Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry it took so long. I don't particularly like Lina but it's important to keep going with her story line. So it was really hard for me to get this right. By the way I am totally obsessed with Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield and I think it would make a totally great song for this chapter.

Lina's POV

The estate was beautiful. The dress I had draped over my shoulders was beautiful. Life was how I had always imagined, but never thought it would be.

There was only one thing missing. It was coincidently and sadly the one thing that you couldn't buy. Love. Or someone who liked me even if I was... well not so rich or where I am now. That sounds more high society-ish. Will would have loved me even if I wasn't just like Elizabeth. He could have loved me if she never came back from Paris. Now he was gone and it was technically Elizabeth's fault.

Was it possible though that Tristan could be what I had always imagined Will to be?

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Diana's POV

"Sirs pick-up this barrel and carry it to the dock, if you please," the officer not so kindly ordered.

I looked at Henry, a small grin edging on the corner of my lip. This could be our chance to get off the ship and finally be free of this pretense. The letter I would send to Liz was already written and in my pocket, safe from any prying eyes.

Henry's returning smirk quickly turned to a look of concern. When I realized that he was worried the barrel's weight would be an obstacle in our plan I knew he was probably right. I was stronger than most ladies of my society. Then again he knew as well as I that being stronger would only require being able to lift two dresses at the same time.

The barrel was indeed the heaviest object I had previously carried in my life. I am pretty sure that I didn't even have more then a third of the weight. Going down the plank took all my strength and balance at the same time. It was excruciatingly frightening to even consider that I could make one wrong step and I would fall to the depths of the dark blue below me. Then the ground became a solid dock. I could sway, I could do any thing and not have the fear of meeting my watery death.

We placed the barrel on the ground. My end making a thud that shocked me, but as I whipped my head around noticing that no other man was looking at me. I positioned myself next to Henry in a way that was close to him, but no closer than two men would stand. "Can we please go before they notice we put the barrel down." I pleaded. The last I wanted was for us to get caught and be sent to gather more things or worse for me to be caught. The faster we left quietly the better.

Henry gave me a quick nod and turned toward the busy street in front of him. I quickly glanced at the ship and then turned o make my first step to real freedom.

A/N: I'm so excited because I just found out that the real Splendor by Anna Godberson is coming out October twenty seventh this year. It seems like forever but at least its not next year!