The rest of the afternoon went by with the grace and smoothness of a ballet dancer in poetic motion. Every detail had been planned to perfection, the food was fresh and cooked with Mrs. Lester’s usual delicious flare, the wine served was the finest anyone had ever tasted. Flowers flooded the rooms while people chatted and visited with long lost relatives. Stories circulated of Victor, laughter at odd tales of his youth, admiration of deals successfully made, and curious speculation of what his will entailed.

Julia felt the urgency for seclusion. After rejecting Daniel’s suggested nap to help Louise see to the preparations, she felt exhausted beyond mere fatigue. She paced herself slowly towards the family room, greeting guests, hugging family members, and chatting briefly with relatives she only knew by name. Once inside, she closed the door quietly, shutting out the sounds of the day and the chaos of the world.

The room was comfortably furnished with a large overstuffed sofa and four cushioned wingback chairs. She chose the one nearest her father's shelves of books, kicked off her shoes, and rested her stocking feet on the small ottoman in front of her. Her neck ached, her head felt heavy on her shoulders and her eyes were sore and red from crying. She took a sip from the glass of wine she had brought with her, before setting it on a small table to her left.

A book on animal husbandry sat unopened on the table, one of her father's favorite selections. She picked it up and began scanning through the pages of information, feeling a little nostalgic as she leafed through it. The drawings were a little more graphic then she would have preferred, and the details were far above present comprehension, so she laid it aside and closed her eyes.

The solitude of the room was exquisite, and Julia began to float away on a wave of contentment. Outside on the veranda, the sounds of birds chirping among the bushes that surrounded the stone wall, filtered through the stillness of the room, as they sang their happy songs in the afternoon peace. A gentle breeze blew through the open doors, rustling the sheer drapery that hung across the doors. It felt warm and relaxing as it brushed her cheek gently, lulling her into a soft slumber.

A noise, soft and almost inaudible, echoed through her seclusion bringing her reluctantly back to her surroundings. It sounded at first as though a door had opened, but she kept her eyes closed, hoping to regain the serenity she had encountered a few moments before. The peacefulness was intoxicating, and she slowly began to drift away again. The rustle of the birds grew louder, and she resisted the sounds, unwilling to surrender the small piece of paradise, she had secured for herself, but the noise soon increased, and she couldn't suppress waking completely.

She opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly, a frown furrowing her slender brows across her tired eyes. The birds didn't sound so peaceful anymore, it sounded as though they were making a nest in the bookcase behind her. She knew she would have to put a stop to them before all her father's literary collection had vanished into a pile of kindling. Julia surrendered her seclusion with a heavy sigh, lowering her feet back into her shoes as she prepared to put an end to the invasion.

Suddenly she felt the room growing dark again, a sharp pain exploding near her temple as pain quickly spread throughout her skull. She fell forward across the ottoman as the room began to spin, the floor came up and met her in a hard thump. A heavy sensation pressed firmly against her chest holding her down, while something soft covered her face, her lungs began struggling for air. She felt as though she were being suffocated by something large, thick, and smelled of lilacs.

Her head ached, and she felt a slow warm trickle, running down the side of her face as she tried to turn her head to the side. A strangled, muffled sound echoed from somewhere in the room, then Julia realized frantically it had come from within her own throat, as she continued to struggle to bring air into her lungs. The explosion of a high-pitched laughter made her gasp for air as darkness swelled around her, taking her down further into its waiting embrace. She briefly registered the sound of movement against the carpet, thrumming between her ears like thunder, and the whisper of something far off, distant, through the senseless.

Her name, she could hear somebody calling her name and then she saw it, the brown oak casket opening to catch her, as she fell through the pitch-blackness of space. The flames of eternal damnation leaped out at her as she continued to fall, never quite reaching her destination, yet never pulling completely away. She heard her name whispered again, the sound dissolving in the dense blackness of night. She was enveloped into the warmth of emptiness, seconds before the flames reached her, and then there was nothing, just blackness that embraced her in a shroud of peace.

So, this was death, she wondered for a split moment before darkness swallowed her and she surrendered to it completely. It wasn’t so bad after all.

Julia awoke with a start as something cool touched her forehead. She tried to open her eyes but surrendered quickly to the pain that seemed to rip her skull in two. She settled back against the softness beneath her head, as she tried to focus on where she was and what was happening. She felt a soft warm breeze against her cheek as the moist cloth began to wipe gently at her forehead. She tried again to open her eyes and sit up, but a wave of pain pinned her down. Her eyelids closed tighter to hold back the tears, but it did nothing for the unbearable pain.

Warmth brushed her cheek and she struggled against the darkness to regain control of her eyes. Her frowned deeply but she managed to blink several times, slowly clearing her clouded vision enough to focus on the image of a man leaning across her. His blue eyes were filled with concern, and she tried to smile but found the effort harder than she anticipated.

Daniel leaned across Julia’s slender frame as he wiped the wound on her head as gently as he possibly could. Her frown worried him as she struggled to open her eyes fully. She looked like a newborn fawn, innocent and weak, fearful of the world around her as she attempted to face her life without the comfort of her mother’s womb.

"You had us worried, Princess," he informed her soothingly, a smile curving his full lips. "Do you know what happened?”

His voice was a gentle whisper, yet it sounded like thunder in her aching head. Julia tried once again to remember what had happened, but all she could recall was a soft scent of lilacs, the suffocating pain of trying to breathe, and the sound of birds ravishing the bookcase. It all seemed so hazy, so confused in a brain filled with thunder and lightning bolts. She could barely distinguish between what was real and what was a bad dream. Finally, she shook her head holding it gently between her hands, feeling as though it would roll off her shoulders and out the door if she moved too suddenly.

"Just rest then," he whispered wiping her brow with the moist rag.

"You have an excellent bedside manner, Mr. Browning," Julia whispered.

She forced a weak smile across her lips as she tried to make the situation appear trivial, though the slightest movement made her feel as though she were caught in a bailing machine. Daniel leaned down across her, pressing a gentle kiss against her dry lips. Her smile at his touch came a little easier than a moment ago, and she closed her eyes to hide the strange feelings he stirred to life.

"How is she?" asked Jeremy as he stepped quietly into the room.

Julia's eyes blinked open with a frown. She didn't answer at first, she thought of how that soft sound of the door opening seemed hauntingly familiar. She closed her eyes again. She had to stop thinking the pain was getting worse and now she felt nauseous.

"Are you alright?" her brother asked again as she struggled to open her eyes, studying her features with concern.

Julia's effort of reassurance was becoming easier. She offered her brother, what she hoped appeared to be a genuine smile, and nodded so slight he barely noticed it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked again, not completely convinced by her makeshift attempt of normalcy.

"My head hurts," she said weakly, giving the two men a childish pout.

Daniel chuckled softly, leaning down and pressed his lips against her forehead in such a tender act, she wondered if she hadn't imagined it until her eyes focused on the man only inches above her.

"Much better," she whispered, a soft color flushing her pale cheeks.

"Well, she must be okay," Jeremy replied, walking back to the door. "But I'd better make sure Mother got hold of old Doc Stewart, just the same."

The door closed again, leaving Julia alone with this man who sent such strange vibrations shooting along her spine. She closed her eyes again and said nothing for several minutes. She tried not to think in order to block the pain, but she knew she couldn't ignore the situation indefinitely.

"Daniel," she began slowly, feeling a whole new array of torture erupt near her temples at the sound of her own voice. "Who found me?"

"I did," he answered in a gentle whisper, trying not to cause her any more discomfort than necessary. "Why?”

"Did you see anybody leave the room?" she asked with another frown.

"No, why? Did you see someone? You did, you saw who did this to you. Tell me who it was, and I'll have him in jail before the night's over!"

Daniel's tone increased in volume and she moaned softly at the sound bouncing around her brain, her hands holding her head gently.

"Daniel, please," she pleaded in a hushed tone, trying to focus on his face. "I didn't say I saw anybody, I just wanted to know if you did."

"I didn't see anything, Princess," he assured her gently, laying a warm hand on her cheek. "When you came up missing, I went looking for you and found you on the floor, with a bloody head and a pillow next to you."

He sighed quickly, regretting his revelation of how he'd found her while she was still so weak.

"Just rest. Your mother has sent for the doctor and the guests have all left, so there's nothing for you to do, but obey."

"So, you've taken over as my personal physician, Mr. Browning?"

"It's better than being your lawyer," he teased, gently adding, "and it's much more fun."

"How do you see that?”

"Well, this way I get to play doctor with you, and it’s completely moral and socially acceptable."

"You're incorrigible," she whispered with a blush, sinking her head deeper into the pillows beneath it.

"I only offer you an honest invitation," he whispered, in turn, his lips lightly brushing hers.

She closed her eyes against the sensuous visions dancing among the bouts of pain as she accepted his kiss.

Daniel looked at her, relishing the slow smile curving her lips as she lay beneath his inspection. She was so beautiful and so delicate. Even though she pretended to be strong and in control, he knew her for what she really was. She was vulnerable and in need of protection, and he so desperately wanted to be the one to wrap her in a blanket of security. This woman was so very different from any other he had ever known. She was intelligent and arrogant, yet soft and alluring, and so very sensuous.

His mind recalled the feel of her when he held her in his arms the night her father had passed away. She had nearly surrendered to him there and then, in the shade of the veranda. He was forced to abandon her, leaving her to her own resources before he acted on his desires. He had meant only to kiss her, but once she was in his arms, he found his own reserves weaken and nearly dissolve beyond control.

He envisioned her in his arms again, her delicate body pressed beneath him as he bathed her with his love, her long hair spread wildly across his pillows, her hands bound so she had no choice but to surrender to him completely. There was no greater aphrodisiac in this world than for a woman to surrender complete trust to a man, allowing herself to experience the depth of passion and release, all while she begged him to make her cum. It was thoughts such as these, that made him leave her that night and kept him at bay with her even now.

Daniel shook his head running his hand through his messy hair. An hour ago, he had feared for her very life. Lying unconscious on the floor, blood streaking her pale cheek, caking in the dark strands of hair, she looked so near death. The pillow from the sofa lay next to her stained with blood, an indication that someone had attempted to suffocate her. But why? He was terrified that she was dead and when he lifted her in his arms, cradling her against his chest, praying for her life and safety, she began breathing. He could not believe that after the horror he felt at almost losing her, that he could become so aroused with just a mere smile and a kiss of an angel.

Just as he was prepared to wrap her in his arms again, the door opened, and Louise stepped through followed by the elderly form of the town doctor. Daniel shook the man's strong, weathered hand before stepping out of the way with Jeremy. The doctor sat stooped over Julia, beginning his examination as the three looked on in concern.

Julia had always heard her father speak of how much he hated doctors and now she understood why. Their constant prying and poking with instruments that were cold as winter snow, not to mention the uh-huhs and hmms were enough to make a well person, ill. After several questions from the doctor, she relaxed her throbbing head back against the soft pillow again. She watched as the doctor made several notes on the pad of paper he carried with him, before packing his impersonal tools back in the worn black bag and removing a needle, syringe, and vial of clear liquid.

"Just a mild concussion and a laceration that doesn’t look bad enough for sutures, but her head will hurt like the devil for a day or two," he began, speaking to Daniel who stepped forward, taking Julia’s hand in his own. "Keep a close eye on her. I want her to stay in bed, or at least stay quiet for a couple of days if you can manage it. I'll give her a shot to help her sleep and I'll send over some medication in the morning. She's going to want to have a light breakfast, this shot is bound to make her queasy, but after that, she can eat whatever a girl her age eats these days. Now then, roll over my dear, so I can give you this shot, and I'll be on my way."

Julia frowned. Having been spoken about as though she weren't even in the room made her angry, but it was nothing compared to the embarrassment she felt now.

"She thanks you Dr. Stewart," Julia bit out through bursts of pain. "But I'm not rolling over, in the arm or nowhere."

"It'll hurt in the arm and it'll take longer to work. In the backside is the best place."

The old brown eyes met with the heat of emerald green, but years of training and authority made it difficult for her to force him to back down. Julia - like most people - hated shots, especially in her butt. She knew she wouldn't be able to sit for a week.

"Roll over Julia," Daniel ordered, squeezing her hand.

"No."

"Do what you're told Julia and we'll get you up to bed," Jeremy sounded near ready to burst with laughter at his older sister's childish attitude.

"I don't want a shot," she argued moaning at the pain exploding in her head.

"Enough foolishness," the doctor snapped, his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Either rollover or I'll have these two hold you down," he finished, pointing as Daniel and Jeremy both smiled to her.

"Fine," she finally conceded, the pain easing to embarrassment. "But not until you turn around."

Her eyes locked with the turquoise depths of Daniel's intent gaze. He chuckled softly and glanced at Jeremy.

"You too, brother," she growled, although the attempt made her head explode like fireworks on the fourth of July.

The two men laughed lightly before they did as they were ordered.

"I think this is more for your benefit than mine," teased Jeremy, as he and Daniel turned and offered the woman their backs. "After all, I've seen her without her clothes on."

"Was she worth it?" Daniel asked, glancing at the woman across his shoulder.

"As far as sisters go, yeah, but she always complained and yelled for Mother when she caught me looking."

"Women never let a man enjoy himself," Daniel replied, winking at Julia before completing his turn.

"Ouch! That hurts!" she complained loudly, as the doctor's needle struck with her tender flesh making her momentarily forget the rest of her trials.

"Make certain she stays in bed," ordered the doctor, who paid no attention whatsoever to his patient's outburst.

"Is that an order doctor?" Daniel teased, looking at the delicate face that flushed a scarlet red.

"When you've reached my age, son," began the plump old man, his round face and balding head making him look more like Santa Claus than a physician of medicine. "You learn to take advantage of every given opportunity."

Julia groaned, Louise cleared her throat and Jeremy and Daniel exploded in laughter.

"I'll remember never to question a doctor’s orders again," Daniel snickered, shaking the man's hand as he left.

He allowed Jeremy to guide the older man to the door, while Louise went to make certain Julia's bed was prepared.

Once the room was empty, Daniel turned to look at the young woman reclining against the sofa cushions, moving toward her with the slow grace of a panther about to prance on its unsuspecting prey. He knew he was worrying her, but the deliberate suspense was too erotic to pass up. After feeling the terror of finding her unconscious on the floor, to holding her in his arms, he felt the day had managed to explore every emotion known to man.

Gently he slid his hands beneath her slender frame drawing her off the sofa and into the strong curve of his arms. His restrained hair fell across his shoulders as his hand brushed the side of her breast, cradling her close as his touch sent a shiver of anticipation through her - and him. He stared down at her with a gaze so sensuous that she was forced to look away. Her cheeks felt hot and her head began to spin, but all she cared about was the feel of his arms around her, his chest close to her breasts, and the warm look in his eyes.

"Knock it off, Browning," she whispered a soft warning in the stillness of the room.

"Doctor's orders, Princess," he insisted, his lips brushing against hers tenderly, once, twice and then again, this time capturing them more fully.

He released her mouth only to reaffirm the pressure in a deeper, more stimulating kiss. His lips tasted and teased hers into responding. The pain was gone, the dizziness forgotten, as his tongue brushed across her lower lip, taking it between his teeth until she groaned, then released it, reaffirming the pressure against her mouth fully.

Julia's arms circled his neck holding onto him tightly, winding her fingers through his hair, playing with the thick ponytail at the back of his neck until it fell from the leather restraints. The muscles in his shoulders contracted, his arms pulled her against him so hard she thought she'd never breathe again. Then the air was there, his mouth had released hers and moved to her cheek, down to her throat, and finally capturing the small lobe of her ear. With a groan of regret, he pulled his mouth away, yet he continued to hold her tightly against his chest.

"We'd better get you upstairs," he whispered, his breath brushing across her face, his tone deep and husky.

"I can walk, Daniel," she insisted, her own voice shaky and weak.

"Can you?"

The deep emotion rumbling between them both bounded forward with each syllable. She looked at him for a long moment, considering what he had asked. She shook her head softly and laid it against his shoulder. Daniel chuckled, knowing his ego was bursting to new heights at the woman's silent applause for his attempt of seduction. His arms circled around her a little tighter, holding her in a band of security.

He carried her up the stairs and into her room, where he laid her gently on the pink covered brass bed. Louise met them at the door then quickly left, hurrying back downstairs for an extra blanket and a pot of tea. Daniel stayed with Julia for a few minutes to make certain the shot the doctor had given her was going to work. He smiled as her eyes began to flutter heavily, she was giving in to the medication and he knew she would soon be asleep, but as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t stay by her side much longer. Just sitting next to her on the pink bedspread, the intimacy of being alone with her in her bedroom, forced him to stand and pace his way quietly to the door, as her eyes fell shut.

"Daniel," she said softly, causing him to turn back and look at her from the doorway where he stood. "Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled stepping back to the bedside and leaned over her.

"My pleasure, Princess," he told her, brushing her lips softly with his. "Just think of me as your knight in shining armor."

"As you wish, Sir Daniel."

He chuckled softly, lowering his mouth to hers again, pressing against her delicate lips hard and demanding for a few passionate moments.

"I'll always be here for you, my Princess," he promised.

"I was never very good at playing make-believe," she told him, realizing he was speaking to her as though the whole thing was nothing but a childish game.

"Then we'll stop playing," he insisted sliding his left hand beneath her, his right hand capturing her breast and kneading it gently.

His mouth covered hers with such urgency it felt as though she could no longer breathe, the only air she took was from the man who gave life back to her.

"Is she asleep?" Louise asked, entering the room carrying a small tray on top of a thick hand quilted blanket.

She stopped, her eyes adjusted to the sight of her daughter in the urgent embrace of the man who appeared to be ravishing her. Daniel chuckled as he broke contact with her, allowing her to lie back against the softness of the pillow.

"No, she's very much awake," he answered, more to Julia than to her mother. "Go to sleep now, Princess," he continued, more quietly than his previous statement. "I'll be here in the morning when you wake up."

With that promise, he left the two women alone and closed the door quietly behind him.

Louise stood by the door for a moment watching her daughter who appeared to visibly collapse in her bed. The two looked at each other for a brief second before a yawn escaped Julia's kiss flushed lips. The last thing she remembered was her mother smiling at her and the sound of a soft click, as the door to the pink and lace bedroom closed. She was encased in the room's protection, alone with her dreams of passion, desire - and Daniel.