Sorry for the delay's with posting, I've been busy attempting to study and instead playing spider Solitaire….I probably shouldn't admit that. Ahh well, enjoy this chapter.

Love's Pending Battle

Will stared at Elizabeth. Had he just heard her correctly? Had she just said that the Commodore had said that they had captured his father? Why had his father stayed behind when the pirates left, or why had he stayed out of the fighting?

"What?" Was all Will managed to say, loosing control of his legs and collapsing onto Elizabeth's bed.

Elizabeth continued to look at him, that look of mixed pain and worry on her features. "That's what I think I heard. Like I said Will, I think James said it was your father that they have captured."

It was at this point that Will remembered the rumour he had heard whispered during the day, and hearing Elizabeth refer to the Commodore by his first name. Elizabeth noticed his face change from shocked to confused and hurt.

"Will?"

"Did the Commodore propose to you?" Will asked, looking straight at her.

Elizabeth sighed, moving to take a seat next to Will on the bed. "Yes he did." She whispered. Will sighed, his head falling forward. "But I am yet to give him an answer." She continued, causing Will to look straight at her, confused. "When he proposed, I was having trouble breathing through my corset, and I fainted. When I awoke the Pirates were attacking the Port, and he was forced to leave without an answer." She explained.

Will nodded, unsure if he was relieved by this response. "Do you plan on answering him?"

"I have too." She responded sadly.

Will stood, stepping towards the fire. "Do you plan on answering him in the affirmative?" He asked from the fireplace.

Elizabeth stood and joined him in front of the fire. "I think you know that I would rather not." She smiled weakly. "But my father will then be requiring a legitimate reason as to why I declined him. And if I say that I don't love him, he will just laugh and tell me that isn't a valid reason."

"You sound as though you've been giving this a lot of thought." Elizabeth looked at him with an annoyed smirk.

"What would you do if you were in my situation. I haven't had anything else occupying my thoughts for the past two days." She said, before turning her head violently in the direction of the doorway thinking she heard something from the hall. "You have to go." She whispered to Will.

Will looked at her, then looked in the direction of the door.

"Don't argue with me, Georgia's room has never been as warm as mine and she often comes and takes one of my spare blankets. You have to leave now."

Reluctantly Will took his clothes from where they were hanging up drying, which were still quite wet, before feeling Elizabeth's hands at his back pushing him into the closet and shutting the doors. "Stay here and don't make a sound." She whispered hoarsely.

Will did as commanded, standing in the cupboard, pressing his ear to the door and trying to listen what was happening out in the room.

"Elizabeth, what the devil are you doing outside?" He could hear a voice, but it wasn't Elizabeth's sister. It sounded like a woman, an older woman, probably her maid.

"I couldn't sleep, and you know how much I love the rain." He heard Elizabeth's voice speak.

"Well you're soaked to the bone. Come we'll change you into something dry." He heard the older woman's voice speak, before feeling the prickling feeling that 'something dry' would be in the closet he was hiding in.

"No!" Elizabeth's voice sounded slightly panicked. "Esther, please. When I cannot sleep in the rain I'm not going to sit in bed and listen to it against the windows. When I feel sleep I shall change myself. Do not bother yourself when you know full well that I shall only get fresh garments soaked." Will smiled to himself hearing more of Elizabeth's personality around her family and the like.

Outside the closet, Elizabeth was standing not far into her room from the doorway to her balcony, the blanket Will had had draped around his shoulders covering hers. She was staring at Esther, trying to hide the absolute panic at the possibility that Will may be found in his undergarments in her closet. It would not be proper and so scandalous if it were to get out. Why, then she'd certainly be sent back to England.

Esther looked to her, frowning slightly. "Still, I shall get you some fresh garments and leave them out for you to change into." She spoke, making her way to the closet again.

"Esther please!" Elizabeth demanded, just as the older woman had her hand on the door-knob. "I do not need to always have such aimless tasks of getting clothes from my closet performed by others! Please go back to bed." She knew she was begging, and undoubtedly Esther would only question her about it during the daylight hours when she wouldn't wake the household up.

Again Esther looked to her charge with a crinkle in her brow. And much to Elizabeth's relief she moved her hand from the door, and turned to leave the room. "Very well, then Miss. But do not stay out in this weather for too long; I will not have you catch a cold." The woman's tone was harsh and cold, and Elizabeth knew that she had struck a chord in her aged governess.

She sighed as her door closed before she headed for the door, pressing her ear against it to ensure footsteps were moving away, and much to her relief they were.

"Is the coast clear?" Elizabeth smiled weakly to herself as she heard Will's voice whisper.

She turned to see his head poking between the two doors open slightly ajar. "Yes." She responded weakly moving from the doorway and watching as he dressed into his clothes.

She dropped her line of sight to the floor, and saw the line of water droplets heading for the closet, and immediately felt concern. Had Esther noticed them? Would she think that was the reason Elizabeth was desperate for her to leave her room, because there was someone very wet hiding in her closet?

Elizabeth looked back up to Will, seeing him pulling his still soaking wet shirt over his head, before shrugging into his jacket. "I'm sorry, Will." She spoke quietly, attracting his attention.

Will smiled at her weakly. "For what?" He asked her confused.

"We may not be able to see each other for a time, and I need to answer the Commodore's question." She responded sadly, moving to stand in front of him.

Will looked down to the floor between them as she neared. "If you would like, I shall stay away." He breathed, looking up at her weakly.

At this statement, Elizabeth looked up at him sharply, pressing her hand to his cheek. "Why on Earth do you think I would want you to stay away?" She questioned, meeting his weak gaze with her own forceful one.

Will looked down again as she brought her other hand to his other cheek. "I don't know." He whispered, not looking at her.

"Will," she sighed weakly, "I love you, and you're only saying things like that because you think it's the easiest option. If I am to marry the Commodore, and I detest the idea as much as you do, you must know, that I shall never be able to bring myself to feel my heart beating for him, in the same way that it does you."

Will was comforted by these words, but minimally. He wanted to say something in response, but couldn't think of the necessary words, and instead, moved his head forward, finding her lips with his own, and showing her his relief. When they parted, he pressed his forehead to hers, gently and unconsciously rubbing his nose against hers.

"I'll always be yours." Elizabeth whispered to him.

Will smiled, placing a soft quick kiss on her lips before walking away, towards the balcony door, and disappearing into the rain and night.

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