Time 15

"Good morning" Puck said as Lauren opened the door for him the next day "Is Lady Rachel available?"

"Yes Your Grace, always for you miss said" Lauren assured him opening the door wider and ushering him in "she is in the morning room at the back of the house"

"Thank you" Puck said pleasantly pulling out the bunch of flowers he had been hiding behind his back and making his way through the house and up to Rachel who sat with her to back to him reading in the pale sunlight that was showing through the windows of the sunny room. "Good morning my darling fiancée" he surprised her, leaning down to her level to bring the flowers in front if her from behind.

"Oh!" Rachel jumped as he surprised her and accepting the flowers before looking up at him "good morning Noah, thank you"

"You are welcome" he said pressing a kiss to her lips and circling her chair to sit down opposite her before pulling out a paper from his pocket "I needed to apologise for this" he handed over the announcement pages "I have no idea how she got in so quickly but she knows me better than I know myself apparently"

Looking at him in confusion Rachel accepted the paper before looking down to read the large announcement in the centre of the page. Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland and His Lord Marquis of Anglesey are happy to announce the engagement of their son and daughter, His Grace Noah of Rutland and Lady Rachel future Marquees of Anglesey. They wish the couple every wish of happiness for the future.

"My mother..." he started and trailed off as Rachel re-read it again before looking up at him "she knew that I would propose as soon as I saw you so she had the run the announcement...I'm sorry..."

"It's ok" Rachel said looking up "I cannot say that this is not her overstepping the mark and I was not exactly planning on announcing our engagement in this way but it is not the end of the world"

"Oh thank god, I thought you would flip" Puck said sighing in relief and slumping in the chair "I knew you would hate it but I am glad you are not angry"

"Annoyed, not angry" Rachel said throwing the paper down onto the table in front of her as Lauren came out with a tray of tea for the both of them "and I am sure that my father had a hand in it as well" she leant forward to pour the tea Lauren hurrying away to leave the couple alone.

"Any word from Santana?" Puck asked accepting the cup as it was handed to him moving over to sit on the bench chair next to Rachel tossing his arm behind her in a protective hold.

"No but I'm sure she will be back soon, my father needs her to be back soon" Rachel said worriedly taking a sip of her tea before leaning forward and putting down the cup backing into Puck's hold so she was supported by his chest rather than the back of the chair.

"She will be" Puck promised again wrapping his arm around her shoulders and smoothing his free hand down her hair "any minute now she will let herself in"

"I hope you are right" Rachel said handing him the paper as she settled down with her book again, both of them waiting for their errant friends to return.

A few hours later they were both disturbed from their peaceful morning by the excited bouncing of both Jesse and Santana into the sun room, "Rachel!" Santana squealed running up to her friend who dropped her book as she was pulled into a tight hug, Puck being hugged by Jesse.

"Santana where have you been!" Rachel demanded as she was spun around excitedly "Santana!"

"Sorry, I am just so excited!" Santana said pausing the spinning but holding onto Rachel's hands spotting the engagement ring "Oh my god you two are engaged!" she cried out suddenly lifting up the left hand and studying it "it is such a beautiful ring"

"Darling" Jesse said gently easing her away from Rachel and sliding his arm around her to keep her by his side "why don't you answer the question?"

"Oh my god you got married!" Rachel suddenly screamed before pulling the hand Santana had been hiding behind her back in front of her the simple gold band winking up at her a matching one on Jesse's hand.

"Your parents are going to kill you" Puck said seriously "but congratulations" he added in a nice tone shaking Jesse's hand as Rachel just stared wide eyed at Santana who was blushing at her friend who continued to hold her hand.

"Ok" Rachel said breathily before falling into her seat slightly white, Puck sitting down next to her in worry as Santana and Jesse sat down quietly across from them "I'm not angry" Rachel assured them "just shocked, I just...you have known each other...so short a time...and you're in our care...and wow! I mean me and Noah just got engaged and you two...but we have to wait...just wow!"

"But you don't hate me?" Santana asked worriedly

"Oh no of course not!" Rachel cried falling on her knees and pulling Santana down with her to hug her close "Santana I could never hate you! I am just in complete shock!"

"Oh thank god" Santana said hugging her best friend close as they both knelt on the floor "I wanted you there but it was so sudden and Jesse just asked me and I had to say yes because I love him and I know that his parents never would have agreed to him marrying me usually"

"So you eloped?" Rachel asked sitting back on her haunches, her back against Puck's legs, Santana's against Jesse's.

"It seemed like the best idea" Jesse smiled down at his wife "I wanted Santana not some flouncy women my mother wanted"

"How are you going to explain this to your mother?" Puck asked his hand resting on Rachel's head "how are you going explain to either of your parents"

"My parents won't care" Santana shrugged "my mother will just wonder how it will make it her life easier and my father is in the army so I never see him"

"As for my parents, well I will deal with them" Jesse said harshly "they have been trying to rule my life since I came down here to London, the good thing with them being in the north is that they can have very little effect on me"

"You are not worried?" Rachel double checked, worried for Santana possibly getting her heart broken if the marriage fell through.

"Not at all, it is a completely legal marriage in front of the local justice and with witnesses and well the second half has been fulfilled as well" Jesse added with a smirk at Santana who blushed and looked away quickly. Puck and Jesse giving each other knowing smirks, Jesse's rather smug knowing Puck had to be good for a lot longer as they were going down the proper path for Rachel's sake.

"Wow" Rachel said again shaking her head, wishing that with all her independence she had the guts to take Puck and go get married with no thought to how it would affect her father and Noah's family. How the talking would hurt both males businesses and that it would hurt her as well to hear them talk about her like that, to hear the whispers of the other girls about how she must have done something wrong to have to rush into marriage.

"If you are happy then we are happy" Puck said, happy that he was a 'we' with Rachel now.

"We really are" Santana said looking up and smiling at her husband as Hiram came to join them and the story had to be explained again.

"Wow" Hiram echoed his daughter falling into a seat with the young adults on either side of him "you lot are going to drive me into an early grave at this rate I'm sure of it!" he joked "or drive me grey"

"I'm sorry Lord Berry" Santana said contritely "I just wanted to marry the man I love"

"My darling Santana I am on your side" Hiram promised her ushering her over to sit next to him "you never have to be sorry for marrying who you love, neither of you" he looked over at Jesse "you should always marry for love, I may have some doubts that you hurried into it but you just have to work hard is all"

"We will" Santana promised "but now we have another wedding to plan" she added with a bright gleam in her eye.

"Definitely" Puck echoed looking down at Rachel "the sooner the better"