Finding time for Girl Talk (Sara Raines) on Cascade Hall

Fae Sinclair

April 08, 2012 11:36 AM

Finding time for Girl Talk (Sara Raines) by Fae Sinclair

With lessons being far too busy and not at all private, Fae had to find another method of being able to have a private conversation with Sara. There was a rumor going around that Sara and Preston Stratford were now an item. Fae wasn’t sure how she felt about this. She had accepted over the summer that Preston’s brother was to be Fae’s brother-in-law because Shelby was ridiculously happy with him, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about Preston dating one of her best friends. Fae felt a bit like they were trying to take over her life. Not only were they here at school, but they were also at home. She couldn’t get away from the Stratford name.

So, she wanted to talk to Sara about the boys in their lives. First, she wanted to find out if the rumors were true and then decide then if she were to congratulate her on the new relationship or tell her to run (her reaction will be based solely on Sara’s response and feelings behind it), second, she wanted to congratulate her on her new title, and third, she wanted Sara’s opinions on Fae’s feelings about certain boys and her confusion about it all. With this in mind, Fae had sent an owl to Sara asking to meet for tea (Fae’s mother was British and still required for them to have tea time in the afternoons) during the Intermediates’ free time so that they can discuss current events. Fae hoped that she wasn’t interfering with Sara’s study time (with her in her Fifth year, Fae knew CATS were looming over her) or her Prefect duties.

Fae sat at an empty table far away from most of the other student body waiting for her friend to arrive. The two girls were opposite in looks in every way imaginable except for in height. Sara was beautiful with her brown hair, olive skin, and brown eyes, while Fae was slightly above average looking (in her own opinion) with blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Their one commonality was that they were both small, petite ladies. To Fae, they were also different in personalities. Fae felt that Sara was a much better proper lady than Fae could ever hope to be. Fae was clumsy and easily confused. Sara seemed to have a grasp on everything and never had a hair out of place. Fae’s parents were ecstatic over the friendship Fae had with someone like Sara Raines. They wanted her to have a good role model while at Sonora.

Spotting Sara entering the hall, Fae stood and raised a hand for Sara to see. “Good day, Sara!” Fae exclaimed with a smile, happy to see her friend and feeling almost relieved to have someone to talk to finally. “I hope I wasn’t interfering with anything you may have already had scheduled for this time, but I wan…needed to discuss some things with you that have been plaguing me.” Fae admitted to the fifth year. “First though, I wanted to congratulate you on your Prefectship. You are definitely the right choice for the title. I’m sure your parents are proud.”

6 Fae Sinclair Finding time for Girl Talk (Sara Raines) 194 Fae Sinclair 1 5

Sara Raines

April 08, 2012 10:35 PM

Always a good thing to do. by Sara Raines

When Fae had sent her a note asking her to tea, Sara had been both nervous and relieved, but mostly relieved. She had needed very much to talk to someone since that day in the Gardens with Preston – someone other than her mother. Mother had been a great help to her about it all with her long letter after Sara wrote home to her, but she wasn’t here in person, and she just wasn’t the same as someone her own age, someone she could be…girly about everything with, instead of just strictly practical. Her mother gave excellent advice, she was sure the best advice she got would be that she’d gotten from Caroline, but it was hard to be girly through a letter, and strange to think of being too girly with her mother, anyway. She was close to her parents, they had what she considered a wonderful relationship, but there was still a proper, respectful distance in it.

She was also, though, as much as anything else really, very curious about what it was that Fae wanted to talk about, and so much that first she’d warned Sara that they were going to have to set something up soon in that crazy Charms class and was now going through with that with this tea in the Cascade Hall. Had something happened in some part of Fae’s family? Was she betrothed? Were there problems with other people in Crotalus? The possibilities were just endless, and she wanted to know what was going on. Hopefully, they would be able to help each other, or at least both have a sympathetic ear.

At the appointed time, then, Sara came to the Hall in an appropriate light green dress, her hair in neat, shoulder-length curls and with just enough make-up on to highlight her best features without looking fake. She’d had a series of special lessons from Aunt Lila’s favorite beautician, the one who did Lila and Catherine’s make-up for their major parties, over the summer about what to do with her face, it had been Aunt Lila’s early birthday present to her, and she had taken advantage of it while she had the chance. She often heard comments about people who wore too much make-up and things and didn’t want to make the same mistake. She smiled widely as she saw her friend and went to join her at a comparatively isolated part of the Hall.

“Hi, Fae,” she said warmly. “Oh, not at all. I’m happy to come. I’ve been wanting to talk to you, too.”

First, though, there were the congratulations on her new badge. She smiled and touched it with a hint of pride. “They are,” she confirmed about her parents as she sat down, thinking fondly of the letter she had gotten from her father after she wrote home with that news on her first night back. “They were thrilled to hear about it. Thank you for your congratulations.” She crossed one knee over the other, settling in for a long conversation. “So,” she said. “What’s going on?”

0 Sara Raines Always a good thing to do. 179 Sara Raines 0 5

Fae

April 09, 2012 9:58 PM

That's what my sister tells me. by Fae

Fae thought, as she listened to Sara speak about her parents, that Sara’s parents must truly be happy with their daughter. She was everything that her Great Grandfather wished Fae could be. Sara was everything that Fae believed that she should be. Even on a regular day mixed in with classes, Sara was flawless. Fae thought her own curls had flattened as the day went on and though her makeup was subtle, she didn’t think she pulled it off quite as well as Sara had. If Fae (and this was a big if) ended up somehow getting the badge next year, she knew her parents would be shocked, but proud. Her Great Grandfather would simply say it was because the rest of her housemates weren’t any better choices. But Fae felt the other three had better chances. They were smarter than her and people probably liked them better anyhow.

She had been wanting to talk to Sara for so long now that being asked directly about the issue, Fae suddenly felt rather stupid and embarrassed for having so much anxiety over what she was sure to be a really idiotic thing. Sara didn’t want to know about Fae’s boy problems. Proper girls didn’t have problems. They were just ladies with their head on straight and had no thoughts of boys until they were betrothed. Well, unless you were Fae’s sister, Shelby, who was now betrothed to the only boy she’d ever really known. Fae was at least lucky to be at a school that was coed.

Closing her eyes to not see Sara’s reaction, Fae spit out what her confusion was about certain things going on in her life. “I think I might like Topher Calhoun.” Fae took a breath and then opened her eyes to look at Sara, guilt overwhelming her for having feelings for anyone at all knowing how inappropriate it was. “And…Arnold.” She added, this time looking down at the tea, feeling her cheeks heat from her own embarrassment. Fae sighed and took a sip of her tea. She was used to the taste, but she didn’t think she would ever love it the way her mother did. “This is silly, I know.” Fae admitted to Sara. “Arnold is my friend. He has always been kind to me and he keeps me safe most of the time. When I see him, I’m happy. I feel happy. And confused, if I’m being honest. But I think that’s more because he’s Arnold rather than anything else.” There was a hint of a smile as Fae spoke, but there was still an underlying layer of fear over what she was admitting.

“But, when I look at Topher, I get this weird feeling at the pit of my stomach. It’s really frustrating because I know it’s wrong and I don’t understand how I can like two very different guys at the same time.” Fae shook her head, trying to clear it. “On top of that, there’s something weird going on with Phoenix. I spent the Fair with him last year, so I know I don’t like him in that way, but at the Opening Feast, I swear, every time he spoke or I looked at him, my brain ceased to work. I just… stared and smiled at him. I really think someone cast some sort of spell on me or slipped a potion into my drink.” Fae admitted to Sara, leaning closer to Sara as though they were conspiring together, which, in a way they were.

“Alright, enough about me and my silly, problems…” Fae did feel better having expressed things that had been running around in her head for the last couple of days. She still felt embarrassed, but at least it wasn’t holed up inside her. “What has been going on with you?” She asked, trying to get to the bottom of the rumors in a way that she hoped was subtle.

0 Fae That's what my sister tells me. 0 Fae 0 5

Sara

April 11, 2012 11:29 PM

She's right about this, anyway by Sara

When Fae, her eyes closed in a way that let Sara know before she even opened her mouth that whatever was coming was going to be something big, said she thought she liked Topher Calhoun, Sara did not choke on her tea, but it wouldn’t have surprised her at all to learn that this was because her teacup wasn’t all the way up to her lips when she heard her friend’s announcement. Her eyes widened and her hand stopped its journey upward abruptly enough that the hot beverage tilted far enough sideways in its cup to burn the tip of a finger which had been resting too close to the rim. Sara put the cup down at once, instinctively touching the damaged finger to her mouth, and because of that she missed the chanced to say a breathless ‘really?’ before Fae opened her eyes and spoke again, this time, admitted she also liked Arnold Carey.

“Oh, my,” she said, feeling, just for the moment, more stunned than intrigued. This was not at all anything that she had expected to hear.

Of course, she thought in the next moment, it shouldn’t be such a surprise to find out that Fae had desires like everyone else. Nor was it as bad as it could have been. She hadn’t said that anything had happened, after all, and even a fling with Topher Calhoun would still be a step above having one with a member of the staff, like Aunt Lila had, but…Fae just always seemed so good. And...Topher Calhoun? Really? Yes, he was nice to look at, she supposed, and Beaters did have that…she didn’t know what…sense of danger and, paradoxically, safety from other dangers that she had to admit could be appealing, but he wasn’t that much of a leap above the staff if you weren’t married.

She laughed, though, when Fae concluded that Arnold being Arnold probably had more to do with confusion around him than anything. She didn’t know Arnold Carey well – certainly she couldn’t imagine him being someone, well, serious enough to act as a provider of safety, just from what she’d seen of him – but from what she did know, she could imagine that was a plausible enough theory. About it being confusing to like two opposites, though, she didn’t have much wisdom to offer, since she thought that pointing out that they did have about the same coloring and both played dangerous positions in Quidditch wouldn’t be the best thing, and then it got worse.

“Really?” she did ask this time, her eyes widening this time in concern at the mention of someone maybe doing something to Fae’s drink, or casting spells like that. That kind of thing…Good Merlin, boys were confusing enough, capable enough of messing with a girl’s emotions already, without someone doing that to you. “Do you have any idea who might do something like that to you? Who might want to?” She just couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to do that to her friend, but if she was right, then that definitely needed to be sorted out.

“Nothing compared to all that,” she said, still a little awed, when Fae asked about what had been going on with her recently. “I just have to worry about planning a party for this summer….” She smiled, then decided to spill it all. “It seems like making the guest list has just gotten more complicated now that Preston and I are…dating.” She glanced up, her teeth just biting down on her lower lip for a second, to gauge Fae's reaction to this announcement.

0 Sara She's right about this, anyway 0 Sara 0 5

Fae

April 16, 2012 7:26 PM

She usually is right. by Fae

A feeling of disappointment hit her just a little when Sara offered only a little ‘oh my’ after Fae admitted all of her feelings about the two boys in her life. She had been hoping for Sara to say something more. Give her ideas or advice on how to handle the situation. Even tell her she was being stupid for even thinking about any of them at all like this. Well, she supposed thinking of Arnold like that was acceptable considering his background, but most definitely not Topher. Liking Topher could possibly mean an embarrassment to her family and that was the one thing she was trying desperately never to do. Still, she would have liked something from her friend to let her know she wasn’t completely insane or abnormal for having these feelings.

The admission of the possibility of someone having fun with Fae’s emotion at her own expense seemed to cause a far greater stir in Sara than the admission of liking two boys had. Fae wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or not, but she was happy that Sara was at least upset over it. Fae took that as a good sign. “Well… I had thought possible Josephine Owen because a couple of years ago she really seemed to hate me, but I’m fairly certain that we worked out our difference in potions that year and she hasn’t hated since.” Fae told Sara after a moment of thought. “As for anyone else, I haven’t a clue. I don’t think I’ve been rude to anyone or have done anything to have someone dislike me enough to do something so cruel.” Of course, this was a school full of people, who was to say what any of them were truly capable of. Fae could have smiled and ended up with an enemy.

Fae had been anticipating Sara’s admission to whatever it was that she and Preston were now, but when her friend actually did admit to it, Fae felt herself go cold. She had tried to keep her face even, but she knew somewhere on her face, a muscle twitched. In her moment of freeze, she hadn’t been able to tell what muscle, whether it was her eye, her cheek, or possibly her mouth, she hadn’t a clue. But something had twitched. Fae had thought she was prepared for the answer, but she clearly had not. Her friend seemed rather pleased by this news, so Fae gave her a smile, even if she wasn’t sure she believed in it. Fae knew, logically, that Preston had done nothing to her any more than the Stratfords had, but she couldn’t help the feeling of anger (or possibly jealousy) that fired up in the pit of her stomach.

She finished the sip of tea that she had been trying to take when Sara had admitted the truth to her. Unfortunately, the warmth of the tea did not reach the coldness that had overcome Fae. Her smile still remained though. “I heard the rumor.” Fae admitted to her friend, replacing the cup back on the saucer, “but I wanted you to confirm that before I made any speculation. How did it happen? Was he romantic about it or is this something the two of you agreed upon?” Fae may not have truly forgiven the Stratfords for becoming a part of her life in every direction imaginable, but she could see that her friend was most pleased by this new status and Fae was rather curious to know how everything had happened. For all Fae knew, Sara was now betrothed to Preston but they were calling it a ‘relationship’.

0 Fae She usually is right. 0 Fae 0 5

Sara

April 17, 2012 4:59 PM

Very impressive by Sara

“Of course not,” Sara agreed at once when Fae said she didn't think she had been rude to anyone, to make an enemy. She had trouble seeing Fae do that; she thought it was a bit more likely that she would do that than Fae would. She had always been too excitable, after all; it was an effort to be proper without being completely dull or letting herself get carried away. “I can’t even imagine you doing that.”

Unless…it was something to do with all these boy troubles. Perhaps some other girl was after one of them or the other and knew of Fae’s interest in that one? It seemed awfully convoluted, but Aladrens were very bright, and Alice Adair, too. Maybe she was really interested in Topher Calhoun? Her older sister had, well, seemed at one time to have a flirtation with Marcus, but Jordan and Alice had never seemed to her to share much but their surname, and Marcus was apparently something of a special case for some girls. He’d taken Eliza Bennett to the Ball, too. And Alice and Fae were friends, too, and Sara couldn’t imagine doing that to a friend.

Anyway, she wasn’t sure yet how to say any of that, she was still a little stunned by the entirety of it, so she left it out for now.

Something about Fae’s expression – it definitely included the twitch – let her know that her friend wasn’t as pleased about the thing with Preston as Sara was, and that made Sara a little uneasy, honestly. Fae surely didn’t want him for herself – for one thing, she hadn’t mentioned him just now, and for another, her family already had a connection to him through her sister – so it had to be something else. Did she know something? Had something…improper, maybe, happened over the summer, something Sara didn’t know about? She thought she had kept tabs well enough on people over the summer, and surely Fae would tell her if there were something bad, but….Oh, dear, now she was going to think this to death.

“I’d say…somewhere in the middle,” Sara said thoughtfully, considering how the relationship had been proposed to her, “but more romantic. He gave me a rose, and we had a nice picnic.” She smiled fondly at the memory. “We saw each other often over the summer, too, and my parents mentioned possibilities to me, but there’s nothing…” She blushed a little, but excused herself on the basis of a lot being permissible when it was just in girl talk. “Official.”

She took a sip of her tea, too. “What about you and, er, Arnold and Mr. Calhoun?” she asked. “Does either of them…know?”

She had, after all, to hear more about this, now that she was starting to accept it. She herself had thought different boys were more or less attractive – indeed, just thinking from the boys Fae had mentioned, Sara had noticed before that Arnold Carey’s twin was, if nothing else, very nice to look at sometimes, and she’d noticed Phoenix Lucore, too, if not to nearly at all to the extent that her friend had just described – but it was just so many idle thoughts until one or another boy knew something about it, or they both did, though both of them knowing might make things more interesting than Sara thought any of the people who’d really be involved, them and their friends, would ever really want them to be.

0 Sara Very impressive 0 Sara 0 5

Fae

April 22, 2012 3:17 PM

It seems that way by Fae

Fae was relieved to hear that Sara didn’t think Fae had done anything to provoke someone into making Fae do foolish things. Fae was certain she hadn’t, but people were peculiar, so even if she hadn’t thought she’d done anything wrong, there was no real telling of whether or not someone else thought she had done something offensive. Even so, she was happy to know that Sara at least agreed with her. Sara was the sort of person who people listened to (boys were probably less aware of this), so if Sara said something positive towards Fae, Fae tended to believe her.

Although Sara had confirmed Fae’s thoughts about not having offended someone recently to deserve being made a fool of, Fae wasn’t entirely sure someone didn’t hate her. Fae felt very different from some of the other girls in her class. There were only a couple of proper Pureblood females in her year but Hope was so quiet and Fae had never really spoken to her to know what she was like and Alice was Alice. The other girls in all the houses seemed for at ease with things and lived their lives in fits of giggles. At least, this is what Fae saw whenever she happened to be close enough to notice. Fae had Alice, who was far too into her own brain to really catch a joke and Sara, who was very proper and someone Fae was supposed to mimic. Sometimes, when Victor was around, Fae saw a glint of freedom in her sister. It was never there when they were around the adults, both acted politely and proper, but when the adults were busied elsewhere, her sister and her fiancé acted like normal teenagers. Fae had started to wonder if that would ever come true for her. Would she be able to be with a boy, her betrothed, as though they were normal? The way Shelby and Victor were and now possibly Sara and Preston?

“Flowers are lovely.” Fae said when Sara confessed how their new relationship began. Fae couldn’t see Preston Stratford as being romantic, but maybe he read it in a book somewhere. The cynical part of Fae’s brain wondered where Preston had even come up with a rose. He couldn’t possibly have kept it in his trunk this whole time, could he? Or had he pulled it from a rose bush on school grounds? Was that a pessimistic thought? Probably. “Well, I’m sure it won’t be long before either your parents decide it’s time to make it official.” Fae guessed. It had taken the Stratfords awhile before the betrothal to Shelby was official, but he was the Heir. She didn’t think they’d be as …strict when it came to Preston.

Fae practically jumped out of her seat when Sara asked after Arnold and Topher. “Merlin, I hope not!” Fae exclaimed, blushing profusely now. She really hoped neither of them were aware of her feelings. For one, Topher wasn’t at all appropriate for her and if word got around that she had a crush on him, her family might find out and be humiliated. For another, Arnold was her friend and that could really make things awkward between the two of them. More so than they were already. “It’s all far too humiliating.” Fae confessed, feeling stupid for having all these silly boy issues. “Besides, even if they did know, it’s not like they feel the same way as me, which is what makes it so much worse, I feel.”

0 Fae It seems that way 0 Fae 0 5

Sara

April 22, 2012 10:45 PM

We're not too wrong, though by Sara

Sara, in spite of herself, felt a little thrill of nervousness at Fae’s confidence that her arrangement with Preston either would or would not become something permanent soon enough. So silly, she knew that really most of what was required of her as a wife would be tied up very much in dressing well and acting graciously and properly, which she had to do all the time anyway, but she just couldn’t help it when she thought about that. Being tied to one person forever, and knowing that now, but then leaving her family entirely to live with him and have babies and be a Mrs. So-and-So instead of Miss Sara Raines….She didn’t dread it, there really was no point in that and anyway, it seemed to work out well enough for most people, but it was just the kind of thought that made her…fluttery, she thought.

She smiled, though, and said, “Well, what’s going to happen will happen, I suppose,” even though she knew it wasn’t the strongest response in the world. Something about the words themselves felt a little too pat to her. It was true, since the parents were really the ones who would move things along from here even if Preston did go to his father and ask sometime, but too pat.

She wondered if Fae ever felt anything like that as she smiled and added, “I think it might almost be a relief in one way to have it over with, to know what’s going to happen, but…It is a little strange to think about, isn’t it?”

Telling her about the two boys had, after all, been a big confidence; Sara had to offer something at least a little improper in return. Of course she was supposed to be delighted, and nothing else, at the thought of a good betrothal, but Sara had come to think that no one was really what they were supposed to be all the time. She tried her best, and thought she did an adequate job at it, maybe even a good job at it, but she couldn’t help what she thought sometimes, or what she just saw on a day-to-day basis. Besides, it felt good to say it out loud to someone, that it was strange to think of being betrothed and then married, and say it to someone she could trust not to tell everyone about it.

Fae’s boy issues were clearly strange for her to think about, too, though, and worse than Sara’s. Sara felt real sympathy for her when she blushed. “I…can see how that would be awful,” she said when Fae said them not feeling the same was the worst part of liking both of them. She would have thought being, if she’d interpreted Fae’s original speech right, more attracted to one than the other and him not being the appropriate one, was worse, but wanting two and not being wanted by even one would be pretty bad. “Are you sure? I mean, are there…other girls or anything?” Sara didn’t think so, but Merlin knew she didn’t know anything. “Boys are hard to read, you know. I never would have guessed that Preston would do what he did.” She was still a little surprised by it, really, even now.

0 Sara We're not too wrong, though 0 Sara 0 5

Fae

April 23, 2012 7:46 PM

No, I don't think so either by Fae

“I’m terrified.” Fae confessed. Ever since Shelby started seeing Victor back when she had just finished her first year at Sonora, Fae had been terrified about the future. Maybe if Jaiden had been betrothed first, it would be different, but Fae doubted it. Her siblings had to very different betrothals and Fae was terrified of hers being absolutely awful. Jaiden was marrying a woman he had only just met, but was taking the time to get to know whereas, Shelby had the opportunity to date Victor long before they were actually betrothed. Thinking about it, Fae assumed it was because they were dating that even started the ball rolling for the betrothal in the first place. But with Fae’s luck, she’d likely end up with a guy who wanted nothing to do with her and had twelve illegitimate children.

“I mean, I want to know who my parents feel would be a good fit for me and it would be a relief just to have it done and over with, but I’m really scared about what he is like and whether we’ll be okay.” It took a lot for Fae to admit that. She had kept that in for a long time, but there was only so much she could keep hidden and today seemed to be the day for confessions anyway.

Fae gave Sara’s question some thought. She honestly didn’t know if there were other girls or not. She had never asked Arnold if he was interested in anyone, but she figured she would just know. The only time she ever saw him with other girls was when they were in class together. But then, Fae didn’t see him outside of class unless it was at meal times or by chance outside. Usually, she just saw him with his Aladren friends and twin. “I don’t think Arnold has any other girls around him that would suggest one of them is into him… But, I can’t say for certain as I’ve never paid much attention to other girls before.” Fae admitted to Sara.

“I have no idea about Topher. I really only speak with him during the Opening Feast and, on occasion, lessons when we work together. Our conversations haven’t really been that personal before to even consider asking about girls or thinking about other girls being interested in him.” Fae commented. “I hardly even noticed him until sometime last year. I’m sure others have too.”

Now that this thought was put into her head, Fae knew she was going to pay far more attention to the girls in their classes than she had before.

“I know it’s ridiculous to have this as an issue. It wouldn’t even matter if Topher liked me anyway because we would never date. I could never date him. And Arnold… he’s Arnold. He’s funny and sweet and a little bit suicidal, but he’s Arnold.” Fae, who’s face had momentarily been twisted into confusion, untwisted itself long enough to smile. “But, dating him wouldn’t really mean anything since we’re both bound to be betrothed at some point. What a waste of feelings that would have been…”

Fae went quite for a moment as though she needed a moment to gather her thoughts and then she looked up at Sara and gave her a small shrug, “I just think it’d be nice to know that they like me too. The way you know that Preston likes you.”

0 Fae No, I don't think so either 0 Fae 0 5

Sara

April 24, 2012 7:10 PM

And we'll get more right as we go along by Sara

‘Terrified,’ in Sara’s opinion, was a very strong word, and she wanted to give Fae a comforting hug, or at least squeeze her hand since this was very public, when her friend used it to describe her feelings about getting married, or even having it settled for sure that she was definitely going to get married someday. It was scary, especially when Fae put it like that; Sara had just always somehow believed that she would know her future husband before he became her future husband, but really, that wasn’t necessary. Look at Catherine. Yes, she’d known Theo’s sister before, and of course that had worked out just fine, but Sara was reasonably sure that her cousin had had barely the most common acquaintance with her husband when they had that grand party, about which Sara remembered little but how bright Catherine’s huge engagement ring had been compared to her petrified smile and how excited she, Sara, had been to be allowed to go. She had been a little girl then, but it had been an important night for the family.

“I never thought of it like that,” she said. “I suppose it’s because my parents – “ Sara felt her cheeks turning just slightly pink. “They sort of settled things for themselves,” she explained. “Of course they asked their parents’ permission, but they liked each other first. I suppose that doesn’t mean it has to be that way for me, though.” They were more important than they had been even then; her grandfather had not even thought of status or money, and barely of blood, when he married her grandmother, but then his brother had made them a fortune and married a Forwynt….

It was funny, anyway, how things happened, but Sara still couldn’t see how they could do anything but accept what couldn’t be changed, at least by them, and try to make the best of it. “I’m sure you’ll be all right, though,” she said, hoping her tone was comforting. “You’ll make a wonderful wife.”

She listened as Fae thought about whether or not her boys had other girls, and that the answer seemed to be ‘no’ with Arnold and ‘maybe’ with Topher. “I couldn’t say,” Sara admitted. “I never noticed him with anyone but you and Alice, though.”

She laughed at Fae’s description of Arnold Carey. It was true that his brother seemed much more…stable in some ways, perhaps like the kind it would be easier to be married to, though Sara still, irrationally, thought that if someone dropped from the sky right now and told her she had to marry one or the other, she’d pick Arnold. Arthur…in society, she didn’t mind him, but she wasn’t sure she could eat breakfast alone with Arthur Carey, never mind…anything else.

“It is nice,” she admitted when Fae mused about knowing that someone really liked you, blushing a little again. She really needed to stop that. People would start to think she was an idiot. “But you never know – with Arnold, anyway. It could work out. It did for your sister, didn’t it?” Her own situation, Sara left out of it for a moment; she wasn’t sure if Fae was vaguely criticizing her with that mention of wasted feelings or not.

0 Sara And we'll get more right as we go along 0 Sara 0 5