Isabella/Guy, Ana/Karen,
Blue eyes crying in the rain…
Since leaving Isabella behind to her brother Ana Marston had wandered the streets of the village, searching the woman she’d seen before and talked to, she longed for company, even that of a married woman. What she found instead was a gentleman beating his… she wasn’t sure what relation the sobbing girl had to the man, but she was damned if she’d see the girl killed.
“Sir.” She spoke softly, firmly. “What is the problem?”
“This little bitch bit me.” He held his hand out, a tidy row of teeth marks on his skin.
“Surely that’s no reason to kill her?”
“I just bailed her out of jail… and she bit me for touching her.”
“Why not let her go then?”
“Who would take her?”
“I will.” Ana spoke plainly, noting the woman losing consciousness behind him. “If you don’t want her anymore?”
“She’s yours.”
Ana smiled and swept past him, gathering the girl up and heading back, back to Isabella and Guy… and the home she’d left behind. She was sure she could make them see sense… somehow.
Once she had made contact with the guards and indeed found her way into the castle she ignored Isabella’s call and headed up to the bedroom, settling the wounded girl down, softly stroking a washcloth over the woman’s skin and healing what she could with her first aid kit, praying the woman would be well. She half-turned as Isabella entered with Guy.
“I’m sorry… I needed somewhere…”
Guy cut her off instantly. “You can stay as long as you need…”
Isabella glanced at him, then at Ana and the other woman. She had intended to hate the woman who had brought Ana back to her home with no chance for her to restart their relationship but she recognised the other girl and gave a small gasp of confusion.
“Karen…”
Ana smiled. “I thought you’d recognise her.” She moved to gently stroke Karen’s cheek, noting the woman stirring a little. “I found her in the street, with a man laying into her.”
“Anton?” Guy spoke up. “I’ll pay him off tonight.”
“For what? Hurting her?”
“For letting you take her.”
Karen had stirred again, Isabella watching in stunned silence as Ana stroked the woman’s cheek again, kissing the woman’s hair. “How are you feeling?”
“Like hell.”
Ana half-laughed. “That bad?”
“Yes.” Karen sat, slowly, hissing with pain. “Where am I?”
“Home.”
Karen looked at Guy then, shivering a little, mistrust in her bright blue eyes, her blonde-brown hair falling in tousled curls.
“Easy…” Ana murmured softly. “He’s a friend.”
“Home?” Karen murmured, near to tears at the word.
“Yes Karen…” Ana murmured softly. “You’re safe now…”
Since leaving Isabella behind to her brother Ana Marston had wandered the streets of the village, searching the woman she’d seen before and talked to, she longed for company, even that of a married woman. What she found instead was a gentleman beating his… she wasn’t sure what relation the sobbing girl had to the man, but she was damned if she’d see the girl killed.
“Sir.” She spoke softly, firmly. “What is the problem?”
“This little bitch bit me.” He held his hand out, a tidy row of teeth marks on his skin.
“Surely that’s no reason to kill her?”
“I just bailed her out of jail… and she bit me for touching her.”
“Why not let her go then?”
“Who would take her?”
“I will.” Ana spoke plainly, noting the woman losing consciousness behind him. “If you don’t want her anymore?”
“She’s yours.”
Ana smiled and swept past him, gathering the girl up and heading back, back to Isabella and Guy… and the home she’d left behind. She was sure she could make them see sense… somehow.
Once she had made contact with the guards and indeed found her way into the castle she ignored Isabella’s call and headed up to the bedroom, settling the wounded girl down, softly stroking a washcloth over the woman’s skin and healing what she could with her first aid kit, praying the woman would be well. She half-turned as Isabella entered with Guy.
“I’m sorry… I needed somewhere…”
Guy cut her off instantly. “You can stay as long as you need…”
Isabella glanced at him, then at Ana and the other woman. She had intended to hate the woman who had brought Ana back to her home with no chance for her to restart their relationship but she recognised the other girl and gave a small gasp of confusion.
“Karen…”
Ana smiled. “I thought you’d recognise her.” She moved to gently stroke Karen’s cheek, noting the woman stirring a little. “I found her in the street, with a man laying into her.”
“Anton?” Guy spoke up. “I’ll pay him off tonight.”
“For what? Hurting her?”
“For letting you take her.”
Karen had stirred again, Isabella watching in stunned silence as Ana stroked the woman’s cheek again, kissing the woman’s hair. “How are you feeling?”
“Like hell.”
Ana half-laughed. “That bad?”
“Yes.” Karen sat, slowly, hissing with pain. “Where am I?”
“Home.”
Karen looked at Guy then, shivering a little, mistrust in her bright blue eyes, her blonde-brown hair falling in tousled curls.
“Easy…” Ana murmured softly. “He’s a friend.”
“Home?” Karen murmured, near to tears at the word.
“Yes Karen…” Ana murmured softly. “You’re safe now…”