The Runaway Groom (Tewkesbury X OC)

Chapter 3

They rolled down a hill and narrowly avoided falling off a cliff. Getting up Florence discovered fallen leaves and sticks in her hair, also her beautiful dress had a tear and multiple stains from the mud and grass. 

"You do make an awful lot of noise, don't you?" the girl commented as the Viscount groaned upon each impact of rolling. 

He huffed coming to a stand, his own cream three piece suit covered in stains, he brushed himself off "Well, it turns out, being thrown off a train hurts considerably more than you might think." he gasped suddenly and Florence wondered if he'd been hurt "And I've lost a button." he complained. 

"Oh my goodness gracious me, he's lost a button, catch me I feel faint" she pretended to swoon before rolling her eyes "Look at my dress and hair I spent all morning getting ready to meet my fiancé and yet all he has done so far is put dishonour on my name, nearly get me killed and ruined my dress"

"Wait fiancé? Never mind. You do know that you two have entirely ruined phase three of my plan?" the girl said. 

"Phase what?" the Viscount asked puzzled "Who the hell are you?"

With a pointed glare the gurl refused to answer so Florence rushed in having had quite enough "Look, I believe our recent brush with death deserves me at least a name."

With a huff the girl replied "Enola Holmes. No I know his name but I want to know yours, I believe saving you and your fiancés life deserves me that, do you not agree?"

"My name is Lady Florence Spencer, but you may call me Florence" gathering her skirt and grabbing onto her fiancé she turned to Enola and said "Thank you very much for saving us but we must now find my parents and return the Viscount to his estate"

Just as she was about to drag him away the Viscount yelled "Holmes...Like Sherlock?"

"And I am undercover, so forget I told you that piece of information." Enola told him sternly "While she is capable of keeping her mouth shut I know very well that you are incapable of doing so"

Florence was now intrigued as well "Undercover working for him?" she questioned. It seemed rather obvious but Enola seemed like a mystery in herself. Unsurprisingly Enola revealed that she was not undercover for him but rather "Undercover from him."

"Hence why you're dressed as a boy..." the Viscount guessed. "Hence why you are to say nothing." Enola ordered sternly. "So?" Enola looked at the two expectantly.

"What?" the Viscount asked. With a light tap of her fan she whispered "Thank you? You're supposed to say thank you."

"For what?" the boy asked. Enola huffed and turned to Florence "Why would you ever want to marry a boy like that?"

Looking over her shoulder as she followed Enola she explained "A great many of reasons his wealth, his status and it was arranged by my parents so I really didn't have a choice. No that I'm not grateful for the match, because I truly am It's just this isn't how I imagined my day going"

"You didn't imagine your fiancé running away nearly getting himself killed and getting you flung off a train and down a cliff?" Enola questioned sarcastically. "No I did not imagine the Viscount getting me throw from or train, nor did I imagine him leaving me"

The Viscount decided to join the conversation as well "It's great to know that you Lady's never change always after power, wealth and status. It's almost like it's all you care about, besides yourselves of course"

"Well what else are my parents supposed to make me a match based off of?" she quizzed him, she could not deny that she was curious, wealth, power and status were the only things she'd ever been taught to pay attention to for her future marriage. 

"Oh I don't know how about love?" the Viscount replied. "Love comes with time" Florence explained "My parents had an arranged marriage and they are perfectly content with each other and we all have a very comfortable life"

"Yes but are they happy? Do they actually love each other?" He insisted. Florence snapped back "Well you can judge them yourself when you meet them when we get to London."

They walked in silence until it began to grow dark "We should think about sleeping soon." Enola commented as the sun fell slowly from the sky. "We should think about eating soon." the Viscount complained. 

"We have nothing to eat." Florence reminded him. 

"Of course we do." he said merrily. He began running around "Arctium lappa, which you'll know as burdock. Very tasty." he ran another meter or so away. 

Enola and Florence looked at each other but neither dared to stop him. "Um, and then there's Trifolium. Clover." he continued "And is that... Yes, I knew it! Mushrooms! Agaricus lanipes. The Princess. Delicious. If you can get a fire started, I can make us a feast."

"Fine" Enola agreed. They had found a comfortable place to sleep for the night, while the Viscount searched for other herbs to use. 

Florence noticed that Enola was struggling to keep the fire burning so Florence offered Enola her fan. "Here use this, it'll help get the fire going"