A Butler To Love ~A Christian Romance

Chapter 42 ~ Hospital Assailant

*Again, I'm using a big chunk from my previous draft with a few minor changes.*

"How's the patient?" Wren grinned at the little woman, trying not to show his shock at her shaved head. Leah hadn't mentioned Fiona's baldness, but it made sense it needed to stay short to keep the wound on her head clean. She turned from her chair at the window, her face lighting upon seeing him in her doorway.

"Not a patient in about ten minutes, Butler Wren," Fiona smiled gently, "I almost thought you wouldn't make it in time...Where's Leah?"

"She needed to use the ladies room. She ordered me to come in here ahead of her as it would make her feel awkward to have some guy standing outside the door."

They both chuckled.

"Yes, I can imagine so. Honestly, I wouldn't like always having someone guarding me either. If I were her, I probably would have tried escaping myself more than a few times."

" I have thought the same thing myself." Wren moved to sit in the chair opposite of her.

There was a slight pause, before Fiona asked the obvious.

"So, just out of curiosity ... Why are you here rather than Edward or Charles. Last I heard you were assigned our lovely Miss Queen." Her tone held a bit of sarcasm at the word 'lovely'.

Reaching up, he rubbed a hand over his forehead, chuckling a little at the same time. " A lot has happened. Charles has pretty much disappeared; I haven't seen that guy in a week. Samantha has been a devil, but suddenly announces last night that she wants to change."

"Wait," Fiona interrupted with a frown on her pretty face, "Samantha? Change?"

"That is what Leah and I are thinking. It doesn't make any sense. I guess the one good thing is that she let me go back to Miss Kingsley as a form of an apology. She is sending for some butler of hers from England."

"Oh brother.  I'll never understand why she can't just take care of herself a little. I thought it was ridiculous you had to tend to her at all. I guess that's what I love about Leah. She's always striving to be independent."

Wren softened as he considered her words. It was true. Leah wasn't needy or at least she tried to not be.

He opened his mouth to reply when suddenly the doctor appeared.

"Are we ready to get discharged?" His smiled contagiously at Fiona. "I just want to clean and dress your wounds one more time and we should be ready to see you home."

"Home sounds wonderful," Fiona sighed, rising to move to her bed.

Wren settled further in his seat to wait.

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"Eek!" Leaping off the toilet, Leah glowered as it automatically flushed. She hated when they flushed before she was ready! Adjusting her pink dress, she slid out of the stall, and headed to the sink to wash her hands.

"I don't know why they can't have better smelling soap," She muttered as she watched the bubbles get larger on her tiny hands before rubbing them vigorously under the running water, enjoying it's coolness.

Her gaze rose to the mirror mounted in front of her and her heart leapt in her throat. As a scream tried to surface, one large hand clamped hard over her mouth, stifling the forthcoming sound. She was propelled backwards, her back slamming into the side of the nearest stall wall. Her azure eyes wide in a stunned shock and pain radiating through her shoulders, she stared into the darkest eyes she had ever seen.