A MAZE OF GREED

The next day, the small group was ready to go for a picnic. Ruth had prepared sandwiches and beverages. Ida had prepared salad and fruits. And Thea had prepared... herself. She was dolled up in a nice dress and was ready to enjoy the day.

They all huddled up near the carriages that stood waiting for them. Ruth's eyes searched for Edwin, but he was not there. Did he change his mind at the last minute?

Ruth did not want to lose this opportunity.

"Good morning, Miss Ruth!" Henry greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning Henry! You are also coming with us?" She asked.

"Yes. I thought you will need a ride." Henry smiled and went to help Thea and Ida, in putting the things they carried with them.

Henry had completely forgotten about the duck incident. It was like it never happened. Ruth smirked in content. Her powers were her blessings!

'Thank you father', she remembered Gerald.

Ruth had no idea that she was not the only one who wanted to get near Edwin. The group had already planned on how to get them closer.

Rees, Thea, Elsie and Lester sat in one carriage. Now left Ruth and Ida. Ruth looked around for Edwin in alarm, but she could not find him.

"Come on Ruth, looks like we are sharing the carriage. Are you looking for something?" Ida stifled her smile.

"Huh.. no. Erm... is everyone here? We are not forgetting anything right?" Ruth asked.

Why everyone was so normal about Edwin's absence?

"Erm... let me think." Ida pretended like she was thinking by tapping her finger on her chin.

"No Ruth, we are ready to go. Come on!" Saying that Ida climbed the other carriage ridden by Henry.

Sighing in defeat, Ruth followed Ida. As soon as she entered the carriage, she found Ida smiling widely at her. And to her opposite side sat Edwin with an expressionless face.

Ruth stepped ahead to sit beside Ida, but she instantly put the picnic basket at her side.

Now there was only one place remaining for Ruth... beside Edwin. She hesitantly sat beside him, and he did not react.

Henry followed the other carriage, and soon they left 'the great manor' behind and were already on the road.

An awkward silence made Ruth shift in her place. Ida had that constant goofy smile on her face. Edwin was staring out of the window. And Ruth did not know what she should do in such a situation.

"Ruth are you excited for this picnic?" Ida finally struck the conversation.

"Yes. I am excited to see where Rees is taking us." Ruth replied with a smile.

She kept stealing glances at Edwin, but he acted uninterested in their conversation. What was wrong with him? Or was he behaving that way because of Ida?

"Have you ever been out of Vincardine before?" Ida asked.

"From the time I came to live here after my mother's death, I did not get a chance of going out of Vincardine."

Edwin realised what Ida was doing. He knew very little about Ruth. The things that others also knew. But if wanted to make her love him, then he needed to gather more information about her.

~"You are a clever woman Ida. Thank you!"~

Ida blushed, hearing the compliment from her leader. Although she respected him with utmost devotion, even she could not escape Edwin's charm.

~"It is my duty towards my leader and my Luna."~ She replied.

"Oh! Well I have also never stepped out of Vincardine. But I wish to visit the royal palace at least once in my life. Do you have any such wish?" Ida asked.

Ruth thought, did she have any wish now other than getting her revenge?

"Well... the large ships always fascinated me. I would like to see the world by sea route.... if only life allows me."

Edwin made a mental note of that. He decided to gift her a ship at their wedding. If only she ever agreed to marry him.

Ida kept on asking questions about Ruth's likes and dislikes, her wishes and aspirations while manoeuvring through the light conversation.

Edwin got to know many new things about her. Some facts even surprised him, for example, her favourite colours were black and red, the exact opposite to her calm personality.

Edwin was saving all that information for future use. And while listening to her answers, he realised that she was a completely different woman than what the world thought.

She had unique choices, great aspirations, rebellious opinions and high value for her goals. He felt so proud of her that he wished if Mr Welby was there to hear her. Then he would have known why the Moon Goddess chose her for Edwin.

Some minutes later, when Ida could not come up with any particular question, she pretended to sleep. She told that she had to wake up early for the picnic's preparations and she would rest before they reached their destination.

Edwin knew that she was not lying this time. He heard her heartbeats falling into the rhythm as she drifted to sleep.

Ruth picked that as a sign to initiate the conversation with him.

"You do not share the same excitement as others." Ruth noted.

"I just have different ways of expressing myself."

Why does he have to be so mysterious all the time?

"Thank you... for joining us. Lady Elsie is very happy." Ruth diverted the topic.

"Hmm."

Hmm?

Ruth wanted to slap him on the forehead for such mundane replies. He was all good recently when she hugged him, and now he was acting cold again.

She was upset with him, and to show it, she decided to stop talking. If he was not interested in speaking with her, then she also did not need to continue the conversation.

"Pass me water." She heard him say after five minutes.

Ruth huffed in annoyance. She searched for water in the bag beside her, but it was not in it. She thought of waking Ida but then decided against it. She leaned forward, trying to move Ida's hand from the bag she was holding to her side.

Ruth's upper body was almost horizontal as she struggled to open the bag and search for a water bottle inside.

Edwin watched in amusement as she looked very tempting in that position. His wicked mind imagined her in that position near his desk and his bed. She bent on his table or bed and, he did the things he craved to do with her from behind.

The grunts that came from her lips sounded like her moans and pleads to him, asking for more. He had not touched any woman since the first time he saw her face when she went to 'the great manor' with Florence.

He was having a hard time controlling his lust. And with her near him, it became more difficult. Edwin gulped down his saliva down his dry throat needing the water more than before.

"Ouch!"

Ruth gasped as the wheel of the carriage ran through the pothole that disturbed its balance. The impact made her fall to her side, and fortunately, she landed straight in Edwin's lap.

Ruth looked up with wide eyes at him as he stared down at her. He held her by shoulders. Even in that situation, Ruth's crazy mind found him more handsome from that downward angle.

Her breath shook as his eyes roamed all over her, caressing her skin without touching it. His eyes travelled down on her moving chest. She thought his eyes changed colour for a split second.

She could feel his thigh muscles rubbing against her back as the carriage ran on the rough road. She held her breath when he leaned down, her hands instinctively covered her chest.

"I do not mind travelling like this if you want." He whispered.

Ruth only blinked, not knowing how to answer that. Edwin's hand moved. He ran his knuckles on the length of her face.

His touch was so soothing that Ruth shuddered under it, liking it.

Coming back to her senses, she tried waking up from his lap, but he held her down. Ruth's heart began thudding in anticipation.

Pinning her on his lap with one hand, Edwin took the water bottle from her with his other hand. Opening the bottle, he poured the water in his mouth and drank it.

Ruth could not help but watch in fascination how his Adam's apple moved up and down. Drops of water fell on the corner of his mouth as the carriage ran on the bumpy road.

Mixing together, they ran down his chin and onto his neck to only disappear beneath his shirt in rivulets.

Suddenly Ruth felt hot and thirsty. She had to remind her to breathe before she died on his lap due to a lack of oxygen.

"I think you too need some water." Edwin said, wiping his mouth.

Why does his every action look seducing?

Ruth hurriedly raised up from his lap when she heard Ida shifting in her place. Edwin smirked when she snatched the bottle from his hand and started chugging down the water.

She could not help but wonder if she was luring him into her trap or was she falling into her own trap?

Whatever it is, she reminded herself of her motto. Her revenge was her ultimate goal in life and, nothing could stop her from that!