A Scandalous Entanglement

XXIII

"There is no need for work anyway." He moved away from a spot just in time of a log of wood falling. "The winters are coming, and we all know no one likes to work in these harsh conditions. I thought that perhaps we would have gotten enough value by months end-" He sighed. "Food will be provided by me and my household. The rents will be reduced till next year and those greatly affected by the unfortunate turn of events won't be required to pay any dues to me." It had been just a week and even if he did want his miners back and working for him, he knew he couldn't rush the healing process especially as many men had died.

He turned to look at Callam, the man had basically been at his side receiving the harsh blunt insults of his anger, taking them all in as if he had been the cause of the explosion, the cause of their deaths.

He needed a pay after all that he had gone through.

Clearly Callam was more family than butler to him. The man had seen him through so many down falls and he wasn't surprised that this was just another one of them.

Another one of his downfalls.

Honestly, Devyn was tired and had barely slept for days especially with trying to and reassuring the townsfolk continuously days on end till his throat hurt and Emilia? Well, he had barely heard from her or even seen her during the last couple of days though she had made herself helpful by looking after the children and reading to them during the day even though the strain of it all was apparent on her face.

He had caught few glances, absentmindedly, and even when his eyes had searched the grounds they had always found her whether in the church surrounded by the young children or out in the fields watching them make a mess of themselves. She didn't even mind if her clothes got dirt along the way.

However he could always read the uncomfortableness she carried on her shoulders and how her person was always tense.

"Well then, there is no need staying here any longer is there?" He looked at Callam then to the two men who were to stand guard of the mine.

"There isn't a point of an investigation. What will the police do other than waste our time and demand for funds to carry out the process. An unwatched candle was found in the premises and it is already concluded that it was the cause of the fire." Berrycloth's words stung in his ears.

"I bid you a fair even, gentlemen." He tipped a few coins into her palms before mounting his horse terribly lost in thought. And even though Callam's horse was just a few feet behind his he seemed strangely all alone riding the long, lonely road he had once ridden all by himself, how he had managed to survive thus far was something even he couldn't explain. And loneliness was a feeling he knew all to well, something he had long embraced and accepted as his own.

It was a feeling he had slept and woken up to, with numerous women trying to fill the empty void, it had however never worked and all he was left with were the constant thoughts of regret. Though now that he thought about it, he came to realize that this time he didnt want to be alone, but rather in the arms of his wife. In Emilia's arms.

Lust.

Yes, he was lusting after his wife, after the woman that had worn that scandalous dress before him, the same woman whose folds were soft and welcoming, tender and sweet.

She had offered herself before him and he had taken her. Claimed her warm mouth on his, marked her as his.

There wasn't nothing wrong with wanting affection and warmth from her arms even if he was lusting after her was there?

After all, there was nothing wrong with having sweet sinful pleasures during the dead of the night, even if love wasn't involved.

As long as both parties got their fill of satisfaction which he knew she did. But here was the thing, even he wanted more, more of what she had to offer him.