Young Writers Society

Chapter 4

Matthias couldn’t understand why Danielle chose that moment to faint. Here ha had a lot of things to attend to and she had to go and faint. Matthias cursed under his breath as he came to her side . He felt her head and she was fairly hot. He sighed, what was he to do? He decided to shake her.

“Miss Bencoft? Are you alright? Miss---Blast it all!” Matthias immediately picked her up. He didn’t know what to do with her, so he headed out into the hall. A servant nearby saw and he was shocked when he saw Danielle in the arms of Matthias McKnight.

“M’Lord, what happened?”

“Never mind what happened!” He snatched, “I need to get Miss Bencroft to her bed chambers.”

Immediately, the servant did as he was told, “This way.” He then hurried to lead him and the servant ordered another servant to bring up water and something to eat. “Jane, get Miss Bencroft some water and something to eat. She’s fainted!”

The servant quickly hurried away as Matthias laid her upon her bed. The servant sighed as he observed her and checked her pulse. It wasn’t normal and he could barely feel a pulse. Matthias was so impatient that he threw the servant aside.

“What’s wrong with her? Is she dead? What?” he growled.

The servant was a bit alarmed and he stammered, “I---I….She has just fainted, milord, but provided she eats a decent meal and drinks water, she will be alright.”

“Are you certain? Because if she dies---” He paused, eyeing the servant with cold-hearted eyes. Soon, a servant came in and placed a tray by her bed. Matthias didn’t bother thanking them and just sent them away.

When they had left, Matthias sat across the room without giving thought to seeing if she was alive. He simply sat and silently watched his fiancé lying in bed. Suddenly, she started to move and Matthias immediately stood, presenting himself in a orderly manner. Just then, she rose from her bed and Matthias almost cursed.

“Holy---” He then looked at her and Danielle realized that she was alone with the baron in her room.

“What happened?” She said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“You fainted.” He stated slowly. He stared at her and she stared back. “You must eat to regain your strength.”

She nodded, “I---thank you.” She said. Danielle continued to gawk at him.

“Why do you look at me like that? Has anyone ever taken care of your being before?”

“Why, of course. It’s just that it was never a man. After all, we are strangers.”

“You are wrong. Were we not strangers.” He said as he made himself comfortable by sitting back down. “You’re Danielle Bencroft and I am Matthias McKnight.”

“We have only just met for merely five minutes---”

“And I have but to know everything about you…It doesn’t matter now does it? We are getting married and there is nothing anyone can do.” He looked at her with such a serious expression. It was evident that he was not trying to be funny.

“How serious can you be?” Danielle asked.

“Very.” He stated without any further explanation. “I am not one who indulges vicariously in another’s pure happiness. I am not who you think I am.”

“You mean, the romantic knight in shining armor?” She asked as she drank her water.

“Exactly. I will never be that, especially not to you.”

Matthias had said it so bluntly that Danielle’s eyes grew wide. Danielle couldn’t help but wish that Prince Andre chose someone more sensitive, not an unfeeling brute. Danielle sat in her bed, feeling insulted and wanting nothing more than to sleep and be rid of Matthias. She had made a decision. This was not going to be a marriage based on love…but then again, she wanted to know if it was possible for this man to possess any kind of feeling besides hate and bitterness. She knew he was bitter. It was certainly in the way he spoke, the way he held himself up. His manner was fierce and it caused many to be intimidated, but that wasn’t going to be the case with her.

“I guess I was wrong about you. You are not who I expected.” Danielle said.

“Of course not.”

“May I ask, are you even capable of falling in love…at all?”

“No.” He answered immediately. “You must understand, Danielle, I am not who you think I am.”

“That is quite clear….but I do prefer it if you called me Miss Bencroft.”

He ignored her, setting his dark gaze to her, “You must eat.” He then stood, “If you need me---”

“And why would I need you?”

“Many reasons and---”

“And what are the reasons?”

In that instant, Matthias looked as if you were about to explode. This was woman was impossible!

“You, Danielle Bencroft, are to be my wife! I can not choose another and same goes for you! I tell you---I am not fond of marrying someone I don’t know and certainly one who tends to asks questions after questions. Tame your tongue! I am not the man you think I am.”

“What kind of man are you then? Dangerous?---”

“Worse.”

“You are not so pleasant after all. Well, that just makes everything quite clear to me. I don’t like you!” She nearly yelled.

Matthias stared her down, “Good. We will be married in a month. The earlier, the better.”

“I’d rather die.” She scoffed.

“I am only following orders. Deal with it.” He said coldly. Danielle glared at him, knowing how much her lips wanted to form a smile. She just couldn’t help but think how childish they were being. Matthias held his glare upon her and made no movement.

“Have you nothing better to do than stare at me?” Danielle asked.

“I have nothing better to do.” He then sat down, “So I’ll sit here and watch you.”

Danielle then decided to read and couldn’t help but glance his way, “You’re very handsome, yet you are as unpleasant as a needle.”

That made Matthias scoff, “Many would consider you highly fortunate to be marrying me.”

“Fortunate? I rather think it a curse.”

“I feel the same way.” He shot her with a villainous glare.

“Many would marry you, an unpleasant man?” She asked, quite annoyed by his conceitedness.

“Oh yes, so be grateful.”

“I think not. Now if you would kindly excuse me, I need to read.”

She then began reading again, turning the pages to which she ripped a page. Matthias read the front cover out loud.

“A Fabulous Match?” He said, “Now what could that nonsense be about?”

“Two people who have no desire to be with one another but they have no choice but to marry.”

“Sounds rather familiar.” He mocked.

“Yes it does.” She then continued to read, but she was too distracted by him. He was vexing her with his very presence, yet she was happy that he was even there. Danielle placed her book down, finding it the best moment to ask about his parents or some background about him.

“Who are your parents?” Danielle asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t have any parents who are worth mentioning.” He replied rather disdainfully.

“Oh, I am sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. I was homeless, I admit, and it’s something that I don’t like to discuss, especially to you.”

“I see. Well then, what shall we talk about?”

“Nothing.” He stated.

“So you would sit here and just gawk at me without saying a word?”

He nodded and stared at her. There was really nothing to talk about. Danielle found him to be rather unromantic. She had wished he was at least civil.

“Don’t you know how to charm women?” She asked. Matthias looked at her as if she had asked a stupid question.

“No, I don’t. Like I said, for the hundredth time, I am not the man you think I am, nor will I be anyone you would care to love or need.”

“That could change.” She said as if she had a whole world of confidence.

Something triggered Matthias and he nearly shook with anger, “No.” He snatched, “There is nothing you can do to change me---No matter what you do. May I say, I live a very dangerous life and when we are married, you will be here. Normandae is a dangerous place for a woman like you. So enough with these fantasies you have of me!”

“I have no fantasies about you!” She said quite offended. “And when we are married I‘ll---”

“Are you threatening me?”

“I might as well!” She said.

Matthias nearly laughed. Never in his life had he met anyone who defied him like this. It was amazing how she yelled at him without a hint of fear. It was probably because she did not know just who he was and who she was dealing with. He admire her for that, but then again, he would never tell her what lay deep within his darkened soul. He would never let her into the inner places of his heart and mind. For what lay beneath his serious expression was a tortured soul and a mind set that there was nothing worth living for. Nothing could heal the pain that taunted him day and night, not even Danielle Bencroft in all her glorious beauty.