บท 174: Do Better

William looked his wife right in the eye and waited for her answer. If she told him to leave, he'd honour her wishes, no matter how difficult it might be for him.

After a moment of just staring at him, Camilla slowly nodded. William felt his shoulders slump in relief.

Walking into the middle of the stifling room, he gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. He felt more out of place than he could ever remember feeling. Camilla seemed to barely notice his presence, her eyes squeezing shut against the pain she was clearly in. The scandalised gazes of half a dozen older women however, continued to bore into him.

Just endure it, he scolded himself as he sat, unable to stop shaking with fear. William felt himself flinch and tense every time Camilla tried to choke back a cry. Seeing her in such pain was a sick kind of torture.

"Does the room have to be so goddamned hot?" William quickly found himself pulling off his outer tunic as he felt himself sweating.