A/N Yep I have been a useless MIA person but I had to go down to my dad's farm for a while, and when you are up at 6 and working all day then trying to get Uni work done you just do not get a lot of time for writing, hopefully I get better now! :D Sorry!

Time 12

"I had a very interesting conversation with his Grace today" Hiram said leaning against his daughter's door as he poked his head in to see if she was there and finding her reading in front of her fire.

"Oh yes?" Rachel said waving to the free seat for him to join her "I assume I was the subject"

"You were" Hiram agreed taking a seat and crossing his legs while Rachel marked her page and put the book down on the table beside her "you and a certain Grace have been talking about marriage? I thought you had only just started courting"

"Did you really assume that I would do anything by the social norm?" Rachel laughed "we have really gotten to know each other in the last month and I truly know that he is the one for me"

"Do you love him?"

"I could, I'm close" Rachel smiled shyly looking at her hands before up at her father who grinned and got up to join her on the sofa cuddling up to his daughter and holding he close,

"Will you be happy?"

"I already am"

"That is all I ask for" Hiram said pressing a kiss to her head "If you want him, if he makes you happy, if you love him, or could, love him. Then my daughter as always I will go with what you want. I may not have a lot of control over you but as much as it means to you, you have my blessing"

"Thank you father, and it means more to me then you think" Rachel said throwing her arms around her father's neck and holding him close "I know it is fast, but your courting of mother was fast as well"

Smiling at her whisper in his ear knowing it was because she wanted his approval once again for her actions, despite her independence she always wanted her father's approval, something he enjoyed in the quiet of his mind.

"I know darling" he smoothed down her loose hair "and if you are happy I am happy" he sat back as Rachel picked up her book and continued it, content in just watching his daughter and enjoying the fire in the now wet summer they were having.

The rest of the week went quickly in Lincolnshire much to Rachel's and Puck's disappointment but they spent all their time together learning as much about each other as they could and playing tennis in the rare times the rain stopped. Puck enjoying Rachel running around in trousers and shirts as much as he thought he would until she beat him the first time and he had to start actually concentrating on the game rather than the girl he had free reign to kiss now.

"The rest of our tour has been cancelled" Rachel said brightly sitting down to breakfast with Noah in his rooms on the last day of their visit "the weather is apparently just too bad for us to enjoy the great British countryside"

"Oh yes you seem all cut up about it" Noah said dryly pouring her tea just how she liked it without any prompting "so you return to London tomorrow?"

"Back to the square until the autumn and then Wales, and no I cannot express any particular loss over not having to travel around the country anymore"

"Has it really been that bad?" Puck asked knowingly arching his eyebrow at her until she blushed and looked away.

"Well I suppose one aspect of this trip has not been that bad" she conceded unwillingly before laughing as he pouted at her mockingly "I have enjoyed getting to know you obviously" she smiled gently before leaning over and kissing him lightly on the lips.

"As I am happy that I got the chance to snag you as mine" Puck said pulling her in for a harder kiss, stroking her cheek softly though in completer contrast to the power behind his kiss.

"Will I see you in London?" Rachel asked breathlessly when he finally let go of her lips. For once ignoring the use of the possessive noun, knowing Puck belonged to her as much as she belonged to him.

"Of course you will" Puck promised her still stroking her cheek as they sat close to each other enjoying each other's touch as innocent as they were "as if I could stay away from you"

"I am glad you think that" Rachel said shyly still not entirely used to his blunt words about how he felt about her, and his bluntness in general about how she was beautiful and the difference there would be between being married and engaged and how they were right now.

"Why wouldn't I want to be with you?" Puck asked rhetorically "I would marry you tomorrow if it wasn't against the dictates of society and everyone would assume that there had been an incident and we had been rushed into the marriage"

"They would think that wouldn't they?" Rachel said sadly moving so close to him she was practically on her lap, prompting him to move her on to it and cuddle her close proper manners be damned. "It wouldn't matter what we want it is always about what they think, that is what I hate most about this silly society they have to intrude in everyone's lives as if they have some right to judge other peoples actions when they lie, and cheat, and steal but hide it. As if because it is not done in the open that makes it better! It is only if it comes to light that anyone is ever punished, but us, two people who simply want to move on to the next stage have to wait because people would talk"

Puck smiled up at her as she ranted, her absentminded way of wrapping her arms around his shoulders and scooting closer on his lap as his arms wrapped around her waist to keep her there. Vaguely registering what she was saying he concentrated more on the way her long hair tickled his bare skin as it pressed against his neck where she sat, the way her mouth formed words making him want to kiss them again, her eyes as they burned with indignation.

"I know" he soothed her rubbing at her back "but it won't be long before we can announce the engagement"

"Oh really?" Rachel said arching her eyebrow "I seem to be forgetting when exactly you asked me"

"Oh it is like that is it?" Puck teased tickling her slightly "expecting some big extravagant proposal I bet"

"Not really" Rachel laughed squirming away from his fingers "just the question"

"Well you will get it" Puck promised her" just when you least expect it" rolling her eyes Rachel lowered her lips to his, content to say goodbye in the best possible way before the coach arrived to take her and family back to London.

Gleeeeeeeeeeeeee

"Party tonight darling" Hiram warned as the staff hurried to take Rachel and Santana's bags up to their rooms, Santana's parents happy for her to stay with the family and cultivate some good connections and hopefully a well to do husband in the process.

"Party?" Rachel said in a miserable voice turning back to him as her and Santana gossiped about Puck even more than they had during the journey,

"Afraid so" Hiram smirked "only small, you know a few dozen or so, maybe a hundred"

Sighing Rachel nodded dully before heading towards the kitchen to deal with the staff and make sure the house was set up before the guests descended and the girls went to go get ready.

"I hope that this goes quickly" Rachel said grunting as the laces of her dress were tightened by her maid "I cannot imagine that Noah would have made it down yet so I imagine that I will have no distraction while you talk to His Grace Jesse"

"Well only a little bit" Santana smirked "can you imagine how much the other ladies will hate me when he pays attention to me? The daughter of Knight"

Standing up and smoothing the skirt of her dress as Santana joined her, the vague murmur of voices below them the only sign that the party had started, linking their arms together as a united front the two girls headed down. Only for Santana to stop in shock as Jesse stepped up beside the bottom of the stairs and offered his arm to her to escort her into the party

"Go" Rachel urged pushing her towards Jesse and continuing alone into the party jumping as Lord Finn appeared in front of her.