Your Thief

Six

Several hours of bumping and jostling down the dusty roadway had put Alice in an irritable disposition. Every word out of her cantankerous companion had her more annoyed than the last, until finally she had sunk into a stony silence at the end of the small bench.

Though the scenery was exceedingly lovely, darkness was quickly settling and she feared they would be on the road all night. Her stomach let out another loud grumble, and she felt her insides lurch with complaint. When was the last time she had eaten? She clutched at the thin rail of the curricle with one hand and her ravenous belly with the other, and glanced at the brooding man next to her.

His caramel eyes were fixed on the road intently, but he held the reins slackly in one hand. She watched as his other hand raked through his dark hair, softly waving in the wind. His stance shifted and he brought the reins up short, turning the curricle off the road and into a small courtyard. The Old Elm Inn.

“Time to disembark, Miss Darby,” said Edward, as he leapt from the curricle. Without pause, he strode towards the building and threw open the door.

Alice gripped the rail and hesitantly climbed down from the curricle, stumbling over the footholds and snagging the long gown several times before finally disembarking. She stepped back and turned, surveying the immaculately kept inn. Edward had disappeared into the buildings without so much as a second glance!

A groom ran forward to unhitch the horse and lead it to the stables, while several more grooms walked the curricle away from the entryway. Alice looked despairing after the grooms, and once more towards the inn door. She felt so out of place, so out of control. How had she let the rough, persuasive, contentious, prickly… His Lordship, indeed! She needed to extricate herself from the situation, before things got out of control.

A large hand gripped her shoulder and slid down her back, and she could feel her control slipping a bit more as she whirled around to see Edward before her.

“Welcome to Exminster, Miss Darby,” he said, gallantly extending his arm for her to take.

She glanced up at him in confusion, perturbed by his sudden mood swings, but sure enough, Edward’s lips were set in a tight, thin line. The sudden gentlemanly behaviour was truly just an act. Sighing inwardly, she took his arm and he led her towards the inn door.

Enticing smells overwhelmed her as they approached the door, and she felt her entire body seize in hunger and fatigue. The world around her spun in lazy circles and Alice’s knees sag and the ground rushed up towards her at an alarming rate. Edward cursed under his breath and hauled her upwards, supporting her with one arm wrapped around her waist. He fairly carried her through the door and towards one of the tables, and slid her unceremoniously onto the bench. She didn’t miss the subtle signals as he directed the matron, barkeep, and various tavern mistresses, and soon the neat table was loaded with stew, bread, and cheeses.

Alice felt she should pay more attention to the deference these people were paying Edward, but she was far too famished to care. Several ladles of stew, a large wedge of cheese and several thick slices of bread disappeared before she even bothered to look up – finally espying the barely contained anger on Edward’s face.

***

Edward felt himself simmering with anger as he watched the girl eat. He cursed himself for not noticing earlier – or rather, for noticing and not caring. Her delicate, bony, figure he’d attributed to a slender build, but he had seen her pinched face and hadn’t spared it a moment of thought.

“Why did you never say anything?” he said, clenching his teeth.

Alice paused, a heel of bread in her hand and a cup of mead at her mouth. Her eyes were bright – with fear or curiosity? “Say anything about what?” she responded.

He sighed and rubbed his temple with one hand. “When you collapsed in the courtyard… How long has it been since you last ate?”

Alice bit her bottom lip and tweaked her lips into a small smile. “Perhaps yesterday,” she responded, “I think there was a small luncheon at the prison.” She sliced another piece off a wedge of cheese and pressed it into the soft wheat bread, nibbling slowly at the crust and savouring it on her tongue.

Edward watched her delectable tongue move across her rosy lips and he felt his stomach tighten. Was this annoyance, or were these protective feelings? He surged to his feet and took her hand, pulling her from the table and towards the stairs.

“Tis late,” he said gruffly, “and we both need rest if we are to continue our journey on the morrow.”

He yanked her up a short flight of well-worn stairs and down a narrow hallway. She resisted against the pull of his powerful arms as he dragged her through one of the doors, thrusting her inside and pushing the door closed behind him.

Alice stepped backwards, warily surveying both the sparsely furnished room and Edward as he paced before her.

“Miss Darby,” he finally said, “Please consider yourself in my employ, and as such, I will be taking care of you. You will be informing me when there is something you require, or else I will be forced to take matters into my own hands. This includes, for instance, your nourishment. I will not have my thief collapsing from starvation.”

She smiled slightly, both relieved and amused at his statement, “Just how are you going to enforce this decree?”

“Oh Miss Darby,” he said, spreading his hands toward her, “Should you continue to be the stubborn wench I have found you to be, I will have to utilize creative forms of punishment.” He stepped forward, arching one eyebrow in a teasing manner, “If I can’t make you cooperate, I’ll be forced to spank you.”

Alice narrowed her eyes at his final statement, “I don’t know how you came about the idea, sir, but I am not some ill-reputed hussy. Furthermore,” she cast around the room, taking in the single wide bed, “If you think I am sleeping here, with you, then you are sorely mistaken.”

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Ok guys - this is a bit of a shorter chapter than I intended, but I'm hoping for some feedback at this point! Like it? Hate it? Wishing our dreamy Edward would stop being so hot and cold? xox Gems.