Reader Note: Anything enclosed in parenthesis like (this) is when somebody is speaking in French. If you've ready Chamsae, you know the drill and if not, you'll catch on quick enough.
Chapter Thirteen: Somewhere
Just as the sun was blinking through the thin curtains, Regan woke up with a small sigh. She stretched her arms far above her head, arching her back and listening to the delightful crack of her bones. Once she had settled, the smell of eggs suddenly invaded her nose. She smiled, pushing herself out of bed and taking a moment to just take in her surroundings. She combed and braided her hair and then dressed in jeans and a large gray baggy sweatshirt with cracked white Aztec designs. She repacked her suitcase and made sure that she was ready before she opened her door. Oskar was busy cooking and Regan spotted that his suitcase was already sitting at the door. She quietly placed her own suitcase next to his before she sat at the sleek bar where Oskar was cooking.
"Morning, did you sleep well?" He asked, glancing up at her with a smile.
"Yes, thank you." She said, returning the smile. "What time is it?"
"Quarter to six," he told her. "I'm glad that you were actually able to get up on your own. Last time I tried to wake somebody up, I got punched in the face, so you'll have to forgive me for not bothering to wake you." Regan shrugged her shoulders with a small smirk as Oskar handed her a plate with a huge helping of toad in the hole and two pieces of thick cut bacon.
"I don't blame you…and just for the record, I wouldn't have punched you in the face." She told him. Oskar chuckled, taking large bites of his quickly put together breakfast.
"How is it?" Oskar asked, nodding towards her plate. It wasn't as impressive as the food back at the Manor, but there was something about it that just made it so much better.
"It's very good," she said with a small nod.
And it was quite possibly the best breakfast that she had ever eaten.
They ate quietly for the next twenty minutes, and when they had finished Oskar happily washed the plates and set them aside to dry. Within minutes, they were out the door and riding in the petite elevator. They found Oskar's car easily, many of his neighbors already gone off to work. That's when a sudden thought occurred to Regan and she suddenly felt very guilty.
"What about your job?" She asked once they had left the private garage and had driven back into the city.
"I can run everything from the cabin, so don't worry. I've got my laptop and my phone; everything else can be run by my foreman."
"I just don't want your business to suffer." Regan explained, though she didn't add that it would suffer because of her.
"It'll be fine; you shouldn't worry so much about things that you have no control over."
"How can I not worry?" She suddenly blurted out. "At any moment we could be caught…how can you not be worried?" Oskar smirked as they began to take the side streets where they would be forced to wait for people to move aside and off the narrow streets.
"I am worried, but all I can do now is be careful and do what I can to keep you safe." Oskar glanced over at her when they had to stop again for a group of school children to cross the street. "Regan, I like you a lot, but if we're going to survive the next couple of months in a small space, you're going to need to stop worrying that somebody is going to jump out from behind a bush, okay?"
Regan furrowed her brow together, not fully understanding his calm demeanor. Didn't he know what would happen if Lucius caught them? They would be killed, without hesitation and on the spot. Yes, they were going somewhere where they would be isolated, but that didn't mean that Lucius wouldn't find them.
But when she looked at Oskar, she saw the hope in his eyes nad saw that he was determined to make this work. She wanted to doubt him and she wanted to tell him that they were absolutely doomed, but she just couldn't do it.
So, with doubt nagging at the back of her head, Regan leaned back in her seat and just nodded. That earned her a brilliant smile from Oskar before he put his car into gear and continued down the narrow streets. They suddenly turned down another, much wider street that took them under the Arc de' Triumph. When they passed underneath, in the blink of an eye, they were suddenly driving down an empty country road.
…
They would take two more tunnels before they would finally arrive at Oskar's cabin. It was smaller than Regan thought it would be, but it was large enough for two people. It was only one room, but there was a kitchen in the corner with an eating nook in another corner and a makeshift living room next to the door. The only separate room was the bathroom, complete with a large, antique tub that Regan was eager to use. Off to the side of the living room, a leaning ladder led to a loft that held a king size bed with fluffy pillows and a plush duvet. There was a small window against the small available wall, allowing the owner a fantastic view of the ocean.
That made Regan nervous.
Was he expecting her to share a bed with him?
"Would you like to come into town with me to get some groceries?" Oskar asked after he had brought their things inside and allowed Regan to get settled. She nodded, pushing the sleeping arrangement question out of her mind for now.
She helped Oskar make a list of things that they needed and Oskar pulled out a large basket that they would shop with.
"Oh, before I forget," he suddenly said. Oskar dug into his pocket and pulled out a small ring sporting a modest diamond. He tried to put it on her ring finger, but Regan ripped her hand back and jumped away from him, staring at Oskar with wide eyes.
"What on earth are you doing?" She asked, clearly frazzled. It suddenly seemed to dawn on Oskar that he had done something wrong and he blushed from embarrassment.
"Probably should have warned you," he muttered. "This town is very old fashioned, and very religious. If you want to go about by yourself, you'll have to pretend to be my wife…or fiancée if you'd prefer."
"Seriously?" Regan asked with a quirked eyebrow. Oskar smirked, offering her the petite ring.
"It's up to you; I just don't want them to mistreat you when you go into town." Regan furrowed her brow together.
"How would they mistreat me?" She asked, still skeptical.
"I've seen them spit and throw rocks to live-in girlfriends. They've even chased a girl out of town. But again, the choice is yours to make."
Without another word, Regan snatched the ring from him and forced it onto her finger. It was tight going over her knuckle, but it rested comfortably enough on her finger.
"It suits you."
Regan stared down at her finger, not really inclined to agree with him, but she thanked him and they left the cabin for the small town.
It was only a twenty minute walk along the coastline, and Regan couldn't help but smile the whole way. Yes, it was chilly and the clouds looked as though they might burst any moment with heavy snow, but Oskar kept her close and talked the entire way. When they arrived in Saint Georges de Didonne, they went to the town square where a considerably large market was going on. There were vendors selling fresh fruit, meat, fish, and bread; all the stands were colorful with bright, sturdy fabric. People milled about, having avid conversations and enjoying the company around them. They perked up when Oskar and Regan walked by, interested to see who the young girl was that their bachelor resident had brought with him.
"(Good day Oskar! Welcome back)!" A man greeted them when they approached his large vegetable stand, fully stocked with an array of selection and colors. Regan instantly felt out of place, seeing as she didn't speak a word of French. Well, she could say 'hello', 'thank you', and 'goodbye', but that wouldn't help her much.
"(Hello Gustav, how have you and your family been)?"
"(We've been well, but I see that you have been better! Who is this lovely woman that you've brought with you)?" Oskar smiled down at Regan, seeing that she clearly didn't understand a word that either of them was saying.
"(This is my soon to be wife, her name is Regan)." The man's face instantly lit up, his eyes going to Regan.
"(Congratulations! You've done well; she's very beautiful, and look at that hair! Have you brought her here to get married)?" Oskar shrugged his shoulders, encouraging Regan to pick out whatever she wanted at the stand.
"(If she'll marry me without her family present, I would carry her down to the church tomorrow)."
"(What's this? Oskar, are you getting married)?" A slender woman from the next stand quickly approached him with a surprised smile on her face.
"(Hello Michelle. Yes, I'm getting married. This is my future bride, Regan)." Michelle kissed Regan's cheeks, quickly gushing about her pretty eyes and her unique hair.
"(My daughter will be so disappointed, she's had a crush on you since you first moved here)."
"(I'm sure that she's already found a nice boy at university)." He said, putting an arm around Regan's shoulders as she remained utterly confused. Michelle furrowed her brow together.
"(Does she speak French)?" She asked.
"(No, but I'm going to teach her)."
"(How terrible of you to let me speak French in front of her)! Forgive me, my dear, I did not know that you didn't speak French. Welcome to Saint Georges, I am Michelle." Regan let out a sigh of relief with a smile on her face. They had been going on for five minutes while she had been standing there like an idiot. "So, you are Oskar's fiancée. It's nice to see that he has found such a beautiful girl to marry."
Regan almost though about correcting her, but the ring on her finger clearly stated that she was engaged. So she smiled and leaned into Oskar to make them all believe that they were truly a couple that was very much in love.
"You two have to come to dinner at my home to celebrate your engagement." Michelle insisted.
"Thank you, but I think that Regan and I want to just spend tonight at home…alone." He told them. Gustav and Michelle exchanged a quick glance, making Regan blush heavily.
Why did Oskar have to imply that they were going to do anything other than eat dinner and sleep?
"Then at least let me give you some lamb to celebrate your return and your engagement." Michelle insisted as she walked back to her stand and nudge a man who could only be her husband. "(Henry, get the best side of lamb for Oskar and his fiancée)!"
As he began to cut the meat, Regan looked up at Oskar, who was still holding onto her.
"Where am I going to sleep?" She finally asked. The question had been bothering her and she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Well…I was thinking that maybe…well, for safety…we should probably share the bed." He finally looked at her with a flush of color on his cheeks. Regan couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or if that color was from desire, but she honestly didn't want to know. "Besides, the couch is not very comfortable to sleep on." He added.
"I don't want to have sex." She whispered, avoiding his soft eyes. She wanted to make sure that there was an established boundary that he would have to follow. She saw him nod out of the corner of her eye, feeling her chest suddenly become heavy from the tension.
"I understand," he whispered before Michelle came back with a bright pink cut of lamb.
"(Cook this with rosemary, and lots of potatoes. This girl is far too skinny)!" She told him, placing the meat in the basket that Regan was holding. "(And don't drink too much wine, you might frighten the poor girl away)." Oskar laughed, taking the basket from Regan when he saw that she was having trouble holding it.
"(I would never get drunk and try to do inappropriate things with her…that can wait until after we're married)." Michelle chuckled, giving Regan a small smile.
"Welcome to our town, I know that you'll be very happy here."
...
A/N: I thought about it and I felt really bad for not updating last week, so I've decided to post an extra chapter to make up for it! Hope you liked it!
