Lady ~ G.Blythe [2]

fifteen.

+ recognised +

I stood outside of the bakers that Gilbert and I had raided in the early hours of this morning, standing by the door and letting the bustle morning crowd move past me on the rest of the sidewalk. I had forced Gilbert to go back once they were officially open, convincing him to try the custard pastries my father had favoured to bring home. I held a small on my wrist, the light breeze ripping past my blue dress as it threatened to blow my hat off of my head if I hadn't pinned it into place this morning. It was a perfect Sunday, the carriages and trolley were rolling down the street, people making their way home from church or towards the market to pick up their necessities.

I let out a small sigh, seeing Gilbert still standing in the line through the window, his hat resting in his hands as he waited patiently. The bakers was exceptionally busy with people trying to buy their weeks worth of bread, people filing in and out with baskets of baking goods. I tapped my foot on the stone lightly, getting a little big impatient and wanting to go for a stroll in the park already, the cloudless sky giving us the perfect weather for a walk.

"Catherine Prewett is that you?" I heard someone ask from behind me, my whole body instinctively froze as I stood still, my heart picking up its rate in my chest. I almost thought that I had completely fabricated the moment for a second, thinking of how the voice cut through the sound of the others, probably because they had addressed me directly with me name. The chances of someone recognising in the city were small, but apparently they weren't nothing. I was hoping that whoever it was either no friend to my parents, or that they wouldn't even mention to my parents that they had seen me in the city, or my whole rouse would be completely over. I turned around slowly, slapping a fake my slime on my face and trying to think of the best excuse I could think of on the spot.

I turned around, clasping my hands in front of me to see Tom walking down the sidewalk towards me, stopping in front of me as I let out a heavy sigh of relief. He smiled at me with a confused look on his face, my head tilting back as I silently thanked the fact that it was just my brother. "Oh my" I sighed, shaking my head as I looked back at my brother, raising my eyebrows at him. "You're a real pain you know that?" I asked him, making him laugh as he nodded his head, pointing at me with his hand that he had just pulled from his pocket.

"Excuse me, I was just on my way to my lecture and you were in my way" he said to me, motioning to his friend who stood behind him slightly, both of them carrying a few books down by their side as I furrowed my eyebrows at Tom's acquaintance. It hadn't been long since I had seen him last, Montgomery Farthing standing behind my brother with a kind smile on his face as I returned it quickly. "It's a Sunday" I stated, looking back at my brother as he nodding his head as if that was obvious. "It's a voluntary lecture" he told me, turning to look at Monty as Tom nodded his head towards me, raising his eyebrows quickly.

"I'll catch up with you Monty" Tom told him as his friend nodded his head, saying a quick goodbye to me before walking around Tom and I back in the direction they were headed. "Monty Farthing?" I asked when he was out of earshot, not having even known that Tom and Monty knew each other out side of my parents invitation to Tom's birthday dinner. "We have a few classes together" he explained with a shrug of his shoulders, knitting his eyebrows together as he looked over at me, people having got divert themselves around the pair of us to get past on the sidewalk. "You never to me you'd be in the city this weekend" he accused, making my face relax as I let out a breezy laugh, slapping on the most genuine smile I could, Tom seeing straight through it.

"Didn't I?" I asked him, still laughing as I pushed the circled strands of my hair away from my face, Tom nodding his head slowly as he raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly are you staying?" he asked me, making my smile drop as I tried to think on whether or not it was worth lying to him or not. "Because it's not in my guest suite" he added quickly, making me laugh once again as I waved my hand dismissively at him. "Well you see" I started, pointing my finger at him nodding my head slowly as my brother awaited my finely curated answer that I still had not made up yet. "I got 6 because I felt bad after the fuss you threw last night last night" Gilbert's voice said from behind me, making me turn quickly to see the brunette walking out of the bakers, looking down at the box he was holding in his hands.