Still Falling Read Online Free

    Chapter
seven
       

 
    Serena hadn’t had much luck finding a room at the Marina and had returned to the cottage
determined that she would try the mainland the following day.   It wasn’t perfect but she would only be a
ferry ride away from her mother.   That afternoon,
while her mother prepared dinner and she read through a list of emails from
Josephine and her colleagues, there was a knock at the door.   It was Marco.   Her eyes flashed daggers at the sight of him.  
    “What do you want?”
    “It’s time for your walk, isn’t it?   I can’t have women passing out all over the estate at all times of the
day and night.   It might ruin my
reputation.   I’ll just have to keep you
company until you are back home safe and sound.”
    “I can look after myself.   I don’t
need any favours from you Marco!” she growled and shut the door firmly in his
face.   She leaned against the door and
closed her eyes.  
    Arrrrrgggg!
    She tried to hear his retreating footsteps through the thick solid oak of
the heavy door.   After what seemed like
forever, Serena felt sure he had gone and slid down the polished wood of the
door to plant her backside firmly on the floor.
    “I so do not need this right now!” she muttered to the empty
hallway.   She hadn’t planned on taking
her walk but his cheek had brought out the rebellious side to her.   Quickly kissing her mother on the cheek she slipped
out and skirted the expansive garden to the beach.   She was more than a little out of breath when
she stumbled down the last section of the rocky path onto the sand.  
    “Well Marco Spinozzi, you are not my boss anymore!” She giggled.   Her run in with Marco and the extra long walk
around the expanse of garden rather than through it had worn her out.   She hoped now that she could make it back,
considering that she would have the incline to deal with as well.   It was a sobering thought.
    “Oh no...”   Was all she managed to
say as a wave of dizziness overcame her and the world went black.
      The first thing Serena noticed was
the silence.   She tenderly opened her
eyes. T he light was muted and her eyes adjusted easily.   Feeling slightly disoriented, she examined her
surroundings.   The large wood panelled room
was very masculine.   To her left large
chest of drawers sat against the wall next to an ornate wooden door.   A beautiful simple framed painting of the
estates beach during a violent storm took pride of place above a small empty
stone fire place on the other side of the doorway.   Subconsciously she noted that the choice of
simple frame suited the painting perfectly as a carved gilt frame would have
distracted from the raw energy of the painting itself.  
    In front of her another ornate doorway allowed soft lighting to spill
from the room beyond and this followed onto a bank of built in closet
doors.   On the right hand side of the
room, heavy floor length brocade drapes shut out any light that might be trying
to fight through from the windows she was sure must be hiding behind.  
    Rising up around her four very solid looking, carved wooden posts rose up
from the large bed she found herself on.   The thick soft pillows and plush duvet cradled her like a mother cradles
a baby and she felt warm and safe.  
    Very nice.   Ten more minutes.
    Still not fully in the land of the living, she snuggled her head deeper
into the pillow and breathed in deeply in preparation for a contented
sigh.   The pillow smelled distinctly of
fabric softener and …….Sandalwood.   She
bolted upright.  
    “Shit.” She muttered now fully awake.
    A second later she let out a small screech when she realised she was
dressed only in her underwear and an oversized T-shirt that clearly wasn’t hers
under the soft duvet.
    “Lie back down before you pass out again!”   Marco appeared in the doorway where the light
spilled from.   His face looked murderous.
“I have sent for your mother and the doctor.   Until