The Proposal: Chapter 1

1820

"Out of the way!" an English accent barked, causing the woman to jump.

"Sorry..." Keesha Ward whispered, stepping out of the way so the man could pass. She looked around. England. She made it. She took a deep breath and started walking slowly, following the crowd of people who came off the shipwith her.

She looked back at the ship, swearing she would never go on another boat for the rest of her life. Keesha had been born in America, raised in the free North by her father, a black man who became a lawyer, educated in one of the few schools that allowed free black people to receive an education. Recently had become very involved in the movement of bringing Southern slave blacks to their freedom in the north...sometimes even sending them out of the country, usually to England. Where the rumor was that, like most of Europe, race mattered far less than someone's economic class. Some said it did not matter at all. Keesha looked as the young red-haired woman in front of her whispered to the black man walking beside her. And yet no one seemed to care. Perhaps the rumor was true.

She never met her mother, mumbled talks in the family claimed her mother was half black and half-what Keesha's father referred to as "Natives" others called them "Indians". One day, her father told her they had to leave the country, that people were looking for him to kill him because of the abolitionist group he had helped form. They snuck away in the dead of night to the boat, planning to try and live life in England. Then, on the pier, Keesha's father left her-telling her that he still had work here, and he wouldn't be going. He gave her some money, gave her an address, and made her promise to take care of herself. With a small kiss on her cheek, he walked away, both of them knowing they would never see each other again.

"Bloody hell!" Jasper *Jax* Jacks continued to yell, his voice tinged with an accent the passerby's did not recognize. "I told you, we did not have the time to stop in this tavern! We have to get back...."

"I know Jax!" his elder brother replied. "But we have time to enjoy some good food and wine, and the...womanly pleasures this place has to offer." Without another word, Jerry walked back into the tavern his brother had dragged him out of, leaving Jax fuming outside.

He didn't have time for this. He stormed back into the tavern, sighing deeply as a barmaid draped her legs over Jerry's, sitting down in his lap. "I'll be upstairs." he mumbled, walking over to the bar to get a room. At least he could rest while his brother enjoyed company - Jax knew they weren't leaving there tonight. Which meant he had one less day to find a suitable woman and bring her back to his manor. Or they would take Jules away for sure. There was no way Jax was going to let them take his young cousin away now-he had raised him from since his mother died in childbirth, Jules was his son in spirit and that was what mattered. And no one was taking him away.

Keesha looked to the floor, ready to blush at all of the male attention focused on her in the form of whistles and calls as she walked into the tavern. She smoothed her dress, walking over to the bar. "Excuse me..."

"Keesha, correct?"

"Yes."

"I've been expecting you. Here, put this on." The old man threw her a dress. "You do know how to serve,correct?"

"Serve?" Keesha's voice lowered.

"Drinks...drinks...start with that table over there. Hurry..."

Keesha slowly took her dress. "Where may I dress?"

"In here is fine."

Keesha turned, looking at the man who spoke. "You don't look like a barmaid."

"I am not," she answered.

"Yet, you are holding the costume of one. I am sure we cannot wait to see you in it. I'm Jacks...Jerry Jacks." He took Keesha's hand, maintaining eye contact as he raised it to his lips. He kissed it gently.

"Her name is Keesha," the tavern owner answered for her.

"She speaks as if well educated..." "I am well educated." Keesha tore her hand from Jerry, all of her nervousness replaced by anger. "I am in university I would have you know..."

"Is that so? Where?"

"In America..."

"Well, you are not in America now are you. So it doesn't do you any good. Where did you find her-she's rather outspoken."

"She's the daughter of a friend." the bartender answered for her again. Keesha sighed, she had to get out of this place.

"Well, daughter of friend, who's name is Keesha. Change, and then and do me a favor, go upstairs and bring my brother his nightcap." Jerry tossed some coins on the bar and walked away.

Keesha walked up the stairs to the top floor of the tavern. She watched as a man left one of the rooms, and her mouth gaped as she noticed his breeches were slightly undone. The man laughed, walking past her and hitting Keesha's rear, causing her to go into even more shock. He laughed again and a woman exited the room. "Get your own!" she barked in a cockney accent. Keesha stared as the woman ripped up the ticket on Keesha's tray, throwing it in her face. Keesha's eyes darkened and she started to say something but changed her mind, running her fingers through her hair. The woman disappeared and Keesha looked down at her garmet. Feeling rather undressed, she pulled the shoulder of her dress back up, only to have it fall again, the already plunging neckline, dropping even further. She shook her head in resolve, continuing down the hall and knocking gently on the last door.

She looked down and waited. Suddenly the door opened, but when she looked up no one was there. "Pardon me?"she called softly.

"Near the bed!" the accented male voice answered from somewhere. Keesha walked in quickly, figuring the man was probably occupied with some woman like everyone in this place seemed to be. She set the glass down, pouring the alcohol from it's cannister. Then something caught her attention. Slowly, Keesha picked up the book on the bed, flipping through the pages.

Jax stood against the wall, watching as the woman flipped back to the first page of his book, seeming as if she was reading. His gaze travelled down the curved length of her form, his eyebrow raising in admiration.

Keesha froze. Someone was watching her She closed the book quickly and placed it down. "I apologize." she spoke without turning.

"You know French?"

"Yes..." remembering what her father taught her was the proper way to address men in Europe. "...My Lord. As well as Spanish."

"I did not ask you that."

"Yes My Lord. Again I apologize."

Jax smiled. "However thank you for telling me anyway. Do you always avoid looking at people."

Keesha cursed herself, and with a deep breath forced herself to turn around. Across the room, Jax stood motionless, staring at her, mesmorized by her beauty-he stepped closer, looking into the darkness of her brown eyes. Keesha dropped her gaze from his, glancing down, her heart racing as she focused on his bare chest, the muscles of his body so chiseled, she almost felt as if she was looking at a perfect statue. Her heart began to race for a reason unknown and she dropped her gaze further, looking at the floor."You still are avoiding me." Jax mumbled quietly, walking closer to her.

"That is because you are not properly attired." Keesha looked up as Jax laughed, the loud sound filling the room.

"I do not see why that is so funny...My Lord."

"Well, some would say the same about you my...Lady."

Lady? Keesha took a breath, she had been called many things in her life, but never lady. And she never expected to hear it from a man in this tavern. Especially one like the man before her. She wondered what he was doing in the tavern to begin with, surely he would have no problems finding women to entertain his every wish. He was very attractive, obviously well educated and very...Keesha took another breath, wondering why she felt odd in Jax's presence.

Jax finally stopped right in front of her. "Or, is it the point to appeal to my..." Jax reached out, slowly raising the strap of her dress, placing it back on Keesha's shoulder. It fell once more.

"I can assure you, that I am not trying to appeal to anything..." Keesha almost hissed, attempting to step back. She glanced behind her, finding herself trapped between Jax and that damn table behind her. She looked back at Jax again, and her heart stopped as she noticed how clear the man's blue eyes were. They were amazingly beautiful...She blinked, barely noticing as he asked "Where are you from?"

"America," she whispered. Jax looked down at her mouth as she spoke. Her lips were full and looked incredibly inviting...it took all of the strength he could muster not to reach out and run his fingers across them. "Gathered." He cleared his throat. "Why are you here?"

"If there is nothing else...I really must be heading downstairs."

"What may I call you?"

"Keesha."

"Keesha what?"

"Ward."

"Is anyone looking for you?" Jax ran his fingers through his blond locks, a few strands falling near his eyes.

"No...might I ask why?"

"You know French and Spanish. Anything else?"

"Italian...." Keesha's voice trailed off as Jax reached out, his fingers wrapping into her dark tendrils. Her gaze followed as he pulled something from her hair. "Thank you."

Jax flashed Keesha a smile, dropping the small piece of paper on the floor. "My brother sent you?"

"Yes My Lord." Jax smiled. Jerry worked in mysterious ways. "You are out of place here," Jax noted.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps? You like working in a place of drunken men who will do anything and everything to you if that is what they please? Just so you can be rewarded by a coin here and there? And by the looks of you, I would gather that many men are waiting for you to come downstairs so they can..." Jax quit speaking, realizing by her eyes his words were frightening to her. "As I said, you are out of place here."

"Even if I was, then where would I go?"

"With me."

"With you? So that you can do anything and everything as you please, and I will not even be rewarded at all? No thank you...my Lord. Now, if there is nothing else, I am sure my services are required elsewhere."

"I am sure they are." Jax placed his hand on Keesha's hip, pushing her gently out of the way. He withdrew his hand, letting it slide over her backside. Keesha tensed up."I offended you?"

"Yes." Keesha lied. Though she should be offended, she was not. She couldn't explain what Jax's intimate touch had done to her, except for left her with a need for more...more of something she didn't even know of. She needed to leave.

"And I am a gentleman...the men downstairs will not be nearly as subtle."

Jax took a bag from the table and Keesha's eyes grew as he dumped golden coins onto the table.

"I need a wife. Immediately. Or else, my young cousin will be forced away from me. So, you and I marry, you come with me, you take care of my cousin and I will provide you with food, shelter, clothing and everything else you could ever possibly need. You will be very well taken care of, and will never want for anything. Or, you stay here, and become yet another in a long line of...comfort for men who will never call you by name except for in the throes of passion, passion of which is false and will leave you feeling as empty and used as you will become. The choice is yours."

Keesha blinked, staring at Jax as he waited. Why was the offer so tempting to her...a smile tugged against Jax's lips and the temptation grew. Temptation which Keesha felt should be denied...

"I really must be going downstairs, My Lord." Keesha picked up the empty tray and without another word left Jax in the chamber alone.