Judging by her first reaction, Elias would have thought better of his exclamation if he had not already loosed it. ‘Fountain girl’; she might be that in his memory but he probably ought not to have told her as much when he was supposed to be thanking her for her healing efforts.

“I’m so sorry,” Elias said hastily, biting his lip in some effort to bite back the comment, too late, flexing his fingers on his newly-fixed hand in sheepishness. “Though I believe you’re being too kind,” he corrected, having blocked out much of the more embarrassing elements of the encounter from his mind - had it been May Day once, a few years ago? he couldn’t recall - “as the way I remember it, I was more than a witness, for it was my fault you ended up drenched in the first place.” He gazed at her solemnly, trying to convey a belated apology for that mess. He also remembered slipping and falling and being very damp. “Not that I thought you were bedraggled!” Elias added, in belated protest, sure the assurances would not make her feel much better and yet now quite unable to suppress his grin.

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