The Comte and the Peasant: Chapter Twelve
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and emailed me about the last chapter and the fanfic in general. I'm glad that so many of you are enjoying the story. Reading over some of the past chapters, I've realized that maybe I haven't been portraying the characters as accurately as I should have, so I'm going to try my best to improve upon that in later chapters. Thanks again for all your encouragement and happy reading!
As always, HYD does not belong to me.
Two weeks had passed without any word of Ruiz. The household speculated on the whereabouts of the young master, but no one knew for certain where he may have gone. Most speculated that he had reached Serafina and was likely trying to renegotiate with her parents or even with the king himself about her engagement. Unfortunately, no news had arrived from the French court to confirm such a rumor so all anyone could do was wait and hope for the best.
For Thadea's part, she tried to go about each day as if there was nothing wrong. She took greater care in cleaning the kitchenware and even volunteered to help with some of the other chores around the house. But despite her efforts to keep her mind on other matters, she often found herself returning to the rose gardens at night when everyone else was asleep. She would sit on the bench that Ruiz had occupied not so long ago and replay their last encounter in her mind. She missed him. Despite the fact that she had told herself she was working at the house to pay back the young lord for his kindness, the truth was that she had sought the job to be near him.
"What's the point in lying to myself anymore," she wondered as she sat there listening to the gentle swish of the fountain nearby, "There's no one to impress here." It occurred to her at that moment that she missed her family. With Ruiz gone, it was even harder to ignore her loneliness.
"Maybe it's time I went home for a little while…"
It certainly wouldn't matter at this point. The entire noble family was gone and there was little to do. Many of the other younger girls had taken leave. Now would probably be the best time to make a trip back to her family's mill.
"Thadea! Mistress Rosalind wants to see you!"
"Oh…coming!"
Glancing back one last time at the marble bench, glistening silently in the twilight, she turned quickly and ran back into the house.
The next day, Thadea woke up bright and early to make a trip into town. After talking with Mistress Rosalind last night, she had received permission to return home for a visit by the end of the week. Until then, she had been given some extra duties since Patrice, the girl who usually ran errands into town, had taken leave due to an illness in the family.
Thadea was careful in making as little noise as possible, since it was well before dawn and much of the household had not yet awoken. She tiptoed down the dark corridor and into the kitchen. Packing a lunch of milk, bread, and cheese into a small cloth sack, she pushed through the backdoor and walked into the chilly spring morning. Securing the pouch containing the money she had been given for the groceries around her belt, she made her way towards town.
Later…
Thadea picked her way through the crowded Rue de l'Epicerie, dodging noisy children, frazzled housewives, and the numerous street peddlers who rushed past her. It had been a long time since she had been to the market, and she lingered at every stall and every shop taking in the smells, sounds, and sights. It was still exciting for her to come here. She hated to admit it, but the daily routine at the comte's house was dull and confining. Today was a chance for her to escape the monotony of every day life and experience something different for a change.
"Hey! Stop! Let go you thieves!"
Thadea turned in surprise at the direction of the cry, so loud and clear above the usual noise of the crowded street. She saw a young man, no older than her, in outrageously garish clothing struggling frantically with two other young men who were quickly overpowering him.
"Somebody help him!" she called instinctively, as she quickly made her way towards the fight. She was surprised to see that other people were deliberately moving away from the scene, refusing to lift a finger to aid the poor boy.
"What's wrong with you people? Why isn't anyone helping?!" she demanded angrily, looking around.
"That boy is getting what he deserves," a passerby told her, a middle aged woman with a young girl in tow. The young girl kept her head down, but the woman continued, "Someone who flaunts his wealth so openly without any guards has to know he's lookin' to get robbed, that's what I say. You best just leave them be miss, or you'll be getting' yourself into trouble for no good cause."
Thadea ignored the woman's advice and ran forward, throwing the sack of groceries she was carrying at one of the thieves and kicking the other one in the stomach with her left foot. Caught off guard, the two young men stumbled back, stunned by this unexpected turn of events. Knowing that she couldn't very well fight the two of them, being so much smaller than they were, Thadea quickly grabbed the young boy by the arm and took off down the street. They ran all the way until they had reached the residential area before she let go of him.
"S…Sorry I couldn't get your money back…" she apologized, once she had caught her breath. "But nobody else was willing…to help…and I don't think I could've taken them on my own."
"It's alright! I can't tell you how grateful I am for you helping me! Who knows what they would've done if you hadn't have come to my rescue." The young man smiled at her gratefully and took her hand in his, shaking it vigorously.
Surprised, Thadea pulled away and took a step back. This young man, even though he was strangely dressed, was obviously far above her status. She wasn't sure what to do, and immediately felt awkward.
The young man seemed oblivious to her discomfort and continued rambling cheerfully. "Don't worry about the money, it really wasn't that much. I suppose it's my own fault for walking around the market unguarded like that. I just haven't gotten used to all this yet you know? Anyways, my name is Kasen Audet. What's yours?"
Thadea stared at him blankly. She hadn't been able to follow half of what he had just said, but smiled in the face of his friendly demeanor. "I'm Thadea Marcoux. Pleased to meet you."
"Too bad we had to meet under such strange circumstances," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his mop of unruly red hair. Now that he was close up, Thadea could see that his outfit was even more outlandish than she had thought before. Kasen wore a multicolored tunic large billowing sleeves, which looked ridiculous on his slight frame. His thin legs were covered by a pair of bright red hose and he wore expensive looking leather boots, dyed a dull moss green. All in all, it was a great deal for anyone to take in.
"Oh no! You lost your groceries didn't you?" Kasen suddenly exclaimed, looking at Thadea's empty hands. In the confusion, she hadn't even realized that she had thrown all of her groceries at the thieves.
"Oh my god! How could I have been so stupid?!" she cried, realizing that she had no money left to replace what she had so carelessly thrown away. "How can I face Mistress Rosalind? She'll fire me for sure, if not worse!"
"There, there, don't worry! I can help!" Kasen said reassuringly. "We can go back to the market and buy what you need. I'm sure those guys aren't there anymore…"
"But I don't have any money," Thadea explained, reaching into her money pouch and coming up with nothing. "I spent everything they gave me…"
"No problem, since you were nice enough to help me, it's only fair I pay you back. I'll buy them for you…"
"But you don't have any money either. Those guys took it remember?" Thadea protested. "Don't worry about me, I'll just go back and explain what happened…"
"Nonsense! I don't want you getting into trouble on my account! I still have some money. I hid some in my boot!"
Thadea gave him an odd look. She didn't think that an upper class gentleman such as Kasen Audet would think to hide money in his shoe like a lowly commoner.
"Come on!" Kasen said, grabbing her hand, "let's go back to the market!"
Tiernan Doumet stared absently out of his carriage window, watching as the lush green fields of the countryside gradually turned into the crammed houses of the city. It had been weeks since he had been to Troyes, and each day had not passed without him thinking about Thadea Marcoux and their last encounter in the garden. He had left a day before Serafina's departure, traveling to his family estate near Paris. He needed time alone, and that meant being as far away from Troyes as possible.
Tiernan had purposely neglected to tell any of his friends about where he was going, which is why he had received some angry letters from both Stefan and Aleron when they eventually discovered his whereabouts. The letters reprimanded him for his selfishness, and expressed great disappoint that he had not bothered to stay and bid Serafina farewell. Tiernan felt guilty about not giving his childhood playmate a proper goodbye, but he would continue corresponding with her through mail and was certain that it was not as severe as the others were treating it.
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of the Hainault estate, and instantly, the head serving man of the household was by his carriage-side.
"Your lordship, we are honored by your visit. However, regrettably, the masters of the house are not here at the moment…although of course, you are more than welcomed to stay for as long as you please…"
"No, that will not be necessary," he said curtly. "I only came to speak with one of your servant girls, Thadea Marcoux."
"Oh…I do not know of her, but I will ask the head of the maids to find the girl for you. Might I inquire sir, if she has done anything to offend your lordship? If so, I will personally see to it that she…"
"No, it is nothing like that," Tiernan said curtly. "I just need to see her."
The old servant hesitated, but not wanting to anger the young lord, he nodded in compliance. He beckoned one of the younger men to him and sent him to speak with Mistress Rosalind. The young man returned shortly, shaking his head.
"The mistress says she was sent into town on an errand sir. She says she ought to return soon. Should we send people to fetch her?"
"No, that will not be necessary," Tiernan said. He motioned for his servants to open the carriage door, and he stepped out. "Give me a horse, I wish to go into town."
"There! I think we're all done!" Kasen declared, placing the bottle of olive oil into a cloth sack, which he had acquired from the fruit vender.
"I don't know how to thank you," Thadea said gratefully as she took the bag from him.
Kasen visibly blushed and looked down at his feet. He coughed and shrugged his thin shoulders. "You're welcome," he muttered, before giving her a nervous laugh.
Thadea smiled. Despite his odd appearance, Kasen Audet was turning out to be a very kind and sweet young man.
While shopping with Kasen, she had gradually learned that his father was a wealthy burgher who owned a successful business in the textile trade. Originally, the family had been poor, with Kasen's father being a tailor by trade, but when a great uncle had passed away, the family was left with a sizable sum of money that his father used to open his own business. Eventually, the business became a success and the family was bolstered up the social ladder.
"Well, it's getting late, I should probably be heading back," Thadea said. "I'm sure they're probably wondering where I am back at the house."
"Would you like me to escort you back?" Kasen offered, "I have a carriage…"
"No, that's alright. It's not a very far walk," Thadea said quickly. She wasn't sure how the other servants would react if she showed up at the house in a carriage with a strange young man. People would talk.
"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you," Kasen said, offering her a shy smile. "Maybe I'll see you again in the market sometime."
"I'll see you again," Thadea stated. "Thanks again for all your help."
Kasen gave her a curt bow before leaving. She watched him walk down the wide street before turning down a narrow alleyway.
Turning to leave herself, Thadea suddenly noticed a horseman traveling quickly in her direction. Stepping aside to let the man pass, she was surprised to see the horseman slow down as he approached her.
"Wha…?" Thadea cried out in surprise as the tall horseman reached down and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up onto the horse and forcing her to drop her groceries in the process.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" she demanded angrily as she struggled against his grasp. The man held tight and kicked the horse and sent it speeding off.
Thadea twisted around, the man's hold on her loosening as the horse trotted along. She turned to glare up at his face, and froze.
End of Chapter Twelve
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms? If you have anything you'd like to discuss about the fanfic, feel free to send me an email at delphigirl.geoyahoo.com! Thanks again for reading!