Into the woods

[Rubyliday]

This is a story that spawned after I bought my BJDs, Jackael and Amelia. I only have a rough outline in my head that I am fleshing out. At the moment I am just trying to get it out of my head and onto "paper". There will be no "posting by chapter" It will just be as it comes to me.
Critiques and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome.

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"Amelia, he is a nice man!" The girl with the bright green eyes watched as her mother made her 100th trip across the room and back. For the past- the grandfather clock in the hall struck seven- exactly thirty minutes her mother had been talking about Edward Glace. He was one of, in fact the only man calling on Amelia. And that fact, that he called at all, worried her.

"He has a good title, a handsome face that will surely make me beautiful grandchildren, and wealth that you could live comfortably on for the rest of your life." On the cusp of her twenty third birthday, she was not far from becoming a spinster. The word alone made her mother, Elizabeth Westcrest nearly faint. In fact she was heatedly talking about that "situation".

"No daughter of mine will ever be a..a" She let out a very unladylike noise and turned to her only child. "He could be worse my dear and there are few that come." Her mothers eyes drifted to the scar over Amelia's left eye. An accident in her teens had left her with a pink scar that ran from her eyebrow to the top of her cheek. At times Amelia believed it pained her mother more over the years then it did herself. "You could learn to love him" Finally her mother sat, bringing the cup of cooled tea to her lips and allowing for Amelia to speak.

"But I do not now and he does not. Surely the dowry that father has offered is what won his affections" He had come calling, with flowers and little trinkets for the past few weeks. But every time that Amelia found herself alone with the man, shivers ran down her spine. Something unnerved her and she could not put a finger on it. It was more then the rumors that head, as all women do, about the man. That he had spent every last penny at the gambling tables or was it on loose women? Either trait was one that she did not favor. While she had found the man tiresome in his efforts, her parents welcomed him with open arms.

"My love" Her mother leaned forward to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I did not love your father when we first met and now I miss him with every fiber of my being while he is gone. Be it a minute or a day." A love struck smile crossed her mothers face and Amelia knew every word to be true.

" I do not doubt what you say or that father does not feel the same" She had watched them enough as she grew to know what true love looked like. "But I do not see that happening between Edward and myself. Please let me have what you and father have." She saw her mothers eyes soften more if it was ever possible. Fierce when it came to the welfare of her family, Elizabeth was the kindest person she had ever met.

"I will talk to your father, that is the most that I can give you." Amelia hugged her mother tight whispering a string of thank yous. While her father was the head of the household, her mother held his heart.

 

[Rubyliday]

Speak of the devil. Amelia heard the front door open and butterflies welled up in her stomach. Charles Westcrest was a stern business man and a loving father but Amelia wondered how he would react to her wish. He wanted her to be comfortable for the rest of her years but would he allow her heart to be broken in the process? The uncertainty made her squirm in her seat. As she worried her bottom lip, her father made his way into the parlor, a drink already in hand. He greeted her mother with a passionate kiss that lingered a little too long for proper manners. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before he sat, one arm behind her mother, legs crossed.

The wind outside had begun to pick up and snow whipped past the windows. A howl of air could be heard as it seeped into the room causing the candles to flicker. Amelia pulled her shawl in closer to her body as a shiver ran down her spine. As if reading her mind, another log was added to the fire by a silent servant. The fire kept the chill out of the room but still she found herself cold. The wool stockings her wore were just another barrier against the cool London winter. The clink of ice and glass was heard before her father broke the short silence.

"So what scandalous gossip are my girls chewing on in here?" He gave a squeeze to Elizabeth's shoulder as they all laughed.

"You know we do not do such things Charles" He gave a snort which was rebutted by a playful from the fiery little woman under his arm. This is what true love was, what she had grown up seeing and what she wanted her children to see as they grew. She knew friends that had been bought into loveless marriages and she saw what it did to the soul. Amelia clutched her tea closer to her chest at the thought, more then the cold causing her to shiver.

"Actually we were just talking about Edward Glace" Amelia gave her mother a look that said more then it needed and she raised an eyebrow in response. She knew what she was doing.

"Ooh. Fine gentleman. In fact I was just talking to him today." The butterflies died and fell down to her knees with the rest of her stomach. "He stopped by the office to discuss some investments that he was interested in. Some were obviously scams but some had potential. Smart boy, seeking advice." This did not bode well at all.

"Charles" Amelia's mother leaned into her fathers body, a knowing look on her face that gave the young girl some hope. "Me and Amelia have been talking about the marriage." There was a pause and the repeating sound of ice against glass. "Amelia-"

"I don’t want to get married" It came out as more of squeak but it came out nonetheless. Both of her parents stared at her.

"What?" Her fathers voice was calm and cool and far to business like.

"I-I what I mean is not that I don’t ever wish to get married just that" Her voice got quieter and quieter. "I don’t want to marry Mr. Glace" Her father just stared and stared at her, his knuckles going white around the glass in hand. Amelia was sure it would break, sure she heard the crack of glass. Finally he spoke.

"You don’t want to marry Edward." Silence again "That is not an option."

"Charles she doesn’t love him"

"Love has nothing to do with it Elizabeth!" Her mother opened her mouth to protest but a raised had quieted her. "I gave in when she asked to take riding lessons then almost broke her neck in a fall. I gave in when she asked to learn to drive those goddamn new automobiles and look what happened!" Her father pointed to her face and Amelia felt tears well up in her eyes. "That is my fault and I will not give in and let her squander her live away for love!" His voice boomed through the house. Tongues would be wagging before it was over. "You will marry Edward and that is the end of it." He took a long sip of his drink emptying the glass and holding it up to be refiled. Amelia saw the servant jump to to as her father wished. It was a rare thing for her father to be upset and even yell, but that it was directed at her, visibly shook Amelia. The tears that had collected streamed down her face as she began to cry. She could not marry him, she could not sacrifice her heart for a title or a comfortable life. She would not.
The shawl slipped off her shoulders as she stood, wiping the tears as they fell.

"I-I do n-not lo-ove him" With that Amelia ran out of the room her slippered feet barely making a sound on the marble floor. She heard her parents call after her but she didn't turn back. She ran to the door, hands fumbling as she pulled it open and ran out into the storm.