The sunlight filtered through the carriage windows, casting a pale glow on Calantha's face, illuminating the tears that streamed down her cheeks like autumn rain. The carriage wheels creaked and groaned, echoing the sorrow in her heart. Her slender frame sagged under the weight of her grief as the thought of her destination crushed her. Her mind was numbed by the weight of her fate. She felt like a prisoner, trapped in a life she didn't want, bound to a man she didn't know but despised with every fibre of her being.
Their father's sudden death had left a void in their lives, but Calantha didn't think she could ever forgive him for such a grave sin he comitted against her. In fact, she thought it best that the man was dead because if he were to be alive while she was on her way to a stranger's house as a wife, he would have been dead to her. She never knew how fast hatred could replace love until then. She didn't know who she hated most, her dead papa or Ryder Walker.
She couldn't fathom how her once perfect life took a drastic turn, spiralling out of control. Out of HER control. She was a girl raised to be in control which was why she already had her life planned, but inside the carriage, nothing made sense to her. Where was the control she always had? How did she go from a lucky girl to such an unfortunate being? Did she run out of luck? Did something go wrong somewhere that she wasn't aware of? Was she being punished for a sin she committed in her past life? Was she cursed? Did she offend someone? What the hell could she have done wrong? Most importantly, how did she go from becoming the Duke's fiancee to a peasant's wife? No, something was definitely wrong somewhere. There had to be an explanation for the torture.
Her brother's eyes were filled with concern and helplessness. He was worried about his sister. If he had the power to make things better, he wouldn't hesitate to save his sister from the impending doom, but just like their late father, his hands were tied. Nothing he would say or do could change anything. The best thing was to go along with the plan. He took her hand, his touch warm and comforting. Well, that was what the effect he hoped it had. "I am here for you, Cal. I won't let him hurt you."
She wanted to believe him for once, but staring into his eyes, all she saw was uncertainty. How would he protect her when he wasn't so sure about it? Not even his words of reassurance could penetrate the darkness that had settled over her soul. She felt like a delicate vase dropped on the ground. She was Broken and shattered.
Finally aware of her environment, she wiped her eyes and asked, "Why are we on a farm?"
"It was the address he put in the letter." Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Theo rubbed his neck. "I heard he lives here in the farmhouse."
Calantha's head peeked out of the window and landed on a building in the corner of the large land. Bringing her head back inside the carriage, she said, "That's an abandoned building. There is no way any reasonable human being can live in there." Upon getting no response from her brother, another sob tore from her chest.
As the carriage approached the farmhouse, Calantha's mind was a maelstrom of sorrow. Her thoughts were a jumbled mix of grief, anger, and despair. She felt like she was being led to her execution. She thought of all the dreams she had, all the hopes and aspirations, not crushed by the weight of her father's reckless decision.
Why did she not run away last night when she had the chance? She would have been far away from the chaos she was about to become part of, but how could she do that? Theo said, it would only make things worse if they ran away from the town, but looking at her condition, she couldn't help but ask herself what could be worse than being stuck with an ex-convict. A murderer. What would the townspeople think about her? How is she supposed to hold her head up anymore? What will her friends say about her?
The carriage stopped, and so did her heart— that was what she hoped happened, but then again, that was too much to ask for from the universe. She didn't mind death. It was a better option than what she was about to walk into. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the ordeal ahead, but her eyes betrayed her, welling up with tears she couldn't hold back.
"Cal, I am sorry." Came Theodore's calm voice as he wished badly there was something he could do to relieve his sister's pain.
"Theo, I am sure there is something you can do to help me. Please save me,"
Theo's face was etched with deep sorrow. "Cal, I tried my best. You have to believe me." It was sad to watch his sister's eyes, once bright and full of life, now dull as they held a depth of anguish that threatened to consume her soul.
"You can try harder, please," Her eyes unleashed the tears that begged to be set free. "I can't do this."
Letting out a worried sigh, he grabbed his sister's limp hand, "It's not a permanent marriage, Cal. You will only have to stay with him for a short while. I will get you out of this hellhole before you know it. Do you trust me?" Though he was breaking inside, his exterior said otherwise. He had to be strong for his sister. Seeing the determination in his eyes, Cal nodded. "Good. The only thing I need you to do is to be strong. Will you do that for me?"
"Theo, I don't know if I can go through this."
"Yes, you will. For papa."
She quickly withdrew her hands from her brother's hold. How was she supposed to do something for the man who put her in such a difficult position? "Let's go. I bet the rascal is waiting,"
"Cal, mind your language. You shouldn't use such words on…" His words were lost in the air as she made her way out of the carriage. Theo had no idea the amount curse words she had prepared for the Dastard. Calantha's heart sank for the hundredth time as she stood in front of what she thought to be a dilapidated building.
The building used to stand as a grand and sturdy structure, built by the sweat and toil of generations past, but what Calantha saw was a testament to the ravages of time and neglect. With a good amount of pressure, Calantha was sure the house would fall to its foundation. She looked around and found not a single soul in sight. It would be just the two of them, huh? Fantastic!
The coachman did a quick work of unpacking her luggage, carefully placing them by the entrance. When he was done, he returned to the carriage to wait for his Master. After making sure everything had been unpacked, Theo stood beside his sister who looked like she would pass out anytime. "Remember, it's just for a short while."
"You want me to spend a short while with an ex-convict. A short while with a criminal. Theodore, that man is a murderer…!" She panted.
Shortwhile.
A short while that was enough to destroy her. A short while that could put an end to her existence. A short while that could put a permanent stain on her life. She shuddered and discarded the thought as quickly as it came.
Unbeknownst to the two, Ryder was watching them from the window above. He didn't need to hear what they were saying. From the look of things he could tell that the boy was trying to convince the girl to push through with the plan. Having watched enough, he went downstairs. He wasn't equally happy with how things turned out. Well, that's not totally true. Everything went according to his plan.
Upon hearing the door creak open, Theo withdrew his hand from his sister's shoulder. "You may come in," Ryder ushered them in, eyes squinted down at the two. It was hard to see the man's expression with all that wild facial hair.
"Thank you," Theo offered him a polite nod. "Mr Walker,"
"Ryder, not Mr Walker."
"Okay, Ryder." Theo sized up the man. He sure was a big man. Tall and masculine in every way. He couldn't believe he was standing in front of an infamous ex-convict charged with murder.
Theo trembled inside, but one look at Calantha's defeated face was enough to let him put his fears aside. He wouldn't let the man's size or criminal history intimidate him. According to stories he heard, the man used to be a charming rogue, but nothing was charming about the bounder standing in front of him. "We need to talk." Theo declared.
"About what?" Ryder's tone was clear. There was no room for discussion or compromise if that was what the young man was hoping to get from him.
"You know, about everything," His eyes darted to Calantha who looked like she was in another world altogether.
Seeing the young man's worried gaze, he nodded, "Outside." He glanced at the girl. If he didn't know better, he would assume she was deaf and dumb. She hadn't uttered a single word of acknowledgement or dared to look at him. Oh, come on, marriage to him won't be that bad!