I held in a sigh and nodded as she helped pull the nightgown over my head and then slip a pale blue dress on in its place. It had been raining for two days already and I was frankly very sick of being cooped up in the palace when I wanted nothing more than to be outside with the newest patient Derek had brought me.
The day after we had arrived, Derek had said he would be gone for at least a day on business. Augusta was glum and I myself was a little disappointed that we wouldn't be able to spend the day together but I let it go and enjoyed the morning in the gardens with Augusta and the afternoon out riding with Father.
When we came in late that afternoon I was surprised to see that Brom was wandering the stables, waiting for us. He had left with Derek that morning and so I was surprised to see him.
"Derek would like you to join him in The Cottage," he surprised me by saying as we entered the stables. He took the reins of my horse and helped me to dismount before motioning impatiently with his head towards the garden and then handing my horse over to a groom.
He then grabbed me by the arm and pulled me along at a quick pace towards The Cottage. We arrived in record time and I was breathing quickly and extremely confused at the fact that Derek was back already and wanting me so urgently to meet him. Brom had refused to answer my questions but looked grim. Well, Brom always looked grim since the war, so that wasn't bothering me too badly.
Derek was standing in front of The Cottage, pacing back and forth walith a distracted look on his face and I hurried over to him as my heart leaped in worry.
"What is it?" I questioned, placing my hand on his arm to notify him of my presence. He turned to me and the look on his face lightened considerably.
"Come with me." He grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me around to the back of the house where we had a little pen set up for a set of piglets that had been brought in the year before. They were gone now but the pen was still there.
Inside then pen lay the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. A large, regal looking white swan with a slender neck that was curled around its body and into its side. The eyes were closed and it was breathing so lightly I could barely see that it was still alive. And there, on its right side, was stuck the front half of an arrow, deeply imbedded into the wing and shoulder.
"Oh heavens," I gasped softly. Derek nodded grimly. I didn't waste any more time looking on but instead strode purposefully into the pen and knelt carefully by the side of the wounded bird.
The next hour was spent almost silently between Derek and I. He watched me carefully and seemed to know what assistance I needed before I even asked for it. He held the bird while I removed the arrow and then helped me to calm it and take it inside where we could care for the wound.
After that long and tiring hour we had the swan washed and cared for and sleeping, with some assistance from a few herbs and a light tonic and Derek and I were resting outside The Cottage on the grass beneath the tree.
"Where did you find her?" I finally thought to ask.
"At the Baron Aldfeld's, just over in Glenfeld," he answered, leaning back on his elbows and watching the sun set over the garden wall. "We were supposed to discuss the terms of the new township established in Glenfeld but ended up being interrupted by his very distressed wife only moments into our meeting." He chuckled. "And believe me when I say that the Baron cannot focus on anything until his wife is perfectly happy."
I smiled, remembering that his wife was none other than Lady Arella, who was now soulfully and happily devoted to her dear husband. It was good to see that Derek and I had done some good in our little deception on that night before the war.
"What was distressing her?"
"That bird." He jerked his head towards the structure behind us. "The baron's wife is excessively fond of birds and this one has been her pet for over a year now. But it seems the little bugger escaped and managed to get far enough away to be caught in the field of fire of the baron's nephew's hunting party. The nephew recognized the bird when they came upon it and rushed to bring it back to the manor. From there, Lady Arella brought the matter to the Baron and he then sought my counsel in finding a suitable nurse for the poor bird."
"And naturally you thought of me," I finished for him with a half smile.
"Naturally," he said with an emphatic nod. "I know of none better suited to nurse an aching wound or love a creature into getting better." He looked over at me in all seriousness and I blushed under his gaze. His eyes held mine until I realized I was holding my breath in anticipation of something but I didn't know what. I slowly let it out as my heart began to thud noisily in the silence.
"Does she have a name?" I squeaked, breaking the silence and looking down at the grass as though it were of the utmost interest to me. I could still feel Derek's eyes on me but I could also sense that he was smiling now.
"Odette," he answered promptly. I looked up to see that he was indeed smiling at me. He pushed back up to a seated position and brushed the pieces of grass off his arms.
"Odette?" I repeated in disbelief. He nodded confirmation and then smiled even more broadly. I smiled in return and found myself suddenly and inexplicably happy. Seeing that the bird had my middle name and my mother's name, it seemed very fitting that I should be the one to nurse her back to health. "Thank you." I reached over to Derek and squeezed his hand in a grateful gesture.
He surprised me by holding onto my hand and then flipping it over so my palm was facing up. His eyes were focused down and so he did not see the massive blush that spread across my face as he brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed the palm. He gave it a little squeeze and then, still holding onto it, looked back to me. He wasn't smiling but his eyes were gleaming with an emotion I couldn't quite place or remember seeing before. They pierced me like a question and I was breathless with the force of it.
"Derek!" Brom's loud call from the other side of The Cottage shook us out of the moment. Derek gave me a look that said we would continue this silent conversation later and then he jumped up and yelled back to Brom.
The two of them hurried off to some unfinished business soon after and I was left to wonder what exactly had happened and what was going to happen.
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