#17 wall flower
#3 illegitimate
#25 heiress
#17 sisters
#47 lawyer
#1 dowry
"It couldn't be me," says Tess. "Frankly I agree. There's no way you could have been his daughter. Too stiff. Too innocent to be his offspring," mocks Lyons.
Lyons Ducane, a...
Lyons orders another glass of Vodka from the bartender. It has been a rough day at Court. He has been assigned to defend Sir Richard Dunwoody.
Everyone knows the guy. Dunwoody has factories all over England. His companies produced everything. From soaps to kitchen utensils.
Now someone has sued him for polluting Thames River. And his workers have gathered. To sue him for cutting 25% of their wages in the last three months.
Dunwoody, like other rich men before him would win as usual. Lyons never understand why poor folks are so foolish. Thinking they could win against a business Empire.
He drinks his shot of Vodka.
The law firm has trusted him with the big assignment. His biggest job. And he would succeed as usual. Even if he had to kill his conscience in the process.
(Conscience: "You're better than this. Defending rotten eggs for money. Life has a lot more to offer than money."
Lyons: "Yeah, right. And money is the thing who made the world goes around. We need the money. And you know it too."
Conscience: Silenced...)
Lyons drinks his vodka till the last drop. It's getting better and better with each case won. His conscience is lecturing him far lesser than few years ago. Maybe one day he would go in total silence mode.
Like his co-workers, they would sell their parents to win any case. No conscience left in their dark hollow hearts. It's all about money and their positions in the world.
(Tess has been dating that Donelly guy. Things seem to work out between them. She would marry him...)
Lyons makes a toast with his empty wine glass for Tess and her future husband.
(I should be happy for her. I will get 1,000 pounds. Why I felt devastated? I wanna kill Connor so badly. Ripped his chest and took his heart. Showing it to Tess. That he isn't in love with her. Not like he has claimed).
He paid for his drinks. And he walks out of the Pub.
His world swirls a little.
"I'm spinning. And spinning down and down..."
Like all drunkard, Lyons begin to sing a lousy drunkard song. The drunkard solicitor calls for a hackney. He kept whistling and yelling but no hackney stops.
Few men emerge from a dark alley nearby. They kept punching and attacking poor Lyons until he slumps like a pile of trash on London streets.
*****
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His head is killing him. Pain and bruises all over his body. And the worst thing of all...
A pairs of blue eyes are staring down at him. She has seen him in his worst state.
"Ugh! Why are you here?" complaints him.
"Someone needs to look after you. Can't believe you got drunk and started a fight! I thought you were more civilized..." complaints Tess.
"Stop! Stop whining! My head is hurt..." yells Lyons while holding his head.
"Let me see that!" orders Tess.
Her slender fingers are giving him a good massage on his head.
(Oh, it felt so good...)
And she begins to massage his stiff shoulders.
"Ouch! Stop! It hurts!" complaints him.
(Black and blue all over his body. The doctor said he got beaten pretty bad. He said it wasn't the first time he suffered like this. Oh, Lyons... My heart hurts to see you like this).
Tess asks, "Who hurt you?"
"Everyone. Losers who lost their cases. You know I usually won in Court," mocks him.
"Lyons..."
"I just got careless, Tess. That's all. I didn't usually drink that much. How's your love life with that Buffon?" asks him casually.
"Okay, I guess. We would get marry by spring. You would earn your money. Don't worry," says her a bit harshly.
"That's not what I meant. Are you happy with him? Do you love him?" asks him while holding her hand.
He gently pulls her down so Tess sits on his bed. Next to him.
Tess looks another way. And she replies, "I will. In time. Connor is a good man."
"Tess, you are still young. Plenty better men out there," says him while caressing her hand.
"But it would be too late! Both Miranda and you won't get anything!"
"Forget about us! This is your marriage! I want you to be happy..."
His head hurts again. He puts his head against her forehead.
And Lyons whispers, "I wanna you to be a happy woman."
"Lyons..."
And he suddenly kisses her lips. Like a hungry man found Oasis. He kisses her again and again.
Her hands circle the back of his neck out of instincts.
Suddenly she got pushed away.
Lyons rubs his head with a hand. And he says in a hoarse voice, "Leave. You shouldn't be here. You belong to Donelly."
A hard slap from her before she leaves his room. Tess is crying on her way out.
Lyons lies his head back on his bed.
(Tess...sweet Tess...I wish I could make you mine...What should I do with you? I want you so badly... I just can't...A guy like me would only hurt her...)
He closes his eyes and tries to get some sleep.
And Tess haunted his dream as usual. In his dream, he doesn't stop only for a kiss. In his dream, they become one. And Tess receives him deeply. She kept calling his name again and again.
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Is money really worth selling your heart? Your soul?
Please vote and comment. It would make me very happy. Thanks:)
