Chapter 10
"You got me out here when I have my chores to finish, Alex. I hope that it's important."
Alex smiled and took her hands into his. "Listen, of course this is important." He looked into her eyes. "Perhaps you should stop acting like a servant and behave more like you are supposed to, Lady Danielle."
She winced at the use of her proper title. "And how am I supposed to behave. Names and titles don't mean a thing to me, Alex. I'm still the same person." She took her hands back and placed them on her hips. "And what exactly is wrong with being a servant?"
Alex shrugged. "Personally, I agree with you, but it's not what I think, Danielle. It's everyone else. The entire province believes that you are working for your godmother."
"But you know the truth," Danielle said, "and that's all that should matter to you."
Alex smiled and took her hands from her hips and placed them in his own again. "You know that filthy gossip doesn't bother me, but my Lord, Danielle, you do more than you should. Not only do you help them when they need it, but you eat with them and sometimes."
"And sometimes, I sleep with them." Danielle frowned. She removed her hands from his again, walked a little away from him toward the river. "If people are so small minded and need to spread rumors, then there is really nothing that I can do or say. People believe what they want to believe, Alex. I can't change their minds."
"Can't you try, Danielle? Can't you act like a lady just once? I mean even Henry."
Danielle turned at the sound of his name. Her eyes opened wide. "Henry? What about Henry? What's he got to do with all this? He knows better than to believe that I am what half the province says I am. Why, he used to defend me whenever someone called me that."
Alex looked at her and shook his head. "That was then, Danielle," he sighed. "This is now."
Danielle was fuming. "If this is what you brought me out here to tell me, Alexandre du Bois, then you have wasted my precious time, not to mention yours. Excuse me."
She gave him a final look, then turned on her heels and began to walk towards the woods.
"Please Danielle, don't leave yet. I do have something important to tell you and I would like to tell you now." He spun her around, took her hands into his and looked in her eyes.
Danielle tried not to smile, not at him anyway. It was what Thérèse had been telling her all along.
"Well?" she told him, "out with it."
Alex continued to look into her eyes. "I want you to stay with me forever Danielle. I want you to be my companion in life and to grow old with me. I don't care if you continue to being with house staff; all I care about is your answer. " He squeezed her hands tightly.
"I love you Danielle. Please marry me?"
"You got me out here when I have my chores to finish, Alex. I hope that it's important."
Alex smiled and took her hands into his. "Listen, of course this is important." He looked into her eyes. "Perhaps you should stop acting like a servant and behave more like you are supposed to, Lady Danielle."
She winced at the use of her proper title. "And how am I supposed to behave. Names and titles don't mean a thing to me, Alex. I'm still the same person." She took her hands back and placed them on her hips. "And what exactly is wrong with being a servant?"
Alex shrugged. "Personally, I agree with you, but it's not what I think, Danielle. It's everyone else. The entire province believes that you are working for your godmother."
"But you know the truth," Danielle said, "and that's all that should matter to you."
Alex smiled and took her hands from her hips and placed them in his own again. "You know that filthy gossip doesn't bother me, but my Lord, Danielle, you do more than you should. Not only do you help them when they need it, but you eat with them and sometimes."
"And sometimes, I sleep with them." Danielle frowned. She removed her hands from his again, walked a little away from him toward the river. "If people are so small minded and need to spread rumors, then there is really nothing that I can do or say. People believe what they want to believe, Alex. I can't change their minds."
"Can't you try, Danielle? Can't you act like a lady just once? I mean even Henry."
Danielle turned at the sound of his name. Her eyes opened wide. "Henry? What about Henry? What's he got to do with all this? He knows better than to believe that I am what half the province says I am. Why, he used to defend me whenever someone called me that."
Alex looked at her and shook his head. "That was then, Danielle," he sighed. "This is now."
Danielle was fuming. "If this is what you brought me out here to tell me, Alexandre du Bois, then you have wasted my precious time, not to mention yours. Excuse me."
She gave him a final look, then turned on her heels and began to walk towards the woods.
"Please Danielle, don't leave yet. I do have something important to tell you and I would like to tell you now." He spun her around, took her hands into his and looked in her eyes.
Danielle tried not to smile, not at him anyway. It was what Thérèse had been telling her all along.
"Well?" she told him, "out with it."
Alex continued to look into her eyes. "I want you to stay with me forever Danielle. I want you to be my companion in life and to grow old with me. I don't care if you continue to being with house staff; all I care about is your answer. " He squeezed her hands tightly.
"I love you Danielle. Please marry me?"