Chapter 6

After a long, tiring hours in the jolting and swaying carriage, a quick stop at a little town to change hackney, and a little visit to a jewelry shop to sell her engagement ring, they were finally almost at the end of the trip.

Her lips touched a mischievous grin as she recalled the wicked satisfaction she had when she sold Roger's gift. The shop owner looked at her in suspicion, but took the ring anyway. He must have thought she was a discarded mistress or sort of that. She didn't care, the ring made an adequate sum of money she would need for the coming days. She was glad she had tamped the irresistible urge to throw it out of the window that night.

Across her seat, Polly was snoring loudly, left her alone with her thoughts. Despite her confidence in what she was doing, Ava was in a quandary. She knew she would always be haunted by Roger, forever bound to him by the unbreakable contract. By now her father must have been searching for her. He was a very powerful man, he would send people to chase her. However, it would not be easy to find her, just like looking for a needle in a haystack. It might take forever to find her. She had some time to spare, but she would never be free. Unless... unless she could find a man and get married before her father or Roger find her. It would set her free and break the contract.

She closed her eyes. She would. Pray she would find the man in the new home. It was a land where magic happened and dreams came true. She might possibly found what she'd been looking for there. It was a countryside and she decided she liked the country men better than the dandy gents in the city. Oh, yes she adored the well-fashioned, preening beau when she was younger. They looked so graceful, so sophisticated. But a full month being with one of them, among them, had taught her that those men were nothing but cold, conceited, overpampered narcissists. She would never associate with the nobility again, for the rest of her life. Their superiority, their arrogance overwhelmed her. She would find a humble country man for a husband. He must be gentle, warm, kindhearted and sincere. If he were also handsome and sweet, it would be terrific.

The carriage slowed down to a moderate speed, she looked out through the window once again. A shimmer of gold tinged with pink was rising in the sky, unveiling the silver mist over the greenery. From a distant, a landscape of a countryside welcomed her. For a moment, she was completely absorbed by the beauty, her eyes sparkling in awe. She almost could smell the morning dew, the scent of a new sweet earth. Now, the dark is put behind and before her, the glorious morning awaits. The light has returned and a new day has come.

***

To come into a new, different life could be both exciting and overwhelming. Soon she had to learn to live without the customary convenience she used to have. No servants, no fancy meals, no fancy dresses and shoes. Everyday was all about housechores. And she learned to make a little money too. Polly had bought twelve hens from the market. They were, more or less, farming now. Polly was great at bread making. So they decided to sell bread and eggs to the market for a living. Because Polly practically did almost all the housechores and the bread making, it was her task to go selling at the market.

Of all the convenience of a wealthy life, one she missed the most was the luxury of bathing in the warm water, took a leisure bath, spent more than an hour in the clean, fancy tub, savoring the fragrance and texture of expensive soaps while reading her favorite books... Now she should go fetching water from the well, back and forth at least three times to make a sufficient bath, and no more laying in the tub, and the water was cold.

Thinking all about it as she drew the water from the well heavily, Ava decided she wouldn't be a whiner. She missed the fancy bath almost as much as she missed her parents, but if the cost of a convenient life was marrying Roger, she would better be bathing in a frozen lake for the rest of her life.

Strengthened her will, she pulled the fully loaded bucket and failed at once. Panting, she gave a next try and finally succeeded. Putting it on the ground for a while, she turned to get a sight of her home, about 100 metres away from the well. Looking at the full bucket again, suddenly it felt like a long, long way to go.

After a few days, they had gotten some new friends. One of them is Lady Byrne, and old woman with a friendly face and a plump body. Unlike the proud aristocrats she had met in London, the baroness was surprisingly humble. She paid a visit one afternoon bringing them chicken pie and some biscuits. Soon they found that she was very fond of speaking, amusing them with her stories about myth and magic in the land. She was also a dramatic matchmaker that loved to romanticize everything. They were highly entertained everytime she was around. Grateful with her new friendly, heartwarming companies, Ava could only hope it was a good sign of a new beginning. A first chapter of a new and better life.

***

Shielding her eyes with her hand as she walked home from the market, Ava saw an old man riding a cart slowly toward her from a distance. The sun was shining brilliantly today it was almost blinding. The air was stifling hot. As she got near, she saw a lumbered donkey pulled the cart, the old man sat in front of a heap of rough planks. He had a scar across his wrinkled face, his disheveled beard was getting white, his whole expression was stiff and sullen.

Suddenly there was a thundering hooves from behind her. She turned to see a lone stallion running madly through the bleak landscape, right toward the old man's cart.

"Watch out, sir!" Ava cried to warn him. The old man jerked the bridle hard, forced the donkey to move aside, but the clumsy animal was remarkably slow, it only brayed and lurched, couldn't barely move.

The mad horse hit the cart so hard, it was overthrown along with its content, the old man rolling helplessly on the road.

"Sir!!!" Ava rushed to the old man quickly and leaned over him. Relieved to see him breathing and not bleeding at all, she patted him gently on the shoulder. "Sir, are you all right?" The old man grunted unclearly and opened his eyes. He frowned as if in pain, trying to brace on his elbow. "You want to sit? Let me help you." Ava tried to pull him up, but he tensed, cursing in pain as she moved him.

There might be a broken bone, she didn't know what to do. She never faced a situation like this, yet obviously she couldn't help this poor man alone.

"Are you all right, miss?" A smooth, clear baritone voice tickled her ears from behind and she turned back to see ...

Apollo or Adonis, she could not decide. The man was possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. His hazel eyes was warm and enchanting, his nose was perfectly shaped, and his mouth, she swallowed just to see that mouth. Full and masculine, yet it was velvet smooth. He had a strong jaw covered with thin bristles like he hadn't shave for a few days. His unfashionably long golden hair tumbled to his shoulders. His skin was tanned, unlike the dandy gents she had met in London. The stranger looked as captivated as she did. His eyes flickered with awe, just like any man who met her at the first time. She had been accustomed to such appreciation, but this time she was bursting with pleasure.