After Hours ((Carter))

[Esme Kingsley]

It had been a long night for Esme Kingsley, after what had beena very long day. She had woken at four, cared for her father, and then gone to her first job - cleaning at the castle. Then she'd returned home to feed her father, and make sure he took the medicine he had been told to drink every day. After that, it was off to the pub, to work even harder and be leered at. Now, she was behind the pub, taking out the empty kegs on ale. The work was strenuous, and she stopped momentarily, the moonlight highlighting her pretty features.

"What do you think you're doing?" a booming voice asked, and she jumped. "You're not worth what I pay for you. What do you think this is, charity?" he asked, grabbing her wrist roughly. She winced slightly at the pain that shot through the exisiting bruises there.

"Your dresses are all entirely appropriate, you don't flirt with the customers, and you don't attract that much extra business. And on top of that, you won't do as I ask." He pressed her against a wall suggestinvely, not loosening the grip on her wrist.

"Please," she whispered, so unlike her normal feisty self. "Let go, I'll flirt with the customers, honestly, just please don't-" His grip tightened, and his body was almost touching hers. She felt repulsed by his proximity.

She cried ever so softly in pain as he twisted his fingers around her wrist, keeping the grasp just as tight, leaving red burn marks on her skin. She stifled the noise as soon as it left her lips; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing she was in pain.

[Carter]

Carter was walking down the streets of nottingham, his hands in his pockets, whistling to himself. He had got a fresh pair of clothes. A loose fitting beige top, and dark blue trousers. It was not the most attractive of attire, but it was still passable. Anyway, Carter did not like his clothes to look extragivant, even his crusaders uniform was not entirely to his taste. His hip felt somewhat empty without the sword that usually hung there, hence why he put his hands in his pockets.

He was alerted by a large booming voice. It sounded angry, and Carter couldn't help but be curious. It was quite late at night, and most people were already in bed asleep. Carter jogged towards the noise, and stopped outside the Jerusalum Inn. He had fond memories of that place, and he scoffed to himself as he saw the bell by the door was left unfixed.

Carter carried on walking, towards the back of the Inn. His smile turned into a frown when he saw a large man holding a girl up against the wall. Her face was full of fright, and the man's full of anger. Carter darted forewards and yelled. "OI! Do you really think you should be doing that?" he said in an angry, yet patronising voice.

[Esme Kingsley]

At the sound of footsteps, Esme tried to turn her head, but the innkeeper was not paying attention. Instead, he was wondering if he should just sack the girl...or, bed her and then sack her. The latter seemed more interesting to him, as his fingers pinched into her wrists. Esme didn't flinch this time; she was expecting the pain. Remember the wages, remember the wages, she repeated in her head, in an attempt to hold back her tears: tears of pain, tears of fear, tears of anger.

"Mind your own business, young sir,"[/color] the innkeeper bellowed. "This wench is mine to do with as I please. Move along; there is nothing to see here."[/color] Esme didn't bother to call out for the man's aid - she recognised him dimly as a patron of the pub - as she knew it would only make things worse. She just had to hope he would let her go home, without forcing himself upon her. This pain she could deal with. She had managed to escape for the last two months...she wasn't sure how long he'd let her get away with it before forcing her to bed.

[Carter]

Carter had a dilema on his hands. The girl was clearly a worker in the Inn. Possibly a barmaid or something of the sort. And this man must be the owner of the bar. Or at least someone with a higher possition than the girl. Now if he helped the girl, it would be inevitable that she would lose her job. However, if he did not help the girl, who knows what this man would do to her.

The man was huge. But Carter did not move an inch but rather sayed where he was, an unimpressed look on his face. "On the contrary good sir." Carter said matter-of-factly, "I think there's quite a lot to see here. The noise you're making has probably woken up half of Nottingham." he smirked. "Now, would you care to put this young lady down, or would you rather I step in and take matters into my own hands?"