Subj: Together We Stand (chapter 3)
Date: 7/10/00 1:17:36 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Julianka
As Eliot walked along the path back to Collinwood to retrieve his car, his mind was in a quandary. He knew he needed to focus on Chris's problem, but his thoughts kept turning to Elizabeth. The look on her face when he said he might return. The feel of her hand on his, her thoughtfulness of finding out his favorite foods and preparing them, her intelligence and yes, he must admit to himself his growing attraction to her. Without knowing how, he found himself at the door to Colllinwood. It still early, he thought to himself, I have sufficient time to look into Chris's problem in the morning. So, taking his courage in hand, he knocked. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Elizabeth with a shy smile on her face.
"Eliot, you came back. Please come in, I hoped you would. Won't you join me in the drawing room? I was just about to a have a sherry."
Elizabeth and Eliot entered the drawing room. Elizabeth seated herself on the sofa. Eliot saw much to his delight, a silver tray with not only sherry, but also wedges of cheese and crackers.
"Please Eliot, you must try this cheese. It is a excellent sharp cheddar that I think perfectly compliments the sweetness of the sherry."
"My dear, I would be delighted to sample your excellent cheese and sherry!" Eliot replied.
Elizabeth and Eliot talked for as hour. Some how he knew this was unusual for her. His feeling was that she guarded her privacy very carefully. He thought perhaps that this was the only way she had to protect her tender heart from the sometimes-harsh judgement of others. He found himself telling her things he never thought to reveal to any one else. In the course of their conversation, he reached out his hand and Elizabeth placed her hand upon it. Looking deeply into her eyes he said , "My dear, dear Elizabeth, please tell me that I have not misinterpreted the signs. Tell me you are felling as I am."
"Oh yes Eliot," Elizabeth breathed as he took her into his arms.
The kiss began tenderly at first, the two people still unsure and wary of opening themselves to the pain of rejection, but as it went on, it deepened in strength as each heart grew brave in the face of new love. Eliot slid from the sofa to his knee and spoke, keeping her hand in his.
"Elizabeth, I now know that I have been searching for you all my life. I know this is sudden, but would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Finally, looking directly into her eyes, he knew without knowing how,that he knew her answer.
"Yes my darling, the honor is mine." Elizabeth breathed. "I know now that I too have sought you, even while confining myself here in Collinwood all these years."
"Uh-hum, excuse me!! Elizabeth, what's happining here?" Roger spoke from the drawing room doors.
Elizabeth, crossing to the doors said, "Roger, I will explain in the morning, but for now please excuse us!"
So saying, she shut the doors in his face! Faintly thru the doors the heard," WELL REALLY!"
Stifiling her laughter, she rushed back to his embrace. "Oh Eliot, Roger is probably going to burst through the doors any minute. Either to defend my honor or to demand the brandy bottle!" she laughed. They laughed in each others arms, faces close together, kissing, pausing only to laugh again.
"Elizabeth, I feel as if I had just discovered a whole new world and you and I are the only inhabitants! To hell with conventions, marry me now so that I never need to leave you!"
"Yes my darling, tonight!" Elizabeth answered. " Judge Parker is an old family friend, I'm sure he will grant us a special license and marry us tonight if I ask him."
Suddenly, Eliot recalled the mission he had before him. "Elizabeth, I have a grave trust that I feel I must share with you. Others have placed a rather sticky problem into my hands and I feel it imperative that this must be solved before we begin our life together, for all our lives maybe in jeopardy!"
"Is that why Julia dragged you off to the Old House?" Elizabeth asked. "May I help in any way?"
TO BE CONTINUED