THE DISAGREEABLE DUCHESS

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Marry me, Olivia." Colin repeated, he sensed that information wasn't sinking in Olivia's confused mind at the moment. "Olivia? Are you there?"

"I'm here, just a little bit flustered." She replied, still looking a bit confused and dazed.

"Then, will you accept my offer?" He asked. "After all, we aren't estranged to this type of relationship between us."

"I accept." She says.

"We'll talk about the details tomorrow, I'll let you rest for now." Walking out of the kitchen, Colin turns his head around. "Think very hard about it, Olivia. Once we exchange our vows and say 'I do', I won't even consider letting you go." Said Colin, who had a very sure and possesive tone in his voice. "Good night."

When she no longer heard his footsteps, she sank down on the wooden floor. Her knees weakened when the words 'I accept' involuntarily came out of her lips. "What have I done?" She asks herself.

She finishes off cleaning the kitchen and heads to her room. After a brief cleansing and changing her outfit from daylight to night, she lays down on her bed, thinking of everything that happened that day. She wasn't even tired. Even though she should be both physically and mentally exhausted.

She laid there conscious throughout the night. The thought of her marrying seemed impossible

before he met Colin. In every book she read, it was always the happily ever afters that got her dreaming, but she was living quite the opposite life of a children's tale.

That night, her head flew from an unsolveable questions to another. Well, she'll be able to have answers to that question if and only if she marries Colin and answer it herself.

She wondered if what her future be like after standing at the altar not too far in the near future.

She worried of how her life would turn out, and now her grandmother's words were sinking deep in her spine, 'marriage is complicated', most especially this one.

And finally, she questioned herself if she'd be able to provide Colin everything that a wife offered her beloved husband. After all, Colin is a man with needs, and it wouldn't be satisfied by just companionship alone. Sooner or later, he'll desire for it and judging from the gossips she's heard in the Whittaker Mansion alone, Colin was not the type of man who'd settle for nothing. He's handsome and educated, what woman wouldn't be attracted to that?

She sighed, laying back on her bed. What'll happen tomorrow? What'll happen to her?

Her grandmother never demanded for her to marry anyways, thinking always of what's the best option for her granddaughter. Magnolia has always thought about how Olivia was affected by the tragedy her parents' marriage suffered. And how her married life would be influenced by it. So, she couldn't force her to do so... Magnolia believed that when the time comes, Olivia will voluntarily face marriage.

Colin tumbled and turned, asking Olivia for her hand in marriage came out of nowhere. When he heard that she was doubting what they had, he was under the state of panic, though it didn't show outside.

He's known this for quite some time now, he wanted Olivia, and hearing that other men were trying to go after her agitated him. She belongs to him, and he wouldn't like it that way any less.

He was at an advantage, while most men were trying to please her and attract her attention, he was two or three steps ahead of the game. He's been her friend, her fiance and to top it all of, he's acquired her fragile trust and respect. He only needed her to fall in love with him, or at the very least, make her like him even more than just a friend.

Light soon overtook the dark sky, both Colin and Olivia were unable to sleep for most of the questionable and worriedsome night.

Their rooms were a hall across heach other, they oddly stepped out of the room at the same time and let awkwardness fill the air.

"Good morning." She greets him, trying to break off the early morning awkwardness.

"Good morning, as well." He greets her back.

Olivia first walked her way downstairs while Colin followed two steps away from her.

The aroma of freshly baked bread lingered around the morning air. Magnolia was up before the sun rose a couple of hours back, feeling light and well rested, after a sleep of almost twelve hours.

"You two are up early." Commented Magnolia, who was pouring Olivia a cup of warm milk and freshly brewed coffee for Colin. "Take a seat and pick anything to your liking."

"You're the best, grandma." Olivia gave her grandmother a smile as brigjt as the sun in the sky.

"Thank you, Mrs Smith." Says Colin, who took a sip of coffee. "This is really delicious."

The small table offered any type of breakfast food you could think of, from baked bread to freshly squeezed orange juice and jams of different variation.

Colin couldn't think of any reason why Olivia was thin if she's usually fed a meal fit for fifty people. So, without any further interruption, he reaches for a slice of toasted bread and smothered it with strawberry jam.

David and both Colin's parents came down for breakfast after they finished.

Colin and Olivia decided to go to the nearby field, with Magnolia's permission, for an hour before Colin and guests leave by noon.

"So, have you made a final decision about my offer?" Asked Colin, as they walked side by side.

"I have." And with those two words, they stopped walking and stared at each other. "I will marry you." It was a gamble that she willingly decided to take. She didn't know what her consequence were since there's an equal chance of her winning and living happily ever after like she's always dreamt of as a child, or live miserably for the rest of her life. But either way, she came to a fact, she would never regret this decision.

Colin almost bolted in joy. "Are you serious?" He asks, with the tone of the luckiest man in the world.

"I am."

Then the overly joyed look suddenly stops with a matchig frown on his face. "If you're still unsure about this and have a feeling deep down inside you that you'd regret accepting my offer for you, then let's do it now, be civilised with each other and save ourselves the embarrassment in front of other people."

"I won't back down, nor change my decision halfway." She promises him. "Just promise me that whatever we have after the altar, I won't regret my decision of marrying you."

"That's great." He says coolly, after all, Colin's feelings were a tad bit higher than friendship and maybe a bit more than what he's bargain for. He didn't want to surprise Olivia of why he was happy that she accepted his proposal, to him, he'll let her be whatever she wants, so long as she belonged to him. "So, now that we've set the marriage straight and we'd like to be respected as equal as possible, would you like to set some ground rules?"

"Rules?" She doubtingly asked. "For what?"

"Our marriage, we'll both have our differences and misunderstandings once we marry. I thought that maybe if we set rules, we'd be able to observe respect for each other at all times." He replies.

"Rules..." She repeated. "Do we have to make a contract?"

"If you'd like."

"Actually, I don't think we'll ever need to do so... We both have that and if we just understand each other, even in times of trouble, we'll have full and utter respect."

"It was just a suggestion, I thought that maybe it'd give you comfort, knowing that you'd have your own space and freedom."

"I trust you, we're friends aren't we?" She asked, sounding optimistic. "That's more than enough. After all, the best of marriage starts from friendship."

"I hope you're right."

For the rest of their walk, they talked about how they were going to drop the bomb to their family, most especially Olivia's. It had been a long walk with a much longer conversation. It felt as if they walked back to London with the length of a single conversation.

They decided to tell their loved ones, while they were gathered, about their plans on marrying.

An hour before they leave, Colin and Olivia gathered everyone in the drawing room.

"What is it that you want to talk about, love?" Asks Magnolia, who was in the middle of preparing a light lunch for the travelers. "I think we can talk about it later..."

"No," Olivia disagrees. "there won't be a later."

"Olivia and I just wanted to announce that..." Colin and Olivia looked into each other's eyes first before facing the crowd and said. "We're getting married."