MELLIFLUOUS ━ T. CHALAMET

( CHAPTER THREE ― A PAYMENT OWED )

"Thank you, Lydia." Elizabeth smiled as she returned to take care of the man before her.

Lydia bowed slightly and showed herself out as she also retired to her room. It was quiet and the only thing that could be heard was Harry's labored breathing and the crackling from the fireplace. Elizabeth dipped the cloth back into the bucket before returning the cloth to his forehead. Slowly his eyes opened and a cough raked through his body.

"Shh..." Elizabeth soothed, grabbing the cup of tea and bringing it t Harry's lips as she placed her other hand under his head to help him. He was weak and she could see it.

Slowly she brought the cup to his lips and made sure he drank the whole cup. A cough rattled through his body after he was done, he groaned.

"It is just a fever, it will pass, just like your pain," Elizabeth spoke as she set the cup back down and slowly placed his head back on the pillow.

"Thank you.." He spoke softly, "for everything."

"There is no need to thank me." Elizabeth smiled lightly, she then replaced the cloth back into the bucket of cold water, wringing it out, she placed it this time on his chest.

"You... are a Lady, why are you... helping me?" He groaned slightly, his breathing shallow.

"I brought you here, it is my duty to take care of you. Just because I am a Lady doesn't mean I should have other people do it for me." She spoke. "It does not matter that my father employs them, they do need their sleep and I can do without."

"You are strange..." He coughed. "Almost all nobles would not have looked my way twice or helped me." He struggled.

"I am not like most. I like to think that I was given my status to help those in need, no matter the price." Elizabeth said as she breathed in.

Harry coughed a sharp pain shooting up his left side, he groaned, his teeth clenched. He took deep breaths in and out as he studied the woman that was tending to him. He was confused as to why she would bother helping him. No one had helped him in the two days he sat there slowly bleeding out. She was the first one to even say a word to him. The others ignored him like a plague.

"May I ask how this happened to you?" Elizabeth spoke lightly.

Harry breathed in as he slowly tried to sit up, she helped him of course, his hand held his side tightly, hoping to ease some of the pain.

"I was robbed and left for dead." Harry shrugged. "I guess they needed the few coins I had more than I."

"What about your family?" Her brows furrowed.

"I do not have one. They died when I was seven and I've been on my own since." Harry spoke sadness dripping from his voice.

"I truly am sorry to hear that." She said, her hand reaching for the cloth again only to replace it when it was cooler to his forehead.

"It's okay... I was trying to make my way to France. Just needed enough for passage there." Harry said.

"Why France?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know truly, a new start I suppose." Harry's breath was rigged and another cough ripped through him.

Her hand came to his back and patted lightly, another cup of tea held out to him. "Drink it, it'll help soothe your throat and hopefully help with your cough." Elizabeth smiled slightly. "I will talk to my father to see if he can employ you, till you have enough for where you need to go and enough for food." She finished.