The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Fifteen

Elena's eyes fluttered open, and she immediately squinted because of the bright light coming in from the window, whose dark red curtains were drawn. She rolled over to the other side of the bed and allowed her eyes to focus.

Judging from the make and design of the wardrobe, it was a guest room in her uncle Abraham's manor- the one she'd been staying in with Mara since they had arrived in the East. But where was Mara? She never got up early. And why did she feel so exhausted as though her body had done some strenuous activity?

Pushing herself up to lean against the head board, she brought her hand to her head and tried to remember, but this caused her head to throb. She winced at the slight pain, and suddenly, a flash image of the General on the dance floor crossed her mind, and so did his words.

"How can I resist you, Elena? When you are looking so beautiful infront of me?"

At once her cheeks grew warm as the memories of last night with him flooded her mind, and she sunk under the covers, pulling them over her face and groaning into them. Why did he have to say that? That too, without adding a title to her name? The lack of it made it...intimate.

Sure, it was not the first time she had been complimented by men or women. But it was only the General whose words had had such a flustering effect on her.

She sank her head even deeper under the covers, hoping they would somehow take away the embarrasment- or whatever it was she was feeling at the moment.

She heard the door open, and Mara's voice called out, "Elena? Are you still sleeping?"

Elena pushed back the covers and sat up against the pillows as Mara, together with Alistair and Caroline walked into the bed-chamber. Mara was carrying a breakfast tray, with a bowl of chicken soup on it.

"Oh! She's finally up!" Alistair said grinning excitedly, and rubbing his palms together as if he was preparing for something big.

"Alistair? Caroline?" Elena asked in confusion. "Why are you two here so early in the morning? And Mara, how is it that you are up early?"

"Oh my goodness, sister!" Mara exclaimed, setting the tray on her laps. "It's almost midday! You've been sleeping like the dead up till now!"

Elena's eyes widened in disbelief. "You jest!"

Alistair hopped onto the bed, sitting on Elena's left side as Caroline sat on her right.

"Not at all, cousin. Carol and I arrived hours ago, but you were still sleeping," he said, "we had to come get details from you to explain what stunt you pulled yesterday."

Elena picked up the bowl of warm soup as Caroline nodded to her brother's words.

"What do you mean by stunt?"

"I told you she wouldn't remember," Mara said to Alistair and Caroline, then turned to her sister. "Elena dearest, you got drunk yesterday and latched onto the General like sap on a tree."

Elena nearly choked on her soup,
"Wh-what! I was with the J-J-General?"

"That's right; when I finally found you after looking all over the manor house," Mara said, her hands on her pelvis as she gave her sister an accusing look. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Elena looked down at her chicken soup and wore a pensive expression. "Well..." she began, tracing her steps, "I do remember dancing with him, yes. After that, I met Alice and Evelyn and I had a drink. But it was only one cup, I swear! There is no way I would get drunk on just one!"

Mara frowned. She knew the real reason Elena had been intoxicated, since the two best friends revealed everything to her in a drunken stupor. But she was not going to blurt that she'd been drugged infront of Alistair. He would overreact, and her friends would be in trouble.