Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[AvianJen]

Ella grinned when she saw that she had managed to make him blush as well. It was cute, and she liked to take it as a good sign. She also nodded when he promised to be on his best behavior, a giggle escaping her. Ella loved spending time with him, and she didn't want this day to end.

Lunch was delicious, and Ella was so hungry. She had woken up too late for breakfast so this was her first meal, but she was also compensating for those few days where she hadn't eaten hardly anything at all. In addition, she was eager to gain a little bit of weight back so that she could fit into her newer dresses. Maybe it was a bit shallow, but she didn't want to wear the ones she'd worn as a young teenager. "I'm hungry," she said in response to Peter's observation, smiling at him. "And it's so good. How can you not eat it all?" She actually didn't manage to finish everything, but she did pretty well, eating all of the chicken and salad and most of the vegetables. Between her and Peter, the strawberries disappeared pretty fast as well. She couldn't finish all of the rice, but Rory would probably forgive her for that.

Ella bit her lip, shaking her head when he asked if she could cook or bake. "No, not really," she admitted. It was something that most women were quite adept at, but wealthy women never had to cook for themselves, and it was expected that they would marry a man who had enough money for his own chef and they would never have to. "I know how to dump the ingredients Rory gives me into a bowl," she joked, "and I can tell when the cookies in the oven are done. But no. Do you?"

When they were finished eating, Ella restarted their tour. "So that was the breakfast and lunch room," she told him as they left, her arm linked in his once more. "And this is the formal dining room. For dinner and company." The dining room was grand, with a long mahogany table and perhaps a dozen chairs. There was a case of fine china against the wall and a chandelier hanging down from the ceiling. There were several paintings on the walls as well, but Ella didn't know what to say about those. She led him next into the main sitting room, another room with huge windows and a chandelier. But the focal piece of this room was the elaborately carved grand piano by the window.

It made Ella's heart soar to see her piano again, and her fingers itched to play it. She'd told Peter once about how she liked to play the piano- most high class women had to choose a skill to master, and the piano had been Ella's activity of choice. She was rather good after years and years of practice, but mostly she found it relaxing. "This is my piano," she said to Peter, dropping his arm and walking over to it. "I was playing just before Josephine and I went to dinner, when we were taken." She noticed that nobody had put away the music she had been using.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter was glad she was eating after not eating much of anything at all. She would probably feel better having a full stomach and getting her energy back. "I don't usually eat meals so large," he admitted. "It's a little too much and too rich for my stomach to handle right now, but I'm sure I'll get used to eating like a king." He smiled, feeling full from just half of the portion he was given. It was hard to believe people lived this way, but he was trying to enjoy the luxury of being a guest in her home and not feel guilty about the excess and good fortune he'd been given. He had the brief thought that Alec should be here with him as well, also reaping the reward of bringing the girls home.

He laughed at the response to his question. "And I'm sure he finds that very helpful," he teased. Then shook his head. "No, not really. I mean, I can a little bit. I can gut a fish and cook that pretty well, and I know how to bake bread, but we had a cook on the ship, and mother always did the cooking at home." He missed her cooking. She could make been the blandest of food taste good.

He followed her on the rest of the tour, finding something new and interesting about each and every room. In the dining room he could picture her, Josephine and their father entertaining guests with stories and jokes, the girls inadvertently charming everyone who met them. In the sitting room, he was slightly taken aback by the grand piano. He'd seen smaller pianos all the time in bars. They even had one on the ship for when the men got rowdy and fancied some tunes with their drinks. But he had never seen one this big or this beautiful.

He followed her over to it, lightly pressing on a key with one finger. He let the lone note ring out for a few seconds as he tried to picture her sitting and playing it. Peter had never known how. He didn't possess any musical talent apart from being able to sing along, poorly, to bar songs or lullabies he used to hear as a kid.

"Show me," he suggested. "I want to hear you play." He was curious about her talent.

 

[AvianJen]

"Just eat what you want," Ella assured him with a smile. It was hard to eat larger portions when you were accustomed to smaller ones, and it wasn't good to force yourself to overeat. She laughed at his teasing, shaking her head. "I used to want to help when I was little. That's how I helped."

Ella didn't really like being in a kitchen, but as a little girl she had always been running around looking for something new to do. When Rory was making cookies in particular, she hadn't wanted to leave the kitchen until they were done. "I love homemade bread. You should teach me how to make it," she commented. " That could be a fun afternoon, in the kitchen kneading dough and getting covered in flour. "You can keep that gutting fish knowledge to yourself, though."

She probably should have expected to be asked to play the piano, and Ella was accustomed to playing for guests or suitors or her family, but for some reason the thought of playing for Peter made her nervous. What if being away for so long had made her forget how? But she could hardly say no, so she sat down on the bench and tugged on Peter's sleeve to get him to sit down with her. Ella didn't like being the only one sitting, especially when people were watching her.

After a moment of rustling through her sheet music she settled on a ballad that she knew well; it looked impressive on paper, but it actually wasn't very hard so she was hoping that she wouldn't mess up. Once everything was properly organized so that she could see, she began to play.

It felt so good to play the piano again. It was one of Ella's favorite things to do. The music filled up the room and spilled out into the surrounding areas, drawing whoever was nearby into the room to listen. Ella loved the way that music brought people together and made them forget all of their troubles, and playing had the same effect on her. Her fingers danced over the keys and she soon forgot that Peter was there at all, too lost in the sound and the exhilarating feeling. Only when she finished did she remember his presence beside her and look up at him, her blue eyes sparkling. "I'm not the best pianist," she said truthfully, "but I like it."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"It's simple enough," Peter smiled, liking her suggestion. "Lots of tossing ingredients in bowls, and you get to play with your food. The rest is just waiting." He hoped Rory wouldn't mind them making a mess of his kitchen, though. The man seemed nice. As far as gutting the fish went, "I don't like it much either, but it's necessary if you want to eat it."

He sat down beside her on the piano bench, watching as she readied herself to play. When she began, he first tried to follow the sheet music, but it was like a foreign language. He hadn't even learned to read bible hymns this way - it had all been done by ear. That alone was impressive, but then his eyes drifted to her hands and the way they flew across the keys, making the beautiful music that was surrounding them. They way she moved her fingers seemed so complicated and coordinated, and he'd remembered the way it felt to have them tangled up in his hair.

He couldn't help but smile her as his eyes left her hands to study her face. Everything about her while she was playing was entrancing. He'd never really paid attention before, to the way a musician concentrated on feeling the music and rhythm of the song they were playing. On her it was a sight to see, and he kept his eyes glued to her face for the rest of the song, trying to feel for himself all the intricacies of the melody and harmony she played.

He didn't believe her when she said she wasn't the best. "Nonsense. That was beautiful," he said, looking at her face intensely. He had the urge to kiss her again, so he did. A long and slow one this time, but somehow still as passionate as their first had been. When he broke away, he smiled, thinking he could get used to this. Alec had warned him what might happen if he got too comfortable here. His secret might get found out, and then the same thing that had happened to Alec and Josephine might happen to him, but now that they had started, it was getting very difficult to stop. He wasn't even taking precautions with his heart anymore, or Ella's for that matter. They were approaching dangerous territory, but how could danger feel so good if it was so wrong?

"I hope you know I'll be requesting songs from you every day now," he said.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella smiled. "Sounds perfect for us, then," she said. As for the fish, Ella had never had to gut anything if she wanted to eat. It was an odd concept to her. She only ever saw the fish when it was cooked and on her plate, but she knew that she and Peter had grown up very differently. She really couldn't be surprised.

If she could learn to play songs by ear, that would have been pretty amazing. But Ella always had to look at the music to know what she was doing, except for a select few songs that she had been playing for years. She'd started taking piano lessons with Josephine when she was five, although Ella was the one who ended up really enjoying it. Since then she'd only improved, and while she still had a lot to learn, she was very good after almost fifteen years of experience.

She lit up when Peter said that it was beautiful, thrilled that he liked it. And then he was kissing her, and everything in the world felt perfect. Ella kissed him back, bringing one of her hands up to touch his cheek while the other slid into his hair. It was funny, how shy they had been even last night compared to now. Ella didn't feel shy at all. All she could think about was how perfect it was, being home and with Peter, kissing him on her piano. She blushed a little bit again when they parted, gazing into his eyes. It didn't occur to her how much danger they were putting themselves in, how much they might be setting themselves up for heartbreak. It seemed irrelevant. How could she worry about something like that when everything they were doing felt right? She didn't want to stop, and she didn't see any reason why they should.

She laughed when he told her he would be requesting songs every day now. "It would be my pleasure," she responded with a smile. Ella stood up, smoothing out her skirt and pulling Peter up with her. "Want to see my room now?"

He had already seen most of the bottom floor, so Ella led him up the sweeping staircase in the foyer and down the hall to her bedroom. She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing him to come in before she closed it. Ella's room was more of a suite than a typical bedroom; there was a huge canopy bed against the wall, a vanity covered in makeup and hair supplies that she hardly used, and a closet filled to the brim with colorful gowns. She had her own private bathroom, and there was a separate area on the other side that housed Ella's massive bookshelf, several lamps and comfortable chairs, as well as the door onto her balcony.

The balcony had a couple of rocking chairs on it, and with the curtains drawn back the room was flooded with natural light. "This is my room," Ella announced. She was rather proud of her bedroom. It was like her own little world, one that she never had to leave if she didn't want to. "And Josephine's room is the same in case you were wondering, just reversed. And she doesn't have the bookshelf. I had Father commission someone to build it for me a few years ago."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter felt like he was living a fantasy. He was dressed in fancy clothes and eating delicious, rich food. He was sitting by a grand piano next to the loveliest woman he'd ever known, and they had been missing and holding hands, flirting with eachother as if he wasn't a pirate and she wasn't a wealthy, upper class lady. He hoped the dream would never come to an end.

He took her hand and let her lead him to her bedroom. He'd been curious about it all day. It seemed partly forbidden, but also he longed to see how her personal little living space fit into the rest of the grandeur. His guest room was grand enough, but he was certain the bedchambers of a person who actually lived here would be bigger and even more luxurious.

He was right. Her room was magnificent and huge, much bigger than the room he was staying in. It was probably as big as his entire house was growing up. He immediately wandered over to the bookcase, admiring her collection of stories. He was an avid reader himself, but he could never imagine owning so many.

"I doubt she would be thrilled if she knew I'd seen her room," he said. "Or yours for that matter. Are you sure it's okay that I'm in here?" He looked over his shoulder at her, feeling like this was somewhat inappropriate. Kissing was one thing, but if he was caught in her room he didn't want her father making assumptions.

Back at the bookcase, his fingers trailed over covers until they found the book he'd given her. It fit right in with the rest of them.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella watched him for his reaction. She wasn't trying to show off, but she knew that her lifestyle was leaps and bounds away his own, and she was curious to know what he thought about it. Ella loved her room; it had been hers since she moved out of the nursery, and she wished that she could live there forever. She loved her canopy and her balcony and her bookshelf, and there really were days she would just sit outside with a book or two and not even leave her room. Especially when it was raining- Ella loved the rain, especially when it wasn't getting her wet.

She followed him over to the books, shrugging when he commented that Josephine wouldn't be thrilled with what they were doing. "Well, we're not going to Josephine's room. And she doesn't get to decide who comes into mine." It was true, though; Ella could see it now. Josephine criticizing her, saying that it was inappropriate to have any man in her bedroom at all, especially one she had a romantic connection with. And while they were on that topic, how she shouldn't be allowing herself to indulge in the romantic urges she had when it came to Peter.

"I think it's fine," she said, glancing towards the door. She had closed it when she came in, but decided to go ahead and open it instead. "I'll leave the door open, and no one will have any reason to be suspicious if they walk by." They didn't have anything to hide, as Ella kept reminding herself. Besides, they weren't even sitting on her bed or anything. She did legitimately have other things to do in her bedroom, like look at books- which they were doing.

Ella returned to his side, noticing that he'd found her mermaid book. She'd been reading the other one this morning while waiting for him and Father to get back, and it was very interesting. "I like that book," she said with a smile. It had been really thoughtful of him to get it for her, but Peter was always thoughtful. He was always trying to make things better for other people however he could, even when he was holding them captive. It was sweet how he'd read to them most of the ride home, too. Not only did it keep some heated arguments from arising, but Ella genuinely enjoyed listening to the stories and the sound of his voice. She was grateful for him, and glad that he had come back with them. To Ella, him being here with her now made the whole ordeal with the pirates worth it.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter knew that Josephine didn't have the authority over what Ella did or didn't do, but she did have the knowledge of who he was and that was dangerous for him. "Maybe not, but she already dislikes me. What if she sees I'm in here and decides to tell your father that I'm-" he cut himself off, lowering his voice. "That I'm a pirate." He wasn't sure who could hear, and if Josephine was in her room, he wasn't sure how thick the walls were.

He felt some relief when she opened the door, though. It was less tempting that way anyway, in case he felt any more urges to kiss her. His lack of self control today was really astounding. "I just don't want to ruin this, whatever this is. I already did once and it was awful," he confided.

He was glad to hear her say that she liked the book. It was his intention to get her something she would enjoy. Mermaids still seemed to fascinate her, even after their encounter with Nora. "Me too," he said. "I'm glad you like it, even if some of the stories are clearly made up. I wonder if Nora will make the pages of a book one day." She had been an interesting experience, to say the least.

He grinned, a thought occurring to him. "Or maybe if mermaids write books, we'll appear in one of hers. I wonder if they'd use seaweed for the pages and write with squid's ink." He mused at the thought of mermaid authors, although he got the impression from Nora that mermaids were not as imaginative as humans.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella couldn't deny the fact that Josephine disliked Peter. She still couldn't understand why, and it was awfully irritating at times, but she didn't know what she could do about it. It didn't help that Peter got to live with them now while Alec was still trapped in his previous situation and working to keep them together- Ella understood that. But she didn't think that it was fair for Josephine to take their father's decision out on Peter. It wasn't his fault.

"She won't," Ella said with conviction. "I'd never speak to her again if she did, and she knows it. And you're not a pirate." She came over to him and took his hands in hers, looking into his eyes. "You're not a pirate anymore. That's in your past, okay? You left that behind." She knew that it was a part of who he was and always would be, but it was true. He wasn't a pirate anymore, and he could drop that label now.

Her heart melted when he said that he didn't want to ruin this. "It was awful," she agreed with a little smirk. It almost gave her a small sense of satisfaction to know that he regretted his decision to lie to her, but she wished that neither of them would have had to go through that.

"I don't want anything to ruin this," she told him. "Not Josephine, not my father, not anyone. And certainly not either of us," she added, smiling at him. "We're just spending time together right now, let's just...see what happens." Spending time together and kissing, but she didn't even think that her father would be upset if he learned about that, as long as they weren't going behind his back and let him know if they wanted to take things a bit further. He had been upset with Alec for not coming to him when he'd started to have feelings for Josephine, and she didn't want to make the same mistakes with Peter. She wouldn't say that she loved him just yet, but she could see things heading in that direction if things continued as they were.

"I'm sure she will," she responded in regards to Nora. "She was quite something. I don't think she'll stay away from humans for long." Ella wondered if all mermaids were as spunky as Nora, or if she was just a special case. She had been alone, and from what Ella understood both from rumors and from the stories that was a bit of an abnormality. She doubted that mermaids wrote books, but it was an amusing thought. Ella laughed, shaking her head. "If they do, I bet that's how they do it," she agreed. "I wonder where they live, if they have castles made of seashells or something."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter wasn't sure it was entirely fair for Ella to make such a bold statement about never talking to Josephine again if she turned him in, but he was comforted to hear how confident Ella was in that he would be safe. "She might," he said. "Even if I hope she won't. And I've never really been good at that I suppose - leaving the past in the past. It will just take some getting used to."

He squeezed her hands, thinking he might be able to manage it if he had her by his side. He wouldn't let anything ruin this if he could help it. It might be just about the only thing good and pure to happen to him and he wanted to keep it that way, even if his past was hanging over him like a dark cloud. But she was right, they were just spending time together. Only time could tell what would happen, and right now what was happening felt amazing. "I don't know how you put up with me, but I'm glad you do. Somebody has to teach me the ways of this world you live in." He pulled her a bit closer, giving her a peck on the forehead and a smile.

Peter laughed, but honestly the thought of Nora approaching more humans had him just a little nervous. "I sincerely hope she doesn't. She may have helped us, but I think she had her heart set on drowning someone. Let's hope Tom gave her her fix enough and that we convinced her we're not all terrible enough to keep her away from unsuspecting human men."

As far as mermaid culture went, he was clueless. They should have asked her. "Maybe Atlantis is real after all," he suggested. "They'd probably think it strange we live in houses made of brick and stone. Or marble." There seemed like there was a lot of marble in this house.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella nodded, thinking that there were a lot of things that would take some getting used to. Life was crazy now, and it was only going to keep changing. Soon enough, whether it was Alec or some other man, Josephine would be married and moved out. Ella knew that she wouldn't be more than a year behind, if even that. And now there was Peter, throwing a brand new twist into Ella's already crazy life. They had time to relax now, but who knew how long it would last?

She laughed and shook her head, amazed by him sometimes. "Don't be silly. You're practically impossible not to like." He had said the same thing to her not too long ago, but Ella thought it more than applied to him as well. She didn't understand how anyone could not like Peter unless they were being blinded by his history, which was probably the case when it came to Josephine. But Ella thought that was incredibly narrow-minded, and nobody was going to find out about that anyways. She smiled when he kissed her forehead, looking up at him. "I'll be happy to teach you anything you want to know," she promised. "But I think being yourself should do the trick." Nobody was expecting him to be an incredibly sophisticated or cultured man, and besides, Ella liked the Peter that she had met on the pirate ship. She didn't want him to change.

He had a point- Nora had seemed very determined to kill someone in her little escapade. It was easy to laugh about it, but amidst all the fantasy it was almost hard to remember that Nora had killed a real man, just as real as Ella and Peter. And if she could, Ella was sure that she would want to kill more. "She was a little scary," Ella admitted. "She was so beautiful and charming, she made me forget that she wanted to kill us." It wasn't even like she'd wanted to kill because she had to- it was all fun and games to her. It was disturbing to think about.

Ella liked the idea of Atlantis being real. She laughed, wandering back over to her bookshelf. "I have a book of legends about Atlantis," she said, looking for it. Finally she found it and took it out, handing it to Peter for him to examine. There were some beautiful illustrations, probably some that included mermaids. "I guess they could live in houses of stone," she mused. "There's stone in the sea. Definitely not bricks, though. I bet they do think bricks are weird." Their mansion did have a lot of marble, but it was mostly on the inside, making up the columns and the staircase and some of the floors. The outside was made of stone.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter was glad that at least she had confidence in him when he lacked it for himself. It was just another reason why he liked her so much. She was cheerily optimistic. She had even been that way on the ship, or so it seemed.

"Hmm. Well thank you," he said. But they would see as soon as he started to get out of this house more. The man of the house seemed to like him, so did Ella. That wasn't to say others wouldn't judge him when they saw him. Even if he wasn't a pirate anymore, he had still grown up differently and was at the mercy of the new wealthy social circle he was falling into. He hoped he wouldn't stand out as different too much.

"Me too," he agreed, thinking back to how Nora had charmed him. He thought Ella charmed him now, but the allure of a mermaid was completely incomparable. If Nora wanted to, she could have made him jump into the ocean right after Tom, but she had kept her word. "If I never saw mermaid again, I think I would be alright." Even if Nora had been a close encounter in their favor, his first experience with mermaids had been something terrifying and straight out of the book he'd bought Ella.

Taking the book she handed him, Peter flipped through it's pages, admiring the illustrations and skimming the blurbs. He liked to think there were plenty of places out there like Atlantis, just waiting to be discovered. "This is interesting," he commented, sitting down in one of the chairs by her bookshelf. He was already sucked into it. "Do you mind if I borrow it? We can read it together if you like." Reading to her had become something of a hobby just as telling her his own stories had on the ship. He would have to get his fix of it before he started working. Their father had told him he would introduce him to some friends at the party he was planning for the girls return at the end of the week. He was supposed to be able to find a job with one of them.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella smiled, nodding. She thought that she would like to see a mermaid again, but they didn't pose nearly as much danger to her as they did to the men. Ella didn't think she was exactly immune to the magic, but Nora certainly hadn't been able to lure her over the edge of a ship. She had never lost her sense of self-awareness. If she got the opportunity, there were a lot of questions she might like to ask a mermaid...but if she never saw a mermaid again, once was way better than not at all. Most people didn't even get that.

"I wonder what else is real," she said thoughtfully. "Vampires, werewolves, fairies, unicorns. Do you think they're real?" Ella had always thought that mermaids were real, but she had never really considered other supernatural creatures. Maybe they were real too.

She smiled again, watching how quickly he became enveloped in the Atlantis book. It was interesting; Ella had read it not too long ago and had found herself fascinated with all the legends and theories surrounding the lost city. She nodded when he asked if he could borrow it. "Of course," she said. "You can read any of my books." She liked the idea of them reading it together- Ella had read it before, but she definitely didn't mind reading it again, especially if it included spending time with him.

"Read it to me," she suggested, making herself comfortable on the love seat opposite him. Even though she had mostly made a full recovery, Ella still didn't have a ton of energy and was beginning to feel tired after walking around so much more than what she was used to. She curled up on the little sofa, tucking her feet under her and watching him expectantly. "Or if you want, I can read it to you," she offered. As much as she liked listening to him, she thought that he might be getting tired of reading to her.

"And come sit over here, so we can both see the pictures." She patted the seat next to her. As far as she knew, neither of them had any other plans for the rest of the day. Ella spent most of her time reading when she didn't have plans.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter had also wondered the same. Mermaids had once been just a figment of his imagination, and then he'd seen one. More than once now, too. He hadn't seen any of the other supposedly fairy tale creatures, but surely if something as mythical as mermaids were real, the other stories had to have some truth to them. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe they're all real. I've never seen a ghost, but I know people who claim they have. I'd believe it if they were." At this point in his life, he would be open to any of it.

He looked back at her wall, scouring the titles and wondering how many of them had stories of other creatures he could lost in. Knowing Ella, there were probably many. It would take him days, weeks, months, maybe even years to get through all of the books she had, but he well intended to take advantage of her offer while it happened. If he could, he'd read every single one of them with her as well.

He looked back at Ella with a smile. "Alright," he said. "Honor me with your best narrator voice." She'd never read to him before. It had always been the other way around, but he was curious. It would also save him his voice, which usually grew raspy by the end of their story telling sessions. He stood from his seat and crossed to hers, making himself comfortable beside her and opening the book to the first page where she could see.

The story was not nearly as captivating as her voice ended up being. It was still an interesting story, but she made it come to life. Somehow it felt more real, but he speculated it was partly his growing affection for her that made him feel so, although she was a talented reader herself. She had to be, if she had so many books on her shelf. He was a humble and captivated listener, and the two of them sat there for quite some time without realizing how many minutes were flying by.

It was only when a different voice interrupted the flow of Ella's that Peter snapped out of the reader's trance. He looked up to the doorway to see Josephine standing there. She wasn't giving him the dagger eyes he was used to from her, but rather she was staring blankly at the two of them. It was hard to say what she was thinking, but he could guess her opinion hadn't changed much over the last couple of days.

"Father says it's time for dinner," she said simply before disappearing out of the door frame.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella hadn't given a whole lot of thought to ghosts. They sounded terrifying, but like Peter, she wouldn't be all that surprised anymore if she found out that they were real. Ella doubted that she would be surprised by anything, although that probably wasn't true.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in Ella's room, reading the Atlantis book. Ella found that she liked reading out loud even though it wasn't something that she did often; it allowed her to slow down and think more about the story rather than zooming through it as fast as she could. She enjoyed having Peter at her side, too. She leaned against his shoulder and held the book between him so that he could look at the pictures. There were illustrations that suggested what the lost city might look like, maps that speculated it's location and, as predicted, a few mermaids. Ella thought that mermaids probably didn't live in Atlantis, but if it truly existed then they would be the ones to know about it.

Josephine's voice interrupted her in the middle of a sentence, and she looked back to see her sister in the doorway. "Okay, thanks-" she started to say, but she was already gone. Ella sighed and closed the book, rising to her feet. "We should go," she said to Peter. "Father hates it when we're late for dinner."

She led him downstairs to the dining room where Josephine and her father were. Father sat at the head of the table with Josephine at his side. Ella sat on the other side and motioned for Peter to sit next to her. In front of them was an incredible spread: Rory had prepared salmon, which Ella thought that Peter might like, another salad with strawberries, mashed potatoes and vegetables for dinner. In addition, they each had a glass of wine and Ella thought that she could smell cookies baking in the kitchen. Father greeted them both with a smile and they joined hands to say grace before digging in.

"So girls," Father began, taking a bite of his food, "I thought we could have a little party this weekend, to celebrate your safe return. I'll invite all of our friends and Peter can network a bit, and you can each have a new gown made for the occasion. How does that sound?"

"Fun," Ella agreed brightly, nodding. She liked Father's parties. "Can we have dancing?"

"If you want dancing, we'll have dancing," he agreed cheerfully. "Josephine, any requests?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter probably could have spent hours more by Ella while she read to him, but even with the large lunch they'd had, when Josephine had showed up at Ella's door, he found that he was hungry again anyway. "We can always pick up where we left off," he suggested, standing and letting the blood start flowing to his legs again.

He was once again floored by the amount of food, but it all looked so delicious. As she requested, he sat down next to Ella, marveling at the sights and smells of salmon. He ate a lot of fish but somehow he never tired of it. He had, however, grown tired of religion a long time ago, but he did the polite thing and bowed his head with the others, letting them say their prayers before digging into the food.

As they started eating, Josephine pushed her food around with her fork more than she ate it. She hadn't even had lunch. She was still upset and found it hard to eat, even after weeks of inadequate meals. She was fairly certain her stomach had shrunk as well. She didn't think it would be possible to put away all the food, even if she wanted to.

She made no comment when their father suggested the party. She didn't want one, though she knew it had been coming. For Ella it meant old friends, dancing, and showing Peter a part of their life. To Josephine it meant more suitors and social pressures to marry, and she wasn't sure she was ready for all of that so soon.

She frowned when he mentioned he'd invite all of their friends. That wasn't true. Not all of their friends. She could think of one person in particular who would be conveniently left off of the invitation, not that he had ever received one before.

Pushing another piece of food around, she looked up at their father for the first time since dinner began. She did have a request, actually, but she doubted it would be granted. "I want Alec to come," she said quietly, quickly averting her eyes once again. She could feel her father's hard stare without needing to look in his direction.

"Josie," he said. "We're not discussing this. You and Alec are no longer permitted to see each other, and I'll need him to look over the guests' horses anyway."

Josephine pouted, looking at Ella for a moment and feeling jealous that her sister would be having a good time while she be feeling suffocated and heartbroken. "But why?" she asked. "It's supposed to be a party for me, too. Shouldn't I get something I want?"

"You know why. And you can have what you want, just not that. Continue to make an issue out of this, and I suspect Alec will no longer be around to tempt you. Am I clear?"

Josephine's eyes widened briefly, then narrowed at her father. She couldn't believe how unfair he was being. She couldn't see Alec, she couldn't talk to Alec, and now she couldn't even talk about him? They deserved a chance to talk about it, at least.

"But you don't even know anything!" Josephine said.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella could smell trouble the second that Father asked if Josephine had any requests. Of course she wanted Alec to come. Alec had never been invited to one of their parties before- he was, for all intents and purposes, a servant, and servants usually just helped out at the parties. That was what Alec had always done, taken in and cared for the horses that brought in the guests.

Father's response was just as predictable as Josephine's request, and Ella looked down at her food, feeling uncomfortable. She knew that Josie was hurting, and she wished that she could help. It wasn't fair that everything seemed to be going so perfectly for Ella and Peter while all of Josie's hopes and dreams were being torn apart, but Ella didn't know what to do about it.

The argument escalated quickly until Josephine was yelling at their Father. Ella shrunk back in her chair and sipped at her wine, wishing that she didn't have to be in the room. "Josephine!" he snapped, looking at her in disbelief. He was not used to his daughters talking back or being disrespectful towards him. "I will not tolerate this from you. I know all that I need to know, and I have made my decision on the subject. I know you care about him, but I'm sorry, you'll have to move on."

Ella bit her lip, picking at her salad. Father was being terribly unfair. "Father..." she said slowly, unsure if this was a good idea or not, "don't you think Alec could come to the party for, say, an hour or so, after he's put all the horses away? Maybe just to get some food? It's to celebrate our return, after all, and he really did help us get back safely. We probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him, and it just doesn't seem fair that he wouldn't get to come celebrate with us. It makes me sad."

Their father let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes. "Ella, sweetheart. I understand, but Alec went behind my back with your sister. If he hadn't helped you, he would have lost his job."

"I know, but...still. Can't he come over for one nice dinner? And maybe we could give him a room in the servants' quarters. I know he went behind your back, but it's cold in the loft, you know. Doesn't the man who snuck onto a pirate ship for us deserve a little more of a reward?" Ella put on her best sad face, hoping to melt him. She was daddy's little girl, and Ella had her ways of getting what she wanted.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine would have loved for Alec to be at the party. He didn't have the proper clothes, but he could have borrowed one of Peter's new suits. Her heart would have melted at the sight of that, even if she was still prohibited from interacting with him. She could have swept him away and stolen a secret, private dance while their father talked business with his friends, and they could have spent a few moments together, talking, touching... Just pretending that they would have a happy end, at least for a little while.

She glanced to Ella, happy and grateful that her sister was speaking up on her behalf, trying to persuade their father in ways Josephine wasn't capable of right now. She was too emotionally involved to form logical points like Ella was. Even if it didn't work, she was at least thankful for the attempt.

Her heart raced when Ella suggested giving him a room in the house. That was unexpected and probably unlikely, but she did enjoy the idea of being so close to him, under the same roof, just a short walk away. Ella was right, Alec did deserve more of a reward. Keeping his job was fair, but it felt more like a punishment in the end than it did a reward he properly deserved.

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure how to behave. Tensions were high, Josephine and her father's emotions permeating the room. He could understand both their sides, but in this case he did find himself siding with Josephine. He felt bad for her, and he was still feeling rather guilty about receiving so much when Alec got nothing. They were a couple who had fallen in love despite the circumstances that would keep them apart, and then they had seen a bit of hope only to have their dreams crushed.

"Sir," he spoke up. "I know it isn't really my place, but... When we were on the ship, I got to see for myself what kind of man Alec is. He's a good man... Brave, and loyal, and kind. He has only had Josephine's well being in mind. Ella's too. We wouldn't be here at this table without him. I'm not excusing that he didn't come to you, but... I also believe he deserves a little more than what he's getting."

Their father sighed, looking from the desperate face of Josephine to the sad face of Ella, and the pleading, concerned face of Peter. He was stubborn in his decision, and he was not one to go back on anything he's said. But, he was starting to think that maybe had been too harsh on the young man. He had, after all, saved his daughters from pirates.

"A room in the house is out of the question," he said. He was not about to make it easier for Josephine to continue sneaking around, and he was still adament that they could not see eachother. Josephine would have to marry a man who could better take care of her. "And if you continue to push my patience, Josie, I'm serious about getting rid of Alec. You will obey and respect me in this house, and if he becomes too much of a distraction, I will have to let him go." That earned him another pout, and Josephine put her hands against the table like she was about to excuse herself and run away.

"However," he said, causing her to pause. "You may have a point. I suppose some... Greater reward isn't entirely undeserving."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella nodded fervently at Peter's words. They weren't untrue. Ella wasn't the biggest fan of Alec if she was being completely honest, but she knew that he was a good man. He had always treated Josephine well, and he loved her. He didn't have the money to support her, that was true and Ella didn't know what could be done about that, but he didn't deserve to be stuck in the stables, doing the same old thing as if nothing had changed. She was grateful that Peter had spoken up as well, hoping that maybe the three of them could convince Father to at least give him something else.

She wasn't surprised that he didn't want to give him a room in the house- that had been a long shot, but it was worth a try. Ella would have made the argument that it would make it easier for everyone to keep an eye on him and Josephine to make sure they didn't see each other, but she didn't think that was her place. She brightened when their father agreed that he deserved a greater reward, glad that this little argument had at least come to something.

"Thank you," she said to Father, nodding. "I really think he deserves it."

"I'll see about finding him somewhere else to live, off the estate," Father decided. That would accomplish two goals- finding the young man a more comfortable place to live where if he wanted, he may have the resources to start his own family someday, and getting him farther away from his daughter. The way Josephine was acting, he would be surprised if she didn't continue sneaking off to meet him. "And he can come to the party, for an hour," he said, giving a pointed look to each of the girls. "I will honor him and Peter for bringing you back home, he can have dinner and then he will leave. Josie, you will not speak to him. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Father," Ella nodded. She didn't think that Josephine would like it, but it was better than nothing. And at this point, Ella knew that it would be a mistake to push him any farther. He was a generous man and she knew that if he decided that Alec deserved more, he would receive more. But giving him a place to live was good in Ella's opinion, even though it meant that he would have to come in farther to work. She hated to think of him all alone in the cold, dirty loft every night...and if Father did end up dismissing him, at least he would have somewhere to stay while he found a new job. She continued to eat her food in silence and sipped at her wine, finishing her glass first.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine was surprised to hear Peter speak up for Alec, but she let him, hopeful something might start to get to father eventually. Apparently it had, and her eyes lit up with joy when father finally relented to giving Alec something more. They quickly dimmed again, however, as he explained what his "reward" really would be.

"...What?" She was in disbelief. A part of her knew that she should be happy their father was willing to find Alec a more comfortable place to live. The loft was cold, dark, and dusty. She would know, having spent countless numbers of night up there without her father. So she should be happy, because really, it was a more than generous gift. But she wasn't happy, because she saw exactly what her father was attempting to do. If Alec lived off the property, she would hardly ever see him. There would be no chance of her sneaking out at night. No more cozy nights spent huddled together above the horses, laughing, cuddling, and kissing. He was giving her exactly what she'd asked for, but this was worse than it was before.

"Am I clear?" Their father asked again, looking directly at Josephine. He thought he was being far more generous now than necessary. Alec was not a bad man, but he was only enabling his daughter to disobey him by keeping him on the property. Something had to be done, and Josie would just have to learn to accept that they were no longer allowed to carry on their relationship. This was better for her in the end, and she would marry a fine young man who was able to support her any children they had together. He wanted to let her choose a husband, but it was getting to the point where he was considering arranging one for her.

"But... Father..." Josie wasn't sure how to argue this one, but she wanted to. She needed to if she was going to have a chance.

"Josephine," he cautioned. She was walking a dangerous line.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, fighting the urge to cry again. With a shaky hand she picked up a piece of her food with her fork. She wasn't okay with this, and everyone in the room knew it. But she didn't know what choice she had anymore. If she fought her father, then she really would never see Alec again. Besides, as much as it killed her to admit, this was probably better for him.

"Fine..." She said quietly, head down.

Their father grunted, annoyed but ultimately satisfied the altercation was over. "Good. You'll all have fun. You'll see."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella looked down at her plate, continuing to nibble on her food. She felt awkward and guilty, and she was sure that Peter did too. Nothing was their fault, and Ella knew that even though it meant moving away from Josephine, it would be good for Alec in the long run. He couldn't live in the loft forever, not if he ever wanted to have a real life. But she also knew how much that decision would hurt her sister; she could already see the evidence of it.

Still, Ella felt like it was up to her to put on a happy face and pretend like the mood wasn't completely unbearable right now. "I'm sure it'll be wonderful," she said. "Thank you, Father." He nodded towards Ella, a smile coming across his face.

"I'm just happy to have you both home," he said genuinely. A celebration was definitely in order. He just hoped that Josephine would cooperate. Either way, it was time for her to find someone else. He genuinely hated to see his daughter hurting, and he knew that she did care about the man. But there were so many other men out there who she hadn't even given a chance because of him, men who were just as honorable and could give her a better life than a stable boy. He would not see his daughter marry into poverty. Josephine was stubborn, but if she refused to give anyone else a chance, then he would have to use his best judgment to find someone truly worthy of her.

"Will you play for me after dinner, darling?" he asked Ella, taking a sip of his wine. "We've all missed hearing you." Ella smiled and nodded. In her opinion, there wasn't much that couldn't be made better by playing piano.

"Of course," she agreed. "I'd be happy to." They finished eating in silence, Ella glancing up at Josephine every so often. She looked like she was holding back tears, and Ella didn't blame her. After everything that had happened, it looked like it was going to be impossible for her and Alec to be together. Ella had only gotten a tiny little sampling of what heartbreak tasted like- she didn't even want to know how bad Josephine was feeling. She glanced at Peter as well, thinking about it. What if they ended up falling in love, and their little romance ended the same way? She'd have to talk to him about it.

When dinner was over, Ella went into the sitting room again to play the piano. It was getting late and she was ready to change into her nightgown, but she was more than willing to play for everyone.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine was starting to feel like coming home was the worst thing. At least on the ship she and Alec could be together. She had never felt more free or happy with their relationship than she did when she got to openly be with Alec, instead of hiding him away like something she had to feel guilty about. Now they didn't even have stolen kisses to look forward to. If father had his way, there would be no wedding. No happy little country home with horses. No children. No future. Not together.

She finished what she could of her meal in silence, holding back the tears and giving herself a headache from trying so hard. She envied her sister, who had never known love and would get to choose someone for herself. Her sister, who was younger, and would always get what she wanted because she was daddy's little girl. Josie used to think he would let her have whatever she wanted too, but not anymore.

After dinner, she really didn't want to stick around. She loved listening to Ella, but she wasn't in the mood to pretend to be a happy family right now. She tried, lingering in the back for most of the first song, before excusing herself. "I'm tired..." she said, exiting in the direction of her room and gasping for air as soon as she was out of ear and eyeshot. When she got to the stairs, she made a split second decision. Instead of going up, she turned and headed for the cellar instead. She knew where her father kept to key to all of his wine. He had never bothered to hide it well; his girls, after all, did not drink much. But tonight she needed something to calm her nerves.

Peter felt awkward and sorry for Josephine, but he had said all he could to help. As a guest he wouldn't overstep his boundaries, and he was enjoying the time he got to spend with Ella. As terrible as it was, Alec and Josephine were not really an issue he could weigh in. They didn't seem to like him anyway, and it was difficult for him to offer advice when neither one seemed to want to give him the time of day.

Stepping into the piano room, he smiled at the sound of Ella playing again. She was quite talented, and he thought about asking her to teach him.

He watched Josephine leave, then through the second song, leaned in to comment to their father. "Thank you for the dinner, sir," he said. "For everything, actually. I don't think I've said it enough, and I'm really glad I've gotten to know your daughters." He really didn't know Josephine well, but he felt like singling Ella out might shine too much light on their growing feelings for each other. He wanted to be sure of what they had before he talked to her father about it, and right now they still hadn't defined anything.

 

[AvianJen]

Their father smiled at Peter, nodding. "Of course. You deserve it. I'm glad they've gotten to know you, as well." He didn't know much about Peter just yet, but he could tell that Peter was a fine young man. He was brave, honorable, caring, and from what he could tell from their interactions so far, very humble. He was silent for a moment, listening to Ella play, when he turned back to Peter.

"Have you given any thought to what kind of work you'd be interested in doing?" he asked curiously. "Many of my friends are merchants- an apprenticeship might be wise." Not only would it give him the opportunity to keep busy and get on his feet, but if he worked hard, at the very least he would find himself with an excellent job once he had mastered the trade.

Ella played for about a half hour, going through most of one of her favorite songbooks. The songs were mostly lullabies, which began to make her sleepy after a little while. She finished one more song before stopping, turning to look at her audience. She hadn't noticed Josephine leave, but she frowned when she noticed that she wasn't there.

"Where's Josie?" she asked.

"She went to bed," Father answered. "That was beautiful, sweetheart, thank you. It's good to hear you play again. She's been playing since she was five," he said, turning to Peter. "Every day for almost fifteen years. The house was so empty without her music." It warmed his heart to hear her play again, and the time at sea had left her no worse for wear. Ella beamed, standing and coming over to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

"You exaggerate," she claimed.

"I do not," he retorted with a chuckle. "You're very talented. Now, why don't you get to bed. I'll send you and Josephine into town tomorrow to get your new gowns made for the party."

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. "Goodnight, Father." She bent down to let him kiss her forehead before straightening up, heading towards the door. "Oh, Peter," she added, turning back. "Come with me. I'll get you that book." More like she wanted another goodnight kiss, but he might legitimately want a book or two from her shelf to read as he fell asleep.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

This was not like Josephine, but lately she hadn't felt like herself anyway. She crept into the cellar and, not being picky, plucked a random bottle from its shelf. A couple weeks ago she had reprimanded Ella for this kind of behavior, and now she was going to partake in it herself. She'd rather feel drunk than sad, she told herself. And nobody even had to know.

She crept back up to her room undetected by a single servant, then stripping, crawled into bed with her bottle. She sat there, naked, for a long time, just sipping on the wine and waiting to feel anything but what she was feeling now. She could faintly hear the piano downstairs and listened to it in the dark before finally she started to feel a little bit lighter.

She got up, a bit wobbly on her feet and threw her nightgown over her head. She didn't normally go to see Alec like this, but tonight she only had one thing on her mind. She wasn't thinking straight about what might happen if she was caught, and the alcohol was clouding her judgement. It helped, but it wasn't enough to make her feel right again. Ella would cover for her, she thought to herself.

With the rest of them downstairs, and the servants still busy cleaning up the rest of dinner, she slipped out the back door and started on the familiar path towards the stables. She wandered in on clumsy bare feet, cursing not-so-silently to herself when she bumped into something unseen in the dark, and then shushed one of the horses loudly when it huffed in her ear.

"Shhh. You're not supposed to know I'm here," she said, pouting at it as of a horse had any care or capabilities to tell her father on her.

Peter had not given much thought at all to what he wanted to pursue, if he was being honest. Ella was very distracting, but in a good way. He raised his eyebrows when he mentioned being a merchant, and how he should obtain an apprenticeship. He had never had an opportunity for that before, but being merchant... It didn't sound so unappealing. He could still be on the water for some time, and he would be able to travel as he always had. "Actually, that sounds really nice. I like to travel," he said. To think he could be anything other than a pirate...

He grinned at how humble Ella was being, but he knew every word her father spoke was true. "And you're too modest," he said. "I can't wait to hear more. Goodnight, sir," he nodded to their father, following Ella and having a feeling she wanted him to follow for other reasons than just his recreational hobby. Although, kissing her might also be a recreational hobby of his.

Following her up the stairs and to her room, he grinned at her when they were past the door and wasted no time circling his arms around her waist. He sighed happily into her ear, and although dinner had been slightly awkward, he was just glad to be here at all. "Imagine," he said. "Me, as a merchant. A real career. No stealing or kidnapping involved."

 

[AvianJen]

The older man smiled and nodded at Peter's response. "Excellent. Not many working men are interested in traveling. I'm sure we'll be able to find something for you that will pay well, and give you something you enjoy." Being a merchant was hard work; traveling was a necessity, and the reason it was so difficult to find good people was because most men wanted families. Their wife and children either had to be constantly uprooted and dragged from place to place, or if they did have a permanent home the man of the house could be gone for months at a time. But Peter didn't have that problem, and their father didn't see any way it wouldn't work out.

Ella giggled when Peter wrapped his arms around her waist, her heart fluttering. She loved the feeling of being in his arms, and if she had a choice she might never leave. Ella draped her arms around his neck, standing close to him. "You would be a perfect merchant," she said confidently. "I know it. You could travel to your heart's content and have a big house by the sea to come home to. And bring me exotic presents," she joked. Living vicariously through him was probably as close as Ella would ever get to her own dreams of travel, but there were worse things. And she knew that Peter wasn't necessarily after the money, but merchants did tend to be among the wealthier class as well. It would be great for him. He was a good man, and he deserved a good, respectable job that allowed him to have the life he wanted.

She pressed a long, lingering kiss against his lips, not wanting to address the little bit of anxiety she felt after the dinner conversation. She was scared of having her heart broken, but she still had no idea what was going on with Peter. So far, they had just been enjoying each other's company and doing whatever felt right in the moment...Ella was fine with that, but at some point there was a conversation that needed to happen. "What do you think about..this? Us?" she dared to ask after she pulled away.

Alec had already gone upstairs to the loft. It was dark outside, and while it wasn't cold he still had a lantern burning beside him as he read, tucked up in bed and hoping to fall asleep in the process. He had very nearly succeeded when he heard someone curse downstairs, in an all too familiar voice. Alec's heart stopped in his chest. Why had she come here? It was easy to answer that question and he wanted to see her, but he was terrified of what might happen if they were discovered.

He could hardly ignore her, though, and he wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to. Picking up his lantern, he quickly climbed down the ladder that led up to the loft. "Josephine," he started, but he paused when he turned around and actually saw her. She was only wearing a nightgown, and was barefoot. He could tell right away based on the unsteadiness of her feet and the slightly glazed look over her eyes that she had been drinking, which wasn't at all like her. Concerned, he forgot about his fear for a moment and stepped forward, capturing one of her hands in his.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked gently, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "What are you doing here?" It felt good to hold her again, but he couldn't enjoy it. He was worried for more reasons than one- if she had been drinking and come to him like this, something was obviously very wrong. He didn't know if he wanted to know what it was- or maybe it was nothing new.

The last forty-eight hours had been hell for him, as he was sure they'd been for her. He'd done nothing but work, ten times harder than usual even though no one was there to notice. It kept him distracted from his unfortunate new reality. Or, as distracted as possible.