A/N Sorry about the delay had super amounts of work to do in this last week, lovely final year of uni for you!
Time 8
"I'm sorry Lord Kurt" Rachel said with a smile, laughing as his face lit up in malicious glee at her opening statement "the part where I was actually speaking to you must have slipped my mind" she continued arching her eyebrow at him and smiling sweetly before wrapping Puck's cloak around her tighter and taking Santana's arm back to led her away.
"Oh Rachel I do so love the way you can cut everyone down to size so quickly" Santana laughed as they retired for the night to their adjoining rooms where maids were already packing for their journey the next day.
"I have a lot of fun with it" Rachel said smugly folding Puck's cloak reverently and placing it on the chair beside her bed.
"Much like the fun you have with his Grace" Santana said archly before disappearing into her room for the night as Rachel gasped in shock.
The next week in Kent went quickly thankfully for Rachel who missed the Duke more than she would have thought considering the short amount of time she had really known him not just of him, the only mar on a perfectly pleasant week the presence of Lord Kurt. Who under his father's orders was forced to spend time with the young lady, one in the hope that he would express an interest in a women and secondly that she and by proxy her father was kept happy.
Rolling their eyes and yet another biting comment Santana and Rachel retired from an evening of just the three of them early, saying they had to make sure they were packed before they moved onto Belvoir castle the next day, and Rachel back to Noah.
The same Noah that was waiting for her at the head of the stairs two days later as the carriage pulled up in front of the castle entrance, wrenching open the door as soon as it came to a stop he helped Santana out and bowed to Lord Hiram. Finally seeing Rachel he accepted her hand and pressed a chaste kiss to her hand as he helped her out, smiling up at her with a small blush as she giggled lightly at him and slipped into his arms as she searched for her feet.
"Hello Lady Rachel" he breathed out tucking her hand into his arm as his mother greeted Santana and Hiram at the top of the stairs, her eyes however were on her son whose eyes were lit up as they concentrated on the girl at his side.
"Hello your Grace" Rachel replied smiling up at him brightly as he led the way up the stairs to the grand entrance.
"How was your journey?"
"Tiring" Rachel said simply "but I am happy to be here"
"I am happy you are here" Puck said pulling her closer as he saw his unfortunate houseguests at the bottom of his staircase, his mother having invited his biggest rival in business and the biggest rival for Rachel's hand and therefore heart without his permission. "Lady Rachel you of course know Lord Finn" he motioned to his rival for Rachel "and this is his Grace Duke Jesse of Cleveland"
"It's very nice to see you again Lord Finn, and to meet you your Grace" Rachel said politely leaning into Puck's side as they both bowed to her.
"I should introduce Lady Rachel to my mother please excuse us" Puck said hurriedly as Jesse and Finn watched Rachel with appraising looks, Finn practically drooling as Rachel united her cloak and revealed her svelte and slim figure in a tight fitting simple blue and gold dress.
"I would like that" Rachel said handing her cloak off to the hovering butler with a smile and accepting his arm again for him to lead her to the formal lounge.
"Mother" Puck stated coming up beside the small group made up of his mother and sister and Santana and Hiram "Rebekah I would like to introduce you to the Lady Rachel"
"A pleasure to meet you both" Rachel said with a small curtsy as the elder Puckerman's face lit up in happiness at the girl her son was courting, finally growing up in her eyes.
"Well are you not the most precious ever" Duchess Puckerman said with a smile moving forward and grabbing Rachel's hands to tug her in front of the fireplace and look at her properly "now tell me everything about you, and I mean everything" she ordered pushing Rachel down onto a chair.
Throwing a slightly panicked look at Santana who smiled at her and rolled her eyes in sympathy as Rachel was bombarded with questions.
Turning back to Puck and his guests Santana engaged in gentle chit chat as Rachel was interrogated, catching Hiram's eye as the men changed the conversation to business she watched him bit his lip trying not to laugh at his daughters scared expression.
"I haven't really thought about my position on the number of children I want" Rachel said desperately casting a look over at Puck who grimaced in sympathy at her and begged her silently with his eyes to put up with it a little longer, understanding him perfectly Rachel nodded lightly and turned back to Eva Puckerman.
"Well I think you should, it is a really important aspect of marriage" Eva urged "I would love lots of grandchildren running around here"
"I'm sure you would" Rachel smiled "I would love to have children back in Plas Newydd, I have missed home"
"Oh yes you have your own home" Eva remembered "in North Wales?"
"Yes on the isle of Anglesey, hopefully I can show it to you one day as I have already promised his Grace"
"Oh you and Noah have made plans for a visit?"
"Yes, we were bragging about are family homes and it came up in the conversation" Rachel smiled gently at him across the room, catching his eye again and his returning smile. Both of them oblivious to the looks they were receiving from the angry looking Finn and the appraising looks Jesse continued to throw towards Rachel.
"Rachel darling how about some music?" Hiram asked suddenly spotting the piano in the corner "as long as you do not mind your grace?"
"Of course not" Puck insisted getting up to usher Rachel to the piano seat before she could answer, not helping her but standing close. He knew that acting as if she couldn't do it on her own would just set him back in his quest for her hand, and her heart. Biting her lip in concentration the strangely silent Rachel nodded and put her fingers to the ivory keys gently before music seemed to simply flow from her suddenly.
Stunned at her playing Puck sat down on the stool next to her and watched her stroke the keys a melody flowing from it without the aid of any sheet music simply her souls music filling his lounge, the haunting melody making his heart ache for her.
"That's beautiful" Jesse said before Puck could "I don't recognise it though"
"I wrote it myself" Rachel explained quietly
"But it's so sad" Finn protested
"It's about my mother" Rachel explained lightly, her legs pressing against Puck's under the table before putting her fingers to the keys again and playing a recognisable song this time, Jesse using the opportunity to show off his own musical ability by coming to stand next to the piano singing.
His eyes flaring in anger at Jesse's blatant flirting with Rachel when he had only just met her Puck moved as close to Rachel as he could and joined in on the singing gently earning himself a look of amazement and joy from Rachel before she joined in as well earning her own stunned looks. Her voice was like honey and magic that wrapped its way around the room as everyone crowded around the piano, Santana and Finn joining in on the harmony lured by the magic of Rachel's voice.
"That was amazing" Puck whispered to Rachel as the music came to an end "you were amazing"
"As were you, all of you" she hurried to qualify remembering they weren't alone and looking up, Santana and her father smiling at her in amusement. She yawned delicately as the conversation about music flared up around them at the piano, her eyes heavy after the long two days of travel, never sleeping well in inns.
"Let me show you to your room" Puck offered
"That would be lovely" Rachel said with another yawn "I am quite tired" she slipped her hand into his and let him help her to her feet before she bid goodnight to everyone and leaned on him heavily as he led the way to the hall.
"Lady Rachel?" came a voice from behind them
"Yes your Grace?" Rachel said pausing and trying not to yawn in Jesse's face
"I was hoping that we could spend some time together tomorrow" Jesse said with a proud smirk on his face, watching Puck's face fall into lines of anger out of the corner of his eye.
"Possibly" Rachel dodged "of course I am here as a guest of his grace and I'm sure he has plans for us"
"That I do" Puck interrupted with a grin at Jesse, taking Rachel's arm again "please excuse us Lady Rachel is quite tired" turning their backs on the stunned noble they continued upstairs to Rachel's room, across from Puck's in the family wing of the house rather than the guest wing.
"Here" Puck said with a smile ushering her in to the room which was lit with a candle by her bedside and warmed with its own fire.
"Thank you your grace" Rachel said turning to him.
"My pleasure Lady Rachel"
"You can call me just Rachel" she offered "I would prefer it"
"I would be honoured Rachel" Puck said letting the name roll of his tongue "I shall bid you good night" he said turning to walk out of the room after bowing to her and kissing her hand.
"Good night Noah" Rachel whispered as the door closed, not seeing Puck grin and shiver in contentment of his real name from her lips.