Clara's POV

The night went by faster than I thought. Before I could blink days went by as well. Somehow with what little help I could give Westley began to get well. That was one worry off of my mind yet all I could do now was worry about George and if he would be back soon. What if he became sick and never made it back to me? Holding my head high I tried to dismiss those thoughts yet they kept returning to me.

"He'll return to you." I hear a male voice call out to me.

Turning from the window I see Mr. Plumtree walk into the room. Though I knew he was probably coming to tease me it felt good to talk be in the presence of another man that wasn't sick. Well at least he wasn't at this moment. I made no guarantees about anyone in the future. Walking forward he hands me an envelope then looked out the same window I was just looking out of.

"What is this?" I ask him as I look at the letter then back to him.

"Open it and I am sure it will tell you all you need to know." He replies not even looking my way.

Opening the envelope I was surprised to see such beautiful handwriting. This looked like a woman's handwriting to be honest and that start to scare me. Finally I pulled the letter from the envelope and was shocked to see it was not a letter at all. Quite the opposite actually, it was a wedding invitation to Fanny's wedding. I looked to the grooms name expecting to find Mr. Plumtrees name but it was replaced by another name. The groom on this invitation was Harold Carlton. That was a name I had never heard of before. It hit me then, Fanny had left the day that Westley came here sick. Needless to say I didn't know she was off to find a new groom.

"Apparently they met the same day that she left here, I must say I did not expect her to become engaged to another man so quickly." Plumtree says as he slowly turns my way.

"I am very sorry she did not wait for you Mr. Plumtree but Fanny has always been that sort of way in my eyes." I tell him handing him about to hand back the invitation but instead I walk to a nearby fireplace and throw the invitation into the flames.

"Thank you, that invitation has weighted on me since the moment I received it." he tells me as he joins me in front of the fireplace watching as it burned. "He will return Clara, only a fool would leave you."

Shocked by his statement I turned and looked at him in pure confusion. Plumtree tried to keep his composure but after what he just told me I just wanted to understand what in the world he meant by that.

"I know my actions towards you have not been in the best manner and I hope that one day you could find it in your heart to forgive me Miss Clara." Plumtree tells me as he takes his hand in mine but his eyes never leave mine. "You called me a coward and rightly so miss, I have never gone into battle so I can not speak for those who were brave enough to be carried into battle proudly. I have only come to ask for your forgiveness and tell you farewell."

"Farewell? I do not understand. Why of all times will you be leaving now?" I ask confused yet again by his words.

"I have no reason to stay, Fanny will be married and now I will be able to go where I am needed." He tells me as he slightly bows then gently takes my hand and kisses the back of it and then turns to walk away from me. "Good day Miss Clara, I pray you have a happy life."

With those last words Plumtree walked out of the room. Standing still I looked down to the hand that he had just kissed and I didn't know what to say or what I should do. A part of me actually wanted to go after him. Thinking back I remember it was Plumtree who saved me from the start but he and Fanny were always close so I never thought of him in any other way than the man Fanny wanted. I went back to the window just in time to see Plumtree on his horse take off probably to a town that he knew other of his friends lived in.

"What was that all about?" Jane calls out from behind me.

"I have no idea, he told me he wanted my forgiveness and to tell me farewell. That was it then he just turned and left. I heard rumors he was going to help the other soldiers return home. Though what put that idea in his mind I had no idea." Jane tells me as she walks up to my side. "My dear friend it looks as if your heart is conflicted."

"I dare say it is. How can one person change in just a few moments?" I question as I look over to Jane praying that she might have an answer.

Instead she smiles at me and we both look out the window. What just happened and why is Plumtree out risking his life now? Did I give him the idea or was this all his own doing. More importantly would I ever get the answer to any of my questions if he ever returned.

Plumtrees's POV

A week later.

Helping the troops that were sick to safety was not an easy task at all. My own mind was questioning my judgement for ever coming out here but I felt now that it was the right thing to do. Looking around our makeshift camp I still saw no sign of Land but something told me he would appear at the last minute. Standing as I make my way to check on one of the other men a loud explosion goes off behind me.

"Damn! Take cover!" I yell out as loud as I can and the men do what I say even though I am not a soldier or even someone who should be able to give that order.

Smoke was everywhere and no matter what I did the men looked as though they were giving up hope. Pulling on up and placing their arm around my shoulder I decided we should look for new shelter. The man grunted and groaned as I snuck through the forest. We were getting further away and I knew I would have to go back for others when I laid the soldier down beside a tree.

"Stay strong man." I tell him but as I look down I can see the man is coughing up blood. "Come on tell me do you have a woman waiting for you at home?"

The man nodded trying to keep his cough under control as I began to ask him about his past. What shocked me the most was how much his past sounded like George Land's past. Did he have a brother by chance? Kneeling down I lift his head and taken back when I realize the man I saved was none other than George Land himself.

"Hello George." I tell him and he looks up to me shocked as well.

"James, what in the world are you doing out here? You're not a soldier." he tells me looking around but his body is too weak to do much.

"No need to remind me, I came to help you all get back home. Didn't expect to be attacked to be honest but as I said I know nothing of war." I tell him as I sit down beside him.

"What of Clara? Did you tell her you came out here?" he asks me genuinely concerned.

"My business is mine and mine alone." I inform him as he just chuckles. "In the midst of all this you still find humor in what I say?"

"I remember when you were horrible to me, saying I would return from this war. Oh if I had only known that perhaps you were trying to warn me." George says as he coughs again. "Could you make a promise to me James?"

Rolling my eyes I nodded to him. Does he really think this is all a game? We are in the middle of a bloody battle and he is laughing because I didn't tell Clara I left to come help out here and bring the sick soldiers back. George looked at me completely serious now.

"If I don't make it, you marry her. Everyone knows you already want to but I came in and stole her away from you." George tells me with a sigh.

"Don't give yourself so much credit, she was never mine for you to steal away from." I tell him as he just shakes his head at me.

Besides I would drag him back to her even if I had to carry him on my back. Far too many times had a seen a woman disappointed by her loved one not returning from war. I wasn't about to let Clara join them. George would find a way to heal and I would return him to his fiance. No matter what I had to do.

"Promise me, if I don't make it you'll marry her. Keep her safe please." George says looking me in the eye.

I shook my head no as I helped him to his feet again. "No, I will get you back to her. You aren't getting out of marrying her that easily oh and don't you ever mention to her that I saved you for I will deny it until my last breath."

With those last words of mine we set off. Perhaps I knew all this time that George just fit better with Clara. Still now that I found him and was able to help him I knew I would make her happy just by bringing him back to her. That's all I wanted, her happiness.