Chapter One
Time
Time, time is never really on my side…of course when is it ever? No matter how much I tried to wish for time to go by fast or slow, it always turns out to be the opposite. How much time had passed? How much time did I have? How much time did Nunna have? Were all rotating round and round in my head as I continued to lay in a giant, yet elegant four poster bed in what I’ve been told to be called “my room” yet I’ve come to see it as just my prison. There was always someone in the room, whether it’s my so called “father” or one of his most trusted men, mostly the man named, Johnson. Then there was always just outside my bedroom door, and I’m sure stationed throughout the rest of the house. Slowly the memories started to come back to me. I was standing in the room, my father reveling that he has been alive after all these years, the look on his face as he looked at something or someone behind me, and then there was the sharp pain that burned into my side, I don’t remember if it was the shocking news or the pain that made me pass out first, but the last thing I felt was my head hitting the hard floor. However, one thing was for certain, time had moved…a lot, the question was just how much?
My eyes shifted around the bright room, it was daytime that was for certain. I could see the streams of light shining through the open white linen drapes. I could hear the birds chirping from somewhere outside, yet close by, and I could hear the footsteps of men outside my room walking everywhere from inside the house. I attempted to sit up, however every movement hurt, I winced and fell back down against several of the plush pillows.
“Hold on Duchess, you’re not strong enough yet.” I heard the familiar sound of Johnson speak softly as he helped me up with a gentle touch to the arm and help me lean back against the pillows that were now upright. What was going on? What happened? I wondered to myself briefly before the pounding in my head began again, and the burning pain of my lower back and side reminded me.
“Owww, what…what happened? Where am I? Where is he? Who are you? Let me go! You can’t keep me here…they will find me.” I said with a slurred speech as I tried to get out of the bed. I quickly noticed that someone had changed me out of my dirty, tattered dress into a very modest nightgown; my fingers feeling the stitches and bandages on my head, as well as, the staples and gauze towards my lower back on my side.
“Duchess, where do you think you are going? Stop, calm down or you may start the bleeding again, and we just got it to stop yesterday afternoon. Let me go get your father, okay? I’m sure he can answer your questions. Rex! Get in here!” Johnson said loudly through the closed door as he didn’t take his eyes off of me.
The door flew open quickly, the movement making me a little dizzy and motion sick, yet passed within seconds to focus on what Johnson was commanding this new guy Rex to do.
“Watch the Duchess; don’t let her leave or get up. She needs to rest, remember what Doc said. I need to get Dimitri, and tell him she’s awake. Don’t let her pull her staples out either.” Johnson said as he stepped back towards the door, then leaving me alone with the new guy, who looked just as awkward as I felt. Did this guy speak Russian or English? I wondered briefly as I studied him a little, noticing he was doing the same.
“So, how do you know my fath…Dimitri?” I asked in plain English, my accent struggling with a Russian and Southern, and coming out a little awkwardly.
