The crackling thunder did nothing to help her. It sounded only when she was finally succeeding in dozing off. In a way it reminded her of Thomas, how annoying he could be. Just by reminding herself of him sent more tears to her eyes.
Damn you!
The thought of her childhood days came up once more. How she was bullied, teased and beaten for no reason than the fact that she couldn’t fight back. As she thought of this, she also remembered how Thomas had protected her from those men. The way he had stood courageously against them despite the unfair number.
I guess I have him to thank, she thought again.
Her mind was buzzing with a series of thoughts, each one leaving as quickly as they came. She had soon lost the energy to keep track of what was going on in her mind. She didn’t succeed when she was walking back home earlier. So succeeding now, in her weakened state, was impossible.
Just sleep. Please sleep!
She begged herself but her eyes stayed wide open. Shortly after this, she found herself thinking about Thomas and the funny looking Duke. The thought of the scenario gave her a partial grin.
Who would have thought a Duke could be that strange looking or odd, she thought to herself now breaking into a smile.
She reveled in the good experience she shared with Thomas and thought of how long her day had truly been. That slowly calmed her down until all became dark around her and she could hear nothing again.
Chapter 12
The birds chirped loudly and playfully outside. One could tell that the rain from the previous night had provided them with all they wanted – insects to prey on. Their chirping sounded like an out-of-tune harp in the hands of a toddler making it somewhat annoying but calming to hear. The birds when tired, would land on the open roof to Mary Ann’s house before giving their half-melodious sound. It wasn’t just the unruly sound of birds that had awoken Mary Ann but also the warm rays of the sun.
“Good morning to you as well,” she groaned as she looked up to them.
She felt a lot better than she did the previous day. One because she had a leftover bread waiting to be eaten and because there were also a lot of fun places she was looking forward to going to that morning. She washed her face with the clean water that had gathered from the rain in an old bucket. And before she knew it, she headed out wearing one of her loveliest smiles, hoping she could keep it throughout the day. Not long after she had gone out of her house, she decided to visit the weekly cock-fighting match. She wasn’t the type that loved violence but it was a good place to get a job.
She walked around the street knowing the arena wouldn’t open until much later. During the time she walked, she exchanged smiles with people that were gawking. She didn’t care. She was trying to make herself feel better so as to not repeat the previous night’s thoughts. She even whistled a song as she moved along. After having her eyes filled, she turned toward the arena. She could hear the chanting of men, urging a cock to attack the other. As she got closer, she thought of how it was unfair on the part of the cocks who didn’t have a choice. She pushed a way the thought and smiled while rushing to join them.
No one is going to spoil my day. Not the rain, bullies and definitely not—
She halted that train of thought as she saw something familiar; someone.
At first she thought that she might be hallucinating but she quickly realized that wasn’t the case. It was the very person that she had tried so hard to get off her mind.
No! no! no! This cannot be happening. This just cannot—
She was incoherent and her heart was racing very fast. She was staring at Thomas. She knew that and for some reason she could not stop. He had on the same worn-out outfit that was just a little better than hers.
She assessed him from afar and was even more impressed with how he looked. His rigid and firm body partnered with his powerful and charismatic countenance. He looked like one of the carvings of the naked men at the temples, only that he wore a dress. The way he laughed was contagious and those around him were under his spell without even knowing it. She realized she was having mixed feeling about him. She didn’t want anything to do with him, not after all he had done. But she couldn’t help but want to be around him.
This is not your day, Thomas, she thought, walking away hoping to not be seen.
“You! Where are you going?” the voice asked.
Her heart stopped on hearing this. The voice was unmistakable as it carried the same coarseness and power that she recognized. While she couldn’t help but be slightly happy that he noticed her, she still wanted nothing to do with him.
Or did she?
Her heart somehow started racing faster and the hair on her body rose.
“I did not notice your presence,” Thomas said with a beaming smile at her but she dispelled this immediately with a frown.
You are not going to spoil my day, I won’t let you.
“Yes, I did not either. What brings you here?” she asked.
Why did I just ask that? No, no, I need to go. I need to leave right now. I know how this will end.
“The entertainment,” he responded before looking around as if he wanted to be sure no one was listening, “and anything to get away from the Duke.”
He grinned with his lips fully parted and unconsciously, Mary Ann had also joined him — that contagious smile.
Even though Mary Ann realized a little too late, she resumed her initial frown once more.
“Just spill it out. I know you have been following me,” she declared.
This cleared the smile from his face.
“No, I did not do that. I got here first, remember?” he tried to explain as Mary Ann walked away from him.
Thomas took this as a cue and walked with her but she didn’t respond to any of his explanation. There was something different about him this morning. He sounded more affectionate than the day before.
“You know I would never do such a thing. I have a Duke to attend to and would not have had the time for that. This is mere coincidence,” he clarified.
“I understand. Now enjoy your day. Goodbye,” she said as she turned away from him. But just as she did, Thomas called her name and it caught her off guard for reasons unknown to her.
“What?” she snapped, her loud voice drawing more attention than she wanted. “What is it this time?”
“About yesterday,” Thomas said as he walked closer, but Mary Ann took a step backwards.
“No, not again,” she muttered shaking her head as she tried to walk away once more.
He firmly held her in place and gazed deeply into her eyes. “What I said was out of place. Do forgive me,” he sincerely let out.
Mary Ann had thought of different possibilities to this conversation but she did not see this coming.
“What are you trying to say?” she inquired not believing her ears.
“I am trying to say that I am sorry about what happened between us yesterday, well, the bad part of it,” he told her again.
She waited, wondering if this was some sort of trick. His voice sounded sincere but he could still be faking. Nothing is impossible and she was a true believer of that.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” he asked.
“What do you want me to say? That I forgive you after calling me a cripple more times than I can count? After I specifically told you not to?” she snapped almost yelling at him.
Thomas was stupefied with her reaction. It made him withdraw but that didn’t help as attention was already on them. He had disappointment written all over him. Reluctantly, he turned his head to look at Mary Ann. She was no longer frowning and the fire was gone from her eyes. Even though her lips were shut tightly, her face said a lot about how she felt. She was filled with guilt.
He meant it.
Her gaze softened as she realized this.
“Please pardon me for my mistake. I know better now,” he told her again.
He moved closer but this time she did not back away. She even allowed him t
o hold her shoulders as he bent to her level. He stared into her eyes, but did not say anything. The silence said it all. She knew he was truly sorry but she prayed inwardly that he did not hug her as she didn’t know how she would react.
“Are you going to cry now?” he suddenly asked in a light tone.
That seemed to diffuse the tension between them immediately. They pulled away but not too far off.
“You are a clown,” she commented with a light smile.
“I am whatever my master requires of me,” he added making her giggle and causing a few people glance at them.
Her giggle struck him momentarily as he was not used to such a beautiful sound from her and wanted more of it.
As if on cue, they walked away from where they stood to take a stroll through the town. Neither of them broke the comfortable silence. They simply walked side by side until they passed the market where they had hidden the previous day.
“Remind you of something?” Mary Ann asked teasingly. “Of course.”
They both smiled as the thought of what had happened crossed their mind.
“That reminds me. I have been meaning to ask you a question.” Thomas stated.
“Well, perhaps I have an answer and perhaps I do not.” Mary Ann said with a mischievous look on her face.
“You are teasing me, aren’t you?”
“Fine. I will answer you if you answer a question of my own,” she threw at him.
“I love a game,” Thomas said rubbing his palms together.
“What are you doing in town this fine morning. Shouldn’t you be attending to the Duke?” she asked curiously.
“Oh, that is simple. His Grace usually gives his servants some hours of the day to themselves. He loves to have the whole place to himself once in a while,” he explained.
“If I am allowed to speak my mind, I will tell you that your master is strange,” she whispered.
“I can see why you would say that. Now, back to my question,” Thomas pointed out again. “I have answered yours, so it is now your turn.”
But before he could speak, they heard a loud uproar not far from them. They could see two children rallying around a thin boy. They had pushed him to the ground and blood was visible on his lips. Mary Ann was moved by this as she knew how it felt to be in the little boy’ s position. She refused to allow someone to go through what she had right in front of her.
Thomas was concerned from the first glance, but he had decided to wait and see what exactly the two young boys would do to the boy on the ground. They were screaming out something but it wasn’t audible. By the time, one of the boys had kicked the boy on the ground Thomas, had already made up his mind.
“Well, that is it. Are you coming or not?” he asked without looking to see if Mary Ann followed him.
By the time he had taken another step, the boy on the ground had been hit two more times. He felt pleased when he realized Mary Ann was following.
Thank goodness she’s not angry.
“Hey! What do you think you are doing?” he yelled at them just before they hit the poor boy one more time.
His words seemed to catch their attention but they did not care for long. They turned toward the boy on the ground one more time but as one of them was about to kick him, he noticed he couldn’t move his leg closer to the boy’s face.
“I called to you the first time. Are you deaf?” Thomas asked in a calm but firm tone.
“Let go of me!” the boy yelled and Thomas obeyed him.
“Now move along,” he ordered the boys. The other boy listened as he took a step backward but the one that he had held stood and locked eyes with him.
“Or what?” he questioned.
His courage seemed to give his partner confidence as he walked back toward them.
“Stop this instant, I say,” he ordered, but it just made them laugh.
Suddenly, one of the boys lurched forward to attack him and the other went back to the boy on the ground. Thomas saw the attack a little too late. He was not able to protect himself.
Before the boy could land a hit on Thomas, he was grabbed up by Mary Ann. She whispered something in his ear and Thomas watched as the color drained from the boy’s face. Whatever Mary Ann had said completely terrified the young boy and he turned to his friend hurriedly. The friend had the same reaction when the boy relayed what Mary Ann had said to him in his ears. They quickly apologized to both Thomas and the skinny boy on the ground, then ran off.
“What did you say to them?” Thomas asked still surprised at what had happened. “No need to worry about,” Mary Ann smiled.
Thomas pulled the boy from the ground while Mary Ann helped dust off his body. When the boy finally looked up to greet them, he was taken aback by the face he saw.
“It’s you!” the boy exclaimed in surprise.
“What do you mean?” Mary Ann stepped in.
At this point, Thomas’ heart was in his mouth. He wasn’t sure what to expect from the boy looking at him knowingly.
Does he know who I am? Who I really am? That can’t be true. Nobody knows me here.
This didn’t stop him from being scared. He was lucky to have convinced Mary Ann the previous night, even with the odd way James looked. But he never thought, this was the way he would have been revealed.
“Do not be scared. Tell us what is on your mind,” Mary Ann persuaded with a very tender tone. Something Thomas had heard just once; at the house.
“Him,” the boy pointed at Thomas.
“Do you know him?” Mary Ann asked.
She sounded eager to know what the boy had to say and it made Thomas wonder if she also had her suspicion. He had begun thinking of ways to defend himself in case his real identity was exposed but nothing was forthcoming.
“No, you do not,” Thomas said quickly.
“Yes, I do, Sir,” the boy affirmed.
Every inch of Thomas’ body froze.
Chapter 13
“No, I find that doubtful,” Thomas declared firmly hoping that would intimidate the young boy into not speaking.
“But I do know you, Kind Sir, from last night. You gave me three pence.”
Thomas smiled on hearing this. Just as his heart started beating rapidly, its pace slowed almost immediately. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and was surprised at the stream of sweat that had formed on his forehead. He let out a relieved sigh, happy that his secret was still safe.
Not today, not today! He smiled still a tad nervous.
Mary Ann looked at him, suspicious but still impressed by this. She had a broad smile trained at him and he found himself smiling back.
“Pardon me for intruding, but have you forgiven the kind sir for his wrongdoings? He looked miserable yesterday standing in the street alone when you walked away.”
Both Thomas and Mary Ann looked surprised.
“Have you?” Thomas asked, intentionally joining the boy with a cheeky smile. Mary Ann laughed at what was going on. She took a short peek at Thomas who was also staring at her. He really enjoyed this side of her; the soft and gentle part. It brought out her beauty even more, and she looked radiant.
“Your mouth moves faster than your age, young man,” she eluded the question. “Where do you stay?”
“I will find my way home. My mother is ill and I came here to get this with the money you gave me yesterday,” he explained showing them the medicine he kept in his pocket.
“No, you will not. We will walk with you,” Mary Ann objected and Thomas agreed.
The boy was very happy with this and was leaping for joy as he showed them the way to his house. Thomas slowly became withdrawn as he watched how Mary Ann and the boy spoke to each other.
They talked about various subjects that Thomas knew little or nothing about and hearing it fascinated him even more. The only thing that was more interesting than the topics was Mary Ann. The way the wind blew her hair to the side of her face to reveal her bright eyes. Her eyes lit up as she smiled making her look more divi
ne than usual. Her breasts looked bigger than he remembered. They looked more pointed and he could make out her nipples from where he stood.
The gentle breeze had pushed a few strands of hair into her cleavage and he wished to help pull them out just after holding her waist closer to his groin. The thought of her warmth against his chest before taking her lips, tongue and mouth into his kept running in his mind. He wanted her no doubt, everything about her. Her weight pulled against his while he held her, anywhere he wanted. It was like a spell that was impossible to break. Candidly, he didn’t want to. He was so lost in the thought of Mary Ann’s beauty, that she came closer and pushed him as if to wake him from his slumber.
A Fiery Duchess for the Dashing Duke: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 9