Elaina was in a good mood as she skipped down the road that led to her house. She had been able to get a good deal at the market, so she was excited about it. She was very occupied, enjoying the bright day that the sound of her name being called went unnoticed by her. The caller got closer to her and Elaina jumped when she heard the sound of the clopping sound of the personal carriage.
Her hand flew to her chest and she breathed slowly, trying to calm herself. The carriage pulled up beside her and a man stepped down from the back.
“Elaina!” The man said with a happy smile. “Fancy seeing you around here.”
Elaina smiled back. She was very grateful to the man. He was the owner of the mine where James worked, Tim Grimsson. “It has been a long time, Mr. Grimsson.”
His smile widened, “I see you still call me Mr. Grimsson despite my insistence to do otherwise.”
“I...”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Whatever you call me sounds lovely coming from you anyway.”
Elaina, not knowing how to respond nodded and looked up the road, “So uh... what brings you to these parts? You are off the road from the mine and you certainly don’t live around here.”
“You still remember where I live,” he said with a slow nod.
“Well... Not exactly. I’ve only been there once after all. But I do know that it’s not around here.” She chuckled.
She had been there with James the week before he got the job at the mine for Grimsson’s party which had the attendance of theWho's Whoin the town. That was the first time she met Grimsson. Leila had invited her and James, with the promisethat there would be a great chance of James getting a job offer due to the quality of people that would be in attendance. James had been on the hunt for a job for so long. It did not help that they did not belong to the high and mighty in the city. So of course they had both jumped at the opportunity to rub shoulders with them. They had nothing to lose. And Leila had been right. James had caught Grimsson’s attention and gotten the job. After so long with James being without a steady job, the position at the mine was a big win for both.
He smiled and said, “I was just in the neighborhood looking at some property for a friend. Far be it from me to think that I would run into the beautiful Elaina.”
“Oh... I see,” Elaina nodded slowly. That was the second compliment in a few minutes and she was already getting uncomfortable.
“Let me take you home. The sun is quite high and we don’t want you to hurt your feet. Come with me,” he said as he stretched a hand out.
“Thanks but I’ll have to decline. It’s just a little way that way. I really do not want to trouble you,” she said firmly, her head lowered.
“Don’t say that. It is the least that I can do. Come in.”
She opened her mouth to protest again but he took her hand gently and helped her into the carriage. She murmured her thanks as the carriage moved again.
“Do you know you are a very beautiful woman, Elaina?” Grimsson asked, his eyes smiling. Suddenly, the smile fell from his eyes as he said, “I bet your husband tells you that all the time. He is a lucky man that one. Very lucky to have someone like you.”
“I am lucky to have him too,” Elaina said quietly. She was beginning to greatly regret being pressured into his carriage.
Grimsson scoffed, “Now that is a lie. You my dear are a treasure, a rare gem. You deserve to be treated right, to bepampered. You should not be with a pauper like James, neither should you think that you are the lucky one. He does not even deserve to walk on the ground you walk on. He is the lucky one, my darling. And I am lucky to have you in my presence. I have thought so ever since I set my eyes on you.”
He touched her hand gently and smiled. Elaina pulled her hand away and cleared her throat. “Thanks for the compliments, Mr. Grimsson. You can let me out here. Thank you very much.”
“This is your home?” he looked out the carriage, his eyes skimming over a weather worn cabin. “It is not befitting of a queen like you.”
“This is my neighbor’s. I have something to discuss with her,” Elaina said, hurriedly climbing out of the carriage before he could offer his help.
“Well, I guess I will leave you to it. I will be seeing you soon, Elaina.” He tilted his head in greeting and she backed away.
As soon as the carriage disappeared into the distance, leaving a trail of dust behind it, Elaina turned in the other direction and started the walk home. There was no way she would have been stupid enough to let him take her home. So many alarms had started ringing in her head during that brief conversation. She did not like anything he had said and she hoped with all her heart that she was wrong in what she was thinking.
She shook her head. She could not tell James about the conversation. He had a terrible temper and if he learned about it, he would get in trouble. Besides, she might just be over analyzing the man’s kindness and end up causing unnecessary harm. She sighed.I didn’t imagine any of that. The rundown and belittling of my husband, the compliments, the touches, he has to be up to no good. She shuddered. There was only one person she could talk to about this. Sadly, she lived in the other side of town. There was no point leaving now as she would return late. She would have to hold out till tomorrow. Yes, talking it out with Leila would give her clarification. It was good to have another objective opinion.She groaned, as she ran a hand over her face.Don’t think too much, Elaina. Till tomorrow, till tomorrow.
After James left, she would head out early. He didn’t like her going too far due to her pregnancy. He was not going to like her going to see Leila. Well, she had no choice. It was necessary. It was something she had to do. She had no idea what she was going to do if it turned out that her suspicions were right. She would just have to cross that bridge when she got there. She had no choice.
*
As soon as James left the house the next morning, Elaina started off to her friend’s. Since it was on the other side of town, she had to board two wagons to get to her destination.
A few hours later, Elaina was standing in front of the gates that led into her friend’s front yard. Just like her, Leila grew up in the prairies, on the other side of town. She had met her husband, a wealthy farmer with ties to the army and he had brought her out of the life she had grown up in. Despite the change in status, the two friends were still very much in contact and had chosen to maintain their friendship.
