They stayed another hour at her childhood home in which time she and her mother marvelled at her ring time and time again and talked about possible ideas for an engagement party. They left in a flurry of hugs and kisses and promised to spend at least a small amount of time together before the memorial.
Bella began driving back to the city but each time Bella moved her hand she stared in wonder at the ring nestled on her finger. Girls like me don't get engagement rings she kept saying to herself thinking of the gold collar that now lay about her neck. Distracted beyond belief after the first few kilometres by the diamond catching the sun and glittering brightly as she gripped the steering wheel she pulled over at a small service station.
"Could you drive please, Sir Stephen?" she asked quietly preferring to let him drive her car rather than consider taking off the ring. He turned to frown at her in confusion as she undid her seatbelt. Seeing his expression she placed her hands back on the steering wheel and looked at the ring. "It's so shiny and pretty in sunlight, I can't concentrate properly on the road," she smiled softly.
"You can take it off if you like, for the drive back, I have the box," he offered with a chuckle. "We may have to go through the collaring and engagement scene again for your guardians tonight, but the most important people needed to know first."
"No!" she snatched her hand back from the wheel cradling it in her other hand against her chest making him chuckle louder. "Girls like me don't get rings like this. We get collars," she verbalised her thoughts. "Why?" she whispered, turning to look at him. "Why propose? I would have honoured your collar without this," she extended her hand gazing in amazement at the ring.
"I love you," Stephen said simply, "I want to share that with our vanilla friends as much, if not more than I want to share it with the people in the lifestyle," Stephen said. Leaning over to hold her hand and twist the ring on her finger. "I want us to build a life together that includes both worlds and all that comes with it. You are correct that most girls in the lifestyle do not marry their Master's, but you might be surprised at who is married as well as collared. Did know that James married Dorothea very early on in their relationship."
"I didn't know that," Bella said considering what he had told her.
"I will drive back for you princess," he teased stepping out of the Sunbeam. "Do we need fuel while we are here?" He enjoyed the few occasions he had sat behind the wheel of her car. Joe was an expert restorer doing the research to identify and locate the original parts and accessories for each project he worked on.
As Bella sat in the passenger's seat she considered having to go through a collaring scene similar to when Mel had collared her. It seemed so long ago now and she had almost forgotten how she was introduced to Mel's friends by begging his collar in front of them, followed by her introduction to club patrons within a golden cage. She'd never seen or heard of any other collaring like that since then and she wondered what would happen tonight when they faced Rob and Kurt. By the time they pulled into the parking garage she felt almost sick with worry and she sat in the car twisting the ring on her finger while Stephen held the door open for her.
"Come on little one," Stephen chuckled, "You can't stare at the ring all night," he chided her not understanding why she hadn't moved from the car. It was only when she looked up that he saw the worry in her eyes, and he pulled her up into his arms and walked without talking to the elevators.