The cold and the snow are swirling around her already almost frozen body as she tries to make it to the building that she can barely make out. She has no idea where she is, but she is hoping that she is still on her own estate, for her neighbors are both single men, and she has heard nothing but scandal about them. Pulling herself, inch by precious inch, closer, she sees that it is not a barn or any other building that she recognizes, but a very large manor house. Knowing that she must get inside or die, she continues on until she reaches the front door. Upon gathering all her strength and knocking on the door her body gives up and collapses. She never knows that the lord of the manor himself opens the door, picks her up and carries her inside.
She feels the warmth start to penetrate her and wake her up. Slowly she opens her eyes and realizes that she is lying in a very warm bed and there is a huge fire raging in the fireplace. Upon looking around she does not see anything that is familiar and she realizes that she is not at home.
Hearing the door, she turns to look. The man that enters takes her breath away. He is dark, but not sinister. His eyes seem to pierce through to one's soul without even trying. At the same time though, they are very kind eyes. His walk is very assured, but nothing near the swagger that most young men have. He almost moves with a panther-like grace. When he talks, his voice fairly rumbles from his throat.
"Well, I see that my guest has finally returned to life. I am glad to see that." She tries to sit up, until she realizes that she is not wearing anything under the covers. "Do not try to move yet, and do not talk. You will be very weak for a day or so after that experience. Are you from around here?" She nods her head, but she is not sure. She does not know how far she struggled on her own after her horse threw her. "Well, then, when this storm clears it should not be to hard to find your family. I am sure they are worried about you." She shakes her head. "No? Why not? If you were in my family and just vanished in a blinding snowstorm I would be out searching as soon as I possibly could."
Finally she figures that if anything is going to be discussed at all, she had better talk. She sighs. "First of all no one will be looking for me because there is no one to look for me. I am on my own. I think I am from around here, but I am not positive because I am not sure how far we are from where I was thrown. Once this storm clears, I will go back to my home. Thank you for allowing me to come in."
"Are you telling me that you are alone in this world with no family?" She nods. "There is no one that could come and look after you?"
"No. There is no one. My parents were killed when I was a small child, and I was raised in a convent. My brother was the head of the family then. Two weeks ago I received word that my brother was also killed and I should come home to attend to the closing of the house. I couldn't stand being in that house all alone though, so I thought I would take a ride today. I left this morning before the snow started, and when I realized that I was lost it was to late. I could not find my way back. My horse got spooked when we frightened some rabbits and threw me. I have been trying to find shelter since then."
"There are no servants that will be worried about you?"
"No. All the servants left when my brother was killed." She shivers under the blankets.
Seeing her shiver, the stranger comes over to the side of the bed and sits down. "What is your name?"
"I am Mary Elizabeth Rosemary Johnson. Everyone calls me Rose though."
