Psychotic Maniac

Chapter 11

Estella woke up the next day in an unfamiliar room. Panicked, she threw the blanket away and rolled out of the bed.

The dresser in front of her had a big mirror and she saw herself, dressed in a night robe that wasn't hers.

Horrified, she tried to recollect any remnants of memory she remembered-coming to Montclair, meeting with Lopez, stuck in rain, the argument between her and Edward, and losing herself in the weather.

The sudden rush of memory, and waking up in a bedroom she had never seen caused a somersault in her stomach. Her anxiety-filled eyes made an acute scan of her whitewash surrounding.

From the look of it, Estella guessed it had to be a guest room. There were no pictures with bedside tables empty which somewhat told her she didn't need to check the closet. She knew it would be empty.

Her legs carried her to the window, and she pulled the curtain. The sunlight overhead told her it was noon. She squinted her eyes, adjusting them to the light and inspected the unfamiliar green and neatly clipped yard. Across it, was a bustling road.

She grabbed a vase to use it as a weapon if she was abducted.

Curious where she was, where he was, and where her dress was, she rushed toward the door and opened it. Estella jumped back on her feet, holding her heart as someone appeared the doorway.

"Sorry, Ma'am." A short brunette girl in an apron bowed her head down. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice sounding hoarse, hiding the vase behind her back as she rubbed her throat with the other hand. "And where am I?"

"It's our master's house." She said in a soft voice. "Our guest Mr. Churchill sent me to check up on you."

Hearing his name, she felt relieved. Things seemed normal, for now. "Edward? Where is he? And how-"

"You can leave us alone, Rosa!"

The girl, Rosa nodded and disappeared into the hallway. Edward came in front of her and put her hands on her forehead.

"You seem a little better."

Confused, she asked. "Wasn't I?"

He withdrew his hand and slipped into the pocket of his loose pants. He was wearing the same chocolate shirt and black pants. It was dry at least. "Also, you had a fever of 104 degrees."

She arched her brows high, expression gaped. "Seriously?"

He nodded, then taking her inside the room she woke up.

"Is this your house?" She asked, "I wasn't expecting the weather to take a nice turn."

"Neither did I," he shrugged. "But we are still in Montclair. It's Lopez's mansion actually. After you passed out, I brought you here."

Estella wanted to ask him if he knew Lopez personally but didn't press the matter and saved the topic for later to enquire. By then, Edward shifted the blanket to the headboard and grabbed something in his hand. She had to walk over to get a look.

"Why don't you change into something else?" He said, holding medicine tablets.

"But my clothes-"

"It's in the bathroom. Rosa had it cleaned and dried right after she changed them."

The relief was on her face as the idea of him doing that seemed too intimate.

When she didn't respond, Edward continued. "I'll have your breakfast ready. You have to take medicines then."