"Jane Austen? Truly?" Lori said with a grin, "Oh I love her! She's one o' me favorite new authors. Hard t' believe 'tis a woman writin' such wonderful liter'ture, ain't it?"

"Really?" Johnny asked, thankful for her enthusiasm. "I mean, yeah." He laughed. "She's a great writer 'n' her characters 'r' always so real. Like they're righ' in th' room with ye." He said with a small blush.

"Like ye can feel their pain, their joy, hear their laughter," Lori added with a warm smile as she linked her fingers with Johnny, "Almos' as if it's happ'nin' t' ye right then 'n' there."

"Exactly like tha'." Johnny smiled as Lori took his hand. "Me favorite one is Mansfield Park." He admitted as they continued to walk aimlessly. "Bu' I'm partial to Persuasion t' ye know?"

"Hmmm. I find Persuasion a romantic tragedy, none-the-less intriguin', but I like Emma best. No' only does th' heroine fall t' th' epitome o' self-hate, but she also finds her way back again with th' help o' her only love. She goes through many trials before she finds 'er 'appiness. I just 'ope one day I can fine me own happy endin' like tha'," Lori admitted with a blush.

"I think ye will." Johnny said shyly. "I mean, yer a smart girl 'n' I know a bunch o' boyos who were waitin' t' ask ye t' be with 'em. I'm jus' glad I got t' ye first." He admitted with a small smile. "Outta all those boyos there's gotta be one tha' ye can fall in love with."

"Per'aps, bu' I'm no' so sure the boyos 'ave wha' it takes t' make me 'appy. They all 'ave a lot o' air up in their heads from wha' I gather," Lori said teasingly as she gave his hand a light squeeze. "Bu' who knows, I may find someone jus' yet."

"Yeah we can be a wee bit airheaded. Bu' maybe someone will make ye happy." Johnny smiled, as he made a small prayer that she would like him eventually. Worried about questioning her too much, Johnny let the two fall into a comfortable silence as they continued to walk.

Lori, not finding the silence awkward, smiled as she looked at the path around her. Had the two been in love and dating, the scene would have been rather romantic. In this case, it merely set the mood for something romantic to possibly take place in time. It wasn't unrealistic or unable to happen, it was merely what transpired over the course of their walk through the woods and meadow that would decide the ending fate of the journey.

Johnny looked over at Lori with a small smile before turning his head and blushing in the opposite direction, pondering on how lucky he was to be out in the woods with the girl he had adored for a so many months. It almost seemed unreal except for the small hand that was tucked inside his own.

"Lori." Johnny said in a hushed whisper as he tugged her hand to stop. "Do ye see tha'?" He asked as he pointed across the meadow to a small orange head that upon further inspection could be made out as a fox's head. "I've never seen one in th' wild before. Jus' in th' books tha' I show me wee cousins sometimes. I hope I don't sound t' much like o' a village boyo." He said shyly.

Lori laughed as she poked his nose lightly with her free hand. "Ye sound very much like a village boyo. Bu' 'tis cute," Lori said with a smile as she looked up at him before looking back at the fox, "They're beautiful aren't they?"

"Yeah they 'r'." Johnny said with a blush from Lori's teasing. "I really need t' be gettin' outta the village mo' often." He said before continuing their walk.

Lori smiled as she nodded in agreement, "Aye, tha' ye should. Perhaps.. Perhaps now ye'll 'ave a reason to?" Lori asked softly as she looked up at him hesitantly.

"Perhaps I do." Johnny smiled down a Lori for a few seconds before looking away. He wasn't sure if he'd ever smiled so much in one day before. "I don't know why I haven't be'fore." Johnny said as he reached over to a nearby flower patch and plucked a long stemed purple flower. "Me friends would tease me fo' sayin' so bu' its beautiful out here." He said as he handed the purple flower to Lori.

Lori blushed a deep scarlet as she took the flower. "They jus' don' know how t' appreciate nature's beauty." Sniffing the flower, Lori smiled as she rested her temple against Johnny's arm. Twirling the flower in her fingers, Lori laughed softly as she thought about how crazy it was that she was starting to fall for him. Who knew a spur of the moment decision would have lead to something like this?

Johnny couldn't help but feel a bit elated as Lori leaned against him, his hand still warm in her's. "Probably not bu' at least I have ye t' keep me from bein' as sheltered as them." He grinned happily, watching the petals spin on the flower in Lori's hand.

"True," Lori said with a warm smile as she looked up at him. "Per'aps ye won' be such a village boyo by th' time yer grown 'n' married. Yer wife'll 'ave a proper man 'round th' house t' care for 'er."

"I'm sure whoever is crazy enough t' be me wife will be treated like a princess." Johnny laughed. "Me mum wouldn' here otherwise." He explained as he looked ahead of them, taking in the scene that was all new to him.

"Yer Mum sounds wonderful," Lori said with a smile as she looked up at him, "I don' believe I've e'er met 'er. Me Mum knows 'er though, I believe."

"She's nice a wee bit strict sometimes bu' they all are." Johnny smiled. "Me dad though 'tis alot more strict bu' me mum keeps him in line."

"Aye, now tha's someone I've seen," Lori said with a laugh, "Mum saw him in town 'n' stopped him t' ask about yer Mum. He seemed so.. I'm no' sure how t' describe him.. He was very intimidatin' though. Sort o' reminds me o' you."

"I'm intimidatin'?" Johnny asked with a laugh. "I think tha's th' first time I heard tha' one." He teased. "Normally people tell me tha' I need t' stop actin' like a boyo or girlie in th' case o' me readin' habits." He explained shamelessly.

Lori laughed, "Aye, aye, intimidatin' ye are! I've always thought ye th' sort o' boyo who 'ad his head abou' him, 'n' tha' was intimidatin' t' a girl who didn' even know what future she wished fer. No' t' mention ye seem t' 'ave so many friends, male 'n' female alike. Can ye blame a girl fer feelin' like ye were above 'er 'n' wouldn' give 'er th' time o' day?"

"I can think a girl silly fo' thinkin' so." Johnny said as he looked over at Lori. "I always thought ye didn't come 'round us cause ye thought ye were above us." He explained with a small smile. "Bu' ye were always mo' then welcome."

Lori laughed as she shook her head, "Oh no! No' a' all! I though' ye all wouldn' wan' anythin' t' do with me 'cause I don' go t' school with ye 'n' don' live in th' village. I always though' y'all though ye were bet'er than a village girl like me.. Th' girls sure seem t' think so," Lori admitted with a blush as she looked down at the ground.