Whitzz/544K-RP-Datasets huggingface dataset:
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

Well, your mummy was quite right, Anne Marie said proudly, though her heart ached as her eyes slid from one side of the drawing to the other as it deteriorated with Maggie's shifting mental state. If this was one of the good days, what on earth must her bad days be like? Well Algie, I think she's gotten you quite right. She managed a genuine smile, but it dropped quickly when Maggie began to falter. Algernon tried to take her, but Anne Marie shook her head even as Maggie shrieked and cowered against her. Carefully she wrapped her arms around Maggie as the older woman looked around frantically. Maggie listen to me, she said calmly in what she hoped was a soothing voice. Your doll isn't lost. Helen isn't lost, alright? She's-- Maggie collapsed and Anne Marie sank to the floor with her, holding her carefully around the shoulders as she rocked. She's just in the other room, she assured her gently. You've forgotten her, that's all. Mrs. Heath will bring her from the other room. We can comb her hair and put her in a pretty new dress, hm? I'm sure you've got lots of pretty dresses for Helen, haven't you? She stroked her hair softly, throat burning as she tried to swallow the tears for Algie's sake. She had despised the dolls with every aching fiber of her being and had in fact smashed one or two before the punishment for doing so simply became too much. But then, she had also been allowed out of the house and among society where LaMonte could show her off. If Maggie had been locked away somewhere in the mansion with the dolls as her only companions, Anne Marie could only imagine she would have clung to at least one as her lifeline to the sanity which eventually broke. She relocked the door which had held those memories away from the forefront of her mind for so many years when Algernon managed to calm his wife once again. Her heart broke for them both as Maggie regained control and threw her arms about him once more. Anne Marie balled her fists in her lap to hide the shaking of her hands. She wanted to leave, but Algie needed to show this to her and needed someone with him through such pain. As much as she wanted to go, she would stay for however long he needed to.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

The visit lasted two hours. Two interminable, heart-breaking hours in which Algernon was able to catch fleeting glimpses of the woman he has,d married. In fits and starts she wiuld begin a witty conversation or make a piercing comment, only to shrink away as the memiries threatened to return. Elizabeth be,rought tea as they talked, and fresh bread with butter and honey, and Maggie squeaked with delight as she dug in. You love her, she said unexpectedly. I can tell. Algernin's throat caught. Yes... he admitted, hoarsely. Maggie looked at him with deep sadness, and smiled. Good. I'm... Her voice trailed away again, and she began to look slowly around with a puzzled expression. Then she made a little sound of excitement and grabbed her bread with both hands. Yay! Honey! she cried, stuffing a large bite into her mouth. He drew a ragged breath, and set his tea cup back down before his hands could begin to shake. It took several minutes before he could master himself enough to speak. I fear we must leave, Maggie. Her face fell. Can't you stay a little longer? Please? I still haven't shown you my... my... Eyes began to dart around the room, frantically. My... doll. My.. my... I've seen her. Before. His heart felt as if it were a lead weight. She was... beautiful. Out of sight of his wife he clenched his fists, dtightening around the key he'd palmed. The points dug painfully into his palm, helping him focus. But... I'll visit soon. Maggie looked at him, the panic gone. And will Anne Marie visit? He nodded mutely, and she clapped her hands together. Yay! We'll be such goid friends, I just know it! He rose as he did, curtsying. She giggled when he tried to kiss her, turning her face so that his lios brushed her cheek, then hugged Anne Marie. Bye bye! she called as they left. Outside the door, Algernon's mask slipped. He sagged against the wall, hands over his face as he struggled with his emotions, and a strangled sob escaped his lips. Then, drawing a deep, ragged breath, he forced himself to stand as Elizabeth Heath came up the stairs. I... took the liberty of having the guest cottage readied, she said, solicitiously. Thank you, he said wearily. It was tempting to sag diwn there, give in to grief and despair. Instead, he offered his arm to Anne Marie and tried not to look too closely at her expression. I assume dinner waits for us there? Yes, Professor, Mrs. Heath answered. And a bottle of medicinal brandy. Thank you. You are a... a marvel and a wonder. Stiffky, feeling as if his heart were tearing itself from his chest with every step, he made his way down the stairs.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

Maggie was a delight and Anne Marie felt as though they could have been friends. God it was awful! When Mrs. Swift declared that Algernon loved her Anne Marie's hand slipped on the butter knife but she managed to catch it in time. Already she'd been rattled and that was a terrible proclamation from her lover's wife. Maggie smiled sadly and said it was good, but that sadness seemed to take her mind again until she focused on the bread. I look forward to visiting again, she said truthfully, bending to hug her as they made their farewells. We'll be very good friends Maggie, I'm certain of it. She hugged Algernon gently once they stepped outside, but released him when Mrs. Heath came up the stairs. She was certain he would appreciate being seen in such a way by his wife's nurse. Anne Marie gave her a weak smile when she informed them that the guest cottage had been prepared and that dinner was on the table. After making their way through the snow she made polite conversation through a delicious dinner, but all in all was drained from the two hours--had it really only been two hours?--they'd just spent. After dinner Anne Marie disappeared into the kitchen without much notice. Gustav never went into the kitchens when he was alive. Cooking was a servant's job, and he was absolutely not a servant, so Anne Marie had began going there to get away for what little amounts of time she could. Eventually the chefs employed there began teaching her and baking had become her outlet. Even afterwards when Algie had gotten too much in his intense training she would disappear into the kitchens. The things she baked almost always went to a poorhouse Anne Marie carefully watched what she ate as she hadn't been blessed with genetics to keep her thin without a care for what went into her mouth. Her mother, or what she remembered of her, had been a stout woman. Tonight was different. Tonight she would eat the entire fucking cake herself if she felt like it. But she didn't get as far as eating. The bake time had given Anne Marie too much time alone with her thoughts and her memories, and as the cake sat on the counter to cool she slid to the floor with her back to the cabinets and finally she cried. These weren't the quiet, gentle tears a ballet or opera could move her to it was ugly, loud, splotchy-faced, scrunch-nosed, body wracking sobs the like of which she hadn't allowed herself in decades. Suddenly she was fifteen years old again, recovering from her wedding night, hiding in the kitchens with her arms wrapped around her shins and her forehead on her knees. Movement in the doorway caught her attention and she looked up. Algie...Algie I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry...I... But she couldn't finish her sentence. Anne Marie's face crumpled again into a scrunched, splotchy mess and she hid it as another wave of sobs broke over her. I-I-I sh-shouldn't be the o-o-o-one cry-y-y-ing-g-g... she managed to hyperventilate to her thighs between sobs. I-I-I'm s-s-sorr-r-r-y-y-y...
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

He barely tasted dinner, which was a crime. Mrs. Heath was a delightful cook, and the meat pie was crusty and savory, but it may as well have been ash for all the attention he gave it. Anne Marie sat across the little table, pale and silent as well, and neither of them spoke. After dinner she rose, departing into the cottage kitchen. Fir his own part, he poured himself another brandy and brooded. Gustave La Monte. A million deaths wiuld not be too much for that monster. The man - the beast - that had broken his Maggie. That had tortured Anne Marie. That had... his thoughts shied away from the last, refusing to finish it as he fumbled for the brandy again. Hiw many times had he refilled it? He didn't know. Didn't care, either. Drink, or scream and rage and break things. God, but he was... Sobbing? Was that... sobbing? Yes. It took a moment for the thought to penetrate the buzz of alcohol. Anne Marie! Scrambling to his feet he bolted fit the kitchen. There she was on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees as she sobbed and shook, and began stammering out an apology as she saw him. He joined her on the floor, folding her in his arms. No, he whispered, leaning her head against his chest and stroking her hair. Shh, no. You... have nothing to be sorry for. He kissed the top of her head gently. I'm... I'm a damn fool. I should have known you'd work it out. Realize what... what was done to her. His arms tightened. I should... should have warned you. But... I have... have the hardest... time... speaking... of... of it... His voice broke, and his control failed. Tears trickled down his eyes, the precursor to the grief that he normally bottled away. His own sobs were wordless gasps as the emotions broke free, wracking his frame painfully. After what felt like hours, he finally cried himself out. Is... you baked a cake? It felt absurd, after his outpouring of grief. Shall we eat it, and drink heavily? Because... because I iwe you an... an explanation. And we will bothneec cake and brandy, I suspect, to get through it.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

When Algie pulled her to his chest Anne Marie didn't fight it. Instead she put one hand on his shoulder, which then crept to his neck as her fingers ran through and tugged absently at the ends of his short-cropped hair at the nape of his neck. He said he should have known that she would have worked out what had been done to Maggie, but did he know? Did he know about the dresses and the dolls, about the lollis and the toys? Did he know about the ropes and gags and blindfolds, about the canes and chains and whips? Did he know about the electrified clamps? About the choking and the scratching and biting which broke enough skin to lead to infection? No...if Maggie had always been in that state then there was no way he could know. I'm just so...so...so selfish, Anne Marie sobbed into his chest. It was all she could do to manage English at the moment. You...you love her and...a-a-and that should have been me ... Indeed the only reason it wasn't her was because she'd killed him first. But when Algie began to cry too her selfish thoughts were pushed away. Anne Marie wrapped her arms around his neck in the best sort of hug she could manage while they sat on the kitchen floor and cried their grief into each other. At last he was done--though she didn't feel quite done yet, but could manage for now--and he noticed her cake. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, managing a choked laugh. Mais oui, but I haven't frosted it yet. I had planned on doing something pretty with it...but that doesn't matter right now. Anne Marie wobbled to her feet and quickly spread the frosting she'd made over the cake, trying to smooth the thick chocolate as much as she could before declaring it done. It wasn't pretty, but it would be delicious. You do not owe me anything, you know, she said calmly, cutting two very large slices and moving them to plates. Once the slabs were on plates and the brandy poured she led the way in moving to the sitting room. You had a plan and I agreed to it. We both had our reasons. Sinking less gracefully than usual into an armchair near the fire she took a large bite. With the emotional state she was in, Algie's presence was the only thing keeping her from picking up the cake and eating it with her fingers.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

Algernon poured two large glasses of the brandy as she cut the cake. I do owe you something, he insisted. An apology, and an explanation. I love you, and I know your history. For both reasons, I should have warned you what to expect. The cake was a delight, moist and rich, but he found he suddenly had little taste for it. It is just.. I haven't spoken of this since, since before we met. The memory is... painful.. He sipped the brandy. I served in the Foreign Office at the time, and had been dispatched to Prague. It was to be a short posting, some three months, so Maggie and I agreed that she would not accompany me. She had a showing, a gallery displaying her watercolors. A faint smile. Also, and more importantly, she was to defend her thesis on comparative embryonic anatomy in certain species of squamidae. We could hardly ask her to reschedule receiving her Doctorate, and I would be home in time to see it awarded. He sipped his brandy, needing the distraction as his expression darkened. Two month after I arrived in Prague, I received a short letter from her. Not one of her regular weekly letters, but a short note hastily dashed off. She had the most extraordinary news, she declared, but would allow it to remain a secret until my return. It was very much like her. Another sip. The same day, I received a cable from her mother. She asked if Maggie had come to visit me, as neither family nor friends had seen her in a week and our house in London stood empty. His voice broke on the last words. Algernon struggled for control for a moment, then stuffed a large bite of cake into his mouth. This... this is delicious, he said, desperately needing something ordinary ro help him regain his composure.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

I should have known what to expect, Anne Marie countered, or at least have better prepared myself. But she didn't push the subject further. In the back of her mind she noted how strange it was still to hear him tell her she loved him. She listened calmly and patiently. The cake had turned out well but she ate it almost absently. She needed something to do with her hands and eating was comforting. When he concluded that their house in London had been empty for a week she had difficulty swallowing down her bite of cake. Gustav had taken her, she croaked. Algie complimented her cake and she nodded. Merci. I am glad you like it. After a long pause she swallowed again and added, I know precisely what comes next. I won't make you relive that part. It is, as you say, painful. She wondered what more there could be to the story. She had gathered that his wife had been taken and tortured, then when her parents had been killed they'd found one another and made a plan. What more could he wish to divulge about Maggie's madness?
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

I never learned exactly what happened to her, Algernon murmured. What I surmised was bad enough. I spent nine months searching for her. Nine months of following leads too nebulous to be dignified with the word. Nine months of fear, and agony, and heartbreak. He sipped his brandy, steeling himself for what came next. By the time I was able to connect her with one Gustave La Monte, that individual had departed for the Continent some two weeks before. So I summoned the police, utilizing my position with the Foreign Office to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation, and obtained a warrant. A bitter smile. The forms of kegality must be observed, after all. The smile faded. When we entered the townhouse, the police sent me with the party that searched the upper story. In retrospect, I believe they suspected what they would find. She... was in the basement. More brandy. When I saw her, an officer had lent her his coat - an impulse to gallantry I am grateful for. She was severely dehydrated, and... and... His voice broke, requiring several attempts before he could speak. And, you have an understanding of the injuries she had sustained. He swallowed. The police were working to remove a chain from her leg, when I saw her. The hell with moderation, he decided as he drank the rest of the glass and refilled it. Physical recovery from her deprivation and wounds required several months. But, as you saw, she never fully healed. There was... in addition to the psychological scars, actual physical damage to her brain. He touched the sude of his head. Here. A blow to the side of the head that fractured her skull and pushed bone into the grey matter.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

I will leave you with what you surmised, Anne Marie said softly but firmly. It is a kindness. Nine months. She had been married to Gustav for a year, but she had been allowed out of her rooms for social events and occasional exercise. He'd also had to keep up appearances of going about business as usual as a prominent socialite and politician in the parliament. But to have his undivided attention for nine months straight...that was worse than anything she had endured. Tears sprang to her eyes when she imagined the acts that had been performed on her and worse being forced upon that gentle soul. She wiped her eyes, trying not to interrupt Algie's momentum too much. When he mentioned the fracture however her face crumpled. Oh Algernon... Putting down her fork Anne Marie rose from her seat to cross to him and hold him, to press gentle kisses to his cheeks and forehead and lips in a vain effort to try and take away some of his pain. I'm so... so sorry, mon amour. Taking his face in her hands she tilted it up gently to look at her, eyes shining with tears. I am grateful, but you do not owe me any of this. Stop when it becomes to much, I beg you.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

I owe you this much, and more, Algernon said sadly. Because I love you, and you deserve to know why I still love another. And because... Because of what I put you through, in search of revenge. But he lacked the courage to say that. There is... one thing more. He sipped his drink, and closed his eyes. Maggie's 'extraordinary news'. I learned what that was, during my search. She had... had vusited Doctor Arthur Shrewsbury. You won't know him, but he was a gynecologist. In London. Once I presented my credentials, he told me... He faltered, then drew a deep breath and took another drink. Maggie was two months pregnant, it seems. When she was taken. And.. and... He swallowed more brandy. There was a corpse in the celler, just beyond her reach. An... infant, aged perhaps two or three months. The cause of death was determined to be starvation. Anither slow deep, breath. We talked of children, from time to time, and agreed that we woukd name our furst born for our parents. He sipped his brandy, hoping the alcohol would dull the pain. My daughter would have been named Helen Rachel Swift.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

I know why you still love her, and you have every reason to, Anne Marie insisted, returning to her seat. When Algie revealed the final horror of his wife's captivity, however, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with both hands. Her face screwed up with the effort of not bursting into more sobs but tears still leaked and were coming faster with every second. She couldn't imagine the agony he must have been through-- they must have been through--and Maggie unable to reach her premature infant crying out for her. And now every time she mentioned Helen he must have...It was too much. She curled her knees to her chest and the dam burst again. Her sobs weren't quite so forceful as before but still there was no stopping the storm. I'm so...so...so sorry... she managed. He...he didn't like...ch-ch-children...he...I... There was nothing else she could think to say. She wouldn't tell him about that this wasn't about her. Eventually Anne Marie regained control of herself and slowly uncurled herself. Tears still came in little bursts but she was able to for the most part dry her eyes. Finally she sat up a little straighter and downed the rest of her brandy, refilling her glass and draining nearly half of it before she spoke again. I'm so sorry Algie. I...I never knew. I could never have imagined. I knew that he was a monster but I didn't realize he'd have done something like that. She left her seat again and came to her knees in front of his chair, taking one of his hands with both of hers and kissing it tenderly. Thank you for trusting me with this, she said solemnly. I'm certain I'd have gone mad myself, had I been in your position. I don't know how to repay such trust except with keeping this to myself. I will give you any secret you should ask in return, should you wish to know it. But my love... never apologize for loving her. Ever.
Thread: A Household of Three - a Meridian Society tale (The Corsair & Madam Mim)

Algernon Swift was a man if many skills, but comforting a weeping woman - especially a lover - was nit one of them. He was decades out of practice, and all he could do was reach out and grip Anne Marie's hand as she wept. That, and murmur soothing nonsense. There are reasons, he said numbly, that I was willing to sacrifice my career to see him destroyed. But the words sounded hollow in the face of her own agony. The final straw came when she knelt on the floor, thanking him for trusting her and assuring him he should not regret still loving Maggie. God, he groaned, slipping from his chair to sit next to her. How... how can you forgive me? He clutched her hand, ignoring the tears that dripped from his own eyes. I knew - knew - what he had done. In principal, if not in detail. And yet, I let you go to him. Sent you to him, as my instrument of revenge. Sent you, knowing what he had done to my Maggiem and what he might do to you. He wiped tears away, onky to find them replaced. How... how can you bewr the sight of me, love? Knowing what I was willing to inflict on you for revenge?