The Secret of Bell Cottage

Chapter Three - Sheila

Instinctively Sheila moved to catch him as he began to topple. She rushed forward, shoving her shoulder under his and throwing her arms around his chest. He was as hard as the old oak tree she used to climb as a child. There wasn't a spare ounce of flesh on the man. He was pure muscle. His skin was cool to the touch and slick with wet, making her hands slip as she struggled to keep him upright. She knew if he fell she would never be able to pick him up off the floor. He wasn't really a big man by most standards but definitely more than she could manage by herself. Already her muscles were trembling with the strain. She needed to get him to a bed. Or even just a seat so she could assess his condition. The wooden bench near the table caught her eye. Decision made, she quickly guided him into the seat and used her ample hip to hold him in place when he slumped.

"Quickly Kitty. Fetch some rags."

Kitty raced from the room as Sheila gently tilted the man's head back and quickly located the source of the blood. A small gash in his scalp. Not too serious thank goodness. Even now the bleeding was slowing. The wound would not require stitching. She heaved a silent sigh of relief. She had not been looking forward to taking needle and thread in hand to sew up a big gash in this stranger's flesh.

He wasn't what society would be considered a handsome man. His face was too square with that high, broad forehead and wavy dark locks of hair that nearly brushed his broad shoulders. His prominent nose and fine hard jaw hinted of a Roman ancestry while that small cleft in his chin softened his features and added a hint of whimsy to his face. But it was those eyes which fascinated her. Almond shaped and wreathed with thick, dark eyelashes any woman would kill to possess. Even though his eyes were closed, she had little difficulty recalling their brilliance. The actual colour had been indiscernible in the flickering lamplight. Possibly a light blue or even silver. It was one of the first things she'd noticed. She had never seen a man with such light-colored eyes before. His gaze had pinned her to the spot. She hadn't been able to look away. He had seemed similarly fascinated by her. His expression, one of bemusement and wonder. Almost as if he'd never seen a woman in her night attire before. Which was simply rediculous. Obviously the blow to his skull had addled his wits.

Despite his muscular physique, he seemed rather gaunt, as if he had gone without the comfort of a good meal for quite some time. There was no doubt in her mind that he was one of the many soldiers returning from the continent. He could be a son of one of the local gentry, returning home to his family after his military service. She wondered if he could be related to the Viscount.

In that moment Kitty returned and Sheila set aside her unusual fascination with the man.

"Are you sure it will be safe, Ma'am?"
Dropping the cloths on the kitchen table, the young maid eyed their guest with suspicion.

Sheila took up a cloth and began dabbing at his scalp. She supposed she should have been afraid. After all, there was only Kitty and herself here. If he were any kind of brigand, they were virtually at his mercy and yet she felt no fear.

"He will be no threat to anyone tonight. Hurry now and heat up some water."

"Yes, Ma'am." Kitty retrieved the pan from where it had landed, grabbed up the kettle and hurried to the pump.

As they worked at removing the rest of the unconscious man's clothes and washed away the mud and dirt, Sheila noted his dark, sunkissed skin was marred with scars. He must have seen his share of battles. Some of those gashes were still pink and obviously healing. One particularly nasty looking slash ran across his left thigh, from just above his knee almost to his hip. She winced at the thought of how close he could have come to losing the leg. There was some newer bruising coloring the skin over his ribs and one shoulder. His right ankle was swollen to almost twice it's normal size. No doubt from his tumble off his horse.