Status: Completed.
The Forbidden Fruit
Predicament
Darius Rutherford.
Thick white hair flowing down to his shoulders as it gently caressed his creased face. Electric blue eyes underneath a pair of saggy eyelids. That is how I had pictured him to be. I had thought Darius was going to be a man nearing his death bed, yet before me stood a young man possibly in his late twenties.
We had feasted upon the delicacies that had been prepared for I and now we were in his study. There were candles everywhere and he was going through a pile of documents. I wondered what business he had with me.
"Alas," I heard him say as he pulled out a document. He opened it and smiled, "Elise Crofton. Daughter of the deceased Enna and Durward Crofton."
He flicked through the pages and sat before me, "It reads 'Permission for Durward Crofton to miss months payment granted' on over fifty spaces. Your father was indebted to my father and now you to me. The amount is great and it will most certainly take many years to pay back. The interest increases annually by 40%. Do you need me to elaborate further?"
"No sir," I said as I asked to see this for myself. He handed the book to me. My hands began to shake as I re-read the amount over and over again.
"It's impossible," I whispered. The debt dated as far back as before I was even born. There was no way I could pay back the debt, nor my children and my children's children.
"Is that so?" he said as he got up and came to sit by my side, "well, either way the money needs to be paid back."
I thought back to what Albert had said. He had spoken so highly of the Rutherford's. He had gone on and on about how they had pitied our family. He painted Darius as a philanthropic man, yet he was just like the rest. Like all the other noblemen, all he cared about was fortune and fame. He had not shown me sympathy nor pity when I had mentioned my predicament.
"I guess there is a way around the situation," he smiled kindly as his hand found its way to my cheek, "but only if you wish it so."
"Anything," I said desperately, "I will do anything."
There was a long pause, my eyes on him, his examining my body.
"Then I will pay you," he said. He looked serious. During dinner he had been quiet and had a rather serious look on his face, but this was different. This was a different look yet the same altogether.
"What for?" I asked. I was not skilled at much. I had been homeschooled by the neighbor's son before they had moved to Wales.
"You," he said lowly.
I knew too well what he meant, but there was a possibility that I may have thought wrong.
"Me?" I asked, hoping he would elaborate with the need of me specifically asking him to, which he did.
"Your body. I will pay you to sleep with me Elise."
I wanted to pretend like I had not heard him. Deep inside I hoped that someone would walk in and call for him. There was no possible way I could sleep with him. Not after I had stopped Gwendolyn from doing the same. It would make me a hypocrite. Not only that, his proposition went against everything I stood for. However, this was not the time to be selfish. I had to do what was best for my family. Albert and Gwendolyn deserved a better future. If it meant that I would become his mistress, then it surely was a small price to pay.
"I shall give you some time to think about it," he said as he called Demelza to take me to my room.
"No," I said as I fiddled with my hands, "I know what I want."
What did I want?
Thick white hair flowing down to his shoulders as it gently caressed his creased face. Electric blue eyes underneath a pair of saggy eyelids. That is how I had pictured him to be. I had thought Darius was going to be a man nearing his death bed, yet before me stood a young man possibly in his late twenties.
We had feasted upon the delicacies that had been prepared for I and now we were in his study. There were candles everywhere and he was going through a pile of documents. I wondered what business he had with me.
"Alas," I heard him say as he pulled out a document. He opened it and smiled, "Elise Crofton. Daughter of the deceased Enna and Durward Crofton."
He flicked through the pages and sat before me, "It reads 'Permission for Durward Crofton to miss months payment granted' on over fifty spaces. Your father was indebted to my father and now you to me. The amount is great and it will most certainly take many years to pay back. The interest increases annually by 40%. Do you need me to elaborate further?"
"No sir," I said as I asked to see this for myself. He handed the book to me. My hands began to shake as I re-read the amount over and over again.
"It's impossible," I whispered. The debt dated as far back as before I was even born. There was no way I could pay back the debt, nor my children and my children's children.
"Is that so?" he said as he got up and came to sit by my side, "well, either way the money needs to be paid back."
I thought back to what Albert had said. He had spoken so highly of the Rutherford's. He had gone on and on about how they had pitied our family. He painted Darius as a philanthropic man, yet he was just like the rest. Like all the other noblemen, all he cared about was fortune and fame. He had not shown me sympathy nor pity when I had mentioned my predicament.
"I guess there is a way around the situation," he smiled kindly as his hand found its way to my cheek, "but only if you wish it so."
"Anything," I said desperately, "I will do anything."
There was a long pause, my eyes on him, his examining my body.
"Then I will pay you," he said. He looked serious. During dinner he had been quiet and had a rather serious look on his face, but this was different. This was a different look yet the same altogether.
"What for?" I asked. I was not skilled at much. I had been homeschooled by the neighbor's son before they had moved to Wales.
"You," he said lowly.
I knew too well what he meant, but there was a possibility that I may have thought wrong.
"Me?" I asked, hoping he would elaborate with the need of me specifically asking him to, which he did.
"Your body. I will pay you to sleep with me Elise."
I wanted to pretend like I had not heard him. Deep inside I hoped that someone would walk in and call for him. There was no possible way I could sleep with him. Not after I had stopped Gwendolyn from doing the same. It would make me a hypocrite. Not only that, his proposition went against everything I stood for. However, this was not the time to be selfish. I had to do what was best for my family. Albert and Gwendolyn deserved a better future. If it meant that I would become his mistress, then it surely was a small price to pay.
"I shall give you some time to think about it," he said as he called Demelza to take me to my room.
"No," I said as I fiddled with my hands, "I know what I want."
What did I want?