Without You

Chapter 6

I tore myself away from Ross and I saw his cousin verity trotting towards us. "I am glad you two are reunited" She commented.

"I am grateful she saved my life" He said to me, he hadn't taken his eyes off me and his hands hadn't let go of mine.

"You know Ross I am going to have to head home soon" I said to him.

"Please stay, I have a spare room in which you can stay" He insisted. "I wish to know more about the person who saved my life" He added.

"Okay. Verity could you please tell my parents for me when you ride back please?" I asked.

"Of course" She replied, she then said goodbye and then left us.

"I cant thank you enough" He whispered to me. "Do you feel the bond we once shared still?" He inquired.

"A little" I answered.

"A little?" He repeated and began to look a little worried.

"Ross" I began, loosening the grip my hands had on his and turning away from him slightly.

"What is it?" He asked, gently resting his hands on either side of my face gently, he was trying to get me to look into his eyes but I tried the best I could to evade them.

"The bond between you and I felt was strong, but when I met you again at the ball, I felt nothing from you, it was almost as if though you had forgotten me" I replied.

"You may have felt that because I had no idea it was you, but now I do, the bond between you and I, is stronger than ever before" He said, his gaze locking with mine, tears began to slip down my cheeks, Ross wiped them away and pulled me into a hug, wrapping his strong arms around me. "What we have can never be broken" He reassured me, rubbing a hand gently up and down my back it felt comforting and I arched my back into his touch.  It soon began raining so Ross and I decided to head back to the house. Once inside he took his jacket from me and I headed into the living room collapsing down on one of his chairs.

He came back with two cups of tea, he handed me one and sat down next to me. "You didn't suffer badly with your wounds did you?" he asked and I could hear the concern in his voice.

"No I didn't, lets just say wearing a corset is painful for me" I added.

"I've been dreaming of this day meeting you, but I imagined you differently" He replied.

"Differently?"  I inquired.

"A man not a woman" He answered.

"Is it a bad thing a woman saved you?" I asked feeling a little hurt.

"No, I am proud of you. You didn't need to save me but you did, I could never ask for a better and more of a comrade" He said kneeling next to me and putting my cup on the little table next to me as he took my hands in his. "Never be ashamed for what you did for me, it was an honourable thing you did and you should bear it with pride" He advised me. It was getting late and I just wanted to sleep so Ross showed me to my room and once he left me I began to get ready for bed and I slipped my dress off, I noticed my door was slightly ajar and I turned my head to the side and out of my peripheral vision I could see Ross gazing at the scars on my back from the war, he had a look of remorse on his face, I had the scars because of him.

I closed my door and then laid down on the bed pulling the covers over my body, then began to settle down for the night. It felt strange staying in Ross' house as we had just met and he has just found out I had saved his life, the morning couldn't come quick enough, the morning sun shone through the window, bathing me in its golden rays as it smiled down on the Cornish coast. I got up and got ready for the day, I opened my door with a creak and walked out into the hall and I wandered past Ross' study which he was sat at his desk, so I knocked on his door.