We got married in a gold rush
And the sight of gold will always bring me pain


The doubts cast upon Melody during dinner followed her throughout the remainder of the evening and well after when she should have been asleep. Between Aldous' omnious comments and Mrs. Malfoy's obvious distaste for her, she was no longer confident in their abilities to manage this marriage. Ben's family was the only one left to her and even they hated her. Even they could hardly manage civility for the sake of their brother. If they — the family who publicly accepted their marriage — couldn't contain their negative opinions for a brief dinner, why should the rest of Society?

She stripped down to her shift and robe not long after disappearing into her bedroom. While Melody silently missed sleeping besides Ben she was grateful for the privacy their new home afforded her. She no longer had to pretend to maintain the facade of accepting of the consequences at all times. This house was not lovely. The windows were drafty despite the charms she placed upon them and the floors creaked with every footstep. The furnishings were all wildly outdated, but they had hardly enough money to update the carpets to her standards nevermind the furniture. This wasn't what marriage was meant to be. This wasn't what she had in mind when she foolishly demanded Ben marry her.

Then again, if the life of luxury was what she had in mind she wouldn't have been screwing her lover in the closet of a Valentine's Day party four days before her wedding. The life of Mrs. St.John-Black had to be easier than this.

She had just finished taking down her hair and was about to start plaiting it when someone — Ben knocked on her door. He had to realize dinner hadn't gone as hoped, too, but Melody hadn't thought he would want to talk to her about it. They barely talked at all anymore outside of public appearances and necessary conversations. Sometimes, only in her loneliest moments, Melody missed their fights in Paris, for at least then they still talked.