<div style="text-align: justify;">For Elizabeth, naturally, it was also the first time experiencing a kiss. It was the first time she even considered kissing a man. Having been raised to remain single and perhaps go to a convent, it was no surprise that everything about that new relationship was strange and fascinating for the girl. The feeling of having a man that wasn’t her father or brother so close. The man himself, so different from every other man she had ever met in every single detail. And last,  but definitely not least, the way he looked at her, the feelings that she could read in his gaze. All of that was enough to make Elizabeth lose her ability to think clearly and allow instinct to kick in. <br/><br/>Feeling Wil’s hand touch the small of her back made Elizabeth’s heart race. It might not be an overly intimate touch, but for her, it was. She could barely believe she was being touched like this. A part of her even feared that she would open her eyes in her chambers to find out this had all been a dream. <br/><br/>If it had been a dream, it had ended as swiftly as it had begun, when Wil’s lips finally moved away from hers. It was only after a long and deep breath Elizabeth felt able to speak. Her mind had to take a moment to recover Wil’s words before she did so, though. “Of course… you are forgiven, Sir”, she murmured, her voice soft and warm. There was so much more she wanted to say she couldn’t even organize her thoughts in order to say it all. Accepting Wil’s help, the girl stood up and rested her hand where he had placed it, watching as the squire gathered their belongings. <br/><br/>Nodding when Wylyam said they should walk a little, Elizabeth accepted his arm and started walking at a slower pace than usual. She could feel her ankle slightly weaker than it would normally have been, but the pace they were keeping was comfortable enough for her not to suffer too much. When they reached the boulder, Elizabeth nodded at Wylyam’s offer. It would be good to stop for a moment before resuming their walk. And she would have said yes to anything he offered at the moment, to be honest. Sitting down carefully, the girl lifted her sky-blue eyes to Wil when he started speaking.<br/><br/>Wil’s request to write to her made Elizabeth blush, and her heart race. She knew he was not speaking about regular writing, as in simply exchanging news of their lives. At least she hoped so. She had heard other girls speaking about how this or that man was writing to them, and knew it was a step towards courtship. “My father would not approve of it…”, she spoke quietly. “...but I would be immensely happy in receiving your letters”. Her gaze went to her foot, as she felt her cheeks burn. “Would you write to me under these circumstances?”, the girl finally asked.</div>