In truth, she never could tell what sort of mood he’d entertain at any given moment. Her mother said it was just how powerful were. He ruled the world he worked in, why not let him rule the home too. Elizabeth didn’t quite like it, but when those stern eyes bore through her, she quickly found herself void of words. She knew he was perpetuating lies, or at least stretching the truth. In her mind, she was hardly a failure, as wife or otherwise. Yet, was it her opinion that mattered?<br/><br/>She’d taken a step back when he stood, so tall and commanding. Elsie felt like a mouse caught by the household cat - a violent creature she somehow found the ability to love. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the kitchen maid bringing her coffee. When the girl felt the tension radiating from the master of the house, she quickly spun on her heels and returned to where she came - coffee still gripped in her small hands.<br/><br/>“I didn’t think…” They were the only words she could muster at the moment.<br/><br/>A slight gasp fell from her lips when Oscar caught her wrist, lifting it to her eye-level and squeezed. The pressure was enough to get her to force her eyes closed and grit her teeth.<br/><br/>“Am I not good to you?” She finally asked after recovering from his emotionless greeting, after insulting her ability to manage her wifely duties and the focus of her intellect. “I have no excuse, I should have been home sooner to wake you.”<br/><br/>Elsie stepped into him then, the skirt of her dress pressing into his legs. She ran her free hand up his arm, admiring the tense curve of the muscle under his jacket and shirt. “Forgive me, love. You’ve given me this freedom and this morning I took it for granted.”<br/><br/>A sorry attempt at stroking his ego, she would try anything to get into his good graces again. Elsie was well-known for her stubborn nature, and her childish inclination to do exactly what she was told not to. It was a fact her father had warned Oscar about and the trait had been hard to quell even after their wedding.<br/><br/>Bright blue eyes caught his green. He had a tendency to make her feel like an unruly child, but slowly, she was figuring out how to not step on his toes. This particular morning she had forgotten all the steps to this little dance they played.