Ophelia had trouble sleeping. She ended up weaving in and out of sleep. The day had been a terrible one. She’d woken up to a flurry of activity as the maids got her ready to meet her guardian. Then her guardian told her she was to marry him, whether she wanted to or not, and he had touched and kissed her in ways that even now made her feel unclean. She had to resist the urge to wash herself. Even if he hadn’t done everything he’d wanted to with her, she didn’t think she’d ever get rid of the sensation of his hand on her breast and leg. She’d never felt so violated.
She prayed Julian was as kind as he seemed. She didn’t get the same terrible feeling around him that she had with Lord Wolfe, and while that was a promising sign, she was afraid her instincts might be tricking her. Perhaps if she’d had more experience with people, she might have a better handle on how to best understand people. The servants had never been her companions. They’d been there to do whatever Lord Wolfe wanted them to do. Yes, they’d been nice, but they hadn’t ever sat down and talked to her as one would talk with a friend. Her days had been busy doing what they wanted. She’d never lacked for anything. But she wasn’t equipped to deal with other people.
By the time the sun was lighting up the sky, she decided she might as well get up. She shifted in the bed until it was comfortable enough for her to sit up. She lifted the hem of the nightclothes she was wearing. There was a trace of blood on the bandages, but thankfully, they were dry. She examined her ankle. It looked fine.
She put both feet on the floor and tested the strength in her ankle. A stab of pain traveled from her ankle and up her leg. With a grimace, she released the pressure she’d put on it, choosing, instead, to put more pressure on her other ankle.
After Julian had brought in a pitcher of water, he’d set a cane at the foot of the bed. She’d never used a cane before, but the footman had used one. All she had to do was imitate him.
She grabbed the cane, took a deep breath, and leaned on it. Making sure her grip was secure, she stood up. Fortunately, the cane had a solid base. She was able to elevate her sore foot enough to make walking manageable. It still hurt, but at least it was bearable.
She made it to the door and opened it. The dawn’s light filtered in through the window in the sitting room, and she saw Julian sleeping on the settee.
He didn’t look all that comfortable. He was on his stomach. One of his arms and legs were hanging off to the side of the settee. The blanket was only partly on him. Since he hadn’t been able to stretch out on it, his other leg was up against the edge of the settee. She guessed his other arm was under him since she couldn’t see it. She didn’t know if he had a restless night like she had, but it sure looked like it with the way his light brown hair was sticking up in all sorts of directions. She’d never seen anyone while they slept before, but she thought he was rather cute.
Pushing the observation aside, she checked the floor and was glad to see the blood had been cleaned up. The same, however, couldn’t be said for the chair she’d been sitting on last evening. Though it seemed as if he’d tried to clean up the blood, she suspected he’d given up at some point since she could see steaks of dried blood along the edge of the fabric. She hoped the chair wasn’t important to him. She’d hate to think she’d ruined it.
She turned her attention to the room off to the side of the sitting room. Curious, she decided to go over to it and see what was in it. She took her time getting there, making sure she didn’t aggravate her ankle any more than she had to.
When she reached the room, she saw that it was a small kitchen. It reminded her of the one the cook used to work in, except this kitchen was much smaller and the items in it were packed into tight spaces.
There was a door toward the back of the room. Curious, she limped over to it and found that it led outside. She scanned the area as much as she could, given her limitations from the small window. This cottage was in a wooded area. She got a glimpse of the landscape further out from the trees, but she couldn’t tell if that had been the direction she’d come from or not.
She recalled that she’d started riding her horse along hilly terrain, and as she progressed further, she came upon a few trees here and there until she found herself surrounded by a lot of them. Had she not gotten too close to one of the branches, she wouldn’t have fallen off the horse. Even now, the memory of falling from the running steed made her shiver. She didn’t think she’d ever forget how scary it was to float in mid-air as she waited to hit the hard ground. Besides how she’d felt with Lord Wolfe, she couldn’t recall a time things had been more out of control around her.
She turned from the door and hobbled back toward the sitting room. Just as she made it, she saw that Julian was sitting up on the settee. He was rubbing his head in a way that messed up his hair even more, and he was blinking the sleep from his eyes. Again, he struck her as cute in his disheveled state.
He jerked when he saw her. He put his hand over his heart and breathed a sigh of relief. “For a moment I thought you were a ghost.”
She chuckled. “It’s the long nightclothes you gave me. Plus,” she glanced down at it, “it’s almost white.”
“I hate to admit it, but I forgot you came here last night. I was trying to figure out why I was sleeping out here.” He gathered his blanket and rose to his feet. “Do you mind if I change into day clothes? I’m a bit chilly.”
“No, I don’t mind.” She glanced around the room. “Can I sit in a chair?”
“Please do.” He motioned for her to come further into the room. “Pick any you want. I’ll be quick. Then we can look for something you can wear. I’m afraid you’ll be stuck wearing my clothes. I don’t have anything for a lady.”
It was a shame she’d torn a portion of her gown and cloak when she fell. She would have worn that if possible.
“Before you put on day clothes, you should have fresh bandages,” he added.
She nodded as she went to the nearest chair. “All right. I’ll let you take care of that.”
She thought he was going to go straight to the bedroom, but he pulled up the ottoman and put it in front of her. Then he folded the blanket and set it on top of the chair.
“I don’t know much about injuries, but I think it’d be best to keep your foot up. You don’t want to put any more pressure on your ankle than you need to,” he explained.
“Thank you.” She sat in the chair and lifted her leg until it settled on the blanket. “It feels better.”
“You should take it easy. You don’t want to do any more damage to it.” He paused. “Maybe I should fetch a doctor. Do you feel safe being here alone?”
She did her best to hide her unease. She’d never been all by herself in a place before. Sure, she’d been alone in her bedchamber, but the maids were always nearby if she needed someone. But he was right. She should have a doctor check her ankle and leg.
“I’ll stay here while you get a doctor,” she said.
Julian smiled. “I’ll leave right after we eat. I’ll go as fast as I can on my horse. I may be able to get to him in forty-five minutes since the roads are dry, but then the doctor has to come here.” He glanced at the shelf along the wall. “I’m not sure I have something that appeals to a lady, but there are several books you can read. Are you interested in a story with mystery or suspense?”
“I can’t read.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “You can’t read? But you’re a lady who’s been brought up in a wealthy household. The clothes you were wearing last night were expensive.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “Are ladies supposed to know how to read?”
“No, it’s not necessary for a lady to know how to read,” he slowly replied. “I assumed you did since the clothes you wore last night were expensive. Though it’s not right for me to make assumptions. Forgive me. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“I’m not uncomfortable. I would like to know how to read. I was just never given the opportunity.”
“I don’t mind teaching you, but one doesn’t learn to read in a day. It takes time.” He sighed and thought for a moment. “Maybe you should come with me. I do have a carriage, but it’s not in the best of conditions. Even if we wrapped your leg and ankle in the blanket, it won’t be a comfortable ride.”
“I don’t mind staying here.” Really, being bored was the least of her worries. The main thing was that she didn’t have to marry Lord Wolfe today.
After a moment, he asked, “At the risk of sounding rude, do you know how to sew?”
“I can make decorations to pretty things up.”
“Pretty things up?”
“For example, I can sew a flower onto something.” She glanced around the room. “Do you have a blanket you want me to sew flowers or something pretty on?”
“No, no. That’s not necessary.” He let out a sigh. “I don’t know what you can do to pass the time while I’m gone. What do you usually do?”
“I play music on a piano.” But obviously, he didn’t have a piano, so that option was out. “I like horseback riding.” Which was something else she couldn’t do due to her injury. “Um, I take lessons on how to do things.”
“Things?”
“Things like how to sit, walk, talk…” She shrugged. “Basically, I’m taught how to handle myself like a lady.”
“Yes, I can tell you hold yourself well, but surely, you don’t take such lessons all the time.”
The way he said that implied she wasn’t supposed to, and that made her wonder if her daily lessons had been a waste of time.
“What do you do for entertainment?” he asked. “Isn’t there something you do because you enjoy it?”
“Besides horseback riding, I have found enjoyment in drawing.”
At this announcement, he looked relieved. “I have parchment and quills. You can draw whatever you want while I’m gone.” He nodded, more to himself than to her, and hurried over to his desk. He opened a drawer and took out a pile of unused parchment. Then he set out a couple of quills on the desk. He gestured to the inkwell. “It’s full. You can sit here and draw to your heart’s content.”
“What should I draw?”
“Anything you want.”
She didn’t dare tell him she never picked out what to draw. Someone else had always done that for her. What would she draw if she could pick something?
“I’ll put fresh bandages on you and then make some porridge. Afterwards, I’ll give you some clothes I used to wear when I was younger. They won’t fit you perfectly, but you have to be in something other than nightclothes all day.” He paused. “Do you have anyone you want me to take you to?”
“No. I don’t have anyone I can go to.” She held her breath and waited for him to tell her she must have someone who must be missing her, but he didn’t press the issue.
Instead, he said, “We’ll figure something out. Right now, the important thing is that a doctor takes a look at your leg and ankle.”
She released her breath. For now, at least, she didn’t have to explain anything to him. Good. God willing, she’d never have to.
“All right.” He glanced at his blanket. He blinked as if he’d forgotten he was holding it. “I’ll put this away and then get the things to tend to your wound.”
He went to his bedroom, and she felt a smile tug at her lips. She’d never come across anyone like him before. Granted, her exposure to people was limited. She didn’t have many of them to compare him to, but he struck her as a good person. He hadn’t tried to do anything inappropriate with her, and he’d had plenty of opportunity to do so. After dealing with Lord Wolfe, she knew how aggressive a gentleman could be. Thankfully, Julian had treated her in a much nicer way. It made her feel safe.
She closed her eyes and tried not to remember the way Lord Wolfe’s lips and hands had felt on her. It almost made her sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to know what else he would have done if he hadn’t stopped. He hadn’t wanted to stop. He had fully intended to keep going. She didn’t know what prompted him to listen to her, but she knew full well that was the only time he had planned to give heed to her wishes.
She was never going to go back to his estate. She’d fought hard to escape, and she wasn’t about to undo all of that now. The injuries she’d suffered to her leg and her ankle were worth it. She’d gladly deal with them instead of him. She leaned back in the chair and took another deep, cleansing breath. Whatever happened, she would make sure she would never go back to him.