Emma

Chapter One.

"How is he, Doctor?"

The doctor and his two nurses walks toward me with confident faces.

"He is gonna be fine, do not worry"

"Thank you, Lord," I say, relieved.

"But, you did the right thing to bring him here. If he had stayed all night out, he probably would've died"

"Dear God"

"Here's a note of the medicine to give him and absolute rest is required," He says while handing me a paper.

"Thank you"

"There's only the matter of the payment now"

"The maid will pay you"

One of the maids, Ann, arrives and tell the doctor to follow her. I thank, again, the doctor and he leaves the living room. I put back my shawl on my shoulders and head to the double door which leads to the room where the stranger is resting. When I am inside, I close the door behind me and notices that the place is well heated, thanks to the fire. I put the note on one of the cabinets and walk to the bed. The man is asleep and there's no more blood on his face. However, I can see that the nurses used the clothes the maids put on the table for him. I assume it is one of the servants. It can't be Ackley's otherwise, they would've been too large. We can say that Ackley is a very tall and muscular man.

"Grace..."

I am more than surprised when I hear the man's voice. A croaky and gravelly voice.

"Sir?"

He does not respond. He is still very tired, there's no chance he's gonna wake up now. So, I turn around, ready to leave the room, when I hear him moving. Again, I turn toward the man and sees him trying to sit. I rush to him.

"What the hell..." He says in a gruff voice.

"Sir, you cannot sit. Please, lay down"

He turns his head to look at me and even though his eyes are not wide open, I can see surprise in his gaze.

"Who are you?"

"I am Emma Langdon. We are in a castle right outside Birmingham. I found you, injured and unconscious in the streets. I did not know where to get you so, my driver and I brought you here. In my home"

He seems like he doesn't care. He looks like he is not even listening to me.

"Listen, Sir, you are very injured. You have to rest"

"I have to go," He says.

Then, he sits, not without moaning in pain.

"You are wounded," I repeat.

When he tries to get up, and when I see the pain on his face, I know I just cannot let him leave like that. So, I put my hands on his chest to encourage him to lay down.

"Listen to me. You can't even stand up, how are you going to walk"?

"I have known worse" He answers with his gruff voice.

"I won't let you leave like that. God will punish me if I let a man leave in those conditions"

"He'll forgive you"

Dear God, he is so stubborn.

"I will call men to keep you in bed if needed," I say with a firm voice.

Then, it is at this exact moment that he lift his head to look at me. His eyes meet mine and only now I realize how blue they are. A blue I have never seen before. And his skin, even though it is still marked by his injuries, looks like sand. Golden sand at sunset.