Jillian Chantal

This week, the writers of Tuesday Tales are writing to the word prompt fall. I am still rocking along in the Regency story. Hoping to pick up the pace on this sucker. LOL

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Jane’s mind raced as she worked. Since Johnny was clearly not even afraid to bother her while the Captain was in port, he was not going to leave her alone ever. Her plan to run had to be moved up. In fact, she would leave tomorrow. She wanted to stay to continue to spend time with the Captain but he was proving to be not as reliable as he had been in the past.

Confused and sad at how it seemed her love’s feelings for her had changed, she worked distracted and failed to pay close attention to what she was doing.

She placed a full mug of ale on a table—or she intended to—but she missed the surface. She watched it fall and land on the lap of one of the sailors, splashing his breeches as well as his boots.

The man leapt to his feet and screamed, “Watch yerself, wench.”

Fighting back tears, Jane tried to wipe the liquid from him. Until she realized she was patting him in an inappropriate place.

As she leapt back in horror, her employer yelled across the room, “That’s coming out of your wages, Brandy. And I oughta fire you. Right now.”

It did not matter if he fired her since she was planning to leave on the mail coach the next day, but she needed to keep all her wages to pay the fare and set herself up in a new town.

“I will pay it.” A man stepped forward with coins in his hand. He slammed them onto the counter top.

Jane looked at him, shocked and concerned. What would be his price for saving her?

She stared for a moment trying to place where she might know him from.

This week, the writers of Tuesday Tales are writing to a picture prompt. I am still in the Regency story. Snippets are limited to 300 words this week. Mine is very unedited. 🙂

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Jane’s gaze took in the whole tavern again. She had been disappointed when her captain did not come to her boarding house to escort her to work. He usually did when he was in port. In fact, she was sure he said he would be back when he left her that afternoon for wherever he was going to spend the afternoon.

She was almost late arriving for her shift because he did not appear. She had had to run and, in the process, one end of her scarf fell off her shoulder and dragged through the grimy, smelly street and even into some puddle that should not have existed as the day had been quite sunny. Once in a while, as she walked past where it hung on the hook on the wall, she caught a whiff of something nasty and she was pretty sure it might be horse manure. How will I ever get it clean? It’s so fragile and I cannot ruin it as it belonged to my mother.

As she worked, she prayed whatever it was that it would be an easy matter to remove it. She also fretted over where the man she loved could be.

“Get over there and clean that table. Those men left ten minutes ago, Brandy. Candles still lit and half-filled ale should not be sitting there that long.” He employer frowned. “There will be a crowd coming in since the entertainments will soon be over at Vauxhall. Our ale is cheaper and needs to be plentiful with empty chairs to lure in the men who have already lost most of their coins on bear-baiting. They always want to get drunk on the cheap stuff after they get excited there. Get that table cleared now.”

This week, the authors of Tuesday Tales are writing to the word prompt anxious. I am still working on the Regency story. For some reason, I can’t seem to get it done. Weird as I am usually moving along at a goo clip. Lots going on in my life that has me distracted though. Today’s snippet is very unedited! LOL

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“Sir. We have a nice, hot meal in the private dining area if you would like to be shown in.” The man tugged his forelock.

“I will sit out here in the main area.” Daniel pointed to the far corner/ “Perhaps that table there is available?”

“Oh, yes, sir. Yes, sir.” The publican led the way to the table in the darkest part of the establishment. “Are you sure? There is no privacy here at all.” He flicked the towel he had over his shoulder across the table. “It may still be sticky from old Silas who sits here and spills ale all afternoon. Let me get someone to wipe it down for you.”

Daniel nodded, not interested in Old Silas. All he wanted was something cool to drink. “That is fine. Please bring me a small ale and some cold meats.”

“I can bring you a hot meal if you prefer. Even out here”

“No, thank you. I have been out in the heat and would like to refresh myself. Nothing warm, thank you.”

As the man scurried off, now that his eyes acclimated to the dark, Daniel glanced around to be sure no one he knew was in the building. This place was too close to where some of the people he knew might ride.

He let out a deep breath as he realized he was safe. No one would even be able to see him in this corner, and even if they did, they would not recognize him with his eyepatch and scarring. Hopefully.

His ale came and he took a big swig of it before cutting some of the meat the proprietor delivered. A few minutes of enjoyment was all he got as the door slammed open and hit back on its hinges.

Daniel glanced up, and to his shock, he knew several of the men in the party of six who came in, laughing and talking.

Luckily, the publican led them to the private room that Daniel was even gladder he had turned down.

He stuffed a bit more meat in his mouth and chewed it, anxious to be gone. Standing, he swallowed and tossed some coins on the table. He took one last gulp of his drink and made haste to the door.

Hey, all. Sorry I missed a couple of weeks. We went to visit the son and his family one of the weeks and I didn’t write. Yesterday, our internet went out for most of the day so I am late today, too.

I am still in my Regency story. Today’s word for the writers of Tuesday Tales is sign.

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A dilemma for sure. He did not know what to do next to help Brandy so he decided to ride further out into the countryside and exercise his mount. Once that was done and he could think more clearly, he would find Jeremiah and set a plan into action. When he was off the ship and hemmed in the city, he always felt as if he was choking on the crowded air. Oh, to be back at sea. 

If he could not be on the waves, he could at least get some wind in his hair by riding. Not quite as joyful as salt water coming over the side of the railing and splashing his face, but a close second. Even when he lived at home, before everything changed, he always preferred the out of doors over sitting in a stuffy drawing room or being in the crush of a ballroom fill of mothers on the prowl for husbands for their darling little girls.

He snorted at the memory of how stupid he had been in those days. A girl in a skirt showing off her lovely bosom could cause only trouble. How relieved he was that his Brandy was not such a shallow little creature as those vapid minxes had been.

Pushing aside those memories and determined not to think on them again—at least for the foreseeable future—Daniel whistled for his horse to come over to him.

Once he was mounted, he rode out at a gallop, man and beast as one.

They rode until the animal was covered with sweat and Daniel thought he might smell quite as bad as the horse. He knew if he was thirsty, so was his companion.

Luck was on their side. Just ahead was a coaching inn with a stables. The sign outside told him he had arrived at The Horse and Hound. “Cheers, Lad. We can both get something wet and cool.”