Chapter 4

As I left Daniel, I felt guilt gnawing at me for making things so hard on him. He had been so kind as to drop his marriage proposal. However, I kept feeling a sort of annoyance. I tried to think of why I felt so irritated.

Then I thought of the reason. I was supposed to love Char. I was not supposed to be happy with someone else. That was the reason. I remembered how my heart jumped when I saw Daniel in the marketplace, and it wasn't right.

I strolled casually through the marketplace, thinking. So Daniel no longer wanted to marry me. That was fine with me. However, I wasn't so sure if I really wanted to be friends with him. He was kind, sometimes, yet he was still arrogant most of the time, which I didn't like. I sighed silently to myself. I couldn't be friends with him. I didn't need another relationship to get into.

Dropping the matter, I found a booth of carrots and celery, and I headed for home.

"I'm home!" I called out to Mandy as I opened the door to the manor.

"What took you so long?" Mandy inquired as I headed into the kitchen.

"Nothing-" I said, before I stopped. "Actually, I saw Sir Daniel at the marketplace," I admitted. Mandy opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it.

"Were you going to say something?" I asked.

"Ella," Mandy said seriously, not looking at me but continuing to scrub a carrot. "Is there something between you and Daniel?"

"No, not really," I said. "Why?" Mandy still didn't look at me.

"It's just that...I don't want you to spend any more time with him," she finally managed to say.

"But, why?" I repeated again, dumbly confused.

"Ella, there's something about him...He might hurt you.." she wavered off.

I didn't reply. I thought about it. Mandy was right. He seemed too dangerous.

"Ok," I replied softly.

"Sweet, will you be fine with that?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I told her. "There's nothing between us anyways."

Mandy sighed with relief. I was glad that I had reached a decision, but I didn't feel comfortable with it. We continued washing the vegetables silently, and I thought about Daniel. His handsome smile appeared in my mind. I silently scolded myself. I wasn't supposed to talk to him anymore. Or think about him.

"Hattie's calling you," Mandy said. I heard Hattie weakly calling my name from her room.

"Is something wrong with her?" I asked. I had never heard her speaking so softly.

"I don't know," Mandy said. "Why don't you go check on her?"

I dropped my apron and walked up the stairs. I knocked on Hattie's door.

"Come in," she croaked. I opened the door slowly, and instantly, the warm air from the room clouded me. Hattie sat on her bed, her face extremely pale. Though I hated Hattie, it hurt to look at her so weak. I rushed to her side.

"Hattie, is everything alright?" I asked worriedly. I touched her forehead. It was scorching hot.

"I don't know," she said. "I don't feel good. Ella, make me feel better."

I rushed into the kitchen and quickly grabbed a rag. I turned on the faucet.

"What's wrong with Hattie?" Mandy asked.

"She's sick," I explained hurriedly. "Her forehead is burning."

Back in her room, I placed the rag on her forehead.

"Just rest there," I said softly. I was confused of my actions. Why was I treating her so kindly after all the torture she had put me through in my life?

"Ah, that's cold," Hattie said, trying to remove the cloth.

"No, leave it there," I told her. "You probably have a fever." I continued to sit by Hattie's side as she sat in the bed blankly. Slowly, she drifted to sleep. A while later, Mandy came up with some soup. It was the same soup that she had fed to Mother and I. The soup that Mother had taken the unicorn tails out of.

"Hattie," I said, nudging her.

"Mmm?" she muttered, saliva spilling out of her mouth. Quickly, I spooned a bit of the soup into her mouth. Spoonful by spoonful, I fed her the soup. I noticed her skin color unnaturally grow more normal with each spoonful. I left the bowl by the table, and left Hattie to rest. I was sure she would be fine.

I quietly left her to rest, and went to my room. I passed by Mum Olga's and Olive's rooms, and I saw them in their rooms, reading peacefully. I felt a sort of pity for Hattie. She was extremely sick, yet she didn't have her mother or sister to care for her.

In my room, I collapsed on my bed. I was feeling extemely exhausted. Then, the matter with Daniel popped into my head. What if I saw him again? Should I talk to him? Or should I completely ignore him? I decided on the latter. It would be easier.

At dinnertime, Mum Olga and her daughters all sat at the dining table. Hattie was well. I felt relieved, for some reason. After dinner, Hattie beckoned me to her room. It wasn't an order, but I went anyways.

"Ella," she said. "Are you done with my dress?" I felt my blood rush to my face in anger.

"No," I said, keeping my voice level. "Unless you thought that I could finish it in a day."

Hattie pouted.

"But I wanted to see it!" she said.

"Well, I haven't made it, alright?" I said. I wanted to end the argument so I could go. There was no point arguing with Hattie.

"Ella, wait," she said as I was almost out of her room.

"What?" I snapped. She was looking down on her lap.

I turned back around.

"Wait!" she said. I turned around, irritated.

"Thyou," she mumbled.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"Thank you," she said, a little more clearly. "For...for helping me. When I was sick."

I said nothing. I headed out the door. Did she really feel gratified? I thought about what she had said to me, as I walked to my room. In my room, I got out a large piece of pink velvet for Hattie's dress. I sliced out a large potion, mentally thinking of how big everything should be. I couldn't forget those words that Hattie had said. Even if they probably were the last time she would thank me.

The next morning, I woke up to a burning throat. I could barely swallow, and it felt as though there were needles sticking in my throat. I got up groggily from bed, and I felt the room spin around me.

"Mandy," I groggled. There was no reply. I got up again and headed downstairs. I had to grab onto the stairrail to keep my balance. Mandy was already in the kitchen.

"Mandy..." I whispered. By that time, my voice was gone.

"Oh my!" she said. "What are you doing out of bed? Go back to your room!" she commanded. I did as I was told, and sat in my bed. I fell back asleep again, and in my dream, I was in a bed of fire. My whole body was burning. However, I saw Daniel in my dream. Hewas pouring a bucket of ice on my forehead.

"Daniel," I moaned aloud, hoping he would stop. I woke up, my whole body was all a nightmare. What was it telling me? I reached out my hand to my bedstand to pick up my clock, and a wet cloth fell off of my forehead. The cloth was still cool. I heard soft footsteps outside of my room. I looked at my bedstand at the clock and saw a glass filled with juice. I picked it up, and there was a letter under it. The words in it were blurry. I opened up the letter, and saw a mess of letters. I stared at it, and slowly, my eyes focused.

Ella,

It hurts to see you in so much pain. I 'm not supposed to be in your house. Mandy wouldn't let me come in. But I'm here anyways. That's all I'll say. Get well.

Daniel

Daniel had been here? Had he heard me call out his name? I buried my face in my hands in embarrassment. He had probably heard me calling out his name. How did he even know that I was sick? However, my body wouldn't elt me stay awake, and darkness washed over me.