Amore

Chapter 3

Mark. And they both assure me that I'm ugly, every day." 

He took my hands slowly, as if trying not to scare me, and whispered, "You are most certainly beautiful." I smiled a small smile and he grinned, "You should smile more often. It makes you even prettier." 

I ducked my head again as a blush came over my cheeks. He let go of my hands and we started walking again. I walked beside him now, instead of behind. We were much quicker than yesterday and made it to the next town before supper time. 

Andrew looked around the town and then asked a man were the nearest hotel was. 

"Only one in town, mister," he replied, pointing off in the distance, "It's near the docks, to make it easier on the passengers." 

Andrew nodded, and taking my arm, steered me across town and into the hotel. We stepped into the dimly light lobby and Andrew went in search of the manager or owner. I looked around the room. There were two doorways, one leading into a long hallway and the other leading into a larger room. To the left was a stairway leading to the second floor. I noticed a lot of things were dusty. As soon as he left, a young man walked in. He grinned evilly when he saw me and sauntered over to me. He walked around me in a circle. 

"What's a pretty thing like you doin' here," he drawled slowly, looking me up and down. 

"I'm going on the ship to go across the sea," I replied, standing my ground. 

"Ah, well, you see, young women like yourselves aren't supposed to be unaccompanied like you are, sweet," he smiled, moving closer to me. 

I took a step back, "I'm not alone, I have a companion with me who will accompany me on the trip." 

"Well, that's nice. We can all get together and have fun in a, shall I say, private way," he murmured, snatching out at me and bringing up against his body. He bent down and pressed his lips against mine, bruising them. I struggled against him, pounding my fists into his chest, but he was too 

strong for me. His hand ran down my back, and then he was suddenly ripped away from me. I stood there gasping as I saw the young man caught in Andrew's strong hold, his feet didn't touch the floor because Andrew was so tall. My eyes widened as they wrestled. The man took a swing at Andrew, but he ducked. 

"I saw her first," the man hissed, "Go find you own broad." 

"I'm no broad!" I shrieked. 

"I happen to be her guard," Andrew replied coldly. 

The man's eyes widened as he tried to escape from Andrew's iron grasp. They started to wrestle again, I backed up into the wall. The owner of the hotel came out to see what the problem was just when Andrew drew his fist back to punch the man. The owner threw himself in-between them and pushed them apart. He was a short, but very strong man. 

"They'll be no fightin' in my hotel, y'all hear?" he asked, "If y'all wanna fight, do it someplace else! Now just what was this here fight over?" 

Andrew and the man glanced over at me cowering in the corner of the room, clasping my bag to my chest. The owner looked over at me a sighed. 

"Poor pretty girl, don't be afraid, come here," he said kindly, beckoning me over with his hand.  

I walked over slowly, dragging my feet on the sawdust-covered floor. The owner looked at me closely, "You sure are a pretty one, fer sure. Never been a prettier visitor in my hotel. Now tell me darlin', do you know either of these men?" 

"J-just my companion," I barely whispered, "He was protecting me from that man." I pointed at the man in question. 

The owner nodded in a knowing way, then he turned and yelled at the young man, "How many times have I told you to stop scarin' away my customers? Now this here pretty lady is already done spoken fer, so you can forget about her!"