The Accidental Countess (Forever His Series Book one)

Chapter 17

The following morning I wake up alone and wonder if I somehow dreamed up everything that happened last night.

I lie still listening for the sounds of the castle, trying to evaluate how my back feels this morning.
It's actually a lot less painful than I anticipate and I move to lie on my back gently, it's sore but not agony any more thankfully.
I try to relax back into the bed and look around the room for signs that I wasn't imagining Max's presence in bed last night.

Everything looks the same but somehow I feel different inside; I'm so conflicted about everything.

Last night had been beyond amazing and so erotic but I know that it was a ridiculously stupid move on my part. So many things could go wrong in getting involved with him and I need to protect myself.

The fire has gone down considerably and I shiver with the chill in the air as I debate my next move.
I decide to try getting up and dressed before anything else and throw back the covers exposing myself to icy air. Carefully pulling a shift over my head I tense as it runs down my back touching my still sensitive wounds, I take a deep breath through the remembered pain and stand, resolved not to let this affect me anymore.

I stumble towards the wardrobe still quite weak from being bedridden for days, my muscles struggling to remember how to work even though my mind thinks they're ready.

I open the door and stare slack jawed as I start rifling through the huge selection of fine gowns and day dresses that Max has bought for me; they must have cost an absolute fortune.

An unexpected feeling of warmth runs through me at his sweet but extravagant gesture, but I still pause to think how absurd this whole marrying notion is.

I put it to the back of my mind as Florence comes in and berates me for getting up without her help.

"Cassie! What are you doing? Here let me help you" and she selects a beautiful dress from the wardrobe.
She holds it open above my head and helps me slide it down my back without touching my healing wounds. "Honestly...you should have stayed in bed! You could have hurt yourself with being so weak"

"I'm fine Florence, honestly" and I smile at her warmly trying to reassure her but I'm not sure if it works.

"Mmm we'll see about that."

I stand on the spot as she buzzes around me making me presentable for breakfast downstairs.

I can feel myself getting more and more excited at the prospect of leaving this room and seeing other people for the first time in what feels like forever.

"How does my face look?" I ask her hoping for a good answer. She smiles kindly but not before I notice a slight grimace behind it.

"You look well Cassie. The swelling is gone, some slight bruising remains. But that will soon be gone, don't worry yourself. What happened anyway?"

I hesitate, not really wanting to remember any of my forest ordeal or what could so easily have happened to me. But I figure that she at least deserves to know seeing as she's helped me so much.

"The night that I left to...return home...I was in the forest and was attacked."

She gasps in shock and moves towards to squeeze my arm reassuringly.

"By whom Cassie? His lordship must be told!"

"No! I don't want him to know. I can't face seeing that man again, not willingly anyway."

"Did he..." she can't finish her question but I know what she's asking and I shake my head.

"No. Thank god. Another man saved me...just in time."