Smeared

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The moments that followed were filled with soft laughter and delight. It was the first time in a long time that I felt happy. Rourke was truly the most important person to me in this entire world.

I told him anything he wanted to know about my new life, carefully sugar coating certain details. He listened so closely to my every word as if living them through his own eyes.

Seeing this, I made myself promise that one day I would make sure he gets to experience everything wonderful that the world has to offer.

It was not long  before the issue of my appearance came up. I explained that I had fallen off my horse as I was in such a hurry to see him and did not have time to tidy myself up because I was in such a rush.

Of course he expressed concern but I brushed it off as a light fall and nothing serious. I even jumped around a little in the room, my jaw clenched the entire time in pain, as I pretended that everything was okay when it was clearly not.

Rourke seemed to buy this but was quick to lecture me on my safety and health. We chatted on for a while longer until I picked up a slight change in the pattern of his breathing.

Before I could even check his temperature, he began coughing. I gently patted his back hoping for it to clear.

He apologised profusely once his small coughing fit had subsided. I noticed that he was not doing well. He was clearly trying to hide it from me.

How stupid could I get?

He was clearly not well and here I was disrupting his much needed rest. He had a high fever barely even a few hours ago.

Upon noticing my sudden change in mood, Rourke clasped onto my arm as if begging me not to leave. I gave him a gentle reassuring smile and promised to sit with him until he fell asleep.

The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon when he finally drifted off. I hated that I had no choice but to leave. Giving his hand one last squeeze, I rose from my place and headed over to Archibald who had doozed off long ago on a chair near the window.

I gently shook his shoulder in a successful attempt to wake him. I placed my finger over my lips indicating that he needed to keep quiet as Rourke was asleep.

Archie let out a silent grumble as he lifted himself up and escorted me out the house before anyone could see. We did not say anything to each other the entire time and I was grateful for the silence.

Not long after I had made my way to the stables, I had tucked myself behind a hay stack and allowed sleep to overcome me. I was exhausted.

"Hey," someone poked me on the shoulder, "Ruthie, wake up." They poked me again.

I swatted the hand away and rolled over. "Leave me alone."

"No can do." I was poked again but this time a little harder. "You owe me one remember."

My eyes opened to glare at the perpetrator. Archie was leaning above me with a mischievous smile laced on his lips.

This can't be anything good...

I pushed him away and slowly got up. Archibald really knows just how to get on my nerves.

"What is it exactly that you want me to do?" I frowned as I tried to dust myself off and neaten my now wild hair.

"You will see," Archie have me an unimpressed once over, "But first you really need to get cleaned up."

I raised an eyebrow. "Please do tell me where and how exactly you expect me to do that?"

"You really are useless on your own aren't you?" He rolled his eyes before continuing, "The manor is mostly empty, Mother has gone off to a tea party or something and father... Well who knows, but whatever just use one of the rooms." He flicked his head in the direction.

It was not long before I found myself enjoying the comforts of a much needed bath. It felt so amazing against my aching muscles. It was then when I noticed the nasty bruise that took up a large space on my leg. It was from the fall.

I just sighed and sunk my head down in the bath. I closed my eyes relishing the feeling of the warm water as it enveloped my senses.

Earlier I had poked my head around to see if Rourke was still okay, which he was but he was still sleeping. I had then made my way off to run a bath in one of the guest rooms.

It turned out Lady Faintree had been right, my old room had indeed been turned into a storeroom. All my things were gone, not that I had much anyways. I guess I really had no place anywhere anymore.

When I had emerged from the bathroom, I noticed that there was a crumpled box on the bed. Peaking inside I caught sight of a brush and some clothes. They were a bit scrunched but I recognised them immediately. They were my old clothes before I left for the duchy. It seems that Lady Faintree had missed a few of my things.

It was not long before I was ready and had made sure to carefully clean up all the evidence that I was ever in the room. I had put my dirty clothes in the box and was now carrying it in my my arms when I found Archie waiting for my outside.

"Finally." He huffed, "You are as slow as always."

"Thank you for bringing me my clean clothes." I smiled ignoring his comment.

"It was Rourke who had asked me to save them when he heard mother ordering servants to throw them out. He said something along the lines of its always good to have some spare clothes incase you ever come to visit or if I ah... Ever have a lady friend over... "Archie scratched the back of his head as he said the last few words.

"Does dear Archibald have a lover?" I could not help but  tease.

"Shut up." He grabbed the box from me while glaring. "You do not know anything."

"I do know that you arrived home yesterday with a ruffled shirt and nervous look." I tapped my chin.

"We agreed you would not mention that." He grumbled as we made our way out the manor. He then dumped the box in a bush across the street.

"Hey!" I complained trying to reach for it, "Those are my things."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me along, "They are ruined and anyways, we have places to be."

My protests were futile. It was not long before I found myself in front of the local seamstress.

"What are we doing here? I do hope you are replacing those perfectly good clothes you threw out-"

He did not even let me finish as he pulled me through the door. The little bell rang out at the top.

"Give me a minute, I will be right out!" Came a voice from the back.

I had never actually been into this shop before let alone any seamstress shop. Lady Faintree always ordered a seamstress to come over.

It was not long before the elderly woman appeared. She had a friendly smile on her face as she greeted Archibald but no sooner was it dropped as her gaze fell on me. I uncomfortably shifted on my feet as we exchanged forced greetings.

"What can I do for the young Lord today?" The seamstress politely asked Archie intentionally ignoring me.

"Ruth needs a dress for tonight's ball."