I'm now joining you in your regency/historical everlark mood with the fics you reblogged š Do you any favorites to recommend?
Yesssss!! Join in and send your favorites! Iām limiting myself to Regency or there abouts, because my Historical AU list is⦠extensive.
Anyways, I havenāt made it through all @everlarkficquestions 1800ās masterlist but here are some Iāve enjoyed!
Searching regency+everlark on tumblr gifted me:
Part 1 & Part 2 by @endlessnightlock Gah!! I guess I hadnāt read them before? But what a delight!!
Allās Fair by @rosegardeninwinter I have read multiple times. I mean itās season/book 2 Bridgeton mashed up with Everlark, what more could you want?
My search of the tags also revealed that @thesweetnessofspring is working on a Regency one-shot š looking forward to that!!
From my bookmarks
Quicksilver by @gamesmakers - love - itās smart and funny. Iām giggling and kicking my feet as I read - so good!
First Impressions by @pookieh - ongoing story, recently updated, and⦠guys⦠itās getting spicy!
In Hope and Agony by Hawtsee - this was recommended to me in the comment section of one of my fics. Itās Persuasion but Gadge and features Everlark and Odesta as well!
Iād be remiss not to mention Unmasked by @katnissdoesnotfollowback but come on, we all know - itās awesome! A classic really.
And a little shameless self promotion -> The Odds
Bonus!
Regency Peeta by @charlunday
Peeta in the shirt by @millennium-queen
Is there a Regency Katniss anywhere or the pair together?!? Dying for some regency everlark artwork (no pressure artsy friends! But if the mood strikesā¦)
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Description: Katniss has always done her duty. When her father died, she married to secure her family's well-being. As a wife, she does everything expected of her, whether she enjoys it or not. Then her husband, Captain Gale Hawthorne, commissions renowned artist Peeta Mellark to paint his new bride. As Katniss and Mr. Mellark spend hours together during their portrait sessions and after, feelings develop between them she has never experienced with anyone else before and the need for him to take her grows too strong to resist.
Developed from a post by @peettamellarrk with a desire to see Gale getting cucked.
Chapter One
Katniss Everdeen had no choice but to marry Captain Hawthorne.
Her father died of an unexpected illness and she, her mother, and her sister had been living off of her cousin Thom Everdeenās temporary goodwill. He did not evict them when he moved into their former home, though Katniss knew the day would come that the three women would find themselves removed.Ā
Thomās friend, Captain Gale Hawthorne, had become rich from the war and now returned, seeking a wife for his new estate. Tall, serious, dark, and handsome, heād been the talk of the neighborhood and every eligible woman had hoped to gain his affection. However, Thom had his ear and Katniss resided in the same house during his stay and perhaps most crucially, Admiral Darius Keeper had danced twice with Katniss at the assembly hall one evening. Not to be outdone, Captain Hawthorne proposed the next day and she could do nothing but accept. It was a good match. Advantageous for her, even, as Captain Hawthorne had reminded her during his proposal. And at twenty-four, she was unlikely to receive another offer.
They married in June and despite her mother describing what to expect of her wedding night, it still hurt as she was introduced to her wifely duties, no matter how experienced the Captain had been in preparing her. A week following the wedding, she no longer felt pain when he went inside her, but she still dreaded the evening when her husband came into her chambers. After he was done, she rolled out from under him and hoped he left. With his needs completed, he retired to his own bed.
As a wedding present and to fill his new home, Captain Hawthorne commissioned a renowned painter, Mr. Peeta Mellark, to paint a portrait of his wife. The artist was to stay with them for two weeks while working on the painting.
After adjusting her bag, Katniss, in an attempt to look like a civil creature and not the sort of half-wild thing she was, smoothed the waist of her skirt. She took a deep breath, then rapped on the front door of Mellark house. Waiting to be let in, she gave herself a mental talking-to. Courage, she thought. You are capable of doing this.
Mellark's man, Boggs, opened the door. He was a difficult man to read (as good servants were supposed to be), but Katniss always felt welcome when making an appearance at the house. There were people in the village who didn't approve of her position in a man's role, but she didn't believe Boggs to be one of them.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Everdeen. Mr. Mellark is expecting you. Do come in. I shall let him know of your arrival. He is in the midst of a meeting, so it may be a moment."
"I'm not interrupting?"
Boggs shook his head. "No, Ms. Everdeen. Mr. Mellark was insistent on seeing you today. Mr. Heavensbee was an unexpected arrival."
A stand-alone Regency Everlark One shot inspired by this
Read on Ao3 or Listen to the podfic
She peers around the shrubbery, thankful to see the next row vacant before glancing over her shoulder to ensure sheās alone. Years of childhood games in the Mellark hedge maze have made navigating them second nature. She knows all the most secluded tucked away spots.
Scowling down at a cluster of lilacs, she contemplates how long she linger here before her absence is noted, when the sound of heavy footfall moving purposefully towards her interrupts her thoughts. Her heartbeat quickens.
āAre you lost Miss Everdeen?ā A manās voice comes from behind her.
She whirls around and there he is, just a few yards away.
His face has lost some of its boyish roundness, his shoulders broader, and his hair has grown out, but despite all the small changes, his smile is the same. She lets out a strangled shriek, taking two steps before launching herself into his arms.
Two years.
Itās been two long years since she saw him last.
Theyād lived in the same county all their lives, but had only really become acquainted at eleven when she and her sister had moved to their Guardian's estate. The Mellark lands bordered Lord Abernathyās and as a consequence the inhabitants of both houses spent much time together. The seeds were sown and while all the children soon became chums, Katniss and Peeta's friendship blossomed into romance.
By the age of sixteen they were madly in love and eager to wed, however, although the match was generally approved of, their prospects were grim. As a third son there was no land nor income to inherit, and even with Katnissās generous dowry, the money would quickly dwindle without an occupation.
Peetaās eldest brother Graham, head of the Mellark family, had proposed a solution; he would finance Peetaās artistic endeavors abroad if he would only wait to attach himself until after his return. The offer was too generous for her to allow him to turn down for her sake.
So he had gone, and she had stayed and waited for his return.
āThat was rather unladylike,ā he teases in the affected accent of the odious vicarās wife.
She scowls up at him, āHave you taken a fancy for fine ladies while you were away. Youāve always had a weakness for beauty.ā She lifts her chin. āPerhaps youād prefer Lady Undersee or Miss Cartwright?ā
He uses his index finger to smooth the wrinkle in her brow. āAn eye for beauty, not a weakness,ā he says, cupping her face and caressing her cheek with his thumb. āNo, you are still my one weakness. But what of you? Your new cousin is not as common as your letters would have had me believe. Do I have a rival?ā
Colonel Hawthorne had become a regular fixture at Victorās Village since her guardian had married his mother. Heās escorted her to many an event as an easy introduction to the eligible ladies of her acquaintance. Not that he needed it, his looks and military status were admired wherever he went. She supposes heās handsome, but his smiles are far too rare for her to find him really attractive.
No. This man was her choice; anything else was unimaginable.
Theyād coorsponded frequently over the years. Though it was the right decision, Katniss had spent many a sleepless night wondering if she could compete with the beauty and splendor he enjoyed while away.
Heās still smiling though she knows him well enough to see the uncertainty in his eyes. It had never occurred to her that he might be in doubt of her constancy as well.
Words often fail her at times such as these, so she allows her actions to lead. Grasping the hand that has since paused its motion, she turns it to find his ring. It no longer gleams as it had when sheād gifted it to him with the plait of hair, but she smiles despite it; The worn gold surface and fraying dark tresse a testament to its continuous wear. She runs her thumb over its surface, before bringing it to her lips, peering up at him through her lashes, āThere is no competition. My heart belongs to you alone.ā
He sighs and a rigidity she had not noticed previously, melts away as he leans in to rest his forehead to hers. āI have much to tell you.ā
His voice sends a delicious shiver down her spine, and she can wait no longer, āand I should like to hear it all, but there will be many chaperoned hours to speak and only a precious few moments here alone.ā
āRight you are,ā she can hear rather than see his smile as his lips meet hers.
This was the place she first kissed him.
Theyād been thirteen and playing ghost in the graveyard. Stumbling upon each other while hiding in the hedges, Peetaās voice, not yet lowered, carried high over the shrubbery and in a desperate attempt to silence him, sheād kissed him⦠At least that was the excuse heād given her meddlesome sister whoād spotted them.
At eighteen their kisses are just as giddy, if not half so innocent as the stolen ones of their youth. She loses herself and all sense of time in the reunion, until a feminine voice cuts through the passionate haze, āMr. Mellark!ā
They spring apart, wide eyed, and undeniably guilty, but the speaker is nowhere to be found.
āWhat a lovely party,ā Katniss slumps in relief as Primroseās voice floats over the hedges.
An indistinguishable muffled response comes from the same direction and Katniss turns back to Peeta, inspecting them both for signs of their wanton activities, before the voices raise loud enough to be heard yet again, āPrimrose, now that weāve dispensed with the niceties, you wouldnāt happen to know where I can find my brother, would you?ā
āLast I saw, he was headed towards the house.ā
She silently apologizes for any hash thoughts sheās ever had of her sister. She suspects Prim had caught on to their plot and followed her here to stand guard. Peeta could exit the maze to the north, round the corner and appear to have just come from inside. Katniss makes note to purchase a pocketful of peppermints for her sister in thanks on the next trip to town.
The male voice, Graham, sheās determined, hums an acknowledgement, āand what of your sister? I have not seen her this last quarter hour either.ā
āIām certain Posy is with Hazelle,ā Prim says, sounding far too innocent to Katnissās ear.
āThat is not the sister to whom I refer.ā
āOh! You mean Katniss,ā she winces at her sisterās overzealous acting. āHave you checked the refreshment table? Sheās often stationed there.ā
Forget the peppermints, sheād sneak pepper in Primās next cup of tea. She can feel Peetaās body trembling with repressed laughter behind her and she jabs her elbow into his stomach. Perhaps sheāll add some to his next cup as well.
Grahamās voice comes again as another set of footsteps approach, āAh, brother, you have just come from the house, did you see the guest of honor while there?ā Really this was his fault. Had he not arranged this gathering for Peetaās return, there would be no cause for them to sneak off.
āI did not. Is he missing?ā The mirth is evident in the middle Mellarkās voice as he continues, āhow curious, the elder Miss Everdeen appears to be missing as well? He has not been away from home so long as to lose his way in the hedge maze, do you suppose? I could rally a search party if you wish-ā
Katniss huffs, none of them should expect decent tea next she pours.
āThat will be unnecessary.ā Graham says before raising his voice, āIām certain wherever they are, they will both find their way back to the party before their absence is more widely noted.ā
The trio depart with a choir of laughter, but not before the shrubbery in front of them jostles, from the other side.
Peeta chuckles softly, āItās good to be home,ā itās said without irony, and she canāt help but smile despite herself. āIāll call tomorrow,ā he says, dropping a final kiss before lowering his voice next to her ear, āIf I remember correctly, there are plenty of paths to lose our way on at Victorās Village. After all, they canāt watch us all the time.ā
RegencyLark Part 1 | RegencyLark Part 2 | RegencyLark Part 3
She needs to find a husband. She came to the conclusion within an hour of Peetaās return.
After sheād seen him, sheād wandered the streets aimlessly, unable to return to his home, for thatās what it was; his. Sheās been living on Peetaās charity these last two years, though thatās not entirely true. Sheās been managing the estate in his absence which must count for something.
Sheād only come to town this year for Primroseās debut season, but now sheās glad of it. Sheāll need to begin her search immediately, so she changes direction towards the Odair house to speak to Finnick on the matter.
~~~
As a child Katniss had assumed her life would always be an endless string of golden days; Her parents were hopelessly in love and she had the most perfect companion in her sweet little sister. Though they werenāt rich they lived comfortably and most importantly, they were happy. But then at eleven her father had died and sheād watched her mother die a slow and agonizing death from a broken heart. Their modest house was entailed to a distant cousin who was only fourteen himself with a mother and three siblings to support as well and Katnissās days had faded to a dull gray hue while the Everdeen sisters had mourned their parents and struggled to adjust to their new lives.
Then her God-father, Lord Abernathy, had discovered their situation and invited them to live on his estate as his wards, and while their days had brightened to a rosier glow, Katniss could never forget the hollow look in her motherās eyes in the weeks after her fatherās death as she slipped away from them. Katniss would not allow that to happen to her. She knew she must marry one day, but she swore to herself that sheād never fall in love.
Luckily, she was friends with Finnick Odair; a staple of fashionable society and as such a collector of confidences. When sheād told him of her resolve, heād been determined to assist her; To not love a husband was one thing, but to not respect him another.
An Earl was much more than the unexceptional daughter of an unknown gentleman could have expected, but they both had trusted Finnickās judgment in the matter. Heād introduced them at a ball and though many found Graham Mellarkās reserve off-putting, sheād seen the practicality in the man who spoke directly to the purpose or not at all.
Heād called at Abernathy place the next morning where theyād shared tea in companionable silence and within the month they were married.
The first few weeks of their marriage, however, had been painfully awkward. Katniss might have begun to second guess her decision, had it not been for her new brother-in-law. Peeta began visiting frequently and seemed to always know just what to say to lighten the mood and put them both at ease. She realized she had never heard her husbandās laugh before his brother had visited. It had been Peeta who had given her hope that her marriage wasnāt a mistake, but beyond that, sheād enjoyed his company on its own merits. It wasnāt long before she had considered him among her closest acquaintances.
But then Graham had died and despite her careful planning and arranging sheād crumbled, because in the end, she had loved him in her own way. It wasnāt a desperate, wild, romantic love like her parents, but one born of familiarity, friendship, and mutual support.
Worse still, along the way sheād lost Peeta as well and although heās returned in body, she will not allow herself to believe that they can ever be as they once were.
~~~
āIām in need of a husband,ā she announces as soon as the drawing room doors close behind her.
Finnick doesnāt seem surprised, appraising her over his cup of tea before speaking, āThis is sudden.ā
āPeeta- eh. The Earl of Bakerston has returned home.ā
He nods his head, āthen this seems an easy solution. You already hold the title, already live on the property and know the estate, you are both unattached, and last I saw, you are both mad for one another.ā
She jerks back at his declaration, before she begins shaking her head, the force making her dizzy. āNo. No, no, you are mistaken, we are friends⦠or we were friends⦠but that was long ago. I have not had a single word from him in two years!ā She begins pacing the room and the words begin tumbling out, āoh Finnick, I donāt know what to do. He just⦠left. I know he had every right to do it. But oh, how I needed him. No, I am certain that he hates me. He would not have gone otherwise. Yes, he was mourning his brother, but so was I! Would it not have been natural for us to find solace in one another?ā
āOnly too natural and likely why he felt he must put distance between you two.ā
Even in her grief sheād known how improper it was for her to ask Peeta to hold her as sheād fallen asleep. Sheād asked too much of him. She was not his responsibility and making herself so had driven him away. She hazards a glance in Finnickās direction to see if he knows the truth of it, but heās wearing an impassive expression. She shakes her head before continuing, āAnd now heās come back, to claim his dues, find his own countess and sire an heir. I have no legal right to any of it. I am at his whim, he could toss me out at a moment's notice. Thereās no room for me in Bakerston any longer. Nor at Abernathy house.ā
āHe has told you this?ā
āNo, his arrival took me by surprise. I have yet to speak to him.ā Oh, she was a coward.
āAh, yes. That sounds correct.ā She scowls at her friend but he waves a dismissive hand, āSit down, lest you wear a hole in the rug.ā
She sinks down on the sofa, āso will you help me?ā
āKatniss, I am still not convinced my assistance is necessary. You really should speak to him. Unless you plan to uproot to Abernathy house in the interim, youāll be sharing a home.ā
She makes a distressed noise in the back of her throat. Surely he would take the Earlās room right beside her own. The idea of sharing a wall feels⦠intimate. The act of an Earl and his Countess, not a man and his dowager burden. She hadnāt thought that far ahead. Perhaps she could have her things moved down the hall?
āKatniss, I know your reasons for seeking an uncomplicated match the first time, but now that youāve weathered the worst and come out the other side, would it not be better to take your time and marry for affection? You will not need my help for that.ā
She rubs her temples. She was relying on his continued understanding on this front. She wonders when heās become such a romantic.
He sighs , āwell if you are determined, I will only ask that you speak to Peeta before I lend my services.ā
It seems a fair enough price, sheāll have to speak to him sooner or later anyways, so she nods, āconsider it done, but ready your recommendations, for I am certain Iāll be in need a husband before the season is through.ā
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āThe Flickermanās are hosting a ball on the ninth.ā
His brother looks up from his desk. āThe ninth? I have a prior engagement that evening. You will not mind missing it, will you?ā
Katniss hums her response, but frowns down at the invitation and Peeta smiles into his glass, āyou assume incorrectly, brother.ā
Katniss wasnāt particularly social, but with her cousin-in-law in confinement and Lady Abernathy sequestered away with her, she had little opportunity for society this season. Although if Peeta had to guess, heād say she was mourning the lavish dishes, rather than the company or dancing.
His brother turns to face them, brow furrowed, āI did not think you would wish to attend.ā Graham could be so obtuse. āMy business is unmovable, but perhaps Peeta could accompany you?ā
Katniss peers up at him through her lashes, quite oblivious to the effect she has. He tilts his glass in her direction, āas you wish.ā
She smiles, the first real smile all evening and he feels a twinge of guilt accepting her thanks. Itās not as if itās a sacrifice. He secretly revels in being appointed her companion and protector if only for an evening.
Soon after, she walks him to the door.
āI could speak to him,ā Peeta says when theyāre out of earshot, āOffer to handle some of the business so he might have more time for you. It must be lonely without your friends.ā
She waves him off. āHis work is important and gives him purpose. Iāll survive. Besides, itās not so bad. Yes, I miss Madge and Hazelleās company at the balls and assemblies, but I have you,ā she grabs his hand and squeezes.
Itās an innocent gesture between two friends, family really, but he still must force the smile to remain in place as he bids her goodnight, opting to walk all the way back to his apartment instead of accepting the carriage.
In the two years theyād been married, Peeta had been a constant companion. At first heād visit in hopes of squashing his silly obsession with his sister-in-law. Heād made it his mission to find her flaws, no matter how petty they be, but discovering Katnissās scowl and preference for sweets had only reinforced his feelings. Furthermore, somewhere along the way, heād become friends, and quite good ones at that. There was nothing more satisfying than being sought out by Katniss in a room full of others, or of making her laugh. Now, years after that failed experiment, he couldnāt bear to stay away.
But bear it he must, Peeta decides later that evening. He and his brother have always been close, brought closer by the death of their parents and brother. He cannot afford to let jealousy poison the relationship.
Heās mulling over his next course of action when his housekeeper rushes in with an urgent summons to the Mellark house.
He canāt remember a moment of the dash to his brotherās home, nor how he made it from the front door to the doorway of the drawing room.
He scans the space in search of his brother and some explanation. Instead he spies Katniss sitting on the sofa stock still, her complexion sallow and eyes vacant. Lady Abernathy sits on one side, Primrose on the other, clasping her hand, pleading with her to speak, while Lord Abernathy paces the room.
Something is very wrong here.
He steps forward and Katnissās eyes snap to his, losing some of their glassy appearance. āPeeta,ā she croaks, before standing and launching herself into his arms, āheās gone.ā
A follow up to Misunderstandings on Ao3 (or Tumblr)
āIāve just come from the newly inhabited vicarage,ā Mr. Odair says soon after his arrival.
Katniss is seated across the parlor, needlework forgotten at the mention of the new clergyman. She knows very little about him, not even his name, but Mr Odairās friend has still been of particular interest to her ever since sheād heard of his heartbreak.
āI invited him to tea on Saturday and I hope you will join us. I am eager for you to meet Mr. Mellark, though Iām certain you will approve. No one that knows him can do otherwise.ā
Katniss hardly registers Aunt Magās response. Surely her heart must have stopped at the sound of the name that has plagued her thoughts these past months. She forces herself to breathe. Perhaps sheād misheard Mr. Odair or perhaps the name is more common than she thinks. There may be dozens of Mr Mellark, and this one may be of no relation to those of Bakersfield Park.
The conversation moves on, but Katnissās mind cannot. She must know. It is Wednesday today; she wonāt survive the suspense if she must wait to know the truth.
Eventually Aunt Mags requests fresh air. Katniss lingers in the hall as her cousin and aunt ready. āIf you will not think me impolite, may I inquire after the Vicarās Christian name? I believe my father knows of a family by that name,ā she asks Mr. Odair.
āOf course! Mr. Peeta Mellark, of the Bakersfield Park Mellarks, though they may not claim him at present. His mother was not pleased with his choice of career, she had meant for him to marry an heiress and take up a smart profession. Heās all but disinherited as I understand it.ā
Her heart does a small flip and she sways on her feet, before begging off to lie down.
She scarcely knows how she makes it from the foyer to her room, but once sheās there sheās too agitated to sit. Pacing, she attempts to recount every word of Mr Odairās tale; If her Peeta Mellark is really the man from his story, then surely she must be the woman.
Sheās not so vain, but she cannot deny that her voice is admired wherever she goes. She recalls the look of genuine awe on Peetaās face as sheād sung, memories she still holds dear. If there had been another woman in the county he admired, she cannot bring her to mind, for as long as heās held her silent interest, sheās never known him to show preference to anotherā¦
But what of his motherās whispered triumph?
This seems a harder task to reconcile, but when she looks in her heart, she can see the truth clearly now. Of the two, who has she known to be cruel? Surely not the kind boy sheād first notice sneaking food to the hungry children of the perish. It was true too that she had watched him deceive his mother in this undertaking, but though he may have a talent for duplicity, he was not callous or self serving. No, those were traits sheād observed in his mother.
Within an hour she is quite convinced of it all. Oh what a fool sheās been!
She spends the remainder of the week between agony and hope. Heāll not have known she was here when he accepted the appointment, sheās certain of it, but has her name chanced to come up since heās arrived? Will he be anticipating her? And if so will it be with desire or dread.
On Saturday, Katniss dresses with particular care. Completing her preparations with a small length of trim she pulls from its spot, deep within the recesses of her drawer.
The walk to Fourlands feels the longest of her life, but itās still far too soon that theyāre ushered into the sitting room and then there he is.
Her breath catches at the sight of his smile, quickly slipping as his gaze lands on her. He doesnāt speak, but his eyes show the alarm as he attends to introductions.
Mr. Odair says her name and she extends her hand; The sleeve of her dress slips up to reveal a ribbon tied to her wrist and she watches as the soft orange color catches Mr. Mellarkās attention just as sheād planned.
Last year during their courtship, they had chanced to cross paths while out shopping with her mother and sister.
Surrounded by ribbons of every shade, she thought nothing of pointing out one that reminded her of the willow tree that greets her outside her window each morning when heād asked her favorite color. Heād smiled so sweetly her heart had done a small flip before she could ask him his own. He had selected one the color of the sunset beyond the meadow and in a moment of boldness, sheād plucked up the orange ribbon and purchased a small length. Seeing her do so, Peeta had done the same with the green. They hadnāt exchanged their purchases, it would have been improper to do so, but it had felt like a small rebellion to tuck the orange trim into her pocket.
The ribbon was far too dear to simply trim a hat or glove. Instead sheād woven it in her hair, worn it on her ankle, or tucked it beneath her shift. Had it been a gift, she would have been forced to return it after their dissolved courtship, but as her own purchase she had hidden it away, taking it out to stroke the silky surface, despite her resolve to never look at it again.
Peetaās eyes flit from her wrist to her face then back down again brow creased, but the moment is over too soon as tea arrives.
As they all sit to converse, Katniss drinks him in: If the blue eyes, that seem to often find her look a little dimmer, it does nothing to diminish his beauty. It leaves her with an ache in her heart and a longing to speak to him, but as they trail behind the acknowledged lovers in the gardens after tea, she canāt find the courage to begin.
Just as sheās imagining the silence may kill her, Mr. Mellark speaks, āMs Everdeen, please let me assure you I was unaware of your being here when I applied to the living. I had no intention of forcing my presence upon you after our parting. Whatever ill you think of me, please acquit me of that.ā
āMr Mellark, I assure you, I imagined no such thing.ā She forces herself to hold his gaze, āI was very pleased to discover your appointment here.ā
āI am glad of it, though I am surprised after our last conversation.ā
She looks away, āI must ask your forgiveness for my brusqueness at our parting. I had heard a vicious rumor of your motives towards me⦠I am ashamed to say I believed it. I have since reconciled myself to the truth and find only myself at fault.ā
They are quickly approaching Mr. Odair and Annie who have paused on the path. Her fingers find the ribbon at her wrist involuntarily and his eyes linger on the silky thread. She lowers her voice at the last that she may speak her heart before they rejoin the others, āI bitterly regret my rash judgment, for although my faith may have wavered, my affections never could.ā
He has no chance to respond as her cousin steps forward to take her arm and they move back towards the house. She scarcely knows whether to be disappointed or grateful at Annieās intervention.
It isnāt until theyāve reached the house that she has the courage to meet his eyes. He holds her stare as he pulls his watch from his pocket; a flash of green catches her attention. A ribbon, her ribbon; secured to the end of his watch chain. His eyes flit down to the time then over to her before addressing the party with his farewells. But before he leaves, he approaches her, dropping his voice to a no more than a whisper, āMay I call upon you at your auntās, Ms Everdeen?ā
āIāll allow it,ā she says and it feels as though Spring has finally returned.
Thank you for the tag @thelettersfromnoone and @waywardangel-wilds!!
No context paragraph:
He reaches up, smoothing the wrinkle in her brow. āAn eye for beauty, not a weakness,ā he says, his hands cupping her face. āNo, you are still my one weakness. But what of you? Your new cousin is not as common as your letters would have me believe.ā