06-12-2022, 10:15 AM
Rose had been watching the race and had looked on with horror from the moment she realized that Alice participated in Lory's team, and with more horror from the moment it dawned on her that her husband and father had been unaware of this beforehand and were not pleased.
Rose hadn't liked this marriage from the start, and despite Tobias' saving her sisters' lives, she mistrusted him. He was a very strong, fully grown man, and his home was miles away from Whitby in the middle of nowhere. Her sister was but a little girl in Rose's eyes, her mistake being exactly that of a foolish child. It had only demonstrated how little she knew of men, before she was handed over to play wife to one twice her age. Thinking of how horrified Alice had to be at everything that awaited her in Castleton had made her sick to the stomach whenever she thought of it. But much as she disliked it, she had seen the necessity of it, and the only thing she had been able to do for her little sister was pleading for Castleton to be a safe haven and Tobias to be a loving husband in her nightly prayers.
When she had seen where Alice had docked, she had rushed over - partly to shout at her for being so stupid, and partly to shield her from her father and husband doing the same.
But when she got there a crowd had gathered already arguing and just then Mr. Meijer joined. Rose felt her stomach jolt and her knees tremble. Sweat broke out. But fear for her own wellbeing - she didn't even know what she dreaded Mr. Meijer would do to her, but he still gave her nightmares - was soon replaced by fear for Alice's safety. Mr. Meijer was a liar. But she didn't trust Tobias either and she wasn't happy with his answers.
Tobias and the lady who seemed to be in charge of the boat were too close to the boarding plank. Rose ran to the shore, used the momentum to make a leap, and landed nimbly in the rocking boat. She joined her sister and Lory, ignoring for the moment the recent accusations she had heard against her cousin. "Alice," she said, taking her sister's hands in her own and looking at her intently, "what does 'e do to ye?" She looked briefly at Lory - there were tears in Lory's eyes and Rose decided then and there to bury whatever she had heard - and then back at Alice. "Lory and I will protect ye, I promise."
She'd stand up to her father if she needed to.
Probably.
She thought she would.
Hoped she would.
Rose hadn't liked this marriage from the start, and despite Tobias' saving her sisters' lives, she mistrusted him. He was a very strong, fully grown man, and his home was miles away from Whitby in the middle of nowhere. Her sister was but a little girl in Rose's eyes, her mistake being exactly that of a foolish child. It had only demonstrated how little she knew of men, before she was handed over to play wife to one twice her age. Thinking of how horrified Alice had to be at everything that awaited her in Castleton had made her sick to the stomach whenever she thought of it. But much as she disliked it, she had seen the necessity of it, and the only thing she had been able to do for her little sister was pleading for Castleton to be a safe haven and Tobias to be a loving husband in her nightly prayers.
When she had seen where Alice had docked, she had rushed over - partly to shout at her for being so stupid, and partly to shield her from her father and husband doing the same.
But when she got there a crowd had gathered already arguing and just then Mr. Meijer joined. Rose felt her stomach jolt and her knees tremble. Sweat broke out. But fear for her own wellbeing - she didn't even know what she dreaded Mr. Meijer would do to her, but he still gave her nightmares - was soon replaced by fear for Alice's safety. Mr. Meijer was a liar. But she didn't trust Tobias either and she wasn't happy with his answers.
Tobias and the lady who seemed to be in charge of the boat were too close to the boarding plank. Rose ran to the shore, used the momentum to make a leap, and landed nimbly in the rocking boat. She joined her sister and Lory, ignoring for the moment the recent accusations she had heard against her cousin. "Alice," she said, taking her sister's hands in her own and looking at her intently, "what does 'e do to ye?" She looked briefly at Lory - there were tears in Lory's eyes and Rose decided then and there to bury whatever she had heard - and then back at Alice. "Lory and I will protect ye, I promise."
She'd stand up to her father if she needed to.
Probably.
She thought she would.
Hoped she would.
