Pauline hurried to Halt's room not wanting to waste any time. She stopped when she reached the door and reached out to knock when the door opened.
Halt stood there and gave her a gentle smile "heard you coming."
"Am I that loud" Pauline said stepping into the room.
"No" Halt said, he didn't explain any further.
They moved to sit on the window seat as they usually did in their minuscule moments together of late. They would sit quietly and talk or go for brief strolls in the garden the combination of herbs to help Halt heal having been keeping him drowsy though they seemed to be proving effective.
"You look as if you are feeling better" she said touching his arm softly and caressing his side gently where the bandages were.
She had helped him change his bandages daily (under close supervision of course) so the slight moments of contact didn't seem rare or out of place anymore.
"I am feeling better" he nodded "eager to be back to normal."
She smiled softly then frowned.
He caught the gesture "what is it?"
"I am eager to have you well again but I am enjoying being able to see you every day while you are here... when my aunt isn't trying to keep us apart that is" Pauline said.
"Well then it's a good thing we will be married soon hmm?" He said softly "then she can't very well keep us apart."
"That is true" Pauline said softly. They had rescheduled their wedding for the end of the following month so that Halt would be fully mended again. She studied him for a moment.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Trying to imagine what married life will be like" she said her head tilted slightly as she took in his features in the morning sun.
"And what do you suppose it'll be like?" He asked.
"Oh I don't know arranged marriages tend to have two extremes. We will either end up like my parents and bicker all the time and not have a clue about what real love feels like or we will be lucky and end up like Gretchen and her husband and fall in love and be happy together" Pauline said "I certainly hope for the latter. But sometimes I feel as though we are more friends than a couple."
"We have been a bit more like friends I suppose but that could change in time, I should think we stand a little bit of a chance after all you did choose me" Halt said with a slight teasing undertone.
Pauline picked up on it "you make it sound as if I was trying to choose a prize stud... you seemed to be the least romantically inept of the lot I had to choose from" she teased back.
"I am not entirely romantically inept" Halt said with a cocked brow.
"You wouldn't know romance if it hit you in the face Halt O'Carrick" Pauline said shaking her head with a laughing smile.
"Oh you think so do you?" He retorted
"I do" she said, teasing him back horribly.
With that and no warning he leaned in and captured her lips with his at first the kiss was firey and intense burning with months of want, but once the flames subsided it was softened and tender and loving. It wasn't until neither had any air left in their lungs that the kiss broke they sat close their foreheads leaned together gently. Pauline could hear bells ringing in her ears from the intensity of the kiss. She caressed his bearded cheek softly their bodies close no words were spoken for a moment as a series of more soft gentle kisses passed between them.
"I do love you, Pauline. I may not be the most romantic man in the world but at least know that I do love you and I should have said it before now" Halt said gently.
Tears fell from Pauline's eyes but when Halt gave her a worried look she shook her head "they are happy tears... I wanted to tell you I loved you the day you left and when you didn't come home I was worried I'd never be able to say it."
He reached out then and carefully hugged her to him using the undamaged side of his chest "I'm here now."
"You are and you proved me wrong" she said he raised a confused brow at her "I guess there is a romantic bone or two in your body."
He gave her a rare smile and she kissed him again happily her arms circling his neck as his slipped carefully around her body cradling her close to him. They stayed that way lounged in the window seat watching the day pass slowly enjoying the comfortable silence and warmth of the embrace.
It was perfect and peaceful till suddenly Pauline's Aunt burst through the door. Halt had been so caught up in kissing Pauline he hadn't been paying attention and Pauline had not been on edge since she had been informed her Aunt would be out of their hair. The woman let out a shriek as if she had caught them in coitus. Halt quickly let go of Pauline and moved away from her. The shriek had alarmed most of the house which was now rapidly appearing the first of which was Paulines mother.
"Georgiana? I thought you had gone to the market for the afternoon... what's happened?" She asked quickly looking at the couple.
"I caught these two entwined in each other's arms brazenly it's unacceptable! He was surely going to press his advantage!" Georgiana said fanning herself dramatically.
Pauline's mother looked at the two for an explanation, Pauline spoke before Halt could say anything and potentially make it worse.
"Mother nothing happened Halt was very respectful it was a simple kiss" Pauline said.
Halt saw Pauline's mothers eyes brighten and eye him before turning to Georgiana and spoke "it would appear to be perfectly innocent then, perhaps you are seeing things."
Pauline's aunt let out an offended huff "brash, unacceptable, heathen" she muttered down the hall as she left most of the staff scampering away in her wake.
"Ranger Halt you look well today" Pauline's mother said brushing it off as if it was nothing.
Halt shook off the conversation "er... yes my lady I am well thank you again for your kindness in letting me stay."
"Think nothing of it Halt since you are well however you can join us for dinner" Pauline's mother stated.
Halt nodded "of course" it was the last thing on the planet he wanted but knew it was inevitable.
"Wonderful, Pauline you should let the ranger get some rest" her mother said and walked out of the room.
Pauline sighed softly "I suppose she is right" she said stroking his cheek "you need the rest."
"All I seem to be able to do is rest" Halt grumbled.
"Only a few days ago you were nearly ripped in half, give yourself some time. The herbs the doctor gave you should help you stay relaxed so the muscles can heal, but its only for a couple more days" she said "then you should be more like your old self."
Halt sighed "alright."
"I'll come back up and see you before dinner perhaps we could go for a walk in the garden" Pauline said.
"I would like that" Halt said gently he caressed her cheek.
She leaned up and kissed him softly "I'll see you soon" she said and with that she left.
A short way down the hall her mother was waiting for her.
"Mother do you think that is a good idea for Halt to come to dinner given the circumstances" Pauline said.
"We can't very well keep him cooped up, dear. Halt is a grown man and can defend himself quite well I should say" her mother said.
"I hope you are right" Pauline said.
"How was your kiss?" her mother teased.
"Not what I expected" Pauline said simply with a strait face.
"Oh?" her mother said surprised.
"It was much, much better" Pauline said and then went on her way.
Pauline's mother smiled happy to see her daughter so happy. She remembered a time when she was as happy as the young woman but that was long ago now. She frowned at the memory her life had ended up quite different hopefully things would go better for her daughter.