Cast Iron Butterfly

Chapter 3-Herbs

Another installment of CIB...

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Chapter 3

“Unhand me you brute!” She shrieked at him. He removed his arms from the woman, but the feelings she caused in him only set to anger him or maybe it was the confusion he feels from those feelings that angered him.

“If you would watch what you are doing I wouldn’t have had to save your arse twice!” he bellowed back at her. At this moment he had involuntarily moved toward her and was only a breath away from her. She was glorious in her self-righteous anger. “What are you doing on my lands? That question you have refused to answer, girl,” he added girl on the end because he noticed how she stiffened when he had used the word before and he wanted to see more of her passion.

“I am no girl, I am only trying to find some medicinal herbs that I have found in this area in the past,” she stated although she hated that he had the right to ask her anything.

“So you are not only trespassing but stealing from me and you have committed these crimes in the past as well?” he asked. He saw a faint reddish blush cross her cheekbones but it was nearly invisible due to the shade of her skin.

“I did not think anyone would mind me snipping a few herbs that will grow back on their own with no harm done,” she said looking him directly in the eye. She turned from him without waiting an answer and picked up a small weaved basket that apparently housed herbs from his land. She began to walk away, when he grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him. Hazel’s breath caught as she was taken off guard by his sudden movement.

“Do you intend to continue stealing from me then? Maybe we can work something out, some form of payment for the herbs, then you could snip all of them you like, eh?” Bartley asked her, he just wanted to have the woman in his home; she could assist the other maids with whatever it is that they do. Bartley was confused by the expression on the lady’s face but it was suddenly thunderous.

“Of all of the…These herbs were not from your lands, I hadn’t found…you know what?” she asked to Bartley’s confused face. He raised an eyebrow awaiting the next move from this vixen. Suddenly she tipped the basket over and the herbs fell on his boots at the same time that she jerked her arm free of his light hold. She hobbled as quickly as her injured foot allowed her. Bartley stood there staring after the mystifying woman.

Hazel only made it out of sight of that awful man, when tears clouded her vision. Her ankle was badly injured, she knew it was not broken but she would be limping for some time especially since that jackwagon decided to take her herbs that she found on her way to his land. Okay, so maybe he hadn’t forced her to give them up but his insulting offer was plain; warm his bed at night and she could cut all the herbs she wanted. Of all of the humiliating offers as if she valued herself so little that she would jump at the offer to sell herself as his mistress. More tears began to fall from her eyes as she realized much too late that Sara would be coughing up a storm tonight since Hazel had so thoughtlessly discarded the much needed herbs to make the tincture for Sara. Hazel took rest several times on her way back home searching for more herbs to no avail; poor Sara would suffer because her sister had lost her head around a dreadful man.