Manservant

11

"You saved my life, Alicia."

"I don't know about that," I responded to Mr Colby as we walked, my voice low and tense.

"I ... I'm indebted to you," he said shamefully, sounding like a child rather than a grown man.

At that moment, I spun around in the middle of the street, taking both him and Dale aback. "You say I saved your life? Then you will do me a favor in return, Mr Colby?"

"Yes, of course. Anything you ask."

I raised my chin, meeting his gaze head-on. "Leave."

He frowned, eyes crinkling at the sides. "What?"

"Leave my mother. Leave Casra. Go away and never come back."

"Alicia – " Dale started to speak, presumably to mediate, but I shot him a warning look.

"You've endangered us all," I told Mr Colby. "The best thing for you to do now would be to quit the town."

"But your mother and I are supposed to be getting married!"

"Which would give you access to everything we have in our name," I pointed out, folding my arms over my chest.

"You think I want her money?"

"That's my father's money," I corrected him coldly.

He looked away for a moment, contemplating. "I understand how this must look to you, and I regret how things have turned out. This war – it's been hard on all of us. I've made mistakes, I admit, but you can't really expect me to just leave? Your mother is expecting me."

"Look at yourself," I said, nodding at his reflection in the store window next to us, face full of bruises. "Are you really what's best for my mother? For our family?"

He turned to look at Dale, as if pleading for him to say something, but Dale just averted his gaze.

"And if I refuse?" Mr Colby asked, lifting a brow at me.

"I'll lie."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll say something along the lines of you coming into my bedroom at night."

His jaw dropped, as did Dale's. "You wouldn't."

"We'd have to get the police involved," I went on. "Is that what you want?"

His face flushing with anger, Mr Colby took a step forward, but Dale was quicker. "Alright, Mr Colby," he said in his most calming voice, hands raised. "Let's just take it easy."

"How dare you," Mr Colby hissed over Dale's shoulder at me.

I said nothing, standing my ground.

"Let go of me!" Mr Colby demanded, and Dale finally backed away. Dale and I watched, waiting to see what he would do.

"So, now I see your true colors, Miss Alicia," Mr Colby said stiffly, adjusting his coat with exaggerated motions.

"And I yours."

"Fine. You'll have what you want." He turned away, marching off unhappily.

I let out a sigh, putting a hand to my temple, while Dale gave me a sideways glance. "Are you sure that was the right thing to do?"

"No," I admitted. I shook my head slowly. "You must think me cruel," I said quietly.

"I'm not really sure what to think. However ... I do know that if we had done nothing, they would have probably beat him to an inch of his life."