Andrew was in a conundrum. First, he had gotten himself in trouble with Rose and his friend from London. Then he discovered that his heart wasn't in the wedding at all, something was bothering him greatly. He kept it to himself though, for he knew he would hurt his fiance if he even brought it up. The fact that their kisses left him feeling... empty... should have been a good indicator that what he and Rose were doing was a bad idea. He was obligated to marry her and that was that.

He decided he wanted to at least try to court her anyway and see if love would develop between them. After all, many marriages were made without love. Andy reminded himself that everything was still new. In the interest of making things better, he invited Rose to the fair.

He'd gone and picked her up in his buggy, and they were ambling along the road in relative silence. The silence he soon broke. "Are ye excited to go to the fair?" he asked, his eyes on the destination ahead. They were close.

The question of whether this was true love did not even cross Rose's mind. Though the whole affair with Abigail had deeply shaken her, Andrew had made it clear that he chose Rose, and the latest Rose had heard - because she had obsessively asked around about the girl's every move - was that Abigail had left the town to become a servant herself.

Good riddance.

Not that she had cared, even.

Now Rose was back in the dream. She was going to leave domestic service and finally be a wife! She was getting married to a baker! He thought she was pretty! And he had even picked her up in a buggy! What ordinary fishing girl or maid-of-all-work could boast that? So how could she worry? What were strong feelings anyway, if they could turn into hurt? This love - the promise of a comfortable life, kind attention, and propriety - was far more comfortable to her. Wasn't that true love?

She stared out dreamily with a healthy red flush on her cheeks. All of this seemed like a wonderful dream. When he spoke, she turned her head and looked up at him. "Oh yes!" she said, and she reached down to take his hand. "I've never gone there in a buggy, too! You really surprised me!"

"Good. I am glad ye like it." The buggy was his newest purchase. He had finally seen some profit in the bakery after slaving away by himself for a time, and now he had a young man who he hired on as an apprentice. That Jacob, the kid in question, had googly eyes for Rose didn't even bother him, and THAT bothered him. He should have been jealous, but instead, he secretly wished Rose would notice Jacob the way he had noticed Abi.

He picked up Rose's hand and gave a light kiss to the back of it, and he reined his gelding. The buggy came to a stop. The sound of merrymaking could be heard as people swarmed about the fair. "What do ye want ta do first?" He got out of the vehicle and moved around to the other side to help her down. Assuming she let him, he would grip her about the waist and then pull her down gently, setting her on her feet. He managed to smile and buss her on the cheek before pulling back.

Rose's blush deepened when Andrew took her by the waist to help her down. When she was down on her feet, she turned to look at the fairground. It was busy and noisy, the repetitive melodies from the machines mixing with the chatter of the exuberant crowd. "How about a game? I want to see you at darts!"

"Oi, I haven't played darts in some time, aye." He grinned and curled his arm around hers, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm as he escorted his lady toward the fairgrounds and began to look for the darts. He smiled as a few kids ran around them in their excitement for things. When the darts game was found, he shelled out any payment required and then gathered the handful of missiles and he took his stance in front of the booth. He took aim and began launching the toys toward their marks. As luck would have it, the darts hit their target one by one.

She gladly held on to his arm as they walked over to the darts stall. There were some girls she knew from back in her schooldays, staring at the tall, handsome man, and gawking at their old classmate hanging from his arm, and Rose glowed with pride (and gave them a 'bitch don't come near him' look). She let go of him and took a step back when they reached the stall, in order to give him space.

When he hit every single target, she punched his arm, though gently. "Liar!" she exclaimed. "Have you practiced in secret to impress me? Hmmm?"

Alright, so he was genuinely having fun. He laughed when she punched his arm, then said, "I swear, it was luck!" He lifted his hands innocently. "I just have a knack for the game I suppose. What prize did I win for ye?" he asked and indicated the prizes.

"I don't believe ye!" Rose laughed, but when he mentioned the prize, she turned away to look at the prizes. She pointed at a piece of china fairing in the shape of a little sparrow. "That one will look nice on our mantlepiece," she said.

Oh, yes... she was already making plans for home decor and they still had a short time left before they would be wed. He plastered a smile on his face and took the figurine from the man in the booth and wasn't sure what to do from that point other than turn it this way and that to examine it. "Yes, it will look lovely on the mantle," he said, not batting his eye at the way his stomach clenched in distaste for frippery such as home decor.

Rose took his arm. "I love sparrows. They're such happy and friendly little creatures," she said, staring at the little object he was holding. "What would you like to do next?"