Dear Past, You Suck!

I Think I Wanna Marry You

"We must go," Eleanor hissed.

"Fine then lets all go," I had been hoping to be fairly inconspicuous but with three girls, two in dresses, would not be. We snuck out of the house, Margaret snickering out of glee for her courage and Eleanor gently shushing her.

The men were not hard to fine. At all. You could see the glow of their lanterns and torches through the trees and their shouts could be heard from the house. We trampled through waist-high bushes and brambles to get to the edge of the forest. Eleanor blew out the lantern as we got closer. My heart beat faster as the shouts of the men got more intense. About twenty men stood around a makeshift campsite but from the moving lights in the forest behind them, I guessed there was more.

"This is my campsite I had while I kept Wilbur out here. I couldn't leave him alone overnight," Eleanor said in a voice barely louder than the rustle of the leaves.

"This has got to be the spot! Look at the burnt grass, that must have been where the witch lit her cauldron!" An overexcited young man exclaimed, leaning closer to the grass.

"That is Tom," Eleanor whispered in my ear as we crouched behind a bush, peering through the darkened leaves. So that's her new boyfriend. He doesn't seem as stuffy as I thought he'd be.

"You don't know that Thomas," another seemingly bored man sighed.

"The woman I have been courting has an old book full of witchcraft fables and this area sounds like an area in the book!" Thomas said, I could almost see the blush in his cheeks even in the dark. I could also see the blush creep up Eleanor's neck beside me.

"What an interesting woman," another man said sarcastically.

"Yes she is!" Thomas exclaimed, not picking up on the sarcasm, "I believe a woman such as her would make a fine wife and mother." A little excited meep escaped Eleanor's lips. Margaret quietly shushed her.

"Are you planning to propose marriage to this woman soon, Thomas? Women do not like being kept waiting, just ask Archibald. Is that not right, Archie," a man said boisterously. The man who must've been Archie growled slightly and muttered something under his breath.

"I am well aware. I have already spoken to her father who has agreed on our matrimonial union. I will be telling her in less than a fortnight, I just need to ensure payment on our future home. She's staying as a member of staff at the Duke's estate," Tom said his voice trying to contain his excitement from the others. Eleanor let out an overjoyed squeal. They heard it this time. All at once this turned their heads and raised their lanterns, eyes narrowed trying to see through the veil of dark and foliage.

"What's there?" A man shouted.

"Maybe it's the witch!" Thomas shouted with equal terror and excitement.

"Come forth, foul witch!" After several seconds without a reply, the man yelled to a comrade, "Burn the area." A man marched forward, taking a crude torch over to where we were. If we didn't leave we'd be burned. Margaret saw this and popped up out of the bush.

"There are no witches here, I am afraid. Just I, my cousin Elizabeth Hemerton and her servant." She flashed a bright smile, "We were curious. We wanted to see the men find the witch." Eleanor and I reluctantly came out of our crouched positions. The man with the torch backed away.

"Eleanor?" Thomas asked bewildered.

"Hello," Eleanor said shyly.

"Miss Hemerton, is Mr. Warlest aware you are out galavanting around in the forest," an older man asked.

"Well I don't see why it's any of his business," I spat.

The man pinched up his face and yelled, "Sir Warlest! I believe you may want to escort your future bride and her cousin and servant back to her estate!"