CHAPTER FOURTEEN

As she rode home the weather soured dramatically, the breeze had picked up drastically and was threatening to blow her off her steeds back lashing her long locks about, loose strands whipping her in her eyes.

As she continued to push forward, heavy drops of rain started staining the ground and soon they stung against her skin as they fell at full speed from the angry sky above her. It was like a floodgate had opened in the heavens. The wind wrapped around her figure, howling like an angry pack of wolves. Alice scrunched her eyes closed, opening them to find her surroundings nothing more than a dark blur. The cold rain was cruel against her skin, tinting it pink as she forged her way along the path, which looked like a simple, muddy slippery slide.

With her gates in sight she sighed in relief as she slowed down. Her hair hung in tattered strands down her back, clinging to her arms and face. Her dress was drenched right through to her corset its deep bottle green now black. In a split second a blinding flash of jagged lightning tore across the sky, followed by a deafening boom which startled her horse. Thrown into the mud as her horse reared, Alice gasped at the pain that ran through her side. With numb, trembling fingers she pulled out a chunk of glass, which was once clear, from her side groaning in agony as warm blood seeped through the fabric of her dress and stained the ground below her.

All the time she had remained completely unaware of the man who had followed her home. Gritting her perfect white teeth, she tossed the crimson tinted glass somewhere besides her, hissing as she pushed her hand over the wound. Her long hair pooled in the mud as blood mingled with the dirt, streaking her arms and face. The pain seared through her, leaving her body limp from exhaustion.

Sebastian had been following the small female from the trees and shadows, when he saw her fall. Moving closer to her limp figure he spotted the small pool of red forming on her left hand side. With an elegant shake of his head he scooped her up gently eyeing her home before he turned his back to the mansion. 'How clumsy you are my dear little maid, but maybe this will better your seemingly bad opinion of me.' He thought to himself as he made his way back to his master.

Ceil sat in his study quietly awaiting his butler for his late afternoon tea. His mood resembled the weather that raged beyond the large windows. Though it had been a beautiful day, it looked to be sometime well into the evening with the way the weather raged on. As always, on time, he entered the study with his Master's tea, but Ceil could see that there was something his butler didn't want to tell him. Spotting a small spot of red on Sebastian's waist coat he raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Sebastian is that blood on your waist coat?" he asked in a slightly monotone voice.

"Yes my Lord, I found Lady Alice injured and unconscious in the rain so I brought her back so I could tend to her wounds." He answered honestly.

Ceil mumbled incoherently before taking a sip of his tea, "What has happened to Alice?"

"She fell from her horse near her estates gate, her left side was punctured by a broken shard of glass. The wound is quite large and rather deep and in so she lost a fair amount of blood which resulted in her losing consciousness. By the looks of it she will need stitches." Sebastian watched his Master's expression.

"I see, well do what you must." He answered stoically. Sebastian smirked and bowed before leaving his master to tend to Alice.

He entered the guest room silently watching her sleeping figure curiously. She looked kind and gentle as she pouted in her sleep. Silky chocolaty locks sprawled out over her shoulders and the pillows; she looked like an angel as she lay there.

'I wonder if she will acknowledge me now that I saved her little life. Ah it is so good to have you near again little maid.' The butler diligently cleaned Alice's other wounds, stitched the gash on her side and changed the dressings before pulling her night dress down and tucking her in under the blankets. He eyed the medical supplies on her night stand. A pitcher of fresh water was placed down and a clean, crystal tumbler left. A small decorated box left holding her tablets, in case she woke up while he was tending to his Master.

Alice groaned softly as she shifted in her sleep, which managed to catch Sebastian's attention. A smirk tugged at his lips as he studied her closely taking in the way her chest rose and fell with each shallow breath she took. The way the thin layer of sweat gathered on her brow, giving her skin a slight sheen in the dull candle light.

'Hmm if ever my dear maid, you are more of a threat to your own life than anything else.' He chuckled to himself as he finally turned to leave her to sleep in peace.

It was late when Alice shot up in the bed, sweat dripping from her brow as she panted. The nightmare she had, had was too vivid for her to describe. That was when a searing pain jolted through her side causing an audible hiss to slip past her lips. Slowly she lowered herself down, back into the plush mattress.

She stared up at the ceiling with a small huff. 'This ceiling looks familiar, but before I blacked out I remember seeing my estates gates. Did one of the servants find me? No, this is no room from my mansion this has Ceil written all over it.' She grumbled mentally as she eyed what she could of the room.

From the corner of her eye she spotted two red, glowing orbs, seemingly fixated on her, which caused her breath to hitch. Straining against the pillow, she turned her head so she could see who they belonged to.

"Sebastian?" she questioned in a level, breathy tone.

"It has been a while, my little maid. I see your still as clumsy as ever." He chuckled.

"Ugh…" she groaned, rolling her eyes. "Shove your sarcasm where the sun doesn't shine, I don't have the time of day to deal with it or you."

"Hmm still so repulsed by me, even though, I am the one who tended to all your injuries." He taunted, moving over to the side of her bed where he casually seated himself.

"You really never where one for modesty, but anyway, uh… thank you…" she mumbled averting her gaze.

"You are welcome Lady Alice." She watched as the butler smiled at her. It wasn't his regular, bone chilling smirk, it was something warmer, more genuine. "You must be in pain after you woke up the way you did. You were rather restless." And the devilish smirk, once again took its place on his sinful lips.

Alice nodded her head slowly as she watched the butler, she was shocked. Though she had been nothing but cold and rude towards him, he still looked after her. "You know, in my time, if I had treated anyone the way I treat you, they'd never do any of this for me. They would simply forget I existed and pay me no mind." She tilted her head to look over at Sebastian as he poured some water into the crystal tumbler, preparing her pain medication.

He seemed shocked that she was holding a conversation with him. "So then tell me, little maid. Were you lonely in your time?"

She blinked a few times then nodded gently. "No use in denying the truth, I guess, after all I did live alone, well excluding my cat. I shied away from people completely. I had work colleagues and that was about it."

Sebastian lifted her carefully so she wouldn't choke and handed her the medication and water. "Seems like the world hasn't changed much." He chuckled.

"Oh, it changes plenty. But in a way I guess I am glad I ended up stuck here." She stared down at the glass in her hands and smiled fondly at it.

"You seem happy with the Undertaker." The butler commented, studying her face as she looked up at him.

"Uh… well… yes…" she coughed into her hand awkwardly as she gazed up at the butler. "I had a nightmare about him. But I doubt it was anything really serious. Must be delirious from all the pain I'm in."

Sebastian chuckled tilting her chin gently to look up at him. Her eyes were wide, like a deer caught in head lights, but this time she did nothing to swat his hands away. She sighed softly as his lips closed in on hers, yet she simply placed a finger against them and kissed the butler on the cheek.

"Thank you again, for everything." She mumbled a deep blush on her cheeks. 'Curse these pain killers he gave me, I almost allowed him to kiss me!' she mentally screeched at herself. Sebastian smirked and nodded before helping her back down and covering her.

'One step closer to your heart my little maid.' he glanced down at her before leaving to go do his own things.