When North Meets South

Chapter 5: Running away isn't as easy as it seems

No matter how far I go,
I can never seem to escape that soul searching gaze of his...

Helen rolled over in bed unwilling to get up to begin her duties for the day.

She had found herself unable to sleep peacefully, slipping in and out of a troubled slumber plagued with less than innocent dreams of the handsome Scotsman. Her body buzzed with untamed desire as she remembered the kiss they'd shared and how his hands had held felt on her hips.

The sunlight filtering through her chambers warned her that it was way past time for her to get up but she didn't want to escape the warm abode that was her bed. At least she would be spared the fear of bumping into her enigma.

In the few days past following their kiss, Helen had been scolded by Gretchen more than once for being unnecessarily distracted when she was going through a near mid life crisis. Her words. But she couldn't blame the woman. With all that was going on in her romantic life, it was enough to be considered a mid life crisis even though she wasn't that old yet.

She had resorted to sleeping in, walking with her head down after she had met his eyes once in the hallways staring at her with a confused look and randomly diving into corridors when she saw him coming.

That had earned her more than enough bruises she struggled to hide and quite a number of confused looks from the maids.

Why did her stupid body have to be so weak?

Hearing a commotion coming from Gretchen's room, Helen wondered if she would be needed and stood to check it out when she heard a deep masculine voice that could only be the Lord of the Manor.

She took quiet steps back to her bed and sat till she heard the chamber door slam shut. Scotland only seemed to have troubles for her and her Lady.

With a deep sigh, Helen rolled to face the tapestry covered wall of her room trying to make sense of the past few days, a rustling behind the tapestry drawing her attention.

She sat up as a cold draft blew in and the tapestry moved aside to reveal the bane of her existence she had been avoiding.

"What are you doing here?" She whisper yelled moving to lock her door so Gretchen wouldn't walk in and catch her in that precarious position.

"I came to figure out why you've been avoiding me." He accused folding his arms, "I suggest you come with me if you don't want your Lady eavesdropping."

"I've not been avoiding you." She muttered stubbornly folding her arms across her chest forgetting she was only still clad in her night garments and innocently giving him a full view of her assets.

Coughing, he scratched the back of his head and turned around.

"You might want to put some clothes on." He said still not looking at her.

"Put some clothes on but I..." She looked down at her clothes and nearly screamed her head off remembering last minute that Gretchen was only a few feet away.

"You heathen!" She whisper yelled accusingly as she threw on a dress hastily. Luckily it was a dress that didn't require a corset.

"How was I to know you wouldn't be dressed?" He answered back still not turning around, "Are you decent?"

"Quite."

He turned and gave her a once over nodding his head in approval.

"Let's go." He said walking into the dark corridor.

"No." She answered stubbornly, "I don't intend going anywhere with you. I have things to..."

"I'm perfectly fine with talking here if you don't mind ngghh..."