“You can’t marry me at all!” Tina protested, sticking her nose in the air. The action was practised, but it had one more reason than it usually did; to catch tears from falling down her cheeks.
Once again, this felt like a cruel joke. First, he loves her, tells her from nowhere when she is working in the garden. That was a falsity, she had thought. But he grew on her, slowly, to her chagrin, in spite of his weird behaviour. They grew closer and it culminated in a night that should never have happened. Not with her status, not with his employment, certainly not out of wedlock. Then he doesn’t want her. He asks her to leave and all she can think is that she had ruined her life for his entertainment.
And now... this. Her new place of work, setting the whole thing up with the lady of the house. It couldn’t have felt any more like a joke if he had tried.
What’s more, after all this, her heart went back to the familiar in Peter tenfold to seek his comfort. It was mortifying.
This was mortif--
Tina stiffened, her cheek in his hand, turning her head. The first time she looked him in the eye, those charming, haunted blue eyes, for weeks.
Her knees went weak, a hand finding the sleeve of his perfectly pressed shirt instinctively for balance.
“I can’t...” Tina whispered against his lips, eyes fluttering her tears down her cheeks.
"Why not." James whispered against those honey like lips. He made her cry again, how many times would he bring her to tears - not enough times he ensured himself. One day he'd make her cry tears of joy.
He couldn't take the rejectment of her, had been spoiled with unreasonable thoughts, he felt like he should be selfish with her, but the more selfish he became the more he pushed her away. And now he had realized it was She he couldn't live without.
He needed her.
Those eyes found his, and he found himself drowning into them.
"You can Tina." He urged her with his lips. Showing her his heart. "I could have married Wendy, but I won't because she isn't you. No matter whose path I cross it'll always be you Tina. I cannot love anyone but you."
He looked down again. "Which is why...I went to her royal Queen Charlotte. To grant you a title." He looked at her. "That is if you marry me, you would become the lady of the house. No more cleaning, just you and me spending time together forever." It was a promise.
"Please Tina, I beg of you." He wrapped her in his arms, unsure if he should let her go- he didn't want to.










