ittle, maybe she would be willing to coax father to cancel the marriage. She totally lost hope the next day. She had been restless all day. No longer having her usual appetite, she couldn't e

She would never associate with the nobility again, for the rest of her life. Their superiority, their arrogance overwhelmed her. She would find a humble country man for a husband. He must be gentle, warm, kindhearted and sincere. If he were also handsome and sweet, it would be terrific. The carriage slowed down to a moderate speed, she looked out through the window once again. A shimmer of gold tinged with pink was rising in the sky, unveiling the silver mist over the greenery. From a distant, a landscape of a countryside welcomed her. For a moment, she was completely absorbed by the beauty, her eyes sparkling in awe. She almost could smell the morning dew, the scent of a new sweet earth. Now, the dark is put behind and before her, the glorious morning awaits. The light has returned and a new day has come. *** To come into a new, different life could be both exciting and overwhelming. Soon she had to learn to live without the customary convenience she used to have. No servants, no fancy meals, no fancy dresses and shoes. Everyday was all about housechores. And she learned to make a little money too. Polly had bought twelve hens from the market. They were, more or less, farming now. Polly was great at bread making. So they decided to sell bread and eggs to the market for a living. Because Polly practically did almost all the housechores and the bread making, it was her task to go selling at the market. Of all the convenience of a wealthy life, one she missed the most was the luxury of bathing in the warm water, took a leisure bath, spent more than an hour in the clean, fancy tub, savoring the fragrance and texture of expensive soaps while reading her favorite books... Now she should go fetching water from the well, back and forth at least three times to make a sufficient bath, and no more laying in the tub, and the water was cold. Thinking all about it as she drew the water from the well heavily, Ava decided she wouldn't be a whiner. She missed the fancy bath almost as much as she missed her parents, but if the cost of a convenient life was marrying Roger, she would better be bathing in a frozen lake for the rest of her life. Strengthened her will, she pulled the fully loaded bucket and failed at once. Panting, she gave a next try and finally succeeded. Putting it on the ground for a while, she turned to get a sight of her home, about 100 metres away from the well. Looking at the full bucket again, suddenly it felt like a long, long way to go. After a few days, they had gotten some new friends. One of them is Lady Byrne, and old woman with a friendly face and a plump body. Unlike the proud aristocrats she had met in London, the baroness was surprisingly humble. She paid a visit one afternoon bringing them chicken pie and some biscuits. Soon they found that she was very fond of speaking, amusing them with her stories about myth and magic in the land. She was also a dramatic matchmaker that loved to romanticize everything. They were highly entertained everytime she was around. Grateful with her new friendly, heartwarming companies, Ava could only hope it was a good sign of a new beginning. A first chapter of a new and better life. *** Shielding her eyes with her hand as she walked home from the market, Ava saw an old man riding a cart slowly toward her from a distance. The sun was shining brilliantly today it was almost blinding. The air was stifling hot. As she got near, she saw a lumbered donkey pulled the cart, the old man sat in front of a heap of rough planks. He had a scar across his wrinkled face, his disheveled beard was getting white, his whole expression was stiff and sullen. Suddenly there was a thundering hooves from behind her. She turned to see a lone stallion running madly through the bleak landscape, right toward the old man's cart. "Watch out, sir!" Ava cried to warn him. The old man jerked the bridle hard, forced the donkey to move aside, but the clumsy animal was remarkably slow, it only brayed and lurched, couldn't barely move. The mad horse hit the cart so hard, it was overthrown along with its content, the old man rolling helplessly on the road. "Sir!!!" Ava rushed to the old man quickly and leaned over him. Relieved to see him breathing and not bleeding at all, she patted him gently on the shoulder. "Sir, are you all right?" The old man grunted unclearly and opened his eyes. He frowned as if in pain, trying to brace on his elbow. "You want to sit? Let me help you." Ava tried to pull him up, but he tensed, cursing in pain as she moved him. There might be a broken bone, she didn't know what to do. She never faced a situation like this, yet obviously she couldn't help this poor man alone. "Are you all right, miss?" A smooth, clear baritone voice tickled her ears from behind and she turned back to see ... Apollo or Adonis, she could not decide. The man was possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. His hazel eyes was warm and enchanting, his nose was perfectly shaped, and his mouth, she swallowed just to see that mouth. Full and masculine, yet it was velvet smooth. He had a strong jaw covered with thin bristles like he hadn't shave for a few days. His unfashionably long golden hair tumbled to his shoulders. His skin was tanned, unlike the dandy gents she had met in London. The stranger looked as captivated as she did. His eyes flickered with awe, just like any man who met her at the first time. She had been accustomed to such appreciation, but this time she was bursting with pleasure. "Uhhh" the old man's rough groan awakened them both from the lull. "Oh" Ava turned back to the accident victim. "Are you all right, sir?" The man leaned back behind her, trapped her with his strong hands. His breath brushed her neck, soothing her damp skin and his warmth surrounded her. His tanned hand was rough and muscular. His shirt sleeves were folded up to his elbow. Seemed like he was a working country man. A farmer or a blacksmith possibly. "I'm okay" the old man snorted in annoyance "My right legs just hurt a little." Ava felt a gentle pat on her shoulder and she turned her head back swiftly. "Excuse me, miss" He bestowed her the most dazzling smile, Ava didn't know which one brighter, the sunshine or his smile. "Do you mind moving a little, I need to see his injury..." "Oh..." She blushed, then moved aside. "Of course." The young man checked the old man thoroughly, meanwhile, Ava made a sideways glance secretly. The man looked like he knew what he was doing. He wore a white casual shirt along with brown vest, a khaki colored trousers and high boots, a country classic style. The old man groaned again. "Is he all right?" Ava looked at the old man with concern. "Supposed to be." He skimmed his hand to the man's injured leg. "Nothing's broken. It's just a sprain possibly. Let me help you on your feet, sir." "I can do it!" He jerked off his hand abruptly, seemed irritated with his offer. "I've suffered much worse injuries than this. Aaarggghhh!!!" He fell back, failed at the first attempt to get himself to stand. "I have no doubt, sir. I can see you are sort of a fighter, a soldier maybe?" Seemed like the young man's clever approach had lifted his pride, because his sullen expression softened, his eyes gleamed. "Indeed. During the restoration. You certainly have an eye, young man." "Salute to you, sir. I've always admired the patriots. You have given all your life protecting people like me. Now when you're in need, I'll be glad to give back, though it's very little and meaningless compared to your service." The old man's resistance loosened and he let the young man lifted him up with an easy pull. When the young man stood up right before her, Ava was stunned by his unusual height. He was a large man, tall and muscular. He let his shirt unbuttoned just above his chest, where a thin mass of golden curls escaped. His rebellious long hair and his bristles made him looked ruggedly handsome and masculine. "Well..." he grinned at her with a mischievous shine in his eyes. "Seems like my hands are full now. I'm afraid you must help with the rest." He cocked his head, motioning to the donkey and the cart along with the scattered planks on the road. "Oh..." Ava's mouth gaped open at the sight of the terrible mess. When she glanced back at him again, his hazel eyes gleaming with laughter. "I'm just joking. How would you fix such a mess alone? I'm going to put you, sir, in your cart. And if you don't mind, miss, can you help with the donkey? That friendly creature seemed quite easy to handle." "My planks!" The old man suddenly exclaimed. "I've been working on them for hours..." "Don't worry about that, sir. I'll get you the new ones tomorrow." "No way!" the old man grumbled. "There's only one cart, sir. Tell me, is it you or the planks I should carry home?" The old man muttered some complaints, but finally agreed. Ava watched in fascination. The way he handled things with a delightful touch of humor was really amusing. And he never knew a man who had the wit. Obviously he was good with people, yet he was sincere. A cold, calculating man like Roger would never bother to help a poor war veteran like this. As th