She sighed out, like she was grateful for it. For being the women out of all he’d picked out to be his bride.

He soon continued his soft kisses down her neck and as she felt the cold of the room hit her exposed shoulders as he slid her nightwear’s sleeves down to continue his attention to the more exposed skin.

She knew what’d follow next, and in truth she was not in the mood, but when he set out for something he’d get it. One way or another.

They’d argued once already she wouldn’t dare start another now.

She simply distracted herself, drifted off until he was done.

She knew it wasn’t right, not wise but by the time the next ballroom party rolled around she followed right behind him.

Following him to the part of the manor she promised she’d never go to, to the room she’d never go into.

And she wished she hadn’t.

Everything she was witnessing, from the dim lighting provided by the candles to the grim look the room looked and saw the terrible act committed, the screaming and begging for mercy and the blood that was spilled.

And then the silence that followed afterwards.

All presumedly drowned out by the sound of unknowing party attendees downstairs chattering amongst themselves.

This had been happening inside this mansion, this kind of atrocious act, the whole time and she was just as oblivious to it.

She had been so stunned by what she witnessed she nearly missed his slight movement and missed how he turned his head to look over his shoulder.

And he could’ve sworn he had seen the slightest movement from the slivered open door.

Wait? She couldn’t look at Alistair for awhile after that, afraid to look him in the eyes after what she had witnessed.

He didn’t seem to notice or care much.

But Emily would become aware of how aware of the whole situation her husband really was.

—

He hadn’t requested or tried to get her to be intimate with him after that event. It made her wonder if he knew something, or he was now truly getting tired of her.

He was purposely distancing himself but for the reasons she thought.

By the time the next lavished part held at the Crump manor was held and the guests had all filled in he immediately made his way to her.

“My dear, come with me, it is urgent,” he said, there was some emotion in his tone but even though it wasn’t his usual stoic or demanding demeanor Emily couldn’t quite place what was in that tone.

She did feel a slight shiver run down her spine at his request, why did he want her to follow him somewhere? Did he know she knew?

But they were in public, she feared she’d get in more trouble if she refused to go with him now and made a scene even.

If she was in trouble, best to get the incoming argument and scolding over with now rather than later.

And so she followed him away from the party goers, away from witnesses as he did with all his eventual victims.

A part of Alistair felt a slight pained feeling seeing her feeble attempts to crawl away from him as her blood from her open wound spilled out leaving a trail behind her as she attempted to reach the door.

He’d have thought Emily somewhat wiser to know that the moment they went down this hallway to the part of the mansion he forbade her to go to, he’d have thought she’d at least start screaming or crying hysterically trying to get any fellow patron downstairs attention.

Of course it’s all be fruitless as he’d easily overpower her, possibly put one gloved hand over her mouth to muffle her and the other grabbing her wrist pulling her into the room.

But she just kept quite. Perhaps she’d thought she’d be an exception.

But how wrong she was.

“If only you had listened,” he scolded her as she continued her attempts to escape with whatever strength she had left “then you wouldn’t be just another sacrifice I’d have to give, you look like a wench right now,” he continued.

She didn’t seem to be listening though and he didn’t care because he was simply allowing her to get closer to the door, thinking she had a chance to be saved, more for his own amusement.

When she finally reached the door he took no less than two steps and was there already one hand leaning against it keeping it close (of course he made sure to lock it this time, but it was for affect).

He just stared at her, his remorseless ones staring into her frightened own. He dare thought that somehow she still looked beautiful to her despite the tear stained face and smear of blood on her cheek.

Pity that’d it all went to waste now he supposed. And he swung down one last time and completed the task.