Page 82 of The Consolation Prize

“I’m waiting.”

“I act sensibly and rationally and—”

“No!” he burst out angrily. “No, you fucking don’t!”

Una winced. “I don’t?” She could hear the uncertainty in her own voice.

“What’s the point in acting rationally when you’re confronted by a fucking mad man?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Very well,” she conceded, licking her lips nervously. “What should I have done?”

“I’m glad you asked,” he said with a forced calmness that was somehow even more disturbing than his violent cursing. “Because I’m about to tell you and I expect you to take this fully on board, Una, as I don’t expect to have to tell you this again!”

She stared up at him and swallowed. “Very well,” she agreed.

He ground his teeth. “Let’s talk about what you did today.” His jaw worked a moment and Una felt herself quail on the inside. Oh my god, he was really riled up. This wasn’t just a burst of anger. He was trying to keep a lid on real rage here.

He took a deep breath “What the fuck did you think you were doing trying to get between that bastard and Rose?”

“I don’t think I—”

“I saw you do it,” he cut across her bitingly. “At least twice.”

She took a shaky breath. “Rose didn’t really seem to have the slightest notion what was happening, Armand. I don’t think she realized the peril we were in.”

“So?”

She gulped. “Pardon?”

“So, she’s inexperienced with danger and you were brought up with it. Why did you have to step in her path?”

“Well, I didn’t want her to jeopardize herself anymore. After all, it was me that Waleran—”

“That should not have been your concern.”

She gaped at him. “I don’t understand—”

“Your concern,” he said, enunciating each word slowly, as if she was devoid of wit, “should have been to keep yourself safe until I or someone else could rescue you. Do you understand?”

Una jumped at the force of his words. “But it was my fault she was up there in the first place …” she faltered.

“No, it was not!” She watched in fascination as his nostrils flared and he fought for control. “What you should have been doing,” he carried on in a low, seething voice, “was keeping your goddamn mouth shut and your eyes downcast and keeping yourself as low to the ground as possible. Do I make myself clear?” He was watching her intently, and at a loss of how to respond she managed a faint nod. “If you had to say anything at all,” he ground out, “it should have been to plead for your sweet little life. Nothing else—do you understand?”

Una’s tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. She gazed dazedly up at him. “Y-yes,” she managed to stammer. Oh my god, she thought, her brain turning fuzzy. It was concern for her that was driving him out of his mind. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around the notion.

“Set it down over there,” he said, making her aware of others in the room. Una turned her head in alarm as Janet and Mrs. Brickenden came in carrying large pitchers of hot water. She tried to scoot behind Armand to hide her half-naked state, but his grip kept her firmly in place between his legs.

Una could feel her face burning with embarrassment. They must realize her husband had just stripped her from the state of her red dress lying on the floor. It was humiliating. “Now lay the fire,” he ordered, still making no move to cover her up. She could hear the servants moving around the room behind her. She stared forward at Armand’s chest in growing mortification.

“I don’t have any clothes on,” she whispered angrily.

“You’re about to wash,” he pointed out.

“I don’t want anybody to see me naked!”

“They can’t see anything,” he told her dismissively.

Her mouth dropped open. “This shift conceals nothing!” she argued hoarsely.