All the Wrong Reasons

Bruised Pride

Chapter 5

Her face was still red thinking about what had just happened in her chamber. Not only was it mortifying, it was also thrilling. The conflicted emotions just made her angrier as she stomped out of the doors with her bag in her hand. She couldn't believe she had given in and let the man put his hands on her.  They might have been great hands, but they were still his. She could hear two sets of feet follow behind her. She knew one belonged to that man while the other belonged to Peirce.

Thinking back to their initial meeting, she laughed.  She had walked in on the man sleeping on his post. When she had tapped his shoulder, he had awoken with a startled jump. At first he had stared at her as if he were still dreaming, but then his senses returned as he realized that he had been caught napping when he should have been working. An adorable blush flashed across his cheekbones as he stammered while trying to come up with an excuse.

Cassandra had instantly found the man endearing; as he was much different than her husband. The only problem was, while Colin sparked something inside her, Peirce felt like a long lost family member. Everything Peirce had said came off as witty. The man had made her laugh earlier, when she thought there would be no laughter. Peirce was going to be a major part of her happiness in this small town; she could already tell.

As she walked, she felt an urge to swing her arms back and forth. Luckily, she remembered the jars in her bag just in time to resist, for the jars were filled with all sorts of stuff that should not be mixed together.

Her anger disappeared once she began to think about her plans for the village. Already, she had the shipments for livestock and grains arranged. Soon, she would have the fence built and the crops growing.

One thing she really needed to engrave in these people's minds was good hygiene; she knew that bathing wasn't something that the villagers frequently did. The dirt and grime that covered them was bad for their health, however, and she did not want them to spread disease.

"Cassandra," Peirce called to her and she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Did you want to walk all the way to the village? Or would you like to take a carriage?"

She glanced at the carriage, knowing that the men would have to get it ready: then she looked at the horses. The poor creatures looked ready to drop any minute now. Their ribs were protruding out of their sides, and if it was possible, she would even say they looked depressed.

"We can walk, Peirce. It's a lovely day," she told him while flashing him her signature smile. It was the smile many had seen before the rumors started. Her eyes filled with tears making her look away from the two men.

They probably thought she was ill in the head; one minute she was happy and the next she was sad. Cassandra was determined to make this trip as fun as possible. She didn't know how well her plan would work, but she was determined.

As they walked, Peirce kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye. He tried to be sneaky, but the man couldn't be sneaky to save his life. Subtle was one thing she was sure he had never been.

"Yes, Peirce?" she asked after the tenth time he looked at her.

"I was just wondering... Why do you look like that?"

Hurt crossed her face. She knew the dress was old and ratted, but it was just a working dress. She didn't plan on attending any balls or gallivanting around any shops. There was no reason for her to look her best.

"I apologize if my attire is not to your liking," she huffed before quickening her steps. The nerve of these two men astonished her. No one had ever talked ill about her clothing, yet now a man had insulted her brown dress twice in one day.