Chapter 112
He was wearing a white shirt and a pair of black trousers under a long black overcoat. He was covering his broad palms with a pair of white short gloves and covering his red eyes with a pair of black sunglasses. He was carrying a blank leather briefcase with one hand while with the other, he was carrying a black umbrella.
All the ladies, married and unmarried, young and old, couldn’t help but stare at that man and giggle among themselves as he passed by.
That handsome man was well aware of all the attention he was getting. He would occasionally glance at the prettiest ladies and give a nod or a gentle smile to them.
‘Ladies, ladies everywhere, and not a single one available to drink,’ he thought to himself and sighed.
“Mr. Hamilton.”
He suddenly heard a man calling his name.
Hamilton stopped walking and turned around to find a young man who he didn’t think he knew. But still, he waited for that man to catch up to him.
That young man stopped in front of Hamilton and took a moment to catch his breath.
.....
And he finally spoke, “Mr. Hamilton. It’s so nice to finally see you in person. I am a great admirer of your writing. I read one of your recent articles about the lost history of the world. You explained everything in such a detailed manner that it felt like you had seen everything with your own eyes.”
“Well, I could have,” Hamilton said in a playful voice and smiled at his admirer.
That man laughed and said, “You have a good sense of humor, Mr. Hamilton. I am glad to have met you.”
Hamilton liked it when people praised his works. So he held out his hand and asked the admirer, “It is nice to meet you too. But I didn’t quite catch your name.”
“I am Jay,” he shook Hamilton’s hand. He was a little startled though when he felt the sudden coldness of Hamilton’s hand.
And Hamilton smiled and said, “My hands and feet are always cold.”
“Ah!” Jay smiled and gave a gentle bow to his idol, “Thank you for talking to me. I hope I will get to publish my articles alongside yours someday.”
“And I wish you all the best for your future endeavors,” Hamilton politely replied and headed towards the carriage that was waiting for him at the end of the street.
The coachman bowed and opened the door of the carriage for Lord Hamilton when he came and stood at the entrance of the main road.
Hamilton settled down in the carriage and then ordered the coachman, “Take me to the capital. I want to roam this land for a few more days.”
He rested his head on the soft cushion that was placed for his comfort and took off the glasses before closing his eyes. He was waiting for the carriage to move when suddenly, he inhaled the sweet smell lingering in the air.
He immediately flung his blood-red eyes open. They were glowing with excitement.
But he didn’t want to lose his control in the public place and also lose the prestige that he had worked hard to maintain even in this foreign land. So he closed his eyes back again and asked the coachman, “What’s taking so long? Why aren’t we moving yet?”
“I’m sorry, Milord. It looks like a beggar is blocking the path and asking for coins from all the carriages,” the coachman replied.
Hamilton sighed and put his sunglasses back on. And he looked out of the window to see a woman stopping the carriages one by one and asking for a ride.
‘She’s the one I am smelling?’ he thought to himself.
That woman was wearing a shabby gown that had holes in several places. To add to that, her gown had patches of blood clots as if someone had beaten the hell out of that poor woman. He noticed her feet leaving bloody prints as she walked forward.
And that fresh blood smelled so sweet that he couldn’t resist calling her.
“Hey! Come here,” he shouted from the window.
She came and stood beside the carriage in no time. And she kept on looking at him with hopeful eyes.
“Are you going somewhere?” Hamilton asked her.
And that red-headed woman pointed ahead and said, “I’m going in that direction. Will you give me a ride? I would have walked but my feet are really tired. A corner of your carriage will be enough for me to crouch on.”
Hamilton couldn’t decide if inviting that woman inside the carriage would be the right thing to do. ‘I will want to sink my fangs into her neck if I sit together with her.’
And he cursed himself for being impulsive, ‘Why the hell did I even call her?’
He knew that the right thing to do would be to leave that town as fast as he could, without her. But seeing her pitiful face, he couldn’t chase her away.
“Okay, I will give you a ride,” he replied monotonously.
“Thank you, Milord,” she instantly ran to the other side of the carriage so that she could get inside before the lord changed his mind.
She stood by the door and looked at Hamilton.
The coachman came and opened the door after some hesitation. He wasn’t sure why the lord would let a beggar inside his luxurious carriage.
But rather than letting her get inside, Hamilton stepped down from the carriage.
The woman looked confused.
“What’s your name?” Hamilton asked while adjusting his overcoat.
“Ruby,” came the short answer.
Hamilton nodded his head. “Okay then, Ruby. Why don’t we go shopping first? People will think that I beat you up if they see you like this in my carriage.”
Ruby looked down at herself. She really needed a change of clothes. And if possible, she also needed a good bath.
But she wasn’t sure if accepting that kind man’s offer was the right thing to do. However, before she could even think whether or not to accept the offer, Hamilton started to walk ahead.
“Maintain two feet distance from me, okay? I don’t want to look like an abuser,” he said as he kept on walking at a fast pace.