11 011 Trust of Samuel Smithson

Lucy Sullivan carried the bedding back to the room, and saw Samuel Smithson standing at the door.

Emily Linton's voice was loud, and she was quite emotional. Samuel must have heard everything, and Lucy was worried about his pride.

"Samuel..."

Samuel didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence, and took the bedding from her hand and put it in the room, then began to tidy up.

Lucy looked up, speechless. Samuel must have been hurt after all, but she didn't know how to comfort him.

Saying things like, "He's the best, he'll go far in life" might work for defending her fiancé's image against outsiders, but in trying to comfort someone, it could sound insincere.

Lucy didn't know what to do, so she could only silently follow behind Samuel, letting her actions show that she had set her mind on him.

Samuel cleaned up everything inside and out, and put dinner in the pot. He then went inside, took a small box out of the cabinet, and handed it to Lucy, who had followed him.

Seeing that Lucy was confused, he extended his hand further.

Lucy, taken aback, took it and, upon opening it, saw it was full of money and coupons. It seemed like this was all Samuel had.

"Samuel, what is this..."

Samuel looked up and stared directly into Lucy's eyes, "This is what I've saved over the years, I'm giving it all to you."

Lucy's heart was filled with emotion. She knew that Samuel didn't like her that much, and might feel more responsibility than love, but he was trusting her with all of his money now.

"Samuel, let's go get our marriage certificate tomorrow," Lucy had originally planned to write a letter to her parents, meet Samuel's family, and then get their marriage certificate.

But seeing how much this man trusted her, she suddenly wanted to get married right away and make him her legal property.

Samuel didn't expect Lucy to say this. He was slightly stunned for a moment, then nodded. It suited him perfectly. Once they got their marriage certificate, he wouldn't have to worry about her changing her mind and running away.

When Samuel nodded, Lucy broke into a happy smile.

She had thought that he wouldn't agree so easily, since people in that era tended to be more traditional, and few of them would opt for a quick marriage. But Samuel had agreed without hesitation, which meant he didn't dislike her that much, right?

Lucy carefully put away Samuel's money, then washed her hands and ate dinner.

Dinner was simple - cornmeal, dry food, leftover eggs from breakfast, and a plate of mustard cabbage.

Samuel had wanted to kill one of their roosters, but Lucy disagreed, saying they would save it for their wedding.

The two ate a plain meal, yet found a simple happiness in it.

After dinner, Samuel still didn't let Lucy lift a finger, cleaning up the dishes on his own while she sat in a chair, watching him.

He had a tall, sturdily-built frame, with broad shoulders, and a slim waist. His clothes were somewhat old but cleaned meticulously, his cropped hair dapper, and his dark eyes deep.

At times, Lucy dared not stare directly at him, feeling as though she might fall into his gaze.

The village had no entertainment facilities, so they ate, worked, and slept. When Lucy had finished washing up and donned a thin piece of clothing to sit on the bed, she suddenly panicked.

What should she do tonight? They hadn't married yet, so would Samuel think she was easy if they did as they had the previous night? But what had happened had already happened, and they would obtain their marriage certificate tomorrow. Surely they wouldn't sleep in separate beds for just one day?

As Lucy was lost in thought, Samuel finished showering and entered the room.

He still wore the white sleeveless shirt, his arms exposed. Unwiped water droplets ran down his muscles and fell to the floor.

To Lucy, this was highly enticing. She didn't dare gaze at him for too long, lowering her head anxiously. Her hand tightly clenched within the blanket, her face flushed.

Samuel, too, didn't know where to look.

In the village, there were no pajamas, so Lucy only wore a cotton sleeveless shirt after bathing. Her fair neck and slender arms were exposed, and her bust was not small. The white curve of her chest was somewhat dazzling under the light, and the shape underneath could even be faintly discerned.

Samuel secretly pinched his thigh.

Last night, he had been provoked by Lucy and, combined with what she had said, how could he bear to tarnish her innocence? But tonight, it couldn't happen. Grandma had taught him that if you like someone, you should respect them.

Samuel opened the cabinet and took out another set of bedding, "You sleep in the room, I'll sleep outside."