The Secret Admirer

'Whoever is that? You may come in.' Ansley said.

One of his workers entered and the smell of Ale accompanied him. It was Bolton, the drunk who had smacked Missy across the butt cheek once.

Bolton was always drinking but Ansley did not have a problem with it because Bolton was also a hard worker. Most of the profit Ansley made from his animal rearing was all thanks to Bolton.

'It is early to begin emptying bottles of Ale, Bolton.' Ansley rubbed his palm against his nose.

'It is never too early, sire.' Bolton laughed.

His laugh was hearty. It was genuine. After all, he did not have many problems in his life.

'Whatever are you here for? Has the girl, Gina, arrived?' Ansley asked.

'I have not set my eyes on her. But Tripp has sent word. He requests your presence in the South. He says you must honour his request.' Bolton looked at Ansley with pity in his eyes.

Bolton knew exactly why Tripp demanded his master's presence and so he feared for him.

Word about Tripp killing those who did not pay the due they owed him had spread around town and Bolton did not want his master to share that fate.

'Has he given you word on where I shall meet him in the South? Whatever is his reason for choosing the South? Has he not heard of the rampant banditry there?' Ansley looked at the paper in his hand.

It was the one that contained information on his debt to Tripp. The total was a thousand pieces of gold.

Ansley knew that even if he worked twice as hard as he already did, there was no way for him to pay the debt. Alas, it was going to be like the old clock in his workroom. It was going to be passed down from one generation to the other.

'Tripp has made the South his hometown. His mother was born there and after her passing, he went there to live.' Bolton said.

'You have done well, Bolton. Keep your eyes peeled for the girl Gina. I await her presence on my ranch.' Ansley said.

Even though he was close to being humiliated by Tripp, Ansley still thought of Gina. And when he pictured her, there were no clothes on her back. She was always naked, like the moment she had been born.

'I shall.' Bolton took a bow and left Ansley's workroom.

Ansley was left alone with his thoughts, but he was not the only one thinking. Marlow, Missy's younger brother, was thinking too.

You see, Marlow grew at the feet of his father, Benedict. He saw Benedict place wagers and he saw how happy Benedict was whenever he won.

And so Marlow decided that was the only way to be happy. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps but he did not know when not to place a wager and so he did it every time.

Marlow sat behind the bar that noon and thought about how to pay Baxter back the money he owed him.

Baxter and Marlow we're best friends. They had grown together and so their bond was unbreakable. At least that was what Marlow thought.

Throughout the years, Marlow placed wagers on even the smallest things but he never won any. Yet, he remembered his father's happiness whenever he won a wager and that pushed him to continue placing wagers.

'Whatever is it, young master?' A worker in the bar asked Marlow.

'My father shall kill me when he learns of my debt to Baxter. But I know how to pay my debt!' Marlow stood up and tightened his fist.

He had been thinking about Baxter and how he could tell Benedict of the debt.

'Young master, whatever is the problem?' The worker asked. Not because he cared, but because Marlow was not working like he was supposed to.

'Never mind it. I shall go into the house now. I must spend time alone.' He looked around the tavern.

He saw people drinking, talking, laughing, and arguing. He wished that he could be one of them, without much to think about. But the ten-silver-coin debt he was in did not allow him to live as he wanted.

'Young master, you cannot leave at this time. Your father, my master, has instructed me to make sure you work here until it is time for nonmete.' The worker said.

'I shall go to my father myself. My head hurts and I will not be useful to you in this state.' Marlow lied.

'Very well then, you may go to your father.' The worker went back to serving patrons.

Marlow left the tavern and on his way to his father's study, he saw Gina. He saw that she looked beautiful even more than usual. Her hair was packed up and her aura was graceful.

Marlow liked his cousin more than one should, but he could not say anything about it. He could only think about her when he was alone like he always did.

'Marlow, wherever are you hurrying to?' Gina asked him.

She had prepared to see Ansley because hiding her meeting with Richard was more important than being disgusted by Ansley's touch.

'My father. Do you reckon he is in his study?' Marlow was speaking to Gina normally but the thoughts in his head were far from normal.

He often wondered why his cousin made him feel so tingly. He had felt that way for girls in the past but none of them had been related to him.

'He must be. Send word to him of my exit. I must go to see Ansley now.' Gina touched Marlow's shoulder.

That was something she would not have done had she known how much control she had over him.

'You have my word.' Marlow walked away.

His groin had begun to rage, and he did not want Gina to tag him a pervert, so he exited hastily. If only Gina could exit her meeting with Ansley that way. At least it was better to lay with one man outside the walls of marriage than two.

Gina did not need a carriage and so she walked to Ansley's ranch. On her way, men of different calibres called out to her. Most of them wanted a word with the daughter of the noble Edmund but her countenance was not at all inviting.

Gina continued to wish death upon Ansley because that was the only way she could escape his touch. When she was only a few houses away from Ansley's ranch, heavy rain began to pour down.

She could not continue her journey and she could not turn back. So, she knocked on the door closest to her in hopes to find shelter until the rain passed.