Poison and Wine

Chapter Three

THREE

I feel like a child again, hiding on the bed. The silk blanket is almost smothering me. I've flatten my body as much as humanly possible, hopping I look more like a lumpy mattress than someone underneath. I'm not new to this position, it was one I became familiar with when I was younger; when the stench of my uncle Rob's cheap whiskey became too unbearable and my aunt Jude's screams just too difficult to perceive.

But my current situation is entirely different. I shiver, feeling the a gust of wind coming through the open window. Despite the silence, I can still sense people lingering around, whispering, gossiping, laughing. I curl my fingers into a fist, my nails digging and tearing against my sensitive skin.

When I discovered him overhearing my confession to Penny, I had walked slowly out of the water. My wedding dress had been heavy, the material weighing me down. He never took his eyes off me. Once my feet touched the dried ground, I started to shake when a gust of wind blew toward me. But I was not cold.

I was afraid of what he would do, if he would scream at me, what he would say to me. But he did neither. He simply stared at me with a blank expression, devoid of emotion. That was even worse. His distant, silent treatment toward me.

He had simply taken my elbow in his hand, his touch being surprisingly gentle and warm, as he guided me away from Penny and the forest. We walked past the celebration and the wondering eyes of our guests as their eyes followed our every move. Did they have nothing else to do?

He guided me to his huge mansion that was centered at the far end of the village, the building towering over all the other small houses surrounding it. He ignored his two brothers' greetings, who were sprawled on the couch, their feet dangling over the armrest, and his sister who narrowed her eyes upon seeing me. I quickly averted my eyes from hers. I never realized how much her eyes were like Bruce.

Intense.

We walked down various hallways. After our third turn, I stopped keeping track and let my mind wonder at the walls that were covered in various paintings and portrays. Everything about this place screamed power, richness and elegance. I really did not belong here.

My teeth smacked against each other and I started shaking. I had barely realized how cold it was in this house. With my hair plastered against my skin, my wet dressed glued to me like a second skin, wasn't helping much.

Bruce stopped for a moment and without a single glance toward me or single word, he took off his nice and expensive looking coat and draped it over my shoulders. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, a simple thank you, but he grabbed my elbow again and we continued to walk in silence.

I rolled my eyes and smacked my lips with irritation. Fine, if he was giving me the silent treatment, I was too. Two people can play at this game. Just when I was about to snatch my elbow from his grasp, we stopped by a grand, oak door. It suddenly dawned on me that we were married. This was going to be our wedding night. This was our wedding night.

We were going to stay in the same room.

He must have seen my horrified expression because he shook his head once. "This will be your room. If you need anything ..." he trailed off as he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. I looked away with an attitude, my eyes half rolling. "Just ask the servants or my sister."

With a small, polite bow, he stepped away from me and walked down the hallway. I stared after him for a moment, feeling for a second gratitude toward him but when I noticed how tall and broad shoulder he was, how he walked with so much confidence and power and so effortlessly, I looked away as I chasted myself. Was I just checking him out?