The Love He Stole

Expectations

The afternoon passed excruciatingly slowly. Lily still hadn’t seen Poppy for an update on any information the servants may have on Charles, so all she could do was try to keep her anxiety at bay so she didn’t rip away at her fingernails. Everytime she found herself about to pick at her hangnails, she thought of Sam reminding her that her hands needed to look good at the wedding and stopped.

She tried to escape into one of her new books but it was futile. Her mind couldn’t focus between the thoughts of Charles, Catharine, and Sam. She just lay in her bed letting her thoughts consume her, blankly staring at the book laid across her stomach.

She still hadn’t seen Sam since yelling at him and she wanted to apologize so that it wasn’t awkward at the wedding and everything that came with that. She felt a quiver between her legs thinking about him on top of her to consummate their marriage. Ugh, Lily, get a grip of yourself, she thought, rubbing her palm against her forehead. She flung her book to the side and rolled over to bury her face in the soft feather pillows.

Visions of Sam taking her from behind intruded her mind, remembering how he pressed himself against her and whispered in her ear. She groaned in frustration, her pillows muffling the sound. Maybe I should just give in to him. Maybe that would be easier….Ugh! No, he’s protecting Charles, she rationalized with herself. He’s just as bad as him for that. She decided she was going to keep it like a business transaction. She would only do her duty and sleep with him once but her head and her body did not agree. She wanted him in every position all night long. Hmm, hate s*x? Maybe that could work, she giggled to herself.

She indulged herself for a moment and imagined what that would look like. She thought of holding him by the throat while she bounced on top of him and her whole body felt on fire. She was getting wet between her legs and it was like her opening was hungry for him. She wondered if he was good in bed, if he was big, if he was giving or if he only took what he needed and left. She stopped herself and rolled over onto her back, her heart now racing. She sprung out of her bed and went to her sink and splashed her face with cold water. The chilly water brought her back to reality just as she heard her bedroom door opening.

“Lily? Are you ready to meet Lady Catharine for dinner?” Poppy called out. Lily peeked around the corner after dabbing her face with a hand towel.

“Poppy! Any news? Updates? Anything?” she pressed, rushing to her.

“No, I’m afraid not. The servants all seem too scared to say anything against Mr. Belgrave,” Poppy frowned. Lily couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face.

“It’s the same way in my world…Powerful men get away with so much!”

“I’m so sorry, Lily,” Poppy whispered. “I’ve let you down.”

“No,” Lily said, grabbing her hands. “You’ve been so helpful. I couldn’t do any of this without you,” Lily comforted. “We will just have to figure something else out.”

Poppy nodded her head and squeezed Lily’s hands. They both put their emotions to the side and made their way to the private dining room to meet Catharine. Lily was nervous to have dinner alone with her but at least it was a break from all of her other worries. Poppy curtsied and whispered a wish of good luck before leaving Lily, who entered the room in polite silence.

Lady Catharine was seated at the head of the table on the far side of the room, her long wavy hair now flowing down her back with her head held high. There was an empty silver platter in front of her and the opposite side had the only other platter. Lily took that as her cue on where to sit and took her place.

“Good evening, Miss Lily,” Catharine said so plainly that Lily thought she was in trouble.

“Good evening, Lady Catharine,” she responded, fidgeting with her hands under the table. Catharine waved her hand and the servants came in with the food and wine, pouring a glass for both of them. They set down a plate of turkey, potatoes, and carrots all covered in brown gravy. It smelled divine but Lily watched and waited for Catharine to eat or drink before touching anything, careful not to offend her.

“I wanted to discuss what your new responsibilities are going to be once you marry my son,” Catharine stated, elegantly picking up her glass of wine for a small sip. Lily followed suit, grateful for the liquid courage.

“There aren’t many, but they are crucial for this house to run,” Catharine said, picking up her fork and pushing around her food. “You must learn the laws of the kingdom along with the local laws. Anytime Sam is away and the steward, Mr. Belgrave, is with him, it will be up to you to uphold the law.” Lily withheld her disgust at the mentioning of Charles but nodded her head. Catharine finally took a bite of food so Lily felt like she could eat and took a bite of the turkey, relishing its tenderness and flavor.

“You will also need to learn the finances of the household for the same reason. You will be acting as lord anytime he is away. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often but you need to be prepared for when it does. You may also need to rein him in if his spending gets out of hand, which should be handled… delicately. My son can be very upset when challenged but with your womanly charm, you should be able to manage,” she asserted.

Is she telling me to sleep with her son to avoid bankruptcy? Lily was baffled but politely nodded again unsure of whether to speak or not. She decided to remain quiet, and nibbled away at some more of the scrumptious food.

“There will also be events held, for which you will solely be in charge of the preparations including the decor, the menu, and ensuring everything and everyone is where they are supposed to be,” she continued on, making Lily regret ever agreeing to the one year marriage. Not that disagreeing worked, she thought, annoyed about everything now expected of her that she never asked for.

“And finally, the most important task you will be entrusted with…” she said, taking another sip of wine and setting the glass on the table. Lily set her fork down to listen carefully and Catharine stared down her nose into Lily’s eyes.

“You must create an heir, sooner rather than later.”

Lily would’ve choked had she not stopped eating. She gulped, trying to hide her discomfort, her cheeks turning pink despite her efforts.

“A-a baby? How soon-”

“The sooner the better. As soon as you are wed, it should be your number one focus. The servants will check your sheets weekly for your courses, and they will learn your cycle. We will hope for a baby as soon as possible. It’s essential for ensuring the passing of the family name, since Rose will be taking Mr. Belgrave’s name.”

“I…I understand,” Lily muttered, losing her appetite.

“Good. As long as you do all these things, you will make a capable lady. And I, of course, will still be around to guide you…should you ever need it.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Lily said, forcing a smile. They finished the rest of their meal in silence, although Lily could only stomach a few more bites. She was relieved when Catharine waved for the servants to clear the table.

“It’s been a pleasant evening, Lily. Get some rest, only two more days until the wedding. Have a good night and uh, welcome to the family,” Catharine smirked, standing up. Lily rose to curtsy to her before she left, still reeling from the expectations.

“Good night, my lady,” Lily murmured. What have I gotten myself into?

Poppy was waiting for her outside in the hallway, curiosity burning in her eyes. They locked eyes and Lily furrowed her brows, frowning. It seemed best not to talk in the hallway so they quickly went back to Lily’s bedchamber. Once in the safety of privacy, all of Lily’s thoughts came pouring out.

“Catharine said I have to make an heir as soon as possible! A freaking baby! I can’t have a baby! I’ll never be able to leave…Sam would never allow it. I’ll be trapped here forever!” Lily ranted. Poppy stood there watching her pace around aimlessly, unsure of what to say.

“And on top of that I have to learn all the finances and laws and so many responsibilities I never wanted. I just wanted to graduate and move to a small town. This is too much,” Lily lamented, crashing into her bed. She wanted to scream, to thrash and break things and make Sam regret ever having her brought here.

“Lily…” Poppy whispered, sitting down next to her. “Women often take a long time to become with child… It took Lady Catharine two years of trying to have Sam. No one would think twice if you didn’t…in the year that you’re here.”

Poppy was always the voice of reason and it calmed Lily’s frazzled nerves. She sat up and embraced Poppy in a tight hug, tears pricking at her brown eyes. Poppy returned the hug, rubbing her back.

“Thank you,” Lily cried out. “I wish you were from my world. You’re the best friend I could have ever hoped for.”

“You are mine, too,” Poppy said sheepishly. “But it’s not that bad here…is it?”

“I don’t know… no, maybe…but I probably would’ve been too busy or rude to even be friends back home. Too much work to do…” Lily rolled her eyes and broke the hug. She was starting to realize her loneliness was self imposed and that she has really enjoyed the break from the grueling studying she put on herself. It came over her with great relief as she finally admitted something she hadn’t even allowed herself to question before.

“You know… I don’t think I even like psychology…”

“What?!,” Poppy gasped. “But you wanted to take your exams so bad..”

“I know!” Lily burst into laughter. It was like a huge weight had come off of her and she needed to reevaluate her whole life plan. “I think I might even hate it!”

“Well then, good riddance!” Poppy laughed.

“Yeah! Screw those exams…”

“Does that mean…you want to…” Poppy said, getting serious and hopeful.

Lily’s eyes widened with a deep inhale and she suddenly felt cagey, leaping off the bed. The room now felt too small but she didn’t want to let Poppy down. She walked over to the window and saw a big, full moon lighting up the vast fields around the manor.

“I…” Lily started, but she didn’t know what to say. The view was beautiful and filled her with sadness. It looked exactly like what she had wanted, but she didn’t know if she could live this way with all the rules, etiquette, and demands.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” Poppy murmured, standing up and bowing her head.

“No… it’s okay. If it was just for you… I would stay in a heartbeat. But Sam… and marriage and babies….I don’t know…” Lily stammered. “And… Charles.”

“I understand. It must be very different here…”

“You have no idea. Wait… the laws here are different! Maybe there’s a law I could find that will save Rose!”

“It’s…possible. You could check the books in the library. They have all the laws, both local and kingdom wide. It’s just down the hall on the left before the stairs.”

“Let’s go,” Lily exclaimed, anxious to find a solution as soon as possible.

“I’m afraid that servants aren’t allowed in except to clean. Besides, it's getting late. I have to get to the servants quarters before I get in trouble,” Poppy said, biting her lip.

“Oh okay, go ahead then. I’ll just have to go myself. Goodnight, Poppy.”