The Fancy Read Online Free PDF

prayed, blew out the lantern and laid upon
    his bed for rest that did not easily come.
    Deep into the night, the wench woke him three
    times with her fever, with whimpers, nightmares -
    terror in her cries. Yet and stil , al while she
    struggled, her voice weak, she came to enough to
    plead, "I be betta' masta, I be betta' - don't - give me
    up - I be betta'."
    Bathing her brow, forcing her to drink more of
    the special tea he'd made from herbs he had
    col ected while in the Orient, his murmur to her was
    gentle, "Sleep, don't be sil y - you are a gift - one - it
    is best - that I keep... sleep." There, he said it; he
    knew that it was true, that he would, keep her. He
    wondered if he'd known al along, that he would keep
    this gift, and make the best of it – her? At one
    moment in the night, her feverish eyes stared into
    his; he smiled for her, to reassure her and suddenly
    realized he didn't know her name.
    "Tel me - if you can - what name your mother
    announced upon your birth?"
    Licking her chapped, cracked lips to moisten
    them before she spoke, "Suga ... my name - Suga."
    Once more, taking himself by surprise, Quinton
    chuckled out loud; he shook his head in wonder.
    Her eyes drifted closed, and again she slept; it
    was her final interruption of rest. Al was quiet once
    more, he returned to his place beside her, closing
    his eyes, before drifting off to sleep, a smile spread
    across his face, for in his mind, her name repeated
    itself, over and over until the final mention and
    version of it, brought his smile, 'Suga Caine.' Life
    was not so terrible after al . Quinton had a feeling the
    Lord was saying to him, “Life – is not so bad. There
    – your day has ended - better? Quinton?” For him to
    answer the Lord,“Yes Lord, yes - better.”

Chapter III
    For their own reasons, both were at the height
    of being ful y drained. They slept late into the next
    day and through it, only rising for a bit of privacy to
    relieve themselves via the chamber pot, Quinton
    leaving her to take care of it, returning to dump it
    despite the distress it caused her at having him do it.
    He smiled and proclaimed, “You are a sil y little rat-
    slayer, back in bed, I am not above this. Do as I say,
    grumble no more.” Upon his return, again he found
    her fast asleep, despite her fight to try and do what
    she felt her chore, she was exhausted – drained.
    Aware of that, Quinton returned to bed and together,
    they slept. Even in her condition, she made every
    effort to keep her distance from him while lying within
    reach – this Quinton noticed as he would wake,
    check on her, giving her soup, water, cheese, tea
    and a bit of bread.
    No matter how tired himself, needing to recover
    from days of being in attendance to sick ones, he
    didn’t shirk his responsibility to see to her, he rose
    with scratchy, bleary eyes, making more sustenance
    for her, for himself where in silence they ate and
    drank – the entire time her eyes were cast
    downward, as if ashamed of herself for al owing this,
    as if it were an unspoken rule that she not look him in
    the eyes.
    Quinton sighed, he would address her fears
    later, but for now, they both needed more rest, thus
    he continued to check on her every time he stirred
    and immediately upon finding her okay he went back
    to sleep.
    Side by side they remained; becoming more
    familiar with one another – in that time of rest and
    healing; Suga learned al she needed to know about
    the man she considered, her new master, she lay in
    his bed and not even one night, had he made an
    attempt to take her against her wil . It was early upon
    the third morning when their rest and peace was
    interrupted with a banging at his door. Startled
    awake, Quinton blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to
    opening and staying that way; stumbling from the
    bed, he yawned going to his window, his bedroom
    was right above the front door; opening the window
    he looked out, yel ing, "Calm down, enough of that
    banging - look up