Hello there! It's been a while, but here's another chapter for you guys. I hope that you like it despite it being quite short.

Disclaimer: I certainly do not own any of the characters and places of Miss Jane Austen's books. And what comes to persons and places on this fan fiction that you don't recognize I have made them up. No harm intended, I swear.

Thank you so much for reviewing and faving and alerting! You don't know how much it means to me! :}

Enjoy!

-Milde-

Solitary Motions

Chapter 8: Change of Heart?

Summer had arrived to England and to Keisting Abbey so subtly most had missed it. But as the summer progressed all the residents of the castle forgot about the joys of Easter, all except Mary Bennet. She treasured the memory of the short dancing lesson in the library with Mr. Wood, but even her infatuated mind couldn't keep out the nightmarish image of young lord Jules and his father's wife, Lady Hines, together. She shivered, but when the six-year-old gave her an observant, curious look she claimed the rainy weather made her cold. Collin continued to wade in the mud, pulling a small, wooden ship after him. His oldest brother had given it to him as a birthday present.

Mary knit her brows together. She had been observing the little boy for the last month very carefully but she was still unable to say if her hunch was right or wrong. If she was right... She wasn't brave enough to think that far.

The governess was woken from her thoughts when Collin jumped into a puddle, splashing water not only on himself but also on Mary. Scolding the young lord of his thoughtlessness she turned on her heels and led him back to the castle where everyone were anxiously waiting the guests to arrive. Mary hadn't seen Mr. Wood since Easter and was quite excited about the next couple of months the Vougar family would spent in the castle.

.o.o.o.o.o.

Despite her fascination in certain brunette man among the guests Miss Mary Bennet didn't want her father's claim of her being one of the silliest girls in England be true. Thus, when everyone else gushed about the guests she was sitting perfectly still in the third floor library, pretending to be reading a book. She was startled by a sharp knock on the door. Heart beating wildly she made her way to the oak doors and opened them.

"You..." The disappointment on her face was clear and her dry, sour voice made the handsome lord Jules furrow his brows.

"I usually expect a different kind of tone from our workers, Miss Bennet," he said coldly and stepped inside the room, forcing Mary to back away.

"I hope you can forgive my behaviour, sir. I stepped out of line and I'm terribly sorry," she even bowed her head like she was ashamed. Her emotional distance had become very familiar to Jules during the past month despite the governess' extremely skillful avoiding of him. He couldn't get any kind of reaction from her, and it frustrated and irritated him greatly.

"Please, Miss Bennet! Stop being such a hypocrite," the man scoffed, which made Mary's elegant brows rose behind her pince-nez.

"I'm a hypocrite?" She breathed out, an angered blush raising to her cheeks. For a moment Jules was thrilled to get a reaction out of her, but the miss' voice had been quite bleak and judgmental. As if she knew something.

Jules Hines didn't understand the dark haired governess any more than he did his warm-blooded mare. He snorted, a horse was way too graceful of an animal to be compared to Mary Bennet. She was more of a cow, or a donkey. A small, quite voice in the back of his head scolded him, condemning his cruel, unjust and at times very inappropriate thoughts of Miss Bennet. Unfortunately he was able to shut down his conscience before it would reveal ridiculous reasons for his childish behaviour toward the woman.

"If you didn't come here for me, then please excuse me. I'll leave you to enjoy the secrets of your library," Mary said scornfully, pushing past the man forcefully.

.o.o.o.o.o.

"I hope your journey went well, Mr. Wood," Madame Oswald smiled sweetly and the servant answered in a friendly way.

Mary Bennet had never been so vexed with a soup before. She glared at the lukewarm meat soup with burning eyes and listened with jealousy how Mrs. Oswald made Mr. Henrik Wood laugh. She had been waiting for dinner with so much excitement, but to her disappointment the tall servant had chosen to sit between the old housekeeper, and the horseman Arthur Eastman.

Sighing heavily she glanced at the man's way and to her pleasant surprise Mr. Wood was looking straight at her with his warm amber eyes. The smile he wore on his face made Mary blush crimson red and she turned her gaze back to her soup quickly. She couldn't understand how one little smile could put her in such a state! Mary's sense didn't tolerate the same behavior that her younger sisters had whenever they would see a red coat. It didn't even necessarily matter whether he was handsome or not as long as he was wearing his uniform. That is why she ate her soup in her normal way without any hurry or glancing around, but when her plate was empty she stood up stiffly and left the kitchen in a hurry.

She walked pass the drawing room where the family and their guests were enjoying their dessert. She had to stop, however, when something was pulling the hem of her dress. Turning around she saw Collin's wheat blond hair and his small hand holding tightly the dark brow fabric of her dress.

"Is something wrong, Collin?" She asked, forcing her bubbling, confused mind to calm down and focus on the little boy who shook his head.

"Then what-" she couldn't finish her sentence when Lord Hines' youngest son started pulling and tugging her dress, and her, towards the stairs.

"Oh, you want me to come play with you?" Collin seemed like he had to think about her words for a moment before he made a short nod. Mary let another sigh pass her lips, but she couldn't bring herself to say no to the boy. He didn't have anyone else to play with but her after all.

.o.o.o.o.o.

Mary wrinkled her nose, feeling indignant. The room had been filled with an uncomfortable silence for the past fifteen minutes now and it appeared that it would take another fifteen before something would be said. She wouldn't be the first to break. How could she have been so stupid and gullible? This had all been part of his plan.

"Don't be angry at my brother, Miss Bennet..." Jules' voice butchered and broke the silence eventually, but Mary still refused to open her mouth and speak. "I'll admit everything. But you have to understand this is partly your fault too. I've been wanting to talk to you, but it's been impossible because you keep avoiding me," the man said with a sigh.

"So you put your innocent little brother to do your dirty work for you?" Mary frowned at him.

"Well... Yes... What else was I supposed to do to get your attention?" He asked, brushing his fingers through his dark brow hair in irritation.

"Tch. Typical." She muttered. "But what could be expected form a man like you? You, who have a relationship with your father's wife!" Mary snapped. To her satisfaction she noticed that the man had paled.

"You should know better than to carelessly say something about things you know nothing of," Jules said slowly as if he was trying to find the proper words from the jungle of rage and sorrow. She flinched when the young man started towards her, expecting a slap or a hit, but the future lord brushed past her, his face stony and cold.

Only when the door clicked shut did Mary realize what kind of mistake she had made with her impulsive words.