“Now you have piqued my interest.”
“Good, because we have a chapel here that dates back hundreds of years,” Bennett said. “It is where my cousin, Edwina, got married, and it is where I hope to...” His words trailed off.
Delphine glanced over at him. “Where you hope to what?” she prodded.
“Get married,” Bennett rushed out.
“Oh,” Delphine murmured, unsure of what else she could say. She wanted Bennett to be happy, but she wasn’t quite sure how she felt about him marrying someone else. Not that she wanted to marry him. No, she was quite adamant about that. So why was the thought so appealing to her?
Bennett led her down the stairs towards the drawing room. In a hushed voice, he said, “No matter what happens in there, you can always stay here as long as you would like.”
“I do not wish to overstay my welcome.”
He came to a stop just outside of the drawing room and gently turned her to face him. “You, my dear, could never do such a thing.”
Delphine stared up at him as she found herself admitting, “Out of all the people that could have found me in the woodlands, I am glad that it was you.”
“As am I,” Bennett said, taking a step closer to her.
A clearing of a throat came from the drawing room, causing them to jump apart. Delphine hadn’t realized how close she had been to Bennett until that precise moment.
Turning her head, she saw Doctor Anderson was standing in the doorway with his leather satchel in his hand.
“I do apologize for interrupting, but I’m afraid I do not have much time,” the doctor said. “I just need to examine you for a moment to see if you are fit for travel.”
“Of course, Doctor,” Delphine responded.
The doctor stood back and gestured towards the drawing room. “It will just be a moment, my lord,” he said as he addressed Bennett.
With a parting glance at Bennett, Delphine entered the drawing room and came to a stop in the center of the room. A maid sat in the corner, working on her needlework, not giving them much heed.
Doctor Anderson approached her with a kind look in his eyes. “I see that you and Lord Dunsby have grown rather close. He is a fine man.”
“Yes, he is,” Delphine readily agreed.
The doctor came to a stop in front of her and his eyes studied hers. “How are you feeling?”
“I am well.”
“Any headaches?”
“No.”
He cocked his head. “What of your memories?” he asked. “Have all of them come back yet?”
She winced. “I’m afraid I still cannot remember how I ended up in the woodlands in the first place.”
The doctor gave her an understanding look. “You must be prepared that those memories may never come back.”
“Ever?”
“I’m afraid so,” Doctor Anderson replied. “I have seen it with soldiers on the battlefield or with patients that have experienced some form of trauma. Many consider it to be a mercy to forget such a thing.”
Delphine pressed her lips together, not believing it was a mercy to forget one’s memories. “Quite frankly, I do not. I want to remember those memories.”
“Be patient with yourself, but you may never have the answers that you seek,” the doctor said. “Fortunately, your story did not end in the woodlands. It has only just begun.”
“Does this mean I get to travel home?”
