OMG, I'm so sorry I didn't update on time: I was outta town for Easter = [ Anyways, this story is just about finished. I'll just have a chapter or two more to wrap things up, and that'll be the end of it =]

So, 'till then, I hope you enjoy it!

xxx

At last the big day had arrived. It was the day of Mary's grand ball, and the entire manor was a flurry of activity.

The maids were finishing scrubbing out the ballroom, entrance hall, as well as the desolate hallways which hadn't encountered soap since Mr. Craven had been a little boy. Then, of course, the furniture had to be re arranged and the tables set, and the ballroom's decorations had to be inspected. Mary had insisted on decking the room with her roses, and it looked exquisite. And then, of course, there was the scrumptious scent of the traditional Yorkshire meal being prepared in the kitchen. The tempting smells could be caught all over the manor. Everything was perfect… the only slight problem, was that it was almost noon and neither Colin nor Mary had decided to wake up yet.

Of course, they'd both had very eventful and long nights the day before, but, as Mrs. Medlock wasn't aware of this, she decided that it was her duty to wake the lazy things up.

Colin was easily roused by her knocking loudly on his door, and then he completely startled the old lady by rushing to open said door for her with a great smile. He had, apparently, gone to sleep fully dressed the night before, which suggested that he had gone to bed at an hour so late that he had been too tired to change.

But the young man didn't seem at all tired when he greeted Mrs. Medlock with a cheery, "Good morning! How are you today, my darling Medlock?"

Medlock blinked, unsure of how to reply to that. So she settled for standing stock still with her mouth hanging open. Unfortunately for her, this only encouraged Colin to smile wider, and then have a laugh at her expense.

"Feeling that well, are you? I must say, I am jealous. Now could you please tell me where Mary is? I need to talk to her as soon as I possibly can."

Still feeling quite stunned at Colin's sudden change in character, Medlock somehow managed to say the words "In bed."

Colin grinned, "Fantastic, I guess I shall just have to go and wake her then."

Turning on his heel, he started to set off for Mary's room, but then he turned around again. "Oh, I almost forgot, thank you, Mrs. Medlock!"

And with that he took her hand, gave it a chaste peck, and then turned around, leaving Mrs. Medlock feeling confused, shocked, scandalized, but in a very good mood.

"Mary, wake up. Oh, do wake up and open the door!"

"Just a few more minutes Medlock, please?"

"It isn't Medlock."

Tired as Mary was, that sentence was enough to get her to open her eyes. Not Medlock? Well, come to think of it, the voice had sounded rather… masculine. Then again, that could just have been an after effect of the dream she'd just had, in which she'd been… well… interacting with a young man. But groggy as Mary was feeling, she knew that it couldn't possibly be Dickon at her door.

"Who are you then?"

"Do you really not know? I wonder at you, Mary."

Rubbing the last lingering sleepiness from her eyes, Mary realized who he was, and rushed to her door. Opening it, she was met with the same smiling Colin whom Medlock had encountered.

"Colin? Is… is everything all right?"

Colin laughed and realized what a sight he must look. His clothes were rumpled from sleep, his hair was rumpled even more badly, he had dark circles beneath his eyes, and he was grinning more broadly than he had in what seemed like forever.

"Everything is wonderful Mary… and no, I haven't gone round the bend."

At this, coupled with Colin's broad grin, Mary had to laugh.

"Then what's happened?"

"Wonderful things, Mary. I don't think I've ever been this glad, excluding, perhaps, the day I learned to walk and… well, the day I met you."

Mary smiled at the memory, "I remember that day… I thought you were a ghost. But then again, I was very frightened."

Colin smiled too, "You didn't seem frightened. I remember thinking that you must be the bravest girl in the world."

"I'm flattered, but you hadn't exactly met many other girls at that point" Mary said humbly, "And to be honest, I truly was scared. Hearing your screams over the wind, and navigating the shadowy halls of the Manor at night would be enough to frighten any ten year old, I'm sure."

"But you did it. Most ten year olds would have just stayed in their rooms as they were told." Colin argued.

"I didn't know that I was supposed to do as I was told" Mary admitted, "I was a horribly spoilt child." Here she sighed.

Colin smiled at her, "You weren't nearly as badly spoilt as I was. And at least you turned out all right. Look at me. I went from an arrogant, petted little Rajah of a boy, to an arrogant, pompous, status conscious medical student. I just can't get it right, can I?"

Mary started to protest that he was being too hard on himself, but he raised a hand to silence her. "Mary, what I'm trying to say is… I've been absolutely beastly to you. To you and Dickon. And so, I humbly offer you my sincerest apologies for consideration."

Raising an eyebrow, Mary repeated, "You humbly offer your sincerest apologies for consideration? I'm not the Queen, you know."

Colin laughed, and then looked at her with wide and sincere grey eyes, "No Mary, you mean much more to me than she ever could. Forgive me?"

"Now that you've worded it that way… yes, I believe I shall. But... you'll have to let Dickon and I be, no matter what."

"Of course!"

"It's done then. I forgive you." Mary said sincerely. Then, to be on the safe side, she said, "But if you start to act up again, I swear, I'm going to lock you up in Ben's old vegetable patch."

"Excellent" Colin exalted. He'd only really heard the part about her forgiving him, "Now, I'd like to go and visit the garden. Care to accompany me?"

Mary was about to accept his offer, when they were both started by Medlock approaching them, "Go to the garden? Colin, are you or are you not aware that today is the day of Mary's grand ball?"

"I'm perfectly aware." Colin confirmed with an exaggerated nod.

"Then you should also know that she has a great deal of preparation to do before this evening. So, I suggest you go make yourself look more presentable, and allow her to do the same."

Colin grinned at Medlock's severe tone. Giving her a quick salute, he said, "Yes m'am!" and retreated to his room.

This left Mary to change into her ball gown, while wondering to herself what could possibly have put her cousin in such a wonderful mood.