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pretend; tag; William Parr
Topic Started: Sep 26 2010, 01:34 PM (311 Views)
Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Late November 1511

It was clearly the work of God Himself, Anne thought, as she stared down the man before her. He looked uneasy, having just told her she could not have chambers of her own because her husband already had one for them. She wondered what William would say. Likely he would mention their legal separation. Perhaps, though, he would bear it. She would lean toward that as the best choice. William was quite an accomodating man when it came down to it. He liked to appease women, anyway.

"Go to My Lord Parr and tell him I will be coming to him." she said in the kindest tone. Oh, this was perfect. It suited her interests perfectly. He would not be able to refuse now. With satisfaction, she watched the young man go to inform her husband that his wife would be with him soon.

How glorious, Anne mused as she followed after she had waited enough time for the young man to inform William of this new development. She hadn't thought of it herself, but shouldn't he had known he would have to share with his wife? They hadn't shared a bed for long, so it was sure to be awkward, but he had been attracted once, hadn't he?

She didn't meet the young man on her way there, so she assumed he was either still there or had gone in an opposite direction. She stood before the door again and knocked. This time she didn't do it very loudly. Her previous knock had said "Acknowledge me, I'm important!", but this was merely said there was someone at the door.
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William Parr
Unregistered

The door again? William did not want to deal with who he knew was beyond the inner door to the bedchamber he was not going to share with his estranged wife. Raging silently when a pageboy informed him my lady Essex was to join her husband for the evening, he shooed the child away and thought on how to avoid this. Yes, it made sense, for they were still a married couple in the eyes of God and so they were to share a room. Fine and dandy if they were not estranged, two people who hated one another. He had his own rooms, apartments for a single man and not a married one with two bedchambers, for no husband and wife ever shared a bed unless they were occupying themselves with other matters. He did not intend to share them with his adulterous wife.

Even though the cool October air made everything frigid outside, and necessitated a fire inside, William was not going to sleep in the bed. He would sleep in a damned chair if he had to, or he'd find somewhere else to go. Surely a friend would help him. He was trying to think of who he ought to send a missive to when there was yet another knock on the door. Impatient, stupid woman.

"You are not welcome here," he said coldly when he opened the door just a crack to glower down at the woman he once called his wife. Anne had forfeited that title just as she had the others that brought her wealth. "Find somewhere else to stay, or I shall."
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Anne was not a stupid woman; she knew she was pushing the man who no longer wished to call her his wife. She imagined he had a beautiful and pious woman in mind as his new wife. The thought irritated her to no end. She knew she had been in the wrong to cheat and leave him. She knew it was selfish and she should have just steeled herself and come to court. It might not have been that terrible, really. She could have grown accustomed to it, but instead she had shamed them both by carrying on with a prior.

God is forgiving, her inner voice reminded her, giving her the strength to look up at William. "I already tried to arrange something for myself, but as I am still married to you, I am not eligible for my own chambers. I did beg and plead with them because I saw that I would likely spend the night on the floor."

She hadn't begged or pleaded at all, of course. She had merely say oh, well then. After all, it would put her back in his life in some semblance and he might get used to her again and perhaps then she could ask for reconciliation. She understood that it was a lot to ask, but she couldn't stop now.

She thought of Mary and of John, but only for a moment. If things were to go forward, she was going to have to forget them for now. It would be difficult not to think of Mary as she was always terrified she would find her dead as well. John, on the other hand, mattered little to her. Yes, it had taken the both of them to commit this sin, but she was beginning to resent him.

"Please, William." She urged softly, hoping that he would fold. "I know it is quite the bother for you, but perhaps you can ask someone later if we might be moved somewhere that we can have separate rooms?"

She expected, again, that he would close the door to her. Any weakness he might have had for her was gone. He thought horrible things of her and, though she couldn't very well blame him, she hoped she could change his mind. If she could have him open his heart to her, she might be able to negotiate something that would make both of them happy.

Naturally, she wished for reconciliation and was going to try her hardest for it. She would listen very carefully to learn what she could about his court life. She would meet his friends and enemies. She needed something she could use. There had to be something.
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William Parr
Unregistered

Had Anne actually known that other women--another woman--had been sharing his bed, well, William cringed to think of it. He was not stupid enough to tell her. She had left him; he left her, too. Annoyed, he said to her, "On the floor, in a chair, certainly there is no way on God's green earth would I ever share a bed with you again." He was going to fight this to the end, even if the end did happen to be the two of them lying together in bed, awkward and still, angry. William thought perhaps that would happen, but no, he would not allow it to happen. He did not want her, she did not want him... did she? God. He hoped not.

"I would ask someone, anyone, that we would have separate chambers. Everyone knows what has happened between us. Everyone knows how shameful you are," he snapped. It was true. Adulterous husbands were a dime a dozen. An adulterous wife? That was a scandal! William wasn't cold any longer, he was angry and this time, he was not hiding it behind frigid formality.

He exhaled, glancing behind her, over her head, into the dim hallway, lit by fat tapers on the walls. No one was around. "But because I do not wish to make a scene," he said begrudgingly, "you will stay here. Wherever you wish. I will sleep on the floor if I have to. I will not share a bed with you." A fight, if they had one here out in the hallway, would be all around court within moments. William did not want such gossip attached to his name. Gossip ruined a man, whether it be true or not. Acquiescing to her was not about being kind, it was about William saving his skin from more unpleasant things.

Why does this happen to me? he asked himself as he stepped away to let his cheating, lying, unfaithful slut of a wife inside his chambers, knowing he would regret it. But a sleepless night in anger was better than everyone at court talking about William Parr behind his back.
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Anne knew he only folded because he didn't want anyone to talk about him. She supposed his reputation meant a lot to him, despite the damage she was sure the scandal had done. However, she did assume that everyone saw him as the victim in this case. They thought nothing of the wife abandoned in the country merely because she didn't share her husband's great ambitions. No one ever did, she knew. There were plenty of unforgotten, neglected or set aside wives all over England. If she had remained quiet and stayed away from John, all would have been as it was.

He might not hate me so much, she thought, stepping inside the room once he allowed her entrance. The room was not disorderly, she noticed, but that didn't surprise her; William was orderly. She didn't let herself gaze around too much because she suddenly found herself wondering about the other women he wanted to let in.

Clenching her jaw, she looked at him. "Don't be a fool, William." she chided. "That would be most uncomfortable for you and how do you think I would feel if I forced you from your bed? No, you will sleep in the bed with me and we will get chambers with separate rooms tomorrow while we discuss this precious annulment of yours."

She knew her tone was dismissive and firm, but inside she was quite frustrated. She hadn't expected them to fall into each other's arms, of course, but she didn't think the thought of sharing a bed with her would be so revolting. She hid her slight hurt behind a face that was as dismissive as her tone. He wouldn't need to know how that affected her. As if he would care, her pesky inner voice added, he would likely rejoice to know he has made a chink in your armour.
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William Parr
Unregistered

She had motives. Ulterior motives. William did not know what in the hell was going on in Anne Bourchier's head, but he was curious because why on earth would she suggest they share a bed when they shared so much animosity between them? Did she honestly think he would-- oh, no, she couldn't think that. They were separated. In William's eyes, she was not his wife. She had been, but that was no more, and thank God for it. There was no way he was going treat her as his wife, there was no way in hell he would bed her as his wife either. She was still a beautiful woman but that did not mean he desired her. He felt nothing for her. Absolutely nothing. He could remember how he felt about her, but that was best left to memories, not even fond ones at that.

"I am a fool, eh, Anne? Why aren't you? For some absurd reason you want to share a bed with me. Funny, I remember coming back to you and you wanted nothing to do with me. I could just as easily have you go wander about, so you could find somewhere else to stay. Be glad I am feeling generous." This was all false, considering he wanted no one to know about this problem, that he had not secured his annulment, that he had not rid himself of Anne Bourchier, and that she was here at court. "Did you think this would be some romantic reconciliation? That's fantasy and so I sure hope you didn't think anything like it, considering we were never in love with one another, just as everyone here at court is not in love with their spouse," he pointed out, clenching his teeth in irritation.

William had an idea as he stood there before her. "Why can't we discuss the matter now?" If he brought it up, maybe it would irk her enough to make her leave. "Though we have discussed it, and it seems that you shall not agree with sense and still wish to be married to me for no reason at all. If I knew better I could say perhaps you cared; but I know you don't. It's all about your pride. I hope you know how everyone thinks of you." It was a cruel thing to say, but the gloves were off. He was not going to bother being kind to her if she kept on with this ridiculous behavior, nettling him at every turn since she had arrived at court, and it had only been one day. Night would prove to be worse than the day, he suspected. No sleep and arguing all night.
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Anne raised an eyebrow at him the moment he was finished speaking. She dismissed the first bit about how he thought she was a fool, that he didn't want to share his bed and reconciliation was a fantasy. Blah, blah, she thought irritably. Didn't he realize that these words were doing him no favours? He wouldn't be rid of her until she got what she wanted. Though even then ...

"You wish to talk now? she sighed as if this was the worst thing in the world. "Fine. If it will make you happy. But you should know that nothing you say will change my mind about what I have come to do." Here she fixed him with something that could only be described as a challenging gaze. "I do not think that anything you can say will get you what you want right now. And I do hope that whomever you have been bedding in this time doesn't decide to show up. You will never see her again if she does."

Anne wanted to make him aware she knew he had his own liasions. She wanted him to know she meant it all. This was no whim. This was everything. If he stepped back from his own pride and ego, he would know that. It suddenly struck her that perhaps his problem was never that she had left for another man, it could very well be that she had a child - a healthy child, even.

She stepped closer to him and tapped his shoulder. "You best tell me the reason you really want this annulment." she told him lightly. "Perhaps I will release you if it is good enough."

Naturally, she had no intention of doing so, but it would be interesting to see what his reasons were. If he mentioned another woman, she knew it was quite possible she would fly into a rage or laugh mockingly. Perhaps both. It was hard to say.
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William Parr
Unregistered

While she thought this could all be a game to get what she wanted somehow, William knew better. She was doing this for a reason. Nettling him until he got his way. Typical women, he thought, frowning at her. To her first words, he said nothing. His face did not change. He didn't care if she knew he had gone behind her back and slept with other women. He only did it once she did, figuring fine, if she was to leave me, then I may leave her and enjoy myself. There was no chance in hell he would ever speak to her of his own dalliances. It meant nothing. He had not run off to create a family with another woman as she had. In William's mind they were two different offenses, hers greatly worse than his, for no one would blame him for seeking solace with another woman when his wife left him, would they?

"If she does," William said, admitting to his own affairs out of cruelty, wondering if it would bother her, "then you shall leave. God knows I don't want you in my bed for whatever reason." He smiled, a wry, crooked smile that had no good humor in it at all. "Not as if you would care very much. I do wonder why you are so set on this course. Do you think, for whatever reason, we could even be married again? I do not want you, you do not want me. But no, you seek to constantly undermine me, and humiliate yourself in the process."

He took a breath, frowning down at her as she stepped closer. William did not want to be closer to her. He wanted her to leave him the hell alone and never see him again so he would never, ever hear her name again. "I've told you why I want it. We are not married," he said dryly, "and so what is the point in all of this? Even if I begged and pleaded with you, you would still be stubborn, and keep me chained to you for the rest of your life, though you know I hate you." Hate was a strong word, but he never felt such strong repulsion from someone before. Maybe he did not hate her in truth, but it was meant to put it through her thick head that he wanted nothing to do with her. Not now, not ever. "Instead you seek to keep me miserable as your husband, while you have another family, while you have shamed yourself."
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Anne ignored his admission of his own affairs. If she didn't, she knew what would happen. She would lose all sense of herself. Though she had left him for John and Mary, she still felt territorial when it came to her husband. After all, it had been his absence that had shoved her to another man in the first place. Truthfully, she knew she was mostly to blame, but he had his part. He needed to realize that rather than heaping blame on her.

"William," she began, "you are angry and I am tired. This is not condusive to this kind of talk. You will not be a fool and sleep on the floor or the bed. It will not help you sleep. We will share this bed and I will not touch you or ask you to touch me." Here she paused, thoughtful. "If you do not want me, it should not be so hard."

She smiled good-naturedly at him. "Do you not agree?" she asked, clasping her hands in front of her. She didn't know what to expect from him now. He was so tightly wound, it was hard to say what he might do. She fully expected him to seize her and take her out to find someone to give them other accomodation. Time would only tell.
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William Parr
Unregistered

Vaguely disappointed that she said nothing of his admission, William bit the inside corner of his lower lip, the muscles in his jaw working. He was so tense, so tight, it was a wonder he managed to stand up. There was no way he would accept his own complicity in the breakdown of their marriage. It was inevitable. Now he wanted out. She was not making this easy. Would he be sharing a bed with her again in deed at some point? He hoped not. If so then he truly had fallen far to give in, for he thought that was what she wanted.

"I am angry because you force yourself in here where you are not wanted, where you do not belong," snapped the man, scowling down at Anne, his eyes angrier than his words were saying. "I know why you are doing this. Don't lie. You are nothing more than a whore." It was all William would say to hint at what he believed her motives for the night were. He would deny her.

Yet. He could not. Not in this matter, at any rate. There would be talk, and he was ever alert to such things. Looking as if he wished to strike her--he would have, if he were a man of violent rages rather than verbal tirades leaving him shaking with anger--William turned from Anne when she smiled, wondering how he could torment her. He had no idea. If she insisted, then he would not make this enjoyable for her. Saying nothing to her he began removing his clothes, not caring about that. They had been married, long ago. It didn't matter to him but perhaps it would bother her. "Well?" He turned to her, practically sneering as he pulled off his undershirt; his voice was caustic. "Are you not going to find your nightdress, dear wife?"
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

He was all angry angles and spitting with scorn. Another person might have just taken leave, but Anne would not. She could see the way the night would end perfectly. They would lie on the bed together, turned away from each other and with several inches between them. He would think she would turn over and touch his back, murmuring his name softly. He would expect her to try to use sex to get what she wanted. While she was not above such things, she would not do it. That would not end happily.

A big part of her felt that none of this would end happily. One of them (or both of them) would not get what they wanted. Perhaps by being here, she was shredding her chances of getting a good deal, but she felt that she wouldn't have gotten anything if she'd quietly taken his annulment rather than contested it. Perhaps this way one of William's friends, in an attempt to free him off her in most cordial way to not damage his prospects should he like to remarry, would offer her something she could not refuse. If she could get what she wanted without staying married to him, well, that would be all the better.

"I only just said we were going to bed." she said lightly. "I hadn't the time between then and now to undress and redress. I am not that quick as you might be able to recall." He might be angry she didn't say anything about what he said before that, but that was fine.

Turning from him, she went to get her nightdress. After she had gotten it, she undressed. Her movements were not deliberate or in any way a bid to make him want her; she was merely undressing. She knew he would think of it that way. Everything she did would be seen as that or something like that. Irritating, really.
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William Parr
Unregistered

Turning so he did not see her undress, for he did not want her to get the wrong idea, William considered what he thought would happen. She was a woman. Women were inherently more sinful than men, so it was said; they would use their wiles any way they could to capture a man in their trap. He would not let such a thing happen. He had such a low opinion of his wife that he would not have been surprised had she kissed him or more, despite his acrid attitude towards her. Anne would try to get what she wanted using the only weapon she had at her disposal.

The rustle of clothing was irritating him just as her mere presence was doing so. William thought it sounded much like a bad pen scraping paper, something that made your teeth clench just thinking of hearing it in the future. "It has been so long, Anne, I recall nothing," he snapped to her over his shoulder, his eyes focusing on the wall behind her and not on her as she undressed and slipped on her nightgown.

Good God, was she taking her sweet time with this! Before he interrupted her so rudely and destroyed his mood, William had been tired. Now he wanted nothing to do with bed. Climbing into bed meant laying beside Anne Bourchier, the two of them like bolsters, probably unmoving. How could he sleep with her in his bed, the woman he loathed for making his life hell and making him a laughing stock at court? He would delay such a thing as long as possible. There would be no slipping into bed and falling into a deep sleep quick enough; William simply sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall in front of him, never giving a second glance to Anne, instead wondering why, oh why, was he in such a position.
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

Anne knew that William would like nothing more than for the ground to give beneath her feet and be swallowed into a never-ending darkness. She understood his position, of course. People could be cruel in their talk and a wife giving birth to another man's child was something those of the court fed off of. It was likely that any enemies of the Parr family enjoyed this misery of his. She expected William counted her among that number, but she was not his enemy or wouldn't be if her matters were cleared up good and proper to what she wanted.

Finally finished with her nightdress, she crossed the room to the bed and studied the angry tension in William's back. Long ago, she would have reached out to touch his back and attempt to smooth out what troubled him. It had never worked then, though, if she recalled correctly. Even then he had no use for her. She was nothing more than a vessel to hold his child and then take care of the child. You failed miserably, the smug voice in her head crowed, and now you're paying for it.

Annoyed with herself, Anne pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and considered how she would reply to his admission. She chose her most lilting tone and said, "It has been, hasn't it? A shame, really."

That was just the sort of thing that would irritate him, but that was fine. He was attempting to do the same and two could play at that game. She was only too happy than to grant him this.

In one fluid motion she took the pins from her hair and let her hair cascade over her shoulders. Normally, she kept down or half down, but for the journey, she had chosen to take it up. Her hair often bothered her.

She set the pins carefully on the bedside table and pulled the covers aside. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "it isn't too late for you to change your mind."

Whether she was talking about their sleeping arrangements or their impending annulment, only time would tell.
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William Parr
Unregistered

His voice came out an incredulous bark. "Change my mind? About what, pray tell?" When William threw a glance over his shoulder to look at her, he did not look so angry; almost mirthful, really, matching the tone of his voice. "About what you want, for me to give in though I have no reason to? No. I'll not change it. Nothing you can do will change it; so I do not see why you press me on the matter. Especially when you do not answer my questions as to why exactly you are here, why exactly you wish to stay married to me." He snorted. "If I could throw you out, Anne, believe me: I would." But no, he would not do that. She knew it well enough. He was protective like a creature over its prey about his reputation.

William finally stood and, without second glance to her, pulled the coverlet down. He was tired. Tired physically, yes, but tired of this roundabout fighting where she simply never answered him and instead made him angry. Her mere presence angered him, but her mouthing back to him like she were the woman wronged in this situation was even more infuriating. Thank God the bed was large, he thought as he got under the covers, staring up at the tester, refusing to pull the curtains around the bed. It would keep the cold out, yes, but he would not ensconce himself further here with her.

Even laying there he wondered how he could change this at the last moment. Could he find her separate lodging? Could he request a separate apartment? No. Not this late at night. He was stuck and he hated it. The only thing he could think of were his memories when they were happier. In William's mind they had never been truly happy, merely stupid children infatuated, but lying in bed his mind kept going to the times they would wake long into the night talking and kissing as if they cared for one another when he knew they never did. Love was a sham, even more when it was like children at play: pretending it was there when it was not, for hating the one you were forced to be with was worth faking it.
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Anne Bourchier
Unregistered

"It is good for me that you are so protective of your precious reputation." Anne said lightly, sliding into the bed and pulling the covers up. "If you were not, I likely would find myself in a terrible position. However, if you weren't so protective of it, perhaps you would not seek an annullment?"

She turned on her side, facing away from him. She didn't want to stare at his unyielding back for so many reasons. Part of her was telling her to quickly depart and just give in because it would only end badly, while another told her that seduction was the only way. She thought that might be true, but she couldn't do that. She didn't want to be rejected in such a way.

Despite all she had done and wanted to do, she was still a flesh and blood woman, capable of being hurt. She wasn't some kind of demon that only wanted to cause unhappiness, disarray and anger in her husband's life. He seemed to think of her in that fashion and whether she liked to admit it or not, that got her deeply.
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