Authors note: we have reached the elopement in Gatlinburg in this chapter. I have tried to keep it to PG-13 and do not think I move into the M rating. However, they are newly weds and they have been patient so far. Much is hinted at, but not explicitly stated. Skip over the last little section if you like.

Chapter 11

Elizabeth met with her professor Monday morning to finalize a couple of details with her thesis. Final arrangements were made for her defense later this week and she would graduate with her master's degree the following Wednesday. When she informed her instructor with the news that she would be returning to Scotland to marry a man she teasingly referred to as a "Scottish laird", she was shocked at the reaction.

"Seriously, you would give this all up to play housewife to some rich fool?" he had protested.

"Excuse me," she asked. "I have no intention of 'playing housewife' to anyone. William will help me find a job in Scotland once I have been granted a visa and can, and just because I am moving to Scotland and getting married, it does not mean that my degree will be invalid. I already have been offered two jobs, one in Inverness and one in Edinburgh, and while I cannot accept either just yet, I am extraordinarily pleased with the choice I have made."

"I intended to offer you a job here," he whined.

"But I have made a different choice," she told him. "I wouldn't give up what I have with William for a job as a grad assistant."

He hemmed and hawed a little bit more and continued to make a fuss about her moving away. By the time she left, Elizabeth was rather angry with her professor and hoped whatever he was thinking would not interfere with her ability to successfully defend her thesis on Friday.

William was livid when she recounted the events of that morning and asked if he would be permitted to attend on Friday. "I think so," was her answer. "It will be in an auditorium, and I believe that visitors are permitted to sit in the back of the room, as long as they are quiet."

"Tell me about the job offers in Scotland," he said after a moment. "You had not mentioned them before."

"In both cases, I told them that it was impossible at the moment. When I spoke to the professor in Inverness, we were not yet engaged, and I was not certain what to say. In Edinburgh, I declined because, well, we will be living in the Highlands and will be too far away to even consider it," she replied. "I do not think I even thought of them again."

"Once you have your visa, you will be able to work, if that is your desire," he told her.

"I do want to work, but maybe not right away," she said, thinking a moment before continuing. "Shifting continents is a rather big change, and then there is the wedding and learning to … to be married. Find me something to do at Pemberley for a while, until I feel ready to start looking for a more permanent job."

William grinned at her. "I look forward to learning to be married," he teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Elizabeth playfully punched his shoulder. "I was talking about learning to live together, learning to make decisions together and all of that. There is more to being married than just the, the, um, fun stuff?"

He laughed. "The fun stuff?"

She blushed furiously and buried her face in his chest mumbling something he could not make out. He tilted her head up to kiss her. "I look forward to learning how to be married, mo ghràdh. We will begin tomorrow to learn tomorrow together. What time will we need to leave?"

Elizabeth took a moment, and then sat up. "We should leave at nine, I think. We can go get the marriage license first, and then we can go to the chapel from. We have an appointment there at noon."

He nodded. "And did you get your shopping done, Elizabeth?" he whispered, making her blush again. Her only response was to nod, so he pulled her into him and hugged her tightly. "Good, mo ghràdh."

They remained snuggled together on the couch for several minutes. "We have spoken of children before, mo ghràdh, but have you given thought to when they might come?" William asked after some time.

Elizabeth sat up. "I had not given any thought to that," she replied. "I'm not in anything and it is probably too late to get a prescription today. What do you think?"

"I am nearly thirty, mo ghràdh, and would like to start a family sooner rather than waiting several years. I know you are younger, but even still, I cannot imagine waiting four or five years to start. I am on the view that children will come when they come, but there are obviously precautions we could take if you wanted to wait. As you said, you are already looking at significant changes in your life."

She leaned back into his chest and thought for a few minutes. "And if I agree with you, that children will come when they come and we should just, I don't know, roll with it? There is no guarantee that I will get pregnant on the first try, but there is also nothing that says I will not."

He chuckled. "I intend to make many tries following our wedding, mo ghràdh. You have tempted me quite beyond reason over the course of our acquaintance. I have nearly a month of fantasies to act upon beginning tomorrow night," he whispered in her ear and grinned broadly when he felt her shiver at his words.

She sighed and brought his hands up around her waist. "You are going to insatiable, aren't you? Perhaps I should return what I bought today. It seems like I won't need it."

He nearly growled at the suggestion. "While I sincerely doubt I will need any incentive to ravish you thoroughly, I will not object to any of your purchases. I feel certain to be pleased with anything you wear and while I may not need you to dress up in anything special, it doesn't not mean I will not enjoy seeing you in it, and …" he paused to turn her face to his so he could watch her, "I will definitely enjoy taking it off of you."

She blushed and dropped her eyes, but he lifted her chin once again. Leaning down, he kissed her lips in a slow, lingering kiss.

The following morning, William and Elizabeth headed north toward Gatlinburg. Having grown up near there, Elizabeth was familiar with the route and was able bypass the most crowded places, which meant taking him through winding roads in the middle of the mountains, completing bypassing the more touristy Pigeon Forge. William, who was used to the Highlands around Inverness, was nonetheless enthralled by his first views of the Great Smoky Mountain range. The foggy morning blanketed the mountains in the blue mist that gave them their name and he was surprised at the expansive views.

William was surprised at the many winding roads that were a stark contrast to the straight, narrow roads he was used to in Scotland. The lush greenery and the vibrant colors of the trees and wildflowers lining the roadside were breathtaking in the Spring and William and Elizabeth both enjoyed the views. She promised they would take more time on their way back to stop and look, and, if he wanted, they could even return that weekend.

Soon enough, they arrived at the Gatlinburg City Hall where they obtained the license, and then made their way to the chapel nearly an hour ahead of their noon appointment. They were shown to separate rooms to prepare, and after fixing her hair a bit and putting on very light make up, Elizabeth put on the dress she had purchased for the occasion.

The dress was a beautiful piece that reached down to the floor and gently flared out at the bottom, creating a graceful swing as she walked. It hugged her curvy figure in all the right places, emphasizing her best features while minimizing others. Elizabeth had always been self-conscious about her body, but the dress made her feel confident and beautiful. Despite her initial worries, the dress was incredibly flattering, making her feel elegant and sophisticated. She was delighted with the way it looked on her, and she knew that William would think she looked beautiful too. Her shoes, a pair of strappy silver sandals added a touch of glamor to the outfit, as did the necklace and bracelet that William had given her. As she looked at herself in the mirror, Elizabeth felt confident, beautiful, and ready to marry the man she loved.

In another room, William was getting into his kilt and jacket. He had elected to wear a traditional tartan pattern and struggled to get it just right in the small room, but years of practice made it relatively simple. His tall socks completed the outfit and he grinned when he remembered the conversation about kilts and knees. Finally, he attached the thistle kilt pin that matched the jewelry he had purchased for Elizabeth at Loch Ness after he had worked up the nerve to ask her on a date. Reflecting for a moment on the changes he had underwent since that day, he took a deep breath before exiting the room and going into the chapel to wait for his bride.

He spoke to the minister for a few minutes and handed over the marriage license and other necessary documents while he waited on Elizabeth to appear. The moment finally arrived and at a nod from the minister, he turned and watched Elizabeth as she made her way to him. She was beautiful and for a moment he was stunned. Then, she smiled at him and everything else was momentarily forgotten.

The wedding ceremony itself passed in a blur. Both spoke when nudged to do so, but neither was particularly aware of anyone else in the room. Vows were said, rings were exchanged, and finally, finally, he heard the minister utter the words "you may kiss your bride." He bent and touched his lips to hers and what started chaste quickly turned passionate. Once again, the minister had to nudge them to get their attention and both blushed bright red when they separated. The minister, who was surely accustomed to such displays, simply congratulated the couple as he moved them toward the exit where they would take care of the paperwork to make it all official.

A limousine took them to the cabin William had rented for the next two nights. Utilizing a concierge service, the cabin was ready for their arrival. Their luggage had been collected from the flat that morning and waiting for them, there was food in the fridge, and champagne on ice. On the counter, sat a small wedding cake and cut crystal glasses engraved with their names and the wedding date. William had arranged these as a surprise, and they had been delivered to Elizabeth's flat yesterday while Elizabeth was out. Flowers also decorated the room and flower petals covered the path up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

Neither saw any of this. Scarcely a word had been spoken on the short ride as the couple had continued the kiss that begun in the chapel. As soon as Elizabeth stepped out the limousine behind William, she found herself scooped up into his arms and carried inside. The driver had opened the cabin door for them, and grinned as he was largely ignored. He had been paid well for this short trip and all that was left was for him to ensure their car was parked out in front of the cabin when they were to leave in two days. He did not think he needed to hurry, as judging from what he had seen so far, he did not think this couple would leave the cabin until they absolutely had to depart.

William carried Elizabeth straight inside and followed the trail of rose petals into the bedroom, where he carefully sat Elizabeth down. Taking a moment to breathe, he remembered that this was to be Elizabeth's first time, and he attempted to calm himself. "Do you need a few moments, mo ghràdh? Do you wish to wait until this evening?" he forced himself to ask.

Elizabeth smiled gently at him, realizing how very difficult it must have been for him to ask this. "I would like a few minutes, Will, but I do not want to wait. I would simply like a few minutes to prepare. And perhaps a glass of something?" She knew he had made some preparations but was not sure what all that would have included.

He nodded, and after showing her where her bag was, stepped out, going back downstairs to pour them both glasses of champagne, and a small dram of whisky for him, which he quickly downed in an effort to calm both his nerves and his desire.

Fifteen minutes later, dressed simply a dressing gown, he knocked on the door carrying the two glasses of champagne. She opened it, dressed in something white and flowy, and very nearly see-through, which almost resulted in him dropping the glasses he carried. Elizabeth smiled at him softly and took the glasses from him as he entered. Then, she shut the door and turned to face him.

Sometime later she woke, realizing she was cool. She looked down and realized that she was completely naked and lying in bed with her equally naked husband and recalled what had happened when he returned. They had both been nervous, but with a touch of the lips, the nervousness fled as their desire had taken over. He had been careful not to hurt her and had taken the time to ensure she enjoyed herself first. After that first time, they had talked and laughed, and finally drank the champagne before starting all over again. He had fallen asleep almost immediately after the second time, and she had followed soon after. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience, and one she looked forward to repeating often.

Even now, she looked at her incredibly handsome husband and delighted in the fact that he was in fact hers. He loved her and she loved him. She would move to Scotland to be with him and they would be happy; she was determined.

She looked over at her new husband sleeping beside her. Still slightly cool, she pulled the covers up around then and snuggled into his side. When he moved to wrap his arms around her in his sleep, she sighed deeply, a contented sigh that spoke of her deep joy in that moment. Soon, she was asleep again.

They both woke later and when they both realized they were hungry, they went into the kitchen to raid the fridge. It was early evening, and so they threw on enough clothes to sit outside on the porch as they ate, enjoying the view of the mountains. They found themselves always touching, needing to be in contact with the other. He played with her fingers and her rings as they sat beside each other. Eventually, they returned inside and put on bathing suits to relax in the hot tub for a while.

They sat together in the hot tub and chatted for a time. Talking turned into kissing which soon requires them to return inside to indulge themselves once more, making it as far as the overstuffed chair just inside the door. They rest of their stay continued in this way, with periods of talking and teasing that turned into loving. They slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry and all too soon it was Thursday and time to leave their little hideaway in the mountains.