A Matter of Marine-Chapter Six: Date with a Psychopath

I guess Conrad isn't, strictly speaking, a psychopath but still...

The chapter opens with Marine making some breakfast in the kitchen. Toast, in fact. Then Conrad walks into the kitchen, looking like he hasn't slept and just generally awful. I bet I know what kept him up all night... Stock reports. Obviously.

Marine offers him the toast and offers to make him bacon and eggs as well. Wow, she's making him breakfast the morning after a make out session. I wonder what she'll do when they finally have sex. Anyway, when she's grabbing a pan, Conrad grabs her wrist and tells her that they need to talk. Keep that pan in your hand, Marine, and maybe back up a few steps. Conrad talks about how last night shouldn't have happened and how it won't happen again. Marine is crushed at this reaffirmation that it meant nothing to him. (Side note, the author keeps referring to it as lovemaking. I guess that meant something different in the 80's, but it's still throwing me off.) Marine tries to play it cool, and tells Conrad that she'd already forgotten, hadn't fallen in love with him over “a few silly kisses” and, furthermore, that men have such giant egos that they'll believe stuff like this. Laying it on a little thick there, aren't ya? Oh, she's also blinking back tears as she's saying this. Because nothing says romance novel like denying your feelings....this is actually true.

Conrad is mad that Marine doesn't care about their make out in the sand. He says he thought he was saving her virtue, but apparently she just saved him from making an even bigger fool of himself. All right, I know I say this every chapter, but seriously. Why doesn't he just dump Helena the Hunter and tell Marine what he's feeling? It's obviously a big deal and not going away, especially since they're under the same roof. Oh, right, I forgot. Denying your feelings. And anyway, men only get rage and lust so right now Conrad is probably enjoying having the full spectrum of his emotions.

So, they're both mad and Marine says something about how she's very aware of what her “position” there is. She refuses to elaborate when Conrad asks. I know this is the whole “cook” thing coming back, but she really could have said that without giving anything away about how very much he means to her. It just hurts her too much. Sigh. Well, Conrad has maneuvered himself right in front of her again. He demands an answer to his question and Marine says, “I am an employee of yours and I'm willing to accept any rules laid down by you.” Really? New rule: no shirts allowed! I mean, Conrad won't really say that, but I bet he's thinking along those lines. Oh, Marine also refers to the greatest night of her life as “fun and games on the beach.” Harsh, Marine. Harsh. Anyway, Conrad is mad at her, and then sits down, expecting breakfast.

Well now Marine doesn't want to make it for him. Jerk. Oh, we also get the information that it's 6 AM and therefore Flora and Annie won't come into the kitchen for another half hour at least. Plenty of time to get down to business, then. By which I obviously mean cooking breakfast. And nothing else that the two of them could do alone. Nope, just a nice, clean breakfast scene in this chapter. Well, and some other similarly clean activities in other places later.

After giving Conrad the bacon and eggs, Marine takes a bite of the toast she's initially offered Conrad and realizes that it's awful. The book doesn't say why, so I'm not sure if she burned it or if her taste buds are reflecting her emotional state. Probably both. So, the two of them have a casual conversation about how little Marine eats, which gives her that oh-so-skinny figure, and then about the tree she's got to get that day. Conrad says he'll go get the tree with her. I would say that he offered to, but it's really not something he lets her turn down. She tries. I mean, first she looks super happy that he's going, so that doesn't really work, but ya know...

Then Conrad puts his hand under her face and starts rubbing his thumb on her cheek. He says they can go to Manly to get a tree. Then, apropos of nothing, he tilts her head up, leans his head down and kisses her. Hey, I thought you weren't doing that any more. Liar. He taunts Marine because she didn't want the kiss to end about how it was just “another silly kiss” to add to her stockpile. Oh, at this point he's got both hands behind her, holding her in place. I worry for Marine, I really do.

Although, at this particular point, she seems to like it. Kind of. The book says that, “Her body betrayed her,” which is kind of uncomfortable to consider deeply. Consent gets very complicated if you're fighting yourself about it and the other person is willing to go farther than you and will push you. I'm just glad that, so far, we don't have any scenes like we did in the last book I reviewed.

Anyway, Marine kisses Conrad back, lightly. Conrad teasingly tells her that she can do better. This next sentence really worries me: “Sanity returned to her and with it a wild hatred for what he was doing to her.” Marine, you really need to get away from him and sort your shit out. He needs to sort his shit out as well. Anyway, Marine rationalizes Conrad's behavior as punishing her for calling their make out silly. What was that I was saying about abusive behaviors earlier? Well, turns out it's kind of mutual. Marine's response to this emotional turmoil is to pull Conrad's hair. Really hard. He gets scarily pissed, forces her head back, and kisses her hard enough that she bleeds.

Woah now buddy. Take a step back. Alright, maybe ten. Breathe. Dump Helena the Hunter. Go talk to Marine in a calm, honest, and open manner. Then your problems will be much less. Sorry, I forgot. We can't be reasonable. We're just barely over halfway through the book.

Marine is shaken and steadies herself on a chair. She waits for an apology, but doesn't get one. So she says, “You hurt me.” His reply? “You deserved it.” Run. Run away, Marine and never return. Marine smooths down her shirt with shaky hands and reminds him that he'd said he wouldn't step out of line like that again. Conrad replies that he did, indeed, step out of line last night, but this morning she got what she deserved. Marine, are you not seeing any of these red flags? There are many of them. Many. Oh, and Conrad still wants to go get the tree with her. After assaulting her.

Conrad rinses his dishes, which gives Marine a little time to pull herself together. I'd need some time too, to figure out how not to enclose myself in a car with a violent man. Marine does her best, too. She really tries to go without Conrad, but, short of locking herself in a room and not leaving, Conrad isn't going to let any of her arguments stand. Her only vocalized one is that she's worried about leaving Eva. I would be too: no one else in that house actually cares for her. Oh, the hinge of Conrad's argument is that the tree won't fit in her car but it will fit in his. She could always tie it to the roof. Probably. Anyway, Marine reluctantly gets in Conrad's car with him and they begin the drive to Manly. Oh, and this sentence is just perfect: “He had bullied her into leaving before she was ready, just like he had bullied her about everything else.” Marine. Get. Out.

Oh, but it's okay because the day is so nice, that Marine can't stay mad or anxious. So, she's not as mad as she seemed? She's falling into the victim mindset? Stockholm syndrome? Anyway, once they get to Manly there's some description of all the activity at the beach and how awesome the ocean looks. My comfort from this is that she's not as alone with Conrad any more, but it's meant to give the reader something else to think about. Oh, also, Marine is glad that he made her go. But just this once. Probably.

They eventually pull up at a greengrocers. Conrad knows the owner super well and they go to look at his trees. Marine doesn't like any of them, so Conrad picks one out jubilantly. He tries to pay, but the greengrocer won't let him. Wow. They must be close. Weird that Conrad can make friends. I guess he only treats Marine that terribly. She should feel special. Or something.

Then they go to a butcher's to get the turkeys and a leg of ham. He's also super good friends with the butcher. Oh, and the owner of the tea shop they stop at for a bite. He must have grown up here or spent time here when he was younger. Possibly the weight of the business is contributing to what makes Conrad such a dick. Still, just because you have one doesn't mean you need to be one.

Oh, important character things from this bit: Conrad is super duper excited about the tree and turkey and everything. Marine can make gravy without lumps. This is important because it leads Conrad to say, jokingly, “I can't believe it. Beauty, brains and gravy without lumps! It's truly a miracle some man hasn't grabbed you and married you!” Who said anything about marriage? He could have made the joke just as well talking about her dating life. He's in deep, isn't he? Oh, also, more sexual tension. But then, you knew that would happen.

At the tea shop, they have a totally normal, happy, and relaxing time eating scones and drinking tea. So, this is the double nature that's a signal of an abuser. Just putting that out there. I know we're supposed to read it as Conrad getting away from his life, but if it's so awful, there are things he can do to make it less so. I suppose that means he has to realize the terrible pressure he's under, but you'd hope that he could figure that out, especially with how different he is from Manly to his house.

When they're leaving, Conrad hugs her, teasing her. Marine is able to fight him off and doesn't have a battle with herself. Huh. She's more comfortable with herself here too. Well, the house is haunted. Better burn it down and move to Manly. Don't take the servants or Helena the Hunter with you.

On the way back, Conrad's impatience returns. He starts driving really fast. Fast enough to scare Marine. Also, the reason he gives is because he needs to shave and light the grill to start making steaks, which Helena the Hunter thought would be a good idea. Marine is depressed that he's hurrying to get back to cater to Helena the Hunter's whims. He keeps saying he's having friends over for Christmas, but I believe him less and less. He's a powerful man. His Christmas party must be a major networking and social event. I'm doubting that many of these people are actually his friends. Wow. I hope Conrad has some friends. Of course, if he doesn't that could explain part of why he's got such a difficult time having any kind of intimacy.

Anyway, enough with the psychoanalysis. After Marine tells him that he's driving too fast, he slows down and asks if he scared her. Look at that! He can be considerate! Marine tries to pass her fear off with a remark about the birds being worried about something new joining them, but it falls flat. Conrad seems super worried for someone who's going to hang out with his friends. Maybe he's finally considering dumping Helena the Hunter! A girl can dream, anyway.

Oh, just before they get back we get a confrontation about Eva with regards to Helena the Hunter, Flora, and Annie. Conrad talked with Helena the Hunter who, of course, said that everything was fine and that Marine was out of her gourd thinking that there was a problem. And I guess Conrad trusts her enough to tell him the truth, which we've seen to be a grave mistake.

Oh, when they do get home just after their argument about how Eva wasn't safe in her own home, we see Annie delivering juice to Eva and Helena the Hunter, who had just been reading some of Eva's favorite poetry to her, to Eva's evident enjoyment. Now that Conrad has told her there's a problem, Helena the Hunter has to actually work to cover it up.

Abusive behaviors: 1) any force during an argument when Conrad kissed Marine so hard that she bled. How did he even do that? Goodness. 2) Controlling behavior when Marine very much did not want to go with Conrad to get the tree and he made her go. She did end up enjoying it, but his need for control is very worrisome all the same. 3) Dual Personality “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” when Conrad became a completely different person once they reached Manly and changed back when they were returning home.

For the next chapter, I predict that the focus shifts. Now Eva is our heroine finding the self-worth that she used to have, and learning not to take shit from the other people in the house. As a minor side line, she makes bets with herself about when Marine and Conrad will finally admit their feelings for one another. Oh, and also, in finding her self-worth, Eva also begins practicing her knife routines again. In her day, it wasn't proper for a lady to be so skilled with knives, but it's something she loves to do and now she knows that she should go after what makes her happy. This skill comes in handy when the spirit possessing the house turns violent when they try to burn it down....

Also, I know I mentioned this earlier in this chapter, but it really is weird to me: romance novels aren't about people being in love; they're about people doing everything they can to avoid it and finally realizing that they can't. When they're actually in love and at a point where they would be romantic toward each other, the novel ends. I guess you need a conflict (of some sort) for there to be a story, but still...