Ernest Point of View
I can't stand this any longer, the duke acting like he can take my girl from me. Take my Charity from me. I can't bear it any longer. I've already lost so much to that pathetic and cruel man. It's now or never Ernest, get some courage and ask him. I can't bear the thought of asking Lady Charity to marry me without the Earl of Edgewaters consent, as he is her father. I look around and see he's just stood there, my palms sweat but I know I have to do this. For my love. I walk over and he turns to me and smiles kindly.
"Ernest, how are you?" He asks smiling
"I'm good thank you" I nod and look to see the Duke.
"Is everything ok, Ernest" He asks.
"Can I talk to you, Vincent" I ask the Earl of Edgewater, the father of my beautiful Lady Charity.
"Yes of course, Ernest, lets go into my study" He smiles and I watch as my love, my one true love talks with Mr Harper outside as she helps him to tend to the horses and we watch her and we walk through and I shut the door and he pours us a drink.
"I see the way you look her" He says and I look at him, and he sips his brandy.
"I-" I start but he shakes his head.
"Ernest, I see the way you look at one another and I always think of her the way I looked at Maria, her mother. I see how deeply you care about my daughter" Vincent says.
"Vincent, I do, I just, I love her so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with her but I fear I shall never be good enough for her" I say.
"She loves you a lot Ernest, and I know what a good man you are. And between you and me, I know you would make her a wonderful husband, a wonderful lover. She deserves that she's lost so much" He says, blinking away the tears, clearly thinking of Charity's mother.
"I'd like to ask your permission as her father for her hand in marriage and the permission to ask her if she would marry her. I will treat her like a Princess and I swear I will never ever let her be hurt, I love her that much Vincent" I say.
"Ernest, I give you permission, I hope you would have worked that out by what I just said" Vincent says and I nod.
"Thank you, sir" I smile and he passes me a glass.
"To you and my daughter" he whispers and I clink my glass with him and we hear a knock.
"Come in" He says and Charity walks in.
"Father, I would like to request a The presence of Mr Sinclair" She says gently.
"Of course my dear, I'd like my daughter to have dinner with myself and Grandmother" He says.
"Of course father" she says and smiles at me and I walk out with her, and she holds my arm.
"Why had you asked for my father" she asks me suspiciously.
"Just a private matter, my lady" I say and she smiles.
"Fancy a walk around the grounds, Mr Sinclaire" she asks politely.
"With you, I'd do anything, I'd give you my life, my lady" I say and pulls me around the corner.
"And I'd do the same for you" She whispers.
"Lady Charity, I love you" I whisper and she presses her soft lips upon mine and wraps her arms around me and I wrap mine around her waist.
"My Ernest" She says.
"My Lady Charity" I whisper and kiss her, and take her hand and we all around the grounds.
"Father knows about us" She tells me gently as she rests her head on my shoulder.
"I know, I've just spoken to him" I say and she raises an eyebrow.
"What about?" She frowns as I turn to face her.
"I asked him for his permission to ask you this question. Charity, from the day I met you, I felt a instant connection and I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you. I would give anything to give you the best life I can and for you to be happy with me. Your beautiful, your funny and you make my life worth living. You're the light of my world and I can't hold it in any longer. Lady Charity, would you do me the honour of becoming Mrs Sinclaire, will you marry me?" I ask and hope she says yes.
Charity Point of View
I look at Ernest, my whole heart pounding loudly and I hold his hand in mine, he's just asked me to be his wife and I can't talk. I lean forward into him and press my lips against his and he immediately kisses me back.
"Is that a yes or no?" He asks.
"Ernest, nothing would make me happier then becoming your wife" I whisper and he kisses me deeply.
"My Charity" He whispers.
"This is all cosy isn't it?" I hear a menacing voice say and look over to Miss Sutton, I wrap my arms tightly around Ernest and he does the same for me.
"Miss Sutton" I smile and she frowns.
"What's going on here?" She asks.
"We were just enjoying a walk" Ernest says.
"Right, well, your father is looking for you, Lady Charity" Miss Sutton says and I nod and she walks off.
"Come with me, Ernest" I say and he nods and smiles.
"Maybe not tell him straight away, he may have wanted me to do a more romantic proposal" Ernest says.
"It was romantic and I couldn't care less, I just want to shout out to the world that I love you and tell my father our news" I say and he smiles and kisses me.
"My love" He whispers and we walk, hand in hand up to my fathers study and I knock.
"Come in" I hear fathers, gentle, kind, voice say and I step in.
"Father, myself and Ernest have the most exciting news" I say and see Duke Richards, Lady Grandmother and Countess Henrietta.
"You do? Please tell us my child" Lady Grandmother says.
"Well we've just been for a walk and we were talking about how we felt about one another" I say and Father has the most genuine smile on his face.
"You went for a walk? Not that exciting, did they not walk you in Grovershire" Countess Henrietta scolds.
"Henrietta" Father says, shaking his head then looks back to me, "Go on" he smiles.
"And Mr Sinclaire asked me to marry him and I said yes" I say, smiling from ear to ear, "Father we're engaged, to get married" I smile.
"Congratulations my dear" Lady Grandmother says and walks over and kisses me on the cheek and nods to Mr Sinclaire.
"Thank you, Lady Grandmother" I smile and Father walks over, knowingly smiling at Ernest.
"That is the most wonderful news, my dear. Congratulations" he says and pulls me into a hug and I hug him back.
"Thank you so much Father" I say, "and thank you for giving him permission to ask me to marry to him" I whisper quietly.
"All I want is for you to be happy my darling and I can see Mr Sinclaire is going to make you very happy" he says and kisses ,t head.
"This calls for celebrations" Lady Grandmother says.
"Indeed it does, we shall hold a engagement garden party to celebrate Mr Sinclaire and Lady Charity's engagement here at Edgewater" Father says.
"When?" I ask.
"Sometime in the next week" he says and smiles.
"We should really think about it being next week Vincent" Lady Grandmother tells him firmly then turns to me and Ernest, "And Ernest, you should join us for dinner tonight"
"Nothing would make me happier" Ernest says and I smile, finally feeling happy and content since all of this happened. Shay could ever go wrong?