Back To The Past: Jane Austen Sixty-Five

"Bradley, what are you doing? Just let it go!" Jennifer didn't know what to do.

Bradley swung a punch at Drakelin that hit his face and Miles knocked Drakelin's hat off.

Megan grabbed a hold of Miles to get him to stop as Miles hit Drakelin's head. Bradley delievered a punch that cut Drakelin's lip. Miles accidentally hit Megan with his elbow and she took a blow to the jaw.

"Son of a jerk! Miles, you Jack Ass!" Megan had tears in her eyes and her jaw hurt.

Jennifer kicked Bradley in the leg and Zalita fired a gun in the air and the fighting stopped. Bradley had a cut above his eye. Drakelin had cuts and bruises on his face and the back of his head hurt.

"Pierre LaFont, the store owner was beside himself. "Thank you for your purchase but I want all of you to leave. I don't allow fighting in my store and as for the gun, I won't call the authorities please but leave now." He said it in French and Megan and Jennifer didn't understand French. Megan only knew that her jaw hurt.

"This isn't over. I will challenge you to a duel!" Kyle Drakelin said to Bradley and Miles.

"Bring it on!" yelled Bradley.

Kyle frowned and Jennifer laughed. Hers and Megan's language was rubbing off unto the men.

Zalita touched Megan's cheek. "It will be alright, my little one. Put some ice on it and this ointment. It will take away the pain." Zalita kissed Megan on her good cheek and handed her the ointment. She looked at Miles. "Young man, be more careful with her. My son loves her, too and he would never let anything happen like you did just now. Gentleman." Zalita spit on the floor and she and Drakelin left.

"I am sorry, baby." Miles barely touched Megan's cheek and she yelled with pain. "Don't touch me. Take me home."

"I am sorry you got hurt. That Drakelin guy is a Jack Ass and a bastard." Bradley hated Drakelin then anyone he knew.

"Megan got hurt. You always tell me to be a lady. Don't you ever preach to me about being a lady again. I will act the way I want and that includes your mother and sister. Baby sister loves Miles by the way. Are you going to give her a spanking?" Jennifer was fuming.

"Miles, help Megan get in the carriage and Jennifer, Darling, we are going back to my mother's."

Miles helped Megan get in the carriage and Bradley helped Jennifer. Bradley and Miles sat next to the women and no one said a word on the way home. Megan's jaw had swelled three times it's size.

The carriage was back at the Kentsworth Estate and Miles helped Megan out of the carriage. "I am so sorry, Baby. I love you. Forgive me." Miles said to Megan.

Megan didn't answer. Bradley and Jennifer weren't speaking. They walked into the house and Caroline didn't know what to think when she saw them.

"Denise, get some ice for Megan's jaw. What happened? Bradley, you don't look so good."

"I saw Kyle Drakelin at the jewelery store and he mouthed off so I decked him. Miles came to help me and Megan got in the way and well, she got hurt."

"What? A grown man fighting at your age? My son and his best friend. What kind of word is deck?"

"It is a word frrom America. Jennifer and Megan are from America, you know."

"Yes, you wrote me about that. Megan got hurt. Was it worth hitting Mr. Drakelin?"

"I am sorry Megan got hurt but yes, he had it coming. I don't want to talk about it."

Denise bought some ice for Megan's jaw and Megan sat on one of the love seats. Miles sat beside her and held the ice to her cheek. Megan gave him a half way smile.

Rachael walked in with one of the dogs. She looked at Megan and her eyes got big. "What happened to her?"

"Bradley and Miles got in a fight with Mr. Drakelin and Megan got hit by accident." Cariline answered.

Rachael had a pleased grin on her face. She went to the kitchen and Megan and Jennifer wanted to deck her.

Megan kept the ice on her cheek for quite awhile. The ice helped the pain and swelling. Miles held Megan's hand and she didn't push him away. Caroline went to look at Megan's jaw.

"It does look better, Dear. You are still pretty." Caroline smiled. "I will be back later. I am leaving to go to a Ladies Luncheon. Please no fighting in the future and remember to act like gentlemen. Jennifer, I am sorry my son and his best friend weren't gentlemen today. They are good men." Caroline left.

Denise came out and said lunch was ready. Bradley, Jennifer, Miles and Megan went out to the table to eat. There was tuna fish sandwiches and potato salad along with vanilla pudding. Megan did eat some tuna but skipped the bread. She ate some vanilla pudding. Everyone else the meal but things were quiet. Rachael came in and grabbed a tuna sandwich and ate some pudding. She still had the cat that ate the canary look on her face. She left to go sit outside.

"Megan, I am sorry you got hurt. I promise when Drakelin and I fight again, it won't be around you ladies. Miles and I will never behave like that again around you ladies."

"I forgive you but it still hurts." Megan took out the ointment Zalita had given her and put it on.

"I am sorry, baby. I didn't know that you were behind me. I love you and would never hurt you. I am sorry." Miles looked so sad.

"I forgive you, too. I don't want you to ever lecture me again about being ladies. After your behavior today. you aren't always a gentleman."

"I know. I am sorry. I won't behave like that again."

"You have been quiet. Do you forgive me?" Bradley asked Jennifer.

"We just got engaged. Of course, I forgive you. Remember what I said. Don't ever tell me to be a lady again. I like your mother and father and I will act like a lady around them. If I don't at other times, well deal with it."

"Are you sure you should use that ointment that gypsy woman gave you?" Miles asked.

"Zalita is my friend. I trust her. Another thing. I want to go see Zalita at times. I won't be around Manolito. I love you. Manolito is here to find his daughter and take her back to England."

"That gypsy man has a daughter? " Miles asked.

"Yes, he does. That is why the gypsies are here outside of the fact that Zalita loves Drakelin."

Bradley grunted. "We will trust you to see your gypsy friend but keep them away from my parents home. Of all people for you to be friends with. Those gypsies."

"Trust me. I want to marry you. Zalita is our friend. No more fist fighting!" Jennifer kissed Bradley's cheek.

Megan smiled at Miles and he kissed her. It seemed like all was fair in love and war. Just then Marie Antionette jumped on Megan's lap. Megan hugged the little poodle. The ointment Zalita gave her helped her jaw.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Bradley opened the door and a pretty little girl with black hair was on the other side.

She spoke with a French accent. "Sorry to bother you. I am looking for my father. He is a gypsy man."

Megan and Jennifer looked at each other. Kristie. She looked like a female Manolito!