Lorn motioned to Mrs. Pearson to hold on to the next dishes that had been readied or in the process of being finished up for the evening.   Mrs. Pearson nodded in response and went back to the kitchen with the maids to let the cook know to pause the work for a time.

"Of course.  Letting the next course wait till we get back from the walk is not a problem."  Lorn agreed.

Lorn stood up and put his napkin beside his bowl and spoon, before moving over to assist her out of the chair.  Pulling the chair once he knew she was ready to do so, that is.  Then extending his hand, he led the way back to the second-floor foray and down the circular main stairs to the bottom floor foray and to the front door once again across the porch to the side of the house steps that led to the flower gardens and paths.  There were trees and bushes with many varied flowers all along the way.  Among the patches of flowers were benches with small connected lovely ponds and decorative fountains to enjoy while sitting.  There was even a small arched bridge to walk right in the center of the where all of the small waterways ended up.  There were electric lanterns from place to place so the gardens were not bright, but had a soft light for a lovely evening walk.

Just being outside for a mere moment helped to boost her. She sighed in the fresh spring air, smelling the scents of many flowers that perfumed the air with their intoxicating scent. She turned to Lorn once they were there, her hands moving to clasp his. "Thank ye..." she said quietly, her eyes searching his as they stood there in the warmth of the evening. Her eyes were still wet from tears but she seemed to have calmed down. "It's beautiful out here," she said softly.

She would have to show him what she did with her garden in her spare time. She had planted an array of things, food being among them of course, but also lots of flowers. Indeed, she loved the smell of her foxgloves and lilacs. Her mouth curved into a smile as she pulled away and buried her face into the nearest flower to inhale the scent.

"Of course."  He replied.  Her request had not been hard at all, after all.  He looked around.  The garden had already been there when he bought the place, but it had been in very bad shape.  He had hired people to take care of it and after these years, it had bloomed and become beautiful as it was intended to be.  He picked a nearby rose and went over to Karen. 

With a lift of the rose, he asked, "May I?"  If allowed he would tuck it near her ear.

She nodded and smiled when he put the rose behind her ear. Then she lifted up on her toes and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips. She drew back and looked up at him, her hand moving to take his when it was free to do so. "I think I am falling in love with ye, Lorn," she whispered. "I don't say it if I don't mean it." Her eyes searched his as she spoke, her lashes still wetly spiked from her tears. "And if ye don't feel the same way... I understand... but I cannot leave it unsaid." Her hand lifted to his cheek and she let her fingers graze over the planes and angles of his flesh, as if memorizing his face.

Lorn's lips slipped slowly into a warm smile.  "I believe that is happening with me as well.  I don't want to rush this, as we have both lost loved ones and parents for our children."  He traced his fingers over her hand as if mapping it gently.  "I have to admit, the future has been in my mind.  The house is a bit small if I were to one day add to the family."  He raised a brow.

"I know. I don't want ta rush either... But the heart wants what the heart wants." She sighed softly and then leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. "It smells so lovely out here, with all the flowers in bloom." And then his next words took her off guard, but she pulled back to look at him, "Yer house is bigger than any I have lived in, what are ye sayin'?" Her eyes searched his then and she tilted her head in curiosity.

He nodded.  "The heart before the brain got a young woman dead once before.  You are worth doing things rightly.  This courting thing is already in action.  The next part would be a proposal with a proper announcement of the engagement."  He watched her face to see if she liked how that sounded. 

"I would want a true family home.  This one doesn't have enough bedrooms for three children."  He explained.  "Once they get old enough they will want their own rooms wouldn't they?  I was not always an only child.  I barely remember before we loss my older sister, but I kind of remember we each had our own rooms."  He frowned trying to remember but it was so vague in his head. 

"Cress had siblings though I am I am pretty sure they would have killed each other if they shared rooms."  He chuckled.  "Some siblings can be full of love but also quite mischievous."

"I have been thinking of a future with you.  Don't think I haven't.  I just want to be sure this is a house for a family.  Our family.  The drawing room is huge, and that reception room is plenty big enough for that kind of thing.  I could redo the drawing-room closing off the reception room to that area.  Then across the side inside wall make a hallway for two or three small bedrooms.  That would make for four bedrooms total counting the one next to the nursery."  He suggested wondering if that would be a good idea.  "Or I could have a whole new house built back further the property."

"Is that what ye want?" she asked softly, hardly daring to breathe. It wasn't a proposal, she knew, but she would have liked it if it was. When he started talking about needing a bigger house, she pressed her palm gently to his cheek and looked into his eyes. "Lorn, ye do not have ta have the big house ta marry me, I meant. We could move into a bigger one in time if ye wish, but as far as I am concerned, home is where the heart is. We could have no home at all and I'd still feel the same way."

She wanted to hug him, but she hesitated, not wanting to be seen and then called a Jezabel again. She dropped her hand and looked away, "I just..." She hummed for a moment and then sighed. "I have not been so lonely since I've met ye and my heart had had a chance ta mend some. I won't be healed all the way for some time yet, but me heart has mended enough to make way fer ye. Ye make me feel alive again, Lorn."

"I want to marry you.   I am not alone in my heart anymore.  I don't feel the need to avoid quiet time anymore.  I was either working or spending time with my little girl to avoid being alone."

"But to me this is more than just you and me now.  Be both have children to consider as well.  I want to talk to Heidi about it."  He gave Karen a look.  "You understand that she is important in this too, even though she is only 3... well almost 4."  He chuckled.  "But if you and I are to marry, I would want you to be as a mother to her.  I would want to be a father to your children as well.  Not meaning to not let them know of their true father, as I would not want Heidi to forget Cress.  But I would want all three of them to consider us parents to them.  That is why I said about the house, I guess in an awkward manner.  I want to be a true family that feels safe and that they belong with us."  He explained. 

"When I ask you to marry me, I want it to be looking at all that it means.  And that we are in the same thoughts about how the future would be.  I would want to make decisions about the property with you giving me your thoughts and concerns.   As the children grow up and even children of our own one day, I want us to make those choices together.  I want to watch them grow strong and with love and laughter."  He had taken a lot of thought into it and was not going into it with a light and sudden decision.  He wanted her as his wife, but he wanted it to be as a family.

She was smiling at him now, her eyes shining. "I want everything with ye, Lorn... I want ta make a family with ye and our children. I want ta grow old with ye." Her hands found his and she squeezed gently, "And I promise that I'm not in a rush for us to wed, just knowin' it's what ye want makes me happier than I've been in a long time." And it felt right. This time around, there was no guilt for what she felt. She had taken her time to get to know Lorn, to find out what kind of man he was. He was a good man and her heart wanted him.

"Ye don't even have ta ask me ta wed ye, we can just... wed when the time is right. Just tell me when ye're ready, that's all. I don't need a ring, I just need to be part of yer world." She gave a soft laugh and couldn't help the little bit of tears that tracked down her cheeks whilst she looked up at him. Her heart was nigh unto bursting.