Mary awoke looking at a painting.
Which was queer, seeing as she was lying on her back.
Memories flooded her mind all at once, giving her head an awful pressure. She wasn't looking at a painting, it was the ceiling of the library.
I fainted. I fainted right in the middle of the festival. Right in front of Dickon.
Dickon? Where was he? Surely he'd taken her into the building.
Looking down, Mary saw that her corset had been opened and now her dress didn't fit correctly. It hardly seemed to matter now.
"Hello?" Mary called out.
"Mary!" Exclaimed Martha. Her footsteps clicked over and she bent down to help her sit up. "We were so worried!"
Mary's dress fell and she had to grab it and hold it to avoid any scandal, "How long was I out?"
"Just a few minutes," said another voice. Colin came and sat next to her. "You stopped breathing. Martha's mother brought you in here and took off your corset. Father should be here soon."
Mary nodded, trying to absorb all that was being told to her. Suddenly she felt someone place a coat around her shoulders. It was Dickon, who soon joined the others sitting around her.
He gave a half smile, "Thought I'd cover thee up. Tha was showing a bit too much."
Martha pursed her lips, "Honestly, Dickon! We're in a fancy place! Tha can't say those things!"
Mary tried to laugh but her sides still hurt from her corset. She clasped the sides of Dickon's brown coat and brought it further around her. It smelt like the outdoors. It smelt like him.
Then Uncle Archibald came bounding through the door, hobbling with his cane. Lord Suchandsuch came too, looking very offended by the way Mary was on the ground looking disheveled.
Oh, get over yourself. It isn't as if I almost died or something, she thought to him viciously.
"Mary," Uncle Archibald said, leaning down a bit. "How are you feeling?"
Mary shrugged, "A little under dressed."
Archibald smiled and her friends laughed. Lord Suchandsuch showed no amusement.
"We should get you home," He said, looking to Colin. "Colin, tell Mrs. Kirke what's going on. Have her hold the ceremony about an hour so Mary can get dressed."
Colin nodded and walked off to find her. Martha helped Mary off of the ground and out of the library's back door.
Mary's head ached from the fall and all the outside noise wasn't helping to soothe it.
"I guess I could wear my red gown I got for Christmas," Mary said.
Martha nodded, not really paying attention.
Mary snuggled herself into Dickon's coat.
In a fiendish way she didn't want to give it back.
...
The presentation of the donations went very smoothly. Mary's red gown fit her better so there was no breathing fiascos to deal with.
Lord Suchandsuch (Who's real name, as it turns out, was Lord Greyson) kept trying to talk to her the whole night. Mary tried her best to seem disinterested, but he was a persistent man. She just wasn't interested in marriage.
Okay, maybe she was interested in marriage, but to anyone like him. He was so stuffy and arrogant. He hardly seemed like a real person.
In her mind, Mary could never see a man like him at the end of her aisle. The man she saw was tall, handsome, and strong, but familiar. He was a friend. He was her companion. The man had dark hair with a bit of a curl and a kind, curve of a smile...
You're describing Dickon.
Mary cut that thought off in a second.
"...would you like that?" Lord Greyson said, glancing her way.
Mary brought herself back to reality, "Would I like what?"
The blonde lord smirked, "Off in a day dream?"
Mary felt herself blushing, "I was just...admiring the roses. They are so lovely." She gestured to a booth that was nearby. Actually, the roses in it were quite malnourished looking.
He glanced at them without really looking, "Yes, quite. Anyway, Miss Mary," he took her hand rather unexpectedly. "I was wondering if you would like to come visit my home sometime. I'm sure my mother would love you."
"Oh..." Her heart was beating in a strange rhythm. "Um...Well, I'm very busy you see. I have school."
He laughed in a malicious way, "Oh, Mary. If you and I were to wed, you wouldn't need schooling."
"Wed?" She sputtered, taking her hand away. "Sir, I hardly know you at all." Mary backed away even further, stumbling over her dress. She took a deep breath, "If I led you on, sir, I apologize. I did not mean to."
It seemed to take Lord Greyson a minute to realize what she was saying to him. His expression very quickly went from content to rather annoyed.
"I see," He straightened in a very militaristic posture. "Well, it's been a wonderful day. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."
And the he was off, into thin air almost.
Was that a proposal? Mary thought. Well, it was the strangest one I've ever heard.
She had to find her family. She wanted to get home.
On the way to them, she bumped into Dickon. He'd helped his mother disassemble their booth and was now free.
"Hello, Mary," he said with his bright smile. "How're you?"
Mary shook her head and told her about Lord Greyson and his almost proposal.
Dickon laughed nervously, "I've never known a bloke to propose after one day. Wow, tha must really put a spell on him."
Mary had to laugh as well, "It was rather odd." She looked up at the sun setting near them. The sky was a very wonderful shade of orange. "I could never see myself marrying someone like him."
Dickon scrapped his shoe on the grass, "Isn't that who tha have to marry? Someone like 'im?"
She shrugged, "I hope not. He's not who I want."
"Who do you want?" Dickon said so quickly and quietly that she wasn't sure he said it at all.
"What," she whispered. "I said, what not who." She hoped he couldn't tell that her cheeks were filling with blood.
They didn't speak for a while so Mary put her focus on the sun setting below the hill. She wished it didn't have to set. She always liked day better than night. Night always reminded her of the things she hadn't accomplished. The things she hadn't said.
"I'll go with thee to your Uncle's party."
Mary's heart leapt, "Really?" Suddenly giddy she clapped her hands together.
He grinned, "Yes. We'll pretend I'm a lord o' some soart. I shall be Lord Stuffy McSnobbish."
Mary giggled, but shook her head, "No, you shall go as Dickon: The very best gardener and animal tamer in all of Yorkshire."
"That's a pretty rubbish title."
"We'll work on it."
"Mary!" Colin called from far down the lane.
Mary sighed, "Time for me to leave, I guess." She met his eyes and extended her hand. "Until the morrow then."
He gave his little half smile and shook her hand.
Then, before she could realize what was happening, he jerked her forward and kissed her right cheek.
Pulling back he grinned mischeviously, "G'bye, Mary."
He turned and walked away but she could still feel the kiss burning on her cheek.
