(I do not own these characters, they belong to the original author of The Secret Garden, of course)

(P.S. I'm really bad at writing the Yorkshire accent but I'm trying.)

Mary had taken to the garden most of the time after she learned of Dickon's leaving. She couldn't sleep, she only had nightmares of the telegram arriving with the worst of all news written on it. Everyone at the manor had already been expecting it but Mary didn't want to give up hope. There was so much that she never got to tell him. She wanted to tell him how much she cared for him. Before she had left Mary thought her feelings to be that of a normal kinship but it was all different now. Mary knew that she loved Dickon. It didn't matter that he was poor and she was a lady. It never mattered to her and she didn't care who thought what about it. It didn't matter though because Mary never knew his feelings for her and she feared she never would.

Mary walked around the garden, weeding and fixing it because it had not been as well-tended to without Dickon. Ben would do things here and there but he was getting old and could only do so much. Dickon was magic. He seemed to walk in to the garden and everything would look healthier. Mary attributed much of her own improvement to the garden but also to Dickon.

The day she had learned of Dickon's leaving she had gone straight to Martha in tears. Martha needn't ask why she was crying and found herself soon sobbing with worry as well.

"Oh Miss Mary, mother has been all o' worry and distress. She tries 'er bes' to keep the lil' ones from frettin' but Dickon is our Dickon. He never meant no 'arm to no one and nuthin'. " Martha cried.

"I know, Martha. I know. What did he say in his last letter?" She asked and Martha surprisingly had it in her apron.

"I keep it with me. He always asks about tha' though but he tol' me I canna tell tha' about 'im for fear o' tha' worryin'." She unfolded the letter. "He say he been tryin' to make it through ever' day but it's hard. He misses the moor and tha' garden. He feels terrible for leavin' it in such a state."

"How did he learn to write?" Mary asked as she looked upon the letter.

"Oh, he started learnin' when tha' went away. He wanted to read an' write all proper like so he could write to tha' himself 'stead of asking me to do it for him." Martha handed her the letter and Mary read it carefully. He explained that he was in France and their troop had been preparing for the attack. He did not want to fight, he wanted to be back at the moor. He talked about how he missed his family and the animals and the gardens. He said he missed Colin's chattering and Mary's sweet smile. Mary felt herself blush as she read it. He said he would write again as soon as he could and that was the end of the letter. Mary gave it back to Martha who tucked it away.

"Mayhaps tha' should go to the garden, it may calm tha'." Marth suggested and Mary nodded.

So now she founded herself in the garden, weeding around the rosebushes. Day in and day out Mary would return to the garden and fix it up, this time to make sure it was perfect for Dickon when he returned. She had to keep reminding herself that he would return, he promised.

One day Mary had been getting ready to go out to the garden again when Colin stopped her.

"Mary, Mrs. Medlock needs to see you."

"What for?"

"She needs you to try on your dress for the party."

"Party? Oh yes, the party, I had forgotten." Mary remembered the party her uncle had wanted to give her and her cousin.

"Mary, I know you've been worried about him. I have too." Colin took her hands. "But you can't drive herself down like this. You'll make yourself sick and I won't lose my friend and my cousin."

"Dickon is not lost yet. He'll come back."

"Mary, sometime you have to accept it that Dickon is not coming back."

"He's coming back!" She pulled her hands out of his and hurried away to Mrs. Medlock. She was silent the entire time she was fitted for her dress. It was a silvery blue dress, simple but elegant. Mary didn't like poofy things that made a girl look like a cupcake rather than a woman. Mary had been told she was pretty many times by the men she had met while at school. None of them she cared for and the more persistent of the bunch she refused. She knew now more than ever that there had only been one man in her heart. She could only hope he was alive to come back to her.

The next day Colin visited her in the garden while she was tending to the lilies.

"Mary, may I join you?" He asked cautiously, afraid she would scream at him again.

"Of course you can, it's our garden, not mine. You don't need permission to be here." She said and continued her work.

"This place was always so magical." He said down next to her. "Every time I visit it I feel as though anything is possible within it's walls."

"It's the magic." Mary said with a very faint smile. "It can make anything happen, no matter how impossible it may seem." She stroked the lily's petals gently.

"I'm sorry about what I said about Dickon, I miss him too though. It's just everyone keeps saying those things. I don't know how to believe that he'll come back to us."

"If I don't think he will then I'll go mad, I think." Mary said and started digging again.

"I should have gone too." Colin said darkly. "Maybe you'd be this worried about me too."

"Of course I would! I'm glad that you didn't go! Could you imagine what I would be like if both of you had gone? I would be a mess! A much bigger mess than I already feel I am." Mary threw down her spade and put her head in her hands. Colin reached and patted her on the back gently.

"I'm sorry, Mary. I shouldn't have said that. It'll be alright. He'll come back." He comforted her. The two cousins spent the rest of the day tending to the garden much like they had as children.

Throughout the week Colin stayed with his cousin to make sure she was alright. They stayed in the garden and prepared for Dickon's return which Mary would always say it was any day now. She had such hope that Dickon would return and though Colin would always cheerfully agree and assist to whatever needs she had he felt deep down that Dickon was never going to come back. He just wanted to keep his cousin sane.

The day of the party Mary dressed in her silvery blue gown and Martha had done her hair up for her. Martha was unusually happy and Mary asked her what it was.

"Oh nothin' Miss Mary. Tha' just looks so beautiful in tha's dress. Do you like it?" Martha asked as she fixed her hair.

"I suppose. It reminds me of Dickon's eyes though." Mary said sadly.

"Now chin up, tha' has to smile to all the fine gentlemen ou' there tonigh'." Martha moved Mary's chin up for her with a smile.

"I don't care about those gentlemen. I could care less about this party." Mary turned to go downstairs to get the whole thing over with.

"Miss Mary." Martha called. "He wuh' think tha' looks like an angel." Mary gave Martha a smile in thanks for her compliment even though she wished she could hear it from Dickon's lips. Dickon's rosy, beautiful lips, she thought to herself.

Colin was entertaining many of the guests at the party, in particular Duke Buescher. He had been expressing interest in meeting his cousin and Colin thought it would be good for someone to try and take Mary's mind off of Dickon. Colin had been talking up his cousin when she entered the room and descended upon the guests.

"My Colin, you weren't lying about her. She's beautiful, like a greek goddess." The Duke said as he watched Mary enter. Most of the people in the room stopped to watch the beautiful woman who used to be a sour and bitter child float through the room with poise and grace. Colin hurried to his cousin and took her to the dance floor to show her off to the guests.

"You look beautiful, cousin." Colin said as he spun her around.

"Thank you, Colin. You look very handsome, yourself." She smiled at him when they were interrupted by the Duke.

"Oh Mary, let me introduce you. This is Duke Fitzwilliam Buescher."

"It is an honor to meet you, Miss Lennox." The Duke took her hand and kissed it. Mary curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Mary said politely.

"I went to school with Fitzwilliam, he's been anxious to meet you." Colin said cheerfully.

"Yes, your cousin tells me many stories of you and I must confess I have been very intrigued to make your acquaintance."

"Such flattery, sir, but I have unfortunately not heard of you from him."

"Shall we get to know each other in a dance then? If your cousin would permit me." The Duke looked to Colin who smiled and handed Mary's arm to him.

"Thank you, sir." Mary said politely as he led her to the dance floor.

"You do look very beautiful, Miss Lennox."

"Mary, please. I don't like to be called Miss Lennox."

"You do look very beautiful, Mary." He smiled and Mary forced herself to smile back. She didn't like where this man was going and started to feel uncomfortable around him. "How does it feel to be home?"

"Wonderful mostly. Although the household is incomplete."

"Oh?"

"A dear friend of Colin's and mine was fighting in the war. He has not come home yet. We are anxiously waiting his return."

"I see. I myself served a bit of time in the war before I was allowed to return home." Mary looked up in surprise at the Duke. Perhaps he had seen Dickon. She went to ask him but he continued on before she could open her mouth. "I must say that there was not many interesting lads to talk to there. Most of them were just poor commoners without an intelligent thought in their minds to save their lives, not that many of them did." Mary's eyes widened in anger, how dare he talk about Dickon that way! She was furious.

"I only met a few civil men but there were all from our class. Those in the lower classes, well, I was glad to see their troops on the field first, best way to get rid of some of the stinking pigs." Mary immediately let go of the Duke's hands. "Mary? Are you alright?"

"How dare you!" She shouted and slapped him across the face before storming out.

"Mary!" Colin called to her but she did not hear him. She only could run to her garden, the only place she could find solitude and try to forget the stupid Duke's cruel words.

As soon as she reached the garden she curled up on the grass and cried. She wanted Dickon home so badly. She didn't want to think that he was pushed to the front of the lines to be killed in some ruthless battle. Dickon was peaceful. He was an angel. He was the most gentle person she had ever known and he did not deserve to die in such a way. If only the magic of the garden could bring him to her then everything would be right again.

Suddenly Mary heard rustle of leaves as if someone was walking past and brushing them out of the way. She looked up and wanted to find a place to hide, figuring it was Colin. She stood up to run but was stopped as she looked towards the entrance to the garden. Colin was not standing there.

Dickon stood there.

He was just as shocked to see her as she was. Dickon thought she looked like a beautiful garden angel in her dress and the moonlight shining down on her.

Mary stared at him completely dumbfounded. She had wished the garden to bring him to her and here he was. Was it a dream? He wore his soldier's uniform still, perhaps it was a dream.

"Mary?" Dickon's voice uttered and Mary took a short intake of breath. His voice was sweet and as ever gentle as she remembered it. "Mary? What is tha doing here at this time?" It was no dream. It was Dickon. Mary couldn't do anything but let herself rush forward and wrap her arms around him and hold him tight.