Victor watched as she entered the room, in a simple outfit and with her long, black hair swaying as she walked. Alice looked simple – no elaborate dress, nothing holding her hair in place, no jewelry. He had an inclination to women that did not have to try hard to look beautiful, and this moment was the first that he really took in her natural beauty. Yes, of course the women around him with their makeup and scarce clothing were appealing to the eye, but something about Alice stole his attention away from the other women. And they began to take notice.

Alice sat next to him and thanked him as he chewed the last bite of his meal. He patted his face with a cloth and smiled as he swallowed, turning a bit to face her. “Of course, Miss Rohan. Couldn’t have a lady like yourself wallow in the filth of us criminals for [i]too long[/i], could I?” He set his napkin down at the sight of her finishing her meal. Sarah rushed around him to take their plates back to the kitchen. “Thank you, Sarah,” he said quietly as he winked at her, and the girl broke out in a giggle. 

“Ah, yes. Well, we’ll be supplying some of the vendors here with their goods. They buy in bulk and sell them at their shops. We will be delivering ammo, weapons, fruit, jewelry and other goods throughout the day. If there is anything that you might need, I will get it for you,” he said with a faint smile. He would give anything just to spend the day at the inn forgetting about the duties he would have to attend to, but that was not a luxury the crew could afford. “Also – do not worry about the price of anything here. Madam Blue lets us eat and stay on the house; the girl’s won’t even accept payment for their, uh, services,” his eyes darted away from her as he spoke. He felt the unfamiliar feeling of embarrassment creep up his spine. He had never never been ashamed of his lifestyle – why did he now?

He scooted his chair back and stood up slowly, twisting his torso to crack his back, and then offered a hand to Alice for her to stand. This caused a few of the women to glare at her with intense jealousy, but Vic did not look away from her. “We’ll be back here before the sun sets, but if the day becomes too long, I will escort you back, aye?” He led her over to the front door of the establishment where they met Madam Blue once more.
“Thank you for the lovely breakfast, Blue. We will be back by sun down.” Vic leaned in and kissed the woman’s cheek once again. She had become the only motherly figure in his life since he had left home all of those years ago, and being with her filled him with a fuzzy feeling that put him at ease.
“Of course, Victor. We’ll have chicken tonight!” she said with obvious excitement in her voice. “We must celebrate the return of my boy and his crew.” She pinched once of his cheeks and smiled.
“Sounds delightful, Blue. See you then. Aye! Boys! Let us begin our business!” he shouted as the men began to file a line behind them. They all said their goodbyes to the girls and Blue as they left and walked out into the sunny weather.

Vic sighed as they began their trek back to the boat to get their merchandise. He walked at Alice’s side, watching her take in the scenery around them. He quickened his pace to get in front of her and turned around – walking backwards – so that he could speak to her. “So,” he said, chuckling at what he was doing, “what do you think of the beautiful Isla Imorda so far? It is much different than London, aye?” he said with a smirk. Victor had a strong distaste for the place he was born; the hard streets of London made his mother a tired, old woman at a young age.