Chapter 45: How Much?

Bayou

One, two, buckle my shoe, three, four, knock on the door, five, six, pick up the stick, seven, eight, lay it straight, nine ten, stick it up my cousin dic....

“Keep your mind occupied, alright,” Max interrupted my amusing thoughts. My blood boiled, with the thoughts of murdering him. Dinner was fast, no one came down, nor did I dare eat anything, afraid it would be poisoned, Belle and Max did the same. I hoped that Crystal would do the same.

“Trust me, I had my mind occupied, thinking of ways of torturing him,” I darkly joked, drumming my fingers on the base of the armchair. I watch the Duke come in, with a glass at hand.

“I do apologize, my wife isn’t feeling well enough to come down, and my daughter won’t leave her side for too long,” he said, sitting in front of me.

“I don’t blame her, I wouldn’t come down either,” I told him. He sat in front of me, and chuckled. We were in a greenhouse, filled with many beautiful varieties of exotic flowers. The walls were made out of glass, and the chairs were cushioned, positioned near the right, a millimeter away from the flowers.

“Your sense of humor hasn’t died at all,” he told me, as he held a glass of whiskey in hand. I shrugged.

“That’s good to hear, then I can laugh my butt off when I cut you into pieces, and feed you to the dogs.... No, wait, I forgot, dogs don’t eat crap, I’m sorry,” I gave him a cheeky smile. His eyes darkened once again. He held his glass firmly, that poor glass was ready to burst, from the amount of pressure he was giving it.

“Now, why would you ask my son and your uncle to your humble abode?” Max asked, leaning forward.

“Ah, right, that’s a question I had been dying to ask, why would you invite little old me, instead of chopping my head off, and placing it in your head collection?” I asked him.

“I’m not that bad of a person, I’m saddened that you see me that way. We were family after all, I just wanted to invite the two of you, so you could meet my daughter, I do love you both oh so much,” he stretched his arms out in a loving gesture.

“Oh mate, I can feel that love, trust me,” I stood up and stretched my arms out.

He’s up to something, and I don’t like it at all.

My cousin stood and walked up to the glass, looking out at the large green yard.

“That little girl, the feisty one, she has spunk. She may be ugly, but how much shall I give you, so I can bed her tonight?” Max moved rapidly and placed his hand on my shoulder, as I felt my breath heighten very unevenly.

If my night couldn’t get any worse by this git.

“Why so interested on her all of the sudden?” I asked, digging my nails into my palm. He shrugged.

“I was thinking, if she is that sharp, I wonder how she is in bed. You’ve bedded her before, so you know how she is. I just want to try it, and as well teach her a lesson, she needs manners.” His eyes tightened, and his thin lips thinned out even more.

“How much you will charge me?” I played along, ready to punch him in his face. He lifted his gaze.

“Hmm, you’re not cheap, five sacks of gold, you won’t mind, we were cousins after all.”

God, give me patience, to not rip his jewels out, and feed them to the dogs.

“I’ll think about it, now, if we were done, will you give us a room to stay?”

“Of course, what type of host I would be to my guests, if I didn’t,” he clapped his hands, and an older woman, in her mid-fifties with long braided brown hair appeared inside the greenhouse. She looked very tired and skinny.

“Yes, master?”

“Show them to their rooms. Now, have a good night. See you in the morning.”

I meekly bow.

“Well, thank you for considering us as your guests.”

My cousin nodded, and with that, he left us. Max and I glanced at each other.

“I know, just play along,” Max whispered. With my anger boiling over, I turned with a fist and started to count.

One, two, buckle my shoe, three, four, knock on the door pick up the stick, seven, eight, lay it straight, nine ten, stick it up my cousin...