"What do I do now? What is there to do? According to Lady Cantrell I am beneath Lady Annabelle Bentley's touch. She will not have a "New Man" dangling after niece. I will never be chosen and I am never to set foot in her home again. I ask you, what is there to be done?"

Mr. Harris rose from his seat and approached Mr. Kane, he placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "You fight."

"What?" Cyril asked in disbelief. "Did you not hear a word I have spoken? I have been banned from Lady Annabelle's existence the war is over before any battle has begun."

"Would you allow a judge to proclaim a man guilty that you knew to be innocent before you had a chance to plead his case?" Mr. Harris inquired.

"Of course, I would not. I would demand to be heard and I would defend him to the fullest extent of the law," Cyril said defiantly.

Mr. Harris just raised his eyebrow and waited for the, "Ah-Hah!" moment to take place. A few seconds later, Cyril said, "Oh, I see. I am that man."

Mr. Harris smiled. "You going to let yourself down? Or are you going to screw your courage to the sticking place and fight for what's right?"

Cyril sighed. "If you believe me to have options, I am open to listening to them."

An hour later, much to his own amazement he was standing on Lady Annabelle Bentley's doorstep. Somehow, Mr. Harris had talked him into it. He really was a brilliant lawyer and had Cyril all puffed up, believing he could do this, until this moment when he had knock on the door.

"What am I doing here? This is insanity."

He was expected to take charge in a headstrong, cocksure way but now that he was here his confidence was fading fast.

"Mr. Kane?" the butler said, surprised to see him back so soon. "How may I be of service?"

"Is Lady Cantrell in? It is of utmost importance that I speak with her."

He'd seen the butler frown and wondered if Lady Cantrell had already given word that he was to be barred from coming in but instead Lady Luck had chosen to smile upon him.

"She is out currently, Mr. Kane. Lady Annabelle however is in, would you wish to convey your message to her?"

"Would I!?" Cyril thought but very calmly said, "Yes, thank you, that would be most helpful."

"Then come in, Mr. Kane." The butler stood aside and allowed him entrance, taking his hat and gloves. He placed them aside and said, "Follow me."

Cyril fell right in step with the older man. His heart began to race, his palms to sweat, never did he believe he would get this far and now that he was on the precipice he knew he must take the leap, it was now or never.

"A moment please," the butler said. He had lead him to the doors of where they last had tea. The fact that he would get to proclaim his feelings to her at the very same place he had first seen her was not lost on him. "Plead your case, Cyril," he whispered to himself, taking a deep breath and exhaling to calm his nerves.

Annabelle was surprised to see the butler who made and even more astonishing announcement. "A Mr. Kane to see you, Miss."

Shocked Annabelle dropped her brush. Thankfully, she wore a smock over her dress or it would have been ruined by the oil paint that smeared across it. The smock! "Good Gracious!" Annabelle said, looking down at the stained garment and quickly undid the ties to remove it. She then shyly looked at her Aunt's servant, "Do I look alright?" The elderly man not use to being asked such questions just smiled and nodded.

"Then send him in." When she said this she waved her hand and noticed her paint stained fingertips. She gasped in horror and quickly hid her hands behind her back.

"Mr. Kane, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Annabelle asked, as he stood there just taking her in for a second. She shied under his gaze.

"First, I believe I owe you an apology, Lady Annabelle," Cyril said, taking only a few more steps into the room.

"An apology? Oh yes, my Aunt said you had forgotten you had a prior engagement this morning. Surely, that is to be expected. I am certain a man such as yourself is always in high demand." She did not mean for her statement to appear to have a double meaning however now that it was said, the flush to her cheeks became immediately apparent.

It did not help that the smile that would quirk just the corner of his mouth appeared to mock her. "I did not mean..."

"I know what you meant, Lady Annabelle," he said hoping to reassure her, her innocence was so endearing. He wondered why Lady Cantrell had made some excuse for him.

Annabelle sighed in relief. "And the second thing you wish to discuss?" Annabelle pressed, wondering what was the real cause for his sudden visit.

"Second thing?" Cyril said, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Well you did say, first, was the apology so I could only assume that means there is a second," Annabelle teased, she could not believe this man before her looked, there was no other way to describe it, other than nervous.

"Of course, yes... I came here because I wanted to ask you..." Spit it out, Cyril! his Heart demand and his Brain said, Careful Cyril, you say this there is no going back. Are you certain, you wish this woman to be your tenant for life? "Um...I"

Annabelle began to worry. Perhaps it was not nervousness. Perhaps he was uncertain what to say due to the delicacy of the subject. "Is this about the letter?"

"The letter?" The letter. In all of this fuss he had completely forgotten about the letter. "Forget the letter tell her now, or you may lose your chance," his Heart hollered. "That's right Cyril, the letter from another man, about his claims on her. You remember don't you?" his Brain gloated.

At the frown upon Mr. Kane's features, Annabelle's heart sank. "You read it, didn't you?" Her tone was not accusing but more matter of fact.

"Only briefly," Cyril lied. Damn this is the second time he found himself lying to protect her. This is not where he wished the conversation to go.

"Do you have it on you?" Annabelle asked.

"Of course! She wants the letter from her lover back," his Brain said. "Silence! She is not spoken for yet, you can still make your mark," his Heart argued.

"No, I...do not," Cyril said, his brain was right, she was spoken for, it was silly of him to think he'd have something to offer this diamond of the first water. She deserved poetry and romance. She deserved... to be loved.

Annabelle mistook his crestfallen features for concern. She crossed the expanse between them to now stand directly before him. "It is quite alright, Mr. Kane. I am certain I can retrieve it at some other time. Perhaps, when I bring Mr. Harris his painting?" she offered, motioning to the canvas that was sitting upon the easel.

The painting. Cyril looked over to it and down at her. "You have done much work on it since I last seen it. You managed all that in just a few hours?"

Annabelle smiled and it caused his Heart to ache. "She can still be yours, Cyril. Take the leap!" It begged.

"I have been working at a rather fervent pace. I cannot help myself it would seem. When I am painting or drawing I often become lost in the world I am creating. Sometimes, I wish I could remain lost," Annabelle flushed at her own words not expecting to reveal something so intimate. He just stood there staring at her. She hoped to break the awkwardness of the situation by asking, "What do you think of it?"

"Beautiful," Cyril said, but did not give the painting a second glance. "Too beautiful for words to even begin to describe just how lovely," he said, his eyes never wavering from her face.

"Mr. Kane, I must tell you..."

Cyril did not want to hear what words came next. He just wanted to steal this one moment, this one snippet of time, to place in his pocket, close to his heart, for when he would be alone again. His palm reached out and touched her face. Her cheek fit perfectly in his palm.

Whatever words Annabelle meant to say disappeared into the ether. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart battled to break free of her chest, her eyes fluttered closed and then she felt it. The warmth of his lips on hers, the sweetness of his breath as he captured her mouth with such gentleness almost reverence that it caused her heart to ache and a tear to escape her lashes.

Never had she felt so cherished.

So...it took her completely by surprise that when the kiss had ended and her eyes opened that Mr. Kane had backed away from her, his look indifferent, completely void of any emotion and she was struck dumb when she heard him say...

"My apologies. I have obviously over stayed my welcome. I thank you for your time, Lady Annabelle." And watched astonished as he bowed to her, and left the room.