CHAPTER 26

Martin changed into his warmer clothes and was surprised not to see Ruth inside their matrimonial room.

He guesses that she could be in the study soul searching but he did not find her there. He was displeased by the impression that Ruth was not anywhere in the mansion. 

" Lady Akeshia! Lady Akeshia!" Martin called out as he approached the servant quarters. 

" What is it Sir?" Asked Lady Akeshia out of curiosity.

" Where is my wife? Where is Ruth? What have you been doing? Did I not hire you as her personal assistant? What then is really going on with you? Go and look for my wife right away. Get out of my sight" said Martin as he signalled Lady Akeshia to leave.

Lady Akeshia fearlessly left the servant quarters. She looked for Ruth everywhere but did not find her. It really never crossed her mind that Ruth could be with Haggai despite Ruth sharing with her such kind of secrets. 

She decided to go back to Martin to give  him the feedback. He found Martin seated at the couch on the parlour.

" Where is my wife?" Martin asked angrily as Lady Akeshia approached the Parlour. 

" We have no idea Sir. I have asked everywhere but it seems she is nowhere to be found. It seems that she has left the closed gates Sir. Maybe she has gone to visit her mother Naomi" said Lady Akeshia as he started to groan in anger. 

Lady Akeshia had never seen him that angrier before.

He stopped and went close to the gate. He wanted to look for Haggai and interrogate him but Ruth hid as so soon as she saw him approaching them. 

Unluckily, Martin had already seen her. 

He held her arm from the hidden place and led her to their matrimonial room. Everyone in the closed gates were astonished.

" I am sorry......I did not know that such a thing could happen to you. I did not mean it to sit with Haggai. I just love his numerous stories and therefore thought that it will be a good idea to pass the most of my time there. Please forgive me husband" said Ruth hesitantly.

She did not want to maintain eye contact with Ruth and therefore kept looking at the window. 

" Forgive you! Are you asking me to forgive you? Even for the things which I know that you have done. Why did you decide to go there? Do you find me boring? I must admit that I am jealous of you. I am indeed jealous of you Ruth. I just want you all to myself"

" Is that why you keep telling Lady Akeshia and all the servants that I should never leave my matrimonial room? But I am not a child love. I deserve to walk openly just like any other wife. Yes I am only sixteen. But then ......I am nothing but your beautiful wife. Unless you say that I am good for nothing" Ruth said Martin slapped her. 

He was out of temper and it was something that Ruth had not realized. He carried her to bathtub and switched on the cold bath water tap. It really shocked Ruth. 

Maybe this was the reason why his wife really left her. Ruth was already finding her marriage tiresome. She silently sat in the bathtub as the cold water kept showering her all over her body. 

Martin was surprised by the sudden silence. He did not want to show her that he had pitied her. He left his matrimonial room and requested Lady Akeshia to help Ruth to close the cold tap.

Martin was filled with mixed emotions. He went to his study and locked it up since he did not want any disturbance.

MARRIED AT SIXTEEN.