Shoutout to GuestFromFrance: Good to see you again! Pepper will be Pepper. Thanks for commenting.
Tony has to literally find Pepper.
A bove ante, ab asino retro, a muliere undique caveto
Translation: Beware of the bull from the front, the donkey from behind, and women from all sides
It was a sleepy afternoon. At least Tony hoped the village was busy sleeping. He walked into the village quietly. He was going to talk to Pepper about coming to Patait with him and he could not predict her reaction. In his experience, scorned women were loud women and he did not want an audience, for when Pepper laid it into him. He winced as he tried to imagine what Pepper would do to him because of his request. Slap me, box me, throw eggs at me...
Can you blame her? You were rather harsh with her, the last time you met. When was that...three weeks ago? the dragon whispered in a serpentine tone.
Tony scowled as he walked around the village's town center. Why do I feel as if you are enjoying this?
The dragon chuckled and Tony saw Happy's wife, Stephanie, walking out of the grocers. Now Stephanie will know where Pepper is staying. Since Jarvis and Magdalene were being tight-lipped about Pepper and could not... wait, would not tell me.
He called out "Madam Stephanie!"
She saw him and Tony was taken aback by the visible rage on her button-cute little face. Stephanie was as short as Happy was tall and as delicate as Happy was burly. She also had a gentle and loving demeanor, which is why Tony was shocked when she said loudly "You!" and turned away from him angrily.
Good God, Pepper has told her what I have done. Great, another angry woman to face before talking to Pepper.
The dragon chortled. Practice with her before facing the ultimate angry one.
Tony jogged up to Stephanie, who was walking away from him, admirably fast for a short woman. She ignored him as he walked alongside her.
"Madam Stephanie, I think you did not see me back there. It is I, Lord Stark, we have met before, your husband Hereald and I..."
Here he was abruptly cut off by Stephanie turning on him, eyes blazing. "Oh I know very well who you are, Sir! My husband may be your ardent supporter but I... I am Virginia's friend to the bitter end. And I cannot accept what you have done to her!"
Tony gulped hard. Okay, now I am scared. She is tiny but furious. No wonder Happy is terrified of her temper. And here I used to tease him.
He said aloud soothingly, "Madam, I am not aware of what Pepper, I mean Virginia has told you, but let me just say that I ..."
"Pepper did not say a word of you! She is a gentle-bred lady, Sir! In fact she complimented your generosity and help to her during her time of need. But when she came here, I saw through her sad lies and I knew, I knew, you rogue, you have done something to her. Your reputation as a heart-breaker is well known, Lord Stark, even in our sleepy little village." She glared at Tony with such vehemence, that he actually shrank back.
Steady, Anthony, steady. Try using some of that once-famous Stark charm.
Tony straightened to his full magnificent height, reminding himself that Stephanie could not box him because she was shorter than him and then smiled winningly. "Madam, I hear you and I understand your anger completely. But hear me out, I am in desperate need of Pepper's assistance and I want to meet her and tell her, that she is completely right and I am completely wrong."
I think this is what Stephanie wants to hear.
Stephanie narrowed her eyes at him. "Very well, I shall tell you where she is, only because I want to see you telling her this and righting a wrong. She is staying at the Milliner. Let us go there now."
Tony gulped again and she smiled sternly. "I want to ensure no further grief is placed upon my friend."
He nodded and offered her his arm, which she took suspiciously and they walked to the Milliners.
.
Pepper looked at the old, two-storey building in front of her, with its broken down doors and windows. It was dilapidated but it had promise. It once had an ornate rose garden, the wild roses and love seats evidence to this fact. There was a lovely trellis, thick with ivy, growing over the gate to the building's courtyard.
I have purpose in my life once again. And one day, one day, I will go back to face Stane. But for now, this will do nicely.
This was the first step of the secret project between her and Beatrice, the Maid from Boron. They were both only children, both orphans, both reliant on others and fed up of this reliance. Beatrice was in particular, tired of being besieged by offers of marriage from older men with children. Pepper and her dreamed up this idea that night in Carinthia, when they were dressing each other's wounds.
Pepper had just received an impressive sum of money as a gift from King John and she wanted to invest in something and make it her own. They both agreed upon an inn, that they could co-manage. Both could cook, Beatrice could handle cleaning up and housekeeping and Pepper would handle finances and bookings. At that time, Pepper had gently put the idea on hold because she did not know what was next for her and Tony.
But then after her and Tony's discussion, she realized she was now free to do as she pleased and she reached out to Beatrice, who had found a suitable building on the outskirts of Boron. Beatrice had even got a handyman, one of her childhood friends, Johan, who was willing to do some of the fixing up, that the building desperately needed.
Pepper was also preparing to pitch in with the needed manual repairs. They were assessing the building's state to make a final offer to its owner. Pepper was staying with Beatrice for a few days, till the negotiations were done and the building was transferred to her name. Then she would return to the village and ride back and forth every day to work on the building. It was just a twenty minute ride from the village.
She was satisfied and felt finally, as if her melancholic stupor that had been part of her since leaving Stark Keep, had left her.
Tony stood in the simple garden of the village's milliner, Janice, whom he had met at the village's Spring fair. Stephanie had rung the door bell and they were waiting for Janice to appear. Janice poked her head out of the first floor window and peered at them both.
"Good afternoon, Stephanie! What can I do you for? Oh wait, is that ... Lord Stark?!"
She squeaked because she was the type who got nervous easily, something Tony was well aware of.
"Madam Janice, if you would be so kind, please let Virginia know that I am here and would like to talk to her."
'
Stephanie cleared her throat and Tony wryly corrected himself, "Sorry, WE would like to talk to Virginia."
Janice looked extremely flustered and Tony looked at her with alarm. She was half out of the window and he feared in her nervousness, she might fall out completely.
"I'm afraid, my lord, that is, Virginia is not here. She is not at home."
Tony quirked an eyebrow. Is this Pepper's way of trying to avoid me? No, definitely not, she's not the sort to hide.
He tried again. "Alright, madam, any idea when she will back or where she has gone to?"
Stephanie cleared her throat and Tony looked at her inquiringly. She said firmly, "Pepper's whereabouts are no longer your business, Lord Stark."
Tony took a step back, raised his chin and said equally firmly, "The matter I have to set before Pepper, is extremely urgent and cannot wait, Madam Stephanie."
She huffed. Janice decided to intervene and said timidly, "My lord Stark, I am sorry but Virginia is no longer in the village. She has gone somewhere else."
Tony looked up at her in shock. "Gone? Where has Pepper gone? Why has she gone? How could she leave so soon? I thought, she would tell me..."
Now it was Janice's turn to primly tell him, "I am afraid. my lord, that is for Pepper to know and you to not bother about. She wants nothing more to do with you."
Tony nearly pulled at his hair in frustration. The dragon was laughing merrily in his head. Stephanie seemed slightly confused and Janice had retreated back into the house and shut the window.
I have got to find Pepper, time is of the essence!
He ran to the side of the house and saw that Aurora the White, Pepper's noble steed from King John, was also gone, confirming his fears. Tony ran up to the house and knocked hard on the door. Janice's muffled voice came through it. "I am sorry, lord Stark, but I simply cannot tell you where Pepper is. She is happy, poor thing. You must let her go in peace."
Tony ruffled his hair and spoke to the door. "Madam Janice, I am trying to reach Pepper urgently. She is of utmost importance to a matter most delicate. Please tell me where she is. I must speak to her tonight."
He vaguely realized that Stephanie was standing by his side.
There was no answer from Janice. Stephanie was looking at Tony curiously.
Tony placed his head against the door. He spoke tiredly, "I need Pepper urgently. This is a matter that only she can help me with. Please, I do not wish to harm her or hurt her. I just want to ask for her help... if she will still help me."
Janice opened the door then and looked at Tony with something like pity. Then she looked at Stephanie and the two women wordlessly exchanged a silent message. Stephanie spoke clearly then. "Lord Stark, Pepper is in the village of Boron. You should go there and ask for her whereabouts."
Boron? Why... What is in Boron for Pepper?
He realized he had to go back to the Keep to get Balthazar and quickly thanked both ladies, then broke out into a run.
