Adrian chuckled as his eyes lit up at Lucina's words. "Lu, I love yer spark, 'n' I love tha' yer jus' learnin' t' cook 'n' clean. It makes ye who ye are, 'n' I adore every bit o' ye. I'll love ye 'n' want ye, Lucina, even after me last breath," Adrian promised as he placed long, tender, passionate kisses upon her lips, "I love ye Lucina, ferever 'n' a day."

"Only a day after forever?" Lucina asked through their kisses. "Shame. I'm sure that red haired boy from the fair would love me much, much longer then forever." She smiled against Adrian's lips before losing herself in his kisses.

His hand roaming beneath her dress to caress her smooth leg, Adrian eagerly placed long, hard, passionate kisses upon her lips, his tongue caressing her own with each kiss. "Lucina, tha' boy is jus' a boyo. Ye really think he'll love ye like I do?" Adrian teased between kisses, "If so, 'e'll 'ave t' fight me fer ye; I'm no' lettin' ye go tha' easily. I love ye, Lucina, 'n' I'll love ye even after th' world stops turnin'," Adrian added lovingly between kisses, "Ye've completely turned me world upside down; I don' know how, bu' I love every second o' it."

"That's good to hear." Lucina murmured breathlessly as he pressed Adrian closer to her, his hand causing sparks of electricity to shoot up her leg. "It'd be a shame to have to settle for the other boy when I so desperately want you." She said between kisses.

A low moan escaped Adrian's lips as her fingers pressed into his skin and pulled him closer against her. "I couldn' let ye go, Lu, ever," Adrian murmured against her lips as his hand caressed her hip and curves, pressing against her soft skin to pull her closer to him, if that were at all possible.

Lucina let her hormones rule her actions as she hooked her fingers beneath the hem of Adrian's shirt and pulled it over his head, letting it drop to the floor so that her fingers could feel the smooth contours of his chest, her mind buzzing from lust.

"Lucina.." A low moan escaped Adrian's lips as he leaned back slightly to unlace her dress and slip it from her shoulders, his hands gathering her skirt up as he continued to kiss her lips. Pulling her gown over her head, Adrian let it fall upon his shirt as he pressed against her, his kisses deepening as his hands began unlacing her corset.

Deep down, Adrian knew he shouldn't be going so far. But at this moment, Adrian's want for Lucina was too strong for him to think and judge clearly. At this moment, Adrian only saw his need for Lucina to be closer and her body responding to his own.

Lucina felt her heart thud against her chest almost painfully as she clasped her hands of Adrian's and pulled them away from her corset. "I'm sorry." She said lamely, her face turning a brilliant red with embaressment. She shouldn't have led Adrian on as she had and the removal of her dress wiped away her lust and filled her with fear and embaressment. She wanted Adrian with every fiber of her being but the idea of making love made her nervous and awkward. "I'm sorry." She repeated, murmuring the words over and over as she reached her dress and pulled it back into place, not able to meet Adrian's eyes.

Adrian sighed as he quickly put on his shirt and headed for the kitchen. Slipping on his boots, Adrian headed outside to clear his mind.

This time it had gone too far, on both of their accounts. Lucina was becoming quite the tease, yet Adrian still adored her and only wanted her more for it.

Sighing as he kicked at some stones, Adrian started to walk down the road, not really sure where he was going.

-

It was then that a carriage came to a halt at the house.

"Thank ye, Mr. Landon, fer givin' us a ride 'ome," Lori said with a kind smile up as he helped her down from the carriage, "It was very kind o' ye."

Mr. Frederick Landon, a man by the age of twenty, was a handsome young Irish man with sandy brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and light freckles that accented his slender face and build - making him look rather boyish, yet elegantly handsome. He was well-to-do, but not overly. His family was in the trade-business.

"Me pleasure, Ms. Sarlin," Mr. Landon said with a warm smile as his hand lingered upon hers for just a brief moment longer than necessary before he helped Shinorah from the wagon, "Mrs. Sarlin."

"Won' ye stay fer dinner, Mr. Landon? It's th' only thing we can do t' show our gratitude fer helpin' us bring our packages 'ome," Shinorah said with a warm smile, seeing the look Mr. Landon gave to Lori as he helped her from the carriage.

Taking their packages, Mr. Landom smiled at Shinorah as he nodded, "I would love that, Mrs. Sarlin, thank ye."

Lucina wrapped her arms around her chest, stunned and confused by Adrian's silent exit. She managed to stand from the couch and went to her bedroom. Falling onto the bed, Lucina felt guilt and rejection flush over her. It wouldn't be long until Adrian would return and call off their marriage. She'd have to return to her home in the sky without the future with Adrian she so desperately wanted.

The packages placed upon the small table in the Living Room, Mr. Landom returned to the kitchen where he slipped off his jacket, which was immediately taken by Lori and hung upon the rack, and walked over to Shinorah, who had begun preparing dinner.

"Is there anythin' I can do Mrs. Sarlin? I'd be more than 'appy t' help ye," Mr. Landom said with a warm smile.

"If ye don' mind, Mr. Landom, 'n' if it's no' too much trouble, would ye help Lori bring in th' milk from th' barn?" Shinorah said with a small twinkle in her eye, causing Lori to blush as she gave his jacket back to him quickly before slipping on her own and putting on her shoes.

"O' course," Mr. Landom said with a small chuckle as he opened the door for Lori and led her towards the barn.

Once inside and away from the others, Frederick pressed Lori up against the closed door and placed a long, tender kiss upon her lips, his hand caressing her hip as he kissed her.

"Lori, how long are ye goin' t' keep me in waitin'? I need ye, Lori, 'n' I want ye somethin' terrible. I mean it when I say I wish t' marry ye, Lori, cannot you see that I mean wha' I say?" Frederick whispered against her lips as his kisses deepened and his tongue tenderly explored her mouth.

"I know," Lori whispered breathlessly, "But no' until we're married will ye visit me bedchamber nor I visit yers. Please understan', Frederick. I very much wish t', bu' no' when me mother 'n' brother 'r around."

"Go t' town on yer own, love, visit me instead. Ye know I live alone.. No servants 'r maids tha' live with me. I'll give 'em th' day off," Frederick added as his hands caressed Lori's curves.

After a moments hesitation, Lori whispered as her fingertips dug into his scalp and back, "I wish I could, bu' I can'. I'm sorry.. Announce our engagement, 'n' after we're married, we'll make love. I don' want t' be a ruined woman when I marry ye," Lori managed to whisper between kisses.

"Ye won' be ruined, love, yer marryin' th' man yer sleepin' with. There's nothin' wrong with tha'," Frederick encouraged between kisses as his hand pulled up her skirts to caress her bare legs, trying his best to persuade her without seeming like he was, planting the ideas into her own head and making her feel as he did.

"I will think abou' it," Lori whispered as he pressed against her, "I promise, I will think abou' it."

"Tha's all I can ask," Frederick managed to whisper as he wrapped her legs around his waist and continued to kiss her as his hands explored beneath her gown.

Little did the two know, Adrian had heard everything that mattered as he returned from his walk. His eyes wide, Adrian headed towards the well to wash water on his face and clear his mind, trying to figure out what to do and how to save Lori from a scandal and a very ruined reputation.

Didn't she know the dangers of Landom?
Didn't she know what he was capable of?
Didn't she know just how horribly he used women until he got what he wanted and then left them? Ruined and shunned by everyone around them?

Lucina felt hoeplessness fill her as she sat alone in her room. She wasn't sure how to fix the earlier incident with Adrian and the idea caused an incurable sense of dread in her stomach. Making her way to the closet, Lucina changed into one of her new dresses from Shinorah and admired herself in the mirror, fixing her hair so that it hung simply but elegantly in a low bun. When she was feeling empty and lost primping seemed to be her only way to stay grounded. She would apologize to Adrian of course and she knew he wouldn't leave her over such an incident as what had happened in the living but they'd have to be in control more. She wanted to wait until they were married but the idea of having a child scared her more then coming to Earth had, she didn't know how to be a mother and she wasn't quite ready to find out.

Adrian sighed as he saw the two walk back to the house, a milk pail in Frederick's hand, both looking as if the scene in the barn had never happened.

No wonder he had never known about them. He suspected, of course, that she was fond of Frederick, but never knew her to be capable of acting in such an inappropriate manner. Was it because of Lucina she was acting in such a way?

It disheartened Adrian to think it was because of their differences and quarrels that brought about the change in Lori. However, nothing could be done now. All he could do was watch the situation closely and act when the time was right.

Walking into the house awhile later, Adrian nodded a hello to his family and Frederick, all eating by now, before heading upstairs and knocking on Lucina's door, wishing very much to make amends with her.

"Lu, love? May I come in?" Adrian called softly as he rested against the door frame, praying she would let him in and not turn him away; hoping above all else that she was not angry with him for leaving so suddenly; hoping she did not think horribly of him for what had transpired.

Lucina felt her heart leap to her throat at the sound of Adrian's voice, both from fear of what he was going to say and from missing his voice as she wished it would reassure her from feeling so horrible. "Of course." Lucina said softly as she curled up tighter on her bed, her chin resting on her knees. She cursed herself internaly for her shaky voice but there was nothing that could be done with that now, right now she just needed to focus on fixing things with Adrian.

Opening the door, shutting it softly behind him, Adrian walked over and knelt before Lucina. Pulling her legs down and around his torso, Adrian took her hands in his and brought them to his lips. With a light kiss, Adrian whispered softly, "Lucina.. Will ye fergive me?"

Looking up at her, Adrian offered a small smiled as he reached up and caressed her cheek, "Ye know ye drive me crazy, love. I'm sorry I lost me control, Lu.. Will ye fergive me?"

Lucina didn't answer immediately as he mouth dropped open in shock. He was asking her for forgiveness? She's the one who had led him on and it seemed completely unfair to expect him to apologize for what she had done wrong. "Adrian." She said softly as she moved over on the bed and urged him to sit next to her. "What happened wasn't your fault." She explained. "I shouldn't have led you on like I did." She said. "So I believe the real question is if you can forgive me." Lucina said, looking hopefully into Adrian's eyes.

Adrian's smile brightened as his eyes lit up and he joined Lucina upon the bed, one hand in her lap caressing hers while the other slipped into her hair and pulled her close. His lips hovering over hers, Adrian murmured softly before placing a long, hard, tender kiss upon her lips, "Lucina, I'll always fergive ye no mat'er wha' ye do. Wha' 'appened wasn' anyone's fault. It's jus' sumthin' tha' 'appens when yer in love."

Lucina felt a surge of butterflies in her stomach at Adrian's kiss, washing away any of her fears in the process. Putting a hand in his hair, Lucina pulled Adrian's lips against her's to return his kisses before burying her face in his neck. "I love you Adrian. Very, very much." She said with a large grin, finding relief that there wasn't any tension between them and instead just a sense of bliss.

"I'll always love ye, Lu, whether we make love ''r no'. Love, we can be intimate withou' makin' love 'n' we can kiss withou' it escalatin' t' makin' love. We jus' 'ave t' learn each others stopin' points so we don' go too far," Adrian murmured against her lips as his hand slinked around her waist and pulled her closer to him as he kissed her. "I don' like upsettin' ye Lu.."

"And I don't like having to stop kissing you." Lucina pouted as she looked up Adrian and gave his lips a soft kiss. "I love you." She smiled peacefully as she snuggled closer to Adrian.

"I don' like it either, me love," Adrian managed to murmur against her lips before getting lost in her kisses, their kisses slightly increasing in quickness and passion as he moved closer to her and leaned her back into the sheets, his hand caressing her side and waist as he kissed her. "I promise, me love, I won' do anythin'," Adrian assured her as he broke their kisses to look into her eyes, hoping he wouldn't scare her off for he dearly wished to simply be close to her right now and kiss her.

"Just kiss me." Lucina laughed with a small eye roll as she pulled Adrian back against her, her lust remained a small flame in the back of her mind as she simply enjoyed being in the arms of her love. Wrapping a leg around Adrian's waist, Lucina gave Adrian soft kisses as she let the last of her worry fall away.

Eagerly returning his kisses, Adrian smiled as he tenderly caressed the length of her side, "Ye'll never 'ear me object, love." Not caring about dinner, nor that Frederick had left, Adrian laid beside Lucina and continued to kiss her until their lips were swollen, not that he noticed. He loved being with Lucina, always and forever. It didn't matter what they were doing, for as long as she was by his side, he was euphoric.

"I love ye Lu," Adrian murmured against her lips before leaving a trail of kisses across her jaw and down her neck.

"I love you too." Lucina smiled as she felt dull hunger pains in her stomach. "But if you keep me distracted up here much longer I may starve to death." She teased as she placed a kiss on Adrian's nose. "Feed me?" She asked innocently with a sly smile.

"Hmmm, I could do tha' love, but then I'd 'ave t' stop kissin' ye," Adrian teased as his nose brushed against hers in a small Eskimo-kiss, "Bu' if ye starve, I'll ne'r be able t' kiss ye again, so I guess we'd bet'er find ye some dinner, eh?" Adrian added with a final kiss upon her lips before slipping from the bed and gently pulling her to stand with him, leading her out of her room and down to the kitchen to warm up dinner.