40 Talking to a Wall
Eve’s feet were quick to walk in the direction of where the young man had pointed his finger as if she was on a mission and would get to the bottom of whatever she was up to.
The women and men on the streets were quite a looker in their appearance, from their clothes to the other accessories that they carried on themselves. Some of the women were followed by their servants, who carried their things.
On her way, Eve couldn’t help herself from staring at them as the whole town reeked of wealth, elegance along with arrogance.
Walking around a fountain that had no water in it, she climbed three stairs before noticing the Farrier’s shop. Nearing the place, she noticed Mr. Morris standing outside. She quickly hid behind the pillar and took a peek. Mr. Morris was saying something to his coachman, but Eve couldn’t hear a word of what they were speaking because of the distance.
“I will be going to Little Teeth’s Inn. Once you are done fixing this, bring the carriage and park it near the inn.”
“Yes, Mr. Morris,” obliged the coachman.
Mr. Morris then pulled out a coin from his pocket and threw it at the Farrier, who offered him a deep bow. He then started to walk in the direction where Eve was hiding. Eve had her back at him to hide her face. She seemed to be busy staring at the ground below while standing at the pillar that belonged to the bridge.
Seeing the man walking in the direction from where she had come, Eve picked up her things from the ground and started to follow him while keeping a good distance so that she wouldn’t be caught.
With the people who started to increase in number as most were gathered at the centre of the town, Eve tried to keep up with the man, wondering where he was going. She would take her revenge, maybe not today, but she would one day. She clutched her umbrella, while walking steadily.
Mr. Morris crossed from one street to another before entering one of the buildings. When she got closer, she noticed the inn’s name written on a board in the air—’Little Teeth’s Inn.’
Women and men stepped inside the place. A buff and tall looking man stood next to the door who looked like a giant. Eve decided to keep her lunchbox behind a barrel. Knowing the people walking in here, she was sure they wouldn’t steal something so simple and faded.
“Please, don’t go anywhere. I will be right back for you,” Eve whispered to her lunchbox and walked towards the entrance of the inn.
There was already a pair of customers at the inn’s front door. It was a woman and a man. The woman was dressed in expensive clothes, her bosom pushed up to emphasize her already decent-sized bosom of hers. The woman pulled out a golden coin from her purse and waved it in the air for the buff man in black clothes to take it.
“How is the night today?”
“Good,” came the short and gruff voice from the person who was guarding the inn’s entrance door.
“Mm,” hummed the woman.
The man who came with the woman said, “Come, darling. I have already reserved the table for us.”
The couple stepped inside the place, disappearing into the inn. Eve could hear music and chatter that spilt through the door and the inn’s windows.
Taking in a deep breath, Eve made her way to the front of the inn and offered the buff man a smile. The man stared at her, and she cleared her throat. Not willing to part with her coin, she pulled out a shilling from her dress pocket and stretched it for the man to take it.
“Good job working at this hour,” Eve offered the man encouraging words.
When he didn’t make any effort to take the shilling, she sighed, “Okay, I will be generous.” She took five shillings from her dress pocket and brought her hand forward, waiting for the buff man to take it.
But the buff man, who was four times her size, gave her a blank stare as if her actions didn’t amuse him one bit. Eve found it hard to converse with the man and convince him, considering how he seemed uninterested in listening to her.
Eve stepped backwards when she noticed another customer appear at the front, and the person offered two gold coins to the buff man before stepping inside the inn. She looked in the other direction until the person left.
Now that it was just the buff looking man and Eve, she brought her hands forward again. On seeing the man make no effort to move, she decided to test her luck, and her hands inched towards the door.
THUD!
The buff man had placed his thick hand on the door knobs, and he gave her a stare.
Eve turned a little frustrated, and she spoke to the person in a low whisper,
“I have come from a very very far place. And as I need to get back home, I don’t think waiting here for long would help. Let us come to a common ground with a few adjustments. It will be our secret,” Eve smiled at him before it turned into a sheepish one, as she realized this person wouldn’t budge.
She gingerly slipped her hand into the other side of her dress pocket and took out a silver coin.
“How about we two split this coin? I will pay the next half in three, no two weeks,” Eve raised her hand, bargaining with the man, who didn’t look at her anymore and stared ahead of him.
Gritting her teeth, Eve nodded, “Fine. You can take the coin. Take it. Remember this holds the curse of the tears of the poor.”
And though this time she offered him the entire silver coin, the guard didn’t make any effort to take it.
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Author Note: Thank you very much to the ones who sends gifts to the novel and support with Golden Tickets <3