It had been a long week or so since she had last gone to the church. Since her meeting the priest, she had been told the news that she was to inherit Constance's fortune. Her father had wanted her to find as much, but this was probably not what he had in mind, nor was it something she had on her mind until recently. Amelia stood at her graveside again, this time in the bright and early morning so she could tend to the grave. She lovingly pulled away the dead flowers that had been left by one of the admirers of the old lady. "Why on earth did you do that?" she asked softly.

She stood then and headed inside the sanctuary, moving to light a candle as she had seen another do. Then she began to pray quietly to herself while on her knees in front of the candles.

It was still early enough that the priest did not appear from within the church, but from the presbytery door nearby. In his hands he held a bible, old and clearly well-read, for it bore the marks of age and wore the scent of lavender that clung to the priest himself.

Hence Malachi's distraction as he walked. A pair of spectacles sat upon the bridge of his nose, while his eyes were trained downward on the book in his hands, as if searching for something specific. Upon reaching the doors of the church, he turned and pushed against them, stepping backwards into the building.

Only... it wasn't empty. Malachi noticed as much as soon as he turned around, and his eyes fell upon the kneeling form of a familiar woman.

He did not immediately call out to her. Did not wish to interrupt her, but he did make his way closer and sat in one of the front pews. Setting his bible to the side, Malachi waited a bit before he spoke up.

"Miss Mason," he greeted, voice kept soft, mouth drawn into a polite smile. "It is good to see you here again."

She wasn't startled. She finished her prayer just as soon as she heard the sound of his footsteps in the church. She moved to stand and turned to peer at him, a grim look upon her face. "Hello again. I came by to see Constance again and mull over what she did for me." She gave a humorless chuckle and then tilted her head. "And how are you?" Her eyes watched him for a moment and then diverted downward.

"I have a problem I thought I might ask your advice on," she added after a moment, her eyes kind of guarded.

While she at least seemed to have improve somewhat since the last time he had seen her, sleepy and teary-eyed, Miss Mason still appeared to have some trouble held deep within her. Malachi dipped his head in acknowledgement of her desire to visit Miss Harlowe.

He moved to stand as she continued, taking a few steps closer to her.

"I'm alright," he answered, noncommittal. It was not about him. When someone walked into his church, he was not the one to be focused on.

"Of course," Malachi's hands came to rest behind his back, folded loosely. "What is this problem?"

"Miss Harlowe left me her estate," she said softly... "But I cannot have it unless I marry within ninety days in order to keep it from her cousin, Magnus." She sighed, finding it distasteful in general to have to do it this way but knowing she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to survive. She dusted her severe, gray skirt and bit into her lower lip.

She wasn't going to give the exact number of money she would be getting, but it was a significant amount.

She had inherited Miss Harlowe's estate, and the only thing she had to do was marry? Was that not a good thing?

Malachi wore a frown as he considered what it could possibly mean, if Miss Mason was not pleased with this. Sure, she had mentioned her concerns regarding love before, but there had to be men that would marry her.

"I see," he nodded slowly. "You are concerned because... you do not yet have someone to marry?"

"There is one gentleman, but I am not sure about anything. I don't want the marriage to be about the money and the property, that's all." Her eyes were so expressive at the moment, her mouth drawing downward at the corners in a frown. "I would like to marry one day but I wasn't... thinking of circumstances such as these."

Ah. So she had a potential suitor, but not one that necessarily suited her. It was an understandable concern.

Malachi gestured to the nearest pew, "please, sit."

He moved to seat himself, taking the moments in-between to consider the situation more thoroughly.

(Had his father still been around, he knew what he would have suggested at the mention of inheritance. Leave the priesthood, Mal, he would've said, it's time. As if his father would have cared for anything but the estate.)

"It is rather unfortunate that you've been given such a time limit, when you have not yet found someone you care for," he agreed. "This gentleman, is he kind? Does he seem like the kind of man that would take care of you?"

She moved to sit, her eyes soon hooded as she peered at him. "He is not unkind, and he is handsome enough... His name is Mister Appleton and he is the lawyer that read the will. Apparently he is looking for a spouse as well... It was... my idea for him to court me but I feel odd having made such a case to him when I never imagined it happening this way." She smoothed her hands over the fabric of her skirts. "And there are other things too... Whether I should buy a wardrobe, whether I should take over the master bedroom or not, I don't know. It's all overwhelming even though these are smaller wonders. I've never had the kind of money being offered to me now for a high cost of marriage."

The lawyer that read the will? Had Miss Mason ever even met the fellow before then?

Malachi frowned, though his concerned glance was not unkind. It did not take knowing someone forever to know that you cared for them, or to develop so strong a connection as to wish to marry them... but he could not help but worry for her. The lawyer might have been kind, but there was no way for the inheritance not to factor in.

"I believe," he began, after a moment's consideration, "that you should do whatever you want to do. If a wardrobe would help you feel better suited, and the bedroom is to your taste, then you should feel no guilt in using the things Miss Harlowe left to you. Do not second-guess yourself -- if she did not want you to use the money, she would not have given it to you."

There was the requirement of marriage, of course, but even that he could understand. Miss Harlowe had likely only been trying to ensure that Miss Mason did not have it all taken away as soon as she got it.

"As for Mister Appleton, he would be a fool not to court you. But you should prioritize your own wishes first, and make sure that he is the kind of man you would not mind spending your life with."