The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Thirty-three

The next morning, Elena was sitting on her bed, her back resting against the headboard. She was staring at the ceiling, and soon wondered whether she could get some sewing done.

The bandages on her foot had been changed, and everyone in the household had made a big deal out of her injury, as though she had broken her foot. She could manage to walk, but on second thought, preferred to be carried...

A small smile graced her lips at the memory.

Three successive knocks pulled her out of her thoughts, and turning her head, she found her doors were wide open, with a certain General leaning against one side of the door frame, smiling at her.

"Are you having a good morning?" He inquired.

"I am now," she whispered under her breath.

He arched an eyebrow, indicating he had not heard.

"Good morning to you, General," she greeted, loud enough for him to nod in acknowledgement.

"May we come in?" He asked, confusing Elena.

"We?"

"Well-"

"Sister-in-law!" A jumpy lad swooshed past Kieran and went straight to settling on the bed beside Elena.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Sir Raymond?"

The grin on Ray's face upturned into a scowl. "It's about time we dropped this 'sir' business, don't you think?"

"I told the family we would hold off our dance rehearsal owing to your little injury, and Ray found it an excuse to see you," Kieran explained, not moving from his position.

"Elena!" Another one sped past Kieran and went straight to fighting for the position near Elena on the bed, with Ray.

It was yet another surprise for Elena. "Aira?"

Aira's hand was pushing away at Ray's face while she struggled to stay on his laps - that he was insisting on pushing her off.

"How are you doing, Elena?" Aira greeted with a beam. "We heard you stepped on a fat thorn that sliced up the entire underside of your foot."

"That's not-" Elena frowned and looked over at Kieran, who directed his gaze to the ceiling.

"My my. We just got here and you two are already at each other's throats." Aaron walked in next, and shook his head. "At least have the decency to behave at someone else's abode."

"Sir Aaron, even you have come?" Elena was beaming.

He smiled back, walking to the foot of the bed. He pulled his hands from behind his back, and she gasped at the sight of a bouquet of flowers.

"Yes, because I'm the only one who knows how to actually visit a patient." Aaron walked to her and gave her the flowers, of which she took a long sniff.

"Very pretty," she noted. "Thank you. And I am not a patient."

She looked pointedly at Kieran. He avoided her gaze and looked to his right where Joshua had just popped up, his lips in a thin line and his arms crossed over his chest.

"And of course, to complete the cavalry, Josh had to be present," Kieran said, jerking his thumb towards his brother.

Elena bowed towards Joshua and gave him a smile. "Good morning, captain."

He replied with a curt nod, and jumped when Kieran pinched him in the side. Joshua cleared his throat and letting his arms fall to his sides, bowed to Elena and said, "Good morning, lady Elena."