Now was certainly not the time to ask if he really meant that.
Marie hadn't asked explicitly yet, even if the signs were all there. He’d just happened to choose the daughter of a rich entrepreneur when his own business was tanking? She wasn’t a complete idiot. But what did it say about her if she, as his wife, showed such a blatant distrust in him? Regardless of whether there was a justification for it. Asking would make it completely obvious that she thought more than just the money thing was a lie, that she sometimes she stayed up late at night, staring at the tent’s ceiling, wondering if he actually loved her or if he’d made that up too.
More than that, though, she was afraid of what the answer might be if she pushed and pushed for a genuine, truthful answer. In moments like this, she thought Jack could convince her of anything. Of his regal upbringing, and his successful circus, and his affection for her. And, in his less jubilant moments, she was nervous of what he'd say. What might come out of his mouth, barked or snapped or hateful, like she was more an irritant and less his new wife.
But it was easy to forget that for the moment, with his breath against and his voice in her ear. Like they were a perfectly normal couple without a care in the world. And, from the outside, it had to seem that way.
"Did you hear this before or after you met me?" she responded, her gloved hand slipping over his shoulder, unable to hold back to slight shiver in response to his words against her skin. Marie was well aware he was teasing her; certainly Manhattan housed far fiercer women. A lot of them shopped at her father’s department store. The kind of women who were brave enough to wear bold lipsticks and rouges in public.
Well. She might have had a nanny or two who'd referred to her as a terror. (Or a few other unflattering things).
But, for now, she was happy to play along with this game. She was also happy that he was lavishing this much sweet attention on her — and publicly no less — instead of pacing around the circus grounds and in their tent like he was thinking of unpleasant things.
no subject
Marie hadn't asked explicitly yet, even if the signs were all there. He’d just happened to choose the daughter of a rich entrepreneur when his own business was tanking? She wasn’t a complete idiot. But what did it say about her if she, as his wife, showed such a blatant distrust in him? Regardless of whether there was a justification for it. Asking would make it completely obvious that she thought more than just the money thing was a lie, that she sometimes she stayed up late at night, staring at the tent’s ceiling, wondering if he actually loved her or if he’d made that up too.
More than that, though, she was afraid of what the answer might be if she pushed and pushed for a genuine, truthful answer. In moments like this, she thought Jack could convince her of anything. Of his regal upbringing, and his successful circus, and his affection for her. And, in his less jubilant moments, she was nervous of what he'd say. What might come out of his mouth, barked or snapped or hateful, like she was more an irritant and less his new wife.
But it was easy to forget that for the moment, with his breath against and his voice in her ear. Like they were a perfectly normal couple without a care in the world. And, from the outside, it had to seem that way.
"Did you hear this before or after you met me?" she responded, her gloved hand slipping over his shoulder, unable to hold back to slight shiver in response to his words against her skin. Marie was well aware he was teasing her; certainly Manhattan housed far fiercer women. A lot of them shopped at her father’s department store. The kind of women who were brave enough to wear bold lipsticks and rouges in public.
Well. She might have had a nanny or two who'd referred to her as a terror. (Or a few other unflattering things).
But, for now, she was happy to play along with this game. She was also happy that he was lavishing this much sweet attention on her — and publicly no less — instead of pacing around the circus grounds and in their tent like he was thinking of unpleasant things.