Thomgelica: Every letter

Finale

Angelica's POV

"Miss Schuyler, there's a man here, says he wants to see you."

"Thank you..." I say cautiously, standing from my seat where I had been reading - or at least pretending to as I watched the raindrops hit against the window pane - and following her into the hall, my heart fluttering at the faint thought  that It could be Thomas.

But of course,

it wasn't.

"Angelica." said John Church. He was a good friend in the past, assisting me when odious morons asked me to dance or preventing me from murdering someone when they said something sexist at just the wrong time for me to let it go.

"John, what brings you here?" I smile, going over to the sodden man

"I just wanted to inform you, I will be departing for London in three days time."

"Oh, for how long?" I frowned

"A year, perhaps more if all goes well."

"I... I shall miss you." I stuttered out, disappointed at the thought of going without my friend for so long.

"I was wondering if you would like to come with me."

"How do you mean?"

"Angelica, with your father's permission of course, I am requesting for you to marry me."

I stood in shock, blinking dumbly.

"John, I... I'm sorry, but I cannot. My heart... my heart belongs to another, and I fear it would be unfair to you to live in that knowledge. I apologise, dearest friend."

John stood there, blood flushing his cheeks, then nodded.

"I understand. Please excuse me, I must pack." he said, quickly bolting towards the door.

"Come and say goodbye before you go!" I called after him, guilt creasing my brow.

Just as I began climbing the stairs, there was another knock at the door.

I halted as the maid spoke to whoever it was, not turning in case it was John.

And then I heard a voice.

A voice I'd thought I'd never hear again.

"Angelica!" he called and I ran to the door, the maid stepping back as I stood in her place.

Thomas stood by the door, his hair dripping from the rain that lashed against the ground outside.

"Thomas, what are you doing here?!" I asked, shocked, stepping back so that he could enter.

"I wanted to see you." he said, setting down the bag he'd been carrying, as he dripped water onto the hall flagstones.

"You were... you were in France," I breathe, "It must have taken you months to get here!"

"I would travel for years to see you for a minute, Miss Schuyler."

I could hardly speak.

"I-I can't believe you did all that just for me."

"And yet... the war here is over, and in France it's just beginning. I wanted to get away, to have some new life somewhere I can make a difference - and... and I would like to spend that new life with you, Angelica Schuyler... If you want to spend it with me."

He looked at me then, with his amazing eyes, not green or blue or brown, but an ever changing mixture of them all. They seemed to go right through me, and see me for who I really was.

"Yes." I whispered, "Yes. Of course! I'm so sorry for everything... I missed you - so, so much."

"I love you Angel." He told me, stepping towards me with a massive grin on his face.

I closed the distance between us and kissed him, my hand feeling the rough stubble on his chin and the rain in his clothes soaking into mine, his hands at my hair and the small of my back.

"I love you too Thomas," I whispered when we broke apart, our foreheads and the tips of our noses still touching, "more than absolutely anything, I love you." 

And I did.

                                                                                    FIN