A ruckus behind her sounded, but she was too preoccupied to care. It was not until Anna glanced at her with wide eyes that her brow furrowed.
“What is the matter, Anna?” Emma inquired and followed Anna’s gaze to the front of the carriage where she had entered earlier.
Her heart stopped for a moment and she slowly rose to her feet. William stood on the other side of the aisle that led straight to her seat.
“Emma,” he said breathlessly and stepped towards her.
“My lord, what on earth are you doing on the train?” Emma gasped.
“I understand that you wish to go on this trip and that it would be very wrong of me to attempt to persuade you to stay merely for my sake,” he answered.
“William, I am not certain this is the ideal place to speak of this,” Emma whispered, looking around self-consciously at the other passengers. Some glanced in their direction, and some did not even appear to notice William’s abrupt entrance.
“This is as good a place than any, Emma.”
“But you are aware that this train is traveling directly to Edinburgh,” Emma said with a furrowed brow.
“Indeed,” William answered and stepped closer to her. “My entire life, I have done things that only pleased others. I behaved in a certain manner and said things that pleased others simply to fit into their world. I have never truly felt good enough, especially not in the eyes of my father, who had unattainable standards that I could never achieve. I felt as though I would never belong anywhere.”
Emma pressed her lips together. Where was this going?
William gazed at her intently.
“Until I met you,” he continued. “Emma, you turned my world upside down, and I felt out of sorts, completely flabbergasted by your strong will and determination to be true to yourself. You never compromised who you are, and it is truly an admirable trait. I had fallen in love with you without realizing it, and when I became aware of your trip—”
“You tried to stop me from leaving,” Emma interjected.
“Not at all,” William corrected and stopped in front of her. “I only wished to be a part of it, exploring the beautiful Scottish Highlands beside you. No expectations of marriage, or anything, for that matter. I only desire to be beside you as you find yourself.”
“Nothing more?” Emma asked, raising an intrigued brow at William.
“The pleasure of your company is all I want,” he answered.
A hint of a smile formed on her lips and she cocked her head. “Since you are already on the train, there is no possible way to decline, is there?”
“I would personally throw you all from the train carriage if I could,” one of the railway staff said loudly behind William.
Emma’s eyes widened.
“We do apologize for the disruption, sir,” Emma said.
“Please take your seats,” he muttered.
Emma motioned William to take the seat beside her, and together they sat comfortably as the train gently rocked to and fro, the rolling hills speeding past the window.
Their hands brushed against one another and William slid his fingers between hers, closing them against her hand.
“I thought there were no expectations,” Emma said in a hushed tone.
“There are none. I am simply holding onto the one person who is the dearest to me in the entire world.”
Emma glanced away, afraid to smile as broadly and happily as she was inclined.
Her world had been tipped the right way up and she wasn’t sure how to deal with all the happiness flowing through her.
In her heart, Emma was delighted William had gotten on the train to Edinburgh with her. Although a part of her had wished to discover herself alone on this trip, she knew William was the best person with whom to share her new adventure.
Epilogue
William gazed at the open ocean and a smile formed on his lips. A light breeze on the deck of the ship rustled his hair.
It had only been a few months since he had rushed through the train station in Somerset, purchased a ticket and jumped aboard the slow-moving train. He had never done anything as rash and impulsive as his actions that day, but it had certainly been the best thing he had ever done.
Declaring his love for Emma, despite not having any expectations from her, had taken all of his courage that day, but he would gladly do it all again.
Without a moment’s hesitation.
William and Emma, along with her maid, Anna, had proceeded to visit Edinburgh, and it had been wonderful. The Highlands were immersed in mysticism, which allowed Emma to confess her love for him under the starry skies while at Lake Lomond.
William’s universe had stopped during that a moment, and he had kissed her with all the tender love that had built up over those months of their trip.
Today they continued their journey across the North Sea to a port in Denmark, where they would travel to all the places that Emma’s heart desired to see.
The cold air was fresh against William’s skin and he placed his hand on the wooden railing of the ship. He stood close to the bow, and he could only see the ocean, the horizon merely a dark blue line around him.
Footsteps on the deck caused him to turn around and he noticed the captain of the ship approach him, a broad smile on his face. “My lord, are you ready?” the captain inquired.
“Indeed, but we seem to be missing one very important person,” William stated.
“Speaking of, there she is now,” the captain said and motioned to the starboard side of the ship, where the stairs met up with the upper outside deck.
There stood Emma, dressed in a pale blue velvet dress, the long sleeves covering her arms. The material was gathered at her bust and hung down, creating a soft and ethereal look.
Her skin glowed in the winter sun, and her crimson hair was set ablaze in the rays of the sun. Her eyes shone brightly as she slowly made her way
