Emerald's Rogue (Part 1)

I am sorry to have kept us out so long." He helped her get back on the horse then they raced home, laughing.

She ran into the manor and up the stairs to her room. She stopped dead when she found her mother waiting.

"Where have you been?" She demanded.

"I am sorry mother. I went riding. Marcus had Philip go with me. I rode Daisy. I needed to get out." She added lastly. Lady Whitington stared at her daughter. Her hair was a wild mess and her boots and the bottom of her gown were covered in mud and she still held the bouquet of wild flowers.

"You were at the lake, weren’t you?" It wasn’t really a question.

"Yes my lady." She said with her head still down. Lily shook her head.

"Get her cleaned up as quickly as possibly Alice. Since we have guests tonight dinner is starting earlier." She left then saying nothing else. Emerald didn’t know if that was good or not. Alice took the flowers and placed them on a dresser.

"Come child let’s hurry." Alice said already unbuttoning the dress.

Chapter Two

When Emerald arrived downstairs in the great hall, she saw that all the men-at-arms were present as well as all the higher servants. She wondered why but said nothing as she went straight to her father and mother.

"Good evening, my lord father, my lady mother." She gave her mother the wild flowers then turned to the Hawkington’s. "Lord and Lady Hawkington, I pray you are well this evening." She curtsied to them as she spoke. She only glanced at her older brother Michael, who arrived that afternoon while she had been out.

"My you are the mannered little lady. I wish my Gwen and Samantha were so." Lady Hawkington stated.

"Will they be coming soon, my lady? I do miss them." Emerald said, wishing deeply her friends where there now.

"Actually they will be here tomorrow morning my dear. They will be coming with the rest of the children. Lily are your other children not coming as well?" Lady Hawkington asked Emerald’s mother.

"Yes, they too should be here early tomorrow morning. Come shall we go to dinner now?"

"Where is Rogue?" Jacob asked looking for his son. Just then he came rushing down the stairs. All turned to look at the young man that would wed the last daughter of the Whitington clan.

Tonight he was dressed in deep sapphire blue. Emerald looked down at her own gown and realized they were dressed alike. She turned red, thinking he had done it on purpose until she saw the shock on his face, which he quickly covered before the adults saw. He cursed under his breath.

"It must be Fate that these two wore such a regal color tonight without knowing the other would be wearing it." Isabel said smiling.

"Forgive my lateness, my trunks only just arrived and I had to dress in haste." He bowed to his host and hostess then nodded at his father and kissed his mother’s hand.

"Mistress Emerald, may I escort you to dinner?" He asked courteously, though the smile did not reach his eyes. She knew he did it out of duty. Graciously she took his offered arm and they walked to the dais were they all would sit. Niether wanted to be there.

Once everyone was seated, Lord Whitington raised his hands to quiet the room.

"I have asked you to dine with us tonight because there is much to celebrate. You have known Emerald since the day she was born. Well today she and Rogue Hawkington signed the betrothal papers." There was a great cheer and feet stomping.