Only Time Will Tell - Chapter 14
April, 1752 | Local New York Inn
A few days after Tia was assigned with her new job, they finally arrived in New York and settled in a small inn just on the outskirts of the city. Hope said something about it being quieter in this area than others, and that it was exactly what she wanted. Plus, she knew the innkeeper so they were bound to get in for a cheaper price. Not that Tia was complaining—all she cared for was that she had access to food and a warm bed to sleep in.
After they were done settling into their small, yet cozy rooms and had rested up a little, Hope invited Tia downstairs for some breakfast before she got started on her first day of deliveries. She had to admit, she was more nervous now that she was actually here, but the thought immediately left her mind once her breakfast had been placed in front of her.
Tia let out a sigh of content as she dropped her utensils onto her finished plate of food, unintentionally creating a loud clanging noise that caught the attention of the few people around them. She laughed it off in a sheepish manner, before readjusting herself in her seat and looking back to her companion.
"That was the best thing I've eaten in awhile." She exclaimed, grinning when Hope raised a brow at her. The young woman was no doubt judging her for her table manners, or lack thereof.
"Yes, I can see that." She hummed.
Unlike Tia, who had settled for a hearty meal consisting of various cooked vegetables and eggs, Hope had simply opted to get herself a plate of bread topped with butter and jam instead. Along with a fresh pot of tea, of course.
Tia eagerly leaned forward, eyeing the doors that she knew would lead to the kitchen. She saw the old lady go in there after she gave them their food. "Do you think they'd give me seconds if I asked?"
Hope looked surprised. "You'd ask for more already?"
"Heck yeah, this was amazing. Definitely one of the more satisfying breakfasts I've had in my life."
It may have been a pretty simple dish, but Tia was a sucker for cooked meals in the morning, especially when her mum had anything to do with it. It was like an extra kickstart to her day, almost like how coffee worked for some people, only far less addicting.
Despite what the silver-haired teen had said, Hope shook her head anyway. "I think you can manage with what you've had."
"I guess you're right. Especially now that you're forcing me to wear this death trap at all times." Tia pouted, referring to the stiff corset that had been tightly hugging her waist everyday since they'd left the manor.
Hope ignored the small jab and moved to eat the rest of her breakfast, discreetly observing the girl in front of her. At first, she was a bit worried when Achilles informed her of his plans for the girl. What was he thinking? Letting an outsider who, no doubt, has already seen more than she should have, travel with her while she was supposed to be occupied with a mission. Now she had to make sure the mission went along smoothly, as well as keep an eye on her for the duration of their stay.
Sure, it wasn't the girl's fault that she was suddenly thrown into a world she doesn't know with only the tiniest hint of hope that she could get home again, but that wasn't Hope's concern right now—or the assassin's, for that matter. There were more important things at stake here, sad as it was to think about. Otherwise, Hope would gladly assist the girl in getting home faster.
Oh well. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle. If the situation called for it, then Hope would assign some gang members to watch out for her—from a distance, of course. Until then, she would be on her own.
Tia sighed and stood up. "I guess I should get started then, right?" She hoisted the delivery bag over her shoulder, and glanced at Hope, nervousness clearly etched into her expression.
"You have your map, client list and intelligence. I'm sure you will be fine." Hope smiled as a last offer of comfort.
"Okay. I can do this." Tia muttered, more to herself than anyone else. She waved to Hope before walking out of the inn.
"Alright, so… if I'm here, then…" Tia's finger delicately traced along the crinkled surface of the map, her honey brown eyes narrowed in concentration. She glanced up to the small country house that stood in front of her, it's exterior well groomed and looking like it came straight out of a children's book, "This should be it."
She carefully folded the map and tucked it away before pulling out the client list. The first delivery was for a Mr. Jameson Sanders. "Here goes nothing."
She knocked on the door. When there was no reply, she knocked again, making sure that it was a little louder than the first. Just when she was beginning to think nobody was home, a muffled reply came from inside the house.
"Hold on, I'll be right there!" More muffled murmurings could be heard from inside, followed by an abrupt crashing noise which made Tia's eyes to widen in shock, before the door was swung open. The strong smell of paint wafted into her nostrils.
A very tall young man stood before her with one hand on the doorframe, looking down at her with bright, and slightly confused, hazel eyes. His dark brown hair looked like it had been carelessly tied together by a monkey, and his clothes didn't look to be in better condition either. Despite his dishevelled appearance, he had a friendly face.
"Um… Mr. Jameson Sanders?" He nodded, looking even more confused than before. The teen struggled to hold in a laugh as she rummaged through her bag for the correct package. "Are you okay?"
"Of course." He chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, watching her with curious eyes. "Caught me at a busy time, is all."
Finally finding what she was looking for, she handed it over to him with a small smile. "This is for you."
Recognition lit in his eyes as he gingerly took the package from her, taking a few moments to carefully pull the cloth back and peek inside. Satisfied, he tucked it under his arm, "Say, I've never seen you before."
She nodded, "Yeah, it's actually my first day on the job."
"Ah, alright. Where's Marshall off to, then?"
Her brows furrowed, "Who?"
"Timothy Marshall? The lad who usually handles the drop offs?" Upon seeing her face scrunch up in confusion, he laughed and waved the matter away, "Never mind. Thanks for this…"
She blinked, taking a few seconds to realize he was trying to get her name. "Oh, sorry. Just call me Chachi."
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Chachi." He smiled, "I better let you go then. You have a busy day ahead of you, by the looks of it." He nudged his head towards the bag that was now perched over her shoulder once again.
She nodded, gratefully accepting his second round of thanks, before he retreated back into the house with one last wave. Tia headed back onto the street and pulled out the map again so she could figure out her next route, when another loud crash came from inside Jameson's house. She laughed then, resisting the urge to knock on his door again and ask if he was alright—but she couldn't. She has a long day ahead of her.
Six houses down, one to go, Tia thought in relief. The light in the sky was beginning to fade as the sun went down for the night, and the last thing she wanted was to get lost while it was dark.
After her first delivery had gone down without a hitch, she'd moved on to the rest with a more positive approach. It's not so hard, she had thought. Up until the fourth house, that is. Her happy mood plummeted when a grumpy old man had answered the door, and certainly didn't look impressed with what he was seeing—an "up to no good teenager with preposterous hair". He continued to badger her while she was trying to find his package—almost to the point where she wanted to throw the package at his face in frustration.
At that point, her feet were already sore from walking all over the place in unfamiliar shoes, her sides were aching from wearing the corset, and last but not least, her shoulder muscles were tensing up from lugging the bag around all day—so it's pretty understandable that she had nothing pleasant to say to the old prune. Let's just say, she's never delivering there ever again.
Now that the day was almost over, she couldn't help but to stare at her surroundings in awe as she made her way to the last house. It was so pretty and unlike anything she'd ever seen before. Back home, her house was practically in the centre of the city, so it was all built up with roads and massive buildings. Not to mention, there was always cars, buses, trucks and motorcycles driving past her house constantly, so there was never a time where she could truly appreciate the quiet.
She could see the farmers working on their crops or tending to their animals; small groups of people gathered around a table, drinking ale and singing. She'd even spotted a young newsboy waving the newest paper around in his hands, calling out the headlines and trying to weave people in with his words. Maybe one day, she'd buy a newspaper of her own. It'd be nice to sit and read through during her free time.
Finally, she found herself in front of a red bricked house. It was cute (just like everything else from this time, apparently), and she found herself smiling as she approached the white wooden door. Knocking loudly, she stepped back to wait for the owner to answer. This time, the delivery would be for a woman named Marianna. Tia had scanned over the client list twice, thinking she might have missed the surname for whatever reason, but there was nothing. Oh well.
"Can I help you?"
Tia jumped. She must have zoned out while she was waiting, and didn't hear the door open. "Uh, yeah. I have—"
Tia did a double take when she finally took in the woman's appearance. Long and wavy hair, dark brown eyes, lightly tanned skin. It was almost as if—
"Excuse me?"
Tia blinked, effectively breaking the staring contest she was having with the woman's face. Turns out this Marianna was staring at her too. For different reasons, most likely—in fact, she probably thought she was a bit touched in the head—but staring nonetheless.
The teen laughed sheepishly and fiddled with her fingers, "Sorry. Long day." The woman said nothing, and Tia took this as her cue to do what she came here for.
"This is for you," she said quietly, presenting the package with two hands.
The woman gingerly plucked it from her hands and gave her a tiny smile. She looked tired. "Thank you."
She didn't know why, but she almost wanted to reach over and engulf the woman in a warm hug. She looked like she could use one. Of course, she didn't do that, and instead she backed away with a wave that could almost be described as timid. Who was this woman?
"Goodbye now." With that, the door was closed gently and the teen was left in a daze.
"You're back late." Hope commented, sitting at the same table they were this morning. As usual, she was seated with one leg politely crossed over the other and in her hands was a dainty little teacup, no doubt filled with fresh tea.
Tia stumbled over to the table and all but slumped into her seat with a giant sigh. "Can I eat now?"
Hope's eyes glinted in mild disapproval, "We need to work on your manners."
"Sorry," Tia mumbled. She straightened her posture and crossed one leg over the other; a mimic of Hope's seating position. She coughed quietly, "May I please have some dinner?"
Hope nodded, her lips twitching into a small smile, "Of course. Your food should be ready soon. I requested for it to be made upon your return."
The teen nodded and remained quiet while she waited. The inn had certainly become much more livelier now that it was the evening. It only just registered in her mind that this place also served as a pub, which she guessed made sense, but still came as a surprise. It also seemed as if this place was filled with older people only, for there were no young and rowdy drunk people loitering about—which Tia was completely fine with. Hopefully, it would stay that way.
"Your food, miss." A plate filled with meat, bread and vegetables was placed in front of her, alongside a tankard filled with ale of some kind.
Tia smiled at the old woman who had unknowingly brightened up her day, "Thank you!"
The second the old lady turned around, Tia practically started to inhale her food, skipping the meat with a silent apology to the cook. 'Inhale' meaning smaller and quicker bites than usual, which is not that much to begin with. She was usually a slow eater.
"Didn't you eat today?"
Tia glanced up at Hope and then back to her food, "Nope. Just the breakfast this morning and that's it."
The look of disapproval was back on the young woman's face as she continued to watch Tia scoff down her dinner. "You should have bought something to eat during the day."
The teen shrugged nonchalantly, "I didn't know where to go. Besides, it wasn't on my mind until the last delivery, so it's fine."
"Speaking of which," Hope took a sip of her tea, attentatively peeking at her over the rim of the cup, "how did your day go?"
Tia licked her lips and leaned back in her chair, "Well, I ended up delivering seven packages. There was one dude I wanted to clip in the face, but other than that, it was alright. I think I have to plan it better tomorrow, though. I managed to get lost a couple of times."
"You did better than I expected." Hope said.
Tia perked up a bit, poking her last carrot with her fork. "Really?"
"Indeed. I didn't think you'd get much done on the first day."
Knowing that she'd managed to exceed Hope's expectations, even just by a little, was a pretty big accomplishment in Tia's eyes. The young woman always seemed a little… hard to please, and knowing she'd done just that, made her all the more happier with how the day had gone.
"What about you?" Tia asked, finally finishing her food and sitting back with a relaxed grin, "How did you go today?"
Hope didn't pause like she'd expected. Instead, an accomplished look crossed her face as she placed her now-empty teacup on the table. "My day went well. I managed to strike a deal with a business partner of sorts, and have acquired a new place to stay whenever I'm in New York."
"What do you mean? Like, a new inn or something?" Tia asked, frowning slightly. But I like this inn, she whined inwardly.
"Not quite." Hope answered. "This is a place I will be able to call my own."
Tia relaxed then, "Ah, so like a new house then… When do you move in?"
"It's not all sorted yet, but hopefully by the next time we're back here, we can settle in there."
"Sweet." Tia said, a smile coming to her lips.
She debated over whether she should drink some of the ale the old left her or just ask for water instead. Not wanting to seem rude, she decided on the former. After all, this was Hope's money—which reminded her, she'd have to pay for the food tomorrow. Lifting the tankard to her lips, she took a big gulp of the amber liquid inside.
"Ew." She grimaced, returning the cup to the table. She wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand, "Why does everything from this time taste like liquid regret?"
She heard Hope chuckling quietly and looked up at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "What?" She said.
"I've heard that one before." Hope said, shaking her head in amusement.
"You have?"
She nodded, "Shay told me about what happened when Liam gave you rum—"
Shay was talking about me? To Hope? Why? Wait, who even cares? Stop it.
"He said you almost tricked him into drinking your spit, too."
"Oh," Tia laughed, remembering the look on his face when Liam ratted her out. "Yeah, that was funny."
The two of them shared a few more moments on small talk before finally deciding to call it a night. They bid each other goodnight before heading into their separate rooms, which were directly across from each other, which Tia was happy about.
Now that she was in her room and could finally relax, all the teen could think about was changing into her nightwear and tucking in for the night. She was going to stay up for a bit, and maybe text Mark to see what he was up to, but she decided it would be better if she waited until the morning.
She slid her boots off and gratefully wiggled her toes. Maybe she should ask Hope where she could find some new shoes tomorrow. These ones weren't as great as she had first thought they were. She knew if she wore them any longer, then she was bound to get blisters. That's not exactly handy when it comes to a job like hers.
She had a bit of trouble removing her corset, but managed to get it off on her own since she'd asked Hope to tie it in a simple manner—nothing like the intricate bows or whatever the hell she'd done before. She almost collapsed onto the bed in relief when the corset released her midsection.
I'll never get used to that…
She then took off the rest of her dress and changed into a fresh white nightgown. Pulling back the covers, she slipped into the bed with a tired sigh. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable bed she'd laid in, but it was better than the floor. After all, it didn't matter so much when she thought about what Hope had told her earlier, a tiny smile appearing on the corner of her lips at the thought of a certain Irishman.
A/N: Yo, I'm finally back with chapter fourteen! I can't believe how long it's been! Almost two months, holy shite! O.o Ah well, it can't be helped. I told you guys that I wanted this story to have a good pace and not seem rushed, so in order for that to happen, I realized I needed to take my own time. I know, I know—it was a long-ass time, but I promised you guys I wouldn't leave the story, so here you have it. :)
Also, thank you for the new reviews/faves/follows. There's nothing better than knowing more people are reading my story and keeping up with it. :D Speaking of which: what do you guys think of the story so far? Does it need more background for Tia? Does there need to be more Liam? More Shay? (Of course it does. We all need more Shay.)
I probably won't update until after Christmas, sooooo I'm wishing you all a Merry Christmas now. I hope you all get to spend a lovely holiday with your families & loved ones~ :)
Anyways, it's late as hell here. SHINeeKey out xx ;)