wait, you will get tired of this old man someday."

"Never," Marriette said, facing Torrance to kiss him.

"Hey," Bill yelled, "go to your room if you are going to be doing that!"

They spent their days getting used to being in each other's lives again. They talked of everything and nothing, or didn't talk at all. Marriette discovered all the ways her body yearned for her lover's touch, and all the ways his touch could fulfill her.

On a rainy day, Torrance told Marriette about Sylvie.

"It was a year or so after LisAnne and Niklas were killed. I was dreadfully lonely and slowly killing myself with brandy. She was one of the maids and always flirted with me. One day, I flirted back, and the next thing I knew, we were sleeping together. Not that unusual, though the church frowns on it. It was just fun, but she started wanting more. Dresses, jewels, that kind of thing. I caught her moving her things into my bedroom and knew I needed to do something."

"I thought she took it well when I broke it off. Your father's agents had just floated the idea of marriage with you, and I didn't think marrying you with Sylvie's scent still on me would be a good way to start a relationship. I got her a place with a friend who would treat her properly and not assume that because she shared my bed she should share his. To be honest, I don't think Sylvie is his type at all.

"She started sending me notes telling me how much she missed me. She wanted to come back. I refused. She came and saw me that night to try and seduce me back to her. I told her I wasn't interested. She threatened blackmail, and I lied and said that you already knew about her. That quieted her, but I don't think that you were the person she had planned to talk to."

"She certainly had a smirk on her face when I saw her, poor girl," Marriette said.

"Poor girl?"

"Can you imagine what it would be like to think that was the only thing that you had to offer to someone?"

"I did the best I could by her. There isn't anything she wants I can give her."

Their idle days ended soon after. Torrance got a letter from his secretary saying that they needed him to make some essential decisions. Torrance replied that they would return to the house in the city. It was still a bit early in the season, but Torrance felt it would be more familiar to Marriette than the estates to the south.

They started off the next day, much to Bill's disappointment.

"We don't often get such long standing customers, the place won't be the same without you here." He shook Torrance's hand and hugged Marriette. "Come back and visit."

After both Marriette and Torrance promised to return, he gave them a basket of food to eat in the carriage. Torrance's guide to the north, Hans, had found a girl in town and was still sorting out his feelings toward her, so Torrance left him with a purse of money and a letter of reference. He also told the young man that he was welcome to rejoin Torrance's staff if he ever wished.

As the carriage rolled south, Marriette entertained Torrance with the gruesome tales that John had told her. Soon they were in Northdale.

"I have friends here I would like to see," Marriette said, so Torrance directed the driver to Giuseppe's office.

"Hello, Giuseppe!" she called as they walked into the tiny office. "I'm back, for a visit, at least."

Therese squealed, and ran to hug Marriette.

"Pappa is teaching me to keep the books," she said as she dragged Marriette to the yard where Giuseppe was checking out a wagonload. By the time Marriette had introduced Torrance and explained what she had been doing all winter, it was suppertime. Giuseppe insisted that Marriette and Torrance join them for supper. Agathia was delighted to have Marriette as a guest again. Gracia and Karitia almost knocked Marriette over with their excitement then went shy around Torrance. He told stories about his winter in the north that soon had them screaming with laughter.

Giuseppe and Agathia said that the couple must take their beds while they roomed with the girls.

"Are you sure?" asked Torrance. "We can easily go to the inn and not put you out."

"The inn is a fine place for strangers," Giuseppe said, "but not for friends. You will honour us by staying here."

"We would be delighted, Giuseppe," Marriette said, "but you must promise that you will bring the girls to visit us in Bellpolis."

"It's a deal!" Giuseppe said.

The girls were sent off to bed while the adults opened a bottle of wine and talked far into the night.

"Yes, yes," Giuseppe said, "our nobles only thought about their own comfort. They fought and quarreled like dogs fighting over bones. It got so bad that they were selling their own people to pay for their pleasures. Agathia and I were lucky to escape."

"I fear that we are headed down that same road," Torrance said. "There are too many of the noble Houses filled with young people concerned only with fulfilling their next whim. Estates are poorly run, and wealth is being squandered."

Marriette and Agathia smiled at each other over their glasses and listened to the talk.

In the morning, the girls hugged both Marriette and Torrance.

"Promise that you will come and visit again," Therese said.

Agathia gave them food for the journey, and Giuseppe slipped in a bottle of wine. It was mid-morning by the time the carriage pulled out of Northdale.

"I like your friends," Torrance said, "and not just because he agrees with my politics. They are a special family. I haven't often met people as generous."

The rest of the journey went far too quickly for Marriette. She found herself getting nervous as they approached the city. What is Anna going to think? Will they worry that I'll run off again? She took hold of Torrance's hand for comfort. He gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Almost home."

The sun touched the horizon as they arrived at the leBraun home. It reminded Marriette a great deal of when Torrance brought her home after their wedding. All the staff were gathered and waiting. Torrance helped her down from the carriage. Marriette could hear the murmurs of surprise that Torrance wasn't using his cane. He led Marriette to the door, then swept her off her feet and carried her across the threshold. There were cheers from all the people there - as much Torrance's family as his servants. When he carefully put her back on her feet, Marriette gave him a long kiss that brought more cheers from the staff.

"I am glad to be home," she whispered.

They had supper and soon went to off to bed. Marriette walked into the room and saw it for an instant as the place of all her suffering. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She replaced the memories of the sorrowful days alone in this room with the thought of the early days when she and Torrance had become friends, if not lovers. When she opened her eyes, the shadows had fled.

"I moved back in the day after you left," Torrance said, "I wanted to be here for you when you came home."

"There is only one problem," she said.

"What's that?" asked Torrance, looking worried.

"You still have your clothes on," she reached behind her to the ties on her dress. "I'll race you."

In the morning, she lay beside her husband, and smiled to herself. Here she was with her husband, in their own bed, in their own house. There was only one thing missing, and she planned to wake Torrance soon and start working on that.