Prologue

Uncle Jesse knocked softly at Daisy's door, then he slowly opened it.

His niece was lying down on her bed, her back turned to the door.

The Duke patriarch called her, almost with a whisper, "Daisy….".

Only her light jerk made him understand she wasn't sleeping, but she was looking at the pouring rain outside the window.

Daisy didn't answer to her uncle, so he sat down on her bed, "How do you feel?".

She sighed, "I'm feeling bad. Obviously. I'm feeling like if my bones are breaking".

Daisy's rough answer didn't discourage him, "Did you sleep a bit?"

The young woman shook her head, "Not at all. My head is exploding, and I'm feeling sick".

Uncle Jesse sighed, touching her forehead, "Yeah. You've got again a temperature".

"Yeah", she repeated.

Bo and Luke came in Daisy's room, "How is our sick little cousin goin'?"

"Your cousin is goin' bad, and all because of this rain and because of Enos. And now, you two, get out of here!"

Uncle Jesse pretended to reproach her for her sour answer, using his crusty voice, "And now why are you blaming that poor boy? He hadn't a good time lately"

"It's all his fault if I've caught the flu. I've caught it from Enos". Daisy's stubborness.

Bo poked Luke, with a knowing smile, "You've caught the flu from him 'cause of your stayn' glued to him, playing his nurse….. or playing his wife?"

Daisy threw him a pillow, "GET OUT OF HERE!"

Uncle Jesse stood up, "Come on guys. Let Daisy rest a bit. I'm going to cook chicken broth; it's the best thing in a rainy day like that"

Finally alone in her room, Daisy closed her eyes and she tried to sleep, but it wasn't easy with that pounding headache.

"Playing her wife….", she sighed, "Oh my God", then she covered her face with the blankets, hiding her blushing even if she was alone in her room and nobody could see her cheeks turning red, and not because of fever.