Chapter 14

A few days

later , Alessandra rose and

made her way down to breakfast, as had become her usual daily

routine. On entering the room, everyone smiled at her in a way that

made her certain something had been discussed about her, without

her there. After a few minutes of sitting at the table, her

assumption was proven correct.

"I hear Edward is taking you up

to the summit today, Alessandra," Edward's mother said.

Looking across the table,

Alessandra saw her future husband grinning broadly at her. His

smile was combined with a look that also showed his wonder at

whether he was rushing her into something she wouldn't want to

do.

"Oh? Is today that day?" she

asked, teasing him and making him smile even more.

"Yes, if you have no objection.

I think you are confident enough for us to walk the horses up at

the pace you wish to set," he said, with his look of amusement well

set in. "Do you have any objection?"

Alessandra looked at

him, aware that four parents were also at the table, and kept

silent for a moment to tease him in anticipation some

more.

"No, I look forward to it," she

replied after teasing him with her silence.

Edward's relief was

evident by the loud exhale of breath that immediately came from

him.

"I shall ask Cook to

prepare some picnic food to take with you. Since the weather looks

fine enough, you can luncheon up there also," Edward's mother said,

with a satisfied smile very evident on her face.

~~~~~

Two hours

later , Alessandra sat on her

pony, nervous about leaving the confines of the stable yard, but

also excited at again having something new to try and do. She

watched Edward expertly and confidently mount his horse, then

slowly move up beside her.

"Are you ready?" he

asked, with his smile of happiness and doubt blended

together.

Alessandra nodded at

him, so nervous she was unable to speak. Off to her side, she could

see her parents standing together, arms around each other's backs,

watching. After nodding to them, she focused on Edward.

"Stay behind me. All you have

to do is look at my horse, and follow me," he said, smiling at her

one more time before he walked ahead slightly.

The gate was opened and both of

them walked slowly through it, allowing Alessandra the view of

Edward's back. She found herself wishing she could talk to him, but

she was so nervous that she knew she had to concentrate heavily on

what she was doing, otherwise she would make a mistake that might

take her off in a different direction - literally.

Edward looked back at her

now and then, but for the most part, kept his eyes forward whilst

ensuring his horse remained at a slow pace. He could feel Beauty

wanting to move much faster. He understood the desire

completely.

Up they climbed. To

Alessandra, it felt like the journey was going on forever, but then

all of a sudden she heard Edward's voice.

"We are here,

Alessandra," he said. "Look."

As she looked up,

Alessandra realised they were very high above the level of the

house. Around her, she could see land for miles.

Edward dismounted and

tied the rein of his horse to a nearby tree that had, on many

occasion, served that very purpose. He then moved next to her,

helped her down, and walked her pony to the same tree to be

secured.

Alessandra

stood and looked out over the land. In all

directions , the view was

beautiful. As a result, she found herself awestruck.

"Are you hungry?" Edward

asked as he started to unpack the compact picnic bag Cook had

presented him with before they'd left.

Alessandra nodded and

moved to help him set out the large blanket and selection of food

on the ground. They both sat, in appreciation of the view from

where they were.

"I never tire of this spot,

Alessandra," Edward said. "All of this land that you see, right to

the bottom of those hills over there, is part of the estate."

When

Alessandra turned to look at

him, she could see the incredible level of pride on his face. She'd

never known anyone who owned land of such size, and was in awe of

having found herself in the position she could potentially be

in.

As Edward

felt her looking at him, he turned to face her. For a moment, they stared openly at

each other's faces and into each other's eyes before manners told

Edward he should stop. To divert himself, he looked down at the

food and laughed.

"My mother

seems to have requested enough food to feed us for a

week ," he said. "Do you think

she had plans of us not coming home today, perhaps?"

Alessandra laughed with him,

also looking down at the many types of food in front of them.

"Well, I am quite hungry, truth

be known. These strawberries, in particular, look delicious," she

said, holding one up. "Were they grown here?"

Edward

beamed at being able to respond so

positively to her.

"Yes, all of this was grown or

made here. We are quite self-sufficient on the estate, which we are

very lucky for," he responded. He picked up a small piece of cheese

and popped it in his mouth as he watched Alessandra devour the

strawberry she had been holding. They ate in silence for a while,

just looking out over the view while both indulged in their

individual thoughts.

"Alessandra, do you still

wish to marry me?" Edward asked. "If there is any reason why you do

not, please do tell me."

As he

spoke, Alessandra noticed he

kept his head down, seeming to purposely not look at her directly

as he asked the question. She sat silently and waited for him to

look up. Finally he did, after not having heard any response from

her.

"I very much want to marry you,

Edward. Why would I not?" she asked, wondering why he was asking

such a question when they had been getting on so well.

"I know I am not handsome

like other men…" he started to say, for the first time sounding

flustered in her presence.

Alessandra placed her hand on

his and brought it to her lips, just as he had done to her not too

long before.

"Edward, I do

not wish to marry anyone

because of what they look like, or do not look like. I would like

to marry a good man who I truly believe will work with me to create

a good, happy marriage as my parents have," she said. "I see how

your parents are with each other, and I believe that you have had

the same good example as I have. You have grown up seeing how a

husband and wife can be toward each other - kind, generous, and

loving," she said and saw him nod at her words.

"My parents have always

seemed very happy together," he replied. "I have always hoped I

could find someone who I could share the same thing with, but of

course marriage is more about transactions than anything else.

Truth be told, I would accept anyone my parents felt was right for

their purposes."

He was silent as they both

considered what he'd just said.

"It

is important to me that you know

that although my parents found you, Alessandra, having you here has

shown me that I know I can love you, regardless of their wishes. It

is not just to please my parents that I am eager for us to wed," he

said, looking more intently at her. Inside he felt a strength of

longing for her that he had never felt before. He saw her look at

him just as intently, as though she could see right into his soul

through his eyes.

"I am eager for that also,

Edward," she said as they looked deeply at each other.

"Alessandra, may I kiss

you?" he asked, slightly embarrassed, but not so much so that he

would not ask.

"Yes," she replied, nervous but

excited at the prospect of receiving her very first kiss.

Edward looked at her, aware

that he'd never kissed anyone before and didn't know how it worked.

It had to be enough that he just knew inside of him it was

something he needed to do.

Slowly, they both moved

toward each other and tentatively placed their lips together. They

took time to move their lips against each other's and explore how

it felt in reality, after reading and thinking about such an

action. They sat like that for a long while, not touching in any

way other than their lips lightly caressing.

Edward could

feel reaction elsewhere in

his body. It was another new feeling he'd not experienced before.

He was embarrassed by it, but hoped it wouldn't show through his

clothing. He had woken like that from time to time - hard - but it

had never happened during daylight hours and in the presence of

anyone else.

Alessandra relished the

feeling of his lips on hers, and equally felt other parts of her

body responding to their shared kisses. She wasn't even sure if she

should be allowing him to kiss her, given that they were not yet

husband and wife, but the feelings it was evoking in her were

exquisite. She didn't want them to stop.

Edward, feeling his

embarrassment heighten, pulled away from her slowly and looked at

her before moving his eyes down to the food again.

"Perhaps we should eat," he

said simply.

Alessandra laughed at his

effort to relax the moment, resulting in him smiling and laughing

softly also.

~~~~~

That evening, after their

journey to and from the hill summit, it was evident to all parents

that something had changed between their children. At the evening

meal, the subject of the wedding was brought up.

"Should we perhaps set a

date, if everyone here is happy about this marriage?" Edward's

father asked, throwing surprise at all gathered around the table,

with his unexpected candour.

Alessandra and Edward looked at

each other, each of them hoping inside that the date would be

sooner rather than later. Everyone was quiet, not sure who should

speak and who should not, so Edward's father continued.

"Alessandra, are there any

particular considerations you wish to have noted for your wedding

day?" he asked her, making her blush furiously with the attention

such a question brought upon her. She looked at Edward and saw him

silently prompting her.

"Only that my parents are here,

Sir, and that if my brother and his family would like to attend,

they are welcome to," she replied quietly.

"You have no other wishes

for the wedding ceremony itself? No luxury chariot to bring you to

your husband-to-be? No groups of friends from your home to attend?"

he asked, playfully.

Alessandra relaxed from

seeing he was open to whatever she asked for.

"No, thank you," she

said. "I need only my family."

Edward's father turned to

Alessandra's parents and they talked among themselves of possible

dates that suited their own needs. After negotiation, it was

decided.

"Two weeks from today then,"

Alessandra and Edward heard his father say. They both turned to

him, feeling excited inside. "We shall host it here in our chapel.

I shall leave it up to you to invite whoever you wish to attend,"

he continued, addressing Alessandra's parents, who nodded in

return.

~~~~~

After the evening meal,

everyone made their way to the drawing room again. It felt like a

well-established routine, with Alessandra and Edward at their one

end of the room and their parents at the other.

"Are you sure this is what you

want, Alessandra? It is not too late if you have any reservations,"

Edward asked again.

Alessandra took his

hand and held it as she smiled at him.

"I am

sure , Edward," she said. "Are

you sure you wish to marry me?" she counter-asked him, wondering if

his questioning was in some way an indication of him not wanting to

marry.

Edward looked at her, finding

his eyes again and again wanting to return to her lips. The memory

of their first kiss instilled in him another yearning of longing

for kissing her again.

"My only regret is that we have

to wait two whole weeks," he said quietly, not realising he had

said it out loud. Alessandra giggled quietly at him, causing him to

blush in the realisation that he had indeed voiced his

thoughts.

As he shyly looked at

her, Alessandra saw before her the man who would soon become her

husband. She felt herself blush at that thought. Aware she was

still holding his hand, she looked down at the two hands

intertwining, and found her fingers lightly moving over and around

his. She and Edward said nothing. The only way they were touching

was through their joined hands, but once again such beautiful

feelings occurred inside Edward and Alessandra both. They sat like

that for a long time, mesmerised by two hands getting to know one

another so intimately.

From a distance,

Alessandra's mother watched them quietly. Seeing the looks on their

faces, she silently remembered how that felt - the 'getting to know

one another physically' stage. It had been so long since she and

her husband had been intimate in any way, not for any reason other

than it seemed to have just fallen away from them. When she turned

away from the young couple and focused on the conversation at hand

once again, she caught her husband's eye and knew that he knew what

she was thinking about. She could also read that he was thinking

about the same thing.