Meeting the doctor 049 x oc)

Chapter 2

***re-written

The morning arrives. The servants in Eleanor's manor scramble throughout the residence. The maids are busy cleaning every nook and corner of the manor leaving no area unclean. The cooks are preparing the menu and the other servants decorate the manor for the upcoming ball tomorrow night. The ball is a coming-of-age ceremony for Eleanor as she is turning 18 years. The purpose of the ball is to find a suitor for marriage. All eligible bachelors are invited as long as they are of noble status. After the ball, it is the decision of the parents of the new adult to choose the groom. This tends to be a stressful time for the house involved since it's also an opportunity to flaunt their wealth.

Eleanor couldn't care less. She didn't want to put in the effort since everything was already decided for her. The only thing she had to do is do what she was told, simply obey without question. The tailor, who was currently taking her body measurements, was surprised by her behavior. The clients that were nobles were always moving about making it difficult to do her job. Eleanor, however, stood still. She followed instructions precisely without fail. The only difficulty the tailor faced was Eleanor's mother.

Eleanor's mother believes in perfection. To not be perfect is to be unacceptable in her views. Her mother was micromanaging the tailor, having her measure each area twice for assurance. She had the tailor tighten Eleanor's corset, turning her already small waist smaller. This annoyed Eleanor greatly as the whale bone from the corset dug into her ribs. Still, she held her composure as to not show emotion.

When her mother was satisfied with the tailor's work, she had them dismissed. Her mother instructed her to meet with a bachelor in the tea room. Lately, her mother had been setting up tea time with bachelors that she favors. Eleanor thought this was pointless. Arranged marriages don't take people's feelings into account so having these meetings was a waste of her time.

Eleanor made her way to the tea room. She nodded at the servants standing by to open the door. She enters the room and curtsies.

"Good afternoon, to whom do I have the pleasure this day?" She stands from her curtsy.

"I assure you, the pleasure is all mine, my lady." The guest bowed.

"Greetings lord Henry." Her voice drops but she quickly recovers. "It is an honor to have you as my guest here in my home. Please let me know if I can make your stay more comfortable."

Henry takes a seat on the sofa allowing Eleanor to also take a seat.

"My lady, I am humbled to be in your presence. Your beauty is truly a sight for sore eyes." Henry's eyes roam throughout her seated figure. "If I may be honest, It would be lovely if you were seated closer to me. I don't bite." He chuckled.

"Now lord Henry, please refrain from such words." She sips her tea, continuing her stoic expression. "It is inappropriate to display such mannerisms especially since we do not court."

"That can always be changed." Henry stood from his seat. He walks over behind the sofa where Eleanor was seated. He takes a piece of her long hair and holds it to his face, inhaling the sweet scent. "Just say the word, my lady, and I will be yours. I can make your dreams reality. I can deliver the pleasures you desire. Be mine."

Eleanor swept her hair away from him and stood, uncomfortable with his close proximity. She gracefully takes herself to the window, allowing herself to bath in the warm sunlight.

"I have no such desires. It would be ridiculous for a lady as myself to have such trivial ambitions. I serve my family's wishes. That is all."

She turns from the window only to find that Henry had creeped up behind her. Startled, she attempts to jump back away from him, but not before Henry secures his arm around her waist. He brings his other hand to her chin making her look up to his face.

"Why must you deny yourself? Give in to me, darling. You and I are perfect for one another. The most beautiful maiden belonging to the most handsome, powerful man, it is as fate made you for me, yet you keep running from me." Henry squeezed her chin a bit tighter.

Eleanor squirmed to escape his grasp. "Lord Henry please, release me!" She tosses punches into his chest but this does not affect him. She panics as he inches himself closer to her.

Just as Henry was about to close the gap between their lips, a knock came from the door.

"Lady Eleanor, my apologies for the intrusion, but the madam has sent for you to return to your chambers." A servant said from behind the door.

The sudden distraction caused Henry to loosen his strength enough for Eleanor to push him off. "Yes, I am coming!"

She rushes to the door without giving Henry a second glance, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.

"Until tonight, my lady." Henry bows, his hair hiding his malicious smirk.

Eleanor does not respond and instead follows the servant to her bed chambers. Though on the outside Eleanor retained her elegant posture, she was troubled. Henry had always been touchy with her. He never missed the opportunity to give her his unwanted affection. There was nothing she could do about it. If she were to complain to her mother, she would deem it as disobedience in not satisfying the wishes of the man and would be a cause for punishment.

Eleanor arrived at her bed chambers. The servant that was accompanying her excused themselves leaving her alone. When the door to her room closed, she collapsed onto the floor. Tears flooded her eyes as she hugged herself for comfort in silent sadness. She hated Henry for harassing her. She hated being alone with him. Most of all, she hated that she was alone. She couldn't confide in anyone that would keep her safe. The only relief she had was to cry alone in her room silently.

After a while, she collected herself and stood up from the floor. She approached her washroom and cleaned her face. Taking a deep breath, she went back into her room. Eleanor went to collect a medical book that she hides under one of the floorboards. She takes great care in her books since it's not something her mother would approve of. Reading is one of the few things that calm her. Learning about health is a subject that quickly caught her attention.

Lately, Eleanor has felt an urge to rid the world of disease, but not just any disease. Despite re-reading her books, she couldn't figure out the disease she was drawn to. She became distracted when she heard mumbling coming from outside her door.

"Another body? That's the fifth this week. Are the Lord and Madam still going to continue with the ball?"

"Of course! The ball is very important to lady Eleanor. The lord and madam have already taken security precautions for the guests."

'A serial killer?' She thought. 'Why wouldn't mother or father postpone the ball until the situation is resolved?'

Eleanor's heart ached for the victims. She couldn't imagine the pain the families of the deceased must be going through. She didn't want anyone else to be a victim. If anyone got hurt because of her ball, she would eat herself alive with guilt.

Meanwhile, the doctor had his own guilt. Today he operated on several patients in an attempt to cure them, but all of them were unable to be saved, forcing him to euthanize them. The pestilence in the area is stronger than he originally thought. Despite the failures, he thought of them as progress. This was the motivation to improve his cure.

He stuck around the area where the mass pestilence was gathering. He was keeping his distance for the time being, but it was difficult. The unknown presence he discovered was pulling him closer to it. It felt hypnotic to him. All day he kept reminding himself to keep control. If he became distracted, even for a moment, he would find himself walking towards the source. It was a battle between his conscious and unconscious.

To calm himself, the doctor settled in a spot that had quite the abundance of lavender. He opened his book and wrote down the additional symptoms he's been experiencing from this source. Tomorrow he would find and confront this presence. He needed to find out why this untainted source was attracting the pestilence before anyone else falls victim.