Despite Marianne's warnings and Melody's own sensibilities, she scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. There wasn't a person present in the household that cared for her happiness. Not her father, who found it acceptable to sell his children like cattle to the first bidder, nor her mother, who readily agreed to this charade of a joyous marriage. And certainly not her husband-to-be! If Mr. St.John-Black had truly envisioned a happy marriage, he would have had better luck following the proper channels of courtship. He might have even found something greater than happiness mdash; he might have found love.
Much like anytime Melody thought of the dangerous four letter word, Ben's charming grin flashed through her mind. He too wished for her happiness, only his was drawn in concern for the sort of life she deserved. The sharp points of her nails dug into her palms as her thoughts drifted dangerously towards the rooftop. Were that night not surrounded by the intense sadness of goodbye, she might have cherished it as one of the greatest in her life.
"It will be a joyous marriage indeed." Marianne interjected before Melody could further anger the men in the room. She needn't turn towards her mother to see the anger brewing from Melody's thoughtless reaction. Mr. St.John-Black's tone had lightened considerably when he spoke...was he sincerely hopeful for a happy marriage? Her perfected polite smile dipped momentarily into a confused frown. How could he desire a pleasant wife when he spoke of her as an object? Before Melody could further ruin the evening with a bitter response, Marianne stepped forward once more and gestured towards the dining room. "Should we sit? I believe supper will be ready momentarily."
Once seated (and after a discreet and painful pinch from her mother) Melody looked to the man who would be her husband and asked, "how long have you been stationed with our ministry for?" Under no circumstance would Melody allow him to force her away to his country. She still had qualms against using the potion Ben had procured for her, but it would be put to use to prevent a transatlantic trip. Melody was an English woman and would sooner die than waste away aboard a ship to America.
Much like anytime Melody thought of the dangerous four letter word, Ben's charming grin flashed through her mind. He too wished for her happiness, only his was drawn in concern for the sort of life she deserved. The sharp points of her nails dug into her palms as her thoughts drifted dangerously towards the rooftop. Were that night not surrounded by the intense sadness of goodbye, she might have cherished it as one of the greatest in her life.
"It will be a joyous marriage indeed." Marianne interjected before Melody could further anger the men in the room. She needn't turn towards her mother to see the anger brewing from Melody's thoughtless reaction. Mr. St.John-Black's tone had lightened considerably when he spoke...was he sincerely hopeful for a happy marriage? Her perfected polite smile dipped momentarily into a confused frown. How could he desire a pleasant wife when he spoke of her as an object? Before Melody could further ruin the evening with a bitter response, Marianne stepped forward once more and gestured towards the dining room. "Should we sit? I believe supper will be ready momentarily."
Once seated (and after a discreet and painful pinch from her mother) Melody looked to the man who would be her husband and asked, "how long have you been stationed with our ministry for?" Under no circumstance would Melody allow him to force her away to his country. She still had qualms against using the potion Ben had procured for her, but it would be put to use to prevent a transatlantic trip. Melody was an English woman and would sooner die than waste away aboard a ship to America.
![[Image: dqAG6wz.png]](https://i.imgur.com/dqAG6wz.png)
beautiful set by mj