The Taste Of Betrayal

'Richard, Tabitha is an old friend. She meets with me when I want her to and so, I may tell her of you and Gina whenever I feel like it. But of what good will that do me?' Ansley laughed again.

Gina had many things she wanted to tell Ansley, but she also feared because he had mentioned Tabitha's name. Gina knew if her secret with Richard got to Tabitha, then it was truly over for her. Tabitha was the town's rumor bag. She was surely going to tell anyone that had ears.

'You do not need to do something so foolish,' Richard said, 'what is it you want?'

Ansley could have asked for wealth, or cattle, or even Richard's ranch in exchange for his silence but instead, he said:

'I want to lay with the girl. I must have a taste of what you have gotten.'

The words Ansley spoke rang in Gina's ears. She found Ansley too irritating to want to lay with him. She found it better to roll in mud than to let Ansley touch her the way Richard did.

'I shall not lay with you, Ansley!' Gina said.

'I have asked you not to speak when men speak, do you not listen?' Ansley snapped his fingers.

Even though Richard had laid with Gina outside of marriage, he still respected her. He knew she had only offered herself to him because she loved him. He did not want Ansley using her because he held their secret.

'You must want something else. Whatever is it? Money? Land? Animals? I shall provide. But please, leave Gina out of it.' Richard said.

'You are correct, Richard. I do in fact want something else.' Ansley rubbed his palm together and smiled.

Both Richard and Gina knew that what he had planned was no better than his first request.

'Spit it out.' Richard demanded.

'If you shall not let me lay with her, then you must do it. Only that I shall be in the room as well.' Ansley looked at Richard eagerly.

To Gina, that was an outrageous request. How could Ansley want something so unheard of? Was he planning something?

Richard rested his back on the chair he sat. He looked at Ansley with disappointment. He had no idea what to say or how to react. He simply thought Ansley had gone mad.

'You must choose one option, Richard.' Ansley said.

'Ansley, this is a woman whose hand you have asked for. Shall you humiliate her this way?' Richard pointed at Gina.

'I have no intentions to marry a woman whose worth has been taken away. I only declared my intention so that her uncle may allow her to come to my ranch.' Ansley said.

He was not one to rush into anything. He always planned his steps and so, he knew exactly how everything would happen before they did.

'I shall not lay with Gina before your eyes. I will offer you my ranch, Ansley. Let us forget all of this.' Richard sat up.

'If I had any need for your ranch, then I would have mentioned it. I have told you what I want and when you fulfill it, I shall forget ever seeing you two in that shed.'

There was nothing Richard or Gina could do. They both needed to save their faces and since Ansley was the only one who knew of their secret, they had to do anything to shut him up.

'However did you find out the shed? It is away from everyone.' Richard asked.

'You do not need to know. Just tell me which of my options you shall take. We must get ready for either after all.' Ansley looked at Gina with pure lust in his eyes.

Even a person whose sight did not function could see how Ansley's body yearned for Gina's. He did not like her but he wanted to be Richard's equal in her regard.

He wanted to be able to tell himself that he had the same woman Richard did. It was going to be a great achievement for him.

'I must speak with Gina then.' Richard said.

'Richard, do you not understand? You shall make this decision alone and you shall make it now. Whatever you choose, it shall happen.' Ansley laughed.

Gina looked at Richard. None of the options worked for her. But she wanted Richard to choose the latter. She wanted him to consider that the actions that led them to Ansley's trap were taken by both of them. She wanted Richard to suffer with her.

But Richard thought of his mother. He could not ask her to wait for another dawn in the town. He also thought about his pride as a man. It was going to be a sore to his reputation that Ansley, his greatest enemy watched him lay with a woman.

Richard thought about Gina. he told himself that if she could give herself to him, then she was not going to see an issue giving herself to Ansley. Richard wanted Gina to prove her love for him, he wanted her to take the punishment for their actions.

Ansley however did not care about the option Richard was going to take. He was going to keep making them do whatever he asked since he had the upper hand. But he also wanted to lay with Gina.

'Richard, there is not enough time for you to keep thinking slowly, what have you settled with?' Ansley asked.

While Richard was deciding Gina's fate, she was running out of air. She was scared because she had gotten herself in too much trouble.

She kept thinking about what Richard had said and he was right. Her prime was only but a few years. If Ansley had no intention to marry her and he kept posing to her family as he did, then there was no way she could get Richard. Or anyone when Ansley finally announced that he did not want her.

'You must give me time, Ansley. You have put me in a very tight spot.' Richard rubbed his head with his right palm.

'Time is what none of us have. You must decide now. After all, whatever you decide shall be done tomorrow.' Ansley looked at Gina.

Richard could not afford to stay in the town till the next day. He wanted to apologize to Gina for what he was about to say but he could not.

'Then you must lay with Gina. I reckon it is what you truly want as it is your first option.' Richard announced and did not look at Gina even once.

Gina's heart sank. She knew that was what betrayal felt like.