Anything to delay the inevitable

She has no idea where they would stop or whom they would pick up, but if it meant delaying — even for an hour — her induction into the frightening new life ahead of her, she was all for it.

“Well, if I may be so bold as to venture an opinion,” she replied, fighting to keep sarcasm out of her voice, “if we could combine two errands into one trip, it would seem this would be a more efficient use of His Majesty’s resources.”

Delphan chuckles. “My, my, my! I can’t remember the last time a candidate for the harem had a proper thought in her head! Perhaps not all of your brains descended into your breasts, after all!”

Abbie’s face burned with indignation, and she bit her tongue to prevent herself from asking him how much of his IQ went rolling across the floor and got swept up into the trash along with his severed testicles.

“Let’s go ahead and make the other stop after all,” says Delphan to the driver. “But be quick about it. Storms come up very quickly this time of year, and I refuse to spend another sleepless night in this carriage, waiting for the roads to become passable.”

Abbie looks out the window at the passing scenery, fighting to get her emotions under control. She wondered if Delphan was trying to get a rise out of her or if he was just naturally gifted at being a chauvinistic prick. She had always associated that annoying quality with too much testosterone, but given his physical alterations, she had to discount that diagnosis.

After several turns along the country road, the carriage came to a stop. Abbie looked out the window and saw a small cottage that instantly made her homesick for her own. Delphan got out of the carriage and spoke with the couple who emerged from the home.

As they spoke, the driver got down from his seat to retrieve some apples for the horses. As he passes the carriage window, he looks at Abbie and offers one to her.