Sweating In The Cold

She had thought that Missy and her mother, Donna were only joking the night before about leaving for the ferry station with dawn but when she looked around, she knew it was no joke.

There was no light seeping into the room from anywhere, it was still pitch black outside and the only light in the room at that time was the candle Missy held.

'Worry not about that. There are workers that will draw your water.' Missy smiled.

The lives Missy and Gina lived were very different. Gina's father, Edmund had trained her to do everything herself. She cooked, cleaned, washed her own clothes and even drew her own water.

But for Missy, there were workers for everything and in return, she worked for her father in the tavern.

'You do not draw your own water?' Gina raised her brow.

Missy did not want to appear spoiled to her cousin, but she also did not want to appear as a liar.

'I have never drawn my own water, but you could show me how. Let us draw our own water this morning.' Missy smiled.

'Let us do it another time, we must hurry before your father gets ready to leave.' Gina said.

At that moment, she did not care if her uncle, Benedict got ready to leave for the ferry station before she got ready. She just did not like what Missy had said.

Gina thought Missy was only mocking her. She thought Missy only wanted to make her feel welcome and so she was willing to step down from her high horse. It was definitely going to make Gina feel less.

'I shall hurry now.' Missy walked to the table beside Gina's bed.

And like she had suspected, there was a candle there. She lit it and left the room.

Gina was all alone again and so she thought of Richard. She smiled to herself and held her night dress tightly. She was happy that there was still something between her and Richard but what saddened her was the uncertainty she had concerning the time they could be together again.

She hoped that he was also going to Pumford that morning so that she could at least set her eyes on him but that was not the case.

Pumford was a cold place and the people that lived there looked fierce. The men did not smile and all the women that Gina set her eyes on were either wearing the bustle wrong or holding a child in hand.

'Famine was in the land many years ago and the people were wiped out. The king has passed word that everyone must rebuild the populace.' Benedict said to Gina.

Those were the words he said to his family the first day they went with him to Pumford because they too had the look of confusion Gina had on her face.

'The match is beginning. Father, who shall you wager on?' Marlow asked his father.

'I have asked, and the wrestlers are from Zalch and Pumford. You know those town have the strongest wrestlers. May the best man win.' Benedict said to his son.

'But father, if you were to wager on someone or lose a leg, who shall it be then?' Missy asked.

'I shall lose my leg. I cannot foretell the end of this game as its players are equally strong.' Benedict replied Missy.

Gina did not have a very close relationship with her father and so as she sat on the bleachers, she imagined what her life would have been if she did. She looked at her uncle joke around with his children. That was an impossibility in her house.

But Gina had to excuse her father for his distance. He had suffered too much, and Benedict had not gone through anything her father had.

'How shall we tell the difference between the two wrestlers? Who is for Pumford?' Gina asked Benedict.

She wanted to take part in the family time given that she never had one with her father, at least not after her mother died.

'I am glad you have asked, Gina. You see the man in sand-colored clothes? He is for Pumford. The man in green is for Zalch.' Benedict pointed to the wrestlers.

'Wagers over here!' A man from the side of the wrestling ring shouted and many men rushed toward him.

'Father, are you certain that you shall not wager? Intuition tells me the man from Zalch shall win the match.' Marlow said, fixing his attention on the muscular man within the wresting ring, who wore a green knickerbocker.

'You are man enough to cast a wager, Marlow. Shall I give you two silver coins?' Benedict raised his brows to his son.

'Yes father, I am confident that Zalch shall win this very match.' Marlow jumped to his feet and collected the coins from Benedict.

As Marlow made his way to the man who was collecting wagers at the side of the ring, Ansley made his way to Benedict.

Immediately Gina saw him, she wanted to run, or hide, or disappear. But instead, she sat there, staring at him make his way to her uncle.

Ansley was a very cunning man, and he knew how to get under people's skin. He knew after he confronted Richard, he was sure to tell Gina. To Ansley, his presence there at that moment was a way to keep Gina on her toes.

He was going to gain so much satisfaction, watching her shake from fear with his right eye.

'Benedict, I know you never miss this. I was hoping to see you here. I must speak to you in private at once.' Ansley announced before taking Marlow's sit which was right beside Benedict.

That seat was too far from Gina, and if Ansley decided to whisper, she was not going to hear a word he said. She began to think about all the things Ansley could say to her uncle in private and how it was going to be impossible for her to deny any word.

'Ansley, the match shall begin soon. Can this not wait?' Benedict asked.

Ansley looked over to Gina and whispered into Benedict's ears. The words he said made Benedict look over to Gina too.

Gina looked at the stare her uncle gave her before walking out with Ansley and that caused her to sweat. Every inch of her skin was covered in cold sweat even though it was a cold morning in Pumford.