Hiram Stratton Jr. stared at the unmoving form of Anna Sophia Lockwood in
his arms. Although he was quite used to women having the vapors, those were
women of his time. Never, in the times he had seen Anna Sophia before, had
she ever had the slightest form of a fainting spell. By the light of the
glowing moon, he took a closer look at her. She was in red, baggy,
oversized pants (tied at the waist with a thick piece of cloth), shoes that
only had a single strap each to keep them on, and a piece of cloth that
stayed on only by two thin straps above her shoulders. Oh lord... he could
see her bare shoulders. The moonlight illuminated her face, and he thought
that Annie looked like an angel, once again sent to him. He looked closer
and noticed the dried tearstains on her face. It would be best if he got
her into the room before she awakened and woke the entire household. He
quickly pulled her into his dark bedroom, careful not to make a sound, lest
his father or a servant came to investigate a suspicious noise. Setting her
down upon his bed, he lightly stroked her cheek and whispered "Anna Sophia...
Annie, are you alright?"
She stirred in his arms, softly calling out his name. Her eyes weren't open yet, but her body began to shake with silent sobs. She twisted and turned in her arms, and Strat hesitated before placing his hands on her bare arms to gently shake her awake. "Annie, Annie. I'm here, it's me, Strat." He whispered urgently.
She sat upright and looked around. "Strat?" She stared at him for a moment and fell forward, clinging him to her as though it had been a hundred years since she had last seen him. "In a way, it really has been," Strat thought sickly. Annie buried her head in his shoulder, trying to get the right words out, but all she could say was "They're gone, Strat... they're all gone..."
Strat was shocked at seeing Annie like this, she was in so much pain that it hurt him. "Who is gone?" he asked gently.
She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of pain and brimming with tears. "My family. They died, all of them. There was a car accident."
Strat didn't quite understand what a car accident was, but he did understand that she had lost her family. He pulled her close and held her, rocking her back and forth until her breathing had become more even and she stopped crying. It was shocking for Strat to see Annie, so strong and brave in his memories, reduced to tears and whimpering. She must have been through a most devastating ordeal. He couldn't even imagine what he would do if he lost Devonny, his mother, or even his father. He would try to talk to her about it, but for now, she must get some sleep.
Of course, not in Strat's bed! The mere thought of Annie, fast asleep in his bed next to him, her dark hair resting on his shoulder was enough to make his heart race. But Strat was a gentleman, above everything else. He helped Annie stand, and whispered to her that he would take her to a guest room, and he would come get her in the morning. Too exhausted to argue, Annie just nodded and followed Strat as he led her down the dark hallway.
She stirred in his arms, softly calling out his name. Her eyes weren't open yet, but her body began to shake with silent sobs. She twisted and turned in her arms, and Strat hesitated before placing his hands on her bare arms to gently shake her awake. "Annie, Annie. I'm here, it's me, Strat." He whispered urgently.
She sat upright and looked around. "Strat?" She stared at him for a moment and fell forward, clinging him to her as though it had been a hundred years since she had last seen him. "In a way, it really has been," Strat thought sickly. Annie buried her head in his shoulder, trying to get the right words out, but all she could say was "They're gone, Strat... they're all gone..."
Strat was shocked at seeing Annie like this, she was in so much pain that it hurt him. "Who is gone?" he asked gently.
She looked up at him, her dark eyes full of pain and brimming with tears. "My family. They died, all of them. There was a car accident."
Strat didn't quite understand what a car accident was, but he did understand that she had lost her family. He pulled her close and held her, rocking her back and forth until her breathing had become more even and she stopped crying. It was shocking for Strat to see Annie, so strong and brave in his memories, reduced to tears and whimpering. She must have been through a most devastating ordeal. He couldn't even imagine what he would do if he lost Devonny, his mother, or even his father. He would try to talk to her about it, but for now, she must get some sleep.
Of course, not in Strat's bed! The mere thought of Annie, fast asleep in his bed next to him, her dark hair resting on his shoulder was enough to make his heart race. But Strat was a gentleman, above everything else. He helped Annie stand, and whispered to her that he would take her to a guest room, and he would come get her in the morning. Too exhausted to argue, Annie just nodded and followed Strat as he led her down the dark hallway.