Dangerous appetites: part 2

Chapter 1: A New Reality

The next morning came too quickly for Daphne’s tastes. If it wasn’t for the pangs of hunger shooting through her stomach, she would have gladly stayed put. The only reason she had been able to forgo the two meals she’d missed was Ethel’s latest delivery of goodies she’d dropped off the previous day. On that, she binged under her blankets before slipping into a fitful night’s sleep. But now that the basket sat empty, the desire for any sort of food easily won out over her seclusion.

Daphne slipped out of bed, catching a glance at herself in the mirror as she headed for the door. Her suspicions were confirmed: She looked awful. Her face was puffier than usual, eyes still reddened from many rounds of weeping the night before. Her day dress was covered in wrinkles since she hadn’t bothered to undress. Dry, salty streaks meandered their way down her cheeks, cutting through the powder she hadn’t had the energy to wash off before sleep took her in. They served as faint reminders of the tears that had left them in their wake. Those, she wiped away as she rubbed away. But everything else, she left as it was as she made her way downstairs.

The manor was oddly quiet. Even the usual bustle of housemaids rushing around the house was eerily absent. It seemed the whole house was treading carefully so as not to wake a vengeful sleeping dragon. A dragon that now stalked through the corridors in search of anything to sink its teeth into. She’d make her venture brief. She’d pop into the kitchen, grab enough food to sustain her for a while, and then make a quick exit back to her room before anyone noticed she had ever left.

Successfully arriving at the kitchen undetected, Daphne crept down the stairs. She hoped to maybe grab a few leftover items from that morning’s breakfast. But her plans were shattered when she came face to face with both her mother and Mrs. Hawthorne. They had been speaking in hushed voices, almost conspiratorially. But their words stopped abruptly when they noticed Daphne entering the room.

In the cook’s hands lay a steaming tray of food, complete with a bowl of hot porridge, a few slices of toast lathered up with butter, a small dish of sliced fruit, and one flower neatly placed in a vase. Thankfully it was a rose, not a daffodil. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Reginald’s bouquet where it had ultimately landed on her bedroom floor. Someone must have tiptoed into her room while she was sleeping and cleaned up her mess.

“Good morning,” her mother said. “You must be hungry. I was just about to bring you some breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry,” Daphne lied.
“Daphne, you need to eat something.”
“No, I won’t. Unless you plan to ignore my wishes and force me. You’re clearly quite good at that.”

Both women stood in shock as Daphne turned on her heel and stormed back up the stairs. Her mother called after her, but she didn’t stop. She let her rush after her through the foyer and halfway up the stairs before finally rounding on her. If her mother wanted to talk so badly, Daphne had more than enough on her mind to say.

“You told me I needed to be strong! You told me I needed to make a careful decision! Did you even consider letting me make that decision for myself before you two sold me off to the highest bidder?”
There were no tears this time. She didn’t feel like she had any left to give anymore. What took their place was pure anger. Never in her life had Daphne dared to raise her voice at her mother like this. She felt guilty seeing her mother flinch at her words, but she refused to take them back.
“I’m sorry! I know you’re upset with both of us. But your father was put in a very difficult situation? What was I supposed to do? What was he supposed to say?”
“No! You could have said no!”

Even as the words left her mouth, Daphne knew her father couldn’t refuse the proposal without consequence. Whether Reginald knew it or not, he had played a shrewd hand. His was the only offer on the table for her. Saying no could turn away the only real opportunity she had. Sure, they could decline and continue their vigil. But if Edwin still never returned and no one took his place, she’d be left both humiliated and empty handed.

“I don’t want Reginald,” Logic gnawed at her, but she chose stubbornness as her final stand. “I want Edwin. I won’t marry anyone else!”
“Edwin is gone and he is not coming back!”
Her mother’s bluntness hit her like cold water thrown in her face, succeeding in bringing her back to reality. Her eyes welled up and her shoulders shook in silent sobs as her mother hugged her close.
“This isn’t how I wanted this to go. I had hoped-,” her voice trailed off.
“I know how you feel, I do. No mother enjoys a daughter’s broken heart. But I don’t want you to feel that all hope is truly lost. I know you would have chosen Edwin. I wanted that for you too. But there could still be a comfortable future with Reginald.”
“I just don’t feel anything at all for him. With Edwin, it was immediate. But with him, I just feel nothing at all.”
“When I met your father, I felt the same way. My parents warmed up to him fast enough. They could see he was a hard worker and it helped that his parents possessed a small fortune. But it took me quite a bit longer to come around. I most certainly had my eye on other handsome men at the time. And love would hardly describe my feelings for your father at first. But we learned about each other. We became close friends. And soon, the deepest affection and admiration blossomed between us. Looking back now, I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Daphne mulled this over. Her parents did have a beautiful marriage that had always inspired her. She often hoped she would forge a bond just as strong and resilient as what they shared. And from what her mother was suggesting, she could still have that. It was still possible.

“Fine, I’ll do it,” she sighed. “I’ll marry him and just hope for the best. It’s the only option I have now.”
“I’m so proud of you. I know all of this is extremely difficult. But you’ve become a fine young lady, Daphne. And Reginald has a good heart. Give it time and I’m sure all will be well in the end.”

Daphne was admittedly doubtful, but that thin thread of hope was enough to get her through for now. Without it, she’d surely fall apart. But she desperately hoped that thread would somehow guide her to a life that was at the very least tolerable. The best option had evaded her and she was left with one that was just decent. And, though it wasn’t all that impressive, decent was still better than nothing at all.