<div style="text-align: justify;">Seeing Wil perk up after her touch, Elizabeth smiled back at him. Something in Wylyam’s smile made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, but she tried not to think of it. She couldn’t control her heart’s racing and her cheeks blushing, though, but she hoped he’d not notice it. They had much more to be concerned about, after all. <br/><br/>When Wil said he was humbled to be in her presence, and mentioned her wisdom and beauty, Elizabeth paid for the compliments with a broad smile. She liked hearing she was beautiful as much as the next woman. But hearing that she was wise was something Elizabeth wasn’t used to. Her father had always told her that, as a woman, she was to rely on his wisdom, not her own. And now there was a man who was telling her he could rely on her wisdom. That felt incredibly good and reassuring. And that feeling made a new tie wrap itself around Elizabeth’s yet unclaimed heart. “Your words make me very happy, sir”, she replied, almost timidly. She had not been raised to be courted, after all. So, they were almost in equal conditions, as none of them had been instructed to deal with those moments.<br/><br/>Wil’s touch on her hand made Elizabeth’s heart soar. She didn’t try to pull it back to her. On the contrary, the girl moved it to place it more comfortably on his arm. “I appreciate your help, sir”, she replied with a nod. “I agree that I am indeed ill-equipped to walk back home, but with your support, I shall do so with as little trouble as possible”. <br/><br/>Listening to Wil’s comments about his horse, she hoped that he was right. She had lost hers, and it was sad, but maybe the man could not manage his and it managed to escape back to its rightful master? It would be extremely helpful, as they were making a very slow progress through that irregular path. A horse would make everything a lot easier. “I hope that you are right”, she replied, falling silent afterwards. The tension came upon her again, as she thought about her brother. <br/><br/>Maybe a little distracted by her worries, Elizabeth had been slipping more often than Wylyam, and only managing to stay on her feet because she had her hand on his arm. One of those slips was more serious, though, and she could feel her ankle sore and unsteady. When Wil kneeled down, she moved her dress up so he could look at the injured ankle. “It feels like something has gotten injured here, sir. But I can keep on walking, I believe”, she murmured, not wanting to delay their progress even more.</div>