Quick A/N. Sorry. I know these are annoying.

The reason I didn't make this story rated M was because rated M stories don't show in the archives immediately unless you change your settings. If I keep it T, it's easily accessible.

I try to keep sexual scenes relatively clean and inside the T rating.

That being said, because of the nature of this story, there will be sexual scenes. All will be kept around a T rating.

If you have concerns, just let me know.

Again, I love and appreciate all support and kind comments :)

And, in case you didn't get the subtext of my little preface, yes, this scene is a smutty one.

"We're goin' to have to tell tha's Uncle about us sometime, Mary," Dickon said as he dug weeds out of a flower bed. A small rabbit hopped over to see what he was doing and sniffed the trowel.

Mary sauntered over and the bunny looked up at her and scurried away. She sat next to him, her dress deflating with a crinkling noise, "Maybe we should just elope."

"I thought tha wanted to do this the proper way."

Mary blew a piece of hair off her face, "He won't approve. There's no way he will." The thought of that had begun to terrify her. She'd been so caught up in the romance of her forbidden love that she hasn't remembered reality. Mary loved her uncle. How could she defy the man that raised her as his own daughter? How could they survive without his help?

Dickon seemed to read her thoughts, "I thought tha didn't care about his approval." His tone was sarcastic, as if he'd known all along that she'd just been lying to herself.

"He's like my father, Dickon," Mary's voice cracked a bit. She ran a finger along the dirt. "I can't stand him being mad with me. He'll write me off and hate me. He'll never want to see me again."

Dickon continued to dig, not looking up at her once. He was hurt. She could tell. Mary was going to hurt someone with this relationship. She'd just have to pick which man.

"Maybe..." His vice was barely audible. "Maybe we should jus' call it off."

Mary felt her heart stop and her hand clench over her ring, as though she thought he was going to rip it off of her.

"No!" She nearly yelled. "No. I don't want that."

Dickon finally looked up, "Nor do I. But if tha're this cut up o'er it, I don't see 'ow this will work."

"It will work," Mary said, but she didn't even convince herself.

He looked as thought to say something, but he just reached up his right and hand was ran it down one of her loose curls. He sighed and smiled faintly, dropping his hand down to his side again and digging once more.

"I thought tha wanted to run away with me."

Mary felt her throat welling with water and her eyes growing teary.

"If you think I'm not in love with you enough to leave my family, then you are the stupidest boy I've ever met," Mary meant to sound mean, but it just sounded pathetic because of her crying.

Dickon looked up, raising his eyebrows as if to say, "Oh?"

She sneered at him the best she could, "And if you think I have to prove my love to you by saying I hate my family, than you're a complete arse and I don't want anything to do with you."

He don't say anything, so she just kept blubbering like an idiot, "I've loved you since I was ten years old, and if you mean to get my hopes up and leave me than I-"

"I'd never dare leave thee," Dickon stood up in an instant.

"I don't want you to leave," Mary stood. They locked eyes for a while but Mary broke the intense stare by reaching a hand up to while away her tears. His gaze was so intense that Mary couldn't look at it for too long. "But you have to understand, I need time to get the courage to tell my uncle..." Dickon had moved closer to her, still with that intense look about him. Mary could feel herself melting as he came closer and closer, his lips almost on hers. "We'll have to talk to my uncle..."

"I don't want to talk about tha's uncle righ' now."

"What do you want right now?"

Dickon kissed her passionately. Mary wondered where all this was coming from but wasn't going to fight it. She didn't care about etiquette and being a proper lady. Mary kissed him hungrily wanting all of him and wanting him right now.

She pressed her hands to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt furiously. He didn't even try to stop her. Soon it was off and they where lying on the ground of the garden.

"Is the door locked?" He breathed, kissing her neck. Mary couldn't see anything. Everything just looked red.

"Yes?" She said.

"Good."

...

Lydia closed Sense and Sensibility with a thud. Jane Austen's novels were a nice amusement, but not substantial enough for Lydia's taste. All of the Austenian characters were just repeats of the other ones.

She saw an old favorite of her's, A Study in Scarlet, on Archibald's bookshelf and picked it up. Smiling at the book, she sat herself back down and started to read.

"You know, you use this library more than my father does," Colin wheeled himself into the room, with that goofy smile of his on his face.

Lydia couldn't help but smile back at him. She was the only person she knew that made her happy she was girl.

"I sometimes like books more than people," Lydia said dryly, but gave him a smile back.

Colin came closer, "Even more than me?"

"On occasion."

They both laughed, happy to be in each other's company.

"Where were you this morning?" Lydia asked. "You missed breakfast."

"I had an appointment," He didn't say anything more. She knew he shouldn't pry, but she was a nosy girl.

"What for?"

He shrugged, "Not important." Lydia knew then to drop the subject.

She fanned through her book pages, "I have news. I'm too head back to my home in three days. My mum's arranged my passage to America so I need to go pack up my things at home."

"Oh," he said, visibly distressed by the news. "I see."

"I could convince her to let you come."

"I...I couldn't leave father."

"I see," Lydia sighed. "Then where does this leave us, Colin Craven?"

...

It had hurt, Mary couldn't deny that. But it had also been wonderful. Messier than she'd thought, but still wonderful.

She felt so different now. Connected to Dickon in a new sort of way. They were lying close together, some of their clothing spread over them for warmth.

They hadn't spoken for a while. If fact, Mary thought this was the longest time they'd been together without speaking.

Dickon was the one who broke that.

"I suppose we have to get married now, don't we?"

It wasn't that funny of a joke, but it made Mary laugh harder than she'd ever laughed in her life. Dickon laughed too, a deep hearty laugh that warmed your insides.

Mary rolled over and smiled at him, picking up his left hand and kissing it. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know, really," Mary laughed again. "I just felt the need to say it." Dickon smiled and kissed her in a kind, gentle way. "Let's just lie here forever." She curled into him.

He rubbed her hair, "I'd love to, but well probably 'ave to make ourselves decent at some point. It would be hard to lie our way out o' this one."

Then they laughed again.

It was the happiest Mary had been in her whole life.