Dickon doesn't go to war he stays in Yorkshire and slowly begins to fall in love with Mary Lennox
15 year old Mary ran though the moors with17 year old Dickon.
"Dickon catch me" Mary smiled
"I can't" Dickon gasped falling to his knees coughing
Mary froze and whirled around running back towards the Yorkshire boy "Dickon!"
"I'm…alright Mary" Dickon said standing shakily
"No you're not!" Mary helped him "I'm taking ye home" She said slipping into Yorkshire.
"Mary calm down "Dickon coughed
"I will when you're in bed you're burning with fever are your mother and Martha home today?"
"Aye" Dickon rasped leaning on Mary
"Come along then Dickon we best be getting ya home nice and slowly now easy does it" Mary spoke her worry evidenced by her thick acquired Yorkshire Dialect
"Martha! Mrs. Sowerby!" Mary's panicked voice trailed to the sowerby cottage and Martha dropped her sewing "What in the world"
Mrs. Sowerby frowned and stood going outside Martha followed, they ran to Mary seeing her trying to carry Dickon's weight on her own.
"Martha help Mary get him inside" Susan Sowerby commanded her daughter
"Yes Mama, Mistress Mary are you alight?" Marta asked taking half of Dickon's Weight.
"Yes Martha I'm fine "Mary said glancing worriedly at Dickon
"I'll be Fine Mary go on home to the manor" Dickon said weakly as Martha and Mary brought him inside and laid him down
"Dickon Sowerby I'm not going anywhere" Mary said indignantly
Martha smirked to herself
Mrs. Sowerby knelt by Dickon "How are you feeling darling?"
"My head hurts, and my chest & Throat" Dickon said
Mary stuck the thermometer in Dickon's mouth "He's burning up Mrs. Sowerby"
"It looks like pneumonia" Martha frowned
"I'll take care of him" Mary said
"Are you sure Ms. Mary? "Mrs. Sowerby asked
"I'm sure, Martha will you tell Medlock I'll be Home when Dickon gets better?" Mary asked
"Certainly Mistress Mary Thank You for volunteering to stay with Dickon" Martha smiled
Mary stayed by Dickon's side for days. Barely sleeping eating or taking care of herself at all. 1 week later Dickon woke up and looked around.
"Mary what are you still doing here I told you to go home. You needn't worry. I am fine" Dickon said.
Mary rolls her eyes "yes you are fine but I took care of you and you listen to me Dickon Sowerby you cannot make me do anything I do not want to do and if I want to stay with you I will"
Dickon laughed as Mary handed him a tray of soup "my darling Mary you can be very contrary"
Mary crossed her arms "Dickon just eat we need to get your strength up the animals on the Moors are waiting for you and so is The Secret Garden"
Dickon smiled eating without another word.
"Mary when was the last time you ate or slept?" Mrs. Sowerby frowned walking into the cottage.
"Three or four days not really a problem" Mary said without giving it much thought.
"Mary Lennox you'll take care of yourself this instant" Dickon and his mother ordered in horrified unison.
"You'll be sicker than Dickon my darling girl if you don't" Mrs. Sowerby told Mary fondly.
"Mary please take a rest you look as if you will fall on your pretty face at any second" Dickon said and slid over to make room for her in his bed.
Mary climbed into bed and took the food Mrs. Sowerby offered and fell asleep.
There was another week before Dickon and Mary were seen on the Moors again and Dickon finally played his flute again allowing the animals to listen to its joyous music. But something changed between Dickon and Mary. They seemed much closer don't neither of them seem to notice.
One day Martha was waiting for Mary in her room at the Manor. "Mistress Mary does the fancy my brother Dickon?" Martha smirked.
"Martha don't be ridiculous your brother is my best friend."
"Yes I know Mistress Mary that's why I asked" Martha said
"Martha even if I did fancy your brother he could never learn to feel that way about me" Mary insisted
"Are you kidding me? Mistress Mary ever since you took care of him when he had his bouts of pneumonia he can't stop talking about you I seem to remember he called you his darling Mary"
Mary beamed "Martha are you sure he shares my feelings?"
"Without a doubt Miss he's waiting in the garden for you now "Martha smiled
"Thank you Martha" Mary took off towards the gardens. Mary found the door unlocked it and ran into the garden almost stumbling into Dickon before she could even realize what she's doing.
"Easy Mary easy what's the excitement? Be careful you're going to hurt yourself" Dickon caught her by the arm.
"Dickon I love you "Mary said breathlessly "I always have from the first day on the Moors where I was mean and contrary to you"
Dickon picked Mary up spinning her around. " Oh My Darling Mary how long I have waited to hear these words and you shall never be contrary to me you will always just be my lovely Mary. "
The young couple kissed deeply before Dickon pulled away.
"Will you marry me Mary Lennox?"
Martha watch from the windows of the matter a smile plastered to her face she had never expected mistress Mary quite contrary to become her sister but she was glad and so very proud of her brother she only hoped Mary would say yes.