There was always an attitude when he was being interrupted. It didn’t matter who, or the age, sex or class, all were treated the same. With mild disdain and boredom. His sharp blues watched her draw deeper into the still room, the corner of his lips twitching in amusement as she stated her own eyes were not quite as dull as her previous question. He did appreciate the additional light, though.
To him, she looked nothing more than another servant in another building that he’d crept his way into under some guise or another. Pretty, but they always were, weren’t they? And he’d usually enjoy them. Until he as making a quick exit out a window, escaping an infuriated husband, or worse, catching feelings when he himself wouldn’t advise it. Women. Blissfully he wasn’t picky about his own sex. It made things far less complicated.
“Kelpies?” He offered, brow arching while he quietly questioned her intelligence. Nearly every fishwife had a tale about some sea creature. Curious, that serving girl didn’t know that.
Her apparent nervousness caused him to chuckle though, a hand gesturing into the air the dale sought to at least reassure her he wasn’t anyone nefarious. Merely curious about the written word. “There’s no need to fret, little Miss. I don’t hold any ill-intentions. I’m simply an avid reader and my visit will be short.” Slowly Ruth unfolded his lower limbs, rising only to stand, but, stubbornly, remaining where he was. His arms loosely crossed over the other, waiting to see if she’d make good on her threat. Yet for a man who never made a reckless bet, Ruth didn’t believe she would go through with it.
“Honestly. And as a bastard I can honestly say I am most of the time. Honest, that is. But I’m really just looking for a book. A specific one. This,” he turned over the one in his hand, “this was just a wee distraction. I bet a smart lass like yourself might know where the one I’m hunting is, right?”
To him, she looked nothing more than another servant in another building that he’d crept his way into under some guise or another. Pretty, but they always were, weren’t they? And he’d usually enjoy them. Until he as making a quick exit out a window, escaping an infuriated husband, or worse, catching feelings when he himself wouldn’t advise it. Women. Blissfully he wasn’t picky about his own sex. It made things far less complicated.
“Kelpies?” He offered, brow arching while he quietly questioned her intelligence. Nearly every fishwife had a tale about some sea creature. Curious, that serving girl didn’t know that.
Her apparent nervousness caused him to chuckle though, a hand gesturing into the air the dale sought to at least reassure her he wasn’t anyone nefarious. Merely curious about the written word. “There’s no need to fret, little Miss. I don’t hold any ill-intentions. I’m simply an avid reader and my visit will be short.” Slowly Ruth unfolded his lower limbs, rising only to stand, but, stubbornly, remaining where he was. His arms loosely crossed over the other, waiting to see if she’d make good on her threat. Yet for a man who never made a reckless bet, Ruth didn’t believe she would go through with it.
“Honestly. And as a bastard I can honestly say I am most of the time. Honest, that is. But I’m really just looking for a book. A specific one. This,” he turned over the one in his hand, “this was just a wee distraction. I bet a smart lass like yourself might know where the one I’m hunting is, right?”
08-20-2023, 04:00 PM
