Lips That Lied || hs

Thirty-One

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
January 1852

As Thomas had warned them, the journey to Edinburgh was long and hard. If it weren't for Jane's experience with horseback riding, she knew she would not have made it; but even with how much she struggled, she resolved not to show it. It was stubbornness for which Jane could not be faulted; for in the end, it was her stubbornness that enabled the three of them to make such excellent time. Since Jane was determined to press onward, so too were her companions.

The wind was cold and biting as it swept down the northern countryside, quickly proving to be the travelers' greatest enemy. The frigid air made their limbs stiff and their movements shaky as they guided their horses through the wilderness. They kept off the beaten paths for the most part, only stopping once in a town of which Jane had learned while working on her grandfather's accounts. She had looked into the records for the last year or two and found that no money had ever flown into that region, so she and her company deemed it a safe enough place to stop for sustenance.

They didn't stay there long, though. After allowing their horses time enough to rest as well as procuring a hot meal for themselves, Jane, Harry, and Thomas plunged their way into the cold air of the morning and resumed their journey north. Jane was uncommonly sore after riding so long, and the break did little to help her improve. The heat from the soup and spiced wine they purchased was a comfort to her; however, after sitting for so long at the table, she felt her legs cramping up and refusing to function in the way she needed them to when she remounted the horse Thomas had acquired for her.

Harry felt the pain in his legs as well, silently willing himself to go on just as Jane did. He knew that as long as she continued to show no fatigue, he would also, at least for her sake. He would be strong for her, because in his heart, Harry knew that Jane deserved nothing less than someone who would persevere through anything to be by her side. And Harry intended to be that person, just as Thomas did.

Thomas struggled alongside his daughter and future son-in-law, but like them, he was careful to maintain a guarded demeanor. Weakness was not something he could succumb to, especially not when they had all come so far. It was the home stretch, and Thomas was determined not to be the cause of their demise.

They rode for nearly three whole days, finally arriving in Edinburgh during the early morning and retiring to the Mercier apartment with little conversation passing between them. Food and rest were given to them immediately, and it wasn't until the following morning that the band of travelers was somewhat recovered from their rigorous journey.

It was an odd thing for Jane and Harry to be able to sit down together for meals in the light of day, interacting like the engaged couple that they were. Jane sat beside Harry at breakfast, the sunshine filling her light eyes with a brightness that Harry had rarely been allowed to see. She looked at him lovingly, unafraid of who might stand to witness her fingers lacing through his beneath the table. And unlike their time in Clumber Park, Harry didn't have to pull away. Instead, he squeezed her hand and smiled gratefully to her for having made the journey with him at all. He was so thankful for the time they spent together, as was she: and though he knew he would have a lifetime with her, Harry sought out to remember these first few days on their own. They would mark the beginning of something great, and he was determined not to forget a single detail.

There was an aspect of newness to their relationship that neither Jane nor Harry really knew how to navigate. It was strange to be able to speak so openly together in any place other than that clearing in the woods. It was strange to kiss one another with the sun shining down on them, and it was even stranger to them that no one seemed to mind. They were beginning to taste freedom, and neither of them knew that such a feeling could have brought them such immense joy already. With this realization, both Harry and Jane came to understand that all their hesitation in following through with this plan had been entirely unfounded. Nothing compared to the joy they felt in those days in Edinburgh, and one such reason for this was the old Scottish couple that came to visit them one evening for dinner.