Chapter 126

Ava was riding the horse astride as she knows that people might be surprised to see a Lady was riding a horse without her riding habits. How come I wear that when I have a date with a potential suitor? Ava thought grimly before she was pulling the rein as she stopped in front of a stable as the stable boy was holding her horse.
“How much for a day?” she asked before the boy looked at her.
“A Tellu, ma’am,” he said as Ava nodded at him before paying him the money and walked to the center of the Square as she was waiting for her date to show up. But Ava did not have to wait since she was spotting Marsh from afar as he was smiling brightly at her and her heart skipped a beat.
Control, Ava, control, she reminded herself as she was smiling when she was looking at the man in front of her.
“You’re early, my lord,” Ava said as she curtsied to him. Marsh smiled before he took her hands and kissed at the back of it, on her gloved knuckles.
“How can I let a Lady like you be waiting for me? Of course, I would be here before you,” Marsh said before Ava smiled. She felt her face was being heated before they moved to the location of a restaurant that Marsh wanted her to go to.
“I have been here for as long as I can remember and this is the best place for you to eat. The food is fantastic, the live music, the atmosphere. You will love it, I am sure,” Marsh said with great enthusiasm that Ava did not want it to fade. So, she smiled.
“I cannot wait then,” she said before she was putting her arms around his elbow as the lord ushered her to the said restaurant. When they arrived at the front door, Marsh was greeting the patrons there and it would seem that he knows all of them.
That was another side of him that Ava learned today.
They went inside and Ava scanned the area. It was not like most taverns or the pubs that would have the patrons laughing and drinking and fighting. No, this was a fine restaurant and Marsh loved it here.
This is so luxurious, Ava mused when she was looking at the patrons that were mostly lords and ladies. Then, someone approached them as Ava was looking at the person. She blinked because she knows who was standing in front of her right now.
Lord Harold Davenport, a very shady man.
“I see that you finally brought a Lady with you to my restaurant Marshall,” he said as Marsh was shaking his hand as a way of greeting. Davenport was looking at Ava before he was amused to see that it was her.
“I did not know that you bring—“
“How do you do, my lord?” Ava said as she did not want Davenport to spoil her identity. He did not tell Marsh that she was the daughter of Lord Randolph, the seneschal of the young queen of Niapachad island. Davenport was arching his eyebrow before he turned to look at Marsh.
“Are you here to impress the lady?” he asked before Marsh smiled.
“You could say that,” he said before he turned to look at Ava. She blushed before she was turning away from his intense gaze.
“Well then, I shall not keep you await and you will be treated like a king and queen,” Davenport said as Marsh was shaking his head.
“You just want my coins, that’s for sure,” he said as Davenport was looking at him before he turned to look at her.
“Yes,” he said as his eyes were staring at Ava intensely, “I just want your coins, Marshall and you’re the best one here,” Davenport before he left them to their devices as Marsh and Ava made their way to their table.
It was located at the end of the restaurant with a huge window that overlooked the seaside as she was smiling when she was looking at the fairy lights that were hanging around the restaurant.
“So, what will you be having?” Marsh asked her as she was staring at him. He was looking at her before smiling with a charming smile on his lips.
“Well, this is your idea, and I don’t even know what is the best food here. Maybe you can order for me?” Ava said as she was batting her eyelashes at him. Marsh cleared his throat before he was signaling the barmaid and placed the orders for both of them.
Moments later, the barmaid brought the soup with bread and hard cheese. Ava looked at it before she smiled at the barmaid as she was making eye contact with Marsh. She was batting her eyelashes before Ava felt a pang of something in her chest.
What was this feeling? She thought as she never had anything like this before. Marsh, being a gentleman, was oblivious to the flirting that was thrown his way before he thanked the barmaid. She went inside but she was keeping her eyes on Marsh as she was moving away. Ava gripped her hands into fists as she was trying to control the anger that was building inside her.
But then, she blinked her eyes. What was going on? Why am I being jealous all over the barmaid that was putting her effort to get noticed by Marsh when I was in front of him all the time? She was baffled that she cannot answer that question without concluding that…
She might want Marsh to look at her only and that did not sit well with Ava.
“So, what do you think?” Marsh asked her as Ava turned her attention back to the date that she was supposed to awe right now if she wanted to prove to her mother that she can get married and find a lord without her help.
Ava smiled before she was looking at the food and then the ale was being delivered. Marsh gave her a mug before she was holding it in her hands. Then, Marsh was making a toast.
“I wanted to say that I am grateful to have met you and I hope that you are grateful to meet me too. I cannot think of any other person that would compare to you and I wish to stay that way,” Marsh said before he was clicking his mug with Ava and took a sip. She did as well before she put it down.
She was never an ale person and she still preferred the fancy wine that her parents have in their cellar.
“So, can we get to know each other better than?” Marsh said as his eyes were twinkling and for the first time ever, Ava was sucking her breaths before him.
*****
Marsh was listening to Ava as she was telling him the story of her life. She was no one, it would seem but Marsh has a feeling that she was lying through her teeth right now. She was telling her about her childhood and she has two parents who were very much alive, by the looks of it. But Marsh did not get the names of them.
“What are their names?” he asked when Ava stopped and she turned to look at him. He thought that he was cutting a nerve with her before Ava smiled at him.
“I don’t think I want to disclose who my parents are. In the past, I was kidnapped because of their names that I spoke so carelessly,” she said quietly but Marsh heard them all.
“I am so sorry then. I should have known. Then, you don’t have to tell me until you are ready, Ava,” Marsh said as he took her hand and intertwined it with hers. Ava was looking at him before he smiled. Then, the barmaid was here. And their moment was gone.
Ava wanted to take her hand away but Marsh was holding onto it. He saw the way that Ava was fuming with anger when she thought he was not looking. He felt light, knowing that Ava was getting jealous all over the barmaid that might not have a chance with him.
“Is there anything else I could get for you? Anything? Anything at all?” the barmaid said as Marsh knew the innuendo that she was applying to. But she did not know that he only has his sight on Ava from now on.
And never had anyone else again.
“No, I think we’re good and we would like to leave now,” Marsh said before he paid for their meals and he pulled Ava with him, making his way to the door before Davenport was stopping him. One of these days, he really wanted to slap Davenport in the face.
“Leaving so soon? I thought you might enjoy some of our desserts of pies and all the mead that we have—“
“If you excuse us, I think I have to take Ava to her house now. It was getting late,” Marsh said as he was pulling Ava closed to him. Davenport saw the possessive hand on Ava’s waist before he was looking at the Lady.
Marsh felt like he wanted to punch something and that something was this man in front of him, checking Ava out.
Then, Davenport was smirking at him as if he can read his expression that well.
“If you insist on leaving then, I cannot stop you from going,” he said as Marsh was smiling at him. Finally, he got the message, what a slow-witted person! Marsh mused before Davenport said his goodbye and let the two of them out.
“Thank you for such a wonderful lunch,” Ava said as she was turning to look at Marsh. He smiled before he was making his way to the carriage that he came with. Ava shook her head.
“I have a horse that I came. It is in the stable. I can get to my house that way—“
“Nonsense, I will not let a Lady be on her own in this weather. And I will not make your ride all the way to your house all alone. It will be not honorable on my conscience, my lady,” Marsh said before Ava smiled at him.
“How gentleman you are,” Ava said as she smiled at Marsh before he felt like he has to do something. He was gripping her nape before he drew her close.
And then, he kissed her.