Rosmary's Little Secret

Chapter 1

Blake

 I twist and turn but cannot seem to get comfortable. Opening my eyes I see the same hopeless view I saw last night... sheep, Too many for my taste, but who am I to complain, there is a roof above my head and I am sleeping on straw, more comfortable than on the streets. I shake myself awake, I have to hurry now before the farmer comes back to his animals to take them out, if he sees me I won't be comfortable for much longer.

I stand up, brush off the dust and straw of my clothes. I must look rough, but I can't tell, I haven't seen myself in ages. It's been too long since I've been inside a proper house, a house with mirrors, chairs... beds. "Stop it" I tell myself, I have to stop daydreaming and accept my life the way it is.. with all the dust and obviously sheep...I push the little lamb aside and move towards the door, saying goodbye to my friends and I slowly open the door, its still dark outside so I slowly open the door just wide enough to push my slender body through the crack, closing it carefully after me. It must be early morning hours, maybe 4 am, perfect timing to head to the market and get some breakfast, while it's still dark. I make my way though the dark field and the knee high grass, where the little shed was, back to the road. I can see the first vendors arriving, their horses are packed full of goods, I am looking for some breakfast, I need some food, I haven't been able to eat in the last two days and my body is feeling rough. I look through the few vendors that have arrived, some are here with huge carriages filled with apples, pears, potatoes and some eggs. I envy them, to have such an abandonment of food, I slowly look around. I can hardly make out the farmer in the dark but he is getting off the horse and helping unload the carriage, box after box, I approach the carriage slowly, ducking down behind a wheel, I can hear the men talking. I just struggle to make out about what. The horses seem to get nervous, as I hurry in between them, thankfully though my father taught me how to behave around horses, as well as to ride them. I start to reminisce and remember my life before my parents passed, how.. "get that last box, Jack ok?" a grumpy, raspy voice interrupts my thought and I can see a big guy approaching the carriage. That's my chance, the last opportunity, I jump behind the carriage and reach into the last box.... apples. A happy "yes" leaves my lips quietly, I look back to where Jack has been but he's no longer there, I slowly walk back and hid beside the carriage again just to look straight at a dark, big guy with gray hair and a look that could kill "fuck" I scream out...

Rosemary

Its Sunday, I love Sundays. I get to have breakfast with my parents and after we often go to town. But what I love the most is that on Sundays I am allowed to ride my horses, I have two, a gray mare called Moonshine and a brown gelding called Chip. I love them, my dad got them for me as a birthday present and I spend every free minute that I am allowed, in the stable with them. That is also my plan for this Sunday, as I am walking down the endless stairs in our house, calling out for my little sister Peneleope. "Pen... its breakfast time, mummy and daddy are waiting for us". My sister Pen is quite a bit younger than me, she's just shy of eleven years, but shes very bright for her age, though while I adore spending time outside, in the stable or riding through the fields, shes every mother's dream, playing with her dolls and learning how to braid her hair in a million different ways. I am sure my mum wishes I'd be more like her, to make her search for a suiter for me easier. A shiver falls down my spine as I think about the discussion I jad with my parents just the night before my father had said that I am of that age that I should take a husband and that he is looking for a suiter with my mother... while I am trying to get my head around getting married... Probably to James Adler, my mothers choice, a posh and, to be fair, very rich, man from northwest England, my sister finally comes out of her room followed by her maid Sofia, who's helping her adjust her dress one final time. As we walk down the stairs I can hear the front door fly open, I hurry, something bad must have happened. "Sir, Sir!" Butler Jame is calling for my father, he seems upset, I can see my father walking towards him and they go out the big front door. I run down the stairs, nearly tripping over while doing so, looking through the window I can see my father and James but I want to know what's wrong. I slowly walk up to the door, shooting Pen a look of "don't tell", but who am I kidding she's gonna go and eat and play with her doll or something boring like that. I want to know why James was so upset though, I squeezed myself through the doorcrack and hide behind the big bush by the front door. There is a hole just big enough for me to see them. I still can't understand it all because I can hear the words "thief" is one of them. Someone must have stolen from our market stand, while I am thinking why they would do such thing I can see James pointing towards the carriage and on it is a young man, hiss black hair hides his eyes, it looks unbrushed and tangled up but unbelievably smooth at the same time,, he is covered in dust and dirt, his clothes are hanging on for dear life, his shirt is covered in holes and I feel myself getting excited by looking at his muscular chest...