THIS THREAD IS HEREBY YEETED

Amelia had acquiesced and spent some of the money allowed to her in order for her to attract the attentions of one, Mister Nate Appleton. She supposed she was not too displeased with this notion, for Nate was easy to look upon and she was not blind. She got dressed in a beautiful day-gown of rich, blue fabric. The maid had done her hair in the latest style and she was even accessorized with some less expensive pieces of jewelry. She allowed herself a necklace with one, single pearl suspended from a simple gold chain, matching ear bobs, and a gold bracelet to match that.

She looked at herself in the mirror. A lovely young woman stared back at her. "Thank you, Madeline," she said to the woman who'd been Constance's maid and now stepped into the role as her own. She looked much different with color on than the severe gray she was used to wearing. She got up from her dressing table and headed down to the parlor for tea.

He came by a cart pulled by a mule, modest yet a solid investment to any future vicar’s future. The cart however, didn’t have a cover and he had to keep his head tilted so that his hat could deflect the sea spray that made the air feel full and humid. Ever since his sister decided to spend her time here (though that wasn’t exactly her choice, but one could not tell Alec that) he wasn’t sure how he felt about the way the large homes and color of rows of homes made him feel. It was all so very…prideful and vain. However, no matter how many times he rounded that trail to see the church’s ruins in the distance it never failed to take his breath away. 

Alexander touched the cross that he wore beneath his shirt just to make sure that God knew he was always thinking of him, and armed now with an offer of marriage for his sister his devotion was paying off. 

“Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep,” He muttered to himself as he pressed on to where he would find his twin.

"I should like to go for a walk," she said to the maid, "If you would accompany me." And then they were leaving the house. Only, she took several steps and stopped short when she caught sight of a man who had a familiar face. Only, the last time she had seen that face, it had been much younger. Amelia wasn't sure how to feel at this sudden appearance of kin she barely even knew.

"Alexander?" she asked and took a few, hesitant steps toward the man, looking him up and down and then settling her startled gaze upon his face. "What are you doing here?" Did she hug the man? No... She didn't. She wouldn't, either, for she wasn't sure what he even wanted with her.

Of course she dare not hug him…such signs of affections were for the weak and his sweet sister was certainly nothing of the sort. 

“I’ve come to visit, are you not please?” Though he was a great deal taller than her and she may have been a few moments older, Alec felt as though he were always the superior. 

“I have heard about your time here, and I have come to see it for myself,” he continued as he held his bag out for her to take, “Where is my room?”

The maid took the bag, "I'll see to it right away, sir," and Amelia narrowed her eyes. See for himself? See for himself?! Anger burned at the pit of her stomach. She spent the next moment attempting to calm her already frayed nerves. Instead, she blurted out what was on her mind. "Pleased? Why, I am SOOO pleased," she said with false sweetness. "I am so pleased that you decided to finally take an interest in my life, but may I ask... why ever for? You and father certainly took no interest before now as to my whereabouts and goings on as long as I was good and proper, which I -have- been." And that was a bitter pill to swallow.

She sighed and the butler stood there with the door open. He did not look too pleased. The old man eyed the young man with thinly veiled hostility and the need to protect Amelia seemed to be great. "Your room is being prepared, sir," he said with a derisive sniff.

“Ah yes,” He said easily enough, “I see you still have your favor of dramatics, but I beg you sister. Can this not wait until I am at least out of the weather?” He gave her a dark look before looking around the home in which she kept. 

Was this hers? 

“You think that I have had no interest sister? Have you felt so very alone? I assure you that is not the logical approach to what has happened between us, but perhaps you will be in a better mood if you know that my interest in you has never not been there. I have just been busy with my own studies.”

"If that is so, why haven't you written?" She was quite annoyed with the fact that he had simply just invited himself to her abode. Or, well, the abode that would be hers as soon as she married. She had a total of 84 and a half days left to go to find herself a husband. The days were rapidly going by the wayside and here she was trying to find someone worthy of her. Now her brother was there and she didn't know what to do! She was certainly glad that Nate hadn't invited her to a drive yet or anything.

She rolled her eyes heavenward when he asked if she felt alone but in that tone that really said he didn't care and she was just an inconvenience to be around. "Funny, Alec, at least you had father to dote on you. I was passed off to a couple who only took me in as a favor and gave no love." She snorted, "Of course I've been alone. Even more so now with the passing of my mistress."

Alexander folded his hands behind his back now as he took her storm against him like a stone at sea. She had always been the more spirited one and in truth he blamed it on her inferior sex. They both were of a lesser rank when it came to society, but Alec never saw it that way. He felt as much a king as any because he had a God that loved him and a place for purpose.

“It seems you have done well enough on your own, with or without my help,” He said as he eyed the butler as well.

“Sister, you must understand that in my studies I had no time for anything else, but that does not mean I did not think of you. I was unable to send them, but in my bag is a letter for every week I was away.”

She peered at her brother in exasperation as he spoke. She had never so much as raised her voice to him before, but she'd been on her own long enough that his excuses stung without mercy. "And you have come to tell me you actually care?" She gave an un-ladylike snort and said firmly, "I did what was asked of me, brother. I found work." And then she said, "For your information, I did so well that Miss Harlowe left her entire estate to me." What she would not tell him was that she was obligated to marry. She hadn't written her family about that information.

"I will ask again, why'd you come?"

“I am pleased to hear this,” He went on about the estate as he looked the room over, “This will make you a far more worthy temptation for a proper marriage than before.” He turned to face her once more and dark eyes narrowed in on her own. He both hated and loved the way he could see his reflection in them but vowed not to be distracted this day.

“I came because I do care, and our father feels that it is should be my duty to see that you are to marry a worthy man.” From his breast pocket he produced a list,

“Here are the three that I have narrowed down who have shown interest in you.”