Wilting Roses (Formerly known as Arranged)

Guilt

Chapter Six

Guilt and fear overcame her the moment she saw the blood. Tears sprung the instant her heart twitched with dread. Her fingers trembled as they raked his dark locks away from his eyes. When a door to her left creaked open Scarlett stared in fear that maybe Lady Camille or worse his mother might walk through the door. Instead to her call came Sonia, Hanna, and Bridget. All three girls hurried to her aid just as Scarlett wiped her stray tears from his check.

"Please call for the Carriage Rider." Scarlett addressed Bridget.

The rest knelt to the ground to aid Scarlett in her distress to gather Dathan from the floor. It took little to no time for the curiosity to get the best of her friend Sonia leading her to ask why her master laid unconscious on the ground.

"What happened?" Sonia asked.

"Lord help me it was all so sudden. H-he took hold of me and I...Oh heavens I pushed him." Scarlett confessed. Her heart filled with dread as she spoke the truth. What would Sonia think of her now? Would they judge her and convict her to a life in a prison cell filled with rodents and many other women who had tried or been accused of the same? Questions and fear began to overwhelm her as she tried her best to lift Dathan into a more comfortable position. After striving to lift him from the cream-colored marbled floor, the coach rider entered just in time to rush to their aid. With most of the mass off her shoulders, she let out a weighty breath wiping the sweat from her brow. For a moment she dreaded the large stair way as they took it bit by bit until finally reaching his chamber doors. The other's hurried to push it open and went about pulling the sheets out and fluffing his pillows before they achieved to lie him down.

"I shall make haste and call for a doctor." Sonia stated, while taking Hanna and Bridget by the hand and rushing out with them.

The door closed behind her after everyone disappeared, and there she stood alone feeling the underdone guilt of it all hit her like a thousand jolts. Her chest surged as she took light steps approaching him with restraint. Dathan lay oblivious of anything and everything as she reached for his long leathered boots drawing his feet from them. Her hands worked quickly, disposing of his coat and pulling the soft sheets over him.

Scarlett's care now turned to Dathan striking face, which remained neutral as the small wound just above his eyebrow still bled ever so slowly and his lip now ceased to bleed. So kneeling down next to his bed, she bit her hand and hoped for God's sake that he was not paralyzed.

"Dathan." Scarlett breathed. Her hands quaked as she reached out to touch his forehead brushing aside a few of his dark locks. His eyelids seemed to quiver as if fighting to open and slowly his lips parted as a single painful groan escaped them.

"Are you alright?" she asked propping close to him.

Abruptly his eyes snapped open and quickly sitting up he grunted in pain as the reality of it all dawned on him. Dathan held his head only to look down to his hands to realize that a red taint of his blood was coated on his fingertips. A shrill look covered his features as he turned to face his wife in complete anger.

"I bet you enjoyed that didn't you?" he snapped trying to stand.

"Please, do not stand you just had a rather nasty fall." Scarlett tried to reason. She laid hands on his shoulders trying to press him back down into the mattress. At her touch Dathan seemed to snarl and quickly pulled her hands away. Peeling back the covers Dathan set foot on the ground only to collapse down unto the floor in a violet thud. Fear gripped Scarlett as she watched in dismay her husband tumble to the floor unable to stand.

"I told you not to rise." She stuttered.

"Is this what you wanted!" he snapped out. "You are the most aggravating and despicable woman I have ever met, if I am paralyzed I will make certain you get the guillotine for this." he growled trying to support his own weight.