:: CHAPTER THREE ::
The sun was out the next day. As the rain had dried, Lizzy was allowed to venture outside, into the garden, from her room. As she escaped the shadow of the house she stopped for a moment and felt a sunny glow hit her face, warming her soul. She walked into the middle of the many gardens and sat down on one of the many benches. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath.
"Good morning, miss." Said a voice from behind her. Lizzy jumped and turned to see Will standing in front of her, blocking out the sun. His face was covered in dirt from the days work. The sun blinded her slightly as she dropped her view; his hands were cut and bruised around the knuckles, though nonetheless powerful.
"My God, you scared me!" she exclaimed, forcing her eyes to accustom to the light around him. He smiled at her free use of language.
"Forgive my intrusion, madam," he said, "I just saw you and wondered whether or not you wished to move. A pale complexion like yours would diminish if left in the sun too long."
She watched him for a moment before responding, a determined expression forming on her face. "Thank you for your suggestion, sir, but I would rather burn whilst I have the chance." Despite her words she noticed his features more closely than before; his strong bones, his firm jaw with a sprinkling of workman stubble. He had a small nick in his left eyebrow; she watched his tanned face for a moment before turning.
"You take it upon yourself to be so frank!" he said, with a slight laugh as he sat beside her on the bench.
"You take it upon yourself to sit down next to an un-chaperoned woman!" She exclaimed, shocked, sliding away from him.
Will laughed freely, infectiously causing her to join him in his endeavour. She didn't know why, but she liked it. His laughter diminished into a smile as he perused her features; her smooth creamy skin begging to be tasted. Embarrassed by his attentions her smile grew still and she turned to look away. He watched the pink rise in her cheeks and followed it down her neck to where it disappeared beneath worn lace. Close to her he noticed the shape of her bodice, the soft swell of her breasts as her breath quickened, her nipples pushing against the dress that had clearly not been made for her. A soft breeze blew her fresh scent towards him; the smell of lavender, clean, simple. He watched her for a moment longer before affecting gaze.
"I, um, haven't seen you much. Do you spend much time in doors? Perhaps you read?" he added, noticing the book on her lap. She picked it up and smiled.
"I like to read." She turned it in her hands. Unable to meet his eyes she focussed once more on the cuts upon them. "What happened?!" she breathed, heavily.
"Oh, it happens." He said, smiling at her interest in his health. "It's dangerous work I do." He said, smiling.
She looked at his face, all concern lost. "I'll bet." She said, sarcastically with a mischievous smile on her face. "Those brambles can be hell!" He laughed and once again so did she.
"And you would know, would you?" he said, still smiling, "I thought you were a proper lady who spent all her time doing ladylike things."
"There is a lot you don't know about me. I am quite sure that I cannot be summed up in the word 'ladylike'." She paused and thought for a moment. Her face fell sullen. "I am not even sure the word 'ladylike' can be used in any description of me."
"Can I see your book?" he asked, changing the subject, reaching his hand out towards her. She raised an eyebrow, but picked the book from her lap.
As she passed it to him their hands touched. Will's firm but calloused hand closed around the book and hers. He looked at her, making no effort to remove it. Her ears began to buzz, and the flush that had begun to ebb dawned upon her afresh. She looked back for a moment until something happened that distracted both their attentions.
"Girl!" screeched a shrill voice. "What on earth is going on?" The tall thin woman, Lizzy had grown used to calling Blunderguts, was walking angrily across the lawn towards them.
Lizzy stood up and released the book, pulling away from Will's grip. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to hold herself up tall. The woman scowled at her for a moment, before averting her gaze to Will, who was standing there in shock at the reaction he had seen.
"Gardener, get a way from her!" she crowed, slowing her pace to a walk as she approached them and finally stopped. "I'll have a word with the Master about you!" Will looked at her, bearing a confused expression.
"Excuse me," he said, plainly, "and who are you?" The woman looked utterly shocked as she held herself tall and began to look through wide eyes at the man who had dared talk back. Lizzy tried to stifle a smile at her reaction, though found it hard as it curled at her lips.
"Unless you want to lose this job I'd be silent and do as I tell you!" she glared, looking him up and down. "And as for you!" She began, turning to Lizzy.
"I know, I know," she said wearily, beginning to walk away, "into the house." The woman nearly fainted and opened her mouth a few times as if to speak, before she scowled at Will and marched off towards Lizzy.
Will watched as their movement became engulfed by the hall's entirety. He turned to the book in his hand; it was old and looked tired, as if the pages had been read many times before.
He opened it and saw her name written upon the sleeve. He traced the letters with his fingers before turning to the first page.
"What are you doing?" asked Peter, another gardener on the grand estate. He looked up and smiled, though his face was still scrunched up and confused.
"Reading." He replied, matter-of-factly. Peter looked at the book.
"You're still on page one!" He blurted out, laughing.
"Shut up." Said Will, pushing him to one side, and walking with him back towards the area of woodland they were clearing. He put the book in his back pocket and continued to work.
"That was strange." Said Lizzy to herself when she was back, locked in her room. She was alone and without one of her favourite books, and all plans of escape had fled her mind.
She was instead walking back and forth, biting one of the perfectly formed nails on her long fingers. Her mind dwelled upon the young gardener whose presence she had just been in.
He was strong, yes; that she could not deny. He was also handsome, in a rugged kind of way. But nothing about him was proper; granted, she was beyond all that.
She brought her hands before her and clasped them together; she blinked a few times and thought of his hand upon hers. Her mind buzzed; her heart raced as she let out a breath.
A few hours later, when she found no further interest in her nails, she picked up another book. Kicking off her shoes, she sat in the window's frame, leaning her head against the glass. For some reason she found she wasn't in the mood for reading. With what little nails she had left, she began to pick at the loose paint on the windowsill. Soon, even her interest in that faded and she resorted to looking down onto the grounds. At first she watched the garden and the way the flowers danced in the breeze, but then she noticed her eyes falling to sweeter things.
She turned her head more so as to gain a better view of Will, along with other gardeners, carrying great logs on their shoulders from the forest. She watched too as some of the kitchen staff brought out water for the men to drink.
Will's face broke out in laughter as he chatted with one of the maids; Lizzy's expression hardened.
"Oh, why does it bother me?" she asked herself, frustrated. Moving away from the window. "I mean, I know it shouldn't, and it can't." She lay down on her bed, placing one hand over her forehead and one on her stomach. "But it does!" she whined, sitting up and blowing a stray piece of hair out of her face.
The day drifted on, and, like a dream, Lizzy dazed through the time. As night fell, and the moon rose up in the sky, and the dancing lights of the stars hung in the sky, Lizzy felt herself becoming more and more alert.
She had not eaten since breakfast, probably because old Blunderguts was angry. She smiled to herself at the way she had so easily been dislodged from her usual demeanour. Will had a knack; she certainly couldn't disagree with that.
A gentle knock turned her from her thoughts. She sat up, looking confused; no one had ever knocked softly before.
"Hello?" she asked, cautiously. She watched as from the small crack under the door a book was pushed. She walked towards it and picked it up. She looked back at the door, as she heard footsteps walk hurriedly away.
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