Mary's POV:
"Well, we're off now." My Uncle kissed me goodbye as he and Colin walked out the door, they were to be gone for the next few days as I sighed and walked off to meet with Dickon but was stopped by Mrs. Medlock.
"And where do you think you're going?" Her cold dull blue eyes stared down at me, her grey hair was pinned up, neat and tidy. She wore black a lot lately and was even stricter with me than when I was a child; she's especially cruel to me when my Uncle and cousin aren't home.
"I'm going out to see Dickon." I said in a commanding tone as she laughed.
"No you're not, I have some tasks for you." She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the attic and told me to clean and organize it. I tried to refuse but she pushed right passed me and walked out, I managed to do a decent job and ran to Dickon as I huffed and puffed.
"Where were you? I thought we were going to meet hours ago?" He looked a bit worried as I finally caught my breath.
"Mrs. Medlock, forced me to clean the attic." I sat down as he shook his head.
"I'm surprised you didn't manage to get out of it." He sat next to me as he took off his hat.
"She locked me in. Martha was the one to check on me and approved my work, letting me out." I groaned as he began to laugh.
"It's not funny! That old woman treats me horribly when my Uncle and Colin are gone." I crossed my arms as Dickon put his arms around me.
"I'm sorry, I just wish I could have been there to save you from the tower. But it seems my sister beat me to it." He began laughing again as I joined in, he always made every situation so light-hearted, fun and fancy free.
"I suppose it's knight Martha to the rescue." We continued laughing until I noticed Dickon's arms were still holding onto me.
"Dickon, you, you can let go." I blushed as I pulled away.
"Sorry Mary." He whispered as he slowly let go.
"It's fine, I forgive you." I looked away, feeling him draw nearer.
"Then can I hold you a little longer?" He whispered near my ear as I turned to look at him suddenly, our lips nearly touching.
"Let's, let's go to the garden!" I quickly stood up and ran off, holding the key near my heart. Even after I stopped running, my heart was still beating rapidly, what was causing this? Dickon and I tended to the garden and had a picnic, before I knew it, it was dusk.
"I'd better get back or Mrs. Medlock will have a fit." I stood up as Dickon followed me.
"Let's go horseback riding tomorrow." He took my hand as I pulled mine away.
"Fine." I nodded as he bid me goodnight; Martha helped me change as I told her all the events that took place.
"So I'm your knight am I?" She began laughing as I let out a giggle.
"Martha, why, why does Dickon want to be so close to me all the time? And he kept wanting to hold me, or my hand? And my heart was beating when our lips nearly touched. I ran away, but even after I had calmed down, my heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly." I looked troubled as Martha smiled warmly at me.
"Dickon's taking quite a liking to you miss, ever since you moved in here. He's fascinated by you, as to his feelings for you, that's something he'll have to tell you himself. And as far as your heart beating so fast, I think you've taken a liking to him too." She combed my hair as I yawned.
"But Colin will be furious." I said under my breath as Martha stopped.
"Do you care about what Sir Colin thinks about all this?" Martha asked as I thought about it.
"Well, yes. I hate it when they fight, and Colin gets so jealous." I crossed my arms.
"But do you care if Colin thinks you're sweet on Dickon?" She looked at my face as I froze.
"I, I don't know." I realized I'd never really thought about Colin in a romantic way, I mean we're cousins but yet he's changed so much (except for his slightly selfish, self-righteous, and jealous nature).
"You don't have to decide right now; you can still think about all this." Martha placed a hand on my shoulder as I nodded.
"I shall." I said in a serious tone.
"Well, good night miss." Martha blew out the light as I laid down.
"Good night Martha." I fell fast asleep, dreaming of myself dressed in an elegant gown, locked up in a dark tower with Mrs. Medlock dressed like a witch with a black cat and a black witch hat and a broomstick. She put a spell over the castle, poisoning Prince Colin so he was bed-ridden and Knight Dickon was riding on his white steed trying to find a way in. I looked out my window and managed to point Dickon towards the draw-bridge. I even managed to sneak out and give Colin the antidote, but I didn't really know who I wanted to save me. So the dream had two endings, one in which Colin slayed Mrs. Medlock and we were married and moved into his grand castle. The other was in which case Dickon saved me and we fled to his manor where there was a beautiful garden and many animals. I honestly enjoyed both endings and felt even more conflicted when I awoke the next morning. I was sure to get up extra early and headed for the stables where Dickon had our horses ready.
"You're up awfully early." Dickon smiled as I told him I was trying to avoid Mrs. Medlock.
"You slept with your hair in braids didn't you?" Dickon touched my curly hair as I blushed.
"Yes, Martha did them for me last night." I looked away as Dickon smiled warmly.
"It looks lovely." He kissed the ends of my hair as I gasped.
"We, we should get going." I jumped on my horse as we rode off into the moors. I felt as if I was flying when my horse galloped in the open fields, I turned to look at Dickon and noticed he looked rather majestic on his own horse, riding after me as I soon noticed that someone was calling my name.
"Martha?" I trotted over to her as she tried to catch her breath.
"M-Mrs., Mrs. Medlock is furious. Wants to know where you've gone off to and says she has loads of tasks for you. She wants you to help with laundry, the dishes, and polishing the silver." Martha looked weary as I grunted.
"I'm not her servant! She can't boss me around any longer!" I took the reigns and kicked with all my might as I went for the road, hoping to run as far away as I could. She could lock me out, kick me, and hit me but I refused to allow her to rule over my life. I had to tell my Uncle and Colin about all this nonsense, but what if she somehow manages to talk her way out of it again?
"Mary, Mary wait!" Dickon caught up with me and stopped my horse.
"Where on earth are you going?" He sounded upset.
"Anywhere but here. She suffocates me." I began to feel tears forming in my eyes.
"I know Mary, it's hard to stay here with her, but things could be so much worse. You're lucky to live in such a lovely home; I'm lucky if our roof doesn't leak and if I can manage to sleep with a blanket and some straw for a pillow." Dickon looked rather serious as I was beginning to catch on.
"I know I'm not rich, and I'll never be as rich as Lord Craven and Colin, but I have goals and dreams that I intend to reach. I'm going to buy me a sturdy house with a beautiful garden surrounding it, and I want lots of animals to inhabit it. I want stalls, a pond, and lots of pretty things for my wife and I don't intend to lose sight of that dream. Even though I could use the money for many other trinkets, I've decided to save it."
"So what's your point Dickon?" I looked rather puzzled, since he was taking this conversation to an entirely different direction than I thought.
"What's your dream Mary?" He looked passionately at me as I sat there and thought.
"Well, I know I don't want to live here forever, at least not if Mrs. Medlock is to remain here. But I do love how many rooms this manor has, and I love this garden; we've worked so hard on it." I sighed as I thought about how much I loved it here.
"I don't really know what I want to be, or who I want to marry, or where I want to live. But I just want to be happy, I've been through so many long and lonely years that I know I never want to be alone again. I want to come and visit Misselthwaite Manor and my family. That's all I know for now." I said as I turned around and headed for the stables.
"Good enough for me." Dickon followed after me as we unsaddled the horses and I snuck off to take a bath. I managed to lock myself in my room so that Mrs. Medlock couldn't come in and bother me. I hoped that Colin and my Uncle would return quickly the following day. I fell asleep again, but this time I had no elaborate dream about what I wanted my future to look like.