The Love He Stole

A Proposition

“My lady… my lady… please wake up.”

Lily was groggy with a splitting headache and opened her heavy eyelids to see Poppy’s worried face above her, shaking her from her sleep. It was bright and sunny in her room and it was unbearable. She closed her eyes again, groaning for more rest.

“My lady, please. You slept through breakfast and my lord requests you to be in his study in fifteen minutes. You must wake,” Poppy said.

Lily whined but sat up in bed. She was confused to find herself still in her gown from last night. She didn’t remember coming back to her room at all. She rubbed her temples trying to ease her headache and Poppy handed her a cup to drink.

“This should help with your affliction, my lady.”

She guzzled it all down. It tasted vile, like cough syrup and vodka. She retched, almost bringing it back up.

“What is that,” she said, scrunching her face.

“It’s Master Damien’s morning wine cure. To help settle the body after a night of too much drink,” she explained. Lily’s head started to feel better almost immediately and she felt ready to start the day. “I must get you ready now, and quickly.”

Poppy quickly changed Lily’s gown and having her corset and petticoats from last night still on made it quick work. This dress was a simple baby blue, with white trim. She cleaned Lily’s face with a damp rag and brushed out her hair, undoing the braids from last night. She left it to fall in loose curls and put a little bit of makeup on her as fast as she could, just enough to cover the dark circles under her eyes and give her cheeks a rosy glow. Once she was done, she hurriedly went to the door to lead her to Samuel’s study.

His study was the last door on the left of the hallway, farthest away from the stairwell. It was a luxurious room with an ornate fireplace, shelves of books and silver trinkets, and beautiful paintings on the wall depicting various areas of the manor and its surrounding grounds. She walked in and saw him sitting at a wooden desk flipping through a stack of parchments, his foot tapping underneath. He was dressed down compared to the feast, with just a loose white shirt tucked into black pants. She couldn’t help but notice how nice his chestnut colored hair looked in the sunlight streaming in from the large window behind him. It was down but tucked behind his ear on one side and was a little messy with his natural waves. What is wrong with me? She snapped herself out of it. She needed to have the conversation that she was robbed of last night.

He looked up from his work and grinned at her, rising from his chair.

“Good morning, Lily. Thank you, maid. You’re dismissed,” he said. Poppy left the room and closed the door, leaving just the two of them staring each other down. Lily put on a brave face, preparing to state her case.

“You need to send me home. My finals start tomorrow,” she stated with feigned authority.

“Have a seat, Lily,” he said, gesturing towards an elegant red couch adjacent to his desk. She couldn’t help but do as he said, but she cursed her obedient nature as she sat and smoothed her skirt. He went over to a small table filled with crystal bottles filled with a variety of no doubt the finest wines and liquors in the land and delicate wine glasses. He poured two glasses of red wine and brought them over to the couch, handing one to Lily. He sat down next to her only a foot away.

“Isn’t it a bit early for wine?”

“It’s never too early,” Samuel said with a charming grin, taking a sip. He sat his glass down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Lily decided to take a sip too, before setting hers down as well. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to find the right words to convince him to let her go. Just as she was about to speak, he beat her to it.

“So, how’s this Saturday for our wedding? I was thinking I’d go hunting Thursday, find us a big boar to roast..”

“No! No, you have to let me go home.” She stood up, turning her back on him. Her eyes threatened to cry right in front of him. Her anger was rising and she heard him let out a disappointed sigh. She blinked a few times, convincing her eyes to dry and turned back to face him.

“We’ve had this conversation already, Lily,” he said, his voice deeper than before. “It’s not happening.”

“You don’t understand! I’ve been in school for four years preparing for this moment!” She was yelling at him now and he just sat there with a calm demeanor, and finished his glass of wine. He stood up, walking over to her. She started backing away from him, but he just got closer and closer.

“I understand more than you know. You want to help people, to heal their minds and hearts. Well, we’ve got people here who need that too. No, you won’t get the fancy title of therapy, but…”

“Therapist,” she corrected him. He rolled his eyes but continued.

“Yes, therapist, but you can still make a difference here. Plus, you will get the title of Lady. That’s better, isn’t it?”

“No! I… I want…”

“Master Damien told me you longed for a life away from New York! You wanted to leave and live in a small town in the woods, but to help people… what’s the difference?!”

Lily was stunned. How could they know that? She didn’t know what to say but she knew she didn’t agree. She was visibly distressed. Samuel had literally and figuratively backed her into a wall. He put a hand on her arm to attempt to comfort her.

“I promise to try to give you a good life. I don’t expect either of us to love one another. But I need a wife to keep my title and you need a purpose, a connection to people. We can both get what we need from each other.”

Lily wouldn’t allow herself to give in, even though she was tired of the busy streets and disconnection she felt in New York. She didn’t want Samuel to win, but he had a point. She shook her head.

“No…” she said.

“Damn it, Lily! I’m trying to reason with you and you’re just being stubborn!” He backed away from her in anger.

“I’m being stubborn?!” She was incredulous. She got in his face, turning the tables on him. “Imagine me dropping into your life and ripping you away from everything you know! Imagine all your plans being changed by some stranger and being told that you answer to them now! And that you have to marry them! It’s ridiculous!”

He backed away from her, but she charged at him just as he had done to her. He didn’t respond, instead he turned away from her in shame, much to Lily’s surprise. He picked up his glass and poured himself more wine, downing it quickly and hanging his head. Lily couldn’t help but feel bad for yelling at him. She wasn’t used to confronting people and they were both quiet for a long time.

“I… I’m sorry for…” she began, while picking at her nails.

“No, I’m sorry. I trusted Master Damien to find someone who would be happy here and clearly, he failed. But unfortunately…” he sighed, turning toward her. His voice was low and full of quiet embarrassment. He sat back down on the couch and stared at his boots. “I’ve already told my entire household I’m to marry you. I don’t know what I’ll say to them now…”

Lily sat down beside him, suddenly feeling sympathetic for him. She studied his face, noticing his knitted brows and clenched jaw, the stubble, and the frown on his lips. Once she allowed herself to really look at him, she realized how attractive he was. Her heartbeat quickened, betraying her mind and she felt like she wanted to touch him and calm all his worries. She stopped herself but she decided he had a point about helping people here and got an idea. She had no idea why she was allowing herself to say this.

“How about… A trial run?”

“A what?” he asked, looking up at her. They locked eyes and she felt butterflies in her stomach, her heart pounding.

“I will marry you. But if I’m still not happy in one year… I will fake my death and return to my own world.” She could do this. No doubtedly, the school would hear that she is missing and in a year when she returns, she bet that they would still allow her to pass her finals and graduate. Plus, she could use this time to learn how to form connections with people. She thought of it as a work study opportunity, justifying it to herself.

“This way we both win. Your family can’t blame you for my death and punish you by taking your title. And I’m sure you could convince your mother to let the title pass to your sister’s children once she has them.”

He thought for a minute and it felt like forever to Lily. She needed a guaranteed out, at the very least. She couldn’t promise forever. She just had to survive a year here and then leave this all behind.

“Fine. I accept your terms,” Samuel said. He extended his hand out to hers and she shook his in a formal agreement.

“So… Saturday?” He let out a light hearted laugh. And Lily nodded, with a small smile.