That was the only thing going well for him at that moment because when he picked up the mug and took a sip of its content, he realized he had requested his worst kind of drink.
Richard hated Mead because his father loved it. Whenever he was at the bar, he requested Barley, but he had to take the drink, simply because the woman after his heart served it to him.
'My intuition is never wrong. Alas, we meet again, Richard.' It was a man with an eye patch that spoke.
'Ansley, whatever are you doing here?' Richard jumped to his feet.
Ansley was his rival. They wrestled each other during town events. They both dealt in animal rearing and all they could focus on, most of the time, was how to bring each other down.
Before Richard moved into the town, Ansley had been the best wrestler and animal rarer. He was a man who did not shy away from risks and that lifestyle had cost him a lot, even his left eye.
But that did not stop him, he was going to keep fighting until he was better than Richard. That was his only motivation.
'I have come to tell you that I recognize what you use that shed on the outskirts of town for and I shall not shilly-shally to tell the town.' Ansley smiled.
Ansley was not a very happy person. Children feared him because he was big and scary, he always frowned, and unless something was absolutely interesting, he never smiled or laughed. So Richard knew he had to think fast.
'Whatever do you mean, Ansley?' Feigning ignorance was not going to help Richard but at least it was going to buy him some time to think about how to shut Ansley up.
'Word has come to me that you have been sneaking around with Edmund's daughter and I will make myself available to write him a letter.' Ansley kept smiling.
'You will do no such thing. I forbid you from doing such.' Richard raised his voice.
At that moment, Richard wanted more than anything to have information that could soil Ansley's name, but he did not.
'You do not want the people here knowing of your crimes so meet me at my ranch. In six dawns.' Ansley walked out of the tavern.
Ansley knew how to put Richard exactly where he wanted him. He knew Richard could do anything just to keep his relationship with Gina under the covers and he also knew that Richard had made plans to visit his father in six days.
Richard sat down again and began to trace back his steps. He had never mentioned to anyone what he did in the shed and he made Gina swear to secrecy. Unless Ansley was following him, there was no way he could have known.
But there was another possibility, Gina could have said something just to get back at him for not loving her.
He snapped his finger and cussed under his breath. He knew what he had to do. He needed to see Gina first. If she exposed them, then she must know a way to save their faces from shame.
He dropped the fee for his drink on the table and made his way to Gina's house. When he got there, there was a worker in the stables tending to the horses.
'Sire, is your master, Edmund in?' Richard asked the young fellow.
He had to make sure Edmund had no idea he was meeting with Gina and so if the worker had given an affirmative answer, he would have gone in to see Edmund instead and sent for Gina later.
'He is away on a trip; I can relay any message.' The worker said.
'Do not bother sire, but tell me, is his daughter in? I need to speak with her at this time.' Richard's body was visibly shaken like he had seen a ghost.
'Gina was moved by her father to her uncle, Benedict's house. You must know him; he runs that fine tavern nearby.'
'Thank you, I shall go over there at once.' And with those words, Richard left Gina's house.
Gina on the other hand was in the kitchen with Missy's mother, preparing the midday meal for when Missy and Marlow took their break from work.
After Gina was unsuccessful in touching herself again, she went to the kitchen and found Missy's mother kneading dough.
Missy's mother was a young woman with a beautiful voice. She sang her way into Benedict's heart, and she kept singing to retain her position there. She was also very kind and understanding so Gina knew she could talk to her about anything.
'Aunty, I am in great distress.' Gina said to Missy's mother, Donna.
'I would hate for you to be in distress under my roof. Let it out child, whatever is bothering you?' Donna said as she continued to knead the dough for bread.
'I have become too attached to a man and I wish for him to seek my hand. What shall I do to make him grant my heart desire?'
Although Gina wanted more than anything to get over Richard, she kept catching herself thinking about him. She knew that she had not acted right the evening before when she met with him at the shed and she blamed their quarrel on herself.
'Gina, when I saw your uncle, Benedict for the first time, I proclaimed to my mother that he was going to be my husband and so I went wherever he did. I managed to charm him with all I had, a good voice for music. I shall implore you to use what you have to get this man you desire.'
Donna's words were wise and very welcoming to Gina but still, the feeling of distress did not disappear.
Gina did not have any special talents. And what she did have was her body. She had offered it to Richard many times but still, it did not keep him.
She could not tell Donna what she was thinking but she wished so much that noon for talent to drop into her.
If Richard was not going to stay for her body, then she was going to use Donna's trick. She was going to seduce him with talent, but first, she needed one.
'Whoever is this young man?' Donna questioned.
'He is Richard. You might not know of him but he came to this town a few years ago.' Gina responded.
'I know of him. He is a good man from all of the gossips I have gathered so you should be on your toes. There will be other eligible women going after him.' Donna said.
If only she knew that Richard and Gina had been the beast with two backs on multiple occasions, she would not have encouraged her husband's niece.
'I shall seek him out and prove myself to him.' Gina smiled and continued to knead the dough in her tray.