In one quick motion, the maid scurried out of the room, leaving Delphine alone. She noticed a glass of water on the bedside table and realized how dry her throat felt. With great effort, she reached for the glass and took a small sip, enjoying the cool water on her lips.
Delphine returned the glass to the table and propped herself up against the plush pillows behind her. Though her head still throbbed with pain, she needed to understand what had happened to her. As she absentmindedly touched the bandage wrapped around her head, she searched her memory for any clues.
What had happened to her?
As she tried to recall her memories, the door opened, revealing a tall, distinguished man with silvered hair and rounded spectacles perched on his nose.
The man approached the bed and Delphine instinctively reached for the soft silk blanket to cover herself.
When he smiled at her, all her defenses melted away. “Hello, I am Doctor Anderson,” he said, introducing himself in a soothing voice. “I am pleased to see that you are awake.”
Befuddlement clouded Delphine’s mind as she tried to piece together where she was. “Where am I?” she asked.
The doctor pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. “You are at the country home of Lord and Lady Dallington,” he informed her gently.
That would explain her opulent surroundings, but those names did not sound familiar. Furrowing her brow, she asked, “Am I acquainted with them?”
“It appears not,” Doctor Anderson replied. “Their son, Lord Dunsby, found you in the woodlands on their property. Do you remember how you ended up there?”
She gave him a blank stare, unable to recall anything. “No, I do not.” Why couldn’t she remember?
The doctor gave her a reassuring look. “That is all right. Perhaps we should start at the beginning,” he suggested. “What is your name?”
That was an easy question. “My name is Delphine…” Her words trailed off as she struggled to remember more about herself.
“It is nice to meet you, Miss Delphine,” the doctor said. “Can you recall your surname or where you are from?”
Delphine racked her brain to try to remember but her mind was blank. She couldn’t remember anything, other than her given name. How was that possible? It didn’t help that her head was pounding, robbing her of the ability to think clearly.
The doctor’s comforting voice broke through her musings. “It is all right. These things can happen after a head injury.”
“I had a head injury?” Delphine asked. Why did this all seem so preposterous?
“Yes, you had a nasty bump on your head when Lord Dunsby found you. You have been asleep for two days now,” Doctor Anderson revealed.
Two days?!
She couldn’t believe it. But as she tried to recall anything about her past, she was met with a frustrating blankness. How could this have happened?
The doctor continued. “Now that you are awake, we will figure all this out,” he replied. “You just need to be patient with yourself.”
She brought a hand to her head and winced at the bumpon top of her head, just as the doctor had informed her of. “My head hurts,” she confessed. “And my neck is rather sore. It is difficult to move.”
“That is not unexpected,” the doctor replied sympathetically. “Your body just needs time to recover.”
“None of this makes sense,” Delphine said, feeling a sense of panic rising within her. Why couldn’t she even remember her name?
“It will, in time,” the doctor assured her. “But for now, we will just provide you with a calm environment for your memory to return.”
Delphine glanced down and realized that she was in a wrapper. “Was I wandering in the woodlands dressed like this?”
“No, you were discovered in a ravine, unconscious and bleeding from your forehead. I’m afraid that the gown you were found in was terribly soiled and ripped,” Doctor Anderson responded. “The maids bathed you and dressed you in more comfortable attire.”
“None of this makes sense,” Delphine declared, repeating herself. “If I was on Lord Dallington’s land, he must know who I am. He has to. I do not think I am one to trespass on others’ lands.”
“I’m afraid not. You are a stranger to him.”
Delphine lowered her gaze, feeling like a stranger to herself as well. She needed to remember so she could go home. Wherever that was. A thought occurred to her. “Surely someone has come looking for me.”
