The Ungodly Hour~Anthony Bridgerton

part XVIII: the commoner's escape plan

Songs:
Lost in Time and Space- Lord Huron
Sarah Come Home- Allie X
Come in With the Rain (Taylor's Version)- Taylor Swift
Fuck

Late afternoon sun dried Sebastian as he half slept on the riverbank in only his drawers. His dry clothes in a small pile beside him. His horse loyally roaming only 5 meters away grazing on fresh grass. He stretched his arms above him feeling the plush grass beneath, savoring the last few moments of relaxation before he continued riding on as he had for four days straight. 

His stomach growled and he took a small swig of whiskey before realizing it was the very last of it. No more food, no more whiskey to keep is mind tricked of satiation. He glanced over at his mare, Terra, thinking about following her lead and searching for seeds, grass, anything to fill his empty belly. He sighed propping himself up by his arms and slowly getting dressed, knowing that in at least several hours he would be in Grosvenor Square, unsure if a friendly face let alone a meal was waiting for him.

He pulled his shirt over his head, wondering what he was getting himself into. It had been only two weeks since Caroline left and he hadn't been able to think straight since. The choice to leave their sleepy hometown and chase after her had been impulsive. Leaving him with little supplies along the near weeklong journey, but more than enough physical and mental stamina to press on via pure adrenaline. In fact, this bath and brief nap had been one of the few moments of reflection Sebastian had since he left. 

Pulling his suspenders over his shoulders he continued to question if Caroline would even care to see him. Though it had only been two weeks it had felt like a near lifetime without her, nothing else in the township interested him in the slightest. Every former hobby he had attempted to ease his noisy mind had only reminded him how Caroline would've been there to keep him company if she hadn't left. He cursed himself for every time he'd snapped at her scaring the fish away as they'd sat his little wooden boat. Wishing now more than ever that she would tell him everything that had happened that day as he fished until she finally got fed up and bored, jumping in to swim instead. He chuckled though reminiscing was still painful leaving a hollow aftertaste down his entire throat. 

Hollow and empty yet somehow filled with regret. Regret that he had never been completely honest with Caroline and because of that had never truly been a good friend to her. And now that she was gone all he could go do was replay his mistakes day in and day out. Why hadn't he stopped her? Why hadn't he tried harder to be there when she needed him most? Why did he never tell her? 

He sighed deeply kicking on his boots and pulling them up to his knees. He rubbed the space between his brow anxiously hoping to scrub his mind of any thoughts that would deter his motivation forcing hope and adrenaline to sustain him through the next eight hours of riding on an empty stomach.

He clicked his tongue for Terra to walk towards him and she dutifully followed until he could grab her bridle. He steadied her as he secured his pack before mounting and following the upward trail out of the valley. 

x

The bustling kitchen was on the ground level of the Heathman manor. Caroline sat wearing a plain muslin dress Mia had given Caroline at a large wooden table in the center of the room. She wrapped the bread and dried meat Mia gave her in the checkered cloth making makeshift knapsack. 

Mia came back from her bedroom with a scrawled hand-drawn map that though meticulously drawn seemed incomprehensible to Caroline. Mia talked her through the path she'd drawn for her. "Okay, the inn is only 15 kilometers from here so should be able to make it by midnight if you don't stop," Mia explained quickly. "Don't stop. There could be bandits," she warned Caroline as she rolled another wool blanket.