The Wild Rose

The Second Day...

The Second Day...

Eliza woke up to the morning sun streaming through the gap in her curtains and shining on her face, for the first time she felt content in her life, she could easily see herself falling for Lincoln and spending the rest of her life with him. He truly was the perfect gentleman and Eliza had no doubt that he would make the most splendid husband along with a wonderful father. At those thoughts Eliza sat up in her bed, gasping. How could she be thinking those sorts of things about him already? She had known him for less than a day!

Shaking her head, Eliza slipped her legs over the edge of the mattress and went through her usual morning routine of bathing, washing her hair and then getting dressed into her new clothes for the day. She ran a brush through her semi-dried hair, making the ends flick out a little around her pale face. She smiled at her reflection, making sure that she was suitable for leaving the confines of her bedroom. After having some cereal, coffee and a slice of toast for her breakfast, Eliza let her thoughts wonder back to the night before.

She enjoyed the way in which Lincoln had looked at her as though she was the best thing to happen to him, she loved the way their bodies moulded together as they danced close to one another. She then thought about his proposition and then how she happily accepted, telling him where her bedroom was. It was so unlike her, yet she couldn’t find it in herself to actually regret any of her actions. If she was to regret it then it would mean she regretted allowing him into her bedroom where he stole her first kiss and made her feel things in her body that she didn’t even know she was capable of feeling.

If she concentrated hard enough she could feel his lips against hers and feel the fullness he had given her when he moved two of his fingers inside of her tight womanhood. She sighed softly, rubbing her forehead.

What was she to do?

 She would be lying if she said that she didn’t enjoy what had transpired last night; however was she ready for such a bonding with a man? She had never been attracted to a man like she was drawn to Lincoln. Although she knew that he was brooding and dangerous to someone as innocent as herself, she felt safe and wanted with him. Maybe she was more of a hussy than she had originally thought.

Not wanting to dwell on her hormonal and inappropriate thoughts, Eliza stood up from the table and told her maid that she would be taking a lone walk in the manor gardens as it was a beautiful summer’s day. She hummed a tune softly to herself, completely lost in her own world as she stroked passing velvet rose petals and silky green leaves from bushes until she found herself at the circle pond at the centre of the gardens. She sat on a bench, wrapping her skirt around her and admired how the sun’s reflection bounced and danced off of the ripples in the water that were caused by the family of ducks swimming around together.

Unbeknown to Eliza, Lincoln had been watching her by the pond for nearly five minutes, admiring how at peace she seemed here, how she fitted in amongst the beauty of nature; A rose in her own right. Shakespeare’s verse came into Lincoln’s mind at that moment. “A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet” Lincoln smiled to himself, glancing down to what he held in his hands, twirling it around his fingers for a moment before deciding to make his presence known to her.

“Good morning, Eliza” He said softly, walking forwards so that he could join her on the bench. Eliza’s bright eyes glanced up at him as she smiled, a blush yet again coating her cheeks. She was obviously remembering everything that had transpired between them the night before, and it was hard not to. Even Lincoln was struggling to keep himself calm and composed, he had been with women before but none spoke to him like Eliza did. She was so pure, innocent and beautiful; he knew then that she simply had to be his as soon as possible.