Chapter 2.27

The following morning, Felix had the marvelous experience to wake up with a soft and warm body in his arms. He stared at the rosy face that was trying to seek the warmth of his chest as limbs coiled around him. The sensation of her body pressing against his brought a natural reaction and he stiffened, not knowing what to do.

If he left it like that, Isabelle might notice!

He could not ask for help from his brothers as they had already gotten up and were readying themselves for the day. He also had to get ready to make breakfast and lunch for Ethan. He was too comfortable, though.

When he heard his brothers talking outside, he sighed and thought he could no longer remain in bed. When he moved, the arms and leg around him pulled him closer and successfully restrained him. So, Felix found himself in a dilemma. He did not want to wake her up, yet he also had things to do. He also had to do something about his boner.

"Felix's not gettin' up?" Joseph suddenly asked, making the teen anxious. He really wanted to get up! But he could not! The only thing up and ready was his cock!

"Lucas, go see if something's wrong with 'im. Let's go make breakfast." Ethan ordered; those last words being addressed to Joseph.

Felix heard the door opening and the heavy footsteps of his second brother getting closer. He perfectly saw the moment Lucas came around the partition to look at the bed and at him. Their gazes connected. Lucas' was serene, just mildly curious while Felix's was a bit sheepish. Though more importantly, the teen asked for help with his eyes.

Lucas just blinked, assessed the position his brother was in, blinked again, and then turned around. Felix was confused. Was his brother not going to help him? The door opened and closed, telling him Lucas left the house. After a moment, he clearly heard his second brother speak to the others. "He's still asleep. Looks tired."

Felix was shocked. Has his brother just lied? Lucas has never lied before!

"He is doing it for you." Felix startled after hearing Isabelle's whispering voice. He looked down and found her limpid eyes staring back at him. He blushed. "He might think we need time to talk for the argument we had last night. So, he is giving you the chance to fix things with me." She explained, suppressing a yawn.

"Do we need ta talk 'nd fix things?" He sincerely asked. She made it extremely clear what she wanted, and he had accepted her conditions. As far as he knew, she had already forgiven him. What else did they have to talk about? Or have they really not fixed anything?

Isabelle bit her lips to suppress the smile that attempted to appear after hearing his clueless question. "Not really." She replied. Though, after hesitating for a moment, she decided to speak up. "I know I told you I will fix things with Joseph on my own. But the truth is that I do not know how to face him at the moment. I do not want you to speak with him; however, I would like it if you gave me some time alone to think."

"You mean… as in, takin' 'im away?" Felix frowned, not sure if he understood her indirect request. He really loved the way she spoke, all clear and proper. Yet, there were times he could not understand her real meaning behind all her words.

"Yes, something like that." Isabelle nodded.

After hearing Joseph's voice, she realized she could not stop thinking back to the moment she saw him walking away with another woman. She could wait for him to explain, but she was also a bit nervous. She did not want for him to tell her that he liked another woman more, and that he would leave with her.

Of course, she had no right to stop him. She just thought they had built something already and were working on it. If that was not the case, if it was all her imagination, she had no idea how to face him.

"Don't worry, I'll do everythin' I can!" Felix promised. Isabelle smiled and leaned up to kiss the sunshine-like teen.

She started with little pecks on his lips, but she soon deepened the kiss, teasing him with her tongue slightly touching his lips. He involuntarily opened his mouth, and she took advantage to lick everything inside. When they started having a tongue fight, with Isabelle winning by far, he unconsciously rubbed himself against her.

He halted, wide eyes looking at her reaction to what he pressed against her. She did nothing more than mischievously smile at him. It sent a shiver of anticipation to his spine. The two immediately came to a tacit understanding.

Knowing they did not have much time before one of the brothers came to 'wake them up' to eat, Isabelle grabbed his huge cock and roughly slid her palm up and down over the fabric of his pants. She swallowed all his moans in a searing kiss.

Poor Felix had no idea what to do with the stimulation bar cling to her clothes and try to follow her pace. It was not as good as her hand directly touching him, but it was a whole new experience. He bucked his hips, searching for more pressure as her hand continued with its movement.

All his world was focused on their joined mouths and her hand taking him to ecstasy.

"HM!" Finally, he let out a muffled sound that was lost in their pressed lips. His body twitched as she pumped him dry.

Once she separated to get up, he was left panting on the bed. Laying there, he stared with glazed eyes as Isabelle changed clothes and roughly combed her hair into a messy bun. She gave him a nice view of her half-naked body, and didn't look one bit ashamed of showing herself.

He idly wondered how a woman could be so beautiful so early in the morning.

She turned and smiled at him. "Thank you, Felix."

Ah, yeah, he was in love, that was why. And he had to protect his beloved person, even if it was from his brothers. Taking a deep breath to regain some strength, he started his day.

Rushing through his morning ablutions, his breakfast, Felix lied about Isabelle still being asleep when his brothers asked. Then, he took Lucas and Joseph – Ethan already gone – away to water the field, claiming about doing it "Like ol' times!" He was very insistent about it when Joseph said it was not good to leave Isabelle alone.

"Well, she's already a grown up." Felix shrugged, trying to appear as noncommittal as he did not feel.

Lucas just stared at Felix for a few seconds before agreeing. "Wake her up first." He told Felix, who happily nodded.

So, once Felix went to 'wake Isabelle up' to eat, the three left. When Isabelle walked out of the house, the yard was completely empty. Just the sound of the rustling leaves accompanied her.

While Isabelle munched on the usual pancake, this time filled with beans – as Felix cooked almost all the beans – she pondered on how to face the matter of Joseph. To ask first, or to keep waiting. Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. She recalled that despite leaving with the woman, he did not look happy. Or was that just her imagination?

And, that was the problem. Isabelle had no idea what the truth was as her mind could have made up what he must have been feeling to appease her inner turmoil.

Probably the best option was to wait. Either for him to explain what needed to be explained, or for more concrete evidence to appear. She could not accuse without having enough proof. Once Isabelle decided what to do, she focused on her own job: to sew the tassels to the bed cover and pillow cases.

The moment she took out the things from the bag, she had to pause in disbelief. That Mrs. Letaxe was too terrible! It was fine if she wanted to save a few coins by bargaining the price of the tassels. However, to gift a bed cover, sheets and pillow cases with such an ugly pattern…

Was that a horse?

If Mrs. Soxanne's daughter did not burn down the set, Isabelle could only bow down to the woman's aesthetics. Though, thinking about that veil, maybe this set would become one of her favorites. There were really all kinds of people around. Her eyes were opened!

Anyway, as she sewed the tassels, her mind started pondering.

If she had her own sheets, she would embroider something very simple and tasteful; like garlands running along the edges, half wreaths of flowers on each corner, or very little flowers over the whole thing. Nothing so cumbersome and… striking like the horse in the sheets she was working on.

Her hands paused.

She actually had new sheets she could embroider! The brothers bought new soft yellow, soft pink and light blue ones.

Isabelle never intended to hog all the sheets, so she had only accepted the thick sheets – Ethan did force the two on here – and one thin sheet. The thick sheets were pink and yellow, while the thin one was pink, leaving the brothers with another yellow one and the light blue one. That last one was given to Felix.

Either way, Isabelle had three sheets she could embroider!

As she thought up the embroidery pattern she could do, someone called out from the front door. Isabelle looked up and saw a couple of middle-aged women standing there, scanning the yard and whispering to themselves. The fence and door were not that tall, so people could easily look from outside.

Isabelle had not minded before as nobody had come to visit, but at that moment, she felt extremely uncomfortable. Anyone could see what they did inside!

And she had once had a hot encounter with Lucas on that same yard, where she also was flirted by Joseph! There was no way that fence was staying that low!

"Yes? May I help you?" Isabelle asked the women who were enraptured by what they were seeing in the yard. She wondered if there was something so out of place. It was swept by Joseph earlier, no leaves or little branches on sight.

The women finally focused on Isabelle. They were the ones who first called out to her, so their surprised faces were confusing. Then, with remarkable daring, they unlocked the door and entered, as if they were entering their own house. Isabelle had no words to express her mood at that moment. Were village people so… straightforward?

"Hiya! We were passin' by and thought of greetin' the Edris brothers." One of the women greeted amiably enough – if one disregarded the invasion – while the other kept eyeing everything around. Was she looking for something? "Who would've thought we'd find a woman in their house." 

Isabelle had no idea what was happening, what their aim was, but she decided there was no need to be impolite to them. "If you are looking for them, they are at the field."

"Ah, so there they're..." The woman nodded. However, instead of moving towards the field to do as she had claimed, she sat at the table with all the confidence of the world. "You sew, too?! My sister here's good at sewing! Maybe she can help ya." She pulled the other woman to sit.

Isabelle felt her eyelid jump when she started messing with the pillow cases with all the intent of sewing.

She restrained herself and calmly put her hand on hers. "These are for my job. When I sew the tassels for my sheets, I will call you… to help." Isabelle cared not if she offended them, but she still took away everything near them so they would not touch. "So, is there anything I can help you with?"

If not, then you can go.

Isabelle really wanted to say that, but managed to swallow the words.

The woman who had remained silent and been checking out the yard spoke up. "What kinda flowers are those?" She pointed to the flower beds.

"No idea. Joseph and Lucas picked them up in the mountains. If you want to know, you could ask them." Isabelle did not want to suspect them, but their behavior was weird. So, she once again gave them the chance to go.

Yet, they could not catch the hint. Or were hard-faced enough to ignore it. "Talkin' about the brothers..." The first woman interjected. "Some say they saw ya bein' carried by the tall one." Right. So, that was why they got into the house with no one's permission.

"Sorry, ma'am, to my short height all four are tall. Can you be more specific?" Isabelle kindly asked. The second woman seemed to be the one with the shortest temperament as she immediately exploded by her continuous vagueness.

"The one with the dirty beard!" She yelled.

There was a moment of silence that Isabelle did not feel like filling up, and just stared at them. The first woman looked ready to throttle the second woman for her gaffe. And the second woman looked so unrepentant of her comment that it made Isabelle very angry. She had wanted to be patient and polite because she did not want to give herself and the brothers a bad reputation.

But it was impossible with them.

Isabelle understood all they wanted was some gossip from a reliable source. Who does not like to gossip a bit? However! One could not be so rude and smothering and patronizing! "As long as people have mouths and tongues, they will speak. I will not answer any of your questions. There is the door, I am very sure you know what to do." She coldly told them.

The first woman at least had the decency to grab the other one and drag her out. The second one though! She had the nerve to roughly pull one of the lavender stalks and rush out. Isabelle was shocked. That woman… Was she really going to be that villainous to steal a plant out of spite?

Taking a deep breath to calm her stirred emotions, she tried to recapitulate what just happened.

The most important information she got out of all that disastrous encounter was that people in the village were already talking about the brothers and her. And, those people did not seem to have a modicum of respect for them.

They could openly come and ask about their situation. Something like: 'Someone says you are with the brothers, I am not sure if this is true'. Like that, Isabelle could easily imply the person did not follow gossip nilly-willy, and tried to get along with them.

But no! The two came like thieves – and one really was – trying to pry or force information, even imposing themselves on her! After that disastrous meeting, the least Isabelle expected the coming days was for more people to 'visit', and for more gossips to travel around the village.

Unaware of what happened, the three brothers returned as lunch time rolled. Isabelle was already cooking, so Felix quickly started helping her. Once the four sat to eat, she recounted what happened with those women, not leaving a single detail out. By the end of her recounting, the guys were obviously upset with the situation.

"The daughters of ol' Becker." Lucas easily pinpointed the identity of the two women.

Joseph grimaced, knowing how petty and gossipy the two were, but refused to think of those two and focused on the possible consequences of their gossip.

"The worst that can happen's to receive a scoldin' from the Chief." Joseph said while glaring at the flower bed that was abused by that woman. He looked ready to throttle her to death for ruining his hard work, yet Isabelle focused on one important matter.

"Why would you be scolded?" She curiously asked him.

"Well, we hafta report everythin' to him: a birth, a marriage, a death." He explained.

"Have you?" She kept questioning.

"What?" Not only Joseph was confused at her question, even Felix and Lucas looked the same.

For some reason, her stomach churned in anger. "Nothing. I want to continue sewing. Take away the plates, please." They did so, still confused at her abrupt change of mood. Isabelle did not feel like expounding on the matter. Furthermore, she did have to finish sewing. The money was needed to buy fabric to sew more clothes for herself.

And, if she was in a good mood, then she would also buy fabric for the brothers.