Masterful Trickery

XXXVII. Runaway

Two years ago...

Alex did not mind the stolen stares by the village folks.

She was used to them.

And perhaps they were used to her.

It seemed too long ago when she first learned that she was different—that her world did not belong in Blucksley.

That Meriwether was quite different.

Over time, when she embraced the life of a bandit and her father taught her how to not mind the folks in the village, she learned that they feared them—and respected them?

Meriwether, after all, provided Blucksley aide during troublesome moments throughout the years. And although they would not admit it, the bandits were a part of their community in more ways than one.

The reason why Alex could freely roam around Blucksley was that the villagers had never been harmed by any bandit. And in return, they would dare not irk Meriwether.

She was on her way to post a letter to Ysabella and Emma when she almost ran into someone unexpected.

He did not see her for she was fast to disappear behind a large carpenter fixing a shop door.

"Shh!" she told the carpenter when he opened his mouth to shoo her away. She craned her neck to find Ralph Everard climb on his horse. "What's that Guard doin' here?" she asked.

"Lookin' fer a bandit," the carpenter said. "Now, get off me, bandit."

"Aye!" she said with a smile and turned away.

She looked over her shoulder.

She realized her heart was still hammering hard against her chest.

*****

Alex simply stared at him.

Ralph could not see any hint of anything in her grey eyes.

In fact, they were too blank he knew she was thinking of merely one thing: escape.

"You have done enough escaping, Alex," Ralph said, leaning against his seat, his arms crossed over his chest. He was confident. Why would he not be? His brothers were outside guarding the door. Her cousins were at the moment cooperative.

He did not wish to think of what would follow should Alex say yes. He had not yet planned far after this.

"How did'ye make me cousins agree te this?" was her question which surprised Ralph. Why did she want to know about that?

He answered her nonetheless. "They like Max. And Nick, I believe." She raised her eyes to him. "And they believe you wish to marry me." When she scowled, he held up his hands in defense. "They said so in their letters! And by the by, they do write better than we expected. Have they gotten the lessons from the caveman's wife, perhaps?" When Alex found no humor in his statement, Ralph shifted in his seat. He cleared his throat. "And I believe they also wish to beat me to death."

That caused her lips to twitch.

Clearing his throat once again, Ralph straightened in his seat. "After you say yes, of course," he added to his last statement. "So now, if you please, Alex, do say yes so your cousins can beat the bloody hell out of me and I can proceed to present my bleeding self in front of your father to beg him to let me claim you."

Her face went blank yet again.

What did she want to hear from him? What was there more to say?