“Has a doctor seen me? I need to go to a hospital.”
“I assure you, Miss. Mirabal, you have nothing to worry about. A physician examined you last night. He determined you likely needed only a bit of rest and would wake up by morning. As indeed you have. So you see, there was no need to have you taken to a hospital. He will be here soon to check on you again.”
No need to have her taken to a hospital? What kind of doctor would say that without proper tests? Astounding! Is that how they handled medical emergencies in England? Just sleep it off and see if you wake up the next day? Of course, the healthcare system worked differently here. Maybe it wasn’t customary to rush to the hospital unless there was a very serious, apparent injury.
In either case, she’d better not pursue the matter further. He had been very kind to rescue her and bring her to his home. She should not repay his kindness by criticizing him. Instead, she would thank him, leave as soon as possible, and take herself to the nearest hospital on her own.
That brought another thought. What about her car, her phone, her suitcases, all her belongings? Had they been recovered? She looked down at what she was wearing, registering the garment for the first time. It looked like a house robe, although very old-fashioned. How had she gotten into it? Had this guy undressed her? She fought to control her racing thoughts and growing anxiety.
“I’m sorry... Dale is it?”
“Avondale.”
“Thank you very much for helping me. For bringing me to your home, for everything. I feel much better and think I might be able to leave now. Do you know where my car is? Has it been recovered?”
“Your car? Like a train car?”
“No, my car. An automobile.” Anxiety was escalating. So many details needed her attention. And she didn’t know if she was well enough to deal with it all. Apparently, they did things very differently here, and it would be a nightmare to figure it all out. What a mess she had made of things.
And the auction was tomorrow. She couldn’t miss it. A wave of overwhelm threatened to drown her just thinking about it all and she had to take one deep, calming breath. One thing at a time. First, she needed to locate the car.
“It is a silver Land Rover. Do you know what happened to it?
“A land rover?”
Was he just going to repeat her words? The look of confusion on his face would be funny in other circumstances. As things stood, it didn't help the rising panic in her chest. She was in a strange place with a handsome but clueless man who was weirding her out.
“My apologies, Miss Mirabal,” he said, “but I don’t have the faintest idea of what you are talking about.”
“You didn’t see my car then? No vehicle nearby where you found me?”
“Indeed I did not, but it was dark, and my primary concern was to ascertain your condition and take you to safety. I did not look for a car.”
“Yes, of course, I understand. It must still be there then. And my bags too... Could you take me to the place where you found me? And where are my clothes?”
“Your clothes are right here on the chest at the foot of the bed. The boots have been cleaned, and the coat brushed, and they are like new. But I’m afraid your... trousers are beyond help.”
At least he knew where her clothes were.
“My jeans, you mean? What happened to them?”
“Well, they are a little worse for wear. They have holes in them. A maid could try to repair them, but I doubt they are salvageable. Do you remember how that happened? I must admit I am rather puzzled by it, as you don’t seem to have any wounds in the places where the holes are.”
A startled laugh escaped her. Was he serious?
“Have you never seen a pair of distressed jeans? They are supposed to be like that.”
“Supposed to be how?”
“Ripped, with holes in them. They were made to look like that.”
“Well, that makes no sense at all. Why would anybody purposely wear torn clothing?”
He had a point there. “When you put it like that, it does sound ridiculous. But sometimes fashion is absurd like that, don’t you think?”
“I admit it, but I had never heard of this particular folly.” He said with a puzzled frown.
"No? That's strange. They are everywhere." She rolled her shoulders in an attempt to relieve the tension growing in her. "I was kind of late to adopt this trend."
