Author's Note: I'm going to assume it takes a month at least between when he leaves in 6x08 till they meet again at the Ritz. The trip to Tangiers and back would have taken quite awhile back in those days...

Chapter 4: An Inkling

Bertie was beginning to miss being at home. The problem with travel was that he never stayed put. He was living out of suitcases and it was about to drive him crazy. For a man who preferred to stay organized, this was testing him to his limits. Thankfully, his travels were about ready to end. The next morning he would catch a flight to begin his long travel back home to Brancaster. The flight was one of those things he wasn't looking forward to but it was the quickest way to get home.

With a sigh, Bertie opened his briefcase. With a quick check to make sure the paperwork was still in order, his eyes fell upon the letters. He slowly reached in and fingered them. They were letters to him from Edith- written after he had helped put out the magazine. It had been a great joy and delight to him to find them in the post, and he had savored each one. His mind wandered to the journal entry after he had met Edith in London...

What a wonderful day... I can hardly believe that I have kissed Edith... a woman so wonderful, so worldy... but I can't help but notice doesn't have much faith in herself or finding happiness...

But, I digress. We agreed to meet in one of the parks and had the most wonderful conversation. Once again, she was in blue and looked stunning. It felt to me like the conversation was a test of sorts- a test to see if I was a man she would like to spend more time with while she was in London... and I must have passed for I was invited to her flat and to take her to dinner.

Bertie smiled at the memory of asking his friend Michael from the bookstore for help with dinner reservations. Michael had suggested Cafe Du Paris and Bertie smiled at the suggestion. It would do very well, but could he get reservations at such short notice? Michael grinned and said that his brother-in-law owned it, and he would be happy to call in the favor. By the time Bertie had left the bookstore, dinner reservations had been confirmed. He had left the bookstore with a smile on his face and headed back to his hotel room to change- ever so thankful he had brought his tux with him.

I can't help but remember the kiss. So simple, so tasteful, so wonderful... I had been afraid I was pushing my luck... Ever since I told her that she inspired me (which she still does... even more now), I have been waiting and hoping for a kiss. And it was better than I had even imagined... or even hoped for... I only hope I can kiss her for the rest of my life.

At that last line, Bertie paused. It had been wishful thinking, kissing her for the rest of his life, for it wouldn't happen now. She had lied to him, and he couldn't get over the fact. Or had he already? As the time had passed in Tangiers, Bertie realized that the his feelings for Edith had only gotten stronger. As much as he tried to get over her, she would fight her way back into his heart. He was beginning to realize that his love for Edith was stronger than he dared realized. He also realized from reading the journal entries that he could see something holding her back. He didn't know what it was then... but it was almost a foreshadowing of the future...

How can she say that she is not worthy of me? I am the commoner... she is an aristocrat... she's throughly modern, and most people call me a stick in the mud... What is holding her back, I wonder? I don't know what it is... but I fear that whatever it is may tear us apart in the future...

What do you know... another chapter on another day... I am loving the Bedith fanfic flurry that is happening... so nice to see the notifications of an email as a new story is posted or updated... I can only hope that it happens more as people meet Bertie again in 6x03 here in America.

Reviews, likes, comments and/or suggestions are my food for thoughts... until the next chapter...