Paying The Price

Marlow loved Missy so much and he did not want her to get hurt. He wanted to know the stranger and keep an eye on him. Marlow wanted to oversee his sister's relationship with him.

'I did not catch it, but I know he enjoys Mead. He also mentioned getting served by you.' She told her brother.

All Gina thought about at that moment was how anyone could like Mead. Richard had rubbed off on her so much that she hated the drink just as much as he did. She told herself her man was too special to order such below par drink.

'Mead? I know Laban does enjoy his mug full of Mead.' Marlow said.

At least he got a lead on who to look out for and who to go after if his sister returned to the table with tears in her eyes.

'I know that he shall return to the tavern.' Donna said and began serving the meal of vanilla bread and baked beans.

It was nothing like the kind of food Gina was accustomed to, but she knew it was going to be very rude of her to reject the meal her uncle's wife took her time to prepare.

However, she paid the price of keeping quiet later that night. After she moved into the room her uncle had prepared for her, she made friends with the toilet.

The beans did not sit right with her at all, but she was glad her cousin, Missy was there to comfort her.

'You shall get accustomed to the food soon enough. I was born into it, so I do not have any memories of reacting this way.' Missy yelled from the room.

She wanted Gina who was busy trying to empty her bowels in the restroom to hear what she had said.

'My thanks to you Missy but I believe you can let me be now. I shall be well by morning.' Gina shouted back.

'I want to know you, Gina. What do you do in your spare time?' Missy asked.

'I shall be out in a minute.'

Like she said, one minute later, she was out of the toilet but not before she took care of everything inside of it.

'You can hand your soiled dress over to me. The laundry women are friends, and they will be more than happy to take care of it.' Missy pointed at Gina's dress.

Gina liked her cousin, but something did not feel right at that moment. She felt like Missy was judging her and that made her uncomfortable.

'Whatever is it?' Gina snapped.

'Whatever is what? Gina, are you well?' Missy stood up from the bed and touched her cousin's forehead.

'I am fine. You must give me space to arrange my clothes.' Gina moved a step away from her cousin.

Gina felt cornered, there was nothing for her to worry about but still, she felt like she needed to keep her guard up around Missy. Missy who appeared to her as a harmless, meek creature.

'I must assist you. I have gotten permission from my father to be with you, even during the day.' Missy was smiling. She was happy.

She was happy because she finally had the chance to have a playmate. Someone who she did not need to walk on eggshells around. She had found someone she could be real to.

'You must retire to your room, Missy. My kind of arranging is not the conventional way. Please, Missy, we shall catch up tomorrow.' Gina forced a smile.

A smile Missy could tell was fake from miles away, but she told herself that her cousin had been displaced and therefore needed time to process the change that came with it.

'I shall leave you then, but it is the wrestling in Pumford tomorrow. Father would hate for anyone to be late. We leave at the break of dawn.' Missy turned around to leave but Gina reached out and touched her shoulder which made her stop in her tracks.

'At the break of dawn? Whatever is that for? I never prepare before dawn.'

It was true. Gina and her father, Edmund had a very unique relationship. They never went to functions together or planned outings together. Even if Edmund did manage to invite Gina out, they left after dawn, hours after dawn and so Gina did not know what rising early was.

'Pumford is not nearby. We shall travel far and father loves leaving with the first ferry. If it won't be too much trouble for you, I shall come to wake you when I get up myself.'

All Missy wanted was a moment to be that cousin Gina wanted to be around because, in all honesty, Missy was lonely.

'I would want for you to do that. If we are to journey that early, I shall go to bed at once then.' Gina declared.

But she also knew that she was not going to go to bed, at least not until after she tried to find her sweet spot like she had been trying to do.

'I shall call on you tomorrow. Goodnight Gina.' Missy left the room.

Gina was alone and the only source of light was a candle that was about to give out at the end of the room.

The room where Benedict, Gina's uncle had prepared for her was big. It was not as big as the one she stayed in with her father in the tavern, but it made her feel comfortable.

There was a large bed just at the center and there was a table and chair in one corner that had a big mirror in front of them.

The hangings were better than the ones in the tavern, their embroidery was more unique and rarer. She liked it in her uncle's house and a part of her wished she could stay there forever.

But alas, once her father returned, she was going to go back to the house that seemed to her like a shrine for her mother.

Her father, Edmund had put up pictures of her mother all over the house. To him, he was preserving her memory in some way but to Gina, it was as creepy as it was annoying.

Gina had loved her mother unconditionally, but she also knew when to let go and move on. That was a quality her father lacked but who could blame him? He had lost two wives already.

When Gina looked at the door to her room, she noticed a light getting closer and closer. It was Donna, Missy's mother.

'Gina, I seek to speak with you.' She announced as she got to Gina's room door.