Hope you like, bit short and not very well put together. Just seem to be so busy with real life at the moment. Will keep plodding on with it though if everyone likes?

She sat there, propped up on the pillows for what to Harry seemed like ages. He began to see flashbacks of her refusal in the graveyard. Please God don't have her say no again, he begged.

Ruth's eyes were filling with tears.

'I am sorry Darling, I should have waited. I can't believe I can be so thoughtless sometimes. Just pretend I never said it.' Said Harry hastily fearing the damage done might be irreparable.

She lifted her arms and held them out asking to be hugged. He willingly lent down and took her in his arms and held her as close as he could given her injuries. She immediately started crying into his neck

'I never expected you to ask again.' She sobbed 'you had every right never to ask again after the way I tried making excuses for myself and telling you we could only be friends. If you only knew how I have come to regret those words Harry. 'She stopped and held onto him just a bit tighter and Harry began to feel a little more hopeful.

'I am sorry this isn't a more romantic place to have asked such an important question' harry began 'I am afraid I am terribly old fashioned darling about wanting us to be married' he said into her hair in amongst kisses. 'Please forgive this old fool who loves you to distraction?'

She held onto him tighter still which Harry took as a 'yes, I forgive you' so he continued 'you are my very soul Ruth. All that I have I want to share with you. I want, to the best of my ability to protect you. I want to share my bed with you and my house, well our house. For the world to regard you as belonging to me as much as I to you. My title has meant nothing to me so far but I so dearly wish to be able to let you share in it. I have been your boss for all these years but I want us to be equals in marriage. I want us to wear our rings as an outward sign of our union. I want it all Ruth. Not just the second best of living with someone. I want it to be binding, in the eyes of God and the law of the land.' He stopped there, afraid he may have said too much.

'Yes' she whispered 'a thousand times yes'

Harry pulled back a little so as to look at her properly to gauge her seriousness.

'You mean it?' he asked, hardly daring to believe. She nodded, emotions making it difficult to speak 'and you won't change your mind?'

'No Harry, I won't be changing my mind. This is for keeps' she said

She was hoping he was going to follow up with a kiss but instead he said

'Hang on there a minute' and dashed over to his suitcase and began rummaging around in it. He quickly found what he was looking for and returned to her side.

Holding a little blue velvet box he began. 'I bought this just before… the time I fouled up utterly. It seemed so perfect. The diamond isn't very big I know but it has the highest clarity rating. I felt it reflected you. Not showy or ostentatious but when examined closely has the clearest heart and morals of anyone in the world. You are so untainted by the vices of this world Ruth. I know you wouldn't want a huge ring. You'd refuse to wear it. But I took a chance that you might wear this one so that anyone who thinks they might try their luck will see you are off limits' he finished smiling and saw she was too as she looked at it.

'I don't think I have ever seen a ring more beautiful' she said 'and I don't mind showing the world I am yours. In fact I rather want to!'

Harry was still a bit worried. 'I was afraid you might not want it because it had been in my pocket the first time I asked. I could not bear to return it. I felt so defeated at my ineptitude at winning you for my own. But I can exchange it for a fresh one if you'd rather.'

She took it out of the box and kissed it. 'it's perfect and the fact that it had a false start makes it all the more appropriate.'

He laughed, 'yes we've had our fair share of those haven't we' he said looking deeply into her eyes.

She gave the ring back to him. 'Put it on Harry, please'

He took it in his hands and then taking her left hand carefully guided it into place. They looked at it for a while not saying anything until he drew her hand to his lips and kissed the ring tenderly.

'I am not sure I knew it was possible to be this happy' he said after a while. 'I sort of knew that if I could just get things to work with you then I would be happy. But this… well this is far more than I ever imagined.'

'I am sorry Harry for having run away from this so often. I am not sure what I was so frightened of.' Said Ruth sadly, thinking of all the wasted time she had spent not allowing him to love her.

'Don't worry darling' he replied reassuringly 'we're here now' and he stroked her cheek gently. He could see she was tiring quickly so he added 'I think I should be letting you get some much needed sleep'

'I wish it wasn't the case' she said frustrated 'all I ever seem to do at the moment is either sleep or lie here needing sleep and really all I want is to be kissing you!'

'We have a life time of kisses Ruth, rest assured of that. I know it's grim as hell being so helpless but you will make much better progress by resting. If it's any consolation I rather want to be kissing you endlessly too. I ve developed rather a passion for it' he added and began kissing her again. She responded so ardently that they continued for some while.

Eventually he said 'good night Miss Evershed' and kissed her on the forehead

'Not for much longer Harry' she replied sleepily and held on tight to his hand, reluctant to let him go, even a few meters away. Eventually she did and added 'I love you darling' before she felt her eyes grow too heavy to keep open a minute longer. The only thing she was wear of was the new feeling of her engagement ring on her finger.