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"Allison, I know that your brother is smitten with me. The night I was assailed, I heard him tell the man to 'Take his hands off his girl.' I thought he was trying to trick them for a moment, but I see it differently after his behavior with me the past two days. I do share feelings for Larson. He has been nothing but kind and considerate. Larson has not expected any favors in return and is a true gentleman. I could eventually see myself in a courtship with your brother." Rose answered Allison's curious question.
"I knew it! I knew you felt the same! I don't want to rush things, but I think you and Larson should start courting soon," Allison chirped.
"Wait, Allison, I know you're excited, but I want to take things slow. It's all new to me, and I don't want to move too quickly. Slow and easy is the pace right now." Rose conveyed with a guarded smile.
The current topic of discussion led Rose to remember her bad history with relationships. Each time she thought about getting involved with a man. It never worked out. They would always discover she was a monster and desert or try to kill her. She did want to experience that kind of pain anymore. Rose knew her heart could not handle being broken one more time.
Allison watched Rose's mood shift, and a look of pain washed over her face. She thought maybe she was too pushy about Larson courting Rose. Allison rapidly moved onto another subject. "I understand you are not ready," she said with a pout on her face. Although Allison was anxious to see her brother and Rose become a couple. Their interactions seemed relaxed and natural like they were made for each other. She would not pester Rose about the subject any further.
"Rose?"
Mhm,... hummed Rose in reply to Allison, calling her name. Her head was in the book she busy reading.
"What are you doing today?" inquired Allison with a cute grin. She leaned across the table and pushed the book down so Rose would look at her.
"Well, I hadn't thought about it. The greenhouse is closed until after New Year. Why? What do you have in mind?" She looked to see Allison's shining grin. Rose thought maybe it would be a good idea to get out, look around town and see the sights.
"Let's go to the shop and get dressed for the New Year celebrations. We will visit a few local homes, and I can introduce you around." Allison said excitedly.
"I can't afford another dress right now. I'm being cautious with my earnings." Rose gave Allison a stern look.
"Silly girl, I'm not going to make you pay, and Larson would not hear of it. I'll have the carriage brought around to the covered porch after breakfast. You only have one dress, and it would be better to have at least two—one for work and one for church and special occasions. Now put that book down and get ready." Allison was thrilled to have a day out with her new companion.
Rose frowned at the mention of the church. This was not something she had considered. It made her think that the Milners were religious and attended services. The church was a place she could not join. It was on holy land. Being a demon, Rose would be destroyed if she entered the sacred grounds.
"MOLLY!" Rose was brought out her thoughts by Allison shouting instructions for the housekeeper. "Get a quick breakfast ready, and have the driver bring the coach to the side entrance."
***
The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, and it was past noon when the carriage made its way to Milner's Dress Shop. Allison and Rose spent several hours looking at all the dresses and picking out the finest ones for the upcoming New Year's events. Rose felt nervous about being out in public and began to regret her decision to come out with Allison. She was unsure if it was safe. Especially with the two men who attacked her and the possibility of Christopher Thorn on the hunt for her. Rose started to think it would have been better to have remained at the townhome. But she already knew that would not be an option with Allison around. The girl was too delighted about having a new friend.
Ominous thoughts squirmed at the back of Rose's mind. It drew her back to the inn owner Sadie and the incident from the other night. Rose had a message to deliver. She needed to get to the greenhouse, pull some Tansy's, and send them wrapped in a black ribbon. In the language of flowers, Sadie would know that Rose was issuing a declaration of war for her sending those hooligans after her. Rose wanted Sadie to see that she was watching and would take her down if she tried to do anything else.
"Allison, I have a small task to take care of, I will be gone for a half-hour, and then we will get back to the house. Okay?" Rose asked Allison. She played with a seam on her dress, tracing it with her fingers.
"That will be fine. It will give me time to find accessories and gloves for our dresses." Allison responded that she was distracted by everything laid out on the counters. She was trying to match the items to the dresses.
***
The drizzle from earlier had finally tapered off, and Rose made her way to the back of Crowder's greenhouse. There was a door she noticed on her first day that didn't lock well. Rose shimmied the door till the lock snapped open. She found several clumps of tiny yellow flowers growing with the tulip bulbs. The Tansy's were considered a pesky wildflower, almost a weed.
As Rose walked to the front of the greenhouse to get a black ribbon for the Tansys, she heard a loud clattering. Rose frantically ducked under one of the potting tables and held her breath. No one should be there, not even her. Then Rose heard another noise. There was a cat in the greenhouse. It was meowing. When the cat spied Rose under the table. It hissed and scampered across the ground and up under some planters. "Stupid cat, you scared the hell out of me." she gave a nervous chortle muttering to the animal.
Rose made her way from the greenhouse with the Tansy's. She took the back way around the plaza and out to Bedford Rd. She did not want Allison to catch her sight of what she was doing. Rose saw the inn that sat on the outskirts of Covent Garden. A young boy was standing on the side of the road, playing in the dirt with a stick. He was scrawny and ditry. Rose imagined he could use a good meal. "Boy, Do you want to make a quick pence?" Rose asked the child.
He didn't speak a word, just nodded his head with an adorable grin. "All right then, Take this bouquet inside and give them to the lady at the front desk." Rose gave him the flowers and the pence. Rose watched the boy traverse the road and into the inn. She saw him re-emerge from the building a minute later, and right behind him was Sadie. The boy pointed over at where Rose was standing. Sadie glowered at Rose, and then a slimy smile materialized on her lips. She knew Sadie had received the message, but it looked like she would take the challenge. Rose would be ready. She was going to eliminate Sadie and her hoodlums.
***
The day had come to a close, and twilight was approaching. A brisk chill was in the air. Rose opened the door to the dress shop but saw it was empty."Allison, are you in here?" There was no reply. Rose's brow furrowed, and her lips pursed into a thin line. She stepped into the dimly lit shop. Rose walked around the counter and was alarmed to find Allison unconscious on the floor.
"Allison, wake up. It's Rose, sweetie. Wake up for me." Rose lightly patted her cheeks and shook her shoulders, trying to revive Allison. It was then that Rose realized they were not alone. An ache in the pit of her belly told her something was wrong. There were others inside the store. Rose stood slowly and whirled around. She had come face to face with the man from two nights before. His lips curled over teeth, and he gave an evil grin to Rose. She could see his dirty mouth and missing teeth. He was so close she could smell liquor and his putrid breath.
"Well, here you are again. This time there's no one to save you, fucking whore." The man spat the words in her face. His nostrils flared, and his fist clenched. Rose could see he had a black eye and bruised cheek that looked swollen from where Larson had walloped him.
Rose stood stiff and silent. She could feel adrenaline bursting into her veins. Before the man could move, she grabbed his head and twisted with all her might. Rose felt the snap and watched his body go limp and drop to the floor. She pulled his body up and was about to consume his blood when Rose saw movement behind the dressing screen."Come OUT!" Rose demanded. Her voice was loud and abrupt.
The skinny man emerged from behind the screen but kept his distance from Rose.
Allison began to regain consciousness, and Rose could hear her rustling behind the counter. "Stay down, Allison. It's not safe," warned Rose.
The other man started to run for the door, but Rose blocked him. She drew her dagger from the back of her dress, quickly approached the nasty thug, and held the blade to his throat.
"Please, Miss, don't kill me with the knife." He gulped and started begging for his life. The man was a coward.
"Then start talking. I won't slaughter you with the dagger if you tell me what I want. Who sent you?" Rose interrogated the felon.
"Sadie, she sent us to retrieve you." The man began to shake, and Rose could see the blood drain from his sweaty face as she pressed the blade further into his neck. Rose watched as the warm blood trickled down his neck from the nick in his skin left by the dagger. It gave Rose an overwhelming urge to quench her blood thirst.
"What does she want with me? Speak quick!" Rose was losing patience and saw Allison stand up from behind the counter.
"She wants to sell you out for sex, Miss. She has bidders ready to pay a large sum for you." the man trembled as he spoke, and his knees were so weak they were about to give way from fear.