The Anniversary by Shelly Berry

“I’ll have… the bruschetta to start please, then… the seafood pasta thanks.  And a peroni to drink.  What about you dear?”

Oh, I’ll have the fried calamari to start, then the pizza special.  Oh, and some olives to nibble on and a bit of garlic bread.  And a glass of the Shiraz, thanks.”

Melanie smiled at the waiter as she handed back her menu, then turned back to her husband.  Her smile was quickly replaced by a frown.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Oh come on, I think I know you well enough to know when I’ve done something wrong!”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to!  Your face says it all.”

“So after seven years you suddenly object to my face?”

“Oh forget it.  Oh, here come the drinks and the olives.  Thanks!  You want one?”

“No, no.  Wouldn’t want to deprive you of some of your precious food.”

“Oh, so this is what it’s all about.  For God’s sake, it’s our anniversary.  Can you not just let me enjoy myself?”

“Well, you’re the one who keeps complaining that you’ve put on so much weight since having Josh.”

“Yes, okay, I do.  But it seems to bother you a hell of a lot more than it does me.”

“Oh, come on…”

“It’s true!  You find me repulsive, don’t you?”

“Don’t make a scene.  Can’t you keep your voice down?  Oh bloody hell, here come the water works!”

“That’s right, mock me, mock my feelings.  Maybe if you showed me a little bit of affection once in a while I wouldn’t feel the need to eat all the time.  Maybe if you had helped me out a bit when Josh was born and not fucked off with work for so long I wouldn’t have been so lonely.  Maybe then you wouldn’t find me so disgusting!”

Ian shook his head as he held it in his hand, propping it up as though unable to hold it up without the extra support.  His wife dabbed at her smudged eyes discreetly with the corner of her napkin.  Even in the softness of candlelight, it was clear to him she was not the woman he had married. He felt a stab of guilt through his irritation.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?  I’m ridiculous!  If I’m so ridiculous, why did you marry me in the first place?”

“Melanie…”

“Don’t touch me!  And don’t patronise me!  You got me in this state in the first place!”

“What?”

“Well, I didn’t get pregnant all on my own, did I?”

Oh, God!  I seem to recall it was your idea…”

“Yes, but you didn’t object too much, did you?”

“No, I didn’t. But I didn’t know it would send you into such a, into a…”

“A what?  You mean you thought I would be happy playing mummy at home whilst you go off on your important jobs and to the pub and leave me at home with the baby?”

“Well one of us has to work!  What did you expect?”

Melanie looked directly at her husband for the first time that evening.

“Too much, obviously.”

She held his gaze as their starters were placed on the table before them.  Without another word, she picked up her knife and fork and turned her attention to her food.

"Falling" by Rob

My homework this month was to do some more work on my novel, so no new short story from me this month.  Instead here's something from the archives, I wrote it years ago (more years than I'm going to admit here), but hopefully you'll enjoy anyway.

 Falling

The guardsman came forward again and I side-stepped and draped my cape across his rapier, tangling it within the cloak's folds.  He looked startled and with my free hand I drove the basket hilt of my own sword against his temple.  He slipped to the ground unconscious.

So far, so good.  I freed my cape and drew it over my shoulders again, looking around.  I had made it to the top level of the Duke's mansion, undetected except for this one guard on the balcony.  If my information was correct, my ... goal should be just beyond this last door.  Easy.  Still, fortune favours the careful as my grandmother used to say, so I took a moment to check my way out.

Keeping to the shadows, I looked over the edge of the balcony, out across the Duke's ballroom, through the reception area and over to the front doors.  I smiled.  Walking out through those doors had a certain romantic appeal, but I was not quite so confident that I thought the Duke would let me walk out with my prize.  Banners decorated most of the walls, often concealing doors that the Duke's exalted guests need not know about.  I looked down and could just make out the door I had selected for my own exit.  The door was on this side of the ballroom and though I would have to cross part of the ballroom to reach it, I wouldn't be in the open long.  The door lead almost straight out into the alley behind the mansion, and thence to freedom.

I took a last look around the ballroom.  Few guards were in evidence, though I knew the Duke kept a force worthy of a private army.  No, the hall was filled with servants, polishing, shining and cleaning.  Tomorrow evening was the Duke's Grand Ball and everything would need to be just so.  Voices drifted up to me from the ground floor, four storeys below me, including those of some frustrated servants who seemed to be struggling with something heavy.  I wondered what, since those particular servants were out of sight.

I shook my head.  No matter.  On with the task at hand.  I took the key I had stolen and placed it into the lock.  It turned easily and I pushed the door open.

And there she was.  Catriona.  As beautiful as that day I had first seen her.  She was staring out of the window and seemed not to notice me.  Her profile caught the sunlight and her hair took the golden light and made a halo across her brow.

"My lady," I breathed.

She turned, and the smile died on her lips.  "You!"

This wasn't quite the reaction I'd expected.  "I'm here to rescue you," I said.

"What on earth makes you think I need rescuing?" Her voice rang with fury and it twisted me up inside.

"The door was locked," I started, but saw across her shoulder a second door stood open onto a much wider and airier balcony.

A frown gathered above the eyes I had dreamt of for weeks.  "I am to marry the Duke, we keep that door locked to avoid unwanted intruders."  She gave me a pointed look.

"But surely .... we ... I mean ...."  This really was not going as planned.

She gave a mocking smile.  "I enjoyed our time together," she said "but really, what do you have to offer me that the Duke cannot provide three-fold?"

I considered saying 'love' but it was obvious that I had humiliated myself enough.  "Perhaps I had better leave."

"Perhaps you better had."

I turned and left.  I heard her cross the room and lock the door behind me again. 

I leaned against the balcony, head bowed.  "Bugger."  How could I have been so stupid?  In all the time we had been together, she had never said the words, but I'd always assumed.  Assumed that Catriona felt for me as I did for her.  Now, after my rude awakening I could see that her affection was for herself first and money and status next.  I'd never really had a look-in.  "Bugger," I said again.

"You there!  Who are you?"

I looked to the voice and saw four guards at the top of stairs.  If caught, Catriona would be no help to me, and I had a feeling that retreating to her room could be the worst mistake I'd ever make.  Very well.  With a savage glee, I drew my rapier and curled my off hand into my cape.

"Gentlemen," I said "You are just what I was looking for." 

The first of the guards came at me by himself, though two of his companions were not far behind.  The fourth stood at the top of the stairs calling for reinforcements.  I really couldn't care.

The guard stabbed with his rapier and his sword slid across mine as I parried.  The hilts of our swords locked and I pushed him away, careful not to be caught with the others so close.  I feinted to his head, then his leading foot, finally drawing blood as I slipped the point of my sword beneath his guard and along his forearm.  I could see his pain, but he bit it down and carried on.  He was brave but sloppy -- he dominated the balcony meaning his colleagues couldn't get at me, and for the moment it was just him and me.

I worked his blade across and down, then snapped my cape at his eyes.  He tensed, surprised, and I put my rapier through his upper arm.  He dropped his sword and staggered out of the way.  His two companions leapt into the gap.

Against two foes, no matter how sloppy, you have to be a little more careful.    I stepped around one of them as I gathered his sword in a parry.  Pushing my shoulder hard against his chest, I all but rammed the guard into his companion, and the two staggered back getting in each other's ways.  I stamped on a foot and that was enough to finish the guard's balance.  They tumbled, going down in a heap, swords clattering away.

I looked up to see that the fourth guard's reinforcements had arrived, and knew that I was not going to fight them all and win.  My aggression died, and it was with a cooler head I saluted my new foes, turned, and ran.  I didn't have far to run, but it was far enough for me to jump to the balcony wall and launch myself out over the ballroom.

In a flash I realised what the servants had been struggling with earlier.  They had been trying to lower the ballroom's high chandelier so that it could be cleaned.  This was very conscientious of them, but awkward for me since my plan as I'd jumped had involved the chandelier quite heavily.  Instead, the chandelier was already one floor below me and on its way down   I sailed over it and past.  On reflex, I threw up my arm, trying to catch the chandelier as I passed and though my hand fell well short, my cloak caught on one of the candle holders.

My fall came to an abrupt halt, with the clasp from my cloak digging into my throat, strangling me.  Very dignified.  I choked and fought to grasp the chandelier myself, as I could hear fabric ripping.  Suddenly my fall began again, and the chandelier came with me.  Whoever had been holding the ropes had been unprepared for my extra weight and let the ropes slip.

The floor rushed towards me once more, but just as it seemed I would take at least some broken legs from this, the fall slowed and stopped.  The sudden jerk tore my cape loose, but I didn't fall much more than five feet.  I rolled with the landing and back on to my feet.

Amazed that I was still holding my rapier, I turned and moved the blade to salute first the guards four floors above me, and then the servants who had broken my fall.  With all the guards upstairs, I made for the front door after all.  I'd get my exit after all.

I lost myself in the crowded street outside.