The Mysterious Lady

The Matchmaker

CHAPTER THREE

Hugh opened his eyes and squinted against the blare of the sun's rays penetrating through the thin, pink flowery curtain, swishing as the wind's gentle breeze flew in from an open squared window.

Where is he? He thought suddenly.

Idly inspecting his surroundings without his full attention, he saw really quite nothing out of the ordinary. Just a closet to the far side in front of him, a basin and pitcher with folded towel on a small side table beside it, a shelf stocked with different kinds of books, a divider to the right for toilet privacy and lastly, a woman still asleep on a hammock..wait...did I say a woman?! His undivided attention immediately snapped back into the said woman making him dizzy.

"Ow.." He groaned as pain radiated from his right arm when he tried to lift it to touch his fuzzy head.

Glancing at it, he saw a swirl of bandages around his forearm. Confused, he scrunched his brows. What the hell happened? he thought. Then the memory of the past events came rushing back and bombarded his awakening mind. A series of expletive came out of his mouth unbiddenly.

He heard a choking sound or more like a suppressed laughter from his right side. He turned his head sideways then caught his tongue, inhaling sharply. Because there staring avidly in front of him was his lilac-eyed lady primly lying on the hammock, her head cushioned on a pillow and her glorious silvery-blonde hair cascading delicately behind her.

"That was an awesome vocabulary indeed, dear sir. Although I must warn you that my companion here would skin you alive if ever she'll hear those fluently spoken words," the extraordinary pixie informed him with her addictive melodious voice.

What did she just say? He only heard bits of what she said, more like warn and skin alive. Shaking his brain out of this enchantress' magic, he broke eye contact and lied back down on the bed closing his eyes.

"What happened?" He asked softly, paused, then added, "Do you know the name of the man who rescued me? I need to thank him personally you see."

An eerie silence ensued. He thought she never heard him and was just about open his mouth to ask her again...

"I don't know him, my lord," she said decidedly in an even tone.

"I see. Thank you for all your help, my lady." He was gradually lifting his body into a sitting position not minding the throbbing pain while saying his piece. He was about to stand up when warm hands touched his shoulders and firmly pushed him down to the bed.

"Stay abed awhile longer. You've not yet healed fully."

Looking up without thinking, he saw two stubborn lilac eyes glinting with disapproval. Quickly breaking the contact, he let her ushered him back to bed with a resigned sigh.

May be, i'll stay here awhile longer until my strength returned. Simon would notice his absence by now and would know what to do, he surmised.

She propped more pillows to elevate his head, then left his side. Still with eyes closed, he could hear cluttering from the nearby bedside table and a muttered curse. He almost smiled. My..my..So the goody-old-shoes Princess knows a few words herself, he grinned inwardly.

A moment passed, then he felt the tip of a spoon hovering above his bottom lip. Opening his eyes, he saw a bowl of broth held by small dainty fingers and a spoon positioned in front of his mouth. Resisting to look in her eyes for fear of being enchanted again, he opened his mouth and sipped the warm fluid. After consuming everything on the bowl, she gave him a vile concoction that he drank obediently making him teary eyed. When he courageously looked at her, he saw her amused expression making her eyes dance with merriment.