Isabelle
Thomas snuck in from the side panel into the sitting room adjacent to Isabelle’s bedroom. He could hear her sobbing into her pillow even as the clock chimed four. He stole into her unlocked room and leaned at her bedside.
Isabelle stifled her sobs as she looked at her aggressor. “I will never be able to show my face again, I am a ruined woman. Not even Charles would take me now!” she began sobbing again.
“I am sure you will find Charles is more than willing to save your reputation with marriage. More so now than before.” Thomas attempted to console her. “All I ask is that you wait for me.”
“Wait for you?” Isabelle wailed in distress. “If you wish to marry me, marry me now. Then you never have need to go away ever again. Why do you torture me so? I have done nothing to you.”
“I can not and will not marry you now.” Thomas stood his ground. “If my love is such a torture to you then marry someone else. Have his offspring if you like as well. Pay no mind to me or my affections. Throw aside my heart as if it does not matter, for maybe it is true. What is the heart of a thief worth? I will return, and find you belong to another man. You will move me to covetous thinking, and cause me to fall to into Sin.”
Isabelle had stopped sobbing long enough to listen to his now whispered words.
Sharp and angry, Thomas continued his prophecy. “What does a fallen man have to loose? Nothing. I will see the end to your happy life, as you saw it fit to end mine before it ever began. I will take you from you the man you love, just as you took from me the only woman I ever adored. I will spare your child only because you will never again bear another. You will have ruined that for me after giving birth to another man’s child. You will be impure, as I am to you… Right now.”
Isabelle looked at Thomas in a shocked horror. Never before had he ever said a harsh word to her.
“You will find as soothing and alluring as my words can be they can also be sharp and harmful.” Thomas rose from the bedside.
Isabelle was no longer sobbing, her emotions had switched on her.
“I am leaving, Dear Isabelle.” He looked down at her. “Take heed to my warning, you’ll not hear it again. I warned you the only jewel I wish to posses is your heart, it matters not to a thief if he must steal it. You fear your reputation over a stolen kiss. Dare to imagine what it will look like when I come to steal your heart.” Thomas did not wait for her response, he was back out the door and down the passageway to the servants entrance.
Isabelle sat in bed thinking to herself. She had no reason to doubt Thomas would come back to her now. She was confused to her core however by the new awareness. Part of her was elated, for all she wanted was to be wanted by the scoundrel Thomas. The other part of her however felt a slight fear of him. He would make good on his threats. The mere whisper of a rumor of a scandalous affair was the end of your place in society. She would be unable to venture out into her garden for tea due to the whispers and prying eyes.
She would wait til morning and tell Margaret. Yes, Margaret knew more about these sort of things.