Amid the lingering uncomfortable silence, Levina sucked in her breath. "I should get going now," she pointed towards the marquee, "thanks for the flower, it is lovely." She smiled and backed away in slow, deliberate steps.
Lucien nodded, unsure if he should let her go or try his luck one more time. "Lev!" he called.
Levina paused in her tracks, all too willingly, "Yes, my lord."
Lucien scratched his head nervously, "Would you by any chance be open to maybe taking a ride with me? I want to take you somewhere. Before you murder me, that is," he chipped in with a nervous laugh.
She nodded, "I would love that," and looked away, flustered. "Let me change into something comfortable," she added, tugging at her ankle skirt. Lucien nodded, relieved that she did not turn him down.
Levina hurried inside, ignoring all the sidelong looks from the nurses as she made her way to her mat. She retrieved her bag and spewed its contents onto her mat.
