🌷The Duke and The Widow🌷

{22}𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺 II

🌷Chapter 22🌷
𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺 II

"What's all the sorrow about?"

"I don't know you well enough to tell you about myself." She sidestepped to put some space between the two of them.

"All right." He faced her, "The name's Henry. Henry Keaton." He removed the glove and held his hand out to her.

"Orletha.. Orletha Croft." She placed her hand in his reluctantly.

"You know.. the people 'round here think you're crazy. You come here crying every day as though you lost your husband at sea or something."

She chuckled and sighed.

"I have no one." She started, "My parents died. One after the other. Old age. I'm their only child and daughters can't inherit properties. Unless married."

"My condolences."

"Thank you, Sir."

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"What?!"

"You heard what I said. You should marry that man. Never let a good man pass you by."

"But isn't marriage for like.. people who love each other? I know nothing of this man but his name."

"We are in trying times. As a woman, there's no time for love. Just to protect ourselves and our livelihoods."

"You don't have to like him, Orletha. You know, just live in the same house.. maybe make love a few nights. That's it."

They were all interrupted by the tavern's doors being flung open. Orletha's heart stopped.
"What's he doing here?"
There was a joyful uproar of him greeting the other men in the tavern, bumping fists and slapping each other's backs with hearty laughter. She had no idea that he was so well-known, let alone so well-liked.
"That's the fellow?"
"Yes, that's him. Henry." She nodded, drying her sweaty palms on her apron.
"Why didn't 'cha say so? Go on out there, girl!" The woman smacked her on the buttocks, chasing her out to go and cater to him.

As she approached his table his eyes lit up, the grin on lis lips growing wider.
"Orletha!" He yelled her name. "Didn't know you worked here."
"It appears that I am invisible." Said a man that sat at the table with him.
"This is my friend, Audrey. He's training to become a Knight for the Royal Guard."
"Oh my, a pleasure to meet you, Audrey."
"Likewise." He gave her a warm smile.
She nodded to his greeting. "What will you be having?" She asked.

"Whole turkey with bread, and two root beer to carry it all down." Said Audrey.
"Sure." She replied as she went off to the kitchen.

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It was late into the evening and Orletha was cleaning herself up to go home. She removed her apron and the scarf from her hair and hung them up, then grabbed her bag and left through the back. The tavern was still open, Henry and his friend we also still there.
"Orletha, refill!"
"She left to go home a while ago.. did she not tell you?" Said one of the women as she took their mugs and carried them to the counter to be refilled.

The road looked rather lonely as she walked home. The only thing she could hear is the sound of her own footsteps.
"Well if it isn't Orletha."
Startled, she turned around to see who it was. "Timothy?"
Timothy was twenty years old. His parents are merchants and he is quite wealthy. He never once spoke to her before her parents had passed away, and now, he just can't seem to leave her alone.
"Have you thought of my proposal?" Timothy brushed her hair away from her face, she smacked his hand away.
"Look, Timothy. Have I not already told you that-" He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into him.
"Don't be foolish, now. You have ninety more days until the government seizes the property."
"Unhand me, Timothy!" She yelped as she tried to fight him off her. "They'll toss you out into the streets. It's not too late to reconsider. I'll take good care of you.."

"Did she not make herself clear?"

Orletha tore herself from Timothy's grasp, only to see Henry right behind them. "Henry." She breathed.

"And I'm about to make myself clear-" Timothy's words were cut short by Henry's fist connecting to his chin. "When a woman says no, don't make her say it more than once."

"Did you find her?" Audrey revealed himself through an alleyway.
"This man was harassing her to marry him." Henry stared at the man trying to gather his senses together and stepped over him.

"His family are fraudsters, every last one of them. He was probably planning on marrying her solely for the house."
"I'll take her home. You should head back to the Palace, great seeing you."

"All right then. You should stay with her at the house for the night. Just so he doesn't try anything else. Farewell, brethren." They gave each other a farewell-tap on the shoulder and Audrey set off on the path to the Central Palace.

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