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His protector. His healer.
She deserved to share this meal with him. In fact, he was the one fortunate enough to eat with her. His eyes had been well and truly opened after the last two days. There was no difference between them—not the strata of society or any titles—except for the fact that he was a man and she was a woman. And he would feel like a terrible person if she didn’t eat the food that rightfully belonged to her.
“Fine,” Ariadne said after a long while, “but only because I’m rather hungry.”
Edward grinned. He had never felt so much satisfaction in his life, not even when he was inducted into Parliament. Edward broke the bread into equal pieces and handed one to her.
“What about the broth?” she asked uncertainly.
“It's part of the meal so we shall share it too,” he said. “Can you bring two spoons?”
Ariadne shook her head. She tore a chunk of bread and then proceeded to dip it into the broth and then she held it out to Edward. He had no choice but to tip his head to her and swallow the nibble. It tasted quite marvelous.
“Superb,” he said. “I never thought to dip the bread into the broth.”
Ariadne frowned at him. “What do you eat on the ship?”
His lie was almost caught. “Nothing like this.”
Ariadne smiled. “You have much to learn, Sir.”
The old Edward would think it a savage form of partaking food but this one, the one sitting beside this strange woman who smelled faintly of lavender and grease for some reason, thought it bloody brilliant. He couldn’t wait to tell Charles about it.
Right then another thought struck him. “My foot—friend, he was the last to see me.”
“Don’t worry, sir. They’ll find you soon enough,” she said. “Men like you don’t go missing for long. You might not be a peer, but it's evident from your breeding and your clothes that you’re an important person. Your crew must be already looking for you.”
Edward fell silent, the guilt of his deception now eating away at him. He tried to change the discussion. “What about the people in this neighborhood?”
“What about them?” Ariadne asked between bites.
“Are they not safe here?” Edward asked with some concern.
“Children are often stolen in the guise of the night and never found. The streets are not safe for women either. Or newcomers.” She eyed him and her meaning was clear.
“I shall keep that in mind the next time I’m around,” he said.
Ariadne shook her head. “You won’t be coming back, that’s for certain.”
Edward fell silent. If he hadn’t acted so foolishly he wouldn’t be here in the first place. This neighborhood was so drastically different from his own in Grosvenor Square that it almost felt like he was now in a different world altogether.
Ariadne took away his empty bowl and tray and left him to ponder in silence. Charles was right about many things including the fact that the lower class had it much worse than he had initially thought. They had no safe or strong shelter, and disease was an enemy plaguing their doors. If nothing else, this was a truly eye-opening experience. He tried to look for his diary and regrettably remembered that it had been in his coat pocket. He had lost his walking stick somewhere too during the altercation. He was deep in thought when Ariadne came back. She had a book in her hand.
“What is that about?” he asked as she settled on the chair. Edward tried not to notice the various stitching running across her gown. It was almost falling apart and he had the strong urge to buy her a whole wardrobe.
“It’s a storybook about a priest who goes to India and finds knowledge in tantric arts. It's fictional but is supposed to be written based on the true experiences of the author,” Ariadne said. “But it will excessively dull compared to your adventures out on the sea. Did you visit any of the colonies?”
Edward shook his head. He tried to think of everything he knew about sea merchants which was not much. “Most of those are tall tales. And besides, I want to hear about this one. Will you read to me?” he asked.
“Certainly,” she said. Ariadne cleared her throat. “There was once a—”
Edward raised his brow. “Why did you stop?”
“Don’t look at me as I read. I know I don’t have immaculate pronunciation. Some of the words I learned just by reading.”
“You have an excellent voice and intonation,” he said. It was true. She had a low-lilted voice that could wrap itself around you. “But if it bothers you so much, I’ll close my eyes and listen.”
Ariadne nodded. “That’s better.”
