Chapter 10: Familiar

Nancy jumped and looked around into the bright blue eyes of Dr David Knightley, he smiled warmly and sat beside her,

' Sorry I didn't mean to startle you, how is your aunt?'

' Not good, I had to get out of the house and she's always asleep at this time in the morning so…'

' I understand if you like I could come round and check on her, if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience?'

' That would be lovely, I'll have to check how much money I have to pay you though'

' Don't be silly I wont take a penny'

' I can't ask you to do that'

' You're not asking I offered, it's a gift, accept it' she smiled; she liked the doctor he was a kind man,

' Tell me about yourself Nancy, I know nothing about you?'

' Well there's not much to tell' she lied, her history would make a prize-winning book if she wrote it down,

' Are you married?'

' Not yet…I will be soon'

' Congratulations how long have you been engaged?'

' Erm…well officially I'm not'

' I'm sorry I don't follow?'

' It's sort of an arranged marriage, I've never even met my future husband'

' I see, how do you feel about that?'

' Strange…my brother told me he's a lovely man which I'm glad about but part of me is scared'

' Well that's understandable, my advice would be to meet him, away from family and any other bad influences and talk to him, he's human he's probably just as nervous as you'

' Thank you Dr Knightley, you're very easy to talk to you know?'

' Years of having a good bedside manner' he said smiling.

He came to the house everyday, twice a day to check on her aunt, Nancy was so grateful to him and kept trying to pay him for his help but he refused every time. After she had been there for two weeks her aunt lost her battle with her illness, her uncle was inconsolable. On the day of the funeral Dr Knightley waited outside and escorted Nancy to the church, he'd been a wonderful friend to her and her uncle. She stood next to him at the graveside as the vicar droned out his same speech, she felt the tears prickling in her eyes and felt his hand grip hers tightly to show he was there for her.

Three days passed after the funeral and there was no sign of Dr Knightley; she woke up early one morning and decided to go for a walk through the woods. The light was dim and mist clung in the air as she walked through the dewy grass, clutching her shawl around her shoulders. She stopped and looked at the fields in the horizon, the breeze that blew a few strands of hair out of place was cold on her skin; she was in a world of her own,

' Nancy?' she gasped and jumped as Dr Knightley walked towards her,

' Sorry you startled me' she said giving him a weak smile

' I apologise, you're up very early?'

' I couldn't sleep'

' Neither could I' her skin erupted into goose bumps as he wrapped his hand around hers again like he had the day of the funeral,

' I should get back' she turned and tried to pull her hand from his but he gripped it tightly,

' Nancy please don't leave'

' Dr Knightley I have to get back'

' Nancy please call me David' he pulled her closer and she couldn't hold back anymore

' Please don't do this David, I have to marry someone else and I'm so confused' she sounded slightly hysterical,

' I'm sorry Nancy, calm down' he put an arm around her and sat her down on a large log on the ground, he rubbed her hands and pushed her hair out of her face,

' I'm sorry Nancy I shouldn't….'

' No I'm sorry I overreacted' she looked up and took a deep breath, he smiled at her and she wasn't sure what came over her but she closed the gap between them and kissed him, he didn't push her away instead he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her.

She smiled to herself as she remembered that morning in the woods with David, she had to jolt herself out of it as the carriage pulled up outside. Robert had come to see her and she rushed to the door to greet him, she got another shock though as Alice ran up the path to her smiling,

' What are you doing here?' she said hugging the girl

' I'm sick of America I want to come back here and live with my uncle again' she tried to smile but Nancy knew losing aunt Peggy was just as hard on Alice as it was on her. They sat in the kitchen talking until someone knocked on the door; Nancy smiled at David and let him in,

' Robert this is…'

' Joseph, what are you doing here?' Robert said standing up and smiling at the familiar man.

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