Set after the ball which Ross got slightly drunk and wasn't the best husband in the world. Hopefully well go all the way up to the book Bella Poldark. Will contain spoilers.

Demelza walked out of the hall furiously, her first ball and he had just left her and when he did come out from his drunken gambling den he had spoken to her like she was nothing to him, not his wife, the wife he was meant to love and the mother of his daughter.

She walked up the grand stairs towards their room where they were staying the night and grabbed open the door and walked in and flung herself on the bed in darkness. Then she sat up as quickly as she had laid down. "I ain't going to sit here and sob into a pillow..." Demelza said as she stood up and ruffled out her dress and then the necklace, which he so kindly bought for her.

Ross looked at Francis and Dwight as they looked at him nervously as he was drinking heavily and gambling away things he couldn't afford to gamble. He put his glass out for a maid to re-fill his glass with rum. Ross saw her enter, her yellow dress gleaming like a beacon as she sat down behind him, her face though looking angelic, her eyes told him they were burning with anger.

As Ross lost another hand and was going to bet the mine, Demelza took off her necklace and put it on the table. "Don't," Ross said as he touched her arm. She pulled it back furiously as she looked at him. "I would rather lose this, than our home and income," Demelza said as she sat back down and watched as Dwight and Francis looked at her. Ross nodded his head as he started to deal the cards. Demelza looked at the man he was playing intrigued.

Ross felt a tap on his shoulder and turned as Demelza whispered something in his ear. "I know," Ross whispered back, breathing his breath on her, she smelt the rum and felt she was going to heave. Demelza sat back down as he lost her necklace and then sighed as Ross said: I bet you my mine. Francis and Dwight sat up in shock as Demelza clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

Suddenly Ross grabbed his opponants hand and showed everyone how he was cheating. "My God," Francis said as he stood up in shock. "You want to tell me why you have another card in your hand?" Ross asked as he looked at him. "The cheating swine!" Dwight exclaimed. Ross went to punch his opponant but felt a warm and comforting hand on his arm. "Don't," Demelza said gently, "you haven't lost it... You've still got your mine, your house and the money you lost..." Ross was going to leave it when he heard his opponant say: Listen to your scullery maid.

Ross was pulled away as he punched him by Dwight and Francis. "He isn't worth it," Dwight said as he saw Demelza was ready to leave the room. "Did you hear what he said about my wife," Ross said as he looked at them, "I took offence to it!" Dwight looked at him. "And your wife is taking offence to you right now..." Dwight said seriously.

Demelza again found herself in their room for the night, the poshest room she had ever been in. She took out her hair and put the comb that Verity had lent her on the side and let her hair tumble down. She saw a side of Ross that she didn't particularly like tonight, violent (even though she remembers him fighting off her tormenters at the market and his fight with her dad), drunk and the way he spoke to her. She sat down on the chair by the table and stared out the window and turned her head as she felt a hand on her now bare shoulder. She flung it off her and turned to face him.

"I know your sad about Jim," Demelza said as she stood up and shut the bedroom door and looked at him, her eyes fiery like her hair, "but your behaviour tonight was something you'd expect Julia to do when she doesn't get her own way." Ross looked at her irritably. "You don't know how I feel about Jim, what I saw, the smell..." Ross said as he put down his drink. "No I don't, but you drinking yourself into a coma is not going to help you or Jinny is it... Imagine if you had a lost the mine if we didn't know... Zacky would of lost his job... We couldn't of kept on Jinny, then she would of suffered along with her child... The answer to your problems isn't in gambling and boozing." Demelza put the dress he so lovingly bought her in the box and then put on his over sized shirt.

"All these people here," Ross continued as he looked at her. "I know," Demelza said as she took his hands and looked at him, "I know, they condemned him to death but you can't always be the saviour of everyone, you did everything you could and Jinny knows that..." Ross put down his new glass of brandy, untouched, and looked at her. "I'm sorry," Ross whispered as he lent towards her, breathing on her neck, "I've been a bad husband tonight." Demelza looked at him and smiled as he pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I won't apologise for punching him," Ross whispered as he kissed her softly. Demelza looked at him. "But I apologise for leaving you on your first ball, being drunk and nearly losing everything..." Ross whispered as he pushed her towards the bed. Demelza succumbed to him as she knew she would.

To other people she was just a kitchen maid but to him she was the voice of reason, she was always their hen she needed him, she knew what he wanted before he did himself and the mother to their beautiful daughter.

Coming up: Francis vs Ross, Demelza helps Verity.