Chapter Three: Isabelle
The dress Alessandro originally chose was not the dress I am currently wearing. It would seem that, I have become too pale to wear the color red. I do not see how he could be shocked considering that I am always locked away in my cage. Oh, excuse me, my room. I internally roll my eyes.
It took an extra forty-five minutes for him to find an acceptable dress. He then ripped the dress from my body leaving me exposed, standing in my simple black thong and bra. Finding my bra unacceptable for the new dress he ripped that off a well going to the drawers in my closet and returning with a black corset. He grabs me tightly around my arm pulling me to the dressing area. Apparently, I'm too pale for red but not pale enough for him to worry about leaving buries.
“You will put those on. And you will do so quickly so we will not be later than we already are.” His cruel eye drifted over my body, scrutinizing me with such cold indifference. I to this day have no idea what he thinks of when he looks at me. He never offers words of praise or look of appreciation. Unless you count the act we play in public. Even when he comes to me to force himself on me in hope of creating an heir, He says nothing, just bends me over and does what’s needed.
I had Mia help me lace up the insufferable entirely unnecessary uncomfortable corset then into the new emerald gown. Once it’s secure, grab my shawl and leave my room, meeting my husband at the car ready to take us into the city.
As I get in my seat on my side, Alessandro barely raises his eyes from his phone gives me a quick glance and grunts his approval. Or what I assume is approval since the door next to me shuts and the car begins to move. I keep my head and eyes down cast looking at my hand folded neatly in my lap. When Alessandro begins to speak, I’m in a sort of shock since we are alone.
“I will make it so you can have access to outside or a tanning bed. I can't have you being so pale. I’m sure with out the make-up you look sickly as well.”
He isn't wrong but I want nothing from him. I say nothing to him, he isn't expecting a response, he isn't asking, he is giving an order like he does to these men. No that’s not right, they are treated with some semblance of respect. I, however, am not. I don’t even think he would treat a dog as poorly as he treats me.
“You will stay at my side tonight. No straying. If I walk, you walk next to me. No being alone” He continues. This order has me raising my eyes to peek through my lashes. It shocks me to say they least. While I'm always with him, he tends to leave me at the table. He never wants me to accompany him everywhere he goes. His jaw is clenched, and brows are bunched together. It would seem this bothers him to have to say. Interesting.
“Isabelle! I am speaking to you!” he snaps turning the full weight of this eyes on me. I gulp. And start to tremble.
“Yes sir. I am sorry. I understand.” I try my best to keep my words steady. We don’t talk to each other. There were a few times in the start of this forced marriage spoke back and it cost me dearly. I learned not to talk. To be seen not heard. So, him requiring an answer now was a foreign concept.
“Good girl.” The shaking continues. I hate it when he calls me that. It’s always after something incredibly unpleasant.
Not long after that we pull up to the venue. I put the fake smile I’ve perfected over the years on my face as Alessandro steps out of the car offering me this hand to pull me from the seat. He immediately puts his arm around my waist and pulls me almost protectively into his side. The level of feeling uncomfortable goes from what I am used to, to an all new high. This doesn’t feel at all like normal. No something more is going on and I know it will not end well for me.
We enter through the main doors and into the room that’s been set up for the event. Alessandro pulls me along to a group of men standing on one side of the room arm still wrapped around tightly around me smile plated on my face. A tingle runs down my spine. I try to look around the room without taking too much notice. I feel like I'm being watched.
“Ah Alessandro!” a man with a round belly and greasy hair that does nothing to cover this bald spot or receiving hair line greets my husband. “Oh, what do we have here?” His beady eyes shift time and sweep down my body.
“This is my wife.” He pulls me even closer. “Isabelle this is chief Sanders.”
“What a lovely creature. You are a very lucky man.”
“Indeed I am.” He leans down to place a kiss on my cheek. His lips hit my ear. “You are way too uptight tonight. Relax. Don’t fuck this up.” He stands to this full height of six foot five. I take a deep breath and try to do as he told me. It’s hard with everything being so far from the normal.
I have a terrible, terrible feeling. Something bad is going to happen. I stand next to Alessandro yet I'm not really here. No, I'm standing here drifting off. The darkness is encroaching on my vision. Coldness seeps into my limbs. But the smile stays on my face. Years have taught me to never let it slip even when I'm on the cusp of being nothing more than a black hole void of everything. The conversation continues around me. I see nothing, I feel nothing. I try to take deep breaths but it’s hard to do with out someone noticing, even harder to do while in a corset. Suddenly I feel a sharp pinch on the inside of my arm. It brings me back. I look around and see it is just the two of us standing in the room.
“What the fuck is wrong with you tonight.” Alessandro snaps at me. I flinch. I am going to pay for this mistake later, I see it in his eyes. He huffs and places his hand on the small of my back. “Let’s go eat before I give my speech and then we are leaving.”
I somehow make it through the eating part of the night without falling all the way back into the darkness. I nod when needed, speak only when required and before I know it Alesandro is getting ready to give his speech. “You stay right here and do not move where I can’t see you.” He once again pretends to kiss my cheek to whisper that in my ear. I look up at him and smile trying to show my understanding. He stands and buttons his suit jacket as the wait staff begin bringing around more wine and dessert. He gives me one last look that I can’t quite decipher before walking to the side of the stage where the stairs are located. My eyes follow him as he walks to the center of the stage, to the podium which happens to be right in front of me.
“Thank you everyone for coming out tonight.” His eyes briefly sweep the crowd pausing on something behind me, then quickly return to me. He keeps them there as he continues to speak. I am not listening to a single word he is saying. I’m locked in place wondering why he is staring at me like that. Like it would be a physical pain for him to tear his eyes away from me. I am trying everything to keep the darkness from consuming my entire vision. But it hovers on the outside, stealing my peripheral.
Which is exactly why I didn’t see the server walking towards my seat, stumbling only to drop an entire tray in my lap. Food and drink now coat the entire front of my body its cold and wet. I know it is. My brain knows it is, it has to be, but I feel nothing. I’m still locked in the eyes of my husband.
“Oh my god! I am so sorry!” The girl gasps. I finally drag my gaze from Alessandro to see her. Her face doesn’t match the tone in her voice. She doesn’t actually appear concerned at all. “I can’t believe I’ve made such a bags of this.” That’s when something inside my brain registers that she might be Irish. I don’t know why that makes my heart rate pick up, but it does. She grabs my napkin and starts trying to clean up the mess that’s been made of my dress but ultimately it just makes it worse. All through this Alessandro keeps talking.
“Here just come with me and we will get you cleaned up” she tries to get me out of my seat, and I start to panic. I look to Alessandro. He shows no real look of concern, he breaks his eyes from mine giving a nod to someone behind me then returns to me giving the same nod. That’s my permission to go get cleaned up. I stand slowly looking at him again just double checking. He narrows his eyes at me showing his annoyance in my need to double check.
“Yes, of course please show me to the bathroom. Thank you.” I turn and give the girl a small smile while she grabs my hand and pulls me to a set of double doors.