Liza stood in front of the mirror. She was breaking her landlady's curfew and wasting oil by having her lamp burning past midnight, but she couldn't help herself; she wanted to be ready when Will came for her.

She knew that her mother would be devastated when Liza wrote that she'd eloped, but that didn't cause her any doubts. She had finally convinced Will to do something spontaneous, something crazy, and she wouldn't back down. She knew she was good for Will; he was cautious, meticulous, and logical while she was carefree, exciting, and emotional. An elopement was right up her alley, not his, but she felt that it was the right thing for them.

As she gazed in the mirror at her brand new dress, the sound of knuckles on glass caught her attention. Will. She had left the window wide open, but William Murdoch wouldn't climb into a lady's room in the dead of night; not even if he was about to run away and marry her.

Liza arranged a hat atop her dark curls and handed her bag out the window to her companion. "Is this all you're taking?" Will whispered.

"We can come back tomorrow for the rest of my things," Liza told him. "For now, this is all I need." She winked, causing him to blush. This made Liza giggle, but she quickly quieted herself for fear of waking other boarders in the rooming house (or worse, the owner herself). She blew out the lamp on her bedside table and slipped out of the window, following her fiance to the street.

In truth, Will was beginning to wonder how wise the duo's decision was. Although the streets were nearly empty, anyone who was out and about would see Will and Liza: a man and woman rushing along with a suitcase a piece in the wee hours, and spectators would know exactly what they were doing. Liza had pointed out repeatedly that there was nothing wrong with their actions, since society would approve of their union anyway. Now that they were acting out their plan, though, Will thought that a planned church wedding with all of their friends and family would have been the better choice.

Already holding his hand, Liza pulled Will a little closer. "Aren't you perfectly thrilled, darling?" She asked. "Isn't this just the most exciting thing you've ever done?"

At Liza's joy, Will couldn't suppress a smile. "Of course, Liza," he said, his voice noticeably quieter than hers. Happy though he was, he didn't want to wake up the whole neighbourhood.

The pair kept their heads down in case someone recognized them, but anyone out at that hour would either be drunk or perhaps doing the same thing Will and Liza were. Despite the minimal risk, Will knew from his line of work that there was always a possibility that someone was watching. Besides, he faced enough criticism from the Constabulary for being Catholic; he wasn't going to let them think his marriage was a scandal.

By the time Will and Liza arrived at the meadow where they'd arranged for a priest to meet them, the sun was painting the sky brilliant shades of yellow and orange. Will dropped their bags by the fence and then led Liza down a well worn path towards a smattering of old apple trees.

A flash of blue and purple caught Liza's eye: forget-me-nots. A bride needs a bouquet. How could Liza have forgotten that until now? "You go ahead, Will," she said. "I'll be right with you."

Will was almost too willing to get a few seconds alone: he needed a moment to think, to be absolutely certain that it was right to marry Liza in a meadow without any friends or family to act as witnesses or share in the joy of their union.

Liza bent down in the tall grass and picked a handful of flowers. The small blue and purple petals surrounding a yellow and white circle reminded her of her childhood; she used to pick forget-me-nots with her mother to freshen up the kitchen table. She missed her mother, but she still wouldn't allow herself to doubt the wedding arrangements she had made for herself and Will.

Satisfied with her floral arrangement, Liza dashed through the field to her fiance. The bottom of her skirt was wet through with the morning's dew, but she looked positively radiant despite the damp hem. Her heart swelled with excitement when she saw Will waiting for her with the priest. Seeing her so happy, Will couldn't possibly question if their decision was the right one.

Of course this was the right thing to do. Of course Liza and Will should be married in a field wet with dew, the sun on the horizon lighting the meadow's abandoned orchard. Of course the pair would live out their lives as Mr. and Mrs. William Murdoch; they deserved their happily ever after.


Detective Murdoch and Doctor Ogden stroll down a busy Toronto street, both dressed formally for their romantic evening ahead. Doctor Ogden prattles on in response to something the detective had said earlier. "I wouldn't say I regret my marriage to Darcy, but I do think it's right that the marriage is over. Obviously I would rather he weren't dead, but in the end, some things just have to happen, no matter how despicable they are… Our lives would be different if Darcy and I were still married, that I can say with certainty."

Detective Murdoch nods along with her words and murmurs a vague agreement.

The two pause outside the theatre and the doctor speaks again: "Oh, and I nearly forgot you were engaged to another woman some time ago… What do you suppose our lives would be like if I were still married to Doctor Garland, and you had gone ahead and married Miss Milner?"

Detective Murdoch hesitates for a moment. "I've never really thought about it," he lies. His next words, though, are carefully selected truths: "Liza and Darcy are both dead, and you and I are not. We're together now, just as we should be."

Doctor Ogden smiles. "Yes, William. Just as we should be."