Locked

Chapter Twenty-Five

It was a gentle November morning. The winter sun shone warmly on the gardens and only a few drifting clouds threatened to ruin the day. It had been two weeks since the trial and Will was in good health. V and Will were both in high spirits: Clara and Eddie had recently departed after a few days visit, and catching up was as fun as it was interesting. V and Will had decided to keep the more volatile descriptions of their adventures quiet, at least until the two children were a little older – V still saw herself as their guardian. Clara and Eddie were equally talkative: after describing their new lives – Eddie had begun to read some Shakespeare and Clara was taking a liking to the piano – they had marvelled at the Hamilton Estate, and at Will's secret identity as a Duke which neither of them had found as exciting as the tale V and Will had told of their recent adventures.

Now V was in the gazebo again; the early morning sun shone in such a beautiful way that it illuminated the white gazebo, light bouncing off the walls and falling spectacularly on the nearby flower beds. V sat with her now favourite copy of A Comedy of Errors, which she was finding to be a little more boring since her recent adventures. It was all my fault. V remembered the fateful day when everything had come to an end.

"What's wrong?" Will came up into the gazebo. He had been watching V read, the light pouring onto her and illuminating her face, when she had suddenly gone very rigid. Standing up, V threw her arms into the air: "It was all my fault."

"What..." Will began to ask, before V continued.

"Nick! It was all my fault. If I hadn't asked him to come and testify he would still be here!" "And I would be locked in a cell on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic." Will said, grabbing

her wrists and holding them still by her side. "He cleared his conscious, and he was at peace with that."

V looked at her feet and relaxed her arms, although Will still held them by her side. "I still feel guilty." She responded quietly.

"He would have wanted you to be happy."

V smiled at that, albeit she kept looking at her feet, tapping her black walking shoes against the white wooden floor of the gazebo.

Will took a step, releasing her wrists but closing the space between them. Will was only half a head taller than V, but he found himself feeling smaller through the sheer thought of her dazzling green eyes. He put his hand on the back of her neck, and as she looked up to meet his eyes, he knew this was exactly right; he leaned in, and kissed her. He caught her off guard, pulling her attention by grabbing her lips with his. Warmth crackled between them, and he pulled her even closer. She closed her eyes, and so did he, allowing the serenity of the moment wash over them. V's skin was warm, and Will found himself caressing her neck and holding the curve of her

back. Despite his still periodical moments of weakness, he felt stronger holding her. Suddenly, she pushed him away, removing his hand from her back and breaking contact at the lips. She was breathless and her eyes were not sure where to look.

"Why...?" Will began to ask, but doubted himself.

"A Duke shouldn't show so much affection in public..." V responded, avoiding his gaze. "Well I'm not much of a Duke now am I?" Will responded laughing.

V laughed with him and finally met her eyes with his. They sparkled in the morning sun, and

Will once again swept her into sweeping embrace. He kissed her for as long as he could, and this time, no one stopped them.