Esme

Gina walked closer to Rudd. She had heard of his father before that moment and so she wondered what someone so wealthy was doing, calling on her.

'I am honoured by your visit.' Gina smiled.

'Shall we walk by the river? I do not like the atmosphere here.' Rudd said.

Gina could tell that he was well read and so she could not act freely. She did not want to be tagged as stupid by him.

'Very well then, we shall leave the atmosphere you do not like.' Gina walked ahead of him.

She caught herself smiling and wondered if it was possible that she was going to love a man who was not Richard.

While Gina walked with Rudd, Missy worked with her mother, Donna in the kitchen.

It was another Saturday and Donna was making her famous vanilla-flavoured bread. But her dough kneading did not stop her from noticing the glum look on her daughter's face as she walked through the door.

'You must put on an apron now child and you must not forget to wash your hands first.' Donna said to Missy.

Missy hardly helped her mother prepare nonmete for she was always serving at the bar. She did not know of her mother's obsession with aprons and cleanliness.

'Mother, do you reckon something is wrong with me?' Missy asked her mother as she put on an apron hanging by the door.

'Whatever do you mean now child? Do not destroy your face with wrinkles from thinking too much.' Donna did not look at her daughter as she spoke.

How could she? She was embarrassed by the situation, and she was scared Missy was going to find out the truth from her face.

'Whatever is my reason for preserving my looks? I do not have a suitor after all.' Missy took a handful of dough from the bowl beside her mother and began kneading.

'You must not speak this way before your father. He shall surely have your head and mine too.' Donna looked at Missy.

She remembered the day Missy had been born. It was like a dream to her. One second she was in immeasurable pain and the next she was holding a perfect baby in her arms.

Missy's birth brought her so much joy and around the same time, Benedict's business flourished.

At the time, Benedict dealt in the sale of mining and fishing tools. It was not a very profiting job but something about Missy's birth made it so.

'Mother, shall I grow old here? How then shall I bear my children?' Tears gathered in Missy's eyes.

She had spoken those words from a place of fear. She was worried all she was going to be good enough for was taking care of her parents when they grew old.

'Missy, you must wait until the snow touches the ground. Do not forget that.' Donna said.

But those words did not bring any comfort to Missy. Instead, she wondered why she had to wait so long to get a suitor.

'Shall this suitor be an angel that drops from the sky? Why must I wait until snow touches the ground?' Missy questioned.

'Missy, just knead the dough. I am in no mood for your questions.' Donna let out a loud sigh.

Donna was tired.

'Very well then. But answer me this mother, why has my father denied my request to work at the tavern?' Missy stared at her mother, hoping to finally get an answer.

'I reckon you shall ask your father when you set your eyes on him.' Donna said.

Donna wanted more than anything to end her conversation with Missy but Richard was only starting his with Esme.

Esme was the woman Richard had been in courtship with before he ran to Garld. She was the same person he had described as 'pale' and 'tasteless.'

After Richard left her and went to Garld, she was heartbroken and so she searched for someone to fill the void Richard had left in her life and she found Archibald.

But Archibald did not make her feel the way Richard made her feel so when she saw Richard walking alone by the water that evening, her heart leapt for joy.

'Richard?' She called out.

Richard turned around and saw the woman he had left behind when he fled Saur.

She appeared the same to him except that her wrist was free of any gold.

You see, in Saur, when women attained a certain age, they wore gold bracelets to signify their interest in marriage and they only removed them after marriage.

'Esme.' He said.

Esme did not believe how much interest she still had in Richard. How could someone who left her heartbroken three years earlier still make her feel that way?

'When did you return to Saur?' She asked.

'Some dawns ago. I see you are faring well.' Richard wanted to continue his walk and clear his head, but something made him stay there.

'I am. Whatever are you doing back here?' She asked.

Even though she acted like she was not happy, Esme was jumping for joy in her head.

The news about Richard's father's death had not gone around the town and so Esme could not have known.

'My father has passed on.' There was sadness in Richard's voice.

He did not sound that way because he missed his father. It was because he was happy his father had died. He felt guilty about that and so his countenance fell.

'That must be bad for you. However, are you doing?' She reached out and touched his arm.

Richard wanted to move away from here but still, he stood there and felt her grip on his arm. To him, that was an invitation but there was a problem, Esme was wed.

'I am doing well. But I must ask, wherever is your bracelet?' Richard wanted to take her hand, but he froze on the spot he stood.

'My groom is Archibald; you must remember him.' Esme said.

Of course, Richard remembered him. He was the one women flocked around in Saur. He was the one women wanted to be with.

'I do. Esme, do you wish to sit with me this fine night?' Richard knew he was not to ask a wed woman to sit with him, but he was lonely.

'Yes. We do have a lot to catch up on after all.' Esme was happy Richard had asked her to sit with him.

'We must go to that shed then.' The shed Richard referred to was close to the river.

That was the shed people who hunted stayed in during nighttime. There was no need to pay for it, unlike the shed he paid for to lay with Gina.