August, 1869

Jacob arrived before Ellie to the parlour that morning. She had excused herself after breakfast in order to change into her day dress—her parents had planned an excursion for all of them that afternoon, and a tea gown would hardly suit such an affair.

Her parents were sitting together on a settee, exchanging soft whispers while they waited for the two of them to be ready. Isaiah glanced up at Jacob's approach.

"Ah, Jacob. I trust the room is to your liking?" He asked.

Jacob nodded. "Yes, sir. It's perfectly comfortable, thank you."

Isaiah smiled broadly, then motioned for Jacob to join them. "Do you fancy a game of Calabresella while we wait for young Miss Blair to be ready? We've also a deck for Klaberjass, if you'd rather."

"Er, no thank you, Mister Blair," he answered as he slowly took a seat across from her parents.

"Suit yourself," Isaiah nodded, turning back to his wife and speaking in hushed tones. They were discussing part of their plans for the afternoon, including where to go for supper, and whether they should come back home to change later. Jacob fretted nervously, knowing his window of opportunity was closing rapidly.

"Mister Blair…" Jacob felt like his voice was impossibly loud against the quiet serenity of the parlour.

Isaiah looked up at the younger man with curiosity, raising a brow. "What a serious look, young Master Frye. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

"Yes, sir," he mumbled, suddenly tripping on his words, a nervous sweat breaking out along his collar. "There's a matter of some importance I wish to bring to your attention."

"Oh? Shall I sit down?" Isaiah teased, trying to ease the tension in the air. Jacob only nodded, and Isaiah narrowed his eyes briefly before turning himself to face the younger man. Priya looked immensely curious as she wrapped a hand lovingly around her husband's arm.

"Now then," the older man began. "What is this 'matter of some importance' that you wish to speak of, my boy?"

"It's about Ellie," Jacob answered, swallowing thickly. Damn me, why is my mouth so dry…

Isaiah's expression darkened briefly, but he nodded his chin towards Jacob. "Go on…"

"I wish to purchase the deed for your family estate in London."

Isaiah's brow furrowed as a look of confusion overtook him. "What does the Blair family's London estate have to do with my daughter?" He wondered aloud.

Jacob squirmed as he fretted, belatedly realising he'd gone in the wrong order. "I meant that I'd like to purchase the estate for Ellie and I. To live in," he added.

Ellie's father raised a brow, his confusion only seeming to mount. "I don't think I need to tell you, Mister Frye, that it is frowned upon in London high society to openly keep a wife in watercolours…" The rest of his statement remained unsaid as Jacob flustered, face burning with embarrassment.

"That's not what I meant!" He blurted, squirming. "That's not what I mean to do at all, Mister Blair. I intend to marry Ellie—with your blessing, which is what I should have said in the first place…"

Both Priya and Isaiah seemed to relax in their seats. He regarded Jacob for a long time, hands folded neatly on the arm of the sofa. Priya glanced between the two of them, then leaned into Isaiah, whispering something in his ear before she stood.

"I'll go see to Ellie, and make sure she hasn't lost her hair pins again," she said. Jacob felt heat rise up in his cheeks again as she smiled knowingly at him before departing the room. Jacob twiddled his thumbs nervously, running a finger along his collar to loosen it. How had this all gone so incredibly wrong, he wondered.

Isaiah chuckled as he leaned forward on his elbows, his posture relaxing. "Well, I must admit, your proposal does come as a bit of a shock. Not asking for Ellie's hand, of course—we've been waiting for that for some years already, but to buy my family's estate? Well…" he glanced sidelong for a moment before he looked back to Jacob. "If I sell you the deed, what of Ellie's dowry?"

Jacob flustered as he shook his head. "I don't need the dowry, sir," he mumbled, embarrassed that he'd even been asked.

Isaiah's smile broadened. "Oh, no? Surely there must be something you want for taking on the burden of marrying my daughter?" He replied. Though Isaiah's expression was jovial, and he was sure the man was being tongue-in-cheek, Jacob's face reddened further and he vehemently shook his head.

"No, sir. I ask nothing of you, or your wife, only your permission to ask for Ellie's hand," Jacob insisted, stumbling on his words.

"And to sell you the deed to my family's London estate, of course."

"Yes."

Isaiah pursed his lips, and seemed to debate something for a moment. "And if I may ask, Mister Frye, how much do you intend to offer for the purchase of the deed?"

Jacob swallowed. "I did what I could, but I was only able to come up with a little more than twenty thousand pounds," he mumbled.

Isaiah started, and then began to laugh. "Jacob, my dear boy, however did you manage that in only a year? This must be very important to you," he said, nodding sagely.

"It is," Jacob insisted, his cheeks still flushed red.

Isaiah looked at him with a sort of fondness as he leaned back on the sofa. "Keep your money, Jacob," he said, his tone gentle.

"Sir?"

Isaiah pushed himself to stand, and Jacob scrambled to follow suit, straightening his waistcoat nervously.

"I am a man of honour, and if I am to hand away my daughter in matrimony, it is only right that she come with a dowry—not the other way 'round. And so, you will keep your money, and use it to make your lives together comfortable. And the deed to the London estate is yours—a substitute for a dowry, which I hope will suffice?"

Jacob stared at Isaiah for a long minute, taking his time to process everything that had been said. "Mister Blair…?"

Isaiah smiled warmly. "I expect you to take very good care of my daughter, Mister Frye, or I shall be very cross," he insisted, though his tone was playful.

Jacob flustered, stuttering over his words as he tried to reply. "Of course," he managed, finally. Another silence hung between the two of them, until Jacob cleared his throat. "Thank you…"

Isaiah nodded his approval, then his smile became impish. "Don't thank me yet—you still haven't asked Ellie her thoughts on the matter."

Jacob's cheeks flushed another shade of red, and Isaiah laughed as he clapped the younger man on the shoulder. "Take heart, Jacob. I think there's very little you could ask of Ellie that she wouldn't do for you," Isaiah said with a smile. "But if you love her—and I believe you do—you ought to ask her soon. I think you've been waiting long enough."

Jacob swallowed, and did his best to seem relaxed. "I've only just asked for your permission, Mister Blair. I hardly think there's a need to rush."

Isaiah laughed as he adjusted his cuffs. "My dear boy, I dare say you've been waiting at least three years to ask her, already. Don't look so surprised—her mother and I were young once, too."

Jacob visibly flustered as he fidgeted with his jacket and his waistcoat, searching for anything else to pay attention to but the seemingly scrutinizing gaze of Ellie's father.

"Tell me, Jacob," Isaiah called for his attention. "Would my answer have changed your course? If I'd said no to any of it—the deed, my daughter—would you have respected my wishes?"

Jacob grew tense, and pressed his mouth into a thin line. He swallowed thickly as he shook his head.

"No, sir."

Isaiah smiled as he nodded. "No, I thought not," he murmured, bowing his head for a moment. Jacob held his breath, squirming in the silence.

"Thank you, Mister Frye, for your honesty," he said finally, giving a cursory nod to the younger man.

A soft knock at the door announced the return of Ellie's mother, with Ellie in tow.

"Are you finished lambasting the poor boy?" Priya teased her husband, noting the flustered expression on Jacob's face. Isaiah shrugged nonchalantly as Ellie stepped around her mother and hurried towards Jacob, eagerly taking his offered hands.

"You look radiant," he mumbled, his cheeks still flushed a light shade of pink.

Ellie smiled brightly. "Thank you, darling. You look very handsome, as well," she replied, smoothing over the lapels of his jacket. Isaiah cleared his throat to call for their attention, and they both turned towards him, though Jacob's gaze lingered on Ellie for a moment.

"I'll have Barty bring the carriage around. You two can wait here, and we'll collect you when everything is ready," he said, giving Jacob a knowing look. Priya nodded with a broad smile as she took Isaiah's offered arm, following him from the room. Ellie watched her parents fondly, then turned back to Jacob at the click of the parlour door.

He made a muffled sound of surprise as she leaned up on her toes to kiss him, soft and affectionate. When she stood back, her smile made his stomach twist into a pleasant knot.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, and Ellie laughed.

"Flatterer," she replied. Jacob grinned as he caught her beneath the chin, tilting her face up to kiss her again. He drew his thumb down over her cheek with a low sigh, eyes lidded as he leaned his forehead against hers.

After a long moment of silence, Ellie leaned further back to look at him as she thumbed his chin. "You look like you're elsewhere. What's on your mind, darling?"

Jacob flustered as his cheeks turned colour once more, and he cleared his throat. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, Ellie," he began, his heart suddenly racing in his chest.

Ellie smiled as she took his hands again, giving them a squeeze. "Oh?" She called for his attention after his pause went on just a little too long. "Go on."

Jacob swallowed as he nodded, stuttering on his words. "I didn't know who to ask first, but I thought I should do it the proper way and begin with your parents… I had to ask them about the property in London, so it seemed as good a time as any."

Ellie's expression shifted, and her brow furrowed. "The property in London? Oh, yes—the estate. But why would you need to come to me about that?"

Jacob squirmed beneath her gaze. "I didn't—I was asking about the property for something else. Well, not something else, but—" Jacob groaned as he rubbed at his forehead, flustered and overwhelmed.

Ellie smiled. "Well, I think it's an excellent idea, darling. There are plenty of rooms, so it shouldn't be too terribly difficult to convert into a barracks for your men."

Jacob balked. "What? No! Ellie, I mean for us to live there. Just… you and I."

Ellie flinched, looking surprised. "Oh." She looked away from him for a moment, flustered and embarrassed.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say?"

Ellie swallowed as she looked at him. "What else should I say?"

"An answer might be nice," Jacob put in, looking nervous.

"You haven't asked me anything," she murmured. Jacob leaned his forehead against hers, his cheeks ruddy. He took her hands into his again, rubbing his thumb over the slender shape of her ring finger. A beat of silence passed between them as Ellie's expression softened.

"Marry me."

Jacob froze as his breath caught, hands suddenly trembling. Did I really just…

Ellie only smiled as she pushed up on her toes to kiss him. "Alright."

Jacob's mouth was dry and he tried to swallow around the lump that formed in his throat. "Really?" He croaked.

Ellie nodded with a quiet giggle. "Yes," she replied, putting her arms around his neck as she kissed him again. It only took a moment for the shock to pass and he put his arms around her middle, crushing her against him as he kissed her fiercely.

He paused as he cupped her face in his hands, staring. "Really? Are you certain?"

Ellie's brow furrowed slightly, though she smiled. "I'm certain. Unless you don't really want to—"

"No, I do!" Jacob interrupted her. "More than anything, I do, but—"

Ellie hushed him with her fingers pressed to his lips. She guided him towards a settee, and sat alongside him, taking his trembling hands in hers. "Breathe, darling. You're shaking."

Jacob swallowed thickly as he nodded, his fingers flexing in her grip. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Damn it…" he cursed, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands.

Ellie hushed him again, tucking him in against her chest as she rubbed along the nape of his neck. "Easy, darling. We're alright," she murmured, pressing a soft kiss against his temple. A long minute passed, and Jacob sat back, taking up her hands again. Ellie looked at him expectantly.

"How are we doing?" She asked. He nodded, and Ellie nodded in kind. "Good. Now, then—ask me properly."

Jacob swallowed, and quickly slid off the settee to sit on his knees before her, squeezing her hands gently as he looked up at her.

"I love you, Ellie Blair. More than I know what to do with, most days. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you would have me…"

There was a meaningful pause as Ellie brushed her knuckles down his cheek. "I would."

Jacob swallowed as he nodded. "Will you take me as your husband? Will you marry me?"

Ellie leaned forward to nuzzle his cheek, lips teasing against his. "Yes, I'll marry you, Jacob Frye. Of course I will," she whispered. Jacob huffed a sigh and touched his forehead against hers. After a moment, Ellie pulled on his hands, guiding him up to sit alongside her on the settee again.

Without relinquishing his grip on her hands, he gave her a squeeze. "I'm sorry it took me so long, sweetheart. I've wanted this for… a very, very long time, but…" he paused for a moment, looking embarrassed as he turned away. Ellie gave him a comforting squeeze in response.

"I wanted to be better prepared—I wanted to wait until I had a home for us to live in, when I could give you a life you deserved. But I wanted to ask you such a long time ago… we were so young, then, and by the time I thought I might have worked up the courage to ask, you were leaving for London—"

"Jacob…" Ellie's eyes widened in surprise, but he went on.

"Then, when I finally made it to London, I was with you again, but so much was happening. I couldn't ask you in the middle of all that chaos. So I waited. It was torture, every time I pushed it down…"

Ellie smiled warmly, taking his face in her hands as she leaned in to press a soft kiss against his mouth. "I'm sorry you had to wait so long, but I'm glad you asked," she murmured. "I love you, Jacob Frye, with every piece of my heart, and I want to share the rest of my life with you," she said, pressing her palm against his chest. Her fingers splayed out, kneading into him through his clothes, and he covered her hand with his own as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"What in this world could I have possibly done to deserve someone so lovely," he mumbled fondly, touching his forehead against hers.

"You are ridiculous," she muttered.

He rested a hand on the nape of her neck, pressing a kiss on the hook of her jaw. "You wouldn't have me any other way," he mumbled.

She giggled as she took his face in her hands again and pressed a kiss against the bridge of his nose. "It's true, I wouldn't. I love you, just as you are," she said fondly. "And I will continue to love you, whatever may come." Her smile was radiant as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Over and over she kissed him, a few errant tears slipping down her cheeks.

Jacob wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest and burying his face into the crook of her neck. "Going up against Starrick seems easy, in comparison," he sighed.

Ellie laughed through a sob as she cradled his face in her hands. She looked at him as she smiled brightly, drawing her thumbs over his cheeks, and leaning in to kiss him once more. "Oh, Jacob…" she sighed, leaning their foreheads together again.

"Yes, Mrs. Frye?" Jacob's voice was low and cheeky. Warmth pooled in her belly, and spread out over her skin, and she couldn't help the shiver that rippled through her. She looked at him for a long moment, her smile soft and inviting.

"Will you kiss your wife?" She asked, thumbing over the shape of his lips.

"Every day. Several times, preferably," he teased with a grin.

She giggled, fingertips tracing the shape of his jaw. "And now?"

Jacob leaned forward and kissed her, slow and sweet. "As much as she likes," he purred. "And however she likes."

She hummed. "Mrs. Frye would like to be kissed a great deal right now," she whispered. "In several places."

"Cheeky," Jacob chuckled, trailing a line of kisses along her jaw, down her throat.

She let out a shaky sigh, and laughed quietly, but pressed a hand into his chest. "However, Mister Frye," she said, calling for his attention. "My parents have an outing planned for us this afternoon. Your kisses will have to wait."

Wow! This is it, lads! I can't believe we made it this far, and I'm so grateful to everyone who stuck it out with me to see this thing through. Even though I struggled through writing some of this, I'm really proud of myself that I finished this project.

I've been through buckets of personal changes since I first started writing this story almost two years ago, and there were times when I definitely wanted to give up, but your kind words and endless support helped me to stay the course. And in the end, I owed it to myself and to all of you to finish this. I hope those of you who stuck around to see this through enjoyed this journey with me, and for those of you who are new here, thank you for taking the time to read.

Take care, and best wishes!