The Stranger- Chapter 4

I woke up sputtering and gasping in Dr. Richards’ house. Through the dim glow of the sun from behind the curtains I could see Katherine, Dr. Richards and my father in the small room. They looked at me and cried out in joy, Katherine practically in tears. A warm hand wrapped around mine, and my father smiled at me.

“Good morning, petal.”

“Hello…”

The door flew open and Kendell appeared, sighing in relief when he saw me. “I heard that you had to be taken down here. Are you alright?” He kneeled next to my bed and smoothed my hair, smiling. It was so comforting that I was about to fall asleep again. There was truly nothing that relaxed me more than knowing he was beside me. I mumbled a response and closed my eyes, but when I did the image of Kendell covered in blood flashed in my mind. I jerked and reached for Kendell’s hand, crushing it.

“Annabelle, what’s wrong?” The alarm in his voice made me want to cry.

“You died…”

“What?”

“I-I had a dream…” With a shaky breath, I told him about the dream I had. Everything about it was so vivid, so real. More than once I had to blink back tears, the horrific scenes flashing back and forth in front of my eyes. I described the man and his awful eyes. When I was done with my story, Kendell squeezed my hand and kissed my forehead.

“It was just a nightmare, Annabelle. I’m not leaving you anytime in the future.”

“But-but that man! I had another dream, I was watching myself be taken in here and across the street was another carriage… The man, I saw him too! The long black hair, the long coat, and the brownish red eyes! It didn’t seem like just a dream that time, Kendell…”

I felt him stiffen and chuckle, “My dear, you’ll worry yourself to death. Just relax.”

“Yes, Miss Drevensek, Mr. Inkcrest is right. You’ve already come down with a slight fever. I suggest you stay in bed for the next week and don’t do anything strenuous.”

“Thank you, Dr. Richards. How much money would you like for helping my daughter outside your hours?” My father smiled.

“Oh, I assure you Lord Drevensek, it was no trouble. You don’t owe a dime. Now get this beautiful young lady back to her bedroom and keep her there!”

I was transported back to the carriage, resting in Kendell’s lap the entire way back home. Katherine, Kendell and my father were discussing how I was to be cared for over the next week. I sighed. Being bedridden was like being in prison, I couldn’t do much of anything. It was times like these when I was the most thankful for being able to write my stories. Kendell kept running his thumb over my cheek, staring into my eyes as he always did. The way his eyes searched mine made it feel like he knew everything about me. When we reached the manor, he carried me back into my room and gently placed me on the bed as if I were made of glass. I looked at myself and blushed- I was still in just my nightdress! Nichole had told me that no man except my husband should ever see me in my nightdress.

Kendell chuckled, “You’re embarrassed now that I’ve seen you in your nightdress, but not when I walked in on you changing?”

“Well, I already had underclothes on so it wouldn’t have mattered, but this is different!”

“How?”

“Uh-um…” I searched for a reason, any reason, “Because… You shouldn’t see me wearing clothing for bed! Especially with the proposal you made earlier…” I referenced his suggestion to “fool around”. What a pig. A scoundrel, that’s what he is.

“If you were feeling better, that would change this entire situation, sweetheart. Trust me.” Kendell smirked, causing my face to heat up again.

“You wouldn’t dare do anything.”

“Alas, you’re right. I have respect for you and only you, my dear lady.” He pulled up the chair from my writing desk and sat down beside me.

“You don’t have to watch me, Kendell.”

“Actually, I do. Your father told me to stay with you at all times to keep you company.”

“I’m not sure how much I believe that story…” I was filled with happiness at the idea that my father would allow Kendell to stay with me anyway.

“But it’s true! You can ask Katherine when she stops by with breakfast.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him, “Never mind. You don’t have to sit on that chair, you know. It gets very uncomfortable after a while,” I moved aside in bed and patted the space next to me. “Lie here with me.”

A look of surprise flashed across his face before Kendell slowly got up and put the chair back, then climbed into bed beside me. He pulled me to him and I leaned my head on his shoulder, sighing. Damn this fever, damn it to hell…

“Sad already? I don’t think you’re going to survive a week in bed, Annabelle,” Kendell chuckled, playing with my hair. I curled into him and sighed again,

“I know. That’s why you’re going to help me get through it.”

And he did. We laid in bed all day, recalling some of our favorite memories of each other. Some things that I had almost forgotten, he remembered as if they happened last week. The first time I had done something bad was when Kendell had convinced me to take a piece of candy from the market. We had felt so stealthy afterwards, and no one ever found out. I brought up the first time Kendell liked a girl, a blonde haired blue eyed girl named Dorothy. They were both only eight, and it was adorable. I learned the signs that Kendell gave off when he liked someone, such as stuttering and blushing. He knew that I figured out his body language and trid to hide it, resulting in him being arrogant or rather stoic around me. This memory caused him to remember the first time I liked someone as well at six years old, a black haired brown eyed boy named William. I still see him now, and he’s far from a gentleman.

“Oh my goodness,” I laughed out loud as I thought of another memory of Kendell, “I remember the day you told me you had lost your virginity. You looked so proud of yourself.” Kendell was only thirteen when he had lost his virginity. Everyone immediately thought of him as the Devil incarnate, but I didn’t care.

“Ah, yes. She was wonderful,” a proud grin stretched across his face. I pretended to vomit and he laughed, “You brought it up, Annie.”

“Don’t call me Annie, you pig,” I laughed with him. Ever since he had lost his virginity to a young harlot, he became one himself. I’d have thought he would have caught a disease by now from all the girls he’s slept with, but he hasn’t. Odd… The only girls he refuses to even look at are Larissa and her minions, even though they throw themselves at him the most. It’s quite entertaining to watch.

“Sweetheart, you’d change your mind about me being a pig if I slept with you,” his devilish smirk appeared and my face burned with embarrassment. I slapped his chest, feeling his body that was toned from working in the iron shop. It made me blush even more. A deep chuckle escaped his lips as his eyes flashed with amusement. I opened my mouth to say something, but realized there was nothing to say. Instead, I moved to the other side of the bed and turned my back to him, huffing loudly. Of course I wasn’t actually mad at him. How could I be? My fever was completely forgotten when he curled an arm around me and pulled me to him, chuckling again. I could feel his breath on my neck and shivered, causing him to pull me tighter to him and run his other hand down my leg. I’m sure if anyone walked in right now they would have a heart attack. Especially my father.

“Kendell, I’d suggest you keep your hands to yourself.”

“Why?” I could hear the smirk in his voice as he traced patterns on my thigh.

“What if someone walked in? You’d be banished from the manor forever.”

“I’m sure you could persuade them to let me back here,” he squeezed my thigh and I gasped, swatting his hand away. He kept laughing as I turned to face him again and glared. I don’t know why I’m friends with him sometimes, he’s such a sly dog. Kendell kissed the top of my head and started tracing patterns on my arm.

“Kendell… Why have you been acting this way lately?”

“…What way?” He kept tracing patterns on my arm.

“So… Infatuated?” I smirked at him.

Kendell blushed a bright red and stuttered, “W-what? I-I-I don’t know what you’re t-talking about…”

My smirk turned into a grin, “I think you do!”

“I think that fever is interfering with your t-thought process…”

“Yes, my fever is giving me hallucinations. After all, you never blush, Kendell.”

I giggled when he tried to hide his blush and coughed, “Yes, exactly.”

The fever I supposedly had didn’t affect me at all. I felt wonderful, better than ever. I freed myself from his grasp and got out of bed, stretching. The curtains were closed, leaving us in a rather dim room.

“Hey, you shouldn’t be up, Annabelle.”

I ignored him and tore the curtains open, squinting as the bright morning sunlight flooded the room. Hearing Kendell gasp, I turned around to see him staring at me. What was he staring at me like that for? His eyes were wide with shock.

“Y-your dress…”

I looked down at my dress to see that it was practically transparent in the sunlight. Kendell could see my silhouette through it! Curse this dress for being so thin…  I quickly stepped out of the sunlight and scowled. When I turned around to look out the window, seeing the garden, I heard shuffling. Two strong arms wrapped around me and lifted me off the ground. Kendell had tossed me over his shoulder and walked back to the bed, dropping me on it and hovering over me. That b*****d. I clearly didn’t want to be in bed.

“Stay.” Kendell spoke to me as if I was a dog. I frowned and pushed him off me, only to let him get back on top of me. What is wrong with this man? I tried to push him off again but he caught my hands and trapped them beside me. A wicked grin stretched across his face as his eyes traveled over me, and for a moment I actually felt scared that he would do something rash. The fear was quickly replaced with amusement when I decided to turn the tables. I hooked my leg over his hip and pushed him over, pinning him down by his shoulders and smirking. He looked shocked for a moment before he chuckled and flipped me onto my back again. We play fought like we used to as children until I heard the door open.

My father stared at us, raising an eyebrow at Kendell pinning me down. He quickly got off me and smiled sheepishly. There was someone behind my father, but I couldn’t see him well.

“Annabelle, Kendell… What were you two doing?”

“Playing…” I whispered.

            “Such children. I assume you’re feeling better, Annabelle?”

            I nodded and my father stepped aside to let someone in. My mouth fell open. The man I had seen in both of my dreams was staring at me with a hungry smirk. For some reason, I wasn’t scared anymore. He was exactly like my drawings, dark and beautiful. His long black coat and hair made him look like a ghost, his pale, sharp face accenting the brownish red eyes. A single raven feather hung from one ear. He was tall, but not extremely muscular. Kendell’s hand reached under my chin and pushed it closed.

            My father chuckled, “This is Lord Jacob Wraith. He used live here, but moved to Philadelphia and has decided to get away from the city for a while. We’ve been friends for a few years now.” Friends? But my father was around thirty seven and he looked only twenty five… Seemed unlikely that they’d know each other, but I guess it didn’t matter.

            Lord Wraith nodded his head, “Hello. You’re the fair Annabelle I’ve heard so much about. Pleased to meet you.”

            “Likewise,” I eyed him cautiously. He seemed coy, like a fox.

            “She’s beautiful. I’d love her hand in marriage, James.” Lord Wraith smirked and glanced at my father. I felt Kendell’s arm snake around me protectively.

            “She’s a very free spirit, Jacob. It’s up to her. And besides, you’d definitely have Mr. Inkcrest for competition. Right, lad?”

            Kendell blushed and looked at me, then back to my father. He smirked and gave a curt nod. I raised an eyebrow at him. I knew he liked me. What a moron, trying to hide it. Kendell noticed the look I was giving him and ruffled my hair, smiling.

            I looked back to my father and Lord Wraith with a smile, one that quickly faded as I saw Lord Wraith glaring daggers at Kendell. How dare he look at Kendell that way. The happiness I had felt while being with Kendell had completely evaporated. Now I was irritated with Lord Wraith, speaking of me and marriage as if he was selecting a pig to be slaughtered.

            “Well, I’m going to wash up.” I got up and headed for the door, my father and Lord Wraith standing aside to let me through. Before leaving, I shot Lord Wraith a pointed glare, “As for ‘marriage’, I’d suggest you look for a petty bride somewhere else.”

            I stormed to the bathroom and locked the large door behind me. Lords these days! So arrogant and bratty! I really can’t believe that my father is a lord sometimes. At least he gives me hope for people of high status. Somewhat. I filled the bathtub with hot water and tore my clothes off, dropping them on the floor. I climbed into the bathtub, wincing at the temperature of the water. People would think I’m trying to cook myself… I sat in the bathtub for a few moments, my mind wandering through the dreams I had. Was it pure coincidence that Lord Wraith would look exactly like the man in my dreams?

            I didn’t believe in coincidence.

            The hot water made my limbs feel sluggish. It was a slight challenge, but I grabbed the bar of soap on the side of the tub and washed up. The mirror in front of the sink became clouded with steam. I slipped under the water to wash my hair, brushing my fingers through the tangles. When I came back up for air, I was done with the bath, but I didn’t want to see anyone so I stayed in the warm water. At least it had cooled off a bit. These small things made me happy, unlike the vain women in our town who were only happy with wealth and power. I hated how those women would marry anyone just for their money or status, and not out of love. Larissa and her minions were definitely the type of people to do this. But then again, in this day and age, that’s how some people survived the poverty… Thank God I didn’t have to worry about poverty. It would drive me to insanity, having to worry about putting food on the table every night. Goodness, I am extremely pampered…

            I chuckled, amused with my entire existence. The water was going cold, so I decided to climb out of the bathtub and get a towel from the cupboards. I dried off, whipping my hair and sending water flying through the bathroom. There was a crash out in the hallway, and I heard swearing. Who was fighting in our manor? Certainly not my gentle father. I wrapped the towel around my body, trying to hide as much of me as I possibly could, and threw the door open. What I saw instantly filled me with rage. Lord Wraith had Kendell pinned up against the wall by his shirt collar, and he was sneering, growling most offending things about Kendell and absolutely perverted things about me.

            “Jacob Wraith!” I snarled, gritting my teeth.

            Both men turned their heads and gaped at me as if they had never seen a woman before. Wraith tried to speak as he was so boldly doing before, but couldn’t find any words. I refuse to call this sick excuse of a man a lord.

            “Take your hands off my dear friend before I personally escort you out of the manor!”

            The speechless expression was wiped away from Wraith’s face, replaced with an arrogant smirk, “And what would you do? Drag me out the door?”

            “Don’t tempt me.”

            He removed his hands from Kendell’s shirt and raised them above his head in surrender, “I’m sorry to have offended you, dear Annabelle. Perhaps we could talk in private and settle our little disagreements-“

            “No.”

            The smirk wavered in Wraith’s frustration for a moment before he regained his composure, “I’ll convince you otherwise. After all, why have a lowly blacksmith orphan, when you can have a lord?” Wraith turned on his heel and walked down the hall, disappearing from sight as he turned the corner.

            “Kendell, don’t listen to him-“

            “No, he’s right. He’s much better than me, a ‘lowly blacksmith orphan’…” Kendell muttered darkly, bowing his head and walking off down the hall.

Reviews

[Wolfwind]

Okay, so I already dislike the Lord Wraith. You have depicted a villain in a fine way in your words. I could feel the darkness pouring from him during he presence within the scenes. I am curious though as to what set off the scuffle between him and Mr. Kendell. Yet, I found Annabelle's reaction to it play out perfectly in the style that fit's her personality. I'm really enjoying your tale!

Aaron

[Review]

o.k so i was wrong so many twists and turns very good villain by the way nice classic look and believable

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