If this hadn’t happened in the same book as all those scenes of Marten torturing Tim psychologically for fun, I could have had doubts about his intensions towards Gabrielle. But TWTTK made it pretty clear to me that this is RF/MBs hobby, something he loves to do, for shits and giggles. I think King would have framed it differently if he wanted us to see it in another way, though as a reader I of course hope it hurt Marten deeply.