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Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

John smiled and nodded, hoping that she was right. Maybe their families would both be proud of them. Or maybe they wouldn't care- again, it wasn't like they desperately needed the extra money or anything. "What's so funny?" he asked when she giggled to herself. He didn't see what in the world could be funny about her family being proud of her, but maybe she was picturing Ella's reaction to her sister gambling. High class ladies didn't do that very often, which was one of the reasons that John liked her. She seemed like the type of girl who wanted to have a little fun, not necessarily just sit there and look pretty like other women did. But at the same time, she wasn't too wild. That was the impression that he got from Ella, even though he had never really talked to her.

When they got back to the estate, John helped Josephine out of the carriage and escorted her to the front door. They were greeted by the butler, but before Josephine could even step inside her father rounded the corner and came to the door. "John," he said pleasantly, holding out his hand. John shook it firmly and returned the smile.

"Mr. Sinclair," he said. "I was just dropping off Josephine. We had a lovely time."

"Really?" Her father seemed quite pleased at that statement, and looked to his daughter with a raised eyebrow. "Well, that's wonderful. Would you like to come inside for a few minutes?" John glanced back at his carriage and figured there was no real rush to get home.

"Sure. I'd love to."

Ella felt giddy hearing him repeat the phrase, all thoughts of drowning completely gone by now. If she could have her way, she would stay wrapped up in his arms forever. It was so cheesy and Ella had never expected to feel this way, or even wanted to. But here they were, with Peter rapidly becoming the biggest part of her world. She was pleased when he agreed to start her swimming lessons in the lake too, hoping that it would go well. Ella didn't want to disappoint him, and she wanted to be able to share his passion and experience it with him, even if it would never become her own passion. She could do this for him.

It was definitely uncomfortable to wear her wet clothes underneath her dress, but she would take them off again as soon as they got home and get in the bath. "I'm not sure," she said when he mentioned Alec. "He'll have figured something out." Ella doubted that he would be able to afford a suit or that he would want to spend so much money on such a thing, but he could probably buy a nice pair of slacks, a new shirt and a waistcoat, which was more than good enough for dinner in the mansion. "He's not going to let Josie down."

They both were rather uncomfortable riding home in their soggy clothes, but when they arrived Ella left a quick kiss on Peter's lips before dashing upstairs, not wanting anyone to see her. "See you at dinner, handsome," she said with a smirk. The last thing that Josie and her father needed to know was that she had stripped down to her underwear to swim in the ocean with her boyfriend.
 
Josephine stopped, embarrassed to have been caught in her tiny fantasy about another man. She bit her lip and shook her head, shrugging it off as something entirely inconsequential and unimportant. "Oh, nothing," she said. "I'm just happy about how the day turned out." There had been a hiccup or two, entirely her fault, but it could have been worse. She couldn't be sure what he intended for them in the near future, but she tried instead just to look forward to the dinner.

The sight of the mansion was a welcome sight, and Josephine was contemplating how to say goodbye, when her father seemed to appear out if nowhere. It was as if he were waiting for them, though probably not. She pushed a curl of loose hair behind her ear and stepped aside. "Father," she said in acknowledgement, then looked to John when he said they'd had a good time. She couldn't be sure if he was saying so just to be polite, but it was what her father liked to hear. She shrugged at him, thinking he had asked her to try. So she had tried.

"Father, I'm sure John is tired," she started to say, but her date beat her to the answer and she resigned to spending a few more minutes with him and her father in the sitting room. She was hoping she would have time to go upstairs and freshen up before dinner, powder her face to hide any of the sun that might have reached her skin, perhaps throw on a set of pearls for Alec. As she sat down next to John on one of the couches, she figured there probably wouldn't be time. She glanced to the door, eager for his arrival nonetheless.

"So, tell me all about it," insisted Mr. Sinclair. He wanted to know if his daughter had lived up to her promise, and what's more, if they seemed like a good match after all. "Did you walk away a couple of winners?"

Peter thought that Ella was probably right. Alec seemed like a resourceful man, and anybody could see how much he cared for Josephine. He would make all the effort he could not to disappoint their father. He could only hope that things would go well for them tonight. Not just because it was unfair how everything turned out, and the two of them would be so much happier if they got to be together, but because he thought it might mean he could escape some of the criticism from the stable boy and his girlfriend's sister.

Back at the mansion, he kissed Ella back with a small chuckle and returned to his room before anyone could see his wet clothes. Just because he had her father's approval now, didn't mean he would still have it if he saw Peter and put together that the two of them had been nearly naked together today. He quickly changed out of his wet clothes, swapping them for dry ones formal enough for the dinner, and then placed his new book carefully on one of the shelves of his room. Thinking he still had some time for a quick nap, he laid down on his bed to wait for someone to come fetch him when the meal was ready.
 
Her reply caused John to smile, hoping that was a good thing. If she was happy with how the day turned out...did that mean she was happy with him? That she actually liked him? John was so confused, and today Josephine had given him nothing but mixed signals. Hopefully things would start to make more sense to him soon. "Good," he commented, sitting back in his seat. "I'm glad you had a nice time."

When they got back to the Sinclair property, Josephine was right in thinking that he was tired. The heat could really take a toll on you, and John usually found that the sun sucked the energy right out of him. It would be nice to spend a few minutes inside the cool house before heading on his way back home, and he had always enjoyed talking to Mr. Sinclair before. He stepped inside, following the two of them into the parlor and taking a seat.

"We actually did very well," John said happily. "We both came out with a little more cash than we walked in with, so I'd say we were successful. The races were exciting to watch."

"Yes, I used to go when I was younger," Mr. Sinclair reminisced. He hadn't had much time in recent years because he'd been working so hard to save his business, but he had always enjoyed it despite the fact that he, like John, didn't know much about horses. "That's excellent for the both of you then. Josie, you look a little red," he commented with a smile. She had always been pale, like her mother, and the slightest bit of sun could cause her to burn. "Was it warm?" He didn't want to ask up front how they had gotten on, but if he could just have a little conversation with the both of them and then talk to Josephine in private later, he might be able to gauge the success.

They talked for a few more minutes before there was another knock. The butler went to answer it and Mr. Sinclair stood, looking to John. Even if he was done talking to the pair of them, it would be rude to kick him out right before dinner. "Would you like to stay for supper, John?" he invited.

Ella's warm bath felt heavenly. It was exactly what she needed. The perfumed water and bubbles put Ella into a relaxed daze, until one of her servants came into the bathroom. "Miss Ella," the girl, Dayna, addressed her, holding up her discarded slip and camisole. "What on earth have you done to your underclothes?" Ella opened her eyes and giggled. The salt had made the material stiff and scratchy, not at all soft like they had been.

"I'm sorry, Dayna. Peter and I took an impromptu trip to the beach. Please don't tell anyone." Dayna rolled her eyes good-naturedly, laughing softly to herself as she bundled up the clothes.

"Alright, Miss Ella. Are you ready to get out?" Ella nodded, and Dayna drained the bath while she got dressed before coming to help her with her hair. She gently combed it out and wove it into a French braid at the back of her head, knowing that there wasn't enough time for it to fully dry before dinner. When she was dressed, Ella pranced down the hall to Peter's room to make sure he was ready for dinner.
 
Josephine was eager to give Alec the money, but she wasn't sure how she would. Given John's presence now, she wouldn't be able to steal a few minutes alone with him. Her father would probably want to speak with her after dinner as well. Still, she felt incredibly prideful about how she had bet. Her competitive nature had paid off well.

"I was afraid of that," she said, answering her father. Hopefully it would heal quickly and her nose wouldn't peel like it had sometimes before. Her hat should have at least helped prevent that. "It was very warm, but it was nice in the shade. We should go again someday," she offered, cheerful at the prospect of spending more family time with her father and sister, despite how annoyed she found herself with both of them lately.

She perked up at the sound of a knock. That would be Alec, and she to work very hard not to run to the door in her excitement. It had been a few days since they'd really seen each other, and she thought of all the things she longed to tell him, both those that could be said in public and those in private if they had a chance. She stood, prepared to give John a farewell, when her father asked if he'd like to stay. Her heart dropped. John couldn't stay! She'd promised the day to him, but the night was supposed to be all Alec's. It didn't matter that her family would be with them, but to ask the man who had been her date to stay for dinner? It was cruel.

But what could she do? It would be rude to protest, not to mention her father would question how serious she was about her promise. And so she found herself at dinner next to John instead of her lover, with Alec across the table next to her sister and Peter. She was mortified, and she felt terrible for him.

Peter managed to catch a few minutes of rest before Ella eventually found him again. He offered her his arm for moral support while he escorted her down to the dining room. He knew she wasn't looking forward to another tense meal with her family, although Peter was optimistic they would have nothing to worry about this time around.

That optimism shattered when he saw their extra dinner guest. He hadn't expected Josephine's date to join them, and judging by the looks on her and Alec's faces, apparently they had not either. He pulled out Ella's chair for her and regarded Alec curiously, and was at least glad to see he had gotten some new clothes. Too bad about John, though.

"I wasn't aware there would be another guest tonight," Peter said carefully, raising his eyebrow, but trying to smile politely at John.

Mr. Sinclair, if he was aware of the awkward situation, didn't acknowledge it. He beamed at Peter and Ella and as they came down and nodded at his words. "It wasn't planned, but after I heard how well things went today with Josephine and John, I thought it would be rude not to invite the man to stay." He looked pointedly at Alec as he said so before moving on.

"I don't believe you've all met formally. John, this is my daughter Ella, and the two men who helped bring my daughter's home safely to us, Peter and Alec. Peter and Alec, this fine young man is John. If all goes well, I hope you'll be seeing much more of each other." He rose a glass of wine to his lips to drink, and so did Josephine, out of pure annoyance and embarrassment.
 
Mr. Sinclair smiled affectionately at his daughter. "No, it's not much," he assured her. "It's good to see you with a little bit of color." Both of his daughters had been almost deathly pale after they'd been rescued, probably due to being trapped below deck for so long. Ella spent so much time outside that her color hadn't taken long to return, but Josephine had mostly stayed indoors, trapped in her bedroom. A fair complexion was usually preferred in the higher class, but a little bit of sun wouldn't kill her. He brightened at the idea of taking his two daughters to the races; Josephine had had a good time today, surprisingly, and he was sure that Ella would be able to get into the excitement. "Maybe we will," he agreed. It would be nice to spend some time with just his girls.

He didn't mean to be cruel, suggesting that John stay for dinner, and in all truthfulness he didn't think it would be a big deal. He wanted to talk to John a bit more, and Alec coming to dinner was more so that he could get to know him than it was for Josephine. But mostly, it would be rude to ask John to leave the moment that Alec arrived, and Mr. Sinclair was being cautious not to do anything that would dissuade John from pursuing his daughter. Not yet. John accepted, and there ended up being six at the dinner table instead of five.

Needless to say, Alec wasn't overly thrilled by the turn of events. This was not his day. After leaving Peter and Ella this morning, he had ridden into town to buy himself some new clothes. He didn't like fancy things and didn't have a huge budget, but he'd managed to find a nice pair of pants, a button-up shirt, and a navy blue vest to wear over top of it at a reasonable cost. They weren't nearly as nice as Peter's tailored clothes, but they fit him well and didn't suffocate him quite as much as the suit had. Satisfied with his purchases, he had returned to his new home to take a long bath before changing, combing his hair and riding back over to the mansion. The last thing he wanted was to smell like horses when he was trying to impress Mr. Sinclair.

But now, John was here. He'd spent the whole day with Josephine- at the races, no less- and still hadn't left, and although Alec knew how important it was to have a good attitude, he couldn't help but be a little bit sour about it. He just hoped that Mr. Sinclair wouldn't be able to tell. Alec hadn't said much so far except what he must to be polite, and he kept on glancing up at Josephine from his food, knowing that she could probably read his mind.

"It's nice to meet you," Ella said to John, smiling at him. She knew that Josephine wasn't going to be happy about this, and Ella couldn't blame her. It wasn't fair, but hopefully Alec would get another night where the focus was mostly on him.

"You as well," John said politely, nodding his head. "I hear that you and Peter are an official couple now, right?"

"Yes," Ella confirmed, glancing at Peter. "We are."

"I didn't see you two come home," Mr. Sinclair realized, looking towards his younger daughter. "What did you do today?" Ella took a bite of her food before setting down her fork.

"Well, we went to the university to drop off my application and sign up for the tests," she began, "and it was completely ridiculous. The man didn't even want to look at it because I'm a girl, but Peter gave him a good talking to and I reminded them that I didn't need any scholarships. That seemed to help and they finally agreed to look at it. Then we just...walked around town a little bit. Went to the book shop and got some tea." She left the beach part out, even though there probably wasn't any harm in just mentioning they had gone.

Mr. Sinclair chuckled, imagining the young couple arguing with the admissions. "Well, good for you," he commented. "If they give you any more trouble about it I'll go talk to them myself." Ella beamed, glad to have her father's support. Everyone at the table was silent for a few moments before John decided to speak up.

"So, Alec," John said, "Josephine tells me that you're going to start up your own horse training business? That sounds very exciting." Alec looked up in surprise, both at the fact he was being talked to and that Josie had told him about his business plans.

"Yes, I'm looking into it," he said casually. "I think it would be a lot of fun."
 
Josephine took a few bites of her food, but mostly pushed it around with her fork. This was not the night she was expecting to have. Although she knew that the dinner tonight was never meant to be just for her and Alec, it was hard not to look at it like that. It was the first chance Alec would have to try and build up a relationship with her father, the first step in the right direction for their relationship in a long time, and she worried now that John's presence was going to over shadow it. She tried to offer Alec a few encouraging smiles nonetheless whenever she caught him glancing at her. It was hard not to look over at him, though she tried not to do it too much. She couldn't help but admire how well he'd cleaned himself up. The next clothes were a surprise, but he looked nice in them. She knew it wasn't easy for him to spend his well earned money on things such as fancy clothes, but the fact that he'd made an effort to look more presentable for her father made her happy.

She was also happy to hear that Ella had turned in her application. Josephine thought Ella's curious tendencies were sometimes annoying, like her interest in mermaids before they'd been kidnapped, for example, but she had always loved how her sister was passionate about learning. She tried to encourage her to think about her future as more than being a wife, but it had never really worked. Not until Peter came along, anyway. It was probably one good thing about him, and she looked at him curiously when Ella explained how he'd had words with the man at the admissions office.

Peter nodded along with Ella's story, reminiscing on their experiences of the day. "It was a good day," he agreed. Even with their troubles, Ella had still made sure her application would be reviewed. "Your daughter is going to achieve so much, sir," he said proudly, and gave his girlfriend a smile before sipping on his wine.

Mr. Sinclair smiled. He really liked Peter so far, and he hoped his relationship with Ella would continue to work out. "That she will. We're all very proud of you, Ella darling."

Alec wasn't the only one surprised to hear John bring up Alec's plans for a business. Mr. Sinclair was completely unaware of such plans at all. He wasn't completely sure what he thought about it. On the one hand, Alec was his stable boy. A good one, at that. He'd been on a slippery slope since Mr. Sinclair learned of his and his daughter's affair, but he was reluctant to let him go regardless. On the other hand, if he was serious pursuing Josephine, this could be a good sign. It meant he was taking responsibility and stepping up, doing something for himself, and training horses would bring in more money than he was making now.

Josephine met Alec's eyes again when he looked at her with surprise. She just shrugged, not knowing what she could say about it. It wasn't like she had planned to talk to John about Alec, but she hadn't seen the harm in slipping in a few comments just to get the word out. John was wealthy and had more connections to the business world than she did. She could speak to her lady friends across town, she supposed, and hope they passed word along to their husbands, fathers, boyfriends, and brothers, but in any case, the more people who knew about it, the better.

"I haven't heard about this before. Josephine never mentioned any plans you had for a business," Mr. Sinclair said, raising an eyebrow and looking between Alec and his daughter, but his interest had been peaked. "You're planning on leaving us, then, Alec? Do you know much about starting a business?"
 
Alec knew that Josie was trying to be encouraging, but Alec was feeling a little bit defeated. It seemed clear to him that despite what he said, her father was more interested in getting to know John than he was in him. Maybe that wasn't true and that was just the way it seemed, but he was more than a little disappointed that John had joined them at dinner. He also wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about the news that their date had gone well today, but if they got a chance to be alone, he was sure that Josephine would clarify everything for him.

He didn't know that Ella was applying to the university; that was interesting news. He was also rather impressed to hear that Peter had stood up for her against the admissions officer, and he raised an eyebrow at Josephine. He still wasn't sure what to make of Peter and Ella's relationship, but at least he seemed like he was being a decent boyfriend, standing up for his girl and speaking so highly of her.

Ella beamed proudly, smiling back at Peter and at her father. "Thanks, Daddy," she said. She was excited to see where her college application went, and hoping that it worked out. She loved to learn, and to actually be able to earn a degree as the first woman from her town would be the best thing in the world.

Alec wasn't sure house Mr. Sinclair would react to the news that he was going to be starting up his own business. That was news he would have liked to deliver himself once he got the business model all situated, but it was out now. He looked down at his plate a bit bashfully, not sure what to say. After a moment, he decided that just being up front was probably the best option. "Yes, sir. Soon," he confirmed, looking back up towards Mr. Sinclair. "You've been so generous to me for so many years, but I think it's time for me to take the next step in my life. I don't know much about running a business, but I do know a great deal about horses, and it would give me the income I need to possibly start a family someday." That was the real reason he was doing this, for Josephine. He would enjoy the work, but he may never have decided to take this step without her.

Mr. Sinclair nodded. It he could be successful, he definitely would be able to make enough money to support a family. And he was very knowledgeable about horses, that was for sure. "Well, we'll be sorry to see you go, Alec," he said genuinely. "You'll be very hard to replace. But feel free to come to me if you need any guidance, and I'll be sure to recommend you." Alec hadn't smiled much all evening, but Mr. Sinclair's words did manage to coax one out of him.

"Thank you, sir," he said appreciatively, amazed to have his support. Josephine was trying with John, as she had agreed, but Mr. Sinclair was fulfilling his end of the deal too. "That means a lot to me."
 
The one thing Josephine wasn't looking forward to about Alec leaving them to start a business was the fact she would see him less often than she did even now. Him moving out of the loft was hard enough, but with him not working here at all... It would be an adjustment. A hard one. But at the same time she recognized he had to do it if they ever wanted a future together. She was lucky she had a man who loved her enough to take big risks.

On the other upside, it would leave her with more time to focus her efforts on Ella. She hated how fragile her own relationship with her sister was right now, and she needed to work on repairing it. With Peter working now, there was time enough during the day to bond with her sister. Accepting or even liking Peter would be a challenge, but maybe Josephine could still indirectly influence their relationship by offering sisterly advice. At least Peter did seem to be good to her so far. Speaking up for her today was admittedly surprising but impressive.

She was also surprised to hear her father offer to help Alec if he wanted it. She thought for sure, considering how much he favored Peter and probably John as well, that he would expect Alec to figure out everything on his own. It was a good sign he was showing interest, offering his support. He was being true to his word and trying to keep a more open mind regarding Alec.

The rest of dinner passed by with mostly small talk. Mr. Sinclair once again turned his attention back mostly to John, which bothered Josephine a little bit, but she could understand why. He knew him better and he was the surprise guest tonight. Alec would be back again, presumably. It was over before she knew it though, and soon the servants entered to clear away the dishes.

"Well, thank you, John, for joining us today. I hope we will be seeing each other again soon?" he suggested, raising his eyebrow and inclining his head towards his oldest daughter. "I'll let you two say your goodbyes," he added. He didn't mean to cut things a little short with John, but he meant to catch Alec before he left. Chances we're Josephine had already found a way to fill him in, but he thought it best they had a one on one talk in private themselves about his expectations.

"Alec," he said. "A few words, please, in my office, if you don't mind before you go."

At the end of dinner, Peter helped Ella out of her seat. He nodded to John. "Nice meeting you," he said. Then he looked to Alec, offering him a sympathetic look. They weren't friends, but he hoped maybe one day they could be. "And nice seeing you again, Alec. Good luck."

Putting an arm around Ella, he led her away and let out a small sigh of relief once they were alone. It had been tense in there, though he was sure John may have been the only one ignorant of it. "Well, that could have been worse," he said. "I think that might have been the first time your sister didn't stare at me disapprovingly from across the table the whole time."
 
Much to Ella's surprise, the dinner wasn't as horrible as she had expected it to be. It wasn't great, but most dinners anymore were awkward and uncomfortable at best. No one had ended up yelling or crying, and everyone was very courteous to one another. Ella was ready to leave by the time that dinner was over, but she didn't feel like she needed to run off and hide from her father or her sister for a couple of hours.

"Thank you so much for having me," John replied, nodding his head. "Yes, I hope so. Josephine mentioned perhaps we could all go to the theater together." He glanced towards Ella and Peter. Ella perked up slightly; she wanted to take Peter to the theater and would love to have a good excuse to go.

"Yes, that would be nice," Ella agreed. "It was nice meeting you." She turned around and let Peter lead her out of the room to give Josephine and John their privacy. She giggled in agreement at Peter's comment. "Yes, well, I think she was a little more focused on other things," she reasoned. With both John and Alec in the room, Josie hardly had time to be mean to Peter. "What do you say we get that new constellation book and go stargazing again?" she suggested.

Alec was surprised when Mr. Sinclair asked for a moment with him in his office. It was an intimidating thought, and he didn't know what he wanted to talk to him about, but he nodded and smiled pleasantly. "Of course, sir," he said, following the older man into his office. Mr. Sinclair closed the door and turned to him.

"Go ahead and sit down," he invited. Alec nodded and sat across from Mr. Sinclair on the other side of his desk. "I just wanted to take a moment to tell you about the compromise Josephine and I have reached," he explained. "And...I owe it to her to get to know you a little bit better. What do you say we have a little talk, just man to man?"

"That sounds great, sir," Alec said, relaxing ever so slightly. He allowed himself another smile, feeling optimistic.

"Well, it looks like this is goodbye for now," John said, turning his attention to Josephine after Mr. Sinclair and Alec had left. "Thank you for a wonderful day." He bent down to kiss her hand and took his leave, heading back to his carriage. He wasn't sure what he thought, but he was excited at the prospect of going to the theater.
 
Peter was surprised to hear about Josephine advocating for a double date. He knew Mr. Sinclair had originally suggested it, but Josephine was actually willing to follow through? "Oh, yes," he said. "That sounds fun. We'll have to make plans." At least at the theater there wasn't much social pressure to talk to everybody. He'd never been, but he knew enough about it to know that the audience was expected to stay mostly quiet.

Out of the room, Peter reasoned Ella was probably right. He was glad to be out there still, and was ready and willing to be distracted for the rest of the evening. "Sure," he said. "That sounds wonderful." Kissing her cheek, he led her upstairs to retrieve the book. He was excited to look at it more, and to spend time with Ella, of course.

Mr. Sinclair nodded towards to Alec and went to go sit in his desk chair. There was a lot to discuss now that he was aware of Alec's intentions to be starting his own business, but his first priority was to make sure Alec was aware of the conditions he and Josephine had discussed. For a moment, he was silent, getting his thoughts together, while he drummed a rhythm on his desk. Then, "Alec, I'll always be grateful for your bravery in going after my girls," he started. "But I was wary when I learned about your feelings towards my daughter. I think you're a stand up man, although to hear of your... secret. I'll admit I started to question that a little bit. Still, Josephine has made it very clear that she feels very strongly for you, and as her father, I want her to be happy. So I agreed I would give you two a second chance to start again, properly this time, under a few conditions."

He got out of his chair, wandering over to his whiskey cabinet. He pulled out two glasses and poured a drink for the both of them. After handing one to Alec he sat back down in his chair to continue. "First is that I need Josephine to take her future more seriously than she has in the past. I realize now that the reason she's never had much luck courting men may have had something to do with her feelings for you. Josephine needs to marry a man who has the means to support her, though, and any children she may have. Which is why, as things are now, I'm encouraging her to develop a relationship with John. However, if you can prove to me that you are also capable of providing for her, you may have my blessing. In the meantime, I can't have anything compromising her chances. That means I need to be sure I can trust you to remain nothing more than a close friend to her until she's engaged. If I hear otherwise, or anymore about how you two are sneaking around together behind mine and John's back, there will be no more chances. Do you understand?"

There was also one more thing he needed from Alec, which his complete and open honesty. Josephine had been less than open with him about her secret, and although he would talk more with her later, he wanted to give Alec the opportunity to do the same. "Second, I need you to be honest with me, as you should have been from the start. Tell me for how long you've manage to keep this a secret from me, and how it started. I also need to know, you understand, whether or not there is any reason for me to believe that Josephine's, ah, reputation, has compromised." There were very strict social rules that had to be followed. He had to be sure there wasn't anything he should be aware of that complicated Josephine's situation even further.

Josie had been worried the whole time whether a second date would actually be in order, fearful that she had ruined her chances, so she was surprised to hear John imply there would be one. She smiled, filled with relief. Of course she couldn't be overly excited about another date with somebody who wasn't Alec, but this meant she could say to her father she was trying. She was giving Alec his chance by holding up her end of the bargain.

"No, thank you," she said as he kissed her hand. "I'm just glad you actually like me enough to go out again." She bounced on her toes. It would be another week yet, probably, before she saw him again. "Goodbye. Safe travels." She waved as he took off on his carriage, then sighing, headed to the stables. Alec's horse would be there, and it was the perfect place to wait for him so she could recap her day and give him the money she won.
 
Ella pranced up the stairs and burst into Peter's room, retrieving the book from his bedside table. It was incredibly informative, and Ella hoped that it would help her learn the stars better. From her room, she grabbed a blanket, a few pillows, and picked up some cookies from Rory before they ventured out. They went back to the same spot that they had before, and Ella helped to set up their area, laying on her back and leaning her head against one of the pillows. "I can see the Big Dipper again," she said excitedly, pointing it out to him as if he wouldn't be able to find it himself.

Grabbing the book from her side, Ella held it up over her head and looked up the Big Dipper. Next to it was a picture of Ursa Major, and with the diagram to show her exactly which stars she was supposed to be looking at, she was able to spot it much quicker. "I think...I think I see the bear, too," she told him. "I think I'm looking at the right things."

Alec listened to Mr. Sinclair's words, nodding. He knew that the secrecy was bad, he could see that now. He had been so afraid of telling her father about them, and it had caused an even bigger mess out of things. Reaching forward, he accepted the glass of whiskey and took a long sip, hoping that the drink would help to calm his nerves. "I understand, sir," he responded wholeheartedly. "I love Josephine, but I would not propose with or without your blessing if I didn't feel I was able to support her and a family. I only want what is best for her, and I understand that it's necessary to pursue a relationship with John. I want her to be taken care of, whether it's by me or someone else." Alec was serious about that. He wanted to be with Josephine more than anything else in the world, but he would not sacrifices her needs for his desires. He couldn't live with himself if he married her only to descend into a life of poverty.

The second question was more troublesome. Alec lifted the glass to his lips and swallowed when he asked about how long they had been together, running an anxious hand through his hair. "We've been close for...two years, sir," he admitted, waiting for the surely negative reaction. "We ran into each other outside at one of your parties, and she started coming to the loft at night. After about six months, Ella followed her out of the house and discovered us." He grew slightly red at Mr. Sinclair's next suggestion, but thankfully he was able to shake his head no. "No, sir. I promise that Josephine's honor has not been compromised in any way. I would never. But...I am sorry about keeping this from you. It was cowardly of me, I see that now." Alec knew that it was wrong. If he had a daughter of his own, he would be incredibly displeased to find that she was seeing someone without his knowledge, and that was exactly what he had done. "I am grateful for even a chance to earn your approval," he said.

John chuckled, shaking his head at her. "It takes a little more than that to scare me away," he told her. "I'll see you soon." He waved as his carriage began to move, and then got comfortable for the journey home.
 
Peter laid down on the blanket next to her, letting her steal the book and stare at the sky, comparing. It was another perfectly clear night for stargazing, and the weather wasn't so bad now that it had cooled down after the sun went away. He watched in amusement as she picked out the big dipper, and then thought she could see Ursa Major now after all. "Good job," he said. "You're a fast learner."

Scooting closer to her, he leaned his head on her shoulder. Usually it was the other way around, but he found it comfortable to use as his own pillow sometimes. He reached up to turn the page for her and smiled. "Oh, here's a fun one. If you thought the bear was odd, you'll love Leo the lion." He found it for himself first, then tried to guide her attention to it.

Mr. Sinclair leaned back in his chair and nodded. It seemed they at least agreed on the terms, and Alec was responsible enough to know that it took money to raise a family well. Money he didn't currently have as a stable boy. "Good," he said. "I'll be sad to lose you here, but I'm glad you want to make a name for yourself. Even if you and my daughter never marry, it's still a thing to be proud of. You'll make a fine husband someday for someone so long as you work hard."

He has to raise his eyebrow in surprise when Alec said he'd been with Josie for two years, though. That was a lot longer than he was expecting to hear, and he was blown away with how long they'd managed to keep it a secret. "Oh. Well. I must admit that's a bit shocking to me, but at least I know now you're not just my daughter's way of acting out. I appreciate your honesty." He was also surprised to hear that Ella had known for so long and hadn't said anything. It made him wonder how many other secrets they might be hiding, and whether he need to have a chat with Ella as well. Given how long it had apparently been going on, Mr. Sinclair even wondered if he could trust Alec was telling the truth about keeping Josephine's honor intact. He was being incredibly honest and forthcoming so far though, so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt about it. He liked to think he'd raised his daughter to make the right choices in that regard as well. "Alright. Good." If true, he was even more than a little impressed. He'd been a young man once and knew how difficult it could be to control those urges, and two years was a long time. "I expect it to remain that way of course. I won't have my daughter pregnant before she says her vows."

He stood then, deciding that the poor man had been grilled enough for one evening. They would have more dinners after this one, so long as he was given no reason to put a stop to them. He held out his hand for Alec to shake. "I wish you the best, of course. This is your one chance, so I expect you'll use it wisely. I'll see you next week for dinner then, Alec. Oh, and, if you happen to know any other stable boys I can hire in your absence, please let me know."
 
Ella smiled when Peter said she was a fast learner, not sure if that was true. The Big Dipper wasn't that hard to spot, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to find all of the others. Nevertheless, she liked thinking that he was impressed. She snuggled up to him when he leaned against her, wishing she'd brought a second blanket to drape over top of them. It wasn't cold, but Ella liked being cozy and warm.

"That doesn't look like a lion, either," she complained, her confidence spiraling downward. "It looks like a duck." With that in mind, she looked towards the stars he was pointing at and searched for the duck shape. It was hard to draw the lines in her head, and she felt like she was never looking at the right stars and was making things up. "I don't know Peter," she sighed, discouraged when she wasn't sure she could was even looking at the right thing. There was no way to tell if she was looking at the same grouping of stars that he was. "I think this is more your thing, like the swimming. Although this is less scary," she decided with a smile in his direction. She would much rather learn this than how to swim in the big, terrifying ocean. "I'll work on it," she said with a sigh, but for now, she put the book down and cuddled up to her boyfriend, moving her head so that it rested on his chest.

"You know, I just realized..." she said with a smile, absentmindedly flicking one of the buttons on his shirt, "my birthday is next week." She and Josephine were so close in age there was always a couple of months were they were the same. But honestly, Ella hadn't thought much about her birthday until just now- in between coming home, arguing with her sister and falling in love with Josephine, she'd kind of forgotten about it.

Alec was grateful for Mr. Sinclair's praise and felt as if he didn't deserve it, but to have Josephine's father's approval meant everything. He would do anything he could to make this happen for them. "Thank you, sir," he said. If he couldn't marry Josephine, Alec didn't know if he could bring himself to marry anyone else, but that wasn't something that they had discussed together. Alec didn't see himself ever falling in love again, but he wanted a family. Was it even possible to have that with someone else? It wasn't an appealing idea.

He was almost afraid that Mr. Sinclair would take all of his kind words back when he realized how long it had been. It was obvious he wasn't thrilled about the number, but he wasn't as upset as Alec might have predicted. "Of course not, sir," he agreed wholeheartedly. "I understand, and I assure you that won't happen." After promising to keep his eye out for any potential new stable boys, Alec was finally released from the office. It hadn't been a long conversation, but it sure felt like it had. All in all, though, Alec was happy with the way it had gone, and he thought he would have some good news to share with Josephine. He made his way down to the stables, planning to go home until he saw her waiting there beside his horse. The sight of her brought a smile to his face and he picked up his pace, eager to finally get an opportunity to talk to her.

"I've just had a discussion with your father," he announced happily. "And as long as you're not pregnant, we've been given a second chance."
 
Peter had to laugh at Ella calling Leo, one of the most ferocious constellations in Peter's own opinion, a duck. "It does not," he disagreed. It didn't look much like a lion though, either, he had to agree. "You have no imagination for a girl who reads so much. I've seen your princess stories and fairy tales."

He thought she was giving up much too soon. Two nights of star gazing didn't make anyone an expert. Not even close. Besides, constellations were interesting because of their stories, not because of how they looked. "It could be your thing, you know, if you actually practiced. But since you insist so much that my interests aren't yours, I'll have to tell you piano is not really my thing either," he teased. He would listen to her for hours, but he shuddered at the thought of his tone deaf ears playing one himself.

He rose an eyebrow as she told him her birthday was soon. He had never even thought to ask when it was. "Oh? And what does the birthday girl want for her special day?" he asked. He had already bought her three books since they've known each other, but he would gladly buy her something more. "And how old will you be anyway? I feel like that's something I should already know."

Josephine passed her time waiting by giving the horses in the barn attention. She was just feeding Silver some sugar cubes, making Chestnut very jealous, when she heard him enter. She turned and grinned at him, immediately brightening in his presence, then giggled at his words. "Well unless I'm to become the next Virgin Mary, I don't see how that's possible anyway."

She walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck. It had been way, way too long since she last really got to see him, and she'd been looking forward to kissing him all day. So she did, happily and eagerly, and was so relieved that he was the only man she had to kiss tonight. She hadn't expected John to, but it had been a possibility at the very least.

"I have some good news, too," she said when she pulled away, but she kept her arms tightly around his neck. "Either I can predict the future, or I'm really lucky, because I won almost every bet today."
 
Ella pouted. "I do have an imagination," she said defensively. "And when I look at that, my imagination conjures a duck." She glanced up at the sky again, thinking she liked just gazing at the stars and watching them twinkle instead of trying to find the constellations. Maybe one day she would get the hang of it, and she wanted to learn so that she could impress Peter, but it didn't seem like it was one of her passions. "Tell me the story of the lion," she requested. "Then I'll try again."

"I am going to practice," she told him, leaning over and pressing a kiss against his cheek. Maybe she could come out and work on it on by herself if he went to bed early, and then impress him with her vast knowledge later. Or maybe Josephine would be willing to come out and help her. "I want to share this with you. And I never insisted that my interests aren't yours." She hoped that he didn't think that- they both shared a love of reading and learning, their strengths just lay in different areas. "And I haven't gotten to teach you the piano yet. We haven't had any time," she pointed out.

When he asked what she wanted for her birthday, Ella thought about it carefully. He didn't need to buy her anything. Father would probably enlist Josephine's help in picking out some new dresses for her, and maybe some books that would help her with her studies at the university. "I want candles, wine, and kisses," she decided finally. "Lots of kisses." She could think of no better way to spend her birthday. "I'm going to be twenty." It sounded so old, and Ella wrinkled her nose at the thought. She liked being nineteen. Twenty meant it was time to get married. "How old are you?" she asked, realizing that she didn't know either.

Alec laughed and shook his head. He had wanted to be with her for a long time, and he knew that she wanted the same thing, but now he was glad that they had decided not to. He could be honest with her father about it without digging himself into an even deeper hole; the two years was bad enough. He needed Mr. Sinclair to see him as a respectable man. "Well, I guess you never know," he joked. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and kissed her back passionately, like it was the last time he would be able to kiss her. Because for a while, it would be.

"Josie," he said seriously when she pulled away. "I love you. But your father has given us a second chance under the conditions that we only act as friends until he's made his decision. No more stealing kisses for now. I love you too much to risk it." It wasn't ideal, but at least they were allowed to hang out and talk to each other. Alec would abide by her father's wishes completely, and this was one of them. He hoped that she would understand. Every decision he made was only out of a desire to do what was best for her and their relationship, even if it wasn't what he wanted right now. Or what she wanted right now, for that matter. If they were successful, they would have lots of time for all of that later.

He brightened at the mention of more good news, though, and was genuinely impressed to hear that she'd done well at the races today. "That's my girl," he said proudly, grinning and squeezing her tight. He was still disappointed that he hadn't been able to go with her, but they would go together someday. "I'm proud of you. Did you get some good payouts?" He knew that making money on the bets didn't always mean it was a lot, but he was excited for her nevertheless. "I noticed John seemed to know quite a bit about me," he mentioned with a smirk. "I don't recall telling him any of that."
 
Peter laughed some more. "Oh, well then I stand corrected," he said, tilting his head to give her a quick kiss. "But, Leo is most definitely not a duck. He's the Nemian lion Hercules killed as one of his twelve labors. Are you familiar?" he asked. The book he bought her was one on Greek Mythology, but it didn't mean she had read any of the tales before. "He would take women to his lair and kill any of the men who tried to free them. Hercules fought him with his bare hands and won, then Zeus put the lion in the sky."

"There's that stubbornness of yours I love so much," he said, but he was uncertain of the idea of him sitting at a piano. Still, he might at least try if she ever wanted to teach him. He frowned at her suggestion that they hadn't had time though, and although she probably hadn't meant it like that, he felt guilty for how busy he was now. "I know," he said. "I'm sorry we haven't had much time this week."

He brightened a little once more when she explained what she wanted, and it had him chuckling again. He reached over to brush her cheek with his hand and said, "You know, we can do that any day. But if that's your wish, you'll get your candles and wine and kisses. If you're good, maybe you'll get a surprise too." He grinned. "Twenty? I would have thought you were a little younger than that. Not too young, of course, just... You have a youthful soul." He was older than she was, by a few years. It was quite common, actually, for women to marry men as much as a decade older. "I'm twenty three."

Josephine was still embarrassed by that night she saw him drunk and asked him to be with her in all the ways it was possible to be with a man. Things would have turned out so much differently if he accepted her offer, but she was glad he didn't. They could have been already married, sure, but it would have cost her her family. As much as she loved Alec, she would have hated that. She might have started to resent him. Still, if given the chance, she would give herself completely over to him right now if he asked. Every time they kissed like this, it was in the back of her mind, wondering what it would be like.

Which is why, when he told her they couldn't keep doing this, she frowned. It wasn't like he was telling her goodbye, but her heart did ache at the thought of not being able to kiss him. They had their second chance, but what if they failed? What if they'd just shared their last kiss ever? Selfishly, Josephine was almost willing to risk getting caught than never kiss him again. Father had told her the same, though, and she had done a pretty good job of ignoring it until now. Alec always seemed like he had better self control than she did. Solemnly, she nodded, silently agreeing with him even though she didn't want to. "If that's what it takes," she said sadly.

Hearing him say he was proud of her though sent a shiver of joy up her spine. "It's not enough to change our situation right now, but it should help." She pulled away from just enough to take out the money she had stuffed under the top off her dress for safe keeping and handing it to him. She was prideful that she was able to help. Then she bit her lip, grinning, while she looked away a bit bashfully from him. "Yes, well, I may have mentioned you a few times. I might be forced to go on a hundred dates with John, but my heart will always belong to you."
 
The name Hercules sounded familiar, although Ella didn't think that she knew the entire store. She didn't know about the lion- her knowledge of Greek mythology was mostly limited to the most famous stories, like the one about Persephone and Hades. "No, I don't know that story," she said, although it did sound interesting. "Maybe I should have brought my book out too," she said with a smirk. Most of the constellations were Greek stories, she knew. The gods hung the constellations like pictures in the sky, although Ella personally thought they could have done a better job. "So...it's a dead lion?" she deduced, looking again for the picture in the sky.

The last thing she'd meant to do was cause him to feel guilty. She was so proud of him and the work that he was doing, and even though it was disappointing that he didn't have as much time for her, she knew it was for the best. He was going to build a new life for himself, and Ella was only part of that life. "It's okay," she reassured him with a kiss. "You've been working really hard, and I've had to work on my applications. Besides, if all we had was free time you'd get sick of me." Too much of a good thing was possible, and while Ella didn't think that she could ever get sick of being with him, sometimes people started to irritate each other if they spent too much time together. That was what happened to a lot of married couples, according to Ella's storybooks.

She was excited that he promised to cater to her birthday wishes- Ella thought she might keep things more casual this year. Usually Father would throw a big party for both her and Josephine's birthdays, and those were fun, but after everything that had happened Ella thought she would enjoy a nice dinner with her family, maybe some games and birthday cake, and then a romantic evening with her boyfriend. She laughed when Peter seemed surprised at her age. "You mean, I act like a child," she paraphrased. "I know. But I'm going to be so old." She groaned and rolled over, burying her face in his neck. Twenty-three was closer to what she had guessed for him. Just a little older, but not by too much. "When is your birthday?"

Alec wanted to kiss her just as much as she wanted to kiss him, but it wasn't the end of the world. It could be much worse- it had been much worse. But it was important that they abided by her father's rules if they even wanted a chance of being together. "It is what it takes," he told her solemnly. "I'm sorry. But I'd rather be able to kiss you for the rest of my life than kiss you now and have that future taken away because of it." Sometimes he worried that she might get the idea he didn't love her as much as she did, but that wasn't true at all. He just loved her differently, and having self control was an important part of that.

He really, really wished she didn't feel like she needed to give him money. Alec was a prideful man and he didn't like taking anything from anyone; he hadn't even wanted to borrow clothes from Peter this morning. He wanted to do it himself, but he knew it would break Josie's heart if he told her that, and it really was silly of him to be so opposed to it. She was so excited about what she'd won, and he knew she felt like she wasn't able to do enough. So when she offered him her winnings from today, he accepted it graciously and put the bills in his back pocket. Maybe it was enough to make him feel slightly less guilty about what he'd spent on clothes today. "Thank you, love," he said. "Good job."

It was pretty amusing that she had talked about him to John, but it was cute. It warmed his heart to know that he was on her mind, especially in a place like that. "He seemed like a nice man," he said, remembering how kind John had been at dinner. Obviously he didn't know him well, but from what he could see he wasn't the same sort of arrogant prick that Josie usually went out with. "Did you enjoy the races, then? Your face is red." He tapped her on the nose, smiling. It was frequent, funny activity of theirs to compare their skin tones on occasion; Alec was extremely tan, and Josie as typically white as snow. Even if he didn't work outside, Alec was naturally darker than she was. He used to tease her that she glowed in the dark when she came up to see him in his loft.
 
Peter had most of the Greek stories memorized. Or at the least, the ones that pertained to the constellations. "It's more like a chapter in the larger story," he said. Hercules was a long one in which the lion was only a small part. "I'm sure most of the stories should be in your book somewhere, but yes. When you put it like that, I guess he is a dead lion. It wouldn't have been as heroic if he was a duck."

Peter smiled, reassured. He didn't want her to think he didn't care about spending time with her, or that she wasn't important. His work was important too, though, and without it, he doubted her father would have given him permission to court her. It was as much for himself as it was for Ella. He was getting a chance at earning an honest living, and then some day, he could use those earnings to buy them a house, her a ring. Marriage was not something he ever wanted before her, but if he called Ella his wife, he didn't think he would mind so much. "I don't think I get sick of you," he said.

When she rolled over, he adjusted himself to slip his arm around her, holding her to him. He kissed the top of head and chuckled. "No, I don't think you act like a child. I think you still know how to have fun. There's a difference." Acting like a child implied some kind of naivity and ignorance. Peter didn't think she was a child, just that she had a but of a wild side. "If you think twenty is old, you must think I'm ancient," he said, rubbing her back. "I won't turn twenty four until January."

Josephine gave him a pained, somewhat annoyed look. It wasn't because of him, but the situation in general. It felt like torture, waiting. It was hard enough going just a few days, but weeks? Months? She was afraid she'd never be able to kiss him again. With a frustrated groan, she rest her head against his chest. "I know he's not, but sometimes it feels like father is trying to kill me." Their relationship had been easier when it was a secret. At least then neither one really thought this was something that could last forever. They might have still anticipated a painful goodbye, but at least they could have carried on for a while in ignorant bliss, accepting that future without the other one. Not anymore, though. Now they had hope, but it made it more painful.

She felt better knowing she had contributed something. It wasn't that she doubted Alec, or that he even needed the help, but she felt like it was unfair to him if all she had to do was go on dates with other people. That was still hard, and it took a lot of emotional labor, but the money from the races was more tangible. It wasn't much, but it was something, and she smiled when he accepted it. She was afraid he wouldn't. "Thank you," she said, then pulled at the fabric of his jacket admirably. "By the way, you look very handsome in your new clothes." It was unlike him to spend money on things he didn't really need, but she knew he bought them to make a good impression on her father.

She shrugged at his comments about John. "He is. I think I'd like to be friends with him. I just wish we'd met under different circumstances so things didn't have to be so complicated." And that she would quit putting her foot in her mouth. It was like she was subconsciously trying to make him not want to keep seeing her, afraid he would want to marry her before Alec had a chance. She laughed when Alec tapped her nose, wrinkling it at him. "I swear I can't go anywhere without burning. It's a miracle I didn't on the ship." Then again, it had mostly rained, and she spent most of her time below deck in the cell. "But yes. I think I convinced father to take Ella and I again sometime. I wish I could take you, though. I know how much you would have loved it today."
 
"Hm. I can't wait to read my book," Ella said with a smile. "I'll read that one first." She giggled when he pointed out that he wouldn't have been as heroic if it was a duck, shrugging. "I don't know. If it was a monstrous duck stealing women I think it'd still be pretty heroic." But it was not a duck, it was a lion- it just looked nothing like one.

She smiled when he said that he wouldn't get sick of her, shrugging again. She liked to hear that, even though she wasn't entirely sure it was true. Either way, she never wanted him to think that she felt like he was letting her down, or not spending enough time with her. It had been a rough week not being able to really see each other every day except for dinner, but they still had the weekends. "Well, I'm so proud of you," she told him. "We may not have as much time together anymore, but it's okay. I'm just...really going to miss you when you go away." She knew that traveling was going to be a part of his job, and while she knew it was exciting for him and she wanted him to have the life he wanted, Ella thought she might have a hard time watching him leave to sail across the world without her.

"You're right, there is a difference," she agreed with a smirk. "Mind telling Josephine that for me?" Ella was sad that she and her sister weren't as close as they had been before getting kidnapped, but so much had changed. She didn't know what she could do about it if Josie was just going to be critical of every decision that she made. "Totally ancient," she repeated with a nod. But January was a ways away. Ella usually disliked the winter, because she liked going outside so much and it would get so cold. But she did enjoy the holiday season, and of course the snow. "I could sleep out here," she said, letting out a yawn. It was so comfortable and warm in his arms.

Alec sighed. He knew that it wasn't fair, but there was a part of him that also felt like they deserved it. They had gone behind her father's back for two years, and during those two years Josephine had intentionally wasted the time of countless other potential suitors. Alec had accepted a salary from her father. It hadn't seemed so wrong at the time, but now that he was looking back...he could easily see how Mr. Sinclair now felt betrayed by both of them. If he had a daughter of his own, Alec thought that he would probably be acting the same way. They did truly love each other, but they had gone about their relationship the wrong way. Alec though that he was lucky to be given the chance he was.

"Hey, he's not," he said, rubbing Josephine's back and trying to be comforting. "He loves you, and he cares about your happiness. We were wrong to keep it from him, Josie, but even after that he gave me a house, which is one huge step closer towards where I need to be, and he's giving us a chance. I know it's hard, but this is better than we ever thought we would get." That was true- very true, actually. They had both always ignored the fact that they would have to break up at some point, but now they might not actually have to.

He turned a little red when she complimented him in his clothes, shaking his head. "I damn well better," he joked. "It cost my life's savings." That was an exaggeration, but it had been a little painful for him to spend so much on an outfit. "But it's the only one I ever plan on buying, so I'm happy it has your approval. I was going to borrow one from Peter, but..." he shrugged, not really wanting to talk about that. He didn't know why he'd brought it up. "So, that was nice of him I guess, helping Ella out today." Alec was still wary of Peter, but a good man would always stand up for his girl. He laughed when she claimed to not be able to go anywhere, but that was probably true. His smile wavered slightly when she mentioned going to the races with Ella and her father, though. She needed to spend more time with her family, but hadn't she promised that the next time she went it would be with him? "Yeah, I kinda thought I was next on the list," he said.
 
Peter laughed at the image that came to mind when she talked about a duck who kidnapped women. "It would be more impressive if it were a goose. My family had one growing up, and he was viscous. You don't want to mess with a goose. Trust me." He chuckled, leaning his face into her hair and giving her a soft kiss.

His hand went to stroke her hair, playing with it. It felt nice to hear her say she was proud of him. He was proud of him, too. For the longest time he didn't think he deserved any of this. He was punishing himself for what he'd done, and didn't think he was worthy of a normal life. Things were different now, and when he thought about his future, it was a happy one. No more punishment. No more pirating. No more hurting people. His heart ached when she told him she would miss him, and he knew that he would as well. "I know," he said. "I'll miss you, too. But you'll have university classes to keep you busy, and I'll have my work. When I get back it will be like no time has passed at all." He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Besides, I don't think I'll be leaving on any voyages any time soon. There's a lot to learn and practice before Mr. Lawrence will put me out there for real."

"She's just looking out for you," he said. Josephine could be annoying, but at least Ella was lucky enough to have someone who cared so much about her. "And I think worrying about you let's her ignore her own problems sometimes. I would know, since I'm full of so much ancient wisdom," he teased. He sighed happily, and agreed. It was such a peaceful night. "Why don't we?" he asked.

Were they wrong? Josephine wasn't sure she agreed with Alec on that. Nobody ever planned to fall in love, and although she had pursued him with innocent curiosity once, she couldn't help that she fell so hard for him. She didn't even know what love was until she met him, and she doubted telling her father way back then would have made this any better. Still, he had a point about the house, and this chance. It may be the only one they had, so they couldn't do anything to screw it up. "I know, I just... It's hard. I love you so much."

Josephine continued to admire him in his clothes. She was a woman who greatly appreciated fashion. Although she wouldn't mind if he only wore his simple work clothes every day, there was something to be said about a well dressed man. The pants could use a little tailoring, and his shirt sleeves looked just a touch too long, but he was still handsome in them. She looked up at his face when he mentioned borrowing one from Peter, and rose an eyebrow. What was so wrong about that? And then she realized why he must not have, and sighed. "Alec," she said. "There's nothing wrong with borrowing when you need to. I'd much rather you put your money into your business, or your savings. I don't care if you have fancy clothes, and I doubt father would even notice you were wearing Peter's suit."

She sighed, and then reluctantly agreed about Peter's good deed. "Yes, it was. But he still has a lot to make up for. I just hope Ella knows what she's doing..." Maybe they could talk tonight. Or tomorrow. She wasn't sure how to bring the topic of Peter up, to be honest, which was partially why she was eager to do something as a family. She missed them. She looked up at Alec when she detected a bit of disappointment in his voice, then frowned when she realized her mistake. She didn't want to hurt him, nor did she want to break that promise. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I honestly just forgot. Maybe I can convince father to let you come with? Or... I don't know. We might not even get to it this year, with the weather getting so much warmer, and father's business still recovering..." She bit her lip nervously. "Are you upset with me, now?" she asked. She felt awful about it.
 
Ella giggled at the image of a goose. Somehow, geese seemed even sillier than ducks, but she didn't have any personal experience with them. "I'll take your word for it," she murmured, letting out a soft sigh when he kissed her. It was so tempting to go further when they were out here alone, under the stars and wrapped up in each other. Ella was always readjusting herself to be closer to him. "Hopefully I'll have university classes," she said. Ella didn't know what she would do with herself if she didn't. "But I still think it'll feel like forever." It had always felt like they'd known each other for much, much longer than they had, and Ella had gotten so used to being kissed goodnight every evening, among other things. She was definitely going to miss him, and she knew that when he left she'd be counting down the days until he returned. At least he didn't seem to think he would be going anytime soon.

As for Josephine, she knew that Peter was right. At the heart of it all, Josephine was just trying to look out for her, and it was also probably true that making Ella's life more difficult helped her forget about all of her problems with Alec. But coping mechanism or not, Ella wasn't a fan. She loved Peter, and it hurt to not have the support of her sister after Ella had kept her and Alec's secret for a year and a half. She sighed again, reaching up to play with a strand of Peter's hair. "You're right," she said. "And I guess I really should talk to her about it again. But I know it'll just end up in another fight." Ella didn't want to make things even worse between her and Josephine. They were bad enough as it was.

She really was comfortable, though. It was a beautiful night, just the right temperature, and there weren't any bugs buzzing around their heads. Plus, Ella didn't want to get up. So when Peter asked why they couldn't just sleep outside, she really didn't have a good response for him. "Hm," she said, a smile coming across her face. "Why don't we..." It wasn't as if it was terribly scandalous, and they could always make the excuse that they'd just fallen asleep naturally. Which, at this rate, didn't have to be a lie. She settled in a bit more, perfectly content to stay there all night.

Alec sighed. He knew this was hard, but it could be a lot harder. The only way Alec could stay optimistic about their situation and stay motivated to keep trying was by putting all of this in a more hopeful light. And it was hopeful. Things had gotten much, much better. "I love you too," he told her. "And that's why I'm going to be careful. I won't do anything that could risk ruining this for us, and even if it wouldn't ruin it, we need to respect your father's wishes." He was a good man. He wasn't trying to make his daughters miserable, Alec knew that. She needed to take a step back and look at things from a logical standpoint instead of an emotional one, which was what Alec was trying to do. They usually balanced each other out in that way, but in this scenario, Alec hoped she would be able to do that for the sake of her own well-being. It was too much emotional baggage to carry around every day if she couldn't, as they had already seen. She was doing better, though, and he was relieved for that.

But as far as borrowing went, Alec knew that his pride was something that he needed to work on. He knew there was no shame in asking for help, and he would have told Josephine the exact same thing if their situations were reversed. But he hated asking for help himself. "It's fine," he told her. "I'll get my money's worth out of it. Even if we get married, I'll need something nice to wear for family dinners." He couldn't care less about fashion, really, but he was trying to court a high society girl. He had to have at least one nice outfit, and now he did. "I'm sure he would have noticed. He bought them all," Alec pointed out with a chuckle. "It's really alright, I'm glad I have it. I just won't be buying another one."

He couldn't agree more than Peter still had a lot to make up for, but Alec was beginning to see that he did care very much for Ella. He hoped that Josie could see it too, and that it took a little bit of stress off her shoulders. "She probably doesn't," he said with a smile. "He's her first real suitor, and she hasn't had her big sister give her advice on what to wear, or what men mean when they say certain things, or her concerns, or what boundaries she should set for herself. That's what girls talk about, right?" Alec didn't know, but it sounded about right. "I'm sure she'd love to have your advice." Alec didn't like the thought of Josephine being so isolated, with the way she and Ella were growing apart and because they couldn't see each other as frequently anymore. He hoped that she would make an effort to reconcile with her sister, even if it might mean pretending to be okay with Peter for a while.

As for the races...Alec couldn't disguise the fact that he was a little hurt that she had already tried to arrange a return trip. He had believed her when she said he would be the next person to go with her. She was sweet trying to recover it, but even though she had honestly forgotten it still stung a little. "No," he said when she asked if he was upset. "'Course not. But it's getting late. Let me walk you back to the house."
 
"You will have university classes," Peter assured her. They would be stupid not to let her in, and he was more than confident in her. She had a whole family that supported her as well. If they didn't let her in, there would be hell to pay. "Or else I'll give you all sorts of assignments myself," he added, placing a kiss at the top of her head. He wouldn't need to, though. He was certain of it.

Peter sometimes wished he had a strong supportive family like she did. There were times he missed his terribly, but there was no way to get them back. He was lucky he found Ella, and although things with her sister were a little bit unstable at the moment, he hoped one day Josephine would welcome him as part of the family, too. There would be nothing to make him happier than just the validation that he belonged somewhere, where everybody wanted him, and he could be himself. "You don't know that," he said, even though Ella was probably right. But assuming the worst wasn't going to do anybody any favors, and she had to give Josephine a chance to come around if she were to come around at all. "It's been a week and she hasn't said anything, so... isn't that a good sign?" He could understand her worries, but he also thought it was possible Ella just didn't have enough faith in her sister. Josephine knew what it was like to love somebody who wasn't the person others wanted her to be with. She didn't have to accept him to understand and sympathize with their situation.

He smiled, still stroking her hair gently. He wouldn't mind staying out here all night at all, and, come to think of it, they had never spent the night together. At least, not like this. Not next to each other, curled up together, and cuddling. "We can wake up with the sun," he said, finding excuses to justify it. "Sneak back in before anybody knows we were out here." If they were found, it was easy enough to say they just fell asleep.

Josephine knew that Alec was right, but it was hard for her. Between her and Ella, it was usually herself who was the rational one, who followed all the rules, and tried to be responsible. But when it came to Alec, she abandoned pretty much any and all rationality, and it was him who was the more reasonable one. Particularly lately, when she felt like she needed him more than ever. After all they'd been through, it was difficult not to have him around. It didn't help that she wasn't getting along so well with Ella or father, or that she was expected to see somebody else. There were times when she really just wanted to say to hell with it all and run away with him still, but he was doing a pretty decent job of keeping her grounded during the few moments she did get to see him. "I know," she said quietly, resting her cheek against his chest.

She honestly didn't care that he spent his money on the clothes, but she did wish he wouldn't be so hard on himself. That was more of her concern. Her father wouldn't have thought any less of him if he had to borrow, even if he had noticed they were Peter's. He knew what Alec's situation was. It did make her smile though, knowing that he was trying so hard to make a good impression and that he cared enough to want to fit in. She even had to laugh when he insisted he wouldn't buy another one. She tilted her head up at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. "No? What if you get pudgy in a few years time?" she teased. Her father used to be a fit man, but over time he'd grown a bit of a belly.

She laughed some more when he wondered out loud about the conversations girls had about men. "Something like that," she said. To be fair, Josephine wasn't sure she had all the answers to any of that either. Alec was really the only man she'd ever been with, and they weren't exactly the traditional couple. But she had been on dates, she supposed, and she knew generally what it took to impress one. Sometimes it was as simple as just having breasts, though, so she wasn't really sure she had the entirety of the male species figured out. She could try her best to answer any questions Ella might have just based on her own experiences, or give her general advise about what she might be able to expect. Even if it was fruitless, at least she would be informed, and they would be talking again. That's what she wanted the most.

She felt bad about hurting his feelings. There was just so much happening lately. "I really am sorry," she said. "Next time it really will be with you, or I'll make it up to you. I swear." She wished she could take him right now, but he was right. It was getting late, and if she stayed out here for too much longer, her father might come looking and then get the wrong idea. "Okay," she agreed, but paused for a second longer. "Can I just... I mean, just one more kiss? The last one, and then I promise to be good?" She hadn't realized the last one was supposed to be the last one, and she felt sort of robbed. If she'd known, she would committed every detail of it to memory.
 
Ella laughed at the notion of him giving her assignments, shaking her head. "We both know I wouldn't do them," she said. She might study the stars and try to learn as much as she could so that she could impress him later on, and she might read some interesting books, but she wasn't as excited for homework as she was for sitting in a classroom and learning that way. "I'm pretty sure," she said in regards to Josephine. As for whether or not her silence was a good sign, Ella had no idea. "It could be," she sighed. "It could also mean that she's just given up on me. I don't know. She wanted to talk to me this morning, but I just feel like she doesn't really want to talk to me, you know?"

Ella didn't think that Josephine wanted to talk about the things that Ella wanted to talk about. But, it was entirely possible she was just projecting all of those things on her sister unfairly, and that she really did want to talk to her. She was supportive of Ella's wishes to go to university, at least, and that was something to be happy about. "Maybe the real problem is I'm just afraid to trust her," she realized. "After the things she said. What if I said something about us that she didn't like and saw it as grounds to say something?" Ella was scared of sharing because she was afraid that Josephine would have a knee-jerk reaction to it.

She rather liked the idea of staying out here all night with him. They'd slept in the same bed one night when she was sick, but obviously that wasn't quite the same. "I say we do it," she said with a little smile. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, lingering there for several long moments. "I don't want to go back inside." Josephine or her father might come out here and find them before morning, but it was easy to claim that they had just lost track of time. And really, that was exactly what Ella was going to do. She was quiet for a minute, thinking about everything. Josephine, Alec, Peter, John. Their lives had gotten so complicated so quickly. There were so many secrets, so much bad. She didn't even know what to think, but Ella knew that she was happy. "Peter?" she asked, a thought coming to her head. "Do you think we'll ever get married?"

Alec wished that it was realistic for them to run away, but that wasn't going to work out. He didn't have the money, and even if he did, that would destroy her relationship with her family. He knew that if they were to take those kinds of steps so irrationally, she would only grow to resent him with time. And if he had to provide for his wife without a steady job, Alec would never see her. Running away sounded romantic, but it would be a nightmare. Their best bet was to stay here, see this through and eventually move out to his little house in the country.

He chuckled at Josephine's teasing, nudging her playfully. "Please," he said. "A few years? We won't be eating enough for that, love." He knew that most adults put on a bit of weight as they aged, but he didn't think he'd have much trouble if he kept active and kept working. "I will not be buying another silly outfit," he declared, knowing that he would probably being putting his foot in his mouth in a few years. It was nice, but it wasn't going to last him forever. He knew that he was probably way off when it came to what girls talked about, but still, he thought that Ella would appreciate it if Josephine took an interest in her and Peter's relationship, just as a sister. As far as he knew, girls loved gushing about their boyfriends. It might even give Josephine some insight to see if Peter was really okay for her sister, and it would definitely help Ella come back to her. "Give it a try," he suggested with a smirk. "Do whatever you do, do each other's hair and eat cookies or something. Aren't you curious if Peter's a good kisser?" he joked. It sounded silly, but he was serious, and he enveloped her in a hug. "I don't like the idea of you being all by yourself," he said. "You can do it, I believe in you."

It was a little upsetting that she had just forgotten about her promise, but he couldn't get too upset with her. She missed her family, and he knew that she wanted to reconnect with them. The races, admittedly, would probably be a good place to do that. "It's alright, love. Really." He didn't want her to worry about it. When she asked for another kiss, he looked at her pitifully. "Josie, don't do that to me," he said. "Maybe tomorrow, alright? I know that once I do someone's going to come out here." He gave her a squeeze, hoping that she would understand. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but it was too much of a risk. Especially tonight when he had just been given his second chance. Alec couldn't help being a little paranoid. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead, looking at her sadly before offering his arm to walk her back to the house.
 
"What if I rewarded you for them?" he said, grinning. "A kiss for every completed assignment? What about then?" He would give her a thousand kisses anyway, but he was curious as to what she would say. It didn't matter anyway, because she was definitely going to get into the university now. Her father had even said he'd march down there and talk to them himself if they didn't let her in just because she was a woman.

As far as Josephine went, it was hard to say what she was thinking. All Peter really knew was that Josephine didn't like him, but she hadn't said anything so far. Ella seemed to think she might have just given up on her, but Peter doubted that. "You know that's not true," he said. "The only person I've ever met more stubborn than you is probably her. She'll probably go to her death bed having it out for me, but I don't think she'd do anything to deliberately hurt you." He could see where Ella was coming from. It scared him too, the amount of power Josephine had over their relationship right now, but she wasn't a malicious person. She wasn't nice to him, either, but she had her reasons. If she ever outed him, it would be because he did something that truly did concern her, and she'd do it out of love for Ella. He couldn't fault her for that. He didn't think Ella should either. "You told her we're together now, and it's been a week. She hasn't said anything. She's kept her word. Maybe you should just give her a chance, let her warm up to the idea. It can't be easy for her to see us together with everything that's going on with her and Alec. I'm sure she's wishing she could talk to you, too."

Peter sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he had better advice to give to her. The only way around the issue was to talk, and if they didn't talk, he worried they're relationship would never be the same. Ella had told him that he wasn't going to get between them, but he thought sometimes that he was already. He tried not to think about it too much, and focused on the smells and sounds of the garden at night instead, nodding his head when she said she wanted to do it. He wanted to too, so they would. For those few minutes of silence, he held her close. Just as he was in danger of falling asleep, he heard her say his name. Then his eyes opened at the question that followed it. He looked down at her, trying to figure out what she was wanting him to say. "I... I ah, I don't know," he answered honestly. "I suppose that depends."

Josephine laughed when he nudged her, and amused herself with the thought of what they'd look like in a few years, a decade, a few decades from now. She couldn't wait to grow old with him, and even if he did put on a few pounds and got some wrinkles and gray hair with time, she would still love him. She was bound to change herself, and she wondered briefly if she would look like her mother would have if she had been allowed to grow old. She crinkled her nose at him when he asked her whether she wanted to know if Peter was a good kisser, and then it was her turn to nudge him playfully. "Eww," she said. "Never. But if you're curious, I can inquire on your behalf." She relaxed as she settled into his hug, breathing him in and never wanting to let go. She didn't want to be alone either, and she really missed Ella. "We're sisters. We'll fight and disagree, but we'll work it out eventually. We always do."

She pouted when he refused her, knowing that he didn't want to have to say no, but that he was being the responsible one again. "No, no..." she said when he told her maybe next time. "Don't say that or you'll get my hopes up. And then I'll never have enough anyway. We better just... start getting used to it now." It made her sad, and her heart ache, but no matter how much she wanted it, one kiss and it could all be taken away from them. She settled for the forehead kiss before linking her arm in his to let him walk her to the door. "Goodnight, Alec," she said when they got there, looking at him sadly. She didn't want him to go. She wished they could climb up into the loft like old times and spend the night together, but those days were sadly gone now.
 
Ella laughed, but still shook her head. "I think the going rate is a little higher than that," she countered. "It should be a score- you can grade it, and then whatever score I get out of a hundred is how many kisses I get." Ella liked that idea a lot better, and if she did have to wait months for him to return from his trips, she thought she would probably want a hundred kisses anyways. "Then I would do them," she smiled.

Once again, she knew that he was right. Josephine would never do anything to purposefully hurt her- although that didn't mean she wouldn't hurt her inadvertently if she thought that she was being protective. Ella was mostly afraid of Josephine making a mistake, saying something that wasn't true or revealing something that needed to be kept secret. If that happened. Ella was sure she would regret it later, but...that might not be enough to repair any damage. "It's been more than a week, actually," she said, thinking about it all. It had only been a week since Peter started working, but they had been officially together for almost two. Josie had yet to say anything, and that was good. She knew it couldn't be easy for Josephine, but she was still sad that she didn't have her sister's support. It upset Ella, and even if it shouldn't, it made it harder for her to offer her own support for her sister. "I think she's had enough time to warm up to the idea," Ella said, thinking out loud. But still, the topic of Peter had forged a chasm between them. She didn't want Peter to feel bad about it, because it wasn't his fault, but that was the elephant in the room whenever they were together. Ella knew that it had to be addressed before things could go back to normal.

Ella was tired, but for whatever reason her brain refused to shut off. She didn't know what made her ask the question, but it slipped out before she could stop it. She could tell that Peter was surprised as well, and she smiled at the slightly nervous sound in his voice. "Depends on what?" Ella asked. There was a lot- how well his job went, Josephine not telling, Father allowing him...and obviously them wanting to, although Ella didn't think that would be a problem. At least not for her. "I think we might," she said, closing her eyes and letting a smile creep onto her face as she imagined what it might look like. "'A nice beach wedding and a honeymoon in India." It sounded like a dream. Ella had never expected to actually look forward to getting married, but if it was Peter, she knew she would be excited. It would be more of a social necessity for them than a desire like it was for Alec and Josephine; Ella would be more than happy to spend her life with him without walking down the aisle, but things didn't work that way. She didn't think marriage sounded so bad, though.

Alec laughed at her reaction, grinning and crinkling his nose back at her. "I am curious," he said with a smile, joking of course, but anything to get her to talk to her sister. "Maybe the pirate's got some moves. Why don't you find out and report back to me." He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back gently. "I know you'll figure it out," he said confidently. "You're right, you always do. But you know I worry." Alec was always concerned about Josephine, but considering she'd literally had a panic attack last week, he felt like he had very good reason to be. She was doing better, it seemed, but if something with his business didn't work out and they ended up not being able to get married after all, would she still be able to be happy? He was worried what would happen if he wasn't able to be there for her, and she didn't at least have Ella to fall back on.

When she said that they'd just better start getting used to it, Alec felt a little sad but was happy to see that she was coming around and realizing how important this was. He wasn't refusing to kiss her because he didn't want to, that was for sure. If it wouldn't hurt anything, they would have been intimate long, long ago, never mind the kissing. But one kiss was not work risking their entire future together. "Goodnight, love," he replied, letting her go at the door. "Sleep well. I'll see you later, okay?" He gave her an encouraging smile and waited until she got inside to return to the stables, where he checked on all the horses before saddling up himself and heading home.
 
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