Alicanto: The Bestiary Tales
By Allison Graham
Copyright 2011 Allison Graham
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Highgate, England - 1839
Where was it? Gail Hollyworth panted in fear as she tore the house apart looking for the tiny, elusive item. She could not afford to lose it…oh, dear heaven above, had she left it at Thom’s home?! If she could not find it before her husband got home, she would have far too much explaining to do.
One did not simply lose their wedding ring.
Outside, on the branch of the yew she and her once-dear Michael had planted, a bird sand merrily. Its high, almost metallic tones were a stark contrast to her fear, and Gail threw the window open to scream, “Leave, you stupid creature!” The startled animal quickly flew away in shock, and though her outburst had not helped her situation, Gail did feel a bit better.
Sitting to help alleviate her frenzy, Gail ran through the past week in her head. She had seen Thom at least three times, but she could not recall removing her ring for any of them. Thom knew she was married to Michael, but like her, he simply did not care. He gave her things that Michael could not, and so she kept going back to him…
…and now she had lost her ring. One of the few women in Highgate that had one, and hers was gone! Michael would notice right away. It had to be at Thom’s house, though; where else could she possibly have left it?
She rushed to the leather-smith’s house as fast as prudence permitted. Sprinting, though she fervently wished to, was out of the question. As far as everyone in the city knew, she was simply going there for the latest leatherwork her husband had requested; nothing out of the ordinary. That was what people had believed so far, and they needed to continue to believe it if she were to get away with this. She knocked on his front door - for why would she have anything to hide? - and waited until the door opened. Thom stood in the doorway, filling it with his massive frame, his hands calloused from his work and his face tired from late hours. “Miss Hollyworth,” he said pleasantly, not so much a twitch of desire on his face. She offered him a pleasant smile in exchange for his greeting. “Here about your husband’s vest, are you?”
“I am,” she responded. “I wanted to make sure it was coming along properly, if you didn’t mind?”
“Certainly not,” he said, opening the door and sweeping his arm in a gesture for her to come inside. “Just mind the floors, please. I’ve been putting down new boards.”
“Certainly.” She allowed her smile to broaden…
…until the moment the door was shut.
“Gail, you naughty thing. I know Michael disappoints these days, but just yester - “
“My ring is gone!” she hissed, spinning to face Thom.
His lecherous smile died to a horrified stare. “Your wedding ring?”
Gail felt as if she could slap him. “What other ring would I be referring to?!” she demanded. “I noticed it was missing this morning! Michael comes home tonight, Thom, and I cannot be without it! I must have left it here!”
A slightly sickly color, Thom shook his head. “I have not seen it.”
She threw a tiny fist against his chest. “Then look for it, damn you! Would you have them cut off my nose!?” She had been hesitant to get involved with Thom once she leaned how they punished adulteresses, but it was too late now. She had given in to that nagging voice in the back of her head, seduced him, and now..! She shuddered.
“I’ll look for it, Gail. But I’m telling you, I won’t find it. You never removed it, not here.”
“Don’t stop looking until you find it,” she hissed. “I’m going home.”
Before Gail could reach her home, though, she stopped and looked at the justice building - once a tiny little spit of a shop, now converted to serve the needs of the City of London Police members who had been condemned, for one reason or another, to mete out justice in uneventful Highgate. She had no plan.
But reporting the ring stolen certainly could not hurt.
…
Gail knew she couldn’t wear the gloves forever. She was fortunate that this disaster hadn’t occurred in the summer, when she first began seeing Thom. The cold weather had given her time to concoct an alibi - and time to iron out its flaws, until she knew her husband would believe it. She planned to put her plan into action tonight, over dinner. Michael had brought back a large deer, and he was always in a better mood after a successful hunt. That would make him more anxious to calm her. He was merrily placing a large slice on her plate when she found the last scraps of courage she needed to begin.
She burst into tears.
Alarmed, Michael set down the serving plate and grasped her shoulders. “Gail, darling! Whatever is the matter?”
“Oh, Michal!” she sobbed, being careful not to overplay it. Her tears were real, courtesy of her fear that this would not work. “Michael, I feel so terrible!” She ripped off her gloves and thrust her naked hands out to him. “I had hoped the policemen would find it, b-but they have not! I…I took off my ring to bathe, and - !” She let herself fall into a fit of hysterics, knowing that now was the perfect time to break down.
Her husband’s face was angry, then confused, then dismayed. “Your ring! But…but Gail!”
“I’m - I-I’m sor-ry!” she hiccupped between sobs. “I had…almost l-l-lost it during a bath once…oh! A-and…a-a-and I was afraid it would happen again.” She buried her face in her hands. “So I took it off…and set it to r-r-rest on the window sill! But I left the w-window open and…and..!” She fell forward, into Michael’s chest. “I’m sorry, darling! I’m so sorry!”
She could feel his arms wrap around her in a comforting gesture. “Have you told the police?”
“Of c-course! But they…ha-aven’t…found it - !” Gail wailed.
“Oh, Gail,” he sighed, gently kissing the top of her head. “It will be well. The police will find the thief, I just know it.”
“But what if they don’t?” she squeaked, looking up at him through teary eyes.
“Then I will be a disappointed man, for that ring cost me much. But I will love you all the same,” he soothed. “But you will have to make do with a more common replacement. I cannot hope to afford such a treasure twice.”
She bit her lip. “Then…you will forgive me?”
“It was a foolish thing to do, Gail, leaving the ring by an open window. We are well-off, and envied for it.” He softened slightly when she aimed a miserable gaze down at the floor. “But worse could have happened. Imagine if he had wanted you, not the ring.” He shook his head. “If there has one thing that living so long has taught me, it is that one must choose carefully what to become angry at, or they will be angry all the time.”
Gail offered him a weak smile, but inside, she couldn’t believe her luck. Her husband had always been the forgiving sort, but gullible and soft as well? She had married wisely after all! Everything she could ever want was hers - except of course for that gorgeous ring - and she could get away with almost anything if she just thought about it enough.
“Oh, M-Michael…I love you,” she whispered.
“And I you. Come, let’s clean you up. Such a pretty face should not be red with tears.”
…
“And that was it?” Thom asked in disbelief.
Gail had rarely looked so smug. “Yes! He believed me, can you imagine?! And I had even told the police it was missing, the day I came to ask you about it!” She laughed. “So even if he grows suspicious and asks them, they will only help me!”
Thom grinned. “You are a liesmith beyond compare, Miss Hollyworth.”
“And all yours, except for a few unpleasant goings-on with Michael,” sh
e laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders. “I think we should go to your back room and…hmm…celebrate.” She offered him a seductive look. “What say you?”
“I say you’ve always been a clever woman.”
Gail followed him to his bedroom, giggling and stroking his shoulders. “Oh, Thom, the things I’m going to do to you,” she purred. She would have gone into detail, but froze in her tracks when she saw Michael, stone-faced and teary-eyed, sitting on Thom’s bed. “Michael!” She stood, stunned for a moment, before turning and scowling at Thom. “Thom! What is the meaning of this?!”
Thom ignored her question and walked away from her prying grip. He set a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Sorry about this, friend,” Thom sighed. “It’s true. I only hope you can come to forgive me one day.”
“Thom, with all due respect to your position in society - may you rot in hell.” Michael stood and walked towards Gail, shaking his head. “But as agreed, I exchange for telling me the truth, I will not disclose
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