Sophie held onto the sides of the canoe tightly as the boat rocked back and forth. Thomas sat expertly on the other side of the boat rowing. She felt awkward staring at him especially with the unspoken tension that was still ever present.
She turned her back to him and took in the river as it was slowly rolling by. The banks of the river were covered in beautiful trees and bushes of every kind. A bird flew low just in front of them grazing its wing on the water surface causing a ripple to billow out from its touch. She followed the bird with her gaze as it landed high on a tree top. She felt like a little kid just trying to take in all the new sights and scenes around her. A fish jumped just next to the boat startling her.
"Oh," she gasped. "Was that a fish?" she asked.
Thomas nodded.
They continued down the river in the same manor for nearly an hour, she sat face forward and alert to every new sound and sensation, before her legs started going numb from sitting on them. She finally turned around to face him. She settled into the seat of the boat and stretched her legs out and wiggled her toes trying to regain sensation. She was wearing her black dress again but it was nice and cool on the river. She fluffed it out her skirts creating a breeze under them. She brushed the hair out her face and looked nervously away.
Thomas cleared his throat. "Sophie," he said finally.
"Yes?" she waited for him to speak. He looked oddly nervous as he chose his words.
"Sophie," he said again. "I am incredibly sorry about what I said yesterday."
"You may be sorry," she fiddled with the key around her neck again. "But you meant what you said."
He grunted annoyed.
"It is true that I meant what I said. I don't like finicky, fuddy duddy English women. But you are different and that wasn't fair of me to say what I did."
"I appreciate your apology Thomas." She chewed on her lip. "I'm sorry that I am a useless English woman but I can't change the way I was raised."
"I know, I promise not to hold it against you again."
"Well aren't you generous," she rolled her eyes.
"Please let me explain," he continued quickly.
"By all means," she said.
"I grew up in England, of course." She nodded. "My father was a blacksmith and we worked and lived on a big estate." He swallowed hard. "The people, the family, they never even looked at us. It was like we were invisible, we didn't exist. It's like they looked right through us. I was friends with all the other children of the parents that worked there and they treated us all the same way. It was mostly indifference but sometimes they were cruel."
Sophie looked away. She wondered how many of the people on her own family's manor felt the same way about her.
"It was maddening. Without us these people couldn't even get dressed. We cooked their food, chopped wood, warmed their homes, took them from one place to another. Without us they couldn't exist. I grew up hating them. I'm not proud of it, but I couldn't help it."
"And you see me the same as them?"
"I'm trying not to," he admitted. "Because I know you're not the same."
"There are some similarities though," she admitted.
They sat in silence a moment longer. It did feel better that he apologized but it was still massively awkward. She had suspected that was the reason he resented her but it was difficult to hear it said out loud.
"May I row? I would love to give it a go," she said changing the subject.
He smiled and handed her the oars their fingers brushing. She giggled as she attempted to work the oars together in a synchronized motion. The paddles flopped and slapped the surface of the water. Thomas hid his laughter with a hand over his mouth, trying to rub his mouth casually. Sophie giggled and laughed as the canoe spun lazily around the river. Finally, he took the oars, covering her hands in his massive paws. He straightened the boat so they were pointed in the right direction and then demonstrated how to row, each oar in unison with the other, keeping his hands on top of hers. She stared at him as he guided her hands and taught her. He finally released her hands and let her give it ago on her own. She did better, but it was still a struggle. She didn't know how he managed to make the canoe go straight; it kept leaning to one side or the other.
"This is actually really exhausting," she was breathing heavily. "How have you been doing this this whole time?"
"The scenery helps," he smiled crookedly.
"It is beautiful out here," she said with a sigh.
"I'm not talking about the river," he said leaning forward on his knees.
Sophie slapped the ores on the surface of the water creating a great splash.
"Why would you go and say a thing like that?" she accused. "It's not fair of you to give me compliments just after wielding insults at me. It takes all sincerity out of it."
Thomas stared at her incredulously. "Excuse me?"
She pulled the oars out of the river letting the water drip off of them.
"You snapped at me yesterday after I mention that I maybe would have been happy if you were the one waiting for me when I got off the boat."
He looked down at his fingers.
"Can you tell me that those two events are not connected?"
He looked at her and shook his head slowly, reluctantly. She lifted her eyebrows at her.
"Yes," he mumbled. "They are related."
"Right," she said glaring at him. "You made it abundantly clear that the thought of marrying me is completely repulsive so what right do you have to be tossing compliments my way?"
"Now hold on just a moment!" he growled. "I do not find the thought of marrying you repulsive," he said firmly pointing a finger at her.
"Yes, you do because that was the precise moment you started slinging insults at me."
His head fell.
"Not because I find you repulsive," he said through clenched teeth.
"Really?" she scoffed. "Then marry me."
"What?" his eyes shot up at her.
Sophie leaned forward, their faces close together.
"Marry me,"