Chapter 5

The crowd gathered in front of the Anna's dress shop was increasing and most of the dresses had been sold out. While more people came to see the beauty, some women were pulling their husbands away from there. As much as they were awed by Anna's beauty, they didn't appreciate that their husbands were all captivated by it.

Roderick was still standing and watching. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off the beautiful young woman. He watched her every move and listened to how she talked. He watched how she smiled and got people to buy her wares. She was keeping a safe distance from the men but with her smart mouth, she was able to get them to purchase at least one dress.

Anna was tossing a few coins into the money bag when she lifted her head and locked eyes with Roderick. She held his gaze for a few seconds before she quickly looked away. Her mother was attending to a female customer so Anna looked up again and saw the handsome stranger still watching her. He even had a smile on his face and she gave a small smile in return.

She mentally slapped herself as soon as she did that. Why was she smiling at the man? And did she really think that he was handsome? Of course he was, she told herself as she looked at him again. He was by far the most good looking man she had ever seen. Those eyes...

"Annalise, pass me the money bag" she heard her mother say and that jolted her.

Being an observant woman, Anna's mother saw who had captured her daughter's attention and she smiled at the young man too. He was such a fine man and he looked like he was a noble one.

"Would you like a buy a dress?" The woman asked Roderick with a smile.

"I should get one for my sister" Roderick answered as he looked at the remaining dresses. He didn't know which one Freya would prefer so he decided to get all of them.

"All of them?" Anna's mother asked wide-eyed and he nodded. Annalise tried not to look impressed so she looked away, suddenly fiddling with her dress.

"Would a gold coin suffice?" Roderick asked as he dipped his hand into his pocket.

"Gold? That would be more than enough to buy my stall!" The woman exclaimed with round eyes and Anna almost slapped her forehead, not believing her mother's attitude at the sound of money.

Roderick smiled and handed the coin over to the eager woman. He watched as she wrapped the remaining dresses and then handed it to him. She was going to give his change but he asked her to keep it.

"Why, thank you kind sir" the woman said happily.

"You are most welcome".

Anna watched as the young man took the dresses and turned to leave. She had expected him to talk to her or make a pass at her, but he did nothing of the sort. He did look at her awestricken like everyone else, but that was it and Anna just didn't know why she was disappointed that he was already leaving.

She soon lost sight of him as he went through the people that were still standing, crowding the front.

Anna grew up in a small village and though the locals appreciated her beauty as she grew up, they got used to seeing her around. She wasn't used to all this attention and exclamations of awe. She didn't like it and she didn't want to get used to it. However, something tugged in her chest as she wondered if that young man didn't think she was that pretty.

As Roderick got to where he had left his horse, he turned around and smiled as images of the woman he had just seen flooded his mind. He smiled, remembering how she had thrown her head to the side indifferently when he said he was going to buy everything. She is going to be difficult, he thought. But what pride would there be if he didn't have to work for her affection?

Roderick laughed at himself again, not believing that he was already thinking about that. He wondered if the other woman was her mother. They looked nothing like each other, he thought.

****

"I see the way you looked at him" Anna's mother nudged her teasingly as they were already closing for the day.

"What are you talking about mother?" Anna asked, pretending not to know.

"Are you going to act ignorant now?" The woman asked with feigned surprise. "Alright then. All I have to say is that you would be going for the coming of age ceremony in two days. Who knows? That fine young could end up becoming your husband".

"I'm not going for any ceremony" Anna said under her breath.

"And I won't have you become an old woman under my roof" the woman retorted upon hearing her. "The heavens forbid it".

Anna could only sigh. She knew that her mother was right. She had come of age and she had to get married. It was the norm. But Annalise wanted to do something different. She was itching for something, yet she didn't know what it was. Something within made her believe that her life wouldn't be normal like every other woman.

"I need to buy materials to make dresses that would be sold tomorrow" her mother said, breaking the silence.

"How many dresses can you make before tomorrow?"

"I don't know" she answered. "But the sooner I begin, the better. It's a good thing we sold everything today".

"Or maybe we don't have to come out and sell everyday?"

"You are just crowd shy, aren't you?" The mother teased.

"No way!" Anna replied with a playful scoff. "While you get the materials, I am going to do some fishing. I want to have fish soup for dinner tonight".

"We can just buy fish, Annalise" her mother said. "It's not a woman's job to go fishing".

"So what was the use of learning father's trade if I wasn't going to put it to any use?" Her mother said nothing to that and Anna promised to return from the river in no time.

The crowd had already dispersed but some were people were still looking at her from where they stood. Some men were even trying to get her attention but she ignored them all.

As she made her way out of the market, she caught sight of the young man from earlier. She decided to stand and watch him as he gave out the dresses he had bought to some poor women. Anna watched him also give out coins to some beggars and she smiled. There weren't much people with such a good heart, she thought.

For some reason, Roderick turned to look in her direction and caught her staring at him. Annalise was quick to avert her gaze and with hastened steps she walked away. Roderick watched her as she went and he smiled, wondering what she must have been thinking.