Shame

Rhea gasped as she came up for air, her hands wiping the uncomfortably hot liquid off her pepper-red face.

Her skin stung from the steaming hot water she was soaking in, its usually ivory colour left a flaming red with tiny welts, her nails had created, from how hard she had scrubbed her skin.

Rhea was not usually one to self-harm but scrubbing her skin raw was the only way to silence the screeching voice in her head, that sounded a lot like her mother and had been calling her a whore since the morning sun rays woke her.

Shame, as she had never felt before, left Rhea trembling and feeling nauseous, her eyes puffy and red from how hard she had cried while filling the bath with boiling water.

"You idiot!" She yelled, slamming her hands on the water surface and causing it to spill over the rim, and onto the sparkling white floors.

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again, and she angrily wiped them away, refusing to break down in another crying fit.

A knock sounded on the bathroom door and she quickly dunked herself underwater to wash away the signs of tears and resurfaced.

"Enter!"

Felicity, one of the older maids, opened the door and walked in, her eyes widening in concern when she caught sight of her red mistress.

"Are you alright, My Lady? I thought I heard a shout."

"I am perfectly fine," Rhea assured with a shaky smile that did not reach her eyes. 

"Well, I think it's about time you get out of there and have your breakfast." Felicity, advised, smart enough to know when to push for answers and when to back down.

"Whatever you're trying to wash off is definitely gone by now." The older woman joked with a cheerful laugh as she made her way over to Rhea, who was climbing out of the tub.

Rhea remembered Augustus' hands on her, and another layer of red dyed her cheeks.

"If only it was that easy," Rhea muttered, raising her arms for Felicity who wrapped the fluffy towel around her naked body.

She then made her way into her bedroom, to get dressed, leaving the capable woman to handle the tub.

"Guess what the kitchen prepared for breakfast," gushed Felicity as Rhea emerged from her dressing room, and she busied with the silver cart stationed by Rhea's bed.

"Tarts!" Rhea cheered with a renewed spirit as she perched on the edge of her bed. 

Rhea rarely indulged herself in things she liked because maintaining her figure had always been a point of concern. 

But she felt she had earned it after how her morning had gone, so she grabbed one of the small tarts and began eating away, with only a little bit of guilt.

Felicity smiled, wide, at her mistress' brightened spirit and went about pouring the tea.

Rhea hummed a cheerful tune as she nibbled away at her tart, and her eyes strayed over to the wall clock that hung beside her bed.

The clock read '11:30', signifying breakfast was over in the Montgomery manor and lunch was well on its way.

She remembered Augustus' invitation last night, reserved yet with enough longing to cause butterflies to flutter in her stomach, and her heart clenched, painfully.

It was for the best. From everything she had heard about the Grand Duke, he was not the kind of man to have dalliances with the wives of his serving Lords. Last night was surely a mistake he regrets now that morning light had come.

"You know," the older woman began, drawing her out of her thoughts, "we would not have made the tarts if not for the Grand Duke requesting them for breakfast."

Rhea froze, mid-chew, wide blue eyes snapping to Felicity's innocent face.

Had she or one of the other workers seen them going to Rhea's room last night?!

"The Grand Duke requested tarts for breakfast?" Questioned the ravenette, careful to make the panic in her.

Like the gossip she was Felicity rose to the occasion, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Carla, who was one of the serving maids at breakfast, said the Grand Duke asked Lord Lonan about your favourite meal for breakfast and demanded breakfast be halted until the kitchen was done preparing it."

'Was he stalling breakfast for me?' Rhea wondered with a small twitch of her lips, that she quickly concealed with a bite of her tart. 

That can't be right, he must want to forget last night as much as she did.

"And, funny enough, the Grand Duke did not even eat the tarts he requested."

So it was for her.

'Meaning Lor... Augustus wants to see me and maybe even continue...'

Rhea shook her head to drive away the daring thoughts, earning her an odd look from Felicity.

No. She could not let this go any further than it already had. Not when the divorce papers remained unsigned and she still had hope that Lonan would come to his senses and decide to keep their marriage alive.

She had to keep thoughts of Augustus and his skilful lips out of her mind and the best way to do that was by focusing on what really mattered. Winning her husband back.

"I am full," Rhea said as she ate the last of the tart in her hand, and picked up the cup of tea Felicity had poured for her.

"But you've barely eaten anything!" Felicity cried with eyes wide in alarm, fruitlessly trying to reason with the notoriously stubborn woman.

"And yet I find myself full," Rhea retorted with a teasing smile then took a sip from her tea.

Her face scrunched up as the lemon mint tea hit her tongue. Rhea pulled the cup away from her lips to study the liquid.

"Has the tea gone bad?" She asked, wondering what it was about the cup that tasted so different.

"C-can't be," Felicity stuttered with a too-wide grin. "I bought this tin, myself, two days ago."

Rhea hummed and took another sip from the tea, slightly off from its usual flavour and missing an extra.... something.

"They must have changed the formula or something."

"Or something," Rhea said, non-committally as she set the cup down on the saucer.

She rose from her seat, shoulders squared in determination and turned to Felicity with a smile.

"Wish me luck."

"Whatever would you need luck for."

"Fixing my marriage and getting our Lord back from his mistress."

Felicity's eyes softened with pity but she returned Rhea's smile with a fond one as she responded. "Good luck, Lady Rhea. May the gods be in your favour."

With a pep in her step, Rhea made her way out of her bedroom and down the hallway, heading towards Lonan's study where he usually was at that time of the day.

It was a fifteen-minute walk to his study and when she arrived by the doors, the memory of her last time inside the room hit her like a lightning bolt.

Rhea placed her hand on the door and then yanked it away when the coldness of the doorknob caressed her palm, just like it had two days ago when she walked in on Lonan and Alice, and her life fell apart.

"This is my home," Rhea declared to herself and the paintings on the wall that bore witness. "And I will not let it become anything else."

She pushed down on the doorknob and the door slid open, revealing the occupants of the room.

Rhea's heart dropped to her stomach when her gaze met Lonan's startled wide eyes then moved to meet Augustus' dark greys that regarded her with delight.

"Lady Montgomery."

"RHEA!"