Chapter 22 Any of those things

"Why did you lie?" he asked as his eyes examined the small blister. "B-because it was minor," she replied. "Minor you say," he muttered before adding," Take a seat there."

She looked at the seat and did as told, although she was wondering what it was about. She then watched him walk to the cupboard and came back with a black box in his hands which he placed on the table. "Your hand," he said and she stretched it out for him.

She watched him get a safety pin from the many and when he brought it towards the wound, she looked away.

The next thing she felt was a sharp pain and she gasped. Glancing over again, she saw that he was peeling off the skin slowly and she looked away. She didn't know how to perceive this action though. Was it okay for masters to tend to the servants' wounds? she asked herself.

"It's going to hurt a little," she heard him say and she nodded. She held her breath when a liquid was dropped on her wound and she felt a stinging pain. Afterwards, she saw him get a small tin from the box and got a cream from it then applied gently on the wound. "You have to be careful not to wet it," he said and she nodded.

Lastly, he got a kerchief and wrapped it around her wrist before tying it securely.

"Thank you so much your grace," she said as she got up whilst he placed back the things.

After taking back the box, he came back and stood up close to where she was. She looked up to meet his eyes and her heart pounded in her chest. She averted her gaze not able to keep up with him. "You can go," she heard him say. "Thank you... your grace," she whispered before adding," Have a good night." She rushed out of the room and when she closed the door behind her, she released the breath that she didn't know she had been holding until now.

She then walked out of the corridor heading towards their quarters, while praying so hard not to run into any of her fellow workers.

Reaching her room, she decided that she was going to bathe very late when most people had left the bathrooms for she didn't want to be questioned.

Late night when she was done with bathing, she heard a knock on her door and walked to open to see Charlotte. "How is your wound?" she asked. "It is fine now. Thank you." "Did you apply anything?" she asked.

"Uh, no but I will be alright," replied Hazel. "I have this cream that is very effective on wounds. You can keep it until your wound heals." She got hold of the tin, careful to use the fine hand so that she doesn't see the kerchief. "Thank you so much," she said smiling at her. "It's nothing. Have a good night," she answered before walking away.

When Hazel went to bed, she couldn't stop thinking about the time she spent with the Duke in the drawing room. He not only helped her wound but he also stood up for her in front of the princess and it brought a smile on her lips.

She could still smell his manly musky scent and she raised her wrist to smell his kerchief. It didn't have his scent and she wondered if he had taken long without using it. Talking about the Duke, she remembered that his birthday was coming in about two weeks. Thinking so hard, she wondered what she should get for him.

For a person like Duke Raven, the gifts he often gets on his birthday include land, mansions, horses, carriages, money and many others.

She knew that she didn't have any of those things but she also knew that she couldn't go without gifting him anything. When her mind came up with an idea, she smiled in acknowledgement.

As days passed, Hazel exchanged a number of letters with Lucas that travelled back and forth.

Usually, the maids would go out for grocery shopping twice a week and for the coming time, Hazel had decided that she was tagging along because she needed to buy something.

That morning, she received a letter from Lucas. The last paragraph read,

'I am glad to know that you are going to the market because I am also going to pass by Gibb's path. Hopefully, I will see you there and we get to spend some time together.'

She folded the letter, deciding that she was not going to write a reply.

When it was time for the maids to go, Hazel went with Charlotte into the carriage before it started off. "Why did you decide to come with me this time? I thought you didn't like getting out of the Manor?" Charlotte questioned her. "Yes you're right but I wanted to buy something," she replied. "Rosalie wasn't so pleased. She wanted to be the one to come," she said. "She shouldn't worry because this is the first and last time I will be coming," she answered looking outside.

A long while later, the carriage pulled over and after parking, they climbed down and entered the big market. Hazel's eyes moved around the place and she realized that this market was way bigger than the one she would buy in when she was still staying in the Milbrand household.

After Charlotte leading her towards one of the biggest stalls, they started buying groceries as they were being packed in the bag.

Hazel decided to use this opportunity and she said," Charlotte, I will be right back." "Don't take long," she said and she nodded before leaving.

Hazel walked as her eyes searched for something and after, she saw a big shop and approached it. Finding an elderly woman attending to it, she smiled at her before saying," Good afternoon." "Good afternoon. What can I get you?" "Do you have threads that can be used in stitching? And in different colors?"

"Yes," she replied. "I would like to have a look," she said and the woman went inside the store.

On coming back, she had about eight different shades of threads.