The Accidental Countess (Forever His Series Book one)

Chapter 3

"Ow..." I mutter to myself quietly, "my head..." My eyes are squeezed tightly shut and my limbs are heavy as if I'm waking from a long coma and they've wasted away. What did I do last night to deserve this headache? - I didn't go out drinking with Gracie did I?!

Gingerly I open my eyes and sit up, fully expecting a wave of nausea to hit me...but...nothing. A thunderbolt of shock hits me in the stomach and i remember everything - oh god, I'd snuck up here to the library to look at the ledgers and somehow passed out in full view of anyone that came in! I have to get out of here now before I get myself or Jimmy into some serious trouble!

Footsteps...I jerk my head at the sound - outside the door at the far end of the room and a conversation muffled through the heavy oak door. Panicking I stand up so quickly I have a rush of blood to the head and feel immediately dizzy, grabbing for a nearby table to steady myself.

I'm going to be found at any moment in a very compromising position and I begin to hyperventilate and panic at the thought of being discovered in my sneaking.

I run to the now imposing door I had entered through and heave it open with a huge effort, I don't remember it being this heavy before? I'm already halfway down the stairs before I realise that my footsteps are reverberating off of the stone walls and the carpet under my feet is in fact great big stone slabs. Where's the carpet gone? And come to think of it why is it so dark in here?

I race down the hallway trying to find Jimmy and attempt to explain what's happened even though realistically, I have absolutely no bloody idea myself! I descend the stairs and stand still in shock – all of the paintings and exhibits have disappeared from the hallway! I must have come down the wrong stairs in my hurry, my heart picks up even more at the thought that I may have accidently stumbled into the private quarters of the current earl. I start to speedwalk toward the exit trying to figure out an explanation for all of this.

I don't come across anyone for some time, this is becoming increasingly weird. Did I pass out for hours and the castle has closed for the day? Just as I'm beginning to worry I notice a lady bustling towards me, her arms straining with carrying big pots and pans and muttering to herself under her breath with what sounds like thinly veiled expletives. As she gets closer I notice that she's dressed in a shabby looking woolen dress with a dirty apron and what can only be described as a cloth hat on her head pinning her hair back from her face. Her cheeks are bright red and sweat is pouring down her face before she spots me and stops abruptly a few feet in front of me. My heart goes into overdrive thinking she's about to tell me I'm in serious doggy do-do for trespassing.

She looks at me incredulously and appears to be speechless until she finds herself, "Can i help you with something Miss?" She looks at me up and down as if she thinks I might need help getting back to the asylum,

"Oh no, thank you, I'm just on my way down. Thank you though ". I smile and try to appear as nonchalant as possible, hoping I can wing it and pretend I belong here. I walk around her quickly but not before my stupid curiosity gets the better of me and I ask her "Is there some sort of renaissance fair on or something this weekend?"

She stares at me as if my head is turning on my shoulders and I'm speaking a foreign language. I wait for a reply but since none is forthcoming I point at her dress -"Your clothes...I just thought there was a fair on" Awkward silence follows and my bloody English manners cause me to have verbal diarrhoea that I can't seem to stop. "It's a great costume, very medieval"

She's still staring... ok this lady is really weird, time to go I think and quickly. "Well see you" I say brightly and rush off speedily in the direction of the great hall. I get to the end of the hallway and turn to see her still stood on the spot staring at me with a blank expression on her face.