The Beauty Of Rose

R E V E L A T I O N

XXXIV

"DO YOU LOVE ME?" I ASKED.

Matthew's eyes darkened with impatience. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it."

He stared at me silently for a moment. "You know I love you, Rose. You know that you consume my every thought."

"Then, let me come home. Let's end this."

Matthew's squeezed his eyes shut and took a step back. "I need time."

"It's been three weeks! How much more time do you need?"

Matthew stared unpleasantly into space.

"Couples fight all the time, but they don't immediately resort to separate residences when they do. Do you want to know why?"

Silence.

"It creates unnecessary distance! We don't need more distance Matthew, we've been robbed of enough years apart. I don't want to waste another moment away from you."

Silence.

"Please—"

"You kept the most important thing in the world from me!" he exclaimed. "How do you expect me to forgive you? Hm? How do you want me to live with the fact that if it weren't for my meddling mother, I would've had to marry that woman in your garden?"

I felt a familiar rush of tears, but I refused to give into them. "I don't know," I whispered.

He smiled bitterly. "Neither do I."

"Still, I said slowly, we deserve a fighting chance. I don't think my being in Ludlow helps those chances."

"So, you would like to resume your stay in your wing at Whitfield? Where, may I remind you, we could go months without seeing each other? How is that any better?"

I stared at him sadly.

"You might as well stay there if you want to keep Bert," Matthew went on. "I've heard you've employed him there. I have no objection, do what you like but he's not stepping foot here again."

"He made a mistake, Matthew," I said softly. "I don't think you understand how your infatuation with Victoria stole your good senses. Bert likely believed he'd lose his job."

"Well, he has."

"He's a good servant."

"I cannot even forgive you. I certainly won't forgive a butler who didn't know his place."

I sauntered over to where he stood and Matthew visibly tensed. "Tell me you won't give up on us."

"You're being ridiculous. I'm angry, Rose, I have every right to be. I don't deserve these pleas designed to guilt me. If I didn't want you, I would've divorced you."

"We both know that's not true. Dissolving our marriage would've been more toil than just ignoring me."

"I'm not ignoring you, you're in my library."

"Our library. If I hadn't come, we wouldn't have seen each other for three weeks."

"Taking time to confront an issue isn't the same as ignoring it."

"Just promise me you haven't given up." Matthew opened his mouth to say something but I held up a hand to silence him. "I won't leave you alone until you do."

The fist clenched at his side tightening before slightly loosening. "I promise."

🥀