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He sat rigidly atop Hannibal at the highest point on the cliff path, scanning the horizon and the road down into the town for signs of a carriage. His heart racing from the ride and from the hope that the news from Leo meant she had ended her engagement for him. At last he saw it, and he could barely endure the wait. He turned Hannibal to
ensure it would be obvious to the groom that he was blocking the road. The carriage stopped and she came towards him, oh the joy, he dismounted and walked towards her.
‘Mr Colbourne?’
‘You didn’t tell me you had called off your wedding!’
‘I didn’t think it would be of concern’
‘Nothing could be of greater concern’
‘Even though you are engaged to lady lydia?’
‘Well in that you are mistaken. It seems lady lydia has been engaged to another for some time now in defiance of her mother….I am at liberty to marry whomsoever I would choose, as it seems are you’
He continued to advance towards her unable to stop himself from continuing
‘You bewitched me from the first moment that we met and since then my affections have only deepened. I cannot imagine how fathomless they will be once we have spent a lifetime together’
She began to tentatively smile at him her eyes brimming with tears, he hoped of joy. He could not keep his hands to himself any longer as he reached to caress her beautiful cheek. The last time they had stood here together and he had bared his soul it was she to his utter surprise and joyous amazement who had initiated the kiss, but he did not wait for her to speak but instead poured as much feeling as he could into the meeting of their lips, she opened her mouth to him and thus began a delightful dance of tongues and lips……..Such exquisite relief.
At last he had confessed all and here she was yielding in acceptance of him.
Slowly they pulled apart, he smiling like she had never seen him before. And she thought anew how handsome he looked when smiling….So few times had she seen him thus and this one was all for her.
‘Not ten minutes ago I had condemned myself to never marrying and teaching Alison’s children to embroider cushions instead.’
‘Where were you going in that carriage?’
‘Home and then to Ireland’
‘I cannot let you leave again, marry me Charlotte……stay’
‘I rather thought we had clarified that just now, but I suppose we do have a history of misunderstandings…..know this Xander……
I also am in love with you, how early in our acquaintance that feeling began I cannot say but this past few weeks of loving you and causing you pain by being engaged to another has been the hardest of my life. Thank-you for waiting for me, for being patient, and for telling me you loved me.’
He trembled at her words and pulled her towards him, her name escaping breathily from his lips.
‘Oh Xander! You must be cold, i am only now noticing you are in your shirtsleeves!’
Laughingly he replied:
‘You need have no concerns at my being cold, believe me I feel exactly opposite. Leo came running to tell me you were no longer engaged and were planning to leave, I did not even look for my coat, Hannibal was all I needed’
‘I am so glad you came’ her earnest beautiful face looked up to his again, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
He cupped her cheek again.
‘I am so glad you were not yet beyond the cliff path, I could not have endured another separation, you are everything to me, dearest Charlotte’
She stepped up to kiss him again and as she clung to his forearms felt him to actually be cold despite his proclamations.
‘Come Xander, we must return you home’
‘Taking me in hand already Charlotte’
‘Yes somebody must!’
And chuckling he hoisted her onto Hannibal and having signalled to the parker carriage, mounted up behind her.
‘It is a very good thing the ride is short as I am unsure how long I could bear you this close to me’ he whispered into her ear.
Charlotte felt herself flush.
‘I see them, I see them’
Leo catapulted herself towards her uncle as she ran from the window towards the front door of Heyrick park.
Samuel smirked at Lady Susan, her gaze returning a triumphant look.
As they approached the house, Alexander dismounted and reached up towards his betrothed who uncharacteristically was happy to wait for his assistance. The prolonged hold on her waist, the mutual loving gazes and smiles were not missed by the three who had unbeknownst to the lovers arrived at the open door to greet them.
‘Miss Heywood! Does this mean you are to be my mama!’ Leo exclaimed throwing herself at Charlotte and almost causing her to stumble.
‘Leo! Careful!’ Xander grabbed Charlotte’s waist to steady her.
‘Thank you Xander, I am quite well and Leo, lovely to see you too’
Xander crouched down to be eye level with his daughter.
‘Will it please you to know that Miss Heywood has decided that I am agreeable enough to become her husband?’
‘Oh yes! Please! I have wanted this for so long father’
‘Miss Heywood, come, we must find Mrs Wheatley she and I have been praying you will be my mama, may I call you mama now?’
And without waiting for an answer she all but dragged Charlotte by the hand into the house, Xander’s gaze following their trail.
Samuel rested his hand on Xander’s shoulder.
‘Congratulations Brother, a splendid outcome. She was definitely not one to lose and I must say the besotted puppy
look becomes you’
The subsequent eye-roll restored Alexander’s face to a more habitual look.
‘I am a little concerned about the necessary trip to visit her father, given the speed with which our engagement follows her termination of the last which was of his choosing, I am after all an acquired taste’.
‘Don’t be a fool Xander, if the man loves his daughter he will see that she is as besotted as you…..shall Susan and I accompany you on our way back to London, it is but a mile or so detour from the london road?’
‘There is a thought, but I shall speak to Charlotte, thank you Sam……for everything, I fear I owe you a greater debt than I can repay’
‘Nonsense! It is i who must thank you, without your Charlotte I would have no Susan’ And with that he went off in search of her.
Laughter echoed up the passageway as Xander descended to the kitchens. As he approached he paused at the threshold, the image of the three heads together over tea and biscuits overwhelming him. He had not allowed himself to truly hope this would be the outcome. The evidence of Mrs Wheatley’s joy making him feel how inadequate had been his previous behaviour, how much more he should have listened to her, how she had cared for him like a son and how he had many times repaid her as master rather than listening to her advice.
‘Am I interrupting great plans and secret missions?’ He voiced as he entered the room proper. The smiling faces of all three as they turned to face him made him respond in kind.
‘Yes papa, we have lots of secret plans and none of them involve you’
‘Well if that be the case I will have to steal Miss Heywood from you as I have some secret plans of my own’
Mrs Wheatley smirked, Charlotte raised both eyebrows and Leo pouted.
Having confirmed the study door to be locked behind them, he backed her gently against the door and kissed her behind the ear whispering
‘That 10 minutes was too much to bear apart from you, how shall I let you leave tonight?’
And with that he began to place kisses down her neck and down to where her dress met her breast.
‘Xander, stop’
He immediately stopped rigidly
‘I am sorry-too presumptuous?’
‘No, only, I think we need to have a conversation about what we are going to do about tonight-you raised an important point, I am expected at home and no longer at the Parkers and it is getting late and if you begin to kiss me again I will be too distracted to formulate a coherent plan’
She smiled coyly.
‘I would like you to return to those activities as soon as possible however’
He pulled her into the room and motioned for her to take a chair by the fire
‘I confess myself to be feeling a little apprehensive about recommending myself to your father…….Sam and Susan leave tomorrow, scandalously together in a carriage to London and have offered to divert to Willingden on their way.’
‘That is kind, but i think perhaps might feel like an invasion from the ton, you and I know both of them to be affable and approachable but they might intimidate my very straightforward parents….’
‘Well then, shall we go together tomorrow?’
‘What scandalously alone in a carriage?’
He met her eyes to ensure she was teasing him. They had already been scandalously alone, would Mr Starling have already told her father, would he have all sorts of explanations to make?
‘I have a confession’ whispered Charlotte.
He stared into her eyes half afraid of what was to come. She reached for his hand, watching as his shoulders visibly relaxed.
‘I wrote to my father after I told ralph I could not be his wife’ she felt Xander’s fingers stroking across her knuckles.
‘I am not very good at telling lies and so I told the truth. That I was in love with another and that other had made it known to me that my feelings were returned, that he had been gentlemanly and told me he respected my choice’
Xander’s eyes closed with the emotion of it
‘He wrote back to me yesterday with great understanding. I think a letter from me for now will suffice and perhaps you could visit once he has had a little warning’
‘Whatever you think best my love’
Charlotte’s heart raced at the endearment, she leaned forward to kiss his mouth, he pulled her onto his lap and the next few minutes were spent in delicious oblivion.