Chapter 9

Very Much 9: Matthew is a harem master. He trippedand fell and landed with his thing in her thing

W

hen the strength of the two meneventually flagged, Lionel spoke up,

‘With this situation, we don’t haveto pay compensation for the cancelling of the engagement,’ (Zuben: I knew thissly person had something up his sleeve)

‘That is true. And from now on theFolk Shop will not be trading with you!’ Colette’s father said still angry.

‘And the same goes for us. We willnot trade with you either!’

The animosity of both men could notbe helped. Colette sighed,

‘Are you alright, Colette?’ Lionelasked gently. Lionel seemed anxious.

She was all right but she realisedshe really couldn’t marry Matthew after this. He hadn’t been this sort ofperson when she left home two years ago. But she had to know what happened,

So Colette spoke up for the firsttime since she greeted her parents,

‘Let me talk with Matthew for abit, just the two of us.’

Everyone protested, but Colette wasinsistent so they were eventually left alone with the door agar,

Colette turned to Matthew for thefirst time in a long while,

‘So you got girlfriends. Two yearsago you weren’t like that; if anything you were shy and were not good attalking to girls.’ She said softly. They had been friends for a long time, soshe could talk freely with him,

‘So tell me,’ she asked, ‘whathappened?’

Matthew’s gentle face clouded overas he sighed, ‘Really, how this happened I don’t understand myself. One thingjust lead to another,’

‘Please tell me,’

Matthew nodded and began his story.There was an invitation from Guilietta Flouqette, a daughter of a good customerof theirs. He took some fabric that she had been interested in along. Sheserved some tea, he somehow got drunk, and his body got hot and found himselfriding Guilietta. (Zuben: Poor fellow, he got drugged)

Matthew told her he could not marryher, and he was engaged to Colette. She seemingly accepted, but said it wasstill fine to have an affair,

‘Anyway, I refused her after thesecond time. But then she began to cry and cling, and looked pitiful. And thenshe threatened, and somehow I could not completely refuse her.’

‘…’

To Colette, this story seemed veryfamiliar.

‘I used contraception, oral anddevices, because I didn’t want to get her pregnant and she had given medefective ones before.’ (Zuben: This dude…)

‘If feels like a planned crime,’Colette said. (Zuben: It is)

‘It was,’ he replied with asorrowful sigh.

‘And the other women?’

He told her truthfully, ‘I gotcalled out for a home consultation and then when I get there they push me downand coerce me...’

‘You didn’t dislike them, thoughyou tried to refuse - they try to persuade. You thought they were kind of cuteand weakened.’ Colette surmised,

‘How did you guess…?’

Because she understood. Colette andMatthew were the same kind of people; it was easy enough to know that theywould both cave under pressure. Matthew had a gentle personality and didn’tvoice his opinions very easily, so a pushy person could easily win him over.And he could be rather indecisive.(Zuben: Is that rignt...?)

‘But Mattie, is such a situationokay for business?’

‘That’s another thing. I will makesure nothing I do affects the business,’

‘Really? Are you really sure aboutthat?’ Colette asked, sceptical but Matthew’s gaze became a little mean, as heturned to Colette,

‘And what about you, marrying thisKnight Commander, it most likely isn’t fully your intention.’

‘Well that’s…’

‘As for me, it was not clear; I mayhave been approached as a punishment game or something. After that I refusedfirmly as I kept having misunderstandings. I did not try to do anything wrong,’

‘I get it,’

They were childhood friends and heknew about Colette’s easy to influence personality. He understood how she wasin this position.

‘I am careful about business, butfor Colette marrying this person in such a high position, it would be hard foryou if you remain as you are.’

‘Why do you think that?’

‘In such a position, you can bebetrayed and threatened by political enemies, even killed.’

‘Don’t say such scary things,’

‘Well, that is an exaggeration. Butmay be blackmailed and threatened and not allowed to tell your husband. Thismay cause problems in your relationship,’

The thought was really scary,especially since the Commander of the White Eagle Knights already had somethingagainst Colette, she suddenly felt alone,

‘What should I do in situation likethat…?’

‘Tell your husband right away.’

‘All right…’

‘I should have told you, but Icouldn’t bring myself to hurt Colette. I was scared of being with Sophie,especially when I heard she was being threatened.’

‘You also shouldn’t live in fearwithout saying anything. You should take responsibility,’

Matthew shook his head,

‘I’m afraid to say it to Colette,for I fear that you would not believe me, but I think I was cursed by thatwitch.’ (Zuben: All the ridiculousness that has occurred in the last chapter,this tops it.)

Colette remembered the witch andher she made a face. The witch he referred to was a not a genuine witch (Zuben:I should bloody well hope not), but their female teacher.

When they were both ten and eleven,they were both taught together in both their houses. On the surface, theteacher looked kind and gentle and taught them well, but as time went on shewas a manipulative individual.

The witch was fickle, and alwaystwisted the children’s words. One could not refute her. She would get angry andbeat them for something small, and gently praise them the next moment. So theywere never sure where they stood with her. When she beat them, they could notshout or cry. She traumatised them. (Zuben: Oh! The tragedy!)

But Colette said, ‘That is anexcuse, it is still your responsibility.’

‘Yes…’ he replied with a sigh,

‘Even though we cannot get marriedanymore, I don’t blame you at all, but I think it would be good for Mattie tochose a woman who would work hard for your family’s business.’

‘But I wanted to marry Colette,’

‘I think you should let it go. Bothof us are weak in character, it would have been trouble.’

‘Nevertheless, I have alwaysdreamed about being with you.’

‘Thank you, but it would be hardfor Sophie to be allowed to marry someone who already has a child. And you canbe rather fickle,’ (Zuben: I don’t think it is the child that is the problem,it’s the easily coerced nature.)

‘You should be careful, Colette,’

‘I think Lionel wouldn’t do such athing...’

‘Not him, I mean you.’

‘…’

‘I understand, that may besomething I have to think about.’ (Zuben: Indeed)

Between Colette and Lionel, it wasColette who was likely to cheat for she was weak under pressure and coercion. Shedid not like to disappoint people; therefore she could be manipulated intodoing something she didn’t want to easily. (Zuben: That was how Lionel ensnaredher)

Now that her fiancé was Lionel,Mattie wanted to advise her gently.

‘I will be careful,’

‘Good. I’m sorry all this happened.Please come visit one of these days,’

‘Hm.’

She should try to be careful in thefuture, Colette thought.

The two of them returned to thedrawing room, Matthew’s father was still grumbling and complaining about Colette,

‘So Matthew had a child out ofwedlock, but the cancelling of the engagement was on Colette’s side. How do weknow that she’s not pregnant as well?’

Lionel towered over the man andsaid quietly but menacingly, ‘Shut your vulgar mouth. Colette is pure. Someonelike you will not defile Colette’s honour.’

Matthew apologised to everyone onbehalf of his irresponsible father, and he dragged the older man home.

Colette’s parents turned to Lionelwith expressions of gratitude,

‘Thank you very much. Thank you fornot having Colette marry such a person. Thank you for protecting Colette’shonour.’

It was semantics really, Colettethought as she watched the moving scene, everything except penetration had beendone. And there was that time, he tried his luck and almost finished the wholething off.(Zuben: Indeed)

Lionel was a very serious KnightCommander, who was as serious as he looked, but there might be a deviouslyclever person in there thinking about it deeply. She was suddenly suspicious.

Am I going to get married to thisperson…? (Zuben: Yep)

Zuben: Last weekend of summer. Do your pre school or work prep, then go out and get nekkid! LOL only if you want. Have fun!

♞