The Beast

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"That will be one gold piece, sir," Hemorra said passing the ripe tomato to the obvious nobleman.

It still amazed her that men of such high stature deigned to purchase such small amounts of vegetables from her personally. Frankly, it didn't make much sense to her. And if she wasn't mistaken, this particular nobleman had visited her small stand before. She glanced over his shoulder, knowing it to be true as she saw the same troupe of smitten young women tittering behind him as before.

"I will give you two if I can get your name as well, fair lady," the nobleman said, drawing her attention again.

She took in his profile once more, light blonde curls styled about his head in a perfect halo, his strong jaw tilted cockily as his bowed lips twisted in a smile just as proud as his dark blue eyes. He was handsome enough, Hemorra supposed. He must be if so many women fawned over him wherever he went. Hemorra herself didn't see what merited such attention, other than the gold in his pocket, perhaps.

She herself despised nobleman such as this man. The ones that thought anything and everything had a price that they could meet with ease. The ones that acted as though they owned the world. It certainly didn't help that people such as those women only aided in the illusion. Hemorra, however, was not so easily bought.

"One gold piece for the tomato, sir," she repeated firmly, keeping a formal smile in place. Any untowardness might lose her customers, which she did not wish, no matter how unpleasant they may be.

The man blinked once, slowly, as though the thought of being refused had never crossed his mind. Hemorra guessed that most likely was the case, and that he probably never had been refused before.

He quickly recovered with a chuckle, widening his smile to show dazzling white teeth. "Yes, darling. One for the tomato, and one for your name," he said slowly, drawing out said coinage and flashing them carelessly before her.

Hemorra fought to keep her smile in place. Had he just assumed she was too stupid to understand the first time? And called her "darling"? Just how pompous was this man?

"I am only selling the tomato, sir," she attempted to say kindly, holding the red vegetable aloft.

"So I can have your name for free then?"

Hemorra hissed a breath through her nose, her smile falling. "Take the tomato or leave, sir," she said not so sweetly. "I have other customers."

He frowned slightly, an expression of anger crossing his face before he covered it with another look of confidence. "I'll buy the lot of them, then," he said presenting and entire pouch of pieces before her, raising a brow to challenge her, his lips curled in a victorious smirk.

Hemorra briefly thought of refusing the man. Some discouragement might do him some good. But she also wished to avoid too much attention. She had enough already, for whatever reason, and besides which, she could use the gold. Or rather, the people could use the gold; she would merely distribute it to them.

"Thank you kind sir," she said, putting on a broad smile, only barely stumbling over the word 'kind' as she took the pouch and handed him her full basket.

As he struggled to grasp his hold on the basket that had been so abruptly given to him, she hastily made away with the gold, hoping it would discourage the nobleman from any attempts to follow her. She was not so lucky.

"Hold on one moment," he called to her. She did no such thing, but his longer legs allowed him to catch up to her quickly anyhow.

"You know, I'm going to the castle soon. Rid us all of those dreadful wretches once and for all," he said proudly. It took everything Hemorra had to hold her tongue and simply ignore him. He didn't seem to understand that she had no wish to speak with him as he continued to seek her attention.