I wrote this after like two days of not sleeping after completing my Diss Research Proposal, so it's a little filler but I wanted to post a chapter for you guys, now I'm going to bed! Hehehe

Time 7

Hesitating as they finally arrived at the perfect picnic spot Puck swung himself down from his horse and took a step towards Rachel to help her, then a step back and then a step forward, he couldn't make up his mind if helping her would make her angry or if he didn't would make him un-gentleman like.

Seeing his indecision Rachel couldn't help but laugh at him and motion him over to help her down off the horse and make it easier for him, he placed his hands on her narrow waist and lifted her easily off the horse and on to her feet.

"Just remember I can do it on my own" Rachel said warningly but smiling at him

"Course you can, you're Rachel" Puck said with a smile and without a patronising tone "I have utter faith in you that anything you want to do you could"

Rachel beamed up at him and blushed at the compliment as he went back to his horse and pulled of the saddlebag off, before laying out a picnic cloth for them to both sit on, turning to the saddlebag he missed Rachel's graceful descent on to it, but turned back and had to catch his breath at the sight of her. She had spread her white skirt around her artfully as she sat perfectly straight, but what was more surprising were her delicate hands carefully picking out the pins that held her hair up, he had only seen her hair down once and that had been when it had been tossed out while riding, but now her curls were dropping around her shoulders and all he wanted to do was run his fingers through it.

"Your gorgeous" he breathed out suddenly as he took a seat next to her, Rachel blushed and flickered out her fan to hide behind it, only for her hands to be paused by Puck's hand on her own, he took the fan from her hands gently and closed it before putting it aside. "Don't hide" he ordered gently.

Blushing again Rachel nodded and leaned over to pick up the metal flask to take a quick sip of water "so what food did you pack up?" she asked changing the conversation as Puck smiled and pulled the saddlebag to him.

"Fresh fruit, sweetmeats and sandwiches" he said with a smile pulling them all about one by one, Rachel taking the apple he offered her, playing with the stem at the top a little "are you ok?" he asked worriedly, not used to her being quiet.

"Simply enjoying the day" Rachel said brightly turning her gaze from the view to the man beside her "I was prepared for a wet summer and it is gorgeous and warm" she lifted her face to the sun closing her eyes and enjoyed the warm rays playing on her already slightly tanned face, Puck using the opportunity of her closed eyes to study her intently.

She wasn't classically beautiful in the way Miss Quinn was with her golden blonde hair and blue eyes, but Rachel had some other alluring quality that had completely captivated him, she was a beautiful and gorgeous looking women. Her long brown hair looked soft and her warm brown eyes that held his own enslaved if he looked too deeply into them coupled with her pouty lips and overall slim figure left him her slave.

"It is a rare summer" Puck finally admitted breaking the silence that had fell over them as he eat a sandwich leaning back and still watching Rachel as she bit into her apple, "but I am glad that it is"

"Oh of course" Rachel agreed opening her eyes finally and turning to look at him again with a gentle smile on her face "I am just spoilt by the summer I spent in Italy last year"

"Italy! I have only ever seen it on a business trip I wished I had been able to actually spend time there"

"It was amazing" Rachel gushed moving closer to him a little before resettling her skirt again and gently placing a hand on his arm before continuing with her story "we were in the south near Naples, my father had some business to complete with a shipping company that he part owns, I was left with Emma"

"Emma your housekeeper?" Puck asked remembering Rachel mentioning her before, taking her hand that was still resting on his arm he tangled their fingers together as she continued her story.

"One in the same, Emma has been with my family since I was born. But anyway we were left alone to entertain ourselves, and my Italian is atrocious! I always mix it up with Spanish, and we got completely lost, but we did not mind, we just enjoyed the hot weather and multiple ices, or gelatos as the Italians call them"

Puck laughed with her as she shook her head in disbelief at her actions, two unaccompanied women in a foreign country with no knowledge of the language eating ices all day.

"It sounds like fun however" Puck

"Oh it was, but even my father is not that liberal! I had a ticking off and a half when we finally made it home"

"Do you regret it?"

"No" Rachel insisted "I love days like that, days to enjoy with someone you care about and enjoy the company of, no rules, no 'society' simply living"

"You feel like we don't live?" Puck asked curiously as he lounged back on one of his elbows, his shirt pulling across his chest as he did, Rachel unable to not look down and appreciate the view before answering him.

"I feel like we are in a bubble sometimes, and we simply exist in this situation that's not real life, all we do is party and plot, well If you are a women you seem to plot, and the men talk business and I just tire of it all"

"I think I can understand that" Puck agreed "do you think it will be different when you are married?" he avoided looking at her as he asked, instead toying with the cuff of his sleeve.

"I hope so" Rachel replied lightly looking at him even as he avoided looking at her "I guess that would depend on the man I marry"

"But you are going to choose your husband"

"Hopefully I chose right" Rachel laughed awkwardly, the problem with avoiding society is she didn't know how to react to such questions when it was the man she hoped to marry asking them.

"I know you will" Puck said with his usual cockiness and a knowing smirk that had Rachel blushing again as she reached for a sandwich, "so where next on the great tour?" he asked helping her out before she blushed again

"Kent I believe" Rachel sighed "why are you going to randomly pop up again?"

"Not this time I'm afraid" Puck said with a grimace "I have some business to attend to in the city, but afterwards you will be coming to Belvoir and I will definitely be there, I promised to show it to you after all"

"Then I cannot wait" Rachel said with a smile before rolling onto her back and gazing at the sky above her "I really do not want to return to the party" she admitted quietly as Puck joined her lying down next to her taking her hand again as they lay side by side.

"Then we can stay here" he said quietly as Rachel's eyes fluttered closed again.

Gleeeeeeeeeeeeee

"How was your picnic darling?" Hiram asked as Rachel finally returned much later that day, the Duke at her side solicitously wrapping her in his cloak as she shivered in the rapidly cooling night.

"I think we did father" Rachel said with a smile up at Puck who nodded in agreement with her "I know the two of you have some business to attend to so please excuse me as I need a refreshment"

"Of course" they both said with a short bow a the young lady as left them

"How did you fare?" Hiram asked Puck who continued to watch Rachel as she walked away

"Well" Puck said definitively "maybe"

Hiram laughed again and nodded before changing the conversation to the business they needed to discuss his eyes on his daughter who had found Santana on the other side of the garden.

"Good day?" Santana asked with an arched eyebrow

"Very" Rachel said without any embarrassment as she linked arms with her friend and followed her towards the nearest waiter.

"Well I think your behaviour was disrespectful" Kurt's high pitched voice invaded their conversation "you should try acting as the dictates of society demand rather than going off with the bad reputation Duke of Rutland"