A/n: Please review! I love reading what other people think of my writing,
even if it's bad. By the way, is using the term 'bloody' a really bad curse
word? I used it here because I noticed it accented the plot well and I got
the impression from the original novel that people in England use that in
their everyday speech, but I'll take them off if they're more than a mild
form of cursing. This is PG, after all.......happy reading and reviewing!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything owned by Liz Berry. If my writing looks like someone else's, I didn't do it on purpose. Ch. 2
At that moment, the aforementioned charmer burst into the room. "Rosie!" he cried. "Help me get away from them!!!!" He pointed half- hysterically at the giggling village girls who were trying to attach themselves all over. "For the love of God and her majesty Queen Elizabeth, do something!" He quickly shut the door on them. James and Rose, at the same time, started to laugh hysterically and were reduced to tears. In other words, completely useless to the frantic Gilbert. He glared at them, then shouted out the door, "I'm going to be a bloody monk with my best friend James, so clear off!" The giggling stopped. Suddenly wails of despair and pleading were heard, and Rose collapsed onto James while she laughed and half choked. She held onto him desperately to stay on the bed, but was defeated and pulled James accidentally down on top of her. "Oomph!! Get off, you big piece of meat!" James mock-groaned and stayed on top of her, while Gilbert gallantly tried to get him off Rose. Rose said indignantly, "Off. NOW." James smiled wickedly and wrapped his arms around her, saying, "But I'm an invalid patient and I should not exert myself. So we can just stay like this." Gilbert muttered, "Oh, no you don't." He dragged James slowly of Rose, who was by now furious. As she sat up, her thick black hair-with the hereditary (and traditional) red highlights got caught in James's earring. She grinned, and tugged hard. "You bloody little witch!" he howled as he danced around the room holding his ear. Rose shrieked as Gilbert held her down and James mercilessly tickled her. "Don't- please-stop-please-"
And the village girls got in, and all hell broke loose. And Victoria came in, to see James and Gilbert fending off the village girls while Rose ran out the door to escape Gilbert and James (who she had kicked solidly in their behinds) and the hysterical village girls. Victoria, who was their leader, shouted, "Quiet! And get your hands off James, he's mine." She quickly wrapped her arms around him possessively. James looked oddly at his fiancè for a moment, strangely wondering what he had ever seen in such a bossy, conceited girl. So possessive and imperious. Then he reminded himself by looking down at her. Victoria was pretty, with her sulky brown eyes and generous curves. But...that was all she was. After spending weeks talking with Rose and Gilbert, he realized that she had been choking him, suffocating him. She smiled sweetly at him, and said gaily, "Dearest, I haven't seen you for four weeks! You've been cooped up in here with only Gilbert and Rosamond so long, I thought you were dead!" She pouted dramatically, waiting for him to reassure her. James slowly untangled her hands, to her confusion and anger. "What-what are you doing?" He replied, to her horror and mortification, "I don't think we should get married." With that, she stared at him then burst into hysterics. "You-you can't do this to me!" she sobbed. She ran out of the door, with the village girls following her out.
Rose peeped back in. "Is it safe to come back in?" James and Gilbert nodded wearily. Then Gilbert brightened, and with a flourish handed her a small portrait of her. Rose gasped with pleasure. The miniature was a perfect picture of her, from the slender arms and legs to- "Gilbert!" she slapped his hand lightly. "Did you-did you have to-show-did you have to be so exact about my curves?" Gilbert grinned wickedly. "Lovely, aren't they?" Rose growled, then went back to the portrait. Her face was painted with delicate features that nonetheless reflected her tenacity and love of life. Gilbert had painted in gleams in her witchy-looking silver twilight eyes, arching nose, and smiling red lips. Her cheeks seemed satiny, and yet still lightly colored from healthy life. The black, streaming hair was fluted in this picture to give the impression of an ebony waterfall, and yet her slightly tall, willowy body seemed slightly overwhelmed-not by the red-streaked load of hair, but by some inner source of energy. Rose smiled affectionately at Gilbert, who overflowed with pride. "A lovely portrait for a lovely girl." Rose muttered, "I wish I were a boy so I wouldn't have to wear....ugh. Or at least bigger, I look ridiculously like those 'society ladies' that wear corsets and bonnets all the bloody time." James poked her rather hard at this moment. "We're rather lucky you're a girl, you stave off all the girls in the village and get us favors from all the lads. Which reminds me," he added casually, "I'm not getting married to Victoria anymore."
Rose frowned at him. "I thought we both agreed that you should break the Stoke Raven tradition. Or, rather, that particularly nasty tradition." Gilbert stared at them. "What tradition?" Rose sighed loudly. "Stoke Raven tradition says that the eldest Kenward girl always gets married to the eldest Aylward boy. That would mean me and James, by the way. It's been that way for ages and ages, but James and I both agreed that we didn't want to get married and-Gilbert? Where are you going?" Gilbert stared hard at James. "Can't believe you never told me that, for all these years we've been friends." He practically ran to the door, and slammed it in Rose and James's surprised faces. Rose said slowly, "I wonder what that's all about. I knew he'd be rather surprised, but not like this. Never like this." James winced, but said bravely, "You know, I hate to be the one to inform you but Gilbert's been head over heels in love with you ever since I introduced you two." Rose stared at him. "Joking." James just shook his head.
Rose got up and started pacing as she ranted her denial. "Gilbert's a handsome lad, and he jokes all the time about marrying me, but he's just joking. I mean, really..." Rose just kept going in that vein while she also mused silently. Gilbert really was attractive, with his sandy mop of hair, mischievous blue eyes, and classic athletic build, but of course James, well, James was on a completely different level. His chiseled face and body were perfect, along with the slamming combination of his wicked green eyes, elegant manner, and slightly mussed hair. Now that she thought of it, it really was no wonder so many girls had fallen for James. And hated her for her closeness to him. "You know," Rose mused afterwards, "if I hadn't known you and Gilbert for all my life I might well be head over heels in love with one of you two." She started laughing helplessly at the thought, but James quickly pinned her down and started tickling her mercilessly. "No- stop-please-James-" They tussled for a moment, but then collapsed together on the ground, completely exhausted.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything owned by Liz Berry. If my writing looks like someone else's, I didn't do it on purpose. Ch. 2
At that moment, the aforementioned charmer burst into the room. "Rosie!" he cried. "Help me get away from them!!!!" He pointed half- hysterically at the giggling village girls who were trying to attach themselves all over. "For the love of God and her majesty Queen Elizabeth, do something!" He quickly shut the door on them. James and Rose, at the same time, started to laugh hysterically and were reduced to tears. In other words, completely useless to the frantic Gilbert. He glared at them, then shouted out the door, "I'm going to be a bloody monk with my best friend James, so clear off!" The giggling stopped. Suddenly wails of despair and pleading were heard, and Rose collapsed onto James while she laughed and half choked. She held onto him desperately to stay on the bed, but was defeated and pulled James accidentally down on top of her. "Oomph!! Get off, you big piece of meat!" James mock-groaned and stayed on top of her, while Gilbert gallantly tried to get him off Rose. Rose said indignantly, "Off. NOW." James smiled wickedly and wrapped his arms around her, saying, "But I'm an invalid patient and I should not exert myself. So we can just stay like this." Gilbert muttered, "Oh, no you don't." He dragged James slowly of Rose, who was by now furious. As she sat up, her thick black hair-with the hereditary (and traditional) red highlights got caught in James's earring. She grinned, and tugged hard. "You bloody little witch!" he howled as he danced around the room holding his ear. Rose shrieked as Gilbert held her down and James mercilessly tickled her. "Don't- please-stop-please-"
And the village girls got in, and all hell broke loose. And Victoria came in, to see James and Gilbert fending off the village girls while Rose ran out the door to escape Gilbert and James (who she had kicked solidly in their behinds) and the hysterical village girls. Victoria, who was their leader, shouted, "Quiet! And get your hands off James, he's mine." She quickly wrapped her arms around him possessively. James looked oddly at his fiancè for a moment, strangely wondering what he had ever seen in such a bossy, conceited girl. So possessive and imperious. Then he reminded himself by looking down at her. Victoria was pretty, with her sulky brown eyes and generous curves. But...that was all she was. After spending weeks talking with Rose and Gilbert, he realized that she had been choking him, suffocating him. She smiled sweetly at him, and said gaily, "Dearest, I haven't seen you for four weeks! You've been cooped up in here with only Gilbert and Rosamond so long, I thought you were dead!" She pouted dramatically, waiting for him to reassure her. James slowly untangled her hands, to her confusion and anger. "What-what are you doing?" He replied, to her horror and mortification, "I don't think we should get married." With that, she stared at him then burst into hysterics. "You-you can't do this to me!" she sobbed. She ran out of the door, with the village girls following her out.
Rose peeped back in. "Is it safe to come back in?" James and Gilbert nodded wearily. Then Gilbert brightened, and with a flourish handed her a small portrait of her. Rose gasped with pleasure. The miniature was a perfect picture of her, from the slender arms and legs to- "Gilbert!" she slapped his hand lightly. "Did you-did you have to-show-did you have to be so exact about my curves?" Gilbert grinned wickedly. "Lovely, aren't they?" Rose growled, then went back to the portrait. Her face was painted with delicate features that nonetheless reflected her tenacity and love of life. Gilbert had painted in gleams in her witchy-looking silver twilight eyes, arching nose, and smiling red lips. Her cheeks seemed satiny, and yet still lightly colored from healthy life. The black, streaming hair was fluted in this picture to give the impression of an ebony waterfall, and yet her slightly tall, willowy body seemed slightly overwhelmed-not by the red-streaked load of hair, but by some inner source of energy. Rose smiled affectionately at Gilbert, who overflowed with pride. "A lovely portrait for a lovely girl." Rose muttered, "I wish I were a boy so I wouldn't have to wear....ugh. Or at least bigger, I look ridiculously like those 'society ladies' that wear corsets and bonnets all the bloody time." James poked her rather hard at this moment. "We're rather lucky you're a girl, you stave off all the girls in the village and get us favors from all the lads. Which reminds me," he added casually, "I'm not getting married to Victoria anymore."
Rose frowned at him. "I thought we both agreed that you should break the Stoke Raven tradition. Or, rather, that particularly nasty tradition." Gilbert stared at them. "What tradition?" Rose sighed loudly. "Stoke Raven tradition says that the eldest Kenward girl always gets married to the eldest Aylward boy. That would mean me and James, by the way. It's been that way for ages and ages, but James and I both agreed that we didn't want to get married and-Gilbert? Where are you going?" Gilbert stared hard at James. "Can't believe you never told me that, for all these years we've been friends." He practically ran to the door, and slammed it in Rose and James's surprised faces. Rose said slowly, "I wonder what that's all about. I knew he'd be rather surprised, but not like this. Never like this." James winced, but said bravely, "You know, I hate to be the one to inform you but Gilbert's been head over heels in love with you ever since I introduced you two." Rose stared at him. "Joking." James just shook his head.
Rose got up and started pacing as she ranted her denial. "Gilbert's a handsome lad, and he jokes all the time about marrying me, but he's just joking. I mean, really..." Rose just kept going in that vein while she also mused silently. Gilbert really was attractive, with his sandy mop of hair, mischievous blue eyes, and classic athletic build, but of course James, well, James was on a completely different level. His chiseled face and body were perfect, along with the slamming combination of his wicked green eyes, elegant manner, and slightly mussed hair. Now that she thought of it, it really was no wonder so many girls had fallen for James. And hated her for her closeness to him. "You know," Rose mused afterwards, "if I hadn't known you and Gilbert for all my life I might well be head over heels in love with one of you two." She started laughing helplessly at the thought, but James quickly pinned her down and started tickling her mercilessly. "No- stop-please-James-" They tussled for a moment, but then collapsed together on the ground, completely exhausted.