"I feel like I've been run over by a steam boat. My mouth is dry, and I am hungry, can I get some water please?"
"Of course, is that what it takes to rouse you, food? Here, let me help you sit up. I'll place the tray over your lap." With that Dominic brought a glass to her lips and assisted her in taking a sip.
"How long have I been sleeping?"
"Two days, you were very feverish so mamma called for the Dr. he gave you pain medicine, set your collar bone and said you should rest."
And then she remembered the events that led up to her being bed ridden and sore. She looked at Dominic, obvious guilt in her eyes, she said, "You must be so angry with me, how can I make it up to you?"
"Oh, I think that you've been had enough punishment," he smiled at her, her took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips and kissed it. "I was worried about you, we all were." He picked up a spoon and handed it to her, when she hesitated about accepting his assistance he looked at her with narrowed eyes and said, "eat, or I shall feed you myself!" He chuckled softly as she obeyed. "I sincerely hope that you have learned your lesson. May I have your word that you won't go off exploring again without a guide?"
"Yes, I am sorry about taking the bicycle without asking," she said, deciding that she owed it to Dominic to be completely forthright.
"May I ask why?"
She looked at him with a pathetic look on her face, she finished the bowl of chicken soup, took a small drink of milk, she muttered, "I somehow got it into my head that I just had to get to Port Lira anyway that I could. I saw Nicolò with a very pretty young lady and it broke my heart, so I wasn't thinking, The urge just . . . seemed to take over."
Watching her carefully, he said, "You had designs on Nicolò?"
"Well I've known him for a long time, I fell in love with him when I was …. It doesn't matter. What I did was wrong and I beg your forgivenss."
"Alannah could you put a name to that urge?"
Avoiding his eyes, she replied, "The moment I saw Port Lira I felt like I belonged there, so the urge in me was, well it was like I needed to get home. But I don't have a home there, I've never been here before. So the feeling that I had when I saw the village below, I couldn't shake it, but I needed to go there right away."