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  I came over and sank down beside him on the floor and asked, “Which leg is it?”

  “The left,” he gritted out.

  I reached out, hesitant to touch him so intimately, but with firm hands I began working his tight muscles.

  “No! Don’t touch me!” he roared.

  I jumped at his angered yell, but kept up my work and said quietly, “Mama used to have weak legs, as she got older when I was little I started to notice she limped a bit. I found out when I was around five she had a disease that ate the muscles in her legs, the only thing that worked for her pain was to have her legs rubbed. I think in the end it was the pain in her legs as much as my father’s betrayal that made her died.” I rubbed a little bit harder over one of the long thick scars I felt under his breeches and he clenched his hand on the chair’s arm tightly.

  Soon though his hand had relaxed and I moved on to his calf.

  “You have wonderfully muscled legs,” I said dreamily and gasped at what had come out of my mouth.

  He opened his eyes and grinned down at me. “Well thank you, my lady, but they are not as good as they seem. For you have not truly seen them and I have too, every day.” He leaned his head back against the chair, closed his eyes and sighed.

  “Does it help?”

  “It helps greatly, painful at first but it feels better than it has in a long time. I have seen many doctors and none could help with the pain other than giving addictive drugs I refuse to take. I would rather live with the pain then be drugged out of my mind.

  “You however came up with the perfect solution to my problem.” He looked at me again, “You may stay here.”

  I beamed at him, “Thank you Lord Brendan, I promise I will not trouble you longer than I have too. I shall be out of your hair by morning.”

  He shook his head. “I would that you trouble me more in fact,” he said softly his face gentling. Then he realized how that sounded and rephrased with a flush, “For my leg, surly none other than you would know how to do it right. Maybe if it was treated as a treatment, my leg could recover more mobility. I should like that, to be able to walk more than a few yards and have to stop then start again.”

  I beamed up at him. It was the perfect chance to discover my true feelings for the man.

  “Of course, anything I can do to help, there is nothing pressing me to go home right away.”

  “And where is your home?” he asked curiously.

  “Papa and Mama’s country estate in York. It is more of a castle really, but only serves thirty or so rooms. Ten small on the top floor, ten medium on the middle level and ten large on the floor before the house’s main level. It has eight hundred acres of farm land and forest. Its peaceful there.”

  Brendan reached out a patted my head softly then pulled his hand back. “I think you have done enough, the leg feel rather good considering. Thank you Lady Aston.”

  I puffed up with mock anger. “Don’t call me that! Anything but that dreadful name, call me Darcee, call me Dar, or Darling like my Mama used to, but anything but Lady whatever.”

  He considered for a moment and smiled slightly, “I think I shall call you Darling, just for the fact that it fits.”

  “Fits,” I echoed, “how does it fit?”

  “Because you fit that image in my mind, now before I go mad, woman hie yourself upstairs and pick a room.”

  I went towards the main stair case but glance warily at the seep long case. “Do you need help?”

  “No, I can make it, I shall see you up there before you nod off,” he said with determination.

  I nodded, smiled, rushed over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek in thanks but tripped on the rug and took us both down. I landed on top of him and he gave a painful grunt.

  I leaned up on his chest a little and breathed a little, “Sorry.” And instead gave into impulse and kissed him quickly on the lips instead. Quick as I could I got up help pull Lord Brendan up and ran for the stairs, blushing like fire.

  Chapter Three

  Two weeks passed of me spending most hours with lord Brendan, neither of us mentioned the kiss again and I felt a growing struggle within, for I wanted to talk about it and do much more of the same however I feared he saw me as little more than a younger sister, but today would be the day I ask him. I didn’t like having to sit still so I made him walk till it hurt, then a short break to massage his leg then off again. He was showing great improvement, and he was always gentle with me, but he was too kind about it.

  Frowning I walked down the stairs for breakfast after walking up rather later and a strange sight greeted me on the stair. Lord Brendan was slumped over on the last few stairs at the bottom at an odd angle and then I spotted the blood. I flew down the steps and cradled his head in my arms. There was a deep gash on his temple and more blood still coming from it, it looked as though he had been there for a while.

  “Johnson!” I screamed, “Somebody help!”

  But no one answered. So instead of panicking I took and deep breathe and decided with I would have to do. Somehow I needed to get him back upstairs and into his room, but first I had to staunch the bleeding. Seeing no other means I ripped cloth from my hem and put a wad to his head and wrapped a few strips around his head to tie it in place, with that done it was time to get him moved.

  Slowly I slipped us to the main floor and then places one of each of his arms around my neck and left him best I could onto my back. He was too big to carry like a child but with taking it one slow and painful step at a time I made us both up the stair s and to the room I knew to be his.

  Placing him upon the bed was not graceful but it worked and I wiped the sweat from my brow and went in search of the thing I would need.

  The wound was cleaned, dressed and now that I look down at him I myself became tired after a few hours and rested my head upon the edge of his bed for a nap.

  …

  A groan shook me out of my sleep and I glanced up at him quickly.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “A bit of a nasty bump to the head I am afraid. What were you doing? There was no here to help, if I hadn’t of found you-!” the last ended on a sob.

  “Shhh,” he said quietly and smoothed a rough palm down my cheek. “I’m alright now see? You saved me, but,” he frowned, “How did I get back to my bed.”

  I sniffled. “I brought you up, carried you on my back.” I frowned, “You are really heavy, you know.”

  He laughed and then groaned in pain. After a few moments he relaxed. “Thank you, I don’t like the thought of bleeding to death on my own floor.”

  “I don’t think you would have really died, but you need stitches to close that I called for a doctor but none has come I can’t even find Johnson.” My lower lip trembled.

  “Darling, I faced war and came back alive, even if in a few pieces, there is no way this could kill me. I can’t die now when I have something to live for. A very special reason,” he said softly.

  I cried over his chest a bit with him stroking my head and soon I yawned again.

  “What time do you think it is, Darling?” he asked.

  “About midnight now I suppose.”

  “Time for bed then, you need some sleep,” he ordered.

  “I will not leave this room until I doctor comes to look at you!” I said sitting up and crossing my arms over my chest.

  “But-” he started.

  “No buts,” I cut in. “I will stay here! If I have to sleep on the floor I will.”

  Suddenly he tugged me onto the bed where I tumbled over him. He gave me a grin and then winced.

  “Sleep on the bed then,” at my worried look he added, “I won’t do anything to you.”

  Too tired to argue I said, “Wake me up if something is wrong, got that?” then I drifted off before I could hear what he said.

  …

  Warm and toasty was what it felt like to wake up in the arms of a man and I found I like quite much indeed, but the next event of there being a knock on th
e door and then a short little man with only a few tuffs of white hair on his head walked in calling, “Yer Grace?”

  I scrambled off the bed, and over to the little man and pointed at Lord Brendan. “He had a bad fall and hit his head, I did the best I could but I fear that it may need stitches, and please,” I added more quietly, “Do not stare at his scars it bugs him.”

  The old man smiled and patted my hand. “Don’t worry dear, we’ll get him fixed right up.”

  The doctor was quick and it was almost painless, but I had to turn away for I loathed needles so. When he was done the doctor told him loudly he needed his rest, some good food and good person to take care of him. The old man winked her way and said to Lord Brendan, “You have a must becoming wife, my lord, but not only that she may have saved your life. You are very lucky.”

  Without either of us to get a word in he left with a wink and a smile.

  I turned to Lord Brendan and blushed clear to my roots. “I am sorry he mistook-”

  “Well I am not, now come here,” he demanded from where he was propped up with pillows. I did as I was bid and sat when he told me too. Lord Brendan took my hands in his and gently stroked them with his thumbs. The accident has had me thinking and I believe it is best for both of us-”

  Please don’t send me away now!

  “-that we stay together as a team of sorts. I clearly need you. What do you think?”

  Puzzled I frowned a bit thinking. “I guess so.”

  He laugh softly at my confused. “I am asking you to stay. With me. Forever.”

  My eyes widened. “What?!”

  He frown slightly. “Is it not to your liking?”

  I shook my head vigorously. “Not at all! I was merely surprised. I would love too. As long as you are okay with one thing?”

  “What is that?” he asked seriously.

  “You have to let me love you. I won’t stay without love,” I said a smiled softly.

  He pulled my close and squeezed me. “Thank you for bothering to put up with an old man.”

  “You are not an old man, you are my brother’s age I think, you did grow up together which makes you no older than thirty, and I am eighteen, my Mama was younger than Papa by twenty, it’s alright.” I tapped my chin with my finger, “The only problem is telling my brother that I am going to be your mistress.”

  Brendan spluttered, “Mistress? That what you got out of what I asked you.”

  “Well yes in general terms,” I said with a smile. “I don’t mind.”

  He sat me down and stared into my eyes. “I don’t want you as my mistress.”

  “But-”

  “No, I want you to marry me. I did mean forever, there will be no breaks. Besides,” he grinned, “my mistress is the sea.”

  Chapter Four

  “I don’t think he took the news so well,” I whispered in my husband’s ear. His answering chuckle was payment enough for the act my brother was making. At first he had laughed then he had yelled and now he was simply gaping at us.

  “You didn’t want a wife,” Jackson stated at Brendan.

  Brendan nodded. “I didn’t want a wife I wanted your sister, my old friend.”

  Then his gaze rested on me, “You needed a husband…so you married him?”

  “I didn’t want nor need one, but you cannot control love.” I gave my husband’s hand a squeeze. “I guess everything happens for a reason.”

  Finally Jackson smiled again. “Beauty and the Beast, so the fairy tales are true.”

  “Which will make your tale of the Three Bears,” I said with a laugh, “just be careful whose house you wonder into brother dear.”

  Table of Contents

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagi...

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagi...

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four