I Cannot Promise

Florence took a deep breath, her frantic heartbeat making it come out shaky. She was surprised that she did not feel any pain. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself enclosed between two strong arms.

"Are you alright?" Henry's breath tickled her ear.

Florence's eyes widened. The carriage had come to a stop and she was sitting on Henry's lap with his arms wrapped around her, squeezing her to him. She instantly felt heat creep up her face.

Henry pulled away from her and she met his eyes. Her blush deepened.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked again.

Florence heard his question–both of them–but her voice was nowhere to be found. She just stared into his eyes. Her heart was still beating frantically, but she was sure that it was not because of the dangerous carriage ride anymore.

She swallowed hard, she felt strange. Henry's eyes were a soft amber color in the light. They searched hers for an answer but she searched them for an answer of her own.

Since the night of her birthday ball–the night she had kissed Henry Flock–a part of her mind was always nagging her. It was always circling back to this man. The man she was initially using to get out of her mother's clutches. The man who she has to spend the rest of her life with, now that her little plan was blown out of proportions. The man who had just declared he would never love her.

'Shite. Why does he keep seeing me in these embarrassing situations.'

"Henry," voices called from outside the carriage. They brought Florence back from her stance.

At the realization, she pushed away from Henry to try to stand. But with a shriek, she fell right back into his lap.

At the same time, the carriage door flew open.

"Henry, are you and Florence alright?" The marquis and Jonas were pale and worried.

"We are fine," Henry answered. His voice was cool and unfazed.

Florence on the other hand had her red face covered with both hands and buried in her fiancé's chest. Being seen in the position she was in was too embarrassing, she felt she could die.

"We will check for any damage to the carriage before we can resume our journey," Marquis Flock said with a smile.

"We will leave you then," his brother added with a grin that split his face in two.

Henry sighed in defeat as soon as the door was closed. He knew exactly what his father and brother were thinking, and he was sure he would not hear the end of it.

'Was mother hoping for a situation like this? Is that why we are traveling unchaperoned?'

He sighed again.

"Don't move," he uttered as he started to work on Florence's strand of hair that was entangled with his cufflink.

Florence whimpered every time he would pull too hard but she never complained. Her ears were ringing now, she could not even bring herself to move.

As he pulled the last hair away, Henry studied his so-called fiancée. Her hands were squeezing her face as she hid it in his chest. Even her ears were painfully red.

'This woman is a bundle of contradictions.' He recalled when she pulled him from his collar to kiss him without batting an eye, even though she knew her brother and others were approaching.

"You are free now, Lady Kalwen," he finally said.

Florence slowly pushed away from him, avoiding his eyes. She mumbled a thank you before moving to her initial seat. Although, it seemed that she was shrinking away in the velvet chair.

After a few minutes of inspecting the carriage and the coachman apologizing again, they finally resumed their travels.

The silence was worse than before. It was tense and heavy. Florence could not even look up from her fidgeting hands. Henry on the other hand kept his eyes on the window as he stole glances of her from time to time.

He had lost all hope after hearing what she said earlier. He could not believe it.

'She did not want to get married to that arse–Galley–that her mother was pushing on her, but she is fine marrying me. Does she really love me?'

He shook his head.

'How could she? No, I am sure she does not. She had never attempted to approach me before that cursed night.'

He was frustrated and angry. Florence was doing the same thing to him that her mother did to her. She was pushing an unwanted marriage on him.

'Hypocrisy at its finest.'

Henry tried to think of a new solution to break his unwanted engagement, but he could not. His attempts only gave him a migraine.

The awkwardness in their carriage did not change in the next couple of days. Even after separating each night to sleep at an inn, as soon as they entered the carriage, painful silence filled the vehicle.

On the evening of the third day, they finally made it to Luberik. Everyone was exhausted from the journey.

"My dear, you should take a bath and rest," Sofia told Florence. "We have so much to do and so little time. Tony, please show Lady Florence to her room."

"Right away, my lady." The butler bowed and led the way.

"I will have them prepare a tray for you," Sofia added.

"Thank you," Florence uttered shyly.

"I will take my leave as well–"

"Actually," Sofia interrupted, "I would like to have a word, Henry."

Henry pressed his lips together in annoyance, but he followed his mother without complaints.

They sat across each other in the sitting room where a fire had just been started. Henry did not say anything, he waited for his mother patiently, even though he wanted nothing more than peeling his clothes off and bathing before enjoying his soft bed.

"I expect my son to show his utmost respect to his wife, his family, and his in-laws."

"Where is this coming from?" Henry raised a brow.

"Do you think that I did not know about your little escapades?"

Henry's back straightened immediately. He did not think his mother knew about Gisela.

"I expect you to tie up any loose ends before the wedding, Son."

"Mother," Henry started after a very long silence. "I did not ask for this marriage. I do not love her–"

"Maybe if you gave the poor girl a chance–"

"I do not wish to." His voice was a bit louder now. "I am sorry, I cannot promise you what you want." He pushed to his feet.

"Henry, please–"

"Goodnight, Mother."

Sofia sighed.

"What a stubborn son I have."