"Oh, what a wonderful soul so bright inside you. Got power to heal the sun's broken heart, the power to restore the moon's vision too." ― Aberjhani

"Miss Murphy."

Her happy bubble burst and evaporated in thin air. The dream she has been living crashed on her.

"Yes, milord," She said trying not to let her voice break.

The silence stretched between them and Hannah couldn't help herself from looking up. His black eyes were dazed and trained on her and she couldn't find the end of those dark pools.

"The soup," She blurted without thinking, "The soup is getting cold, milord."

Her words brought Oliver out of the trance and he tried to pick up the spoonful of soup, a sudden wave of dizziness swept over him.

"I do not feel the strength in my arms," He said trying to focus his vision.

"You have been sleeping for 3 days, milord, without any food," She said helping him with water.

"Three days!!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, milord," She said holding the spoonful of soup to feed him. 

He quietly ate while she fed him without looking into his eyes.

"Lucas wrote to me that aunt Ida gave you the employment at her estate, I hope you are comfortable at Raymond's," He said trying to make the conversation.

"I am, milord, Lady Raymond is very kind," She said her eyes downcast.

"I hope you got all the help from Mr. Morrinson regarding your visit to London," He said after a moment.

"Yes, milord, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have been very helpful," She said.

"Miss Murphy,"

"Hannah," She snapped.

Both of them froze at her sharp response. Hannah came back to her senses before they realized she disrespected the lord of the manor.

"I am sorry, milord, I will leave at once. I am sorry," She started apologizing profusely. She turned around abruptly to leave.

"Hannah," He said softly and she felt the heaviness in her stomach at the mention of her name. The feeling was very new and absolutely terrifying.

"Hannah," he called her once again and she masked her face to impassive before turning back to him while the butterflies in the stomach continue to create havoc.

"I am sorry, milord, I shouldn't have spoken to you in such a manner," She apologized once again.

"You do not like to be called by your mother's name," He stated.

She never felt so vulnerable as she felt at that moment in front of him. He didn't even have the strength to stand up and she was the one on the verge of falling down.

"Yes, milord," She said her voice cracking.

"I understand, please forgive me if I have caused you any distress," He said.

She wanted him to stop talking, his words were making her face everything she had forgotten in the last few days.

"I should leave, milord. The doctor prescribed a lot of rest for you to get well," She said picking up the food tray to leave.

"Mrs. Morrison told me you were the one to take care of me while I was unconscious," He said not wanting her to leave so soon.

"Everyone was busy with their chores, I was the only one who could spare the time," She said in a clipped tone, angered at him making her feel so exposed.

He laughed out loud at her honest words.

"I will bring some of the help back to the estate," He said chuckling.

Hannah's eyes shot up to him for the first time since she entered his chamber. He thought she reprimanded him and instead of being disrespected he was laughing. His laugh drawing a smile from her. He looked mesmerizing in the night light laughing tears brimming in the corner of his eyes. She was seeing Lord Oliver Kentshire as described by the Ledger and the women fawning over him. She averted her eyes before he could catch her staring at him.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Miss Hannah," He said gratefully.

"Good Night, milord," She said and left his chamber confused.

The fear and worry gripped her by the time she reached her bed. She was pacifying herself reminiscing the days of freedom she enjoyed. She was sure he knows about her past and soon everyone in the manor will find out and the disgust and hatred will come her way once more.

As compensation for taking care of him, she wanted to demand him to keep her secret till she was in London, she wanted to enjoy the fresh air before going back to suffocating life.

She couldn't sleep the entire night tossing and turning, not wanting the dawn to come. Afraid of what will tomorrow bring, she couldn't help but worry herself to death. She never planned on him to know that she took care of him while he was ill. Once he was better he was going to get very angry at a lowlife like her even getting near him.

When the dawn came she resigned to her fate. She woke up and got ready to complete all her errands as soon as possible so she can go back. Her errands would have been completed if it was not for Lady Kentshire's letter asking her to postpone everything and help the Morrison's take care of her son aware of the very little help available at his estate.

She was puzzled, being a Kentshire she didn't understand why he relieved so many of his servicemen when he definitely could afford it. Pushing all the thoughts to the back of her mind she focused on completing all the errands.

She notified Mr. Morrison for the carriage and after breakfast on Mrs. Morrison's insistence, got ready to leave before she was asked to attend to his lordship again. She couldn't face him anymore, every time she came face to face with Oliver Kentshire she felt uneasy. His kindness unsettled her. He was after all a gentry and she could never be sure of his intentions. And now he was aware of her past she should be more careful around everyone.

She walked out towards the carriage making sure she had given proper instructions to the driver. She left the estate but couldn't get anything done. She visited later than her appointment since she couldn't leave while Oliver was still ill. Everyone promised to get all the tasks done by the end of the week. Now while returning back to the estate, tired after going around London streets, she was thinking about how to avoid everyone back at the estate. By now, his lordship must have notified Mr. and Mrs. Morrison about her and the best she could do was keep out of everyone's business.

But to her surprise, nothing in the estate has changed. Everyone was still loving and kind towards her. The most difficult thing for her was to avoid Oliver. In a day he was out of his bed and roaming around his estate while everyone else was incapable to ask him to rest. Everyone turned to her to make his lordship rest. She ignored everyone's pleading look to put some sense into Oliver. 

A day later she was on her way to make sure everything was on schedule and she could leave by the week's end. As she waited for the carriage to leave the estate after instructing the driver she heard the door opening and in a moment Oliver was sitting in front of her while he knocked for the carriage to leave.

"A fly might get in your mouth, Miss Hannah," He said chuckling making her snap her mouth shut.

"What are you doing, milord?" She asked after the initial surprise abated.

"I was losing my mind cooed up in the estate, so I thought I will get some fresh air," He said nonchalantly.

"Cooed up! You should have been resting and yet you were roaming around the estate, not exactly cooed up," She said folding her hands in front of her making him laugh.

"You are funny, Miss Hannah," He said chuckling.

"If I would have known you needed fresh air I would have taken a different carriage, milord," She said angrily at him for sabotaging her plans to avoid him.

"There is no other carriage available at the estate, Miss Hannah," He said teasingly, "I will have to send the letter to the Prince to send my carriage back and I do not want him to summon me back to court just yet."

"I believe Kentshire's have more than enough carriages for each family member," She said bluntly.

"They do. But I wanted to accompany you on your errands, Miss Hannah, I hope my company is not unwelcome," He said smiling.

She couldn't very well throw him out of his carriage while he was still recuperating. She wanted to scold him like a child and lock him inside his bed-chamber. But he was a Lord, she shouldn't even be sitting in front of him. She had no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted.

"So, what is the first thing on our list?" He asked seriously.

"Milord," She said puzzled.

"I came to know you couldn't complete your errands since you were taking care of me while I was ill, I would like to help you with them," He said sincerely.

The baffled look on her face brought another laugh out of him.