Title: you see right through me
Description: Private
Adrienne Elkins - November 24, 2011 11:10 PM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> When Adrienne had awoken that morning, Roderick was gone. Of course, that didn't surprise her, she was used to that. But she was surprised that she had not awoken when he had climbed from bed or the entire time he had dressed for work. After all, she had found herself to be a bit of a light sleeper lately, as she found herself being awoken fairly early feeling rather ill.<p>
She had found herself, more often than not, sleeping in his bed. Even if she went to bed in her own room, she ended up migrating to his room at some point in the night. She had never been one to like sleeping in a bed with another person, but she enjoyed being close to Roderick. Feeling the heat of his body against her, hearing his breathing deep with sleep was more soothing than anything. <p>
She had spent the day preoccupied around the house and the grounds, moving back and forth between the stables and the library. Still not feeling completely up to par, she did not work too hard in the barns as she usually would. And just that little bit of work exhausted her. Enough that she came in and took a quick nap to try and regain some of her energy. After all, she did not want to look as ill as she felt when Roderick arrived home. She did not want him to worry about her. He had enough on his plate as it was. So when she awoke, she splashed cold water on her face to bring the rosy color back to her cheeks. To be honest, she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed.<p>
However, she made sure to be punctual, and started dinner so it would be done with perfect timing, so it would be finished exactly when Roderick arrived home. Once she was sure everything was underway in the kitchen, she quickly bathed and changed into a new dress, one Roderick had never seen. It had been a gift from her father, and this was a chance for her to debut it. She only hoped he would like it.<p>
Once she was dressed, her hair arranged and her dress in perfect place, she made her way downstairs and into the parlor. Usually, she stayed in the kitchen while the servants cooked, conversing with them and making sure everything was perfect. But the smell of food alone made her head spin, and as soon as she walked by the kitchen, she was glad she had decided to abstain from that area of the house for a while.<p>
So instead she lowered herself onto the seat in front of her piano and flexed her fingers before taking a deep breath and beginning to play, a song she knew from the heart. She became so lost in the music, as she usually did, that time drifted away. Even when the clock tolled to tell her that Roderick would be arriving soon, she did not hear it, still far too lost in her music.<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - December 22, 2011 12:05 AM (GMT)
OOC: So sorry for the wait, dear!
Roderick found himself always looking forward to the time when he could leave his office and apparate to his doorstep. He slung his overcoat on and hurriedly took a spin. A soft pop could be heard for any who were close enough to him, which was quite a few people, as he did not stay nearly as late as he used to. Back when he had been a bachelor, he hardly spent any time at his home. He would usually be at the Ministry until late, stop by the Three Broomsticks for a late dinner and then scurry home to pass out in his bed - only to rise before the sun came to head to work and do it all over again. It certainly wasn't the healthiest lifestyle.
As he landed upon the porch step, he could hear his wife's instrument. He was glad that she had begun to play again. It was always nice to hear when he returned home. Plus, it meant that she was happy. Whenever she was upset with him, she didn't touch the thing and that generally didn't bode well for him.
The door swung open and the few notes of music that he had heard outside burst into a strong melody. The warmth that came from her music was always comforting. She looked beautiful and he noticed that she had a new dress on. Roderick liked to pride himself in being observant, though he completely missed the fact that she did not feel well.
He handed his overcoat and tophat to the butler, who had closed the door behind him, and walked over to stand next to Adrienne as she played. He waited until she had finished her song before he said anything, as did not want to disturb her.
As the last few notes drifted away, he bent down to press his lips softly against her own, "You look quite beautiful today. The music that you play is fitting." Adrienne Elkins - December 22, 2011 05:00 PM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> Adrienne had only noticed her husband's presence when the warmth of his body lapped against her arm and side. She smiled brightly, but did not look away from the keys, at least not just yet. After another measure or two, she finished the music with a flourish before turning a bright, youthful face to her husband.<p>
She met his kiss with her own, smiling when they parted. Despite the fact that she still did not feel completely up to her usual standards, Roderick always made her smile. His words caused her to smile broadly, and she couldn't help herself. She stood off of her stool, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss, far less chaste than the last. "Merci, mon amour." She purred in reply, moving a hand from its spot behind his neck to instead cradle the side of his face. Gently her thumb stroked along his jaw as she smiled her broad, playful smile up at him.<p>
"I've missed you today." She confessed, her voice much softer now, much more loving and less seductive. It still surprised her how much she worshiped the man in front of her. She had never thought she could love a man as much as she loved her father and her brothers, and she had never expected Roderick to replace Cage in heart. But the depth of emotion she had felt for Cage had never been as deep as it was for Roderick, and the love for her father and brothers came nowhere close to how she felt about her husband.<p>
She leaned up to place a loving peck on his lips before speaking again. "And dinner should be ready, if you're hungry, my love." She only hoped it would be up to par as she had not played dictator in the kitchen today as she usually did. Though she was sure dinner would be excellent, it always was, the idea of food made her feel physically ill. She only hoped she could keep her stomach under control at least until after dinner.<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - January 2, 2012 04:54 AM (GMT)
"I have missed you as well," He responded with a genuinely warm smile. Roderick, whether he wanted to admit it or not, was incredibly fond of Adrienne. He loved her even, though he like to say it often because he thought of it as a weakness. In public, he tried to remain distant with her but she made it rather difficult. She always had. Adrienne, as unladylike as it was, had always been incredibly affectionate with him when they were out in public. It was hard for him not to be more loving toward her when others were watching, but he didn't need to his coworkers or peers to think that he was wrapped around the finger of his young wife. He needed to appear strong and impartial - the strictly upholding gentleman that he had always been. It wasn't entirely the case, as he was quite soft on her now, but Roderick had always been good at keeping his face blank.
The mention of dinner brought a hungry spark to his eyes - he was quite hungry, in fact. The young woman had become a rather wonderful wife. She always had dinner ready for him when he returned home from a long hard day of work.
"Quite hungry, indeed," He told her and slipped his arm affectionately around her waist as he led them toward the dining room, "Now what is it that you have done to keep yourself occupied today, hm? Did you play your piano forte all day... or perhaps you went and visited that horse of yours?"
Adrienne Elkins - January 4, 2012 09:49 PM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> Adrienne leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her towards the dining room. "A combination of the two." She replied, trying to ignore the smells of the dining room as they came closer. "I haven't been feeling very well lately so I'm trying my best not to overdo myself. But, you know me..." And indeed he did know her ways, she was never one to completely laze about. It had been a very long time since she had stayed in bed all day, and she had no intentions to do so again soon.<p>
Once they entered the dining room, the smell of food was stronger. Despite the fact that the display was beautiful, some kind of a fish by the looks of it with a variety of sides and fresh bread, all it did was make Adrienne ill. All the color drained from her face, but she did not leave just yet. She didn't want Roderick to worry about her. She was sure she had simply caught some sort of a bug and it would be gone soon. <p>
She moved to her seat across the table from her husband, lowering herself into it when Williams pulled the seat out for her and settling into it. She reached for her glass of wine, sipping on it idly, hoping it would soothe her stomach, even just a little bit. But it seemed to be doing no good, so she would simply be forced to hold her composure until dinner was over.<p>
"So, how was your day?" She asked with a broad smile still on her face, even though she didn't want to smile. But she needed a distraction from the aromas of food about her. Usually that would make her hungrier, but today it seemed to only be making her sicker.<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - January 4, 2012 10:06 PM (GMT)
The fact that she did not feel well was news to him. He decided to pay closer attention to her, just in case he needed to send for a doctor. Roderick had not known Adrienne to be sick for the entire year that he had met her. She may have eaten something bad, and if that was the case, he would immediately fire whichever cook was responsible for it. He could not have his wife becoming ill because of some fool's mistakes.
Dinner looked absolutely delicious.He seated himself at the head of the table in his usual seat. The meal was already on his plate. He took a sip of his own wine (he had decided to try to cut down on the strength of the alcohol he consumed for health reasons) before turning his attention back to his wife.
"It was rather dull, surprisingly," He told her as he noticed just how pale she had become. Roderick's brow creased in concern as the corner of his lips pressed downward into a frown, "Are you sure you're alright? You look rather pale, Adrienne. Perhaps I ought to take you to your room so that you can lie down and rest?"
His stomach growled hungrily, but he knew that dinner would have to wait until his wife was tended to. There were other things on his mind as well, things he had been dreading telling her, but the truth would come out eventually. Roderick could not hide things from her forever. Perhaps now, however, was not the time to do divulge such things since she was already ill. He did not want to upset her even further.
Adrienne Elkins - January 5, 2012 12:00 AM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> Her hand came up and waved off the notion, though going upstairs and to bed seemed like a delightful idea. "I promise you, I'm fine, mon amour." Her words were affectionate, a broad smile coming to her face again, though it was rather forced. "We French women are tougher than the English women." She was trying to act like her normal self, teasing and jovial as usual.<P>
However, despite how Roderick seemed to be in a good mood, there was something not quite right. Over their time together, she had learned him and his mannerisms to the point that she could tell his true mood based on that. Her expression softened slightly, and she set her glass down. She watched him for a long moment, watching his face and each of his features, his dark hair and dark eyes. It still fascinated and surprised her how much she loved him, that she would do anything for him.<P>
"Talk to me." She requested softly. She fixed him with warm chocolate colored eyes, twirling a dark curl around her finger. "Something's on your mind." She would not be surprised if he attempted to deny it, but she knew better than to believe denial. She knew the way his mind worked, and the little signs that showed he was deep in thought or irritated that most would miss.<P>
Note: the slightly tensed jaw and the perfectly even shoulders. She would have assumed that such a stance was in concern for her, but that had been something that had been in place since the minute he walked through the door. Though he had greeted her as usual, and there was nothing off about it, it was the little things she noticed. She reached across the table and, very carefully, rested a hand over his. A nod from the servants to the door and a stern look sent them all scurrying away for the moment, leaving them perfectly alone. "You can trust me."<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - January 7, 2012 04:41 PM (GMT)
OOC: Love the new set!
She had seen right through him, just as he had seen right through her. That was the shame in living together and actually enjoying each others company - the couple had gotten to know each other. Granted, they had been married for eight months and such things were guaranteed to happen, but she had noticed the most subtle changes in him which would not have happened if they had not got along so well. Roderick had not done anything to tip her off, or so he thought, but she had figured it out anyhow. He couldn't very well dismiss her inquiry. She would know that he was lying to her, which was not something that he enjoyed doing and especially being caught doing.
After the last servant left, he muttered the Silencio spell in order to block anyone else from hearing them. He couldn't let the information that he was about to share leak out anywhere - only Adrienne would know of such things. He was afraid of how she might react to them, but he couldn't very well continue to keep them to himself.
He glanced at the doorway once more to be sure that they were truly alone before he leaned forward and spoke in a low voice, "Do you remember who Felix Turnbull is? The man who used to be the Head of the Wizengamot though he died recently?" He gave her a chance to respond before he continued, "I spoke with him just moments before he died in the lift at the Ministry. He... he accused me - or rather, my parents - of being guilty of something unspeakable. I.. I did not believe him at first. However, I recently went to check to be certain that his claim was false. It is not, he spoke the truth."
Roderick glanced at their entwined hands, anxious about what she would say to him. Adrienne Elkins - January 8, 2012 03:19 AM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> "Oui." She replied. She remembered Felix Turnbull, but only briefly as an old man with a phenomenally gorgeous wife that she had met at several social functions. She did not know much of him beyond that, much less that he had died. She often found that she did not involve herself in society's gossip as much as she used to. But that was beyond the point.<p>
His words surprised her but also made her curious. She knew nothing of Roderick's parents, excepting the fact that he was an orphan. They had never spoken of it, to be honest. It was not a subject she was apt to bring up and it was not one he seemed apt to discuss. So she was not sure exactly how to take the situation, so she simply nodded and spoke in very simple terms.<p>
"And what did he tell you, my love?" She asked, glancing also momentarily at their locked hands. His much larger one swallowed her own in an almost endearing sort of way. She enjoyed the feeling of his warmth; it was a reminder that he was very real to her and very close by. And, at the same time, she was curious as to what he had been told.<p>
Were his parents master criminals? Or perhaps they had been star crossed lovers worthy of a Shakespearean sonnet. Or perhaps it was something as simple as a high class man and his lower class mistress. Whatever it was, she would listen and give him her sympathy.<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here
OOC THANK YOU! Roderick Elkins - January 14, 2012 04:35 AM (GMT)
It was amazing how supportive she was being of him. He worried that once he told her the truth, she would not nearly be as loving. The worst scenario was that she would find him disgusting.
He took a deep breath and then, once more glancing around the room to be sure no one else was around, he whispered to her, "He had told me that my parents lived in sin - that I was conceived in sin. He accused my parents of being siblings. I had not put any truth to it, but I visited the magical quill at Hogwarts to check the record and it is... true." His voice wavered as he spoke the last word.
Roderick could not bare to look up at her to see her face. He knew it would be full of shock and disgust. She had married a man who surely carried some sort of disease as a punishment for his parents' actions. Their children might have some deformity. Surely, she would no longer want to frequent his bedchamber.
He had to go on before he lost the nerve, "And I have discovered something else..." For everything and anything he held dear, he did not want to tell her about Lysandra Sutherland. However, he could not keep it from her. Not when he had begun to wonder whether or not he should contact the girl. She had been a sorry mess when he had seen her last and he was not eager to see her again - however, his duty and guilt had made him think that ignoring the fact would be wrong.
Adrienne Elkins - January 14, 2012 05:54 PM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> A child of sin? Well that wasn't too unusual. Plenty of very wealthy and well established men had children out of wedlock. Just as she opened her mouth to say so, he finished his sentence. Her lips snapped back together, her eyes slightly wide, watching him for a moment. There was no disgust on her face, only shock.<p>
She could not hold his lineage against him, as much as it did shock her. But she felt no anger, no contempt, no ill will, only sympathy. He wouldn't look up at her; he was ashamed of it, and it broke her heart. She stood from her chair, coming around the table. Once she was beside him, she knelt slightly so they were eye level. A hand reached out to gently grasp his chin and turn his face towards her. "Roderick..." she began softly, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his lips.<p>
"You are still the man I fell in love with." A smile worked onto her face. "Nothing could make me love you-" Suddenly a wave of nausea flooded up from her stomach. She held up a finger and rushed out of the room quickly, through the side door and into the kitchen. She made her way to the kitchen and to the sink, leaning over it and breathing hard as she tried to regain herself. Her maid, who had been standing by the kitchen door when she came out, followed her into the kitchen and ran a hand over her back.<p>
<b>"There there, Missus. Not feeling well?"</b> The woman asked, gently attempting to soothe the younger woman.<p>
"I've been feeling ill for a while." Adrienne confessed, running a hand through her hair even as she still leaned over the sink.<p>
<b>"You know, Missus. You've over a month and a half late for your cycle."</b> <p>
Adrienne turned away from the sink to look at the other woman. "I...I hadn't even noticed....am I?"Her eyes went wide with a realization, then narrowed accusingly. "I am <i>not</i> pregnant. I would know...wouldn't I?"<p>
<b>"All the signs point to it, ma'am. You might want to be something to mention to Master Elkins."</b><p>
"Not until I know for sure." She stood from the sink and smoothed herself back into place. She would take a moment to compose herself before she went back to the dining room.<p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - February 3, 2012 05:57 PM (GMT)
Her comforting words helped to soothe him. Perhaps it was not quite as bad as he had thought. It would be a secret that the two would have to take to their graves. Any future children that they might have would never know. If word got out that Roderick was... was inbred... he would never be able to find a suitable match for any of his children - even his sons, who would obviously be impeccably handsome, wealthy and well educated. Roderick returned her kiss.
He frowned when she stopped speaking. His brow creased deeply when she ran from the room with her hand over her mouth. Despite the roomy house, he could faintly hear her retching in the kitchen. It was unsettling. He determined that she truly was disgusted by his lineage, though she had tried to be kind about it for his sake. She would no longer come to his bed, he was quite certain of that, and they would not have any children at all. It was a rather sad blip of an existence. Immediately he regretted his decision to tell her. He could not very well tell her the other news - the news that he already had a child with another woman.
Roderick pushed his plate away. He had lost his appetite, despite the delicious few bites that he had managed to consume only moments earlier. A curious servant had poked their head in, as it wasn't often that their mistress ran from the dining room and then proceeded to retch in the kitchen.
He rose from his seat, suddenly feeling ill himself and told the servant that he had never bothered to learn her name, "Please tell Mrs. Elkins that I have gone to bed early. I am not feeling very well myself. Have cook brew up some remedy for the stomach flu as it seems it is going around and bring it up to me when it's ready. See if Mrs. Elkins would like some as well."
She curtsied and he turned and marched out of the room with his hand on his stomach.
Adrienne Elkins - February 4, 2012 06:03 PM (GMT)
[dohtml]<div align=left style="width:450px; text-align:justify; font-family:times times new roman; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:12px; line-height:110%"> When Adrienne returned to the dining room, she found it empty. She arched a brow, confused for a moment, until one of the servants came to her side and informed her that Mr. Elkins had gone to bed as well, that he was not feeling well. She could understand that, but at the same time, she wanted to comfort him and hold him, assure him that it wasn't his fault.<p>
She nodded a brief thanks to the servant girl. "Tell the cook I'm sorry about dinner, it seems Mr. Elkins and I both are not feeling well. Have her cook up a blueberry cobbler and leave it in the kitchen in case either of us feel a little better later." the girl nodded and disappeared to go relay orders. Adrienne took a deep breath to settle herself before making her way upstairs. She went to her own room, but only for a moment, to slip out of corsets and skirts and everything else that composed "daily attire". <p>
She froze for a moment to observe her naked figure in the mirror, turning sideways to observe her stomach, the slight rise that was appearing where only flat, toned skin had been before. Was she really pregnant? Her hands came down to rest over the skin, watching herself in the mirror as she did. No. She wasn't pregnant. She would
know if she was pregnant.<p>
Only when she was in the chemise that she often slept in, and a robe to cover her, did she leave her room. She slipped quietly down the hall, her feet silent on the floor, to Roderick's door. She usually did not knock, but she felt tonight, it was appropriate to. Her hand came up and her knuckles rapped gently on the wood. "Roderick." She spoke softly through the door. The knocking really was just a formality, even if he turned her away, she could come in anyway. <p><p></div>[/dohtml]
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dress here Roderick Elkins - February 24, 2012 02:53 AM (GMT)
Roderick lay in his bed restlessly. He was not used to lying in bed alone, despite his wife having her own bedchambers. They spent most nights together, which meant that he had to be very careful in his rising early for work in order not to wake her. His hand rested on her pillow, his eyes open, simply staring off into nothing. While he was quite tired and he did feel ill himself, he couldn't manage to fall asleep. His fears had been confirmed in his young wife's actions. Her words had told him differently, but it was always one's actions that told the true story. He was a disgusting creation from the taboo lust of his parents. He was glad they were dead - else they would have to face his wrath and questioning at that very moment. And then he found himself regretting the thought. It would have been nice to have had his parents around, even if they were so awfully sinful that - no... his thoughts switched again. Back and forth they went, from wishing they were there to talk to and then being thankful that they were dead. The man was as confused as ever. The only feeling that rang constant was the humiliation from it.
There was a soft knock at the door and he recognized Adrienne's voice. He rolled over slightly to glance at the door before he returned his face against his own pillow. He was too filled with shame to answer her. Perhaps she would think that he had fallen asleep and would simply leave him be. Adrienne was persistent however. He knew that she would not give up and would probably enter anyhow.
"Adrienne," He returned quietly, unsure of what exactly he wanted. Roderick wanted nothing more than to curl up with her so that she might comfort him, but then he also wanted to be left alone to ponder his misery and what it meant for his future, as well as his wife's.
And... what would become of the daughter that only he knew existed? Would it be better to just take the secret to his grave? Yet.. he could not forget the sense of responsibility that he had for her. The need to take care of, take her as his own and be sure that she did well in school so that she would have many suitors. She was after all, a pureblooded witch as well as a Slytherin. Granted she was a bit soppy, but since she was his daughter, she undoubtedly had some winning qualities that would allow her to find a suitable and wealthy husband once she left Hogwarts.
