AN: Ah! We're finally seeing some good interaction between the two. I must admit, I'm writing this very late at night and I am simply exhausted, so my proof reading may be terrible! I apologize in advance for any mistakes. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Next chapter we will continue the ride, and hear about that ring of his. ;) Don't forget to review! I read and love them all!
When Marianne woke up, eyes still hazy and willing for her to close them again, she was greeted by the bright sun shining through her open curtains - she had fallen asleep whilst reading last night on accident, it appeared, book still opened and pressed against her chest - and she suddenly jolted upwards, book falling to the floor as she frantically searched for the clock, letting out a frustrated groan. "No!" She exclaimed, feet meeting the cold floor. Her mother suddenly came through the door, worried over her noise, of course. "Marianne? What on earth?" Marianne paid her no mind and simply ran to where she kept her clothing - she had originally planned on wearing the first thing she found, as she was running so late, but as soon as she reached forward towards a dress, she found that it was not nice enough. She couldn't meet the Colonel in such a state! "Marianne, answer me. What are you doing?" She continued her search for a dress and answered her mother frantically. "It is nine in the morning, mother! I am supposed to meet the Colonel at ten to go riding, remember?" She muttered something under her breath, panicking over her lack of time.
She finally found a decent dress and requested for her mother to help her. All of the laces and buttons in almost all of her dresses were to complicated for her to do on her own. She dreamt of a shopping spree, she was in desperate need for more dresses. The only one that she could manage herself was the rattiest of them all. She hadn't had a new one since they still lived at Norland! Perhaps she would be able to feel more comfortable to be casual around the Colonel later in their courtship, but she couldn't imagine meeting him now without looking her best. He had, of course, seen her at her worst, sick with fever and drenched with rain and tears. He had accepted her despite her flaws - both emotional and physical - and she loved him more for it, but she imagined that he would like to see her in a nicer state. (Little did she know, he loved her any way he could have her, whether she was dressed nicely with her hair done and pretty rosy cheeks, or if she was in her rattiest dress, muddy and tired after a day of running and enjoying the air with Margaret.)
"Oh, dear. Well, we must hurry then!" Her mother tied her laces and soon, she was in her dress, slipping her boots on and lacing them up as well. Her mother busied herself in her room, and lifted the book that had fallen from her bed, handing it to Marianne as she finished with her boots and sat on the side of her bed, covers still rumpled from a night's sleep. "I haven't seen you reading this one." She noted.
"It's newer." Marianne replied, taking hold of the book. It was a book written by Edmund Spenser, an author that she'd only recently become acquainted with. The Colonel had read from this certain book several times during her time with him, when she was still too ill to read herself. He had bought her a new copy and given it to her the last time he had gone to London. "I must leave during a cliff hanger," He had said. "So while I am gone, read the rest of it and I'll be reading, too. We can finish it together when I come back." They had finished it together, indeed, but she still loved coming back to it and reading it, especially the parts that he had read to her. She could imagine him reading it so vividly, his voice in her ears. She had never been so enchanted by a voice before. While Willoughby read with passion..the Colonel was a whole other level of passion. She felt as though Shakespeare himself would be honored to have him read his sonnets out loud. "The Colonel gave it to me last time he went to London. We had been reading it together."
Her mind went back to sitting outside on a warm day, legs tucked into a blanket as she reclined in her seat and he sat to her side, facing her on his stool and read.
"For whatsoever from one place doth fall,
Is with the tide unto an other brought:
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought."
"That's kind of him." Mrs. Dashwood remarked, finally appearing to be happy with the state of the room. Despite having plenty of help to clean the cottage, and being used to having the maids at Norland, she loved to clean as much of she could by herself and feel accomplished in her home. She sat next to her middle daughter, laying a hand on Marianne's that had been sitting to the side of her leg. "Are you happy, Marianne?" Marianne was surprised, her mother had been the one who had pushed her towards the Colonel the most. As soon as she became uneasy about Willoughby, she had tried to get her interested in Brandon. Although she knew that her mother wanted her to be happy, she had never heard her question it. She was always sure that she would be content with Colonel Brandon and thus never seemed to be bothered with asking.
"Of course I am." Marianne clasped her hand tightly, looking her in the eyes. She was so like her mother, more like her than she was with Elinor or Margaret, and they had always been so, so close. She treasured her mother and her opinions, and only wished that she had listened to her sooner and noticed the Colonel before she had her heart broken. "Mama, don't ever question that. Colonel Brandon..we've only been in an agreement for less than a day and I can hardly stand to be away from him. I am happy, happier than I've ever been."
"I know you and Willoughby..you two were so much alike, I thought you were a perfect match before we knew him more. Colonel Brandon, he may be different, he may be quieter, older, more mature and less..outspoken than you would have liked, but oh, Marianne. He loves you."
"And I love him. I appreciate his differences. I wouldn't want him to be like Willoughby." She assured her. Her mother, although she did know the Colonel quite well, didn't see how passionate or wonderful he could truly be. She hadn't heard him declare his love just last evening, or seen him embrace her. She hadn't heard him read to her. Marianne looked forward to getting to know him more and discovering his different passions and to seeing more of his life.
"Well," She realized that her mother's blue eyes, so similar to her own, were beginning to fill with tears. And she understood. Elinor was so very close to marrying and moving away, and now Marianne was going in that direction as well. She would have only Margaret left, and it truly would not be long until Margaret herself reached the age where she would become interested in men and begin to desire a life of her own. To begin wanting a husband. "We best fix your hair now, and get you ready. He will arrive soon."
Once Marianne's hair was in place, assisted by her mother and Elinor, who had come in to help sometime soon after Mrs. Dashwood and Marianne had finished their heart to heart, she was quickly on her way out her door, eager to make her way outside to wait for Colonel Brandon. Elinor had brought her something to eat while she was getting ready, knowing she would not have time to sit down at the table to breakfast, and now all she had to do was wait for her..her suitor. How odd (and wonderful!) that seemed! But as soon as one boot had crossed over the threshold, Margaret was yelling and climbing the steps. "Colonel Brandon is here! Colonel Brandon is here!" She chimed, and sure enough, she could soon hear the loud beats of the horse's hooves from her opened window, breeze making her curtains fly and toss around. Her heart seemed to beat as fast as that horse's hooves, so very happy and eager to see him again. She practically flew down the stairs, passed Margaret and to the front door. Margaret, of course, was not far behind, just as eager to see him. Colonel Brandon had taken out so much time to be a positive figure in the young girl's life, and it warmed Marianne's heart to see him so thoughtful and loving towards both of her sister's. She knew she had also taken in Eliza and also Eliza's baby (A girl, she had found out, named Juliet, after Romeo and Juliet. When Marianne had found this out, she became even more eager to meet this Eliza.) and her respect increased for him tenfold. His heart was so large.
Margaret reached him before Marianne, as she had contained herself before she reached the door and slowed her steps. Colonel Brandon had already dismounted his horse and tied him to the post and was walking towards Marianne, hand flying to his head in a salute. "Captain Margaret." He greeted her, eyes and tone serious, but he couldn't contain his growing smile. "Colonel Brandon!" Margaret saluted back, heading to his horse and stroking his face, now completely oblivious to the couple.
"Colonel." Marianne smiled at him demurely, suddenly feeling quite shy, an emotion that she was not used to. What did she do now? She'd been in the brief, unofficial courtship with Willoughby but had never felt this way towards him. Although she was unsure, butterflies flying in her stomach, she was so happy to be back in his presence. "Miss Marianne." He replied easily, coming closer and offering her his arm. She took it eagerly, allowing him to lead her towards the small stables to the side of her cottage. He had loaned her family two mares, in case they ever had a need to ride. He wanted to make sure they had a way to go for help if Marianne's illness ever got worse when she was still sickly, and since Elinor could ride quite well, and Margaret was quickly learning, he had felt it was necessary for them. He, with the help of his own stablehand, had even fixed up the stables back to a working order for them! Marianne hadn't ridden much at Norland, but she had enjoyed it when she found the time and was happy to be well enough to ride again, especially in such pleasant company. And it was nice, having two horses, in this situation. Their chaperone for the day, Margaret, was happy to come along. She could ride one of the mares, leaving Marianne with other and Colonel Brandon with his black horse. She expected him to lead her straight to the stable and to the horses, but he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as they were out of her little sister's sight, and took both of her arms gently, making her gaze upwards at his face to see what he was thinking. "I've missed you." He said simply, and she smiled so large that she feared her face would be stuck that way. She shook his hands off her arms, and he looked down at her, perplexed and seemingly a bit hurt, until she wrapped her arms around his waist, like she had the day before, and pressed her cheek against his heart. He sighed, possibly in relief, she guessed, and put his arms around her before reaching a hand up to her hair. She felt his hand stroke it for a moment before they both heard Margaret's loud footsteps coming closer, and they broke apart. "I've missed you as well." She admitted.
"You just saw each other yesterday!" Margaret exclaimed, rolling her eyes in true teenager fashion.
"But it seems like it's been much longer." Marianne raised a brow at her sister, attempting to hold back a laugh. It had been only yesterday, after all, but now that she knew her feelings for this man so well and knew that he felt so strongly for her, spending time apart seemed pointless to her. She would've laughed at herself, too, a few months ago. Not over being eager to see her fiance, of course, she was always a hopeless romantic, but over the fact that she was so eager to see the Colonel, the man that she had ignored and been so rude to. How foolish she had been.
"Indeed it does." He agreed, finally walking to the stable to prepare the horses for a ride. He found his way into the small barn easily, leaving the sister's alone for a moment while he collected the tack. He was still amazed at how quickly things had changed for him. Seeing how happy Marianne was to be around him, how readily she went into his arms...He got a glimpse of what he hoped their married life would be like. He prayed that they got there. Although she was very eager to accept his proposal, even without a ring, as she reminded him (although she would not be without a ring for much longer...) he still felt that this was a dream, and prayed that no one would awaken him from it.
He saddled up both horses in their stalls and led them out to the women by their bridles. They had come from Delaford, two of his most sane and well broke horses, half sisters. They had been born at Delaford, and, with him normally preferring his stallion (perhaps he was reckless, but he enjoyed the fire in a stallion.) and having the rare visitor, they hadn't been working much. He was happy for them to have a job with the Dashwood's and knew that Elinor and Mr. Ferrars had taken them both out several times, and Margaret also rode them both often. He had taught her most of everything she knew about riding and he had to say, she was quite the natural rider, as was Marianne, although she was a bit more cautious and preferred slowly walking rather than trotting up and down the roads like her sister.
Margaret quickly took the reins of her favorite horse, and found something to climb on so she could mount easier. Marianne had found a place by his side, tucking her arm back into his free arm on the opposite side of the other mare, and he fought back the emotions that wanted to come creeping out. You're a grown man, and you are getting emotional over a simple show of affection. Get a hold of yourself, he thought, but how long had it been since he'd felt this way? Or had someone love him romantically?
Margaret's sudden laugh distracted him from the woman beside him, and when he and Marianne looked up to her, they saw her scrambling to the top of the saddle to find her seat, horse already moving and ready to begin the ride. Marianne cackled, and he laughed as well, at hearing the two women enjoying themselves so openly, a rare thing for women now. Most were so focused on propriety and appearing well educated and proper, rarely allowing themselves to be casual or to be, well, themselves, and he loved spending time with the Dashwood's, whom were so very different than what he'd always been around. He knew their time at the cottage had greatly impacted and changed them, leaving Norland had been an incredible hardship, but he knew that they had become better and happier people because of it.
Once Margaret was settled and had walked off, riding throughout the area near them, he turned to Marianne. "Well, I believe it's your turn. I'll help you up, unless you'd like to use Margaret's idea of climbing up from a stump." He joked.
"No, no, I think I'd rather have you help me than scramble on top of a horse and have it run off." She released his arm and winked at him, taking the reins from him to throw them over the horse's head and adjust them properly before he helped her up. Finally, he lifted her with ease and she was mounted, trying to excuse her head spinning for nerves of being on the horse, although she knew it was because of him. His strength had surprised her, although she wasn't sure why. He was a military man and quite the sportsman, she supposed she mistook his age for weakness. (And really, he wasn't that old.)
"I thought we might ride towards the large field that's about a mile away, we can take the road, it's an easy path and the horse's should behave well on it." The field was one of the most beautiful places within riding distance from the cottage, and he had planned on making a special stop once they'd arrived, if Marianne and Margaret were agreeable, and he hoped they would be. He had something very important to give Marianne, the weight of the ring weighing heavily in his pocket as he thought about it, and although he would have preferred to have given it to her at Delaford, in a more romantic and private setting, he didn't want to make her wait for long.
"That sounds wonderful." Marianne agreed, much to his relief, and Margaret rode on ahead, trotting past them, and he took that for an agreement on her part as well. He was happy to have her ahead of them, to have her focused on her horse so that he and Marianne could talk more privately. They hadn't gotten a chance to have a conversation in days, with him having to focus on business that week, he hadn't been able to make his near daily visits to the cottage, and he had missed her.
He had opened his mouth to speak up, but she had beat him to it. "Colonel Brandon," She started, and he nodded, riding closer to her side. "I was thinking about Eliza this morning, and I was wondering...well, I was wondering if perhaps I could, if you didn't mind, that is, if I could meet her." She surprised him. He hadn't expected her to want to meet her, he had hoped that one day their paths would cross, they were alike in many ways, and he wanted Eliza to meet the woman who had stolen his heart in such a way. Likewise, he would love Marianne to meet Eliza, the young girl (really, not much older than Margaret, just slightly younger than Marianne.) who had also been a very important part of his life. But with Marianne knowing her link to Willoughby, and knowing that Juliet was his child, he knew it would have to be a sore subject.
"You want to meet her?"
"And Juliet, of course. I hear you talk about the baby so much, I..I'd love to meet them for myself." Her horse suddenly pinned it's ears at the Colonel's, and he laughed, nudging his horse off the road and to the grassy edge. "She's not a fan of men, it seems. She never liked the stallions or geldings." He commented before turning serious once more. "I'd love for you to meet them both. I didn't, well, I didn't expect that you'd want to, knowing what had happened with Eliza and Mr. Willoughby." He seemed to take on a new tone when he said Willoughby's name, something she wasn't used to. He was normally such a gentle and loving man, and to hear his plain anger was surprising, although she understood his anger completely.
"Eliza seems so wonderful from what you've told me, and Juliet is innocent in this, as well. I wouldn't hold anything against them. After all, I had fallen for Willoughby, as well." Feeling anything (other than slight pity, perhaps.) for Eliza other than acceptance seemed rather hypocritical.
"Eliza would love having company, especially from you. I'm afraid she's cooped herself up too much, only really accepting visits from me. But she's a young woman, she needs to be social, to talk to people other than an old military man and a baby."
"You're good company." She had ridden ahead of him slightly, so she had to look behind her for a second, meeting his eyes before turning back around. "I don't blame her. You've been such a wonderful part of her life, and society is so judgemental. She deserves to be loved and accepted, not blamed."
"I agree wholeheartedly. She's done so much, worked incredibly hard, in order to give Juliet a good future. She's hardly willing to take any help from me, it was difficult, getting her to accept a place to live in Delaford, I'm thankful she finally agreed."
"Is she very far from your house?" Marianne had been to Delaford, of course, many times, but had only visited the large house where the Colonel lived, and hadn't seen much of the property.
"No, not at all. Within walking distance. I wanted to keep her close, with her being so ill after having Juliet. We were so worried for her those first couple of months. For both of them."
"Perhaps I can visit her soon, then."
"I'd love to have you at Delaford."
They rode in silence for a few beats, before Marianne spoke up again.
"You said that you were worried about Eliza, was she that ill?"
"Indeed she was, she was the sickest I have ever seen anyone before. Even worse off than you were."
"And so you feared for her life?" He was to her side again, this time keeping more of a distance between the animals. She looked at him again, and saw him nod. "Yes."
"What would have happened to the baby, then?" She couldn't imagine him sending her to an orphanage, and Eliza had no family or friends that she knew of.
"I would have taken her, of course. Eliza had no friends left after Willoughby, they had deserted her the moment they found out she had become pregnant outside of wedlock. And she has no family..well, other than myself, if you count me."
"You would have raised her? Even with your strong dislike of Willoughby?" Dislike didn't seem to cover it, she thought.
"Of course. As you said before..she is not to be blamed for her father's mistakes, nor for Eliza's." She would have sworn it wasn't possible, but her love for him grew even more at that moment. He was far too good for her, she realized. Far to selfless and loyal and loving and amazing. And so she told him so. "You are far too good of a man for me." And he laughed, harder than she'd seen him laugh before. "I mean it. After what Willoughby has done..you're so incredibly selfless, I am amazed."
"Selfless." He seemed to scoff. "Nonetheless, I hope you keep this view of me, it will make for an easy courtship." This time, he was the one to wink at her, making her giggle.
At last, they arrived at the field, and he stopped his horse, and dismounted, looking up at the sister's as they glanced down from their horses in confusion. His heart began to pump faster.
The ring.
Oh, he hoped she would like it.