The next two weeks went by in a blur. Each morning the newly reunited couple had breakfast together, took walks together and they even read together. William had taken a liking to doing a few household duties such as tending to the fields attached to her home, keeping them neat and tidy. Though at night it was as if they were strangers, parting with a kiss and walking into their separate rooms. Though a few days into their reunion, Charlotte has visited Effie with her children, meaning that she had also seen William there. Living with her unchaperoned and unmarried sister. At first she wanted to lecture her sister on how being alone with a man was untowards, though when she saw how happy her sister was now that William had returned, she decided not to. While Effie and Charlotte were speaking, William had decided to start reading a children's novel to Matthew and Katherine. Though half way through the knight rescuing the princess, he noticed that both children had fallen asleep and that both of the sisters were staring at him, Effie with utter awe and Charlotte with confusion as she could never get them to have their naps.

Four days after that meeting, Effie received a letter stating that she was invited to the annual Macaby summer ball. At first she didn't want to attend as she hated those sorts of gatherings. But when William promised that he would be there to escape with her to the gardens she accepted.

On the eve of the ball, William sat down on the edge of his bed with a sigh. He pulled on his waistcoat and slowly buttoned it up "It's only a dinner as we will both surely escape to the gardens like last time" Effie spoke causing him to smirk ever so slightly.

"You look gorgeous" And she did, there was no other way of describing how she looked. Effie blushed a slight pink and shook her head "Tis' true my love" She was garbed in a beautiful pale blue dress which was decorated with white ruffles at the sleeves and at the neckline. Her hair was tied back in a braid, simple but it made her look that much more pretty. To make things better, she wore the necklace that he had given her all of them years ago.

"And you are handsome…" Effie walked over towards him and softly pecked his lips. He was wearing a tailored black frock coat with a matching waistcoat and pair of breeches. Unfortunately in his opinion, he had to wear white stockings and silver buckled shoes "I think that you will outshine every man there this evening"

"Hmm when it comes to the ballroom, I am your colonel in shining armour"

"Come on, the barouche arrived five minutes ago" When he cast her a smirk, her face lit up with a smile as he closed the small gap between them "And this is the man that wishes to court me?"

"No, this man wishes to marry you" William tipped her chin upwards and leaned down to kiss her, smiling slightly when she clutched onto his coat "I just need your father's permission"

Effie bit her lip lightly "Well, it may be a task, he'll be surrounded by his wealthy friends all evening"

"So you finally admit that you're wealthy"

"I much prefer the simplistic style of life. The only reason I am going to this get together is because I am required to"

"You would've hated the officer ball I had to attend near christmas each year, full of pompous pricks and undisciplined soldiers. I spent my time there pairing off young misses to other officers"

Effie cast him a small smile before taking his hands "this ball will be much different, we can both enjoy ourselves for once"

When the pair eventually made it into the carriage, William was struck by how lavishly decorated it was. He couldn't believe how soft the seats were along with the intricately decorated embroidery on the cushions. After spending the best part of the year sleeping rougher than he was used to, this carriage was considered a luxury. Like a schoolboy, he kept staring out of the window at the scenery, not that he needed to remember it at all. They stopped outside of Charlotte's home and, after a few minutes, she came into the carriage and sat across from her sister closely followed by her husband, of whom William hadn't met. This man had a striking resemblance to his father, the only difference being that his eyes were brown and his hair blonde.

"Dear, who is this? I thought it was just your sister accompanying us this evening" The man spoke, causing William to scowl ever so slightly.

"Of course, Stephen this is William Tavington, Effie's…erm" Charlotte looked over at Effie.

"He's my…" Effie trailed off, trying to think of something "He's the man that was courting me all of those years ago, before we moved up here"

"Ah…" Stephen took off his glove and offered William his hand "pleased to meet you, especially after the years of grief you caused my sister-in-law"

"The pleasure is mine" William thinly smiled before glancing to the side at Effie. She reached for his hand, gently brushing their fingers together. Charlotte raised an eyebrow before looking up at Stephen who just had a stern expression on his face. She softly elbowed him and shook her head.

The rest of the journey was spent in comfortable silence up until the point they arrived at the Macaby estate. When they exited the carriage, Stephen and Charlotte quickly walked up the steps and into the estate. However, William stood there for a moment, his mouth slightly agape when he saw the size of the building. It looked like a royal palace! It was made purely of brick with white pillars of stone on each corner. Bloody expensive is what it was. William definitely felt out of place, he hadn't been to a ball this extravagant since Middleton Place.

Effie walked up to William but kept about a foot worth of space between them "is something amiss?"

"I think that the servants have servants" He mumbled and looked to the side "you never told me that this family was this extravagant, there are statues every thirty feet"

"Papa has a trade deal with Lord Maccaby, after Stephen married Charlotte it bound our families together" Effie explained as William carried on gawking at the building ahead of him. She took a few steps forwards and he followed "I'll be by your side this evening, I promise you"

William only nodded and followed her inside. The servant at the door took the invitation off of Effie and allowed them both to enter. Effie looped her arm around his, whilst he examined the room around him. There were numerous paintings and sculptures decorating the walls of the ballroom. He took note of the many people giving him strange looks, especially the men in powdered wigs and the women with extravagant hairstyles.

"Effie" A male voice spoke. She looked to the side and let out a laugh "I haven't heard from you in a while, your letters must've gotten lost in the post" William examined the man that had come towards his woman, curling his lip ever so slightly when he took her hand and kissed it. He and his preened blonde hair and annoying handsome face could piss off!

"I have been preoccupied, Julian" Effie smiled before shaking her head "may I introduce William Tavington? William, this is Julian Wetmore"

"Pleasure" Julian uttered before staring at Effie "May I have the next dance with you? It is about to start"

"I would love to, but I promised Mister Tavington that I'd spend my time with him this evening.

William thought about it for a moment, he'd very much like to say no. But he wanted to keep her happy "If you wish to dance with him, you can" He smiled as she unlooped his arm from hers "I need to find your father anyway" Effie knew what he meant and couldn't help but smile.

"May I have this dance then, Miss Collins?"

She cleared her throat "Of course, Julian"

One by one, numerous couples joined together on the dance floor including Effie and Julian, much to William's disliking. He, however, took the time to mill around in search of her father. It was about time that he faced his past and asked for her hand. After a few long minutes and many fake smiles to any passing lord, he spotted her father surrounded by other gentlemen.

Swallow your fear, William, it's only a damn question! You'll still have Effie either way.

William got a little closer and cleared his throat, catching Arthur's attention "Gentlemen, may I speak with Mr Collin's for a moment?" He asked, feeling increasingly unsure when he saw a few lords hid their chuckles behind a sip of whiskey.

"Long time, no see, Colonel" Arthur mumbled, swirling his brandy around his glass as he looked down at his hands.

"Oh, so we have a colonel in our midst?" One of the lords jested.

William rolled his jaw, trying to hold his tongue for as long as humanly possible as he formed his next sentence "I have no title now, Mr Collins, I am just William Tavington, a fourth born son who loves your daughter"

"No title and you wish to marry his daughter? Have you gone mad, boy?" Another lord asked.

"I think travelling for six years in search of your daughter proves that I love her. Though of course if you reject my advances towards her I understand. A father's love is strong for his daughters"

Arthur shook his head before finishing off his brandy. William feared the worst. He didn't have any titles or land or money. In truth he was worth nothing, after leaving the military his value had plummeted to practically nothing.

"And what could you offer her in return?" Arthur asked.

William cleared his throat "my unyielding love and loyalty"

Her father casted him a small smile "I am not going to make that decision for her, that will fall upon her shoulders. Go, before I change my mind"

William smiled before bowing his head respectfully "Thank you, sir" And with that, he turned on his heel and walked away as quickly as he could. He took two glasses of cordial from a servant's silver tray and waited for Effie to finish her dance with Julian.

"I thought that you may have been thirsty" William smiled and offered her the cordial. When she took it, she intentionally didn't make any contact with him "Would you care to take a turn around the gardens?"

"Yes, that would be most lovely"

They parted ways and made for different exits to the gardens so as to not be caught. William quickly reached into his pocket and took out his signet ring. He had taken it from her jewellery box the day before the ball so he could propose properly. She, of course, wondered where it was and William had to pretend that he didn't have a clue. When he made it into the gardens and spotted Effie, they made their ways back to each other.

"Alone at last?" He asked to which she nodded. William took one of her hands and led her further into the garden, smiling brightly when he heard her laughing. We should be alright here. He thought with a smile. They were in the middle of numerous hedges, trees and two stone benches that were parallel to each other. He could propose in peace.

"Why are we here, Will?" He cleared his throat as he brought his glass up to his lips, taking a sip and scrunching his face. It was far sweeter than any other cordial he had tried "Don't you like it that much?" Effie asked before taking a drink of her own.

"It's far sweeter than anything that I've ever tasted"

She suppressed a light giggle when she remembered his reaction to the peach juice she had given him "even sweeter than the peach juice?"

He placed his glass on the bench before moving closer to her "Not as sweet as you" William gently brushed a few locks of hair from her face. As they were alone on the grounds, she couldn't care about getting caught "I hated every second when that man asked you to dance"

"Julian? You have nothing to fear, he's courting Miss Longmore" Effie rested her hands on his chest and brushed away a few hairs that had stuck to his coat "You, however, was by far the most handsome man in that room"

Just as William was about to say something, music started playing in the ballroom. He shot her a boylike grin before offering her his hand "A dance, Miss Collins?" William suggested.

And she accepted, taking his hand and stepping closer to him until they were mere inches apart. Although the music coming from the ballroom was allegro, they kept their dance at a steady larghetto. It came to his mind that this was the first time that they had danced, at the Applebury ball they had only wandered around outside. He rested his hand on her waist while the other one occupied her hand. She let out a giggle when he spun her around, causing him to break into a chuckle. But when the music started to fade, the pair didn't separate, choosing to stay close for a few more seconds. He moved his hand up to her back, his chest already pressed against hers, keeping her surprisingly warm.

"For what it's worth, I love you, William Tavington" Effie spoke as they came to a halt in their movements. He lowered his head ever so slightly, making it easier for her to kiss him so she doesn't have to uncomfortably crane her neck. Once their lips met, they both practically melted. William attempted to move his hand up to the back of her head to gently cup it, only for Effie to shake her head "if we return to the ballroom and I have messy hair, people will know what we've been up to"

"Yes" He swallowed the nervous lump that had formed in his throat "I asked your father for your hand" William spoke, his voice just above a whisper "He said that that decision falls upon your shoulders"

"My answer is yes"

He huffed a chuckle before gently kissing her forehead "So I needn't get down on my knees and proclaim my undying love for you? I had an entire speech planned too" William jested before reaching into his pocket and producing the signet ring he had given her all of those years ago "I can finally use this properly" He smirked and slid the ring onto her finger.

"So that's where it has been? I wanted to wear it this evening" She laughed before looking down at the ring on her finger "I never truly thought that this day would come…"

"And trust me when I say this, I want to marry you as soon as possible"

"As do I, I never want to spend another second away from you"

"The banns need reading, every Sunday for three weeks. I can afford a marriage bond or a licence…" William looked down at his shoes "I sold my commission as a colonel, I used half of it to get here, now I'm using the other half to give you a proper wedding" Effie stared up at him, a smile playing on her lips "Yes, darling?"

"You're a good man"

He nodded though in reality all he wanted to do was shake his head and crumple into a ball and cry. John was a good man, he dragged his sorry arse to safetywhile risking his own life before dying alone an hour before the war ended! It should have been him, as his commander, he should have saved him and not the other way around.

"Not good enough for you"

"Come, we must return before someone notices that we are missing"

When the evening finally finished and the pair returned home and retired to their separate bedrooms, William sat down on the edge of his bed and reminisced about the evening. She was to be his wife, he thought with a smile. He unbuttoned his waistcoat and tossed it into the washing basket in the corner of the room, leaving him in only his shirt, breeches and stockings. Him and his Effie were engaged at last. He could hardly believe it himself, how lucky he was to have her!

A gentle laugh caught his attention. He made his way over towards the door and cracked it open. There she was, sitting at her vanity brushing her gorgeous golden hair whilst her maid walked from the room with a basket full of laundry. William somehow plucked up enough courage to open the door and walk across the corridor to hers.

Effie was beautiful, sat there donned in a white nightdress made from a fine looking cotton. The sleeves were short, allowing him to see much more of her skin than ever before. Hell, he had never seen her bare shoulders, nevermind the wondrous bulge of her breasts that were pressed against the material. He leaned against the doorframe and examined the room, noting that hers was sparsely decorated. She had furniture of course, a blue carpet and a window seat covered with a few pillows and a blanket. But no decorations on the wall, nor any paintings whereas his room did.

"You know, you do have your own room…" Effie stated as she looked over her shoulder at him, her wealth of golden hair cushioning her cheek. William felt his face flush a deep red, he had been caught staring at her like a creep! You silly git William! "Come in, please, I have much to discuss with you anyway"

"And how do I know that you won't murder me?" He recited the words that she had said to him when they first met and she invited him to dinner. He casted her a small smile before walking into the room. She nodded towards the door and a maid walked in with a blanket "I can leave if you wish-"

"Mable, will you leave us please?"

"Of course, Miss" with that, Mable curtseyed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

William walked up to his fiance and took her into his arms. She let out a soft giggle, hugging him tightly. He tipped her chin skywards before leaning down to kiss her. Though this time he kissed her gently, tasting her, savouring every second that he could before he'd need to retreat back to his room.

She reached upwards and cupped his jaw with her hand as his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand resting on her lower back. He dipped down and lifted her into his arms, walking them over towards her bed. When he laid her down he spent a moment admiring her "We must stop…"

"I don't want it to…"

"I don't either…" William shook his head "But we need to stop, we must wait until our wedding night"

Effie nodded before taking his hand into hers "until our wedding night…"

"I want to do something right in my life, I want to do this right" He offered a glint of a smile "If I could usher you to Gretna Green I would. A special licence could allow us to marry sooner"

"The archbishop wouldn't allow it"

"Then, I will ask the clergyman to announce the banns tomorrow" William pulled her up, gently, with her arms and knelt before her "For now I must leave before my desires get the better of me" He leaned forwards and pecked her lip "I love you"

"I love you too"