Lord Beast

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Unfortunately, the small jarring of her back given to her by Lord Ashcroft had caused more pain than Dani thought possible. Her spine was in utter agony all through the day and into the night. Sleep eluded her but moving caused too much pain so she opted to remain in bed until her agony subsided.

The following morning she sent word down to her aunt that she would be unable to attend breakfast and requested a tray sent up to her. Naturally, Fiona was quick to survey the extent of Dani's immobility in person, fussing over her like a worrisome mother.

"Is it your back again, dear?" she enquired sympathetically, hovering in the doorway.

"I'm afraid so," Dani lamented. "I so wanted to go for a walk along the coast today... I can't seem to bring myself to bite through the pain and get up."

"Hmmm. Would you like me to send for the doctor?"

"There's no need. I know what they'll say- bed rest and laudanum."

"Alright, if you're sure." Fiona gave her an assessing look where she lay on her side, a pillow wedged between her knees, on the bed. "Shall I send anything up to you? I'll make sure your embroidery is sent up-" Dani smothered a laugh. Her embroidery was shameful. The last thing she wanted to do was stitch a boring piece of fabric. "No, thank you. But if you could send up a few books for me to read, that would be lovely."

"I will do so at once," she assured her motherly. "You just keep still now and I'll make sure you've everything you need to make the day pass smoothly."

"Thank you." Dani smiled at the old woman appreciatively before being left to her own devices. She sighed resignedly, having long ago decided that she would have to visit Falmouth Castle again another time. There was absolutely no possibility that she would be able to walk there when her back was in this much pain. It was irksome, that. She'd never been given to being made lame by an injury. It was just a pity that she was now when quite the most exciting thing was happening to her.

Good God, she had befriended the Earl of Falmouth! Well, she hoped she was at least making headway befriending him. One could never tell with that infernal hood. She could safely assume that he was warming up to her... well, maybe not safely but she liked to hope. Maybe he found her an amusing diversion to his normally humdrum life. She suspected that his life would be quite humdrum... locked away in a lonely castle with no one for company other than... how had he put it? Ah, yes... the pile of rocks around him.

Or maybe his life was quite exciting. Everybody thought he was dead. Why? Was he trying to keep some mysterious secret from the rest of society?

Oh, it was thrilling! Titillating! And Dani was the only person who knew of his existence. Not that he'd gone through much pains to hide his identity from her... what if he were an imposter who merely knew enough about the history of Falmouth Castle to use the earl's identity as his own?

Dani shook the thought from her mind. She knew he was the real Rhys Ashcroft. Deep down, she just knew. It made her quite melancholy that she wouldn't be able to further their acquaintance that day but she sighed resignedly and flipped open the book she had been reading since last night- a tome of Keats's poetry and works. Life always followed a certain routine for her and, on occasion, she would become quite envious of people who had exciting lives: people who travelled and explored the continent, men who wrote about their adventures, those poor unfortunates involved in the most scandalous of gossip... Danielle's life had progressed in quiet anonymity.

She didn't draw attention to herself. She never made a fuss or a scene and she had scarcely stepped foot out of London up until three months ago. She had even shied away from dancing during balls because of her back, not that she received many offers from gentlemen in the first place. Then again, she had tried to look as reluctant as possible in order to stave off actually rejecting someone.