She sat quietly at the edge of the bed. She flexed her foot just enough to loosen the stiffness of her ankle. She hesitated, and then slowly stood up.

Taking a few steps forward, she winced at the pain.

The cool swoosh of the door opened and with a blink of an eye before she lost her balance and slid to the floor, he was there beside her, holding her.

With her face buried in his shirt, she cried out. Her ankles began to throb.

"I fear this indicates you are not fully healed." He lifted her up and placed her back in bed.

He looked at her face the clear expression of pain creased her brow.

"Do want something for the pain?" He asked. Watching her immediately nod her head and dashing away a tear.

Immediately he stood and went for some warm tea.

Leaning back against the pillows, she closed her eyes.

The sleeping draught put in her tea dimmed her senses a bit. Drowsily she watched Dominic crawl to the opposite side of her. His voice began to fade. The warmth of his hand caressed her cheek. The scent of him, comforted her. She drifted off into a peaceful sleep her pain, but a memory.

The days passed by and recovery became more and more irritating for her. She detested not being able to move around freely.

She felt trapped, no different from what she felt at home. Angrily, she sat and looked at the bandages at her ankles. Miffed that she couldn't remember what happened. Did she jump from somewhere? Why were her clothes removed? She felt upset she was in this predicament.

He watched her from the door. Her mind was elsewhere.

Her mood he can tell was not a good one. Her eyes misted with unshed tears, just kept that blank stare. He watched as her hands flexed and unflexed into fists recalling her thoughts. Whatever it is, he needed to put her mind at ease.

With a brief tap, he entered.

Immediately he caught her attention and her mood changed. Her eyes lit up and held his gaze.

"We look very pensive today."

He watched her dash away a tear.

They grew silent.

"Do you miss your family, Emilia?" He looked at her with concerned eyes.

Lowering her head, she had no clue how to answer that question. She battled for an answer she could not find.

"The question m'lord is if they miss me?" She gently shrugged her reply.

His eyes saddened. How can someone not miss her? It was inconceivable to think they would not.

He tried to change up their mood.

"What exciting thing shall we do now?"

Her eyes widened with an idea. With an asking stare, she begged.

"Can we go riding?"

His eyebrow raised and he thought for a while.

"I don't see why not, it sounds like a great idea," He agreed.

With a smile, he carried her down to the stables. He sat her down on a large pile of hay as she watched him saddle and ready a horse.

She sat back and watched in awe how he easily prepared the large horse for their ride. Her focus was on the tight way how his trousers fit his muscular legs. His impressive shoulders moved beneath his white linen shirt, rolled up with the sleeves at his elbows. Her attention remained riveted on him until he turned and she quickly averted her gaze.

Her featherweight posed no difficulty for him as he sat her sideways above the horse.

He quickly mounted and secured her close to him before going off into a slow trot.

They rode the large countryside lost in the marvels of its vast beauty. Lush green expanded everywhere. She lay back against him as they slowly rode through the open land. He pointed out ducks and their ducklings walking and the animals that scurried off with their approach. The day was beautiful. Her nearness only quickened his heart, her laughter even more. When she leaned back against him, he closed his eyes because she just felt so good against him. Her hair was so soft the breeze that built up and blew on them whisked the sweet scent of Vanilla and Lavendar to his nose. A smile tugged at his lips, remembering Helmsley telling him that it goes in their water as he questioned his action with the liquid from a vile poured in her bath.

"Or do you prefer she smell like a musty old goat m'lord." he smiled. The duddy old man knew more than what he led on. Nevertheless, he was thankful for the help.

His hold on her made her feel all sorts of things.

How was she going to explain her time here with no chaperone? She could only imagine the look of sheer shock on her aunt's face at her explaining how she took her baths with a blindfolded Dominic. The thought only made heat creep up her cheeks. It felt awkward and forbidden, but at the same time good. She smiled at how he would sit with his back towards her blindfolded, threatening that he would take it off if she did not hurry and stop flicking water at him. All of this would surely make her aunt swoon at the thought.

Shortly after some time, her ankles healed and he slowly helped her around to regain her strength. Their days continued all the same, but with more to do. She was smart yet innocent and quiet yet very mischievous, he smiled. There was an air about her that was very different. She caught the heart of Helmsley for sure.

He stood by the window in his study and watched her walking towards the stables. To his amazement and shock, she climbed above the horse and rode astride with no saddle. The sight of her riding the horse in such a fashion made his hairs stand on end and his thoughts immediately went to something sinful. The Gray as he called the horse pranced softly beneath his rider. She was barefoot, her skirt was pulled dangerously high enough to expose shapely, beautiful legs that hugged the Grays back, and he felt his manhood thicken. Her carefree nature piqued his interest and now that she could walk around, there was so much about her he began to see clearly how special she was.

Morning came and the commotion below stirred him in his sleep, the shrill scream toppled him off his bed. His heart lurched at the scream again, throwing on his breeches he ran barefoot downstairs towards the kitchen where the screams came from.

Stopping at the door the view before him was puzzling.

"Helmsley there it is catch it," she screamed perched on a table with a skillet in her hand. Flour was everywhere. The scene was amusing, but funny.

She screamed with a frantic nervous giggle as she pointed to the far corner while poor old Helmsley tried to get closer.

"What on earth is going on here?" Dominic asked.

Helmelsy turned to look at him and the sight of the poor man looked shameless, he had flour all over him that he looked like a ghost.

"Forgive me m'lord... but we have a visitor, we are trying to get rid of." He shyly explained right before poor Emilia screamed and made him jump.

Rolling his eyes, he walked calmly into the kitchen towards the table, pulled the skillet out of Emilia's hand and quickly pulled her off the table into his arms. She was skittish and frightened. Peeping over the table, he looked to see what had her in such a state. His eyes bulged at the size of the rat that was scurrying to the corner. Bloody hell he was big!

Quickly he put her back on the table and walked over to join Helmsley in the battle.

The show she watched unfold was a fiasco at its best. Helmsley and Dominic turned the kitchen upside down. Now he was miffed that their efforts of catching the hideous rodent turned into a laughing matter for Emilia, who was still perched on the table in a fit of laughter watching them throw pots and pans at it. The final showdown proved victorious when finally the last pot that hit it, killed it.

Heavily breathing, exhausted and bothered he turned to face Emilia sprawled on the table in a fit of giggles laughing at them.

She looked stunning. He breathed and swallowed hard just imagining her just like this in his bed after making love to her. He had to look away. She was a torment to him with each day that passed. Her innocent naivety of her exotic beauty ate little by little of his control and the will power to not ravish her. His cock jumped at the way she sat up before him, pulled him closer and wiped the flour from his hair and cheek. She was clueless to his hungry need of her. This barefooted little pixie was his undoing.