Return (3)

"You are joining me for tea?" Scarlet questioned, watching Ian sit down opposite her.

"Only for a moment to see if the tea is to your liking. I must know if I have improved and will keep you coming here."

"Do you normally serve your customers?" Scarlet asked, finding it odd. 

"If we're a little swarmed with customers I will help. Does it upset you that you are not the only one?" Ian replied, pushing the first cup of tea toward Scarlet. "Careful, it's hot."

"No. It is good to see an owner not afraid sometimes to help when needed. I must admit that I am a little curious how you stay out of the papers," Scarlet confused, unable to ignore it.

"Want a tip?" Ian answered. "It will come at a steep price."

"Then I don't need it," Scarlet replied, turning down the offer. "I am only paying for the tea and the room."

"Oh, it wouldn't involve money. I do not need your money. I've been doing well since I was a young boy not to be begging. It hurts me that you think I want you for your money. Why couldn't it be something else?" Ian asked as there was more to Scarlet than just her money.

"I'm sorry for mentioning it constantly, but I am used to good treatment leading to someone wanting money from me. I can see that you are doing well. It is midday and you have a lot of customers drinking. Some with four empty glasses on the table and one halfway. I pity you," Scarlet said as she could never deal with so many drunkards.

"They want a drink right now so why deny them? Life might not be treating them well so they want a drink. Kind of like how you seek out tea to relax," said Ian. 

"Tea is better than getting drunk. I normally only seek tea out one day of the week, but that schedule has been ruined as I needed to find somewhere else to make tea to my liking. I will give it a taste," Scarlet said, picking up the cup as the tea must have cooled.

"I'm glad you were disappointed elsewhere and stumbled upon me. Who should I thank?" Ian questioned as he would pay the person handsomely.

Scarlet thought of Beth as the reason, but Ian didn't need to know that. She sipped the tea and was delighted that the taste was still there but a bit better. It was almost worth holding back coming here as missing a few days left her appreciating the tea more.

Ian enjoyed how Scarlet couldn't hide her emotions when she drank the tea. It was evident that she loved it. Though he was certain he made good tea, he didn't see why anyone enjoyed such a simple thing. For a large part of his life, he hated the sight of tea.

"It pleases me that I don't need your words to tell me that it is good. Your eyes hold the answer," Ian said, thoroughly enjoying the sight before him. 

This town was full of fools seeking pleasure in Scarlet's divorce. Ian on the other hand was secretly celebrating it as now she was a free woman to court. 

Scarlet finished the tea without noticing Ian watching her. It was only when she put down the cup and Ian moved before her to pour her more did she remember his presence. "You don't need to keep pouring for me. Why are you still here?" She asked.

Scarlet started to feel suspicious of the tea. "Is there something that shouldn't be there in the tea?"

Ian smiled. "I am not a fool to try poisoning you in my place of business and I don't know you well enough to have an issue with you to the point of wanting you to die. Do you think I am like a sheep to hate you because of the lies the town is coming up with?"

"How do you know that it is a lie?" Scarlet questioned.

"Because it is all nonsense. Anyone who stops to think for a moment will realise the paper is pulling stories out of thin air to keep the drama going. I don't believe all of it," Ian said, offering the second serving of tea.

"It is good to know that the town still has a few people who can think for themselves. If not money, what is it that you want from me? You mentioned that you were once in my position. I don't know much about you or recall exactly what was said about you then. It might have been the time I was out of town," Scarlet said.

Though she was born and raised in Lockwood for many years, her family had a tradition of going out of Lockwood to get away from the town. 

There she would meet with other relatives she was close to. The children of her great-aunts and uncles would be present at a large family house built by her late grandfather and passed down for all of them to share.

"You must not have been here or too young to care about it. I remember it being quite the scandal as each way I turned I was reminded of something I didn't do. Though it would be easy to tell you now, I love the idea of you snooping around to learn about me," Ian said, hoping it was what she planned to do.

Scarlet had no intention of exploring his life as it was something she wanted others to stop doing to her. She sipped a bit of the tea and then said, "It has something to do with you being Lord Kingsley's bastard. I'm sorry if that comes out as rude, but that is all I can recall about you. I don't plan to pry any further to stir up old wounds."

"It is all that many might remember about me. I have been lucky to build businesses in a few towns where no one knows the scandal of my birth. Now I am back to Lockwood," said Ian.

"And your intention of treating me well is due to me being the source of the town's entertainment? I truly think you should move on and find friends in other ways," Scarlet advised Ian.

Scarlet wasn't interested in forming a group of friends with those who were in position or the future shall be in her position. What was said in the paper didn't hurt her, only annoyed her. 

It won't be long before the paper moves on to someone else once her divorce is final and there isn't any more drama between her and Jack. Or Beth who brought most of the drama. 

"Why haven't you considered that as a man, I might just want to be near a beautiful woman I am attracted to. Yes, I know that you have no interest in a man at the moment," Ian said before Scarlet could respond. "A shame that man left you feeling this way. Is it the feeling that you don't trust to have another man in your life?'

"I am a patient man so I can wait until you desire me so much you return just like for the tea."