Then Comes Marriage

Chapter 1

Scarlett twiddles her fingers around the curve of her embroidery hoop. She looks over the flower she had just created with a a faint smile and she sits, legs crossed under, and silent while the men in the room converse.

"I am to understand you are engaged Mr. Polwest?" Scarlett's father, Lord James asks one of the men sitting in the drawing room with them. Lord Polwest is a quite man. He isn't much to hold a conversation with but Scarlett doesn't blame him as even she finds this conversation bemusing.

Scarlett starts on a new flower, this time with bright red thread. Her blue eyes flick up under her lashes and catches a certain Lord Roswell staring at her. He joins in the men's conversation about the engagement his eyes looking away from Scarlett.

"So are we to expect an invitation?" Scarlett speaks up. Her father chuckles and crosses his hand over his gut. "Don't be so forward dear." He lightly scolds. Lord Polwest grins and quickly replies that indeed they would receive one and the men continue to chat. 

Scarlett takes her fathers obvious want of her silence and continues with the red flower. "Are you to be visiting the church with a lady anytime soon Mr. Roswell?" Lord James questions him.

"My work keeps me too busy I'm afraid." Roswell's eyes look back over to Scarlett. "I am sure it does." Lord James pushes a conversation about his work with the locals to the Lords.

Scarlett finishes the red flower and quickly stitches some wording. Smiling at it she unclamps the hoop and removes the cloth admiring the small floral pattern and the wording.

"What does it say lady Scarlett?" Roswell speaks up. Scarlett looks up at him and smiles handing the cloth to him. He takes the silky art into his fingers and reads out loud, "My work keeps me too busy." Scarlett's father glares at her. Lord Roswell grins and laughs handing it back to her.

"Scarlett must you be so cheeky. It isn't ladylike." Her father scolds and Scarlett folds the handkerchief. "I do apologize for her antics Lord Roswell." Roswell grins at Scarlett. "Don't be I find her rather cunning. It is difficult to find anyone with a sense of humor and I rather like to laugh."

Scarlett gives him a half smile, "Well if you enjoy it so much, keep it." Scarlett hands him the cloth. "I couldn't, you worked so hard on it."
Scarlett gently grabs his hand turning it over and sets the hanky in his palm. "I insist." She laughs and her father grunts. Scarlett takes it as a sign to leave. "Well, I must be off to bed. A lady needs her beauty sleep." Scarlett smiles and smoothes down her dress.
The lords tip their hats to Scarlett and she quietly steps out of the room.

"A certain Lord Roswell looked very taken by you m'lady." Scarlett pulls the hair pins out of her black hair letting it fall around her back in waves. "I wouldn't say that to lordship or papa would have his head." Scarlett jokes to her ladies-maid. "Shall I wake you in the morning to eat with the gentlemen or will you take breakfast in bed?" Opal questions.

"I think I shall dine with the gentlemen, thank you Opal, that's all I need for tonight." Scarlett beams through her vanity mirror at her young servant. She has been a great friend to Scarlett for a long while. "You wouldn't like me to help you dress down m'am?" Opal lays out Scarlett's nightgown. "I can manage on my own tonight, thank you Opal." Opal curtsies and walks out the bedroom door quietly. The door clicks and Scarlett stands up and ruffles her hair around her bare face taking in the freckles as her black hair wisps around her pale skin.

Scarlett has been told her whole life that her resemblance to her mother is like that of looking into a mirror but Scarlett only sees it when she looks like this. Her most natural. Scarlett's mother passed from the flu when Scarlett was very young. Too young to remember her sadly. Scarlett smiles into the mirror "there she is." She says under her breath.

Scarlett turns on her toes and opens her bedroom door walking down the halls as her fingers slide down the wall paper taking in the speckled texture. The house is quite, other than the men who are now in Lord James' office. Scarlett settles against the door with her ear against it. She is silent so she can hear what they are saying.

The men are no longer joking but instead they are quite serious in tone as they discuss land and properties. Scarlett can't make anything out as they speak so silently. Before she has time to think the door opens. Scarlett jumps back covering her mouth. Her light blue eyes meet the dark brow covering the emerald green eyes of a Lord Roswell. He pushes momentarily before exiting the room and shutting the door.

He looks down on Scarlett as she still has her hand over her mouth waiting to be scolded. "Remove your hand and explain why you were snooping." His voice is quite but deep and demanding. Scarlett drops her hand and smiles at him. She grabs his wrist pulling him away from the door. "I wasn't snooping I don't know what you speak about."

Unamused Lord Roswell looks at her his eyes burrowing into her fragile skull. "Do you take me for a fool?" He questions and a unsettling feeling rushes over Scarlett. "I don't take you for much at all Lord Roswell." Scarlett giggles looking away. Roswell steps forward his fingers forcing her chin up to look at him. "You're not acting the way a lady aught to." He leaves his fingers on her face and she turns her head sharply removing them. "And you, am I to say you're acting like a gentlemen?" She rubs her chin acting like it hurt but in fairness the only thing he hurt was her pride.

"You're so young and foolish it's quite amusing." Scarlett's lips are in a straight line, "What do you know of me? You met me just today and as I recall you quite enjoyed me." She almost hisses. Roswell sighs and looks alway. "I enjoyed the childlike behavior of a silly girl not a lady. Your poor father will have many issues wedding you off." Scarlett scoffs.

"I'll have you know that when season comes I will have a husband on my arm with ease. I am of age and I shall have many suitors." Scarlett pushes her hair from her face. Roswell's eyes take in her whole appearance now through the moonlight casting over her face. He finds her to be breathtaking but won't let her know it.

"Don't be a fool, it won't be for you it will be for your inheritance." He spits and Scarlett glares into his green eyes. She steps closer to him looking up. "And what say you about your prospects. 25 and not yet married." She shrugs and her strap on her dress brakes. Roswell chuckles and shakes his head. "I am a man."

It is true he is. Very much so a man. Which Scarlett is realizing as she takes in his scent and she looks into his eyes. She finds him to be quite attractive but won't admit it. "Go to bed. You're going to need that beauty sleep you spoke of so fondly." Scarlett chuckles. She bites her lip and leans up taking Roswell's lips onto hers.

The kiss pushes him back and he catches himself pulling her into a deeper one. Like any man he takes control of the kiss deepening it and rushing it into frantic breaths as Scarlett's fingers twine through his brown locks. "What is this?" A deep voice booms from behind them. There lips pull apart and Scarlett covers her mouth with her hand looking away. "Good night." She quickly yelps rushing off down the hall past her father.

She can hear him yelling at Lord Roswell from her room as Roswell frantically apologizes and states he's leaving. Scarlett rushes to her mirror and fix's herself up taking off her dress and throwing it to the ground. She looks in the mirror hoping her mother will somehow see she is needed to console Scarlett.