by Abigail Agar
Katherine laughed as well and then sighed. The empathy of her cousin warmed Ellie’s heart, even as she felt that it was breaking from the threat of having to marry someone she did not love and be stuck forever not only in a marriage she didn’t want, but in the same box that she had always been trapped inside since her mother and father had passed away.
“Oh, our lives are truly different for being under the same roof, but I shall try to convince mother to at least buy some ribbons for your hair,” Katherine said, gently taking one of Ellie’s short locks in her hand and smoothing it.
“There is no need for that. I have nowhere to wear them and you know that I prefer for my hair to be loose and free. That is why I keep it so short,” she said.
“Yes, but Mother will want you to have something nice for whenever Wendell comes to court you. Please, just allow me to convince her of this one thing. I would truly like it if you have something nice, even if it is something small,” Katherine said.
Ellie smiled and nodded in appreciation.
“Thank you, Katherine. If I did not have you here to be my friend in this home, I have no idea how I would get by. Honestly, you are the one who keeps me grounded, who keeps my mind in a reasonable place. Without you, I should be lost to my grief at all times,” she admitted.
“And I could not bear that, Ellie. Now, relax and enjoy your afternoon. I do not know how long we shall be gone, but—”
“Katherine!” Aunt Glenda called from the entryway of the home.
Katherine sighed.
“I suppose I had better go. Anyway, just enjoy your day. Do…whatever you may want to do if you were not being watched by my mother and the other women of the town. As long as you are not caught doing anything overly strange, I am sure my mother will not find out about it,” Katherine said, adding the last part in a hushed tone.
Ellie understood at once what Katherine was hinting at.
When her Aunt Glenda and Katherine left for town, Ellie realized that she had her chance to actually go out like she wanted to. No one had ever told Ellie specifically that she could not go outside. It had been through concerted efforts to prevent her from going. Her aunt always had tasks for her to cover, things she needed to get done. There was always something. Even if it was a foolish excuse, there would be an excuse.
However, with no one else in the home, she had a chance to go out again, this time without asking.
Because she had not been out for the past three days, Ellie was desperate to go to her favorite spot. She knew that she would only have this one opportunity and she had to take it. She was not sure when she might be given the chance again.
Ellie made her way to her family’s home. She had not lived there for the past few years, not since her mother and father had passed away, but the home of her childhood was still the place in the world in which she was happiest. There was nowhere else that she would rather be.
As she happened upon it, she took in the beauty of the cottage. It was run down, overgrown with vines and weeds. But it was hers and it was lovely.
Her father had provided this home for her mother. It was the best that he had been able to do. He had not been a wealthy man, but her mother hadn’t minded.
She had married him for love.
Ellie’s mother’s family was not rich, but they were not poor either. They were in that between place where so few families stayed.
It had been difficult for her mother when she’d married him. Although her mother had been thrilled, her mother’s family had not always been supportive. They had wondered why she would marry someone who had so little.
Of course, Aunt Glenda had not approved. She was still bitter about the fact that Ellie’s mother had not done more to provide for Ellie upon her death.
Ellie had been happier with them than she ever could be with her Aunt Glenda and Uncle Abel. They had never treated her as anything more than an inconvenience.
Ellie reached the home, set against a backdrop of forest, and took a deep breath. She was finally back at the home which meant more to her than anywhere else in all the world. She thought that she might as well go inside and stay, never coming back out and never returning to her aunt’s home.
After all, would anyone even notice if she was really gone? Would they question her vanishing? Would her aunt and uncle care at all that she had gone out and disappeared? Certainly, they would never think to check the cottage. After all, they scarcely recalled that this place existed, which was precisely how Ellie liked it. She knew that if they did remember it, they would either have it destroyed or find another way of preventing Ellie from ever coming out here and enjoying herself.
They were just cruel enough to do something like that and make it appear as though it had been done in an effort to help her.
Before she could go inside, however, she saw the strange sight of a bird flopping around in the yard. She entered through the gate and tried to draw near the bird and see what was wrong.
It was clear that something had happened to its wing. Ellie wanted to have a closer look and did her best not to startle the creature. She took it in her hands, slowly and calmly. The bird settled. It was clear that it was terribly afraid, but knew that it had no choice. It had to try and trust Ellie.
“It is all right, sweet one. I know that we do not know one another, but I promise to be kind to you. I shall not hurt you,” she whispered gently.
They stepped through the door and she continued to comfort it.
“See how nice it is in here? I shall not keep you here forever, just long enough for me to see what has happened to you,” she said.
The bird suddenly grew anxious and tried to flap its wings but chirped in protest of the pain and Ellie stroked the back of its head in an attempt to calm it back down. The bird fluted its feathers a little, but snuggled back in.
“There you are. See? No reason to be nervous. I promise that I am a very nice person. You do not need to worry about anything,” Ellie said.
She made her way into the parlor and set the bird down on the writing desk. She did her best to take a look at its wing and it took only a moment for her to realize that the bird was going to be perfectly fine. There was a sharp stick jutting into its wing.
She could get it out. It was in a bit of a tough spot for the bird to fly, but it would not be too hard to remove. With careful, gentle hands, Ellie pulled the stick out from the bird’s wing. As she did so, she continued to speak softly to it.
“It looks like this is the problem, little one. But here we are. I can get it out. It is just barely in there and yet it is causing all this trouble? How unfortunate are the thorns in our sides,” she said, as it was fully removed.
Ellie was surprised to see how quickly the bird settled. As if relief was all it needed in order to trust her, the creature simply rested against the palm of her hand. Ellie knew that the bird did not belong caged inside the home. A bird, like any free creature, deserved to go outside.
She scooped it into her hands again and made her way out the door.
“There we are, my dear. You should be free now. No need to continue being stuck inside. Unlike some of us, you have the chance to go back to your habitat, to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. I would be remiss to stop you from having that,” Ellie said, the pang in her chest heavy and sad.
She opened her hands wide and the bird started to flap its wings while still standing on her palm with those stick-like legs. Then, at last, it lifted into the air.. The bird took off flying and Ellie was able to watch it go toward the forest.
She smiled, thinking about the fact that she would like to do the same. She would love to have the opportunity to fly free and soar, indulging in the world around her.
Rather than going back inside the house, she decided to stay out there and watch as the bird flew in circles before her.
Yes, she wished that she could do the very same thing that the bird was doing.
In a sudden burst of movement and energy, a rider came through the tree
s. Just as she was shocked and startled by him, jumping backward, he appeared startled by her as well.
The man pulled on the reins of his horse and came to a halt with a gasping breath.
It was then that Ellie took in the sight of him. He was broad and stoic upon the horse. He had the appearance of someone who had just recently shaved, but could hardly stop the hair from growing on his face all over again. It played for a deeply masculine effect.
His light blonde hair hung loose and wild, and his strikingly blue eyes looked at her with a similar intrigue.
Ellie had never seen such a man. She had never seen someone so wild and ruggedly attractive. For a moment, she remained stunned, but even as it began to fade into curiosity, Ellie could not deny the depth of wonder she felt when she beheld him with her eyes.
Chapter 4
She was the most beautiful woman Jonathan had ever seen. Her hair was a few shades darker than his and her eyes a deep brown; she was lovely from head to toe. In fact, he could see that quite clearly considering that her toes were visible.
He could not imagine what it was that she was doing out here. Why would this young lady be wandering by an old cottage, just inside the gate? Why would she be so near to the forest? None of this made any sense.
Jonathan had to try and comprehend what was going on before he could speak a word. He was still so bewildered by her presence that he was confused as to what to say or do and he wondered if she was feeling the same way about seeing him before her.
She did not look like a ruffian. Although her hair was loose and her feet were bare, she was clean and her dress was a decent quality; even if it was a little bit dirty, it did not hold the dirt of poverty, but the dirt of adventure. If anyone understood what that was like, it was Jonathan.
At last, he found himself. He realized that he was being rude, staring at her up and down. Then again, she was staring at him as well. It was clear that she was every bit as stunned as he was.
“H-hello,” he said, far more self-conscious than he usually was. Since when did he feel the need to be careful when speaking to a woman? Since when was he nervous about his appearance and his demeanor and whether or not he looked decent?
“Hello,” she replied with a friendly, although equally cautious grin. Her smile was exquisite.
“Forgive me, I was just passing by here. I came through the forest because I thought that there was a short cut, but it appears that I have come upon your…well, this house,” he said, taking in the sight of it and realizing that, more than likely, no one lived there at the moment.
“It is perfectly fine. I was just looking up at the sky and watching a bird,” she said, laughing nervously, as if embarrassed by her own actions.
“I love birds,” Jonathan said, before he could stop himself. It was far from an impressive or intelligent statement, but at least it was true, and he could share this little bit of information about himself with her. The more he shared, the more chance they would have to talk further and get to know one another. Suddenly, that was very important to him.
“As do I. But I was standing here like a fool, so I have startled you every bit as much as you startled me. I do apologize,” she said.
“It hardly matters. Honestly. You have nothing to worry about,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said.
Their conversation was awkward and halted, but that was no reason for Jonathan to want to bring it to an end. He wanted to continue speaking to this lovely young woman who was so different from the women he spoke to at the balls he attended.
Jonathan wanted to introduce himself, but he knew that he could not say his own name and title. Although there was really no logical reason for it, he felt that it was the right thing to do. He wanted to be cautious. He knew nothing about this young woman aside from the fact that she was beautiful and, because of that, he wanted to be as safe as possible.
Even as he justified it to himself, it didn’t make sense, but he followed the instinct, regardless. His clothing was that of a rider and showed no hint of his nobility so he was unconcerned.
“Forgive me, I am such a fool. Here I am, standing here as if I have no name and no need to introduce myself. You are being so polite and patient despite having this strange man show up before you like this,” he said with an awkward laugh.
“Oh, please, do not worry. It is fine,” she replied.
“Well, regardless, I am…Jonathan…Potts,” he said, worried that his halting might alert her to the fact that he was lying and making up his identity right in that moment.
In truth, he probably should have come up with a different surname. As it was, he had the given name of himself, a duke who lived just a few minutes from the little cottage, and the surname of another nobleman close by. It was hardly a clever means of hiding who he really was.
The young woman appeared to think nothing of it, however. She smiled at him again and gave a polite nod.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Potts,” she said. “My name is Eleanor Windsor. Most people call me Ellie Windsor, but I understand that propriety simply leaves me as Miss Windsor.”
The way she told him this was simple and sweet, but he saw her embarrassment at her over explanation. She appeared to be quite shy, and yet he could tell that she was not a shy woman in general. Perhaps, she was not overly confident with other people, but she looked as if she held a boldness that he would like to see more of.
“Very nice to meet you, Miss Windsor. I think Ellie is a lovely name. You suit it quite well,” he said.
She blushed and that sweet, nervous smile remained on her face. There was something so charming about her. Something he could not quite place beyond the simple fact that he found her unique and attractive.
But Jonathan still knew nothing about her and why she was here of all places.
“Well, Miss Windsor, it is a lovely day, is it not? I was simply out for a ride, but what about you? Gardening, it appears?” he asked.
“Oh, sometimes I do,” she said, turning to look at the abundance of sprigs coming up from the earth. “I come here often to nurture the ground, but I have only just arrived and I was sidetracked. Do you live near here?”
“Yes, quite nearby. But I was out to see a friend. And you? Is this your home?” he asked, curious.
She looked at the cottage sadly and he saw that there was certainly emotion and attachment for her, but that her answer would be in the negative. Even without having an answer from her, Jonathan was sad for Miss Windsor.
“It shall always be home, but no. I do not live here, if that is what you are asking,” she said.
Miss Windsor offered no other explanation and Jonathan wondered whether or not he ought to push for one. He was curious to know more, but didn’t think she was in the mood for answering such questions. Although he would have loved to understand a bit more about this young lady, Jonathan was trying to find the lines as to what he could and could not ask her. She was deeply sweet thus far, but he worried about pushing her.
Perhaps, despite her appearance, he ought to be wary of her. Even if he could not fathom any sort of trouble with her, he recognized the fact that there were always strange people out and about who could be far more harmful than they first appeared.
But when he looked at this beautiful woman, Jonathan saw someone whom he desired to know better. He thought that she must be quite remarkable to be out here and be so at peace in the midst of such a strange place.
He wondered again what had brought her to the cottage. Not only because she seemed to know the place, but he was curious why she had come on that particular day. Was there some special reason? Why was she out at all when young women were supposed to be busy, stitching in the drawing room?
