Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[AvianJen]

Ella thought that her decision making was perfectly fine, and it hurt to hear Josie say that. But she couldn't worry about defending herself at the moment- it was Peter she was worried about. "It's a part of his past," she consented. "But it's not a part of his present or future. He's trying to start over and do something good with his life, and doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? Stop twisting my words. Father's judging him on character because that's the only way he can judge him, and that's okay. Wouldn't you rather Alec got judged on who he is rather than what he is? Why didn't you tell the truth about him? It seems a little hypocritical." Ella thought that this was the exact same thing, only Josie refused to see it that way.

Why was she being so difficult? It hurt knowing the way Josephine felt, and Ella felt like she was getting beaten into the ground, her self-confidence getting torn to shreds. She was stupid, she couldn't make good decisions, she was a poor judge of character, and apparently she was crazy to believe she might have found the right man. Because how could stupid, silly Ella possibly know what was good for her? "It's not...up to you," she insisted, fighting back the tears. "You don't get to decide who's right for me, I do. I'm really happy, so please...don't..." Ella could see it now, Josephine telling father and her screaming while they dragged Peter away to be tried for piracy. It was too much, and she burst into tears at the thought.

"You're not looking out for me," she disagreed. Josie hadn't hardly spoken to her in the past week, how could she say that she was looking out for her? "You're not there for me if I can't...even talk to you." She cringed away when Josie put her arm around her, unable to control her emotions. "That's all I wanted too," she sobbed. She had tried not to bring it up, but she'd just wanted to be honest and maybe a little bit of her had hoped that Josie would be more understanding. This wasn't the first time one of them had pursued a potentially questionable relationship, after all.

Ella felt a little bit of relief when Josie finally agreed not to tell, but it still took her several minutes to calm down. "Okay..." she was finally able to get out, her voice weak. Her head was pounding, and she wasn't sure if she trusted Josie after all that, but she sounded like she was being genuine. "Thank...thank you."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine felt there wasn't anything she could say that would get Ella to understand where she was coming from. The two girls were equally stubborn, and not very good at seeing the other side when it came down to it. "Father already knows what Alec is," she countered. "It's our relationship that was a secret. It's different." And Ella knew exactly why they kept it a secret. It was the same reason Ella didn't want father to know about Peter. He was maybe more critical than even Josephine was when it came to men.

"I don't know what to say, Ella," Josephine said. She was just giving her honest opinion, and Ella had been the one to bring this up in the first place. Of course this was how she would have reacted. "I can't change how I feel. I don't like Peter. I can't choose for you, no, but if I didn't tell you I was concerned then I'd be a bad sister. Hate me for it if you want, but I could never forgive myself if I was right and didn't say anything to caution you." Josephine didn't think being there for her sister meant agreeing with her, or giving Ella the answers she wanted. It meant doing her best to protect her, and Josie thought she had to protect Ella from Peter. No matter how much Ella disliked it.

She moved back into her own seat and stared our the window, trying not to look at Ella's face or else Josephine might break down and cry too. She had done too much of that lately, she really didn't want to anymore. It didn't seem like this outing would be rescued, but the carriage was already pulling up to the market. She was first hoping this trip would take most of the day and now she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. She didn't doubt Ella was feeling the same.

She turned cautiously to her, but kept her eyes low to the ground, still unable to look at her face for fear of breaking. "Would you rather just go home?" she asked, figuring it was better to ask than to endure an outing neither of them wanted to go on anymore.

 

[AvianJen]

"That's not my point," Ella said in exasperation. "Why did you have to keep your relationship a secret? Because if you told, Father would make his decision based on what Alec is- a stable boy with no prospects. If he didn't know that and had only Alec's character to judge, you would be together." Josephine didn't seem to be grasping what Ella was trying to say, but they were both more than a little bit emotional right now. It wasn't surprising, and they were both equally unlikely to give in to the other's point of view.

"I'm not mad at you for not liking Peter, I'm mad at you for wanting to turn him in," she argued. There was a huge difference. Ella didn't particularly like Alec, and she didn't mind so much if Josephine wasn't thrilled with the man she'd chosen. There were worse things. "You can caution me all you want, I just don't want you to meddle." That was what Ella was afraid of; that Josephine would become too "concerned" and end up telling their father so that she and Peter would be forced apart. She needed to understand that it wasn't her place, whether she was right or not. And Ella believed with every fiber in her being that she was wrong about Peter. No one was going to convince her otherwise.

Ella wasn't contented when Josephine finally agreed not to tell, but her fear did lessen considerably. She hoped that Josie meant it, and wasn't just saying it to calm her down. She sniffled, curling up against the wall of the carriage and rubbing her eyes dry. They were still red, but it would go away soon. She watched as the market approached in the window, feeling sad that they hadn't even made it to the chocolate before everything went to hell. Ella had been really excited about today. Obviously neither of them were particularly interested in sister time anymore, but when Josie asked if she wanted to go home Ella shook her head. "No. I woke up early and came all this way for chocolate strawberries, and I'm going to get them. Then we can go home." The carriage driver opened up the door for the girls and Ella slipped out, glancing away so that he wouldn't see how she'd been crying. From there, she made a beeline towards Miss Crawford's stand, planning to buy pretty much everything she had. It was Ella's personal opinion that every girl needed chocolate when they were upset, and maybe she could get extra for Peter and Father.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Maybe Ella would have had a point, except that Josephine thought father did have a reference for Alec's character, despite him being just a stable boy. He had rescued them from the ship. He had shown he was brave and capable of hard work, and most importantly that he loved her. It wasn't enough, apparently, but Peter was for Ella in father's mind. But father had given Peter everything that Alec needed. She couldn't admit it out loud, but a part of her probably resented Peter just because she wanted Alec to be in his place. "Well it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" she asked. "You and Peter have the one thing Alec and I will never have, so... It doesn't matter. Do what you want. Just don't say I didn't warn you if something happens."

She leaned her head against the carriage wall, still struggling to bring herself to look at Ella. She didn't know how suddenly she had become the bad guy. She just wanted to protect Ella, from Peter, from herself. But she knew all too well that love was blind. "I already told you I wouldn't..." she said. "As long as he gives me no reason to."

Josephine just wanted to go home and retreat back to her bed where she had spent most of her time these days. At least when she was asleep she didn't have to confront her emotions or stress or thoughts, but she nodded at Ella when she said she wanted the strawberries. Rather than go with her, she handed her the money and stayed in the carriage until she finished and they headed back home. Her sister day was ruined, and that having been the only thing she had to look forward to, she was feeling lost and lonely again. Alec had meant well, but nobody could have known this particular piece of advice would go so wrong.

 

[AvianJen]

Maybe it was a bad idea to bring Alec into this, but Ella didn't see how else she was supposed to make a convincing argument. It wasn't that Father didn't have reference for Alec's character; he did. But it wasn't enough because of what he was. Without the knowledge of what kind of life Peter had led before leaving the ship, his character was enough. "Fair enough," she replied. That was all she'd been asking for in the beginning, that Josephine would just leave it to her. Ella was fully prepared to take responsibility for her actions if Peter turned out to be manipulating her, but she didn't think that could possibly be true. He was far too genuine and sincere for that.

"He won't give you a reason to," Ella assured her. She was confident in that, and as long as Josie didn't fly off the handle then everything would be fine. Of course Ella was concerned about her sister, but Peter's life had to take a little bit of precedence over Josie's hurt feelings. It was potentially a matter of life or death for him, and it was vitally important that they were on the same page. Or if they couldn't be on the same page...they needed to come to an agreement. Josephine had agreed, so Ella decided it was best not to push the topic any further.

She took the money from her sister and left the carriage, a little bit discouraged when Josie didn't want to come with her, but hardly surprised. They would move past this argument like they managed to move past everything, but Ella was rather sad that sister day had been ruined. It was both of their faults, she supposed, but Ella was beginning to wonder if their relationship could ever go back to the way it was after all they'd been through. Things hadn't been the same since they got home, and now they kept on changing.

Ella was careful not to spend all the money, but she did buy quite a few chocolate covered strawberries, truffles, and pretzels. Miss Crawford was a sweet lady who chatted with her for several minutes, expressing how worried she had been when she heard the news about her and Josephine and how happy she was they had returned home safely. Ella would have talked to her longer, but she figured Josie would be getting impatient. She returned to the carriage as quickly as possible, split up the basket between the two of them and rode home in silence, Ella nibbling on a chocolate every so often.

When they finally returned home, Ella went inside and upstairs, straight to Peter's room. She knocked on the door, eager to share her treats with him and also to talk to someone who wasn't furious at her. "Peter? It's me, Ella," she called. "I have chocolate strawberries." By now it was only mid-morning; the girls should still be out shopping and it was disappointing that they weren't, but Ella tried to look on the bright side. Peter would be starting his work soon and they wouldn't see each other quite as often, so for the time being she should soak up all the time she could get.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine wasn't so sure that Alec wouldn't do anything, but she couldn't say anything about that without Ella getting upset with her. She couldn't even do anything about it without doing irreparable damage to her and Ella's relationship. It already felt different. They had hardly spoken since getting back home, and apart from the night before, apparently they had a hard time not arguing with each other when they did. Josie knew Ella loved her, but it just didn't seem like they could return to the way things had been before.

She thanked Ella for giving her some of the sweets, though she hadn't expected it. She tucked them by her side and didn't touch them the whole ride back. She and Ella were different even in their eating habits, and although Alec had told her she needed to eat instead of neglecting her body and starving herself, she didn't think refraining from sugar was necessarily a bad thing. Instead she just continued to stare out the window in silence until they finally pulled back up to the house.

Getting out of the carriage, Josie knew she shouldn't, but she let her feet drag her to the stables. They were back incredibly early and unless father ran into Ella he wouldn't even know they were here. She figured she might be able to steal a few moments alone with Alec. She wandered in, pausing a moment only to run her hands over a horse's soft nose. "Alec?" she called out somewhat cautiously.

Peter was enjoying his last few days off, kicking his feet up in his room with one of Ella's books. They had already enjoyed a few of them together, but he had a few he had borrowed in which he read alone. He set the book down when he heard Ella at his door, and when he answered it, he looked to her with concern. She wasn't supposed to be back yet. It was rather early.

"More strawberries, huh?" he asked, smiling down at her. He reached out and brushed away a crumb of chocolate from her mouth with his thumb. "You've already started on them, I see. Is everything... Alright?"

He was worried. She didn't look very happy and her eyes were swollen like she'd been crying. He reached out an arm and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind them. Sitting down on the couch he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. It still was so surreal that this woman was officially his now. "I thought you would have been out longer."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella would have tried to stop Josie from going to see Alec if she'd noticed, but she was quick to run back inside, eager to be out of that awkward situation. Ella hated that things had to be like this between her and Josie, but she hoped that it would get better with time. Maybe Josie would warm up to the idea of Peter and see how happy Ella was, and she would be okay with it. But for now, Ella had no intentions of changing her mind.

She smiled when Peter opened the door, relieved to see him. She giggled when he accused her of already starting on the strawberries, nodding sheepishly. "I only ate a couple. There's plenty for you, still. And I have chocolate truffles and chocolate covered pretzels, see?" She held out her little basket to him, filled to the brim with chocolate sweets. Her smile wavered when he asked if everything was alright, but she nodded. She didn't want to tell him about how bad a reaction Josephine had to her news; he had told her before that he didn't want to come between her and her sister. As noble as that was, Ella didn't think it was his fault and he shouldn't have to worry about it. "Everything's fine," she replied. But when he pulled her inside to cuddle on his couch, she didn't protest in the slightest.

Setting her basket of chocolate on the little coffee table, she snuggled against Peter, her arms around him. Her heart went from aching to feeling warm and fluttery in a matter of seconds, and she loved knowing that if someone happened to walk in on them, there was no way they could get in trouble. "Well, sister day didn't really go as planned," she admitted. "We had a little bit of a disagreement, so we just got candy before coming back." She tried to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal, even though he didn't know just how comforting having his arms around her was.

Alec had arrived at the stables and started work a little bit later this morning, having spent a few extra minutes to appreciate how nice it was to sleep in a real, clean bed that didn't smell like horses. He was absolutely in love with his new house, and the only thing that would make it better would be being able to share it with Josephine. It was out in the country, with a little bit of land and a barn for his horse, room for a garden, and several small bedrooms perfect for a growing family, a feature that Alec was sure was intentional. It was two stories, and while it definitely needed a little bit of fixing up and repainting here and there, Alec could see himself living there for years and years to come.

He was in the back of the stables brushing one of the horses when he heard Josephine's voice. Immediately assuming that something was wrong, he set the brush down and went out to meet her. "Josie?" He was relieved to see that she looked mostly okay, even if not entirely happy. It was a step up from yesterday. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" He approached her, glancing around anxiously to make sure there was no one else here. Alec spent most of his days alone in the stables, but there was always the possibility of someone coming to see him or the horses. Usually the horses.

Satisfied that they were alone, he came closer and noticed the sweets she was carrying. He raised an eyebrow, the corners of his lips turning up in a smile. "Are those from Miss Crawford's?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter smiled at Ella and her little basket of chocolates, but he was less interested in the sweets than he was in her well being. "I'll try some later, I promise," he said. He was a little curious. Chocolate was expensive so he hadn't eaten much of it before.

On the couch, he got comfortable with her beside him, his arm wrapped around her and his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. They no longer had to worry about what anyone thought if they saw them like this, and to Peter it felt amazing. He would tuck her against him every day if he could, but he also didn't like to see her upset. She was trying to hide it, but he had gotten good at reading her. When she finally admit what happened, he could see she might be downplaying it.

"Oh," he said with a frown. "I'm sorry your day didn't go as planned. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, but he had a feeling this might have something to do with him.

Josephine brightened just a little bit at the sight of Alec. She knew she probably shouldn't be here, but she didn't know where else to go right now if it wasn't just back to her room. Besides, she needed to talk to him. Not just about Ella, but John as well. She didn't like keeping him in the dark when he deserved to know. When she saw him looking around, she stepped forward and took one of his hands. "Relax, I'm not even supposed to be home yet. Nobody knows I'm here," she reassured him. "And I'm... Trying." She couldn't say she was alright like he had asked, but she wasn't the wreck she had been yesterday either, despite the fight with Ella. Maybe she was just repressing it for now.

She glanced down to her basket, having almost forgotten about them, then back at him with the slightest of smiles. "They are," she said. She always shared her chocolates with him. It was a staple of their relationship, really. "I'll share them with you, if you want to sit down and talk for a few minutes?" She suggested, pleading with him with her eyes. "If you're not too busy."

She wanted to talk to him about everything. From Ella, to Peter, to John, to their relationship. But she also just wanted to spend some time with him, even if they only had a few precious moments together. That was part of what was driving her crazy about their separation. They just simply couldn't talk things through, and the few times they had seen each other, she was too emotional to be productive about it. At least now she felt ready enough to try.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella shrugged and plucked one of the truffles from her basket, taking a small bite. The chocolate on the inside was soft compared to the hard shell, and Ella sighed contentedly. She loved her chocolate, and she loved the feeling of Peter playing with her hair. It made her feel better, just sitting here with him.

She would have been content to not say anything about Josephine and just spend the rest of the day pretending like it had never happened, but when Peter brought it up and seemed to want to talk about it, Ella figured she might as well. They were a couple, and couples were supposed to talk to each other about things that were bothering them, right? "I mean...not particularly," she told him. "Josie wasn't too happy to hear about us, that's all. But she's not going to tell anyone about your pirate history, I made sure of that, and she'll...she'll get over it." Josie seemed like she was determined to dislike Peter, which Ella didn't quite understand. She hadn't ever given him a chance, hadn't even talked to him really. But she wasn't going to do anything about it, and that was all Ella really cared about. She snuggled closer to Peter, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. She didn't want him to feel guilty or like he was the one causing problems, because he wasn't. Josie would have to get over it at one point or another.

Alec's heart jumped when Josie took his hand. It was probably fair to say that he was a little paranoid- he and Josephine had had several secret interactions now without getting caught, and he felt like their luck might be running out. But Josephine didn't seem nervous at all, so he allowed himself to relax, just a little bit. "Okay," he said, nodding. "If you're sure nobody knows you're here." When she said that she was trying, it wasn't the answer he had hoped for but it was an improvement. He offered her a small smile. "Good. That's better, at least."

He was awfully tempted by her little basket of sweets, recalling all the nights they'd spent in the loft sharing them. Alec could never afford chocolate on his own, and it was a rare delicacy that he couldn't help but associate with Josephine. "I'm not busy," he told her. The horses needed tending, but it wasn't anything that couldn't wait. "We can...we can talk. Upstairs, though. Not here." He motioned for her to follow him and climbed the ladder up to the loft where they spent most of their time together.

The loft looked different now. After the party, Alec had changed out of his suit and sent it back to the house to be returned to Peter before packing up all of his belongings and taking them to his new house. The bed frame and dusty mattress remained, but his sheets and blankets were gone, as was his chest full of clothes, books, and other various belongings. It hadn't been very hard to pack, but it had taken a few trips to get everything over there. The bedside table with the oil lamp and small clock was gone, as was the tiny table and two chairs where he would sit and eat. The new house wasn't furnished apart from a bed, so he had brought everything else he had. It was empty now, and it didn't look like home. He sat down on a bale of hay, against the wall, patting it for Josephine to sit next to him. He didn't know what she wanted to talk about in particular, but there were more than a few things that they needed to discuss.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter watched her eat her truffle, then could no longer resist temptation enough to keep himself from reaching in the basket after her for a chocolate pretzel. He put it in his mouth and just enjoyed the few seconds of pleasure the chocolate brought to him. He smiled and kissed her temple. "These are very good," he commented, loving the sweet and salty combination.

Chocolate pretzels, it seemed, were a lot like Ella and Josephine's relationship. Sweet, for the most part, but every once in a while you got a taste of the salt underneath. Peter hated to think he was a major cause of most of their arguments lately, but he had seen this one coming. He tightened his arms around her and leaned his head against hers.

"She would have found out eventually," he said. "I didn't expect her to react positively, but... I suppose it's good she won't say anything." It was possibly the one thing that would keep him and Ella apart. He did wish that they could have Josephine's approval, though. It didn't matter so much right now, but in the long run... He didn't want to ruin their relationship.

Josephine followed Alec up to the loft, surprised to see that it looked so different. She wasn't sure why it came as a shock. He had a house now, after all, but it wasn't the same loft that had burned itself into her memory. This place held so many memories for them. She remembered the first time she came up here with him, curious to see where he lived back when they were just friends before getting together. So many long nights of laughter up here, their first kiss. She had accidentally fallen asleep on his bed on more than a few occasions, but even the sheets and blankets were gone now.

She sighed, pushing away the memories, and went to join him on the hay bale. She placed the basket of chocolates between them where he had access to them if he wanted, but made no attempt herself to eat any. She wasn't sure where exactly to start this conversation, but no one path was easier than the others.

"How do you like your new home?" she settled on. It seemed a fitting place to start now that she could see how empty the loft now was. She didn't like him being so far away, but she did want him to be comfortable. If father was going to put distance between them, then he better have spent his money wisely on a place Alec deserved, and not a small house where he wouldnt have room to grow.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella nodded enthusiastically, watching him eat the pretzel before grabbing one for herself. She'd probably eaten more than enough chocolate for now, but she like it, and Ella was typically one to eat when she was stressed. "They're the best," she agreed. "This lady named Miss Crawford in town makes them. She loves Josephine and I; she gave me half of these for free." She didn't have to, of course- it wasn't like she and Josephine couldn't afford to buy the sweets, but it was a nice welcome home gesture.

After one more pretzel, Ella scooted the basket to the other side of the table where Peter could still reach them but she wouldn't be able to, deciding that she'd had enough for today. She closed her eyes, Peter's embrace more comforting than he knew. She felt safe in his arms, and it was as if nothing else mattered. All of her problems became small when she was with him. "I know," she sighed. "I didn't expect her to react positively either, but...I had to convince her not to tell, and she hurt my feelings. It's like she thinks I'm stupid or something, like I'm not capable of making any good decisions. But I know you're a good decision. I can't remember the last time I felt so sure about anything."

It hurt that Josie had so little faith in her, but Ella didn't think that this would ruin their relationship. Josie was going through her own things right now, and maybe once everything settled down a little bit she would be more willing to see reason. And the idea of her and Peter together would get better with time, Ella was sure. The more she saw them together and realized that he wasn't tricking her, the better it would get. It might just take time for Josie to come around.

Alec didn't say anything, waiting for her to start. He did take a truffle and nibble on it- it was delicious, but he didn't feel as relaxed as he usually did eating them. When Josephine shared her chocolate with him before, they were usually cuddled up on his bed with the blankets over top of them when it was cold, talking and laughing together late into the night. Things were so different now.

"I like it," he replied to Josephine's question. He knew that she was upset about him moving and he thought about downplaying how happy he was about his house, but their relationship had never been about hiding from each other or being dishonest. "Quite a bit, actually. It's bigger than I expected. There's a little bit of land and a barn for Nielson, several bedrooms, a kitchen..." Alec had never had a kitchen before. He sometimes ate his meals in the servants' quarters in the mansion, but he had hardly ever been able to cook what he wanted for himself. "It's clean, and has running water and proper insulation and everything." He was quiet for a minute before adding, "And it's not too far. It only took Nielson ten minutes or so to get here this morning at a gallop."

Nielson was Alec's horse, a pretty white one with scattered gray spots. Alec had raised him from a baby, and the bond he had with the animal was unbreakable. Alec was happy that there was already space for a horse at his new place and he didn't have to worry about that. Really...the house he'd been given had the potential to be everything that he and Josie had dreamed of. It needed a little bit of work, but it wasn't a disaster by any means. "So...why are you back so early?" he asked her. He didn't already know about her trip into town with Ella, but given that was his suggestion and she'd come back with a basket of chocolates, he was able to piece together what must have been going on. But it was strange for the girls to come back home so early in the day; they couldn't have had time to do anything.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter hadn't had much of a chance to explore the market, but from what he could tell Ella and Josephine's names were well known around here. He was sure their wealth had something to do with it, but he could imagine since news of their disappearance got out they were even more recognizable than ever, and people were probably just glad to see them okay. "That was nice of her," Peter said, knowing they were probably a gift to say welcome home. "I'm sure it doesn't make a dent in her pocket, because these are truly amazing." He couldn't help but pick out another one, but he would leave the rest for Ella.

Peter rubbed Ella's back while she talked, trying to soothe her. He didn't like seeing her so down on herself, especially in this situation where he knew it had very little to do with her and a lot to do with him. "I wouldn't take it to heart too much," he told her. "I doubt she meant to make you feel stupid. She means well, she's just... misguided. If anything, she's only trying to look out for you. You should be happy you have a sister who cares about you so much, even if she is frustratingly stubborn." He realized he was sticking up for the one person on Earth who probably hated him the most, but if there were any way to reconcile this he had to approach Josephine with careful, open arms, in order to prove he no longer meant them any harm.

"This will just take time," he said. "As long as she isn't going to tell, then, we have the time to prove her wrong. It's only been a few weeks and not everyone is as forgiving as you." He kissed her head again, not wanting her to worry so much about it. This was a burden he should have to bear alone.

Josephine was glad that at least father had done well in choosing him a home. It sounded remarkably similar to something they had dreamed up together, and her heart ached with longing. It was like her father had unknowingly given them a small piece of what they wanted. It was just not intended for her, but for some other small family. "It sounds wonderful," she said. "Maybe I can visit someday." That was unlikely. Even ten minutes was too far, especially since Josephine could never walk that far on foot or even take a horse without being caught. She liked the fantasy of it, though, of showing up at his window and climbing into his new bed with him to cuddle and laugh like they used to in this loft.

The fantasy was short lived however, as she was reminded of the worries of her everyday life by his question. She moved the basket from between them and set it on the floor instead so she could move closer to him. They were approaching difficult territory now, and she never felt more at ease than when in his arms.

"I took your advice and asked Ella to come out with me today. Only... We didn't even get to market before she told me that father gave her and Peter permission to be together." Her stomach twisted having to say it out loud. Guilt and jealousy and worry were all swirling inside her already tired mind.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella knew that Peter was right, as usual. She knew that Josephine loved her, but sometimes it seemed like she thought of Ella as more than one year younger. "I know she's always looked out for me, but I'm nineteen. I'm not a baby anymore, and I'm not an idiot." She was the baby of the family, and that definitely came with its perks, but Ella wished that Josie would treat her like an equal adult. "And it's not okay when it potentially could get you into trouble. I'm not going to let that happen." Ella didn't know that she would be able to live with herself if Josie told and Peter got hurt, all because she wanted to be with him.

"I feel bad, though. I know that it can't be easy for her, us getting to be together when she can't be with Alec." It really wasn't fair, Ella would agree, but she didn't know what she could do about it. "But I was supportive when all of that was going on. I was always worried she would end up getting hurt, but it was what she wanted. Now she doesn't want to do the same for me."

She supposed that Peter did have a point, though. She was lucky that she had a family who cared so much about her and that wanted to protect her. Not everyone did. Peter had lost his family, and here Ella was sitting and complaining about hers. "It doesn't matter," she said finally. "We'll prove her wrong, promise." She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his lips, running her fingers through the ends of his hair. "Never cut your hair," she murmured, a smile creeping onto her lips.

Alec smiled at the notion of Josephine visiting him at his house. His house. Alec still couldn't get over it, how exciting it was to have a real place to live. He loved the idea of fixing it up and showing it off to Josie one day, or better yet, carrying her over the threshold on their wedding day. It was a dream that was still clear in his mind, but fading away too fast. "You would like it," he told her, imagining the scene. He put his arm around her and leaned back against the wall.

He was happy to hear that she had taken his advice and gone out with Ella. The girls were close, and Ella had a sparkly kind of personality that was contagious. Alec had hoped that she might be able to cheer Josie up, but his smile quickly turned to a frown when she said that Peter and Ella were together. "What? Are you serious?" Alec's initial response was shock, but the second was anger. He had run away, risked his life to find the girls and save them and now he and Josephine weren't even allowed to interact. He'd gotten the house, and that was great, but it wasn't Josephine. Peter was the pirate who had helped hold them captive, and now he and Ella were courting with their father's permission? How did that make any sense, and what was Ella thinking?

"I...I don't know what to say," he told Josephine after a moment of silence. He felt cheated, and while he didn't believe that Peter was a horrible person, him with Ella...he didn't understand it. "I told him. I told him not to get involved with her, but I didn't...I never thought that he'd actually go to your father. Or that he would say yes? To them, but not to us?" Alec didn't know what to say about it. It wasn't his place to interfere, but it was upsetting and unfair.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter could understand Ella's frustrations. Josephine had a tendency to try to parent everyone rather than simply just be there, but he thought she probably meant no harm by it. The girls had lost their mother when they were young, and if anything maybe Josie saw it as her responsibility to look over Ella, even if there wasn't much of an age difference. His own sister had been protective of him, despite the fact that he had always been able to look after himself. "I know," he said. "But I don't think it matters how old you are. Your father will always be your father, and your sister will always be your sister. That doesn't change with age."

Peter had to admit he felt guilty himself about the situation with Alec. It really was unfortunate and unfair, but he wasn't not going to go after what he wanted just because Josephine and Alec were unhappy. "Maybe that's just it though," he reasoned. "She probably doesn't see it as the same. You don't want her to get hurt, but she probably sees me as a threat to more than just you. She doesn't trust me. And I have no doubt she's more than just a little bit jealous considering her circumstances." He didn't want her to concern herself with this, and as long as she told nobody, that was all they needed for now.

He kissed her back, unable not to notice how her lips tasted like chocolate. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, then chuckled as she told him not to cut his hair. "You don't think it makes me look like a pirate?" he asked, mouth turned up, eyebrows raised.

Josephine had had the same reaction that Alec was having now when she heard. She knew that when she felt his body tense with shock his head was turning with the same thoughts she had earlier. It didn't make any logical sense to her either, and her father's acceptance of them felt like a stab in the back. How Peter was good enough, but Alec wasn't, would never sit right with her.

"Because father doesn't know," she said. "He doesn't know what he has done, what he is, and he doesn't know anything about wonderful you are or how much we love each other. He has given Peter everything we would need to be together, but won't give it to you." Father apparently liked to see what he wanted to see. "And Ella would never forgive me if I told the truth about Peter."

That was her major dilemma at the moment. "She's angry because I won't accept him and support them like she supports us. She doesn't think he's dangerous. I'm worried about her, about our family, but... If I say anything she would never speak to me again. She's all I have anymore if I can't have you, so I don't know what to do." She pulled herself closer to Alec, wanting to soak up as much love from him as she possibly could.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella sighed, knowing that he was right; no matter how old she got, she would always be her father's baby girl and Josie's little sister. "I don't know why she doesn't trust you," she grumbled. To Ella, it really didn't seem that complicated. Peter hadn't been the one to order their kidnapping. He had been involved with it, sure, but he had saved their lives, killed a man to help them escape, protected them from being raped by the crew, stayed with them when Ella was sick, and while they were captives he had seen to it that they were as comfortable as they could possibly be. He'd brought them blankets, negotiated for their time above deck and comforted her when she was upset. He didn't have to do any of that, but he did. Ella thought that he had more than compensated for his initial transgressions.

"She won't give you a chance, that's all. It's stupid. I mean, have you ever had an actual conversation with her before?" Ella didn't think so. "I'm sure she is jealous, too, and I feel bad about that, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't get to be together." Ella knew that she shouldn't have to feel guilty for being fortunate; it wasn't her doing and she wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her sister. But she understood why Josie would be upset about that part. Ella sighed, adjusting her position next to him. "Oh, well. I don't want to talk about it anymore, it's going to be fine. She'll get over it eventually, I hope."

Ella didn't want to think about it anymore, though. Josie would come around, and for now Ella wanted to enjoy the rest of her day. Against her better judgment she reached across the table and grabbed one more piece of chocolate, smirking at Peter's response. "Maybe that's why I like it," she responded. "Very roguish." She did like his long hair; few men wore their hair long, especially in Ella and Josephine's social circle, but Ella had never been as attracted to the clean cut men. They usually weren't as interesting. "Josie told me to flirt with you, you know," she revealed, finding it rather ironic now. "On the ship, at first, so that you would do things for us. I did, but I was never faking." Ella had been attracted to him from the start, in some inexplicable way. "I think she started to worry once she realized that."

Alec didn't think the problem was how much he loved Josephine or his personality flaws; he genuinely believed that if it weren't for his economic status he and Josie would be allowed to be together. But if their father knew about Peter's history, his request wouldn't have been given a moment of consideration. Actually, Peter wouldn't even have been around to ask. "He did give me a house," Alec pointed out, thinking about it. "That's one thing we need. Peter will have to do that for himself." He needed a place of his own if he was going to have a family, and her father had given that to Alec even though it wasn't intended for Josie.

He was upset about Peter, but mostly he was just irritated at the injustice of it all. "I don't know that he's all that dangerous- he seems to genuinely care for Ella, but..." he shook his head. "He also told me that the longest relationship he's ever had was a three-day fling with a prostitute. That's not to peg him as a bad man, but how can he even know how to go about a real relationship?" He was worried that Ella would get hurt, as naive as she was. Josie was right about one thing, though- if she told, Ella would never speak to her again. He tightened his arms around her and let out a sigh.

"I don't think there's much you can do," he said finally. "You can't tell your father about Peter without losing her, and it's not really your place either. There's always a chance that we're wrong about him, about them. It's not fair to ruin what Ella has just because of a few concerns. I don't think that Peter has any malicious intent, I just...worry he may not know what he's doing." He also didn't deserve it, but Alec didn't want to bring that up. He didn't want to appear as bitter as he really was, even though he was sure that Josie would share his feelings on the matter.

"Try not to alienate her," he advised. "She doesn't know what she's doing, and if she feels comfortable talking to you then maybe you can influence her in the right direction without harming your relationship." He didn't think that Peter and Ella's romance could possibly end well- neither of them had any experience, and he was convinced it was just a temporary infatuation. It couldn't last.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"Like I said, not everyone is as forgiving as you are," Peter said, brushing his fingers through her loose curls. In all honesty, he wasn't even certain why Ella trusted him sometimes. He would never hurt her, but he did have a questionable past, one that he would not blame her for if she chose not to trust him. He was lucky that she did.

Ella was right about one thing, though. Josephine had not really given him a chance. He couldn't recall having conversations with her either. She had never been interested in it, and he couldn't be bothered to talk to someone who clearly disliked him. He supposed that was both of their faults. "Hmm. Well, no, but I've also never tried. Maybe I should. The only way she will get to know me is of we spend time together." The thought made him a little uneasy, but maybe if the three of them could arrange something... He would feel better if Ella was around and it might get her to come around.

He was surprised when Ella told him Josie had told her to flirt with him, but also amused. He sat up a little straighter so he could look at her better, a small smile on his lips. "Really?" he asked. "Is that why you asked me to help you with your dress that one time and why you ran around in your underwear?" He had found it slightly odd, but it did have the desired effect of drawing his attention to her. Those nights with her in her corset and skirt with nothing else were among the many forbidden topics to hide from her father, and also something he thought about from time to time when he was alone.

Josie chewed on her lower lip. "He only gave you a house because I complained you deserved more than you were getting, and he only agreed because he saw in it the opportunity to separate us," she pointed out. She couldn't sneak out to see him any longer if he wasn't staying in the loft. "But yes, I suppose that's one thing we didn't have before." She let herself imagine once again the two of them sharing a country home and starting a family together.

She looked appalled when he mentioned Peter's relationship with a prostitute, wiping away her brief happy fantasy. "Really?" she asked, then sighed because she couldn't be too surprised. It did worry her though. What if Peter tried to move things too fast, and Ella ended up in a situation she would regret? Josephine didn't necessarily believe people who were not virgins on their wedding day were wrong, but she was a strong believer in saving it for the right person. Josie was not convinced Peter was.

"Well, hopefully if I can't tell father about him, maybe I can at least stop her from making a few other mistakes." Like he said, if she didn't alienate Ella, she might still have influence in other ways. She could still look out for her without pushing her away. "And maybe.. you can teach him a thing or two about being a gentleman?" she prodded.

She gave a little sigh and pulled herself up. Looking lovingly at him, she put a hand on his face, reminded why she loved him so much. "You're right. Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you," she leaned in and kissed him, thankful they had found a little time alone together. She still needed to tell him about John, though, and that was the part she was dreading the most.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella raised her eyebrows at the notion of Josephine and Peter spending time together, holding back a laugh. She would tear him apart before he could get a word in if they spent any time alone together, although Ella wasn't sure that her presence would help all that much. But it was true, Josephine would never be able to see that Peter was a good guy unless she actually spent some time together. "We should plan something," she suggested. "The three of us. Maybe I can convince Father to get us tickets to the theater or something." That could be a fun icebreaking event, especially if they went out for dinner together before.

She giggled, nodding at him. It was almost funny to look back on now. "Yes," she replied. "That's why I asked for help with my dress. But no, I took it off initially because it was wet and I was freezing. Then I left it off because it was more comfortable, and we only ever saw you anyways. Why, did you like it when I just wore my underwear?" she asked teasingly. "Josie didn't take her corset off for over two weeks, can you believe that?" Ella certainly couldn't. She felt like she was dying after a day of wearing one, and she was always quick to put her nightgown on at the end of the day.

"I really don't understand women's clothing," she said after a moment, thinking about it. "It's like, five layers. Why? And I don't see what's so provocative about a woman in her underclothes anyways; they cover just as much as the dresses do, it's just a couple layers less." It had always been absurd to Ella, who felt like she was constantly overheating in the summer and could never get comfortable to curl up and read with the corset perfecting her posture.

Alec looked to Josie in surprise. "You said that?" he asked. No one had told him that. He hugged Josie tighter and pressed a kiss to her temple, rubbing her arm. "You didn't have to do that, love, I didn't need any rewards. But thank you." It did keep them more separated than they were before, but Alec's first order of business had been to get a house in the first place. It would have happened anyways. "Even though your father sees it as a way of keeping us apart, I see it as one step closer to us being able to be together. It's a nice house, Josie. I'm sure that if I had the money, fixed it up a little bit...maybe he wouldn't be so opposed to it. Do you think?"

He nodded, not sure why Josephine seemed so surprised. He was a pirate, and that's what pirates did when they wanted a woman's company. They didn't...court upper-class young ladies who were in the market for a husband. Obviously Alec wasn't a virgin, but ever since meeting Josephine his views had changed slightly. He wished that he was, for her. He could easily see Ella and Peter getting caught in the heat of the moment doing something that they would regret. Heck, they had almost done that already. He could understand why Josie was concerned. He would be, too.

"Right," he agreed, chuckling at her suggestion that he teach Peter how to be a gentleman. "You mean, you want to help Peter?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "I hardly see him. But if he comes by, I'll be sure to teach him a thing or to about how to treat a lady." He kissed her again, on the cheek this time. Alec wasn't a true gentleman himself, but he liked to think he did know how to treat women. It might be unfair to assume that Peter did not, but it didn't sound like he'd had any experience, and the pirates were the exact opposite of what a gentleman should be. He kissed her back, his hands on either side of her face. "You'll have to head back soon, I'm guessing." For a few minutes he had almost forgotten how dangerous it was for them to be together. Up in the loft, hidden from view, he felt safe.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter could not really imagine him and Josephine in a room together, alone. He admitted to Ella once before, that her sister could be rather intimidating. It was the way she stared at him with her sharp judgement, like she could look right into his soul. She could probably pick him apart if she really wanted to. At the same time, he would get nothing but those judgemental stares from her for possibly his entire life if he made no attempt to make a better impression on her. He couldn't be with Ella and live like that when her sister was such a big part of his life. "I've never been to the theater before," he said. "It could be fun, and worth a try."

Peter grinned, reflecting on their early days now that he knew this new bit of information. He had to admit that her flirting had been successful. Here they were now, after all. Beyond that, though, it had been her bright personality that attracted him to her more than anything else. He gave a low chuckle. "Like I said, I'd like you no matter what you're wearing, or... not wearing." He did look surprised when she mentioned Josephine had never taken her corset off the entire time they'd been aboard that ship, though. "And I also stand by the statement that your sister is possibly insane."

He had never really understood women's clothing that much either, but he supposed when it came to the wealthy it was about showing off how much money could buy. His new clothes,. although for men, also had more layers than he was used to. He suggested this fact, then laughed some more at her next statement. "Well that one is easy," he said. "Underwear means there's less layers to take off," he winked at her then gave her a quick peck on the mouth. He really didn't envy women, who seemed to have a much more complicated life than men half the time.

"Well, Ella helped," Josephine said, but smiled humbly when he thanked her. It hadn't at the time seemed like something worth celebrating, but as he described it and the possibilities hidden within its wall, the house seemed less and less dreadful as it once had been. She let her hand travel down his face to his hand, lacing her fingers with his. "I think it couldn't hurt," she said. Nothing was certain anymore, but if they didn't stop trying then they would always have a chance.

She knew her suggestion must have seemed a little silly, but if she had to put up with Peter, the least they could do was keep an eye on him, show him a different way of doing things. Most importantly she didn't want him treating her sister like a prostitute. Josie thought Alec was more than capable of that. He'd been so good to her these last couple of years, much more than she could have imagined from anybody else. She smiled against his lips. "If anyone can teach him, it's you."

It was very easy to forget themselves up here, and Josie felt herself wanting to fall into old habits. She could have taken that kiss and run with it, turning what was supposed to be a short meeting to talk into an hour long make out session. She had a feeling Alec might not even put up too much of a fight about it. But his words reminded her there was more, and she pulled her face away from his with a sad sigh and a frown. Furrowing her brows, she looked down to their hands where she started to play nervously with his fingers. "Soon, probably," she said. "But there's... one more thing I wanted to talk to you about."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella liked going to the theater, and she thought that it might be a good way for them to all connect a little bit more, as friends. She and Peter would just have to be careful that whatever they did, they made sure Josie didn't end up feeling like a third wheel. "I'll ask Father about it," she said cheerfully. She was sure he would oblige, and they would all have a fun time.

She laughed at his response, kissing his cheek. "You're very sweet. But you're dancing around my question." It didn't make much of a difference now, but Ella was interested. "Did you think I was crazy?" she asked with amusement. Josephine certainly had, though she laughed again when he declared that Josie was possibly crazy. "Probably crazy," she corrected with a smile. "I don't know how she did it, really. I mean, at least take the corset off and put the dress back on." Most girls didn't fit into their dresses without their corsets, but both of the girls had lost weight. By the time Ella put her dress back on, she didn't need to wear the uncomfortable thing for it to button up.

Men's clothing didn't have nearly as many layers, but Ella nodded when Peter pointed out that it was more than he was used to. That was probably true, but it still wasn't as much as what Ella typically had to wear. She blushed when he winked at her, and for a moment she allowed herself to imagine what it might be like, if they were to go a little farther than they had that one evening when they'd been caught by Alec and Josephine. Ella had already gotten his shirt off. She had the feeling that neither of them could really be trusted in that kind of situation- Ella had no qualms about being with someone before marriage, even though it was terribly scandalous for a woman. "Well, fortunately these dresses are notoriously difficult to take off," she teased, cuddling closer to him and kissing his lips again. "So I don't need to worry." She moved from his lips to his jawline, pressing a few kisses there before venturing down a little farther to kiss his neck.

"Ella helped?" That was a surprise as well, but Ella was always full of surprises. Every time Alec thought that he'd gotten good at predicting her, she went and did something crazy...like start courting Peter, for example. At any rate, he was glad to see Josie's attitude about the house change somewhat. Alec thought that it was wonderful, and he had been confused about why she was so upset about it the night she came to him drunk. At that point he didn't know if she was just saying things or if it was the truth, but he was happy that it was real.

He didn't know what Josie was expecting; he couldn't exactly train Peter to be a perfect gentleman, but if the man came by he figured he could give him some advice on how the courting process worked. He should bring Ella flowers, plan things for them to do together. Kiss her hand, hold the doors open, that sort of thing. "You have too much faith in me," Alec said to Josephine, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But I'll do my best."

Alec didn't want her to leave. He had all but forgotten the risk they were taking right now, and he wouldn't have protested at all if she'd kissed him a while longer. He was constantly analyzing their situations, and tried to kiss her every time like it might be the last one, because one of these days it might. Alec didn't know when that day would come, but he knew that it was fast approaching. He followed her gaze down to their joined hands, sensing the sadness in her voice. He frowned, wondering what else there could possibly be. "What is it?" he asked gently.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter knew he'd been the one to suggest it, but the thought of spending and evening alone with Ella and Josephine was... a little terrifying. He and Ella hadn't officially gone anywhere together now that they were together, and he just worried having Josephine there might ruin the experience. He would do it, though, if it meant it might help change her mind about him. She could hate him all she wanted, and he would just have to be the bigger person and grin and bear it until she realized he wasn't the pirate she thought he was. "Alright. We'll just have to see how it goes."

He grinned at Ella, then laughed. "I'll admit I've thought back on it once or twice when I'm alone," he said, pulling her closer. "And no, I didn't think you were crazy. A little strange, maybe, but not crazy. That spot's reserved for your sister." Josephine looked like the kind of strict, uptight snob he always thought wealthy women were supposed to be like, but she had that extra layer of unpredictability underneath it all that made her stand out from those women in more terrifying ways. Ella, on the other hand, was a delight. She never ceased to brighten his day up.

He kissed her back, then closed his eyes and leaned his head back as she started kissing his neck. They had never gone quite this far since that night on the ship, but he hadn't forgotten how good it felt. "If you keep doing that," he said, "then you might need to worry," he teased back, but he wasn't sure he could do that. At least, not right now, even if he sort of wanted to. They were still new, and although she was now taking first place as his longest running relationship, he didn't think if he wanted to pursue her seriously that taking their clothes off would be considered appropriate. Not around here. He didn't want to give her father any reason to take back his permission.

"She did," Josephine said. Ella had always been very supportive of her and Alec, a quality she was very thankful for, even if she couldn't return her favor when it came to Peter. It was only because of Ella they managed to make it this far. For a while there, Josephine had tread the early days of their relationship alone, sneaking out to Alec's loft past her curfew narrowly undetected, sneaking back in before morning without waking anyone. And then one day Ella had actually followed her, because that was the kind of curious Ella was, and caught them together, making out in the light of his lantern. From then on Ella had never spoken a word to father about them, even assisted in helping her sneak out, and was always there for her when she wanted to talk about Alec. She was more supportive than Josephine thought Josie could ever be supportive of Ella and Peter. It made her a little sad to realize, but it was just how it was.

Josephine wasn't sure how to approach the topic of John. They had been here before, where she had to go out on a date or two with another man while they were together. Neither of them liked it much, but they could handle it because it was just a part of what was expected of her. This seemed different somehow, though. Now that they were separated, it was clear that John was somebody her father had picked out to replace Alec. Someone who, one day, she would be expected to marry. He was not some temporary suitor she could turn her nose up at. He was supposed to be the final, permanent one, if her father had his way.

"Well, last night... father introduced me to someone," she started, taking in a deep breath and finding it hard to look at him. Part of her felt guilty about this, as if she really had the choice when clearly she didn't. "His name's John. We danced for a little while, and he ended up asking if I'd like to go out with him this Saturday. I said yes..." She finally managed to bring her eyes up to him to gauge his reaction.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella's blush deepened and she let him pull her closer, resting her head on his shoulder and hugging her arms around him. The warm fuzzies turned into laughter a few moments later when he claimed again that Josephine was crazy, and she nodded in agreement. Ella loved her sister, truly, but right now she did seem like she was crazy. Some of the things she did made absolutely no sense to Ella, although she was sure that the feeling was mutual. "I'll take strange," she said, trying to imagine what Peter must have thought of her the first time they met. Ella couldn't really recall her first impression of him; she had been scared out of her mind and everything was a blur.

She wasn't so careful about expressing her affection now that they were official- besides, his door was closed and the girls weren't even supposed to be home. Ella was sure that Josie had just run up to her room to mope, and most of the servants worked in the back of the house. No one knew that she was here. Even though it was theoretically the perfect time, though, Ella was in no rush to lose her virginity. She didn't necessarily plan on saving it until marriage, but she wanted to wait until just the right moment with just the right person. And no matter how hard she was falling for Peter or how good this moment was, it wasn't the right time.

"Well, I guess we can't have that," Ella giggled as she pulled away, pressing another kiss to his lips instead. He had done a rather marvelous job of cheering her up, but she wasn't the tiniest bit surprised about that. She settled back down, laying on her back with her head in his lap so that she could look up at his face. "Would you read to me?" she requested, a smile on her face. "The fairy tale book?"

Alec listened to Josephine, waiting for her to finish before he reacted. It wasn't surprising news; he had expected this, and he knew that it would happen at some point. The shocking part was that it had come so soon. The girls had only been home a little over a week now. It didn't even cross his mind to be upset with Josie, though. That wasn't fair, and it wasn't her fault.

He took a deep breath, nodding and rubbing his hand over his chin. "Alright," he said after a minute. It was a little more upsetting than it had been back when she had just been dating casually, because she always had the power to say no. This time that probably wasn't going to be the case, but still. Alec reminded himself that their relationship had almost always been doomed to end this way, but this didn't mean it was over yet. "Do you like him?" he asked. That was the second most important thing- if this John person was going to be the suitor that would take his place, it was important that she liked him, that he was a good man. "Where are you going?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Even though Peter had only known Ella for a few weeks, it felt more like lifetime. He really couldn't say why it was her, out of all the women the ship had taken, that had completely uprooted his life, but it was all worth it. Right now, with her body curled up beside him, and her lips dragging across his skin and then back to his mouth, everything felt more right than he ever thought possible. He was actually happy for a change. Happy with his life, but also happy with himself. He just needed someone to give him a chance and that was what she had done for him.

He kissed her back then smiled as she settled her head into his lap. He placed one hand on her torso, the other brushed against her forehead. "Sure," he said when she requested he read to her. "We have the whole rest of the day to do whatever you like." It had become a daily ritual of theirs. They would probably devour her whole bookshelf together given a few months time, but he didn't mind. He enjoyed doing this with her. He picked up the book from the end table and opened it to where they'd left off, beginning to read. In a few days they wouldn't have as much time together, but he wanted to enjoy what they had now.

Josephine watched his face closely, not wanting him to be upset. She knew better than to believe he would get angry with her, but she still didn't want this to discourage him or even make him jealous. This was difficult for them both, but he deserved to know before he saw it for himself or heard from someone else. He also needed to know that they probably didn't have as much time as they would have hoped to secure a future together.

"I don't know if like is the right word," Josie admitted. She had a hard time liking anyone her father wanted to see her with, but like she told Ella, it was hard to be mean to someone who volunteered with kids. She couldn't really say she disliked him either, though. "He's nice enough, but... He's not you." She brought a hand up to brush through his hair. Nobody could ever replace Alec, and she needed him to know that.

She averted her eyes again when he asked where they were going. This was the other thing she felt bad about. Alec would love the races, and now she was going to go with a another man. "The races," she answered, but was quick to explain her reasoning. "I thought I might be able to bet a little money while I'm there, so you could add it to your savings." She wanted to do something, having felt so useless in trying to win her father over with their relationship so far.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella smiled and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his voice as he read. It was disappointing that her day with Josephine hadn't gone as planned, but at least she was still able to spend the day with Peter. Next week he would be starting his new job, and she didn't know how often she would be able to see him, but she had genuinely enjoyed spending day after day with him in the past week. She felt like she'd learned so much more about him and they'd grown closer with every passing day.

She loved listening to him read, too. The sound of his voice was soothing and comforting, as was the warmth of his presence beside her. They had already finished a couple of books by reading them to each other, but Ella figured that once they'd gone through all of hers she would go get some more, or borrow some from the library in town. She had never been able to get her fill of reading, learning. When it came time for them to switch, Ella sat up and took the book from him, looking at a few of the illustrations.

"So...I've been thinking about applying for school," she revealed. Peter was the first person she'd told, but he was also the one who had planted the idea of university in her head. Ever since, she hadn't been able to get it out. "There's a university in town. No girls have ever gone there before, but I don't know if any have ever tried. I thought...maybe I could be the first. Study literature or history or something." It was probably a stupid idea, but Ella thought that she would be a good student. They could afford the tuition, so why not let her take a couple of classes? Ella didn't think she would mind sitting in a classroom full of men, so long as she could hold her own.

Of course, Alec didn't expect Josie to say that she liked John. Even if she did, he knew that she would never actually admit it. He offered her a small smile when she said that he wasn't him, but shook his head. "Of course he's not me," he joked, nudging her and trying to lighten the mood. "But..." He didn't know how to ask the question he needed to know the answer to. "If your father never warms up to the idea of us...could he be the alternative?"

When she revealed that they were going to the races, his expression turned from solemn to genuinely hurt. The races? The one place he would love nothing more than to take her to, but she was going with someone else? The theater, fine. The beach, a picnic, tea, dinner, whatever. But no, she and John were going to the races. And so that she could give him money. Alec knew that she meant well and only wanted to help, but it hurt his pride a little bit; he didn't want to take money from his girlfriend. "Your idea?" he asked dryly, running a hand through his hair. It was an idea, betting on horse races to earn money- Alec thought he might actually be half good at it- but he didn't know what to say to her about that. "Do you know anything about placing bets on horses?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter shifted so she could read more comfortably, and put an arm around her shoulder. He enjoyed listening to Ella read. As she did with his, he found her voice soothing. She was a talented story teller in her own right, and he could spend several more hours like this, wrapped up in her and letting her voice bring pictures in his mind to life.

He smiled at her when she confided she was thinking about the University. He wasn't sure what the administration would think about admitting a woman, but if anyone could do it, it was her. "That's great, Ella," he said, bending to kiss her forehead. He could easily picture her face among a class of men, and so long as they did the degrade or otherwise come onto her, he was thrilled at the idea. Ella deserved to do something she wanted with her life. "You can make history while studying history," he said.

"I could help you with your application if you're serious," he offered. "I've never done it myself, but I'd be happy to help out." Ella, his Ella, a college learned woman. He always thought she was capable and was beyond excited to hear her say she wanted to try it. Besides, she would need something to occupy herself with once he started going on his trips.

Josephine didn't know how to answer Alec's question. The alternative? It sounded like they weren't even discussing a person, and she hardly wanted to consider a future with anyone else. But... She also remembered her conversation with Ella. At some point she would need to consider her other options before father chose for her, and John was at least a nice man from what she could see. At the very least he would satisfy her father and keep him off her back about Alec. She let out a shaky breath. "If it comes to that, then... Yes." She hoped it never would, though, even if it wasn't exactly fair to John either.

Her heart broke to see the expression on his face about the races. She wasn't trying to hurt him, but rather doing what little she could to help. She knew it did hurt him, though, and she felt so guilty about doing that to him. "You know I'd rather go with you," she said, taking one of his hands in both of hers. What she wouldn't give to let Alec take her instead. "I just need to do something, Alec. It's killing me feeling like there's nothing I can do." He had done so much for her, now it was her turn to try and do something for him other than hurt him while she's forced to court another man.

"And... No, not really. I figured you talk enough about them I could probably figure something out." She hoped he wouldn't be so upset he couldn't help her with this. This was, after all, for both of them. Even if it wasn't ideal.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella brightened when Peter said that her idea was great. "Really? You don't think it's stupid?" Ella had a primary education, but she rather liked the idea of learning more in a classroom setting. Even when she and Josephine were in school, "in school" primarily consisted of a tutor coming to their house to teach them how to read, write and do basic arithmetic. But there was so much more, and Ella wanted access to it. She wasn't a huge fan of keeping to the status quo, so why not challenge it?

"I'd love that," she beamed at his offer to help her with her application. "I have to talk to my father about it, still. And I'm not entirely sure what I'd have to do for an application...I might have to go in to talk to the administration too, see if they would be open to the idea." She wasn't going to waste her time if they wouldn't even consider her application, but Ella was good at charming people and she was used to getting what she wanted. It would be a huge deal for a woman to be accepted to the university, but Ella was optimistic.

"Do you think I could really do it?" she asked Peter. "It's a little bit unorthodox- usually girls are supposed to be getting married and starting families, not going to school." That wasn't what she wanted, though, and she still had a year or two. Father might not oppose it, especially if his daughter was making history in the process as Peter said.

Alec nodded at her confirmation. Okay, so they didn't have as much time as they thought. They were ahead thanks to the house, but there was still a long way to go. And if John was a suitable match that Josephine could tolerate and her father approved of...he didn't stand much of a chance. He didn't want to believe it, but Alec was not in the habit of ignoring the facts.

He didn't say anything, mulling it all over. But she struck a little bit of a nerve when she claimed that she was tired of not being able to do anything. "Josephine," he said, sounding much calmer that he felt. "Your job is to warm your father up to the idea by talking to him, reasonably, like an adult. The money is my job, and I'm working on it. Have you talked to your father at all? Tried to make a deal with him or anything? That's what I need you to do, not bet your money. No amout of money will change his mind if he thinks you're just being bitter and emotional about it. He needs to see that we have a mature, deep, steady relationship." If she was ignoring her father, getting drunk and having panic attacks, then she was hurting their case instead of helping it. He loved her, but she needed to pull herself together. If her father began to associate him and their relationship with Josephine being unstable, it would never happen. And apart from that, she needed to do it for herself. He was worried about her.

"And betting, it's...complicated," he said. "You have to watch the horses, see which ones don't want to run and which ones are restless. And you have to be smart about it- you can bet on the horse with the best odds but even if they win, the payout is less than betting on a long shot that came in third place." Alec had only been to the races a few times, mostly in his teenage years when he'd managed to scrape up enough cash for a ticket. But he knew enough to know how tricky the game was. "I don't doubt you'd be good at it, but it takes practice."