Note: The main character in this is named Millicent - just in case it's not obvious :)
I walked around to the side of the house to help Ross with the horses, my hair whipping in the wind as I trudged through the wet grass. Ever since our father had died, I was one of the only people Ross had to help him with the estate besides Prudie and Jud. And Demelza of course but with the baby coming, she couldn't be of much help either. I smiled at the thought of Demelza. I was over-joyed when Ross and Demelza had married. I liked her much better than Elizabeth who thought so highly of herself.
Demelza was different though and possessed none of the horrible qualities that Elizabeth did. And for that I was thankful. She had brought my brother so much happiness of which I knew he desperately needed.
I walked over to my brother and picked up the brushes, handing him one. He smiled at me in thanks and I began to brush the horse's chestnut-colored mane.
"Ross! Ross!"
Ross and I turned our heads to see who was calling and saw Demelza standing in the doorway.
"Coming!" Ross shouted back to her, laying down his brush on the ground, "Can you manage on your own for a bit?"
"Of course, go help Demelza." I said, continuing to run my brush through the horse's hair.
I started to sing to pass the time as I waited on Ross to come back to help me.
"Alas, my love, you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves
If you intend to be this way
It does the more enrapture me
And even so I still remain
A lover in captivity
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves
Greensleeves, now farewell, adieu
God, I pray he will prosper thee
For I am still thy lover true
Come once again and love me
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves"
I was so absorbed in the song that I didn't even hear someone walk up behind me.
"That was very beautiful," a soft masculine voice spoke up.
I jumped at the sound, dropping the brush onto the ground in the process. I spun around and rolled my eyes when I saw how it was. George Warleggan. Great, just the person I wanted to see, I thought sarcastically.
I picked up the brush from where it had fallen and resumed what I was doing.
"What do you want, George?" I asked, a hint of annoyance evident in my voice.
George tsk-ed from behind me.
"Is that any way to treat a friend?" he asked, moving to stand beside me.
"Oh, you think of us as friends, do you? After everything you've put Ross through with the mines, you really think I would consider you a friend?"
"Why wouldn't you? We've known each other long enough,"
I laughed humorlessly.
"Just because I know you, doesn't mean I'm your friend, George." I said as I threw the brush down and turned to him.
"Doesn't it?" he asked soflty as he leaned closer to me.
I sucked in a breath as his piercing blue eyes looked into my dark brown ones. I scoffed and forcefully shoved him away from me.
"Nothing you say will change my mind on the matter and that's the end of it," I said, as I began to hoist myself up onto the horse.
George shook his head at me, crossing his arms.
"You're acting childish-" he started.
Suddenly, I lost my footing and missed the stirrup on the saddle. As I started to fall, I braced myself for the impact of the hard ground...but it never came. Instead I opened my eyes to George's deep blue ones. They were like an ocean - serene, calm, and placid... eyes you could get lost in if you looked long enough. I admit, I had never really looked at him this closely before. I had never noticed how perfect he truly was...
I shivered at the thought...or maybe it was the way his arms were encircling me, the velvet-soft touch of his fingers on my skin... I pulled out of his arms then, trying to wrap my head around what had just happened.
"Why did you save me? You could have just let me fall, I would've been fine." I said indifferently.
George furrowed his eyebrows at me.
"Mil, you could have broken your neck with that fall!" he said.
"So? What am I to you that's worth saving?!" I spat at him.
"I...I love you, Mil...I thought it was obvious," he said, his voice laced with hurt, "I'd do anything to protect you."
I was stunned.
George Warleggan...loved me? I thought to myself.
I opened my mouth but no words came out. What could I say to him? He had shocked me so completely that I could barely form a coherent thought much less any words.
George just shook his head in defeat, a dejected expression on his face.
"Alight then..." he said quietly and began to walk away, his footsteps crunching on the rocky path.
I stood for a few minutes, leaning my back against the horse, absentmindedly running my fingers through its mane.
I had known George for such a long time. Ross and I had grown up living close to him. But his family had more money than we did so George's mother tried to keep him far away from the likes of us when we were children. How could I not have known he felt this way? And why? Why like a poor girl like me? Sure, once, we weren't so poor but we had never been rich. Why in the world pick a girl like me?
Suddenly, I heard a twig snap from the other side of the house. My head snapped around to see Demelza standing there, a sheepish look on her face.
I sighed.
"I suppose you heard most of that?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
Demelza smiled at me and nodded.
"I didn't hear you say anything back though," she said, her thick Cornish accent tinging her words.
"What was I supposed to say to him, Demelza? I have nothing to offer a man like that...regardless of my feelings for him." I said, sadness seeping into my voice.
Demelza walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder.
"I don't think he was asking you for anything but your love, Mil. And that's something you can give him a lot of. Much more than any of those society women who only love themselves. And besides...you love him too. Why deny yourself that?"
I furrowed my eyebrows in thought and nodded. I reached behind me and untied the apron that I had been wearing. I crumpled it up and handed it to Demelza.
"I'll be back soon!" I called as I began to race down the pathway, my auburn curls flying behind me as I went.
I heard Demelza laugh before the wind eventually drowned out her voice as I neared the cliffs. I stopped briefly, panting and looked ahead of me. There was George, standing at the cliff, looking out at the water and the sunset. I took a deep breath and walked up to him.
"Why me, George?" I asked quietly.
He turned around then, startled.
"What?" he asked, still in shock that I had even followed him.
"Why me? I have nothing to offer you. I come from nothing and I offer you nothing. I'll never be a lady like you should marry. I'll never be apart of society. I'm not beautiful and no matter how hard I try, I could never be..."I said, tears falling freely from my eyes then,"All I have to offer you is...my love. I love you, George. I love you so much it hurts sometimes but I never knew..."
I stopped then, my voice breaking before I began to speak again.
"I never knew you loved me. But I've loved you ever since that day I saw you again when we were older...You looked so handsome and grown-up. I almost wondered if you were the same little boy I'd known. The one who would pull on my hair," I said, a laugh escaping my mouth.
George smiled then, all the while walking closer and closer to me as I spoke. He was only a few inches from my face now...
"How can you love someone like me?" I asked him, looking down as my tears began to fall in rapid succession.
His soft fingers lifted up my chin, making me meet his eyes.
"I love you for everything that you are. I love you for the way that you laugh, your smile, the way you don't care what others think of you, your stubbornness, your determination, your compassion, your kindness, the way you like to argue with me," he said then, grinning.
I laughed at that, my hand reaching up to hold onto his.
"But most of all I love the way I need you. I need you to breath. You're my air, Millicent. You're everything I need, you always have been." he said, his voice husky.
His nose was touching mine now and I could feel his hot breath on my lips. He leaned in closer to me and my eyelids slowly fluttered closed. Then something wonderful happened...his lips met mine. They were soft as rose petals and gentle as ever. As I kissed him back, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. Likewise, I put my arms around his neck, my fingers playing with the curls in his hair.
When we finally broke apart, I opened my eyes and looked deep into his. I smiled at him then. Everything fell into place then. My life, my happiness, everything I needed in this world. I had George, I had everything. Nothing would ever be the same from now on...but it's just what I always dreamed of.
