A/N:

This story grew out of what I originally thought would be Chapter 13 of I'm On My Way, as it takes place on the evening of William and Eliza's engagement earlier that day at Ayr Beach. I pushed it back to Chapter 15 after some readers had wanted to know more about what Mary's reaction to their happy news was and how William's meeting with his brother-in-law, Robert went, both topics covered in Chapters 13 and 14. This story then became too big for another chapter, and I decided to make it a related story that could stand alone. I did a fair amount of research for it, so I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

There is a bit of dialogue from Episode 1, where I put a "completely different" spin on it, and I am sure you will hear William's voice in the episode when you recognize it. I give total credit to Rachael New for this dialogue and also for the creation of these two characters, William and Eliza, whom we have grown to love so much and for whom we root.

When I wrote this story, I had a definite image of William from Episode 5 in my head, front and center - which scene would that I be, I wonder?

Also, I think some story with William and Eliza should have a Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet moment* in it, where they come together as in the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice. If Eliza is modeled to some extent on Elizabeth Bennet, as Rachael New has told us, then there definitely is some Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in William Wellington, if only his brooding and his very good heart. #Scottish Mr. Darcy.

Thank you for your kind reviews and comments for previous chapters and other stories that I've written. I really appreciate them.


William leaned his head against the connecting door between their rooms, the palms of his hands flat against the door. Why had Mary put them in adjacent rooms with a door in between them? How could she not have known how tempting it would be for them not to keep that door closed? He wanted to see Eliza and hold her in his arms, but if he was being honest with himself, really he wanted to do more than just hold her. He wanted to be with her and love her. They were, after all, newly engaged and very much in love with each other.

He was certain she was awake too. Perhaps she was just on the other side of the door, her palms touching it as his were, merely waiting for him to ask her to open it, and then they could be together.

He spoke quietly at first, calling to her, "Eliza..." When he heard only silence, he called to her again, "Eliza, open this door." Nothing. Could she hear him, and she was refusing to let him in? Why wasn't she answering him? He was becoming more desperate to see her.

His voice louder this time, he pressed her, "Eliza, open this door...now!" Please - just let her open the door between them. But again, nothing. He would give it one last try and then admit defeat if she did not open the door for him. "Elizaaaaaaa..." he called to her, his voice edgy and raw. Still nothing.

Perhaps he had been wrong. Perhaps Eliza was tucked in her bed, sleeping soundly. He hoped that was the case. He didn't want to think that she had refused to see him after the day they had spent together and the love they had shared. His forehead still pressed against the door, he was preparing to push himself back and turn away when he heard the lock on the door turn and the latch click open.

He waited. Would she open it for him? Slowly, he saw the door opening, and in the moonlight, he saw her. Her long flaxen hair was down and had been twisted to the side so that it lay across her right shoulder and down her chest. He could see that she was wearing a white long-sleeve dressing gown that was sheer and which was tied closed with a ribbon at her neck. He could see the outline of her nightdress underneath the robe and her bare feet. She was beautiful, and she took his breath away. To him, she appeared ethereal like a vision he was not quite sure was real.

She was looking at him intently, admiring his bare chest and his well-defined chest and arm muscles. Her eyes were slowly moving down his chest and came to rest at the tie on his pajama pants, desire burning in her eyes. She was silent as she turned from him and walked slowly toward the bed in her room.

She stopped and turned back to him when she reached the side of the bed. She untied the ribbon of her dressing gown, then slowly shrugged her shoulders out of it and let it fall to the floor in a heap at her feet. Her nightgown was plain and white, with fine lace across the bodice and thin straps at her shoulders. He could see the outline of her body underneath her nightdress, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, slide his hands along her body and feel its every curve. His heart was pounding in his chest. His throat felt tight, and yet she stood silently, her eyes never leaving his. As he watched, she slid first one strap off her shoulder and then the other. Her arms free of the straps, her nightdress slid down to the floor, and she stepped toward him, out of it. She stood before him, just out of his reach, the moonlight streaming through the window illuminating every curve of her body. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined she could be, and as she continued to stare into his eyes, she crooked her finger at him and summoned him to her.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed. He knew that he could not resist her, not when she had bared herself to him and then asked him to come to her. He slowly approached the bed and standing close to her, he saw in her eyes her desire for him, and he knew she burned for him just as deeply as he burned for her.

He asked her, "Are you sure this is what you want, Eliza? I want you to be absolutely sure that this...that I... am what you want."

Her eyes never leaving his, she nodded her head. He couldn't hold himself back any longer. She had given him permission to touch her and love her. He lifted her into his arms; she felt as light as a bird and as fragile. He laid her on the bed, then laid down beside her. He began kissing her, Eliza returning his kisses urgently, her breathing becoming more ragged. Her hands were in his hair and running through his beard and down his back where they rested just above his waist. He moved so her hands could circle around to his abdomen, and he felt her fingers deftly untying his pajama pants. God, it felt so right, so natural to be with her, as if they fit together perfectly. He didn't want to stop; he didn't want her to stop.

His hands were moving on her body, the feel of her soft, silky skin under his fingertips arousing him more than he thought he could bear. His fingers were tracing circles on her skin gently, and she had started to whimper and say his name as his fingers drifted down her abdomen, down to her hips, down to her...

"Christ!" William woke with a start. He was in his bed, alone, the connecting door between his room and Eliza's still shut and locked. His heart was pounding in his ears and in his chest, his breathing ragged and shallow. He felt as if he couldn't catch his breath, and the air in the room felt close and stifling. He couldn't breathe in here; he had to get out of this room.

He pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes as if trying to squelch the images of her, pliant and moving in his arms, pressing herself closer to him, from his mind. He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, trying to get his breathing to slow. Finally, he stood up, walked over to the chair and pulled on his shirt. He closed the front of it with a single button halfway down and then left his room, quietly closing the door behind him. His heartbeat and breathing would come back to normal the further away he got from her this evening, even though he knew she was sleeping soundly in her room, and the Eliza he had just been with was only a dream - for now. He knew that he needed to be a gentleman for her, but it was not going to be easy and especially not while they were in Glasgow, sleeping in rooms separated only by a door - a door that could be opened between them.

He descended the stairs and went to the kitchen. He found a bottle of the whisky Robert and he had enjoyed after that evening's supper, while they sat on the back veranda, talking and William holding his own with his brother-in-law, the military man. Pulling a tumbler from one of the cabinets, William poured himself a dram, then slowly drank it, its full smoky flavor sliding down his throat. As its warmth spread through him, William could feel his heartbeat slowing and his breathing returning to normal. He had to admit - the Todd family's whisky was quite good, better than what he usually drank in the pubs in London.

As he was finishing his drink, he heard the padding of feet drawing close to him and the soft panting of Finlay, as he sat at William's feet. Looking down at the puppy that stared back at him with expectant eyes, William decided he would take Finlay outside for a bit, feeling that the cool night air would also help his body return to normal after such a vivid dream.

"Come along, Finlay. Let's head outside, and while we're out there, I am going to try to get both my head and my heart settled. I love that woman upstairs sleeping more than I can ever say, but it is going to be so very difficult not touching her before we are married, when all I want to do right now is touch her and make love to her." He sighed heavily, as he walked out of the kitchen and down the corridor, then headed out of the drawing room into the back garden, Finlay running along at his side.


Except Eliza wasn't - upstairs sleeping, that is.

She awoke with a start, her heart racing, her breath coming in short gasps, and her throat tight. She had just had a dream - although it had seemed very real to her, and she could see it in her mind as if it had actually happened. In her dream, she had heard William calling to her through the locked connecting door between their rooms, asking her at first gently and then more urgently to open the door between them. She had wanted to go to him although she knew it would be most improper of her to let him see her in her nightdress, with her hair down, even if they were engaged to be married. She felt drawn to him though, his pull like that of a magnet, and she found herself going to the door and unlocking it.

She had swung the door open slowly, her eyes meeting his, and in them she could see his desire for her burning bright. Her eyes moved away from his to take in his bare chest and arms. In the moonlight, she could see the outline of every muscle in his chest and abdomen, and the smoothness of his skin. She wondered what his muscles and the skin on his chest would feel like beneath her fingertips. She noticed the dark line of hair that extended from the bottom of his ribcage down past his navel, down past the waistband of his pajama pants.

She had only seen that dark line once before, as they had climbed out of the pond that day when they were teenagers, William's white shirt plastered to his skin. She had not meant to see it, but once glimpsed, she found she was almost mesmerized by that dark line and by him as a young man. The image of him in wet clothes, lean and muscular, had been seared into her mind that day.

Now standing in her room, William watching her take him in as he stood in his room apart from her, she wondered whether he would allow her to trace that dark line with her fingers and follow it down to... She gave a start when she realized that what she had been thinking was not very ladylike at all. The very sight of him in this state of undress was making her completely lose any sense of propriety that she had.

She had looked up into his eyes again, and he had asked if he could enter her room, to which she nodded her head. He asked if he could hold her in his arms and kiss her, as they had kissed on the beach earlier that day, and Eliza had again nodded her assent. And then she was in his arms, her lips moving against his urgently, as he tasted and teased her mouth. Her hands were in his hair and in his beard, then running along the skin on his shoulders and onto his chest, her fingers searching for the dark line, finding it and tracing it down to his waistband before she felt his hand close gently but firmly around her wrist when her fingers had sought to untie his pajama pants. She broke away from his kisses to look up into his green eyes questioningly and saw William shake his head, "No."

She woke then, not only feeling out of breath, with her heart beating frantically, but she was holding her wrist in her other hand. What had she been dreaming of doing to William? She was feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of her desire for him; her body had begun to ache for his touch and his kisses. The room was feeling close and too warm for her. She needed to get out of this room; she needed to get some fresh air to clear her mind and allow her cooler head to prevail.

She pulled on her dressing gown, tying the ribbon at her neck, then left the room, closing her door quietly behind her. She descended the stairs, went along the corridor to the drawing room and out the French doors into the back garden.


The cool night air was a relief to her. It felt bracing against the skin on her face, and Eliza began to stroll around the grounds, trying to let herself feel the soft grass beneath her feet and slow her breathing and heartbeat to normal. The moon was full and bright, casting its light down into almost every corner of Mary and Robert's back garden. She was looking up into the night sky, staring at the stars, when she heard the sound of panting at her feet. Looking down, she saw Finlay, sitting and looking up at her. What was Finlay doing out of the house? Who had let the puppy out into the night?

She bent down to pet his soft head, then heard muffled footfalls approaching on the grass and looked up to see William*, making his way across the lawn toward her and the puppy. She noticed that he was wearing white pajama pants with red pinstripes and a white shirt that was closed only with a single button, revealing the smooth skin on his chest and abdomen as well as that dark line that she had been trying so desperately to put out of her mind. However she had seen William in her dream, he was even more handsome and magnetic in the flesh. She forced herself to raise her eyes to his, which were watching her, a smile playing on his lips, as he fastened two additional buttons lower on his shirt.

When he was close enough to touch her, he asked, "Why are you awake? I thought you would be sound asleep right now."

She answered simply, " I couldn't sleep."

"Nor could I. I thought the cool night air would help me clear my mind, and Finlay seemed to want to come along outside with me."

He stood gazing at her, taking in her dressing gown and her long golden hair that she had twisted to the side over her shoulder and which now hung down onto her chest. He had a fleeting thought of Eliza as Lady Godiva with her beautiful long golden hair and before he could stop himself, he was reaching for the curling, soft locks at her shoulder. Just before he touched her though, he paused and asked her, "May I?" his fingers suspended just an inch from her tresses.

"Of course, William," she whispered and watched as he slowly ran his fingers through her golden locks, gently rubbing them between his thumb and his other fingers. He raised one of her curled locks to his lips and kissed it, then gently let it fall back against her shoulder. He touched her cheek lightly with his thumb and ran it over the smooth skin of her face. His thumb traced its way down to her lips then moved slowly along the outline of first her upper lip and then her lower lip. He leaned close to her, whispering in her ear, "You look particularly enchanting this evening in the moonlight, siren of my heart. I fear that I will be wrecked upon your shores," then kissed her slowly and deeply.

He encircled her waist, sliding his arm between her dressing gown and her nightdress, and drew her close to him. He could feel the shape of her body through her nightdress, his fingers stroking her side but going no further. Eliza placed her hands on his chest to steady herself. As she kissed William in return, her lips parting for him, she could taste the smoky flavor of whisky on his tongue and smell his scent, which, this evening, was a mixture of his soap, the salt sea air of the beach and something slightly musky - was it his desire for her?

As their kiss deepened even more, her fingers inched toward the gap in his shirt until she felt the skin of his chest beneath her fingertips, warm and smooth. Touching William in this intimate way was intoxicating, Eliza's hand sliding down his chest until it met the resistance of his fastened buttons. She wanted to unfasten them so that her fingers could continue to explore him, but she did not feel ready for where that might take her. For now, it was enough for her that she was touching him, running her fingers along his chest and neck.

At last, when he let her go, Eliza opened her eyes slowly. She felt wobbly and a bit shaky after their kiss, which had left her wanting much more from him. She licked her lips slowly with her tongue, as she gazed into his eyes, then asked him, "Does that particular compliment to the fairer sex work for you?"

William eyed her with surprise, given what she seemed to be implying, but simply said, "I don't know. Does it? You tell me."

"What do you mean?" Eliza asked him.

He was not going to let her bait him, not this evening, not after the day they'd shared together. He could only think that she was perhaps feeling a bit vulnerable with him out here in the night in her nightdress and wanted reassurance from him. He would give her that and the truth as well.

"Eliza, my darling, you are the one and only siren of my heart. There have been no others, nor will there ever be." He pulled her back into his arms and held her close, kissing the top of her head.

He heard her say quietly, "It does work, William. I can assure you, it works perfectly well."

"Good." He could not help but let out a short, amused laugh, saying, "I think being your husband will be easier than I might have first imagined, especially now that I know you are not immune to my sweet whisperings in your ear." Kissing her again, this time on her lips, he then took one of her hands in his and said, "Come along. Let's go for a stroll in the moonlight. It is such a beautiful night, and I want to enjoy it with you. There's also something I would like to show you."

Hand in hand, they moved through the grass, moving closer to a line of trees along the side of Mary and Robert's property, Finlay running along at their heels. As they approached the trees, William asked her, "Can you smell that? It is one of my favorite scents in all the world - besides yours, of course."

"The scent is coming from linden flowers, isn't it? They are in full bloom now, yes? And these are linden trees, are they not?" She had read about how linden flowers could be used medicinally in tea for colds and coughs, to break fevers and to guard against anxiety. She could smell the sweet, heady scent of the open flowers as they approached one of the trees.

"Yes, these are linden trees," and as William answered, he turned Eliza so that she was facing him, her back to the tree. Slowly, he moved Eliza backward until her back was pressed against the trunk of the tree. "Does it hurt too much if you stay with your back pressed to the tree?"

"I'm all right, but whatever are we...?"

"Eliza, will you hear what I have to say first, please?" She nodded her head in silence. "The linden tree is the sacred tree of lovers. In the Middle Ages, it was a tradition that two people who were in love would swear eternal love to each other and kiss in the shadow of a linden tree, and the tree would determine that the lovers had spoken the truth. The linden tree is also a symbol of marital love and fidelity, and it may confer fertility and prosperity. According to the Greek legends, it is the sacred tree of Aphrodite - a symbol of marital love and of the perfect wife," William paused, lifting her chin with his hand and sensually stroking her lips with his thumb before continuing, "a symbol of simplicity, innocence and kindness. Eliza, mo chridhe, I now swear to you my eternal love. Will you kiss me in the shadow of this linden tree?"

She felt his arms encircling her waist again, as she leaned against the tree. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and she could feel herself being gently lifted off the ground, as he held her close, and their eyes met on the level. She replied, "William, I now swear to you my eternal love, and yes, I will kiss you in the shadow of this linden tree."

He was hers, just as she was his. She kissed him gently at first, but their kiss quickly became deeper and more passionate. She felt herself being slowly set back down on her feet, and she unlinked her arms so that she could run her hands slowly through his beard, down his neck to his chest. As she ran her hands down his chest, she did not stop at the buttons this time. She slid her hands beneath his shirt and ran her fingers down his abdomen, feeling the taut muscles there. She couldn't see it, her eyes closed as she eagerly returned William's searing kisses, but her fingers grazed the dark line of hair that she had seen in her dream. She ran her fingers along its softness until she came to the waistband of his pajama pants. She could feel him trembling beneath her touch, and he broke away from kissing the soft hollow of her neck to whisper in her ear, "Not tonight, my love."

Her hands stopped moving on him although she kept her fingers pressed against the warm skin of his abdomen. He kissed her lips lightly, then slowly pulled her away from the trunk of the tree, saying, "I'm optimistic this linden tree knows that we have spoken the truth in swearing our eternal love to each other." Gazing down into her upturned face, he continued, "I love you, Eliza."

"And I love you, William. Will you look at the stars with me for a bit before we return to the house?"

"Certainly, mo chridhe. But we'll need a blanket, I think. It seems to be getting cooler out here." They walked slowly away from the trees, William wrapping his arm around Eliza's shoulders and pulling her close, as they headed toward the house. Once they were closer to the house, William let go of Eliza and walked back into the drawing room, where he gathered a throw that had been draped over the back of an armchair in front of the hearth. He returned to where Eliza was waiting, opened the throw and then wrapped her and himself in it. They sat down on the lawn, with Finlay at William's side, their legs stretched out and touching, their heads leaning back to see the stars. Eventually, they laid down in the grass, their arms wrapped around each other, the blanket pulled close around them, and peered at the clear night sky and its bright stars, talking quietly about the various constellations.


From a window high up in one of the bedrooms, Mary stood looking out at her brother and his fiancée lying together on the back lawn. Robert came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly and kissing her bare shoulder. In between kisses, he murmured, "Did your brother just kiss his heart's true love in the shadow of one of our linden trees? He's quite the romantic. I like him, Mary...I like him very much."

"I am so glad to hear you say that, Robert. I hope in time you two will become close. I want Will to be happy - he deserves that - and Eliza makes him happy. I really like her too. She feels like a sister to me already."

After a quiet moment between them, Robert coaxed, "Well, now that's been settled, will you come back to bed with me?" He paused and looked out the window at Eliza and William stargazing in the night, reclining on the lawn, wrapped together in the blanket. "Mary, my darling, do you think they'll be able to get through this night without making love to each other out there on our back lawn, with Finlay licking their toes no less?"

Mary laughed and said, "Robert! My brother is a gentleman. It's not going to be easy for him - or her, for that matter - but they'll wait until after they're married, much like we did. I don't think they will have a long engagement though, and considering he has already waited 10 years for her, they'll be anxious not to lose any more time together. It warms my heart to know that he's marrying Eliza, a woman who can be his true partner in life. Charlie would be so happy for Will too. Now, let's go to bed, husband!" Robert scooped Mary up into his arms and carried her to their bed, kissing her deeply along the way.


William had been looking up at the stars in the sky, when he felt Eliza turn and put her head on his chest just above his heart, her hand reaching around to his side to pull him closer to her. Within minutes, he could hear her quiet, steady breathing and knew she had fallen asleep. He didn't want to disturb her, but he could feel the night getting even cooler and worried that she would soon get too cold in her nightdress and robe despite the blanket around them. He let her sleep on his chest quietly for a moment longer, then gently tried to slide out of her arms so that he could sit up. He felt her stirring, then quickly got to his feet and lifted her carefully into his arms.

"William...?" she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yes, mo chridhe, I've got you. It's time we got you to bed."

"What does 'mo chridhe' mean?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"It means 'my heart' in Scottish Gaelic, as in you, Eliza, are my heart. As in you have always had my heart, and you always will, my love."

"William, I love you so much," she replied in a quiet voice.

"I love hearing you say that, Eliza. I love you too, mo chridhe."

William carried her in his arms into the house, Finlay at his heels, and up the stairs to her room, setting Eliza gently on the bed. She stirred a little, while he gingerly pulled the bed covers over her as she turned on her side. Standing at her bedside, he leaned over her, gently moving her hair away from her face, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. He was getting ready to straighten up when her hand came up to touch his arm.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked sleepily.

William sat on the bed next to her sleeping form and began to slowly stroke her hair. What he wouldn't give to stay with her tonight, but he was not quite sure he would be able to keep his promise to himself and to her to be a gentleman. She was so beautiful, and he loved her, but he was after all a mere mortal, as he had told her earlier that day on the beach, with weaknesses and faults. He answered her, "I will stay with you until you fall asleep, Eliza."

He stayed with her, sitting at her bedside, gently stroking the soft skin on her cheeks and forehead until he heard her steady breathing and knew she had fallen asleep. He left her room, went downstairs again and out into the yard to recover the blanket from the lawn. After returning to the house, he checked that Finlay was inside, then closed the doors to the drawing room. He returned to his room, pulled back the bed covers and after placing his shirt on the back of the chair again, he slid between the sheets, exhausted but happy that Eliza had agreed to be his wife.

He had always wanted this day to come, but he had been skeptical that she would ever return his love in the way that he loved her. After the last two days with her and after everything they had been through together, he now knew that she loved him just as deeply as he loved her.

He was just on the verge of falling asleep when he heard the connecting door between their rooms slowly open from Eliza's side. In less than a minute, he felt her slide between the sheets, then snuggle herself against him, her arm wrapping around his side to draw herself closer to him from behind.

"So this is how it's going to be tonight, is it?"

"Mmmm...hmmm. We've spent the better part of this day together, and after all you and I have shared today, I am not ready to let go of that - or of you - yet. I just want to feel you close to me, William." She kissed his shoulder then and placed her head next to his on the pillow. He could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck.

"Eliza, mo chridhe, you are not making this easy for me."

"When have I ever made anything easy for you, William?" she replied, and he could tell that she was smiling from the sound of her voice.

How could he send her away when she was here with him and all he wanted right now was to hold her in his arms?

"Well, if you are going to stay with me, then we'll have to switch positions." He rolled over to look into her face. Her eyes were starting to close again, and he gently kissed her lips, then said quietly, "Roll. Now."

She rolled over and William wrapped her in his arms and drew her close to him.

"William, I like this. I could get used to this very easily. Mmmmmm... I love you. Good night," he heard her murmur sleepily, then she was quiet, and he knew she was asleep.

"I love you, Eliza. Good night, mo chridhe," he whispered in her ear, then rested his head on the pillow next to hers and hugged her to him tightly. He was thinking of how unbelievably perfect she felt in his arms and that he could get used to this very easily too, as he slowly drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.


End Note:

The magnet analogy for William and Eliza's pulling together and pushing apart comes from Stuart Martin during the Masterpiece PBS Miss Scarlet and the Duke Live Chat, done with Kate Phillips earlier this year.


There is a sequel to I'm On My Way, entitled Three Weeks, which picks up their story after William and Eliza return to London from their five days in Glasgow. It has a Mature rating rather than the Teen rating that all of my other stories for the Miss Scarlet and the Duke fandom have, and so it won't initially show up on the list of Miss Scarlet and the Duke fan fiction stories here unless you expand your Ratings filter to include All ratings. The default ratings setting on this site is for Teen and below; you will specifically have to change the Ratings filter to All to find Three Weeks - unlike on the Archive of Our Own site, where all stories on the Miss Scarlet and the Duke fan fiction list appear, no matter the rating. I hope you're enjoying reading I'm On My Way and will follow the continuation of William and Eliza's journey to becoming husband and wife in my story, Three Weeks. Thank you!