You Belong To Me

Chapter Gypsy

Chapter Gypsy

'when a man sees beauty like that, so profound and sweet, he becomes animalistic in his need to possess it.'

the passing gypsy...

The headlights had been several yards back when she ducked into the trees. It was the early morning hours and there was a little brush along the road to conceal her for a while but she did not know the direction enough to wonder in the dark off the rocky street of sorts. She could slip of spring something and die there that night... or something equally horrible.

When she saw the makings of lights she'd scurried, bag and all, away from the side of the road, just a mile and a half out of town if that, and hit in the brush against a tree, listening for the car to pass.

No such thing ever happened. Instead the car never passed. She was never really certain when it stopped either. But it had. And the lights, when she dared glance from behind the cold naked tree, had gone off as well.

Ali closed her eyes. She turned and pressed her back more into her tree. Her bag, a small case, slid down her side to the ground. She felt tears. Terror crept up on her. Why would they stop?

She peeked again.

Ali could not even see the car.

Hands grabbed her shoulder from the front. He covered her mouth, wrapped her up. She screamed. Screamed bloody murder into his palms. She went to inflict pain.

"Please," he begged. The stranger kicked her legs from underneath her and began pulling her towards the road. Ali could not make out her bag exactly but she saw where it was supposed to be blearily. "Please you're gonna hur-hurt yourself."

It gave her a moment's pause.

"Sir Tremaine St. Laurent-."

Ali resumed her struggle with renewed passionate fight. "He wants to see you."

The gentleman, as he held her at all angles to keep himself from being hit, introduced himself as Theo. He said that he wouldn't hurt her. He said that he had been looking for her. Ali knew as much. He said he wouldn't treat her like 'this' if she'd just calm down. He threatened to hit her in the head if she didn't see reason in the car.

He'd been in the parlor. Standing there with the young lord. In her place of work. She'd come to escort the mistress Abby to dinner, smile at her nicely before she left her to eat alone in the tasteful dining room. She always escorted Abby to her meal. Especially when there were gentleman afoot to fawn over 'Abby's freshest favorite.' Nothing Ali ever bragged about but nothing she was proud of either. She was selling her sex appeal like any other woman there. Just in a different way.

Theo had been standing closer to the door. He was the help. Such a summation was obvious. The young lord had been standing with Abby. They had been talking. Her haven was invaded. She had been found. Ali had taken to the servants stairs. She put underwear and socks into a case she's snatched from the kitchen... a bag for apples. Everything had been ruined. Kat had not been right. Going back to work after she'd seen him there with his cousin had been a horrible mistake....

She had been spotted and she needed to leave, go further away. Go as far away as she could just as she'd promised Kat that she would if she ever saw him again. She'd sworn.

Ali had not expected to not make it out of the city... she had not expected him to send someone...

"Good morning Mistress Abby."

It was a personal name that no one save Ali was allowed to use. And it was only to be used in the comfort of Abigail's private apartments. Ali did not throw the drapes open. Abigail hated that. Instead she tied back only one side.