Sibella swallows hard, a tightening in her chest forming as Monty gently takes her hand. The contact of his skin against hers usually brings relief, comfort, reassurance, but all Sibella’s eyes can focus on, all her heart can focus on, is the glint of her wedding ring on her finger. A ring that belongs to another man, Lionel.
She knows she should have taken it off, thrown it into a corner as soon as she had arrived here, but she hadn’t. As to why, she has no idea (that she’s willing to admit).
Eyes glance at his. Her lower lip trembles, for she has been in so much turmoil these past few days, so much emotion that the sight of him, her loving Monty nearly sends her world spinning. Oh how she loves him, yet how ignorant he is.
For he has Phoebe to go back to once the charade fades away, his darling Phoebe whom he loves.
Sibella has Lionel. Sibella has that cold, empty house that provides her nothing.
“I agree that our fantasies are our source of happiness, but Monty doesn’t that make it even harder to go back to reality?” she sighs, wondering if he really understands.
“Doesn’t that make it harder to go back to Phoebe’s bed, to kiss her, to hold her, all the while knowing what could have been… what should have been.” She shakes her head, her golden tresses bouncing. “I find our fantasy to be just that some days… pure fantasy.”
She then pulls her hand away, not wanting to see the sight of her wedding ring any longer.
WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN! monty must beat back the compulsion to remind her that she had been the one who have halted what should have been ---- that she had been the one to refuse him, when he had said that they should run away together, and use his wealth as a d’ysquith to make their own life . . . the hurt of that day still stings in his breast, but he will not allow it to undermine his efforts here, for now he truly could not be happier.
because with sibella, he has his fantasy, his burning passion, the fire with which he has always bravely played. and at home, he has his phoebe, the dear wife, whom he loves equally. yes, he loves them both, in ways that are different, but are not lesser or greater than one another. and though maybe he would have been happier married to sibella, maybe he would have been gladder to live constantly in fantasy, there is something wonderfully grounding and secure in his own marriage. no, he thinks, loving them both does not make it any harder to return to reality. the balance of both, having fantasy and reality all at once, is what makes each blissful, so much so that he oft longs for one while in the arms of the other, and at the same time, could never imagine leaving either.
but monty has not learned nothing from years in sibella’s grasp, and he does not think his true feelings will suit her ---- he does not think she will take kindly to being told he loves another as much as he does herself. which does not trouble him at all : love and lying are so similar, and he has proudly, if secretly, excelled in both.
“ dearest sibella, ” his earnest voice is soft, understanding of a plight he does not share ( he can only imagine how awful it would be, to have to return to lionel holland after spending time with himself! ) and the hand in hers is drawn closer. she is not looking, but she has exposed her neck, and monty, affectionate by nature, brings himself close enough to kiss her, beneath her jaw, as though imploring her to look back to him.
“ my dearest sibella, of course it is difficult to return to reality, but does that not make coming back to our fantasy still more sweet? this is our escape ---- our home, if you will, and when we are not here, well . . . well, we can eagerly await to return. ” his other hand finds hers, and his voice is nestled in the softness of her skin, amidst those golden curls. “ it may be pure fantasy but we are here, living it together. and that could have been taken away from us, but it was not. we are allowed to come here, to love each other. is that not enough, my darling? ”