Chapter Text
Denis pours himself a large whiskey, glaring at Margaret as she steps into the house.
"I hope you sacked that bastard,"
She's stunned for a moment before seeing his whiskey glass, "What?" She hands her coat to Crawfie and smooths out her dress. He walks over to the dining table, setting his glass down and leaning against the table with his hands on the polished wood.
"What are you on about, Denis?"
He doesn't even bother looking her in the eye, his mind is a fog, enough to speak his mind to the woman who seemed to be dominant in their marriage. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," he looks over at Margaret and she's holding a few papers in a folder, "Have you done it?" He's referring to when she said she would terminate Nigel Lawson. There's an edge to his voice that makes her feel tense.
"No." Margaret slowly shakes her head. "I haven't"
Denis looks down at the table again, "I can't say I'm surprised," He faces her, "Why didn't you?"
Not leaving a second to hesitate she steps toward him, touching the edge of the table with her fingers. "There's a limit to the number of enemies we can afford to make."
"Don't bring that excuse into this, we all know he deserves to be ousted!" From his outburst, she dismisses their only witness to his shouting and once he's gone she looks at Denis again.
"You cannot just yell at me and not expect others to take it up to the press!"
He scoffs, "The press is the last thing I'm worried about, I'm merely looking out for you, so you won't make a fool out of yourself by having incompetent people as your Cabinet members."
"Those 'incompetent people' are going to be more prone to hating me even more if I get rid of them."
He smiles at her, "You're planning on keeping him?" He's seen the papers he knows he should avoid, the dubbing of his so-called 'heartless' wife. If only they could see how soft and easy she truly is, then he thinks that the tenderness is only reserved for him to see.
"Sentimental fool."
For a second she wants to hit him back with a reply that would make this controversy spiral into an endless shouting conflict but it dawns on Margaret that it's best to keep her mouth shut. In any case, she would have enjoyed a good debate, especially if she knew that the other was wrong, yet seeing Denis practically seething she refrains from it.
He leaves his glass on the table, not bothering to finish the rest, and heads to their bedroom. As he walks off, she eyes the whiskey on the surface, he wasn't going to finish it off that inebriated. Margaret sets the papers on the table, grabs the drink, and downs it before going to their bedroom after him.
"You know, you are nothing without me," Denis says, lighting a cigarette, he tosses the lighter on the dresser and takes a long drag.
Irritated, she rolls her eyes and closes the door to their bedroom to close off any more shouting that may take place. Still faced at the door with her hand on the handle, Margaret musters the willpower to possibly quarrel with him for the last time for the night.
He could be brutally honest, making her look compassionate in comparison to him. She delighted so many people without his assistance, therefore it was a falsehood to say that without him, no one would have noticed how sensitive and kind she could be.
But to Denis, it was he who made sure she was in the balance of being easygoing and severe. When they had guests during a disagreement, she used his brute attitude to contrast hers, and she remained reserved when it was appropriate. And he's caught onto that. But without company, she could shout right back at him.
"Despite your crude nature, no one would have known how indulgent you can be if it weren't for me."
Margaret sits on the edge of their bed. "It's called having decency and being sober."
He laughs, "Sure, I'm certain if Mr. Evans weren't there in that dining room, you would have thrown that glass at me. Right now he must be painting you as the innocent one in this situation." Denis walks over to her side, putting his hands on his knees and leaning down to speak face-to-face with her.
"I think everyone else can agree when I say you are nothing without me."
She looks up at him, trying not to get a migraine by just being in the same room as he is. She nods.