44
Cecilia watched the inn's stablemen unload her precious belongings with beady eyes. She trusted no one when it came to her belongings and was supervising the entire operation. Even though her trunk was locked solid there was no telling what a grabby inn hand could whittle out of it
.
While Simon remained by her side, Beth and the gentleman had been led to their rooms already. They had moved him so fast she was certain very few people had seen him. The fewer the better. She had also kept their carriage windows closed and curtains drawn though she was not certain it had done the trick. Who knew if they were being spied or not.
Cecilia hummed in satisfaction as the shed was locked shut and she walked back into the inn with Simon trailing behind her. Her skirts were getting filthy in the muck. The main entrance was low and dingy but the inn lady's smile was welcoming.
"Everything is to my satisfaction," The redhead took off her hood as she spoke, "I appreciate your services."
"I- I am honoured, My- My Lady," The inn lady was suitably in awe of the beautiful red head who carried herself with immense confidence and grace, "Is-Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Please, do not announce our presence for one thing. We wish to be left alone and are in no mood to socialise. We are so tired from our journey. Secondly, I would appreciate if you could send up our meals upstairs when we order it. We are famished."
"There is one thing I need to tell you, m-m Lady," The inn lady blurted as she remembered something, "Due to recent events the town has been put under curfew. We are not allowed out after sundown. I - I hope this restriction will not prevent you from enjoying our little town."
"Curfew? Whatever for?" Cecilia asked curiously.
"I-In general it was laid out for our protection. The capital is busy with the plague and because of the lack of attention here our town has been getting an odd number of visitors. It's trouble I tell you, my Lady, trouble. We don't want that kind of fellows in our quiet little town," The inn lady announced.
"Thank you for the information," Cecilia muttered, "I would appreciate it if you could send us your best bottle of port with my man."
Simon was led off to the kitchens by the cheerful inn lady who had gained back her spirits after ominous announcement while Cecilia led herself up the dingy stairs thinking about what the inn keeper had said. Their room was the third on the left and she walked in without ceremony.
The room was quite large. There was ample space for many people to take up floor space but fortunately her handful of gold coins meant they were sharing the room only amongst themselves. She had considered giving everyone their own private space but what was the use of that. Besides Cecilia was paranoid. There was a thought stuck in her head that she hadn't seen the last of the mysterious men who were determined to slay the man under her protection.
Speaking of the large man, he was currently sprawled all over one of the two rickety beds available, on his stomach. Poor Simon it seems was doomed to lay on the floor in his bedroll since the injured man was large enough to take over the entire bed. There was simply no space for the guard. She was more than happy to share her bed with Beth.
"You could knock," The man murmured without opening his eyes.
"I could," Cecilia agreed without promise.
She walked in to her own bed where Beth was busy changing the sheets. The red head tucked the sheet along with her to hasten the pace.
"All done!" Beth clapped her hands with glee.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Both the injured man and Cecilia called out in unison. The Lady gave the prone man a frown. He still hadn't moved from his spot. It seems the journey in a bumpy carriage had devoured his energy and spat it elsewhere.
Simon walked in bearing a bottle and a basket full of fruit, "Mariana says the dinner will be up as soon as it's ready."
"Who's Mariana?" It was now Beth's turn to make a face.
Cecilia snorted. She pulled out a four goblets from her trunk and sat down on the bed in the space next to her injured companion. Beth dragged a small, wobbly table close while Simon opened the bottle and poured the drink for everyone.
The lying man sat up gracefully and propped a pillow on which he reclined keeping his feet crossed. There was no indication of how much pain he was in. She wondered if he was a soldier in his past life. His physique and his grace of movement certainly implied so.
Cecilia handed him a goblet and took her own. Without preamble she took a sip. It was a heavy moment and she knew if it was anyone else they would have made a speech before they drank. Maybe they would have talked about new beginnings or a simple cheers but she was thirsty and all she wanted was to wet her lips. Her sip eventually turned into a gulp and she downed the entire goblet in one go.
She then placed the goblet on the table decisively while her companions watched her.
"You," She pointed at Simon's alarmed face. A pimple on his forehead seemed even more prominent in the candlelight, "If you try to put one finger on dear little Beth I will disembowel you with my bare hands even if the attentions are welcome."
The secondary warning was for her maid. She was responsible for these two and she would not allow anything unseemly to occur under her watch. Beth gulped and nodded while Simon looked ready to faint from fright.
"And you, Sir," The red head pointed at their newest companion, "Are very pretty."
"Excuse me?" To the man's credit he kept his composure though his voice croaked. The goblet in his hand shook a little in surprise.
"While I appreciate the view I have no wish to indulge in any shenanigans of any sort. If we had met in the capital I would have more than welcomed your attentions but here I am not in the mindset for light flirtations. "
"I-understand- your wishes," The man was choosing his words with difficulty.
There was silence.
"Pretty?" He blurted with wide, gormless eyes, "Me?"
"How could you even think you're not, Sir?" Simon spoke for all of them. Beth nodded vigorously behind them.
"I do not have a clue what I look like." The man stated looking slightly forlorn.
"Oh, that's ridiculous. Beth, open up the luggage and bring me my mirror. Why did you not ask earlier? I would have gladly shared with you my toiletry."
"I was content to see my hands and feet but your statements have made me curious. After all my looks are part of my identity. How will I know kith or kin if I do not see myself?"
"You do not look like you are from our country. You look like a man from the east. You are browner than I but I suppose I am a Lady and need to steer clear of the sun for my complexion. Otherwise I get dreadful freckles, dreadful, and an uneven skin tone. That would not do in the capital, not at all. They would shun me."
"They wouldn't my Lady. Never." Beth was indignant on her behalf, "You should hear the talk amongst the maids, my Lady. Just like taking walks was popularised by Princess Delilah, being an adventurous beauty was popularised by you. You have no idea how jealous my last mistress was of your pretty red hair."
"Princess Delilah and her long walks," The man whispered to himself while the redhead preened at the thought of slaying so many green hearts. His words caught her attention a couple of seconds later.
"I confess it gets stranger and stranger that you are not even acquainted with your own face but you know my cousin."
"I too am confused," The man agreed.
Beth brought her delicate, silvered edged mirror for her to use. She handed it to her companion who peered in with no expressions.
"You're right. I look very different from you," Cecilia realised he had tilted the mirror so both of them were in view. Her pale skin looked sickly compared to his pallor even though he was the ill one.
"Well, it's time to order our meal and then head to bed," Cecilia stood up suddenly. There was a sadness in his eyes she could not take.
"Truly? I thought you would be interested in frolciking around town. While it may be later in the day, it is far from sun down," The man placed the mirror on their goblet table gently.
"There is a curfew. The townsfolk seem very scared. Perhaps they are being accosted by robbers. I do not know. Anyway, let us get you in bed as soon as possible. Maybe you shall dream about your past life. I have read so in so many books."
"Medical books?"The man's brown eyes were skeptical of her sudden expertise.
"No," Cecilia felt embarrassed, "in- novels. Adventure novels. They always have the hero lose his memory and then regain it at the very last second before he saves the heroine and kills the villain."
The injured man closed his eyes with a snort as indignition washed all over the redhead.
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Cecilia woke up with her heart racing and hair stuck to her face. Whatever nightmare woke her up was not her concern now. She could heard loud noises outside their inn. She crept up out of her creaking bed and walked towards the window. She was surprised her companions hadn't been jolted awake if not by the sounds outside then at least by her creaking footsteps.
She pulled the curtains aside and under the full moon light could see multiple horse racing down the main town road. Dread filled her stomach as she wondered if they were headed there way. She waited for the horsemen to enter the inn but it seemed they had no intention of stopping and raced onwards. What was going on?
