"I am staying in a cottage belonging to someone who left town but said I was welcome, I intend to be out of there soon before he comes home." She gave a shuddering sigh, accepting the hanky and delicately patting at her face. As attentive as he was, he would be able to see the smudges of bruising beneath her eyes, the brackets of exhaustion etched across her lovely face. She looked down at one point and she murmured, "How? I don't have very many choices, do I? Here I am trying to implore a complete stranger to marry me." She gave a humorless laugh.