Am I Mad

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

            Ambrose was tugging back on his shirt, tucking the tails into his unbuttoned pants as he stood up from the bed he tried to ignore the feeling filth that still hung on his skin.

            “So what was this favor that you wanted so desperately?” Elizabeth asked with a satisfied sigh as she gathered the sheets around her body, her hair matted and make up smudged slightly. She looked the way a lioness would after devouring an antelope, licking her maw with a gratified growl. Ambrose was quiet for a moment as he buttoned his shirt slowly, the weak feeling of exhaustion pulling at his limbs making him wish that getting the things that he desired didn’t involve him having to stoop as low as soliciting locations of well loaded shops and homes with sex, but alas the world was an imperfect place and these types of tribulations Ambrose had to suffer in stewing silence.

            “I need a more money. I’m running low and the everyday coin filching isn’t enough anymore. At least not enough to get me to where I’m going” He said simply, fastening the last button on his shirt, he shook his hair out of his face and looked at Elizabeth impassively. She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, tapping her long fingers against her thin lips.

            “And where is it that you plan on going Ambrose?” Elizabeth asked in what she tried to pass off as a nonchalant tone but the curious, borderline possessive glint Ambrose saw in her eye told him that she wasn’t asking out of mere curiosity so much as cultivating information.

            “That is of no concern to you, my lady” Ambrose said a tone of sarcasm at the proper address of the woman was poorly hidden, in fact Ambrose didn’t even bother trying to hide the contempt of the woman, using the term of description very loosely, standing in front of him. She shrugged the slight off, seemingly unfazed she continued on with the conversation.

            “A new heist? You’ve spent all your hard earned wages giving to every groveling scrap of flesh you pass on the streets have you?” she asked playfully, standing up from the bed as well, the sheet falling away. Ambrose averted his eyes, not out of courtesy but instead disgust.

            “What I do with my money is also no concern for you to have, I give you your commission for the information I acquire and the rest I spend at my leisure” he said curtly, the coldness in his voice was like knives. He saw Elizabeth drawback slightly, just a moment of hesitation before she walked across the room and grabbed the silk robe that was hanging across the back of the bed’s headboard.

            “Well there is a new shipment of antiques being delivered to Jones and Burke’s this evening at midnight. Jewelry, furniture, and many other treasures all rumored to be reserved for the royal family’s first pick.” Elizabeth said as she tied the robe closed and walked her way up to Ambrose’s side, placing a hand on his arm. “They won’t be there until tomorrow at midnight so you can stay…” Elizabeth said suggestively as her hands crept to his chest, tugging at the buttons once more. Ambrose grabbed her hands, pulling them from him firmly as he kept his face coolly expressionless. Disgust threatening to make his very skin crawl off his bones, his arms covered in goose flesh.

            “No thank you.” He said and made a step towards the door thinking that he was home free, but the candle light glinted gold off of the rings on his left hand and without warning Elizabeth caught his hand with a strangled gasp.

            “You still wear these? Why! Take them off, she’s gone Ambrose, you have me now. Take them off!” she screamed, pulling savagely at the golden bands around his finger. Ambrose hardly ever got angry, he never felt anything as passionate as anger anymore, but the sight of Elizabeth touching the rings on his hand enraged him. Quickly he grabbed both of her hands, holding them painfully tight, he stared at her coldly. She met his stare defiantly despite the sight of his tightly clenched jaw and the anger simmering in his eyes.