Elizabeth was feeling warm. She wished she could take off the bodice of her light brown dress, but unfortunately, she could not. The fabric also did not allow her to roll up her sleeves. Supressing a sigh, she bend down and picked up a prop that represented a rock. She walked on the stage and laid it next to another rock she had carried. They were decorations around what represented the pond. The workers had cut out a piece of the stage and put a bath inside the whole. With a second piece of wood, they could easily cover it up when a scene did not take place outside the Pondside house. The rocks were meant to hide the lines of bath.

She walked off the stage again to pick up more rocks, when she heard someone shout her name. Looking up, she saw William walking toward her. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his smile and his waving hair.

While she was in her bed last night, trying to fall asleep, she was kept awake by the thought of him. While she pretended to be strong and in control, she had been thinking exactly what he had been thinking. His eyes betrayed him by looking down every time, and that was probably why he had not noticed that she had had a hard time standing in the same spot. She had really wanted to come closer to him and feel his arms around her. After all, she had been wearing only one layer of clothing.

"What are you doing with that rock?" William asked when he came closer.

"I am about to carry it to the stage," Elizabeth answered stupidly.

"You? But you are no worker."

"I promised lord Byron I would help everywhere. I have painted some pieces of the background."

"You have?" he asked surprised. "I thought you were one of the seamstresses."

"No, I am a bit of everything."

He laughed at it, and it made Elizabeth smile as well. She felt her heart flutter of the knowledge that she made him laugh. Twas nice to be talking to the William she knew.

"I have a question for you," William explained, "but I am quite nervous to ask it."

"No, you cannot kiss me," she guested as answer to his question.

He laughed again and shook his head. "That was not going to be my question, but it is good to know." He cleared his throat and looked at her. "In a few weeks, our family is hosting a ball for my parent's anniversary. You have probably not heard of it yet, for it is to remain a surprise for them, but I was wondering if you wanted to come."

Elizabeth felt her smile fade as she realized what he was asking. "You want me to come to your family's ball?"

William nodded. "You would be surprised how much everyone has changed. Emily has a husband and a child, and Alexander is married as well."

"That is fantastic for them," she said, "but I am certain your family would want me there."

"But they would. They have changed, and I believe that-"

"Oy!" someone shouted from the stage. Elizabeth turned around to see John Kipling looking at them. "This is not a parlour. Either you help, or you get out of the way!"

Elizabeth looked at William. "Can I think of it? I will give you an answer as soon as I know one, but I cannot give it to you yet."

William nodded. "We shall talk of it more when you are finished helping with the stage."

Elizabeth did not have time to react, for he turned around and walked away after saying his words. When she could no longer see him, she carried the rock to the stage and helped the other worker set it up.

An hour later, everything on the stage was set and the actors had taken it over. Elizabeth found a chair with a good view and sat down on it, enjoying the rehearsal. Not much later, the chair next to her got occupied as well, and it did not surprise her that it was William.

"Have you thought of my question?" he whispered.

"Yes," she answered, "but I have not made a decision yet."

"Why not?"

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes in slits. She had been wondering one thing for a few days now, and this question only made her want to ask it more. "You say you cannot trust me, yet you want to befriend me. Why?"

He moved his head forward so that she could not see his face anymore. Did he have something to hide? Was he here for a different reason than to befriend her?

He ought to not be hoping on becoming more than friends. They both knew that would never end well. Yet something in every time he had looked at her made her hope that she believed wrong, that mayhap she ought to give him one more chance to make things right. But she was not the only one who ought to give a chance. He ought to be open to trusting her again, believing every word she said.

Yet she could not fully trust him. She never would, for he could easily walk away again. He might want to be more than friends with her now, but what if he had had his fill? Would he just walk away again and leave her broken? Travel away from London until he felt the need for her again?

He had always told her she was strong, and she also believed she was. But a person could only stand up so many times after falling down.

William shrugged, clearly struggling with the answer. "I do not know," he said eventually. "Mayhap I truly want to befriend you, for I know what an amazing lady you are. You have made me happy and I will never forget that. Yet I can never fully trust you, and therefore I will never fully love you."

She nodded, understanding how he felt. She must agree she had lied to him many times seven years ago, but always about little things. Thinking back of it, it might have bother him more than he had let her to believe. And then the last time, was too much for him and he left. But in those seven years, she had changed. She had truly learned her lesson and did not lie anymore, not even about the little things. Her family would sometimes complain she was too honest, and people found it rude. But she would prefer that over more stacking up lies.

But she feared that when she would befriend William, he would see she did not lie anymore and all his reservations for not loving her, would be gone. And when he would admit his love for her, she would not be strong enough to protect her heart and tell him no. She would love him as much as she did seven years ago, but every time he left, she would fear he would not come back.

They remained quiet for a while, just watching the rehearsal. John Kipling was not a very nice man, but lord Byron held him with an iron fist. Charlotte Lamb was not kind either, but she knew when to keep her opinions to herself. Some other actors also had many comments about the play, but lord Byron showed them all he was the director by pushing his opinion.

"Have you read my reviews in the newspaper?" William suddenly asked.

Elizabeth swallowed. She hoped Andrew had not said to William that she had, for only a few weeks ago she let it slip that she read them. She realized she had lied to Andrew, telling him she did not. But that was a white lie, she told herself. Andrew could see right through it and knew what was the truth. Also, she only lied when it came to protecting herself from William.

So she scoffed and pretended to be offended by his question. "I can watch the plays myself and make my own opinion."

"But you did not," he said with a smile. "You never left London."

"You do not know that," she said with a shake of her head. "You were not here. Besides, the best plays come to London."

"You only say that because you have never seen one outside of London."

"No, I say that because you were not here."

"And how does that influence the play?" he wanted to know.

She looked at him. "It does not. But it influences the experience."

"Good or bad?"

"That depends on you."

He scoffed, then smiled at her. "On me? I make or break your theatre experience?"

She stiffened. "When you say it like that, it sounds absolutely horrible."

He threw his head back and laughed, gaining him many comments on having to be more quiet from all over the room.

"I believe that is my cue to leave," he said. He stood up and started walking away, then stopped and turned back. "One more thing about the ball," he said, eyeing her hopeful. "I have not danced in a long time and I need someone to rehearse the steps with me. Would you like to do me the honours?"