Daniel was roused slightly from his slumber by water droplets hitting him. "Is there a leak in the roof that needs to be repaired?" He wondered as he willed himself to go back to sleep. The pain in his shoulder was nearly gone. Perhaps it was only minor bruising and not the great fall that Mrs. Ellis was sure that it was.
The droplets were quite persistent and Daniel knew he would not be able to sleep again until it was fixed. He would call to his valet and arrange to sleep in one of the guest chambers until Miss Somers arrived.
He heard a small hiccup beside him.
He was not alone.
He opened his eyes slowly and took in the world around him. His right arm was back in a sling and there was a small delicate hand holding his left. He realized then that it was not rain that was dampening his arm, but tears.
"Miss Somers, are you alright?" He croaked, his voice caught in his throat.
"Y-you have woken, my lord?"
Daniel looked up at Emmeline and saw her tear stained cheeks. Instinctively, he tried to move his right arm to move them away but it had been put in a sling.
"It appears as though I have. I am quite confused as to how I ended up with this, however." He laughs, lifting his right arm slightly. "How long have I been resting for?"
"Three days sir. We were quite afraid we lost you." Emmeline gestured to Matilda, who had fallen asleep on the settee by the fire. "It appears your small tumble was far worse than what you told Aunt Ellis."
Emmeline inhaled sharply. She removed her hand from Daniel's and rose from her spot.
"You must be quite hungry sir. I shall ring for a tray to be sent up."
"I am fine Emmeline. My only wish is for you to come sit with me again."
Emmeline froze at the use of her first name.
"Please come sit with me. You, my dear friend, look as if you may collapse yourself. Let us enjoy the silence together."
"Are you sure you are quite all right? It is okay if you desire to rest some more. I have brought my ledgers to keep me occupied while I waited."
"Your ledgers? You should not be in financial strain anymore."
"I am not, but I do need to keep up with the work," Emmeline paused, "How did you know I had financial issues?" She got up suddenly and walked towards the window.
Daniel didn't say a word as Emmeline began to pace.
"It was you wasn't it?" She spins around to look at him accusatory, "You were the one who paid it. But how, why?"
Daniel hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Your father requested I help him handle the financials a few months ago, when Matilda stayed with you. He wanted to make sure you were taken care of."
"So you simply paid it off without consulting me? I am a capable woman, Daniel. I knew of the finances and I had a plan, a plan that would keep the practice afloat. Why didn't you talk to me? Why would you do such a thing for me?" She began to pace again.
"Miss Somers, please sit. You clearly have not slept in several days." Daniel began to rise from the bed slowly, "I will explain it to you, although I thought it was rather obvious."
"What was obvious?" Emmeline spun around to look Daniel but collapsed.
"Emmeline are you alright?" Daniel asked in a panic.
"I am fine, my lord, I simply got into a quick battle with your rug and the rug won. Now explain yourself."
"I will if you would just sit down. If you do not I will have to make you, and I do not think you want me to use this shoulder you expertly repaired."
Emmeline obliges him and sits in the chair next to his bedside.
"We make quite a pair, do we not?" Daniel says with a laugh.
"Explain yourself sir. What is so obvious to you that I am missing?"
"It is nice to see that your voracity is finally returned. I was beginning to miss the fighting spirit you had. Miss Somers, if you would be so kind as to open that drawer right there," Daniel gestured to his nightstand, "there has been something I have been meaning to do for quite some time."
Emmeline opened the drawer.
"Now pass me that small box, the one beside the book." Emmeline hands him the box in confusion.
"If I were a proper gentleman and not bedridden this would be different. Alas, I do not think I can wait a minute longer. I do not want my fairy queen to fly away from me again, so I must ask you Miss Somers, will you accept my hand in marriage?"
Daniel opens the box to reveal a delicate gold band with a single pearl in the middle.
"Is that why you settled the debt? You wish me to be your wife?"
"Emmeline, I cannot picture anyone else to spend the rest of my life with. You have brought so much joy back into this home. You have cared for Matilda as if she was your own. I dared not hope I would ever find someone to love as I do you, even when you spar with me. I am only angry at myself for waiting this long. I have had this ring since the night of the ball."
"When you asked me to go out to the balcony..."
"Yes, Emmeline I did not think I would be capable of finding someone to love, and who cared so deeply for Matilda. Please do not make me wait any longer."
"Even without my debt sir, I come with nothing. I am the daughter of a shopkeeper and a disgraced debutant."
"And I was born to parents who were miserable, even with every privilege in the world. Emmeline there is nothing standing between us."
"But what about the practice? I cannot leave my clients and I hardly think it is proper for a countess to work."
"When have you cared about what was proper? I would not dare ask you to stop doing what you love. Everyone else will simply have to get used to it."
"I suppose they can."Emmeline leans over and presses a gentle kiss to Daniel's lips. Daniel's arm wraps around her pulling her closer and onto the bed.
"So you are never leaving again, Miss Emmy? The fairy queen is returning?" Matilda suddenly rises from the settee and rushes over to the bed jumping onto it beside Emmeline.
"Yes Matilda, I am here to stay, for good."
Daniel wraps his arm tighter around Emmeline and she relaxes into him. Matilda nuzzles closer to her side.
The trio sit like that for a long time Daniel hears a contented sigh leave Emmeline's lips. He looks down and sees that her eyes have closed. "What would people think if they saw them like this?"
He lets the worry linger for only a moment before he closes his eyes as well. They were never a conventional bunch to begin with.
~
Hi Everyone!
It's hard to believe we have finally reached the conclusion to Emmeline and Daniel's story. It feels surreal to finally have an ending to it.
There still will be a small epilogue coming soon.
This is my first published story on Wattpad and it's wild thinking that it's finally done.
When I started it a few years ago I did expect anyone to read it, let alone over 100k. If I could give you all hugs I would.
There is still time to vote on who you want the next book to be about:
Charles, Lydia, or Susanna.
The Epilogue should be out later this weekend!
Hope you all enjoy!
Love,
Mary