Until Forever (Complete)

Chapter Four

"This is all your fault!" Samuel glared at Elizabeth from his position next to Ethan in the wagon.

"It's nobody's fault." Ethan turned briefly to acknowledge Samuel before turning his gaze back to Gretchen who sat before him.

"Well, if Elizabeth would just choose a man already, I wouldn't have to wear these highly uncomfortable clothes all the time!" Samuel answered, his eyes still aimed at Elizabeth like a shot gun.

"And what, might I ask, do you consider comfortable? Nakedness? Stained clothes? Grass in your hair?" Elizabeth answered dryly.

Samuel's complaints began the moment Ethan announced their invitation to have dinner with Lord Wellington and got worse when Gretchen squeezed him into a suit. While Samuel had taken the news as well as people take the announcement of the death of a loved one, Elizabeth had been pleasantly surprised and delighted. Beyond delighted even! She had spent the entire afternoon picking out the right outfit and getting her hair into the perfect braid.

Even now, as she sat under the full glare of her brother, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She was finally going to meet Frederick! After so many weeks spent reading his letters, she was going to meet the man behind those words; a meeting that could either make or break her. She knew she liked the man whose letters had kept her awake most nights but would she like him when she meets him face to face? Elizabeth hoped she would. Frederick seemed like her last option and her last chance at finding true love. He was the only man she even considered getting married to.

Frederick was intriguing. A man who could carry on a conversation that didn't involve his wealth or fortune, was a rare gem in the midst of the war. The first time he responded to her letter, she had been disappointed to know that he had gone against her request to ignore it. But, she had been pleasantly surprised to find the content of the letter to be nothing but hilarious suggestions on how she could avoid her parents match making schemes. He was willing to help, according to him. He had even suggested writing a scandalous letter to her parents to try to deter them from thinking he was the best choice for their daughter.

Elizabeth had replied to his letter, telling him of her fears that her parents would never believe the letter came from him and thanking him for offering to do such a thing for a woman he barely even knew.

His next letter had intrigued her much more than the first. He told her of his plans to marry for love, rather than money or influence. He thought she deserved the same as well, not a marriage she was forced or pressured into. He had encouraged her not to give up on finding love because he was sure one day, she would.

Every letter he wrote, found it's own place in her heart until she could almost recite them word for word and for that, she was excited about meeting Frederick.

Somewhere in the background, Samuel continued to grumble but Elizabeth neglected to pay him any mind.

When the wagon began to slow down, Elizabeth felt her heart rate speed up. They were finally in the Wellington estate! Glancing out the window, she sighted three men standing on the porch of the gray two story building.

Immediately recognizing Lord Wellington as one of the men who stood on the porch, her gaze shifted to the other two young men. For a brief second, she stared at the one with dark brown hair. She couldn't see his face but she could see his legs shuffle almost as if he was nervous as opposed to the other man with light brown hair who stood with his shoulders straight, beside Lord Wellington.

The man with dark brown hair was handsome, she noticed as the wagon drew near. His eyes was fixed on the wagon and the closer they got, the more she realized the quality of the suit he had been wearing. Surely, this couldn't be Frederick, she thought. But why did he appear so nervous?