Hearts Connected
Elizabeth quickly tidied her desk and chalkboard to finish with her day. She was anticipating a pleasant afternoon spent in the company of Jack and could not wish for him to arrive any sooner. Thinking about him had become an obsession of late, especially his recent admission of love for her. Since that stormy day in the mine, her love for him had taken on a whole new dimension and rattled her to the core. She could finally admit to herself that she was completely in love. In love with Jack.
Putting away the chalkboard rag, Elizabeth's nerves jumped at the sound of the door opening. A slow smile spread across her face while butterflies swirled in her stomach, causing her to nervously turn around. She found herself face to face with a diamond. The late light of the afternoon sparkled off the solitary stone and caused Elizabeth's breath to catch in her chest.
'Charles, I…' Elizabeth tried to talk but felt completely off guard jarred by the sight of someone she hadn't given the slightest thought to in the past few weeks. Her hand flew to her chest to contain her shock.
She had been expecting someone else.
"Elizabeth Thatcher, will you marry me?"' He was down on one knee, holding the ring in its box at an awkward angle, in a pleading, desperate way.
"Oh my goodness. Charles...Um….What are you doing? Why are you doing this? This makes no sense." She spoke slow and confused, barely above a whisper.
'It makes perfect sense, Elizabeth. We are a perfect match, excellently suited for one another. We will make each other very happy. You must realize I am the man for you. Please do me the honor of being my wife." The look in his eyes was intense and focused, as if this were one more achievement he needed to check off his list of things to conquer.
Elizabeth winced and noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked toward the open door and saw nothing but the road leading to town. Empty. She was yearning for Jack to show up and help diffuse this situation. She would prefer to handle this together.
"Elizabeth. Please. Don't keep a good man down on one knee for long. I do wish to hear you accept." He chuckled good-naturedly but she could tell he was becoming antsy with her lack of enthusiasm for his gesture.
"No Charles. I can't marry you. I do not love you. And I do not wish to be in a marriage where I must learn to love my husband. Love must come first." She looked over his shoulder at the road. Still, no Jack.
"You're telling me you hold no feelings for me. At all?"
"My feelings do not extend past those of a dear friendship held since childhood. I've told you as much in the past couple of weeks." Elizabeth felt a stab of pity for this man who was once such a beloved and close friend and was sad that he was forcing her to make a fool out of him.
"But what about all of the special times we spent together on your recent trips to Hamilton? How can you deny that you knew exactly where we were steering our relationship?" He remained on one knee with the ring carefully perched within his fingertips.
"To be completely clear, Charles, I am in a courtship with Jack.. My feelings for him have never changed since returning from Hamilton. In fact, I'm more sure than ever that we belong together." Pride spread across her chest as she was freely able to admit her deepest held romantic feelings but a burning sense of shame at her actions towards Charles began to creep in.
Charles quickly stood up and coldly looked down upon Elizabeth. He carefully noted the determination in her eyes and conceded that he was not going to win her hand after all. He smirked.
"Very well then, Elizabeth. Enjoy your sordid little life in this pathetic little town. I'm sorry you can't see what's best for you." He looked her up and down once last time before turning sharply and walking bristly out the door. She stood at the doorway and watched him walk away, sure to watch him disappear out of sight before letting out a huge sigh of relief.
She then realized that Jack had still not arrived. She thought it very odd as Jack was very prompt and never late for plans. Even if he had been called away on Mountie business, he typically stopped in to tell her of his absence or would have someone bring her a message. Elizabeth got a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach and realized something must be wrong for Jack to not be here.
She quickly grabbed her belongings, threw on her blue coat, and shut the door securely behind her, determined to find Jack and find out why he had left her waiting at the schoolhouse.
All the way to town, thoughts were racing through her head. Besides the obvious confusion about Jack's whereabouts, she slowly started to realize how Charles may have gotten the wrong impression from her from their time spent together at her family home. It explained all of the sideways glances that she caught from Abigail whenever Charles was mentioned and why Jack always seemed so tense when her time at home was brought up in conversation.
Realization quickly struck her as to what her situation must look like to those on the outside. A wealthy young single woman, purposefully courting attention from two eligible young bachelors. While seemingly enamoured with one Mountie, she had been secretly seeing a man more suited to her breeding. Basically, having her fun with Jack until it was time for her to move back home and take her position in Hamilton Society.
"Oh my goodness. I've made quite a mess of things, haven't I?" Elizabeth exhaled in one long, slow breath.
Then the thought struck her that Jack could have witnessed Charles' proposal. "Jack wouldn't just leave me though, would he? Surely he would have stepped in to tell Charles to leave me alone. Or at the very least, wait for me outside?" Her thoughts were starting to spill over her capacity to function straight and she began to walk faster to settle her uncertainties.
"He wouldn't have left if he didn't have good reason to believe I would accept." This realization hit her hard in her chest and made her desperate to seek Jack's whereabouts and try to set everything right between them.
The sound of an axe splitting through wood echoed from the distance as Elizabeth approached the jail. She noted Jack's horse was standing tethered to the post in front and felt her heart sink at the thought that he was still here instead of waiting for Elizabeth at the schoolhouse where he should have been.
"Not a good sign." Elizabeth thought to herself.
Elizabeth took tentative steps towards the back of the jail and was met with the sight of Jack powerfully swinging his axe through the air to cleanly slice through a large log. Judging by the size of the cut pieces piling up beside his work space, she deduced he had been here quite a while.
Moments passed and Elizabeth caught herself staring at the sight of him and quickly recalled the time shortly after their disastrous first meeting in the Saloon when she was walking home and was entranced by this very sight. Watching him in physical action always brought a rush of excitement to her as she was always struck by how quick and steady his movements were.
She slowly approached Jack from the front and waited patiently for him to notice her, agonizing at how long it took him to finally acknowledge her presence. "Something is definitely wrong." Elizabeth told herself.
"Um...Hi Jack." It was all Elizabeth could muster as a greeting. She looked hopeful.
He stood with the axe in his hand and she couldn't help but notice how he wasn't willing to set it down and focus his full attentions toward her.
"Did you forget about our plans today?" She raised her eyebrows inquisitively. "I was really looking forward to our ride." She thought it best to play it cool and act like nothing was amiss.
He stared stone-faced, subtly clenching his jaw to mask his true feelings. "No. I didn't forget Elizabeth." He held her gaze then took a step back and raised the axe in the air, swooping it down in one motion.
"Well...if you didn't forget then why are you here chopping wood for the entire town?" She tried to slip in a slight joke and act like she didn't know why he was acting like he was incredibly upset with her. Deep down, she knew he knew about the proposal. And she knew he probably blamed her for helping it get to this stage.
"Look...I…" She tried to start to explain what had happened.
Jack stood with the axe hanging casually in his left hand and waved her off with his right. "Don't worry Elizabeth…" he said her name so carefully. "You don't owe me an explanation. You don't owe me anything, actually." He sounded sincere. but made no motion towards her and maintained his rather cool demeanor toward her.
It took all of her energy to not fall apart right there as she wasn't prepared for the emotional roller coaster this day had become. She could feel their connection was broken and knew by looking at Jack that he wasn't in the frame of mind that could be reasoned with. He was letting his Mountie half play out this encounter by maintaining a professional and ultra-calm exterior. She felt that this was not the right time to share her side of the stor. As much as she wanted to beg for his understanding, begging was not an action Elizabeth was quite prepared to resort to. She decided to give him time and felt he would seek her out when he was ready.
"Wow. Look at the time...You know what? I actually have a lot assignments that need to be graded and Abigail is probably swamped right now so I should...maybe...I should just go." She turned abruptly as she felt a tear on the verge of spilling down her cheek, and took quick tentative steps away from him towards the main street. She steered her focus towards maintaining a calm exterior so as to not alert any townsfolk of her fragile emotional state. Goodness knows what rumors would start circulating if one were to see Elizabeth leaving Jack in such a distressed state!
She walked calmly but her mind was a swirl of activity, trying to think of what she was going to do. She looked around at the close-knit town and felt the suffocating pressure from her neighbours who seemed to monitor her and Jack's relationship like it was the only entertainment available.
Walking up the steps to her door, Elizabeth decided to go on the horse ride she had originally planned to take earlier. Only this time she would be riding solo. She mentally made a list of the items she needed to pack and completely did not notice Abigail until they bumped into one another at the door.
"Why Elizabeth. I thought you were taking a ride with Jack today after school. Back already?" Abigail beamed as Elizabeth quickly noted Pastor Frank following Abigail out the door. They were both holding fishing rods and a small travelling pack.
"Just getting a late start and grabbing my things. May be a little late tonight, Abigail, so don't wait up." Elizabeth smiled a warm trusting smile Abigail's way while hurrying past her friend to avoid her truth-finding stare. She knew she would be able to see through her and sense what she wasn't telling her.
Distracted by her company, Abigail threw Elizabeth a look that told her she knew she was in good hands and said "Hope you have a good night Elizabeth. See you in the morning." And the two of them walked off to their fishing hole, absorbed in each other's conversation.
Racing upstairs, Elizabeth quickly changed into her heavy tweed riding pants and matching jacket. It was getting slightly chilly out and she knew a late start would mean riding in cooler temperatures. She also grabbed her leather riding bag and stuffed her personal journal and pen inside in case she felt the need write down her thoughts. She always found writing helped give her perspective and insight into tough situations like the one she was facing.
Elizabeth made sure to stop in the kitchen where she filled her bag with baked goods and fruit that was readily available and stopped in the linen cupboard to pack a heavy blanket. Jack's riding lessons not only extended to the horse, but also subtle lessons about surviving in the wilderness and how to use what is available on the land. Skills that Jack had a profound knowledge of and liked to pass on to Elizabeth to further ensure her safety. Elizabeth's mind drifted back to those wonderful afternoons spent on the trails with Jack and felt proud of herself that she had been taught enough to feel comfortable by herself out there in such wild country.
She slowly opened the back door and peered out to make sure no one was in the vicinity before making her way to the stables where she proceeded to saddle her horse and bag. Elizabeth mounted the beautiful brown mare and made her way quietly out of town.
It wasn't until Elizabeth had passed the pond and the school house, making her way on recently discovered paths, that she let the unshed tears silently fall. Nobody but her and her horse here, she thought, and she freely allowed herself to cry over the unexpected outcome of the day.
``I feel like I have no say over my life sometimes``, Elizabeth thought. ``Most people in my life, since I was a child, have told me what is best for me and steered me to the outcomes they wanted.`` She felt sorry for herself, briefly, and realized that this action of controlling her life had spilled into the current mess she was in as one particular man thought he could eventually get her to do what he wanted, against anything she had to say on the matter. She felt powerless and controlled, which spurned her to increase her mare`s speed to a gallup.
The rhythmic thumping of the horse's hooves on the well-worn trail helped her thoughts progress to the point where she realized how horrible her actions in Hamilton were. Shame washed over her. Shame from her actions. Shame from her ability to think that the comfort she felt in Hamilton should deter her dreams out West. Shame at the thought that she could treat a man, a man she felt love for to the depths of her south, like a second-rate gentleman caller.
Elizabeth forced her mind to stop thinking about the day's events and simply focus on the path before her. With a child-like sense of wonder, she kicked her heels into the mare's sides and indicated she wanted to run full-speed.
The rush of freedom she felt at the surge of acceleration caused her worried thoughts to vanish and she simply let herself feel every movement of the horse beneath her. Before she knew it, the sun had made its last bow, creeping below the mountain skyline and turning the sky to a deep purple.
Elizabeth felt herself slightly shiver in a response to the diminishing warmth of the air around her and took in her surroundings, failing to recognize the trail she had been tearing down only moments earlier. She quickly realized she had been mindlessly travelling for almost 2 hours, judging by setting sun, and a felt a twinge panic at the prospect of her not being able to find the path home.
She brought the horse to a complete stop and craned her head around to see where she had come from and still felt no recognition of her whereabouts. She decided it best to turn around and at least retrace some of their travels and hopefully stumble upon a landmark or recognizable feature.
An hour later, tired from squinting into the darkness of the night, Elizabeth was exasperated at her ill-attempt to find the path that would lead her back to Hope Valley and started to think the best option would be to find a place to spend the night. She could build a little fire and wrap herself in the thick wool blanket she remembered to bring. She had enough food and water for the night and had an excellent danger-sensing horse to keep her company.
As her mare kept a solid walking pace along the path, Elizabeth saw the outline of a subtle worn shadow of a path into the forest which led up to an old, weathered cabin, tucked partly away behind a thick row of bushes. Elizabeth scanned the property for any signs of inhabitants, secretly hoping the tiny dwelling was empty, and was pleased that no signs of activity existed.
"Perfect timing." Elizabeth cried. She steered the horse down the path and stiffly dismounted, feeling the soreness from hours of saddle-time. Off to the side, hidden by thick bushes, was a small horse paddock with an old bale of hay and a trough for water. To the left of the enclosure was a green water pump.
"Thank-you!" Elizabeth exclaimed upwards and smiled at her luck. She had just stumbled upon the perfect little hide-a-way that was going to prevent her from having to sleep completely exposed to the wild around her.
Elizabeth busied herself with getting her horse settled for the night and then took her pack to the entrance of the cabin. Hesitantly, she opened the door and peered inside, happy to discover no rabid animal lurking in the corner or a deranged man-of-the-house.
She immediately set to scoping out her provisions and was relieved to see a small stack of firewood neatly piled beside the open fireplace. Scanning the room, she also found a cot tucked away in the corner, a wooden chair pushed up against the wall, and a small row of cupboards tacked to wall opposite the bed. A lone table stood under the cabinets.
Fumbling through her pack, Elizabeth pulled out her matches and immediately began to get a fire going. At this point, she was looking forward more to the light than the heat of the flames, but was sure she would be happy for the warmth once she could relax. Nursing the flame by lightly blowing on it, she managed to rouse the fire into action and eventually sat back on her heels and admired her work. A smile slowly worked its way across her mouth and she stretched her hands out to feel the fruits of her labor.
She pulled the cot into the middle of the room, directly in front of the fire, and laid down the blanket so that she could rest comfortably. It was then the events of that day came to the surface and she felt an immediate sense of unease. And exhaustion.
Laying down, staring into the fire, she cringed as she replayed the unexpected proposal through her memory and felt nauseous recalling the cold dismissiveness of Jack towards her. Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force the sickening feeling from her gut as she felt wholly responsible for Jack's reaction. She knew she deserved it and took this solitary opportunity to completely accept the guilt that rightfully resided within her.
Elizabeth hoped she could wake up early and make her way back to Hope Valley before Abigail noticed her absence. She yawned deeply and pulled the thick wool blanket up over her shoulders and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
She couldn't be sure how long she had been asleep when she suddenly awoke to the subtle knocking at the front door. The dull thudding caused Elizabeth to gasp. She sat up, frozen, unable to move and respond. Flashes of being held captive by the Tolliver gang caused panic to surge in her chest and she looked around for something she could use as a weapon.
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth, it's me." His voice. Just hearing his voice caused all panic and fear to leave her body.
She quickly stood up and moved to open the door. Her eyes immediately locked on to his gaze and felt relief wash over her. The sheer sight of him made her briefly forget the current disarray of their predicament as a courting couple and instead she felt the familiar warmth of their strong friendship mixed with desire that his physical nearness incited.
"Jack." She stifled a yawn and pretended like she wasn't surprised to see him and acted like his appearance didn't phase her at all. "What are you doing here?"
"Elizabeth!" He loudly scolded her. "What were you thinking? You know the dangers of riding alone at night! And Abigail! She's worried sick!" He was angry. And in Mountie-mode. His eyebrows had become knotted and he looked like he was ready to haul her off to jail.
"What was I thinking? I was thinking I couldn't bear to be in the same vicinity as someone, who, only a week earlier, had told me we could face anything together and then proceeded to completely disregard his own declaration!" She met his anger dead-on and unleashed hours worth of built-up angst back at him.
She locked on to his gaze in a stone-like standstill, each other's pride too wounded to allow them to see past their frustration. Elizabeth winced at the thought that it had turned into a battle of such a petty emotion.
Suddenly, Jack released a long-held breath, and she saw his shoulders and back relax as a result. He looked at her with a look of pain and happiness combined, reeling from their current broken-ness and nearness all at once.
Elizabeth felt the air stir with Jack's close proximity to her as he took a subtle step further into her personal space. Space she would gladly share with him any time of the day. He reached out and grabbed her hand, lightly squeezing it as it rested beside her thigh. He looked into her eyes as if he wished to speak but closed the distance by pulling her into an embrace with his free arm. He buried her head in the crook of his neck while freeing his hand and bringing it around to cradle her head.
Elizabeth felt his breaths heavy as her chest was crushed against the gold buckles of his black overcoat. She immediately understood how worried he was at her absence and felt more guilt added on to the burden she was already carrying.
"I'm sorry Jack. For everything. I swear. I never meant for any of it to happen." She felt the sobs returning and she hoped he could understand her apology was more for the incident at the schoolhouse rather than her disappearance for the night.
Jack brought his forehead down to rest upon her's and cradled her cheek in his hand. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have treated you so coldly." He kissed her on the forehead and looked down into her eyes.
"I went to the schoolhouse to meet you for our ride and saw Charles on one knee, proposing." She felt his thumb lightly caressing the tears away from her cheek. "I panicked." His gaze moved to the dying embers of the fire and he continued. "The thought of losing you. Losing you to him...it got to me. And I let myself believe that you were going to accept his offer."
Jack brought his gaze back to meet Elizabeth's and he saw the sadness and guilt emanating from her. She slowly brought his hand up and placed it on her chest, resting it gently over her heart.
"Jack. I could never accept his proposal. He is not the man I want to spend my life with." Her look was imploring him to believe her. Make him truly understand how he was the only man for her.
"That's it though, Elizabeth. I know that. I do. I feel the same way about you." His face was still filled with pangs of what appeared to be shame. Much like to moment he came to apologize to Elizabeth about Billy Hamilton, the afternoon the Noonan twins were born, Elizabeth thought.
"But I think I let my fears control my heart" Jack slowly continued. "I've been burned once before, and it took me a long time to accept Rosemary's rejection of me. And this time...it was a thousand times worse than that!" His hand remained hovered over Elizabeth's heart as she maintained her eye contact with him.
"I know Jack. And for that, I am truly ashamed and sorry." Elizabeth looked down at their intertwined hands and pressed them feverously against her chest. "I should have been so much more considerate of your feelings. I've wronged you and I wholeheartedly understand why you are upset about everything that's happened."
Jack brought her into another close embrace while keeping his hand intertwined with hers. He buried his head in her hair and took a deep breath, savouring this moment with her.
"I love you Elizabeth. So much. It scares me how much." She could feel the words he spoke as whispers against her neck, sending electric shocks along her skin.
Elizabeth pulled away slightly and noticed his eyes were moist with emotion. She brought her hand gently up to his face and let one tear cascade over her thumb.
"Oh Jack. I love you more than I ever thought possible to love a man. I need you to know that." Their eyes were locked and she could see the desire for her building behind his stare.
Letting go of common courting protocols, Elizabeth brought her face up to meet his and kissed him deeply. Even though it was commonly thought that the man should initiate this type of intimacy, Elizabeth didn't care and let her feelings guide her movements.
Jack responded to her boldness and crushed her body solidly against his, holding her firmly at her waist. He gently slid his hand to her lower back and cupped her head with his free hand, deepening the kiss and ultimately taking control of its intensity, which sent Elizabeth into an abyss of passion. This kiss was sending shockwaves through her body and roused a burning sensation in the depths of her belly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself further into him, effectively trying to eliminate any space separating their bodies.
Inspired by the heat of the moment, Jack pushed her back against the door and continued to let his fervor for her override what was considered proper behaviour for an unmarried couple. It didn't help that Elizabeth met his passion head on and showed him how deeply her feelings ran. Her hands started to unbutton his jacket, pushing it to the floor, enciting Jack into further need for her.
As she caressed her hands over his broad chest, feeling his strength beneath this flannel shirt, she started to mindlessly undo the buttons. Jack let out a small groan as her hands lightly touched his skin, tiny pinpricks that helped snap him back to rational thought. He pulled himself suddenly away from their entanglement.
"You make me crazy. You know that right?" He was breathing heavily and flashed her a dimpled grin, trying to regain control over his actions.
"I think I can relate." Her lips were swollen from their furious affections, her chest heaving deeply. She reached up to continue her assault on his lips, clearly not thinking rationally, when he gently grabbed her shoulders and kept her at arm's' length.
"Elizabeth. We need to stop. This is going too far and I mustn't let this go any further." He looked at her pleadingly, trying to convey that this was not because he necessarily wanted to stop. Just that it wasn't appropriate. And Jack was not the type of man to tarnish his or Elizabeth's integrity or reputation.
"I know what we should do, but it doesn't help that it's not necessarily what I want to do." She gently closed her eyes and tried to make sense of the overflow of passion she was currently feeling, tempering it with the realization that Jack was right.
They needed to slow down.
"I'll let you off the hook this time, Constable. But please do understand how hard it is for me to resist you." She looked at him coyly, unsure as to how he would take her bold remark and was relieved when he smiled shyly at her statement.
"Are you saying you want me to make an honest woman of you, Elizabeth Thatcher?" He grinned knowingly, sure that his question would fluster her.
Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock and she was momentarily speechless. "No. I'm not saying that necessarily." Jack enjoyed watching her squirm. He especially liked how easy it was to fall back into a comfortable banter with this woman.
"Ummm…" Elizabeth continued hesitantly "I guess I am saying that I want you make an honest woman of me someday. I think we have moved past the point of early courtship and I would like confirmation that your intentions with me are honourable and you picture a future with me in it."
She looked up at him hopeful, yet slightly reserved at the subject that had just been brought up. She had been secretly hoping to find a chance to gently broach this subject with Jack and thought there was no better time than now.
Jack reached for her left hand and gently brought his lips to meet the back, maintaining his intense gaze with her big blue eyes. "My intentions towards you have always been nothing but honourable, Miss Thatcher." Elizabeth was so absorbed in his romantic gesture that she failed to notice Jack reaching into his shirt pocket.
Jack then slowly placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist and moved to place his lips on her neck, directly below her ear, never releasing his hold on her left hand.
"What if we agreed that that someday could be today?" Jack breathed into the small, sensitive spot before bringing his lips gently to the same mark.
As Jack whispered these words and used his lips to electrify her senses, Elizabeth felt something cold and solid being slid onto her ring finger. Realization brought her out of her reverie and she looked down in awe at the diamond that returned her disbelieving stare.
"Oh my goodness Jack! I wasn't prepared for this...I...I...oh my! I can't breathe." Elizabeth brought her hand to her mouth in complete awestruckness.
Kneeling on one leg, Jack continued to hold her hand and looked up charmingly towards his stunned companion. "I have been planning on asking you for quite a while. My attempts today were thwarted by another and I felt I couldn't ask you so soon after...but...The truth is..if this…"
At this Jack stopped, nodded and widened his eyes to indicate their recent passionate encounter…"I feel that I was born loving you, like it was something that already existed and we just had to meet to remember that. Or something along those lines...you sparked something in my soul the first time I met you." Elizabeth noticed a slight blush while his eyes fluttered and he looked down, as if remembering something. He continued.
"If this is how we truly feel for one another, I don't see why it makes any sense to wait longer than necessary." He smiled broadly, and brought his gaze up to meet hers.
"I love you Elizabeth Thatcher and am asking if you will be my wife." He looked at her truthfully, confident in his proposal.
"Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Yes. A million times yes!" Tears started to flow from her eyes freely, revealing the instant happiness she felt at the question just asked of her. She threw her arms around his neck as he stood up and lifted her up off her feet, relishing her reaction to his proposal.
Setting her down carefully, Elizabeth brought her hand up to admire the ring Jack had chosen for her. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the ring that represented the physical manifestation of Jack's love for her, noting the simplicity and elegance it exuded.
"Oh Jack." She cupped his cheek with her left hand and brought her lips up to meet his, gingerly tugging at this bottom lip. "Yes." She whispered as their lips continued to seek each other.
Elizabeth began to deepen the kiss but was stopped abruptly by her now Fiance.
"Elizabeth. We may be engaged, but I don't believe it gives us clearance to act upon our feelings fully...yet." She noticed his slight smile and was envious at his ability to keep his feelings in check.
"Of course, Constable. You're right. I don't know what could have come over me just now!" She gave him a knowing look and burst into a small laughter at the moment they were sharing. "I will say, however.." she grabbed the lapels of his shirt and faced him dead on.. "I do hope we can agree on a suitable date for our wedding as I don't fancy a prolonged engagement." She looked up at him, hoping he understood what she was trying to convey.
"I'm not one for prolonged engagements either." His hands came around to the small of her back and he pressed her to him. "I would marry you this second, if that's what you wanted. So don't be shy about setting a date." He kissed her then, unleashing his desire for her in one solid meeting of their lips. He held her close as he felt his affect on her, steadying her quivering body.
"For now, though, we should really get some rest so we can get an early start tomorrow. If we leave just before sunrise, we should be able to make it back in time for Abigail's first batch of biscuits." He led her to the cot and indicated she should lay down and rest.
Jack then threw some more logs onto the fire and went outside to retrieve his own blanket and proceeded to arrange it on the floor directly between the cot and the roaring fire. As he was about to lay down, Elizabeth sat up and looked at Jack. "I know it's not necessarily 'proper' but...I'd like to sleep beside my future husband tonight. For warmth, of course. No other reason." A look of innocence was playing on Elizabeth's face but she knew he would see right through her act.
He instantly pulled her down and tucked himself around her from behind, pulling her blanket over top. Her head rested on his outstretched arm while they lay in silence, staring at the flames dancing in the fireplace.
"You know. Besides this cold hard floor beneath us, I look forward to getting used to this." Elizabeth sighed as she snuggled into his warmth, loving the way his body molded around hers.
"You have no idea." Jack replied with a grin, loving the feeling of her warm, soft curves nestled into him. He propped himself up on one arm and gently kissed her cheek. "Sleep tight. I'll be sure to wake you in a couple of hours."
Elizabeth, feeling safe and secure, drifted off to sleep while Jack took time to admire his fiance lying in his arms. As much as he didn't want this night to end, he looked forward to their plans for the future and slowly drifted off while envisioning a happy ending for the two of them.