Fantasy Caught in the Waves (Closed)

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter smiled, kissing her back. His things really didn't mean much to him at this point. Just Ella. But he was thankful nonetheless that she had come to make sure he was all taken care of. "Not without you," he said, returning her kiss. "But thank you." He held her close to him as Alec joined them and the four figured out dinner plans.

He had eaten some bread and cheese earlier, but the mention of Rory's cooking had his mouth watering. After prison food, he probably could have eaten just about anything and it would taste good, but Rory's food was unlike anything he'd ever tasted. He had been spoiled rotten living with the Sinclaires. "I could eat a horse," he said, a small smile on his face. Then realizing Alec's chosen profession and the fact that they were still in a stable, he ran his hand through his hair. "Only kidding of course. But yes, I'll eat."

Josie managed to give them all a smile as well, and leaned her head on Alec for a moment. "Good. Let's take it inside. It's a little warm out here."

"Oh, uh, actually," Peter said, looking at them all a bit sheepishly. "Maybe you two can. If you don't mind, I think I'd rather eat out here with Ella. I.. I'm not sure when we'll get another chance."

Of course Josephine couldn't say no, so she nodded. "Right. Of course. Ella, I'll find you later," she said. She only took a moment to pull out some food from the basket for her and Alec, then tugged lightly on his arm back towards the house.

 

[AvianJen]

Ella was hardly listening as everyone else talked about dinner, she just held Peter close and rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes.

Alec laughed at Peter's horse joke and clapped him on the back. "Don't be ridiculous, I know it's just an expression," he chuckled. And while Alec maintained that horses understood more than humans gave them credit for, he didn't think they'd take offense either. "I offered you food," he said to Peter with amusement, but of course it had nothing on Rory's cooking.

He nodded, ready to take the food outside when Peter requested to stay out here with Ella. The girl smiled warmly and nodded. She'd die for a few minutes alone with Peter. She exchanged a glanced with Josephine, finding it somewhat ironic that they appeared to have switched places. She and Peter would stay in the loft, and Josephine and Alec would go to the house. Alec let Josephine pick what she wanted from the basket of food before passing it off to Peter, taking Josephine's hand and leading her towards the house. When they were safely inside, he took the food from her and set it out on the table, going to pour a couple of drinks.

"How'd things go?" he asked her. "With Ella?" Hopefully Josephine had gotten some indication on whether or not her sister was going to forgive her.

Outside, Ella led Peter up the stairs to Alec's loft. It was mostly empty save for extra horse supplies, but it was kind of cozy. Ella could see the appeal. She sat down on a bale of hay in the corner next to Peter as she pulled some food from the basket, handing it off to him. She didn't say anything for several moments, just taking in the fact that she was actually here with him. And here, it was...private, quiet. Just the two of them. "Hungry?" she asked. "We were worried that we'd be too early, but I couldn't...I needed to see you."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter shrugged, pulling a hand through his hair as he looked towards Alec. "Well I wouldn't want to offend the person offering me his house," he said. Sometimes it felt like he had to tiptoe around everybody, especially now. They spoke up for him in the trial, but it didn't mean they liked him. They more than likely did it mostly for Ella, or their own guilt, than because of him, he knew.

Waiting for them to leave, he followed Ella up to the loft. He looked around with mild curiosity, but the loft was not unlike many parts of a ship. Small, cramped, a little musty. It wasn't the most romantic place in the world, but it would do. And it was private. And he would have been happy anywhere so long as he got what he really wanted, which was to spend time alone with Ella. He smiled, taking the basket from her and digging through it. "Starved," he said, then shoved a roll into his mouth somewhat unattractively while she explained she couldn't wait to see him.

Swallowing, he moved closer to place a kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you're here," he said. "I needed to see you, too." He left out the bit about the need being worse since he knew her father wouldn't allow them much more of this.

Meanwhile, Josie pulled up a chair and picked through the food to find what she wanted while Alec poured some drinks. She gave pause at his question just to think back and absorb what had happened earlier. "It went... better. Better than I expected." She wouldn't say things were normal again, but a hug was definitely far more than she would have thought Ella was ready for at this point. "She hugged me. I think she's just been so stressed out, that I doubt she's even given us much thought to be honest."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella cherished every second with Peter in the loft, hardly taking her hands off of him for a second. She loved him so much, and while it pained her to know that they might not see much of each other for the coming weeks, she took comfort in knowing that Peter was safe and that, even if she wasn't with him, he was a live and waiting for her. They would figure it out- Ella knew that she would never settle for anything less, never anyone other than Peter.

They spent the evening munching on Rory's food, cuddling and kissing and talking about when things were better, easier. Conversation always flowed easily, and it almost felt like no time had passed at all. But things had changed, and Ella couldn't crawl into Peter's bed tonight. Well, not really.

When they were finished eating, Ella took Peter back inside and helped him get ready for bed, totally pampering him. When he was ready for bed she climbed in next to him and, as expected, he fell asleep within moments. Ella brushed his hair out of his face and pressed a kiss to his cheek before slipping out of bed to rejoin Josephine and Alec.

Alec was happy that it seemed like Ella would forgive him, but mostly for Josephine. He was thrilled that things were going to work out, and with Peter's trial out of the way...Alec had a few plans in mind.

It was in the next couple days that Alec went out to buy the ring. It wasn't an expensive one, but it was elegant and classic. A lovely little diamond and a gold band, beautiful and glittering. Josie was coming to visit him this weekend, and Alec had a perfect day planned with a proposal to put the icing on the cake. Everything finally felt like it was coming together.

However, that wasn't the case for Ella. She wasn't allowed to see Peter, obviously, but she was writing him little letters and stories and sending them over with Josephine when she went to visit Alec. They were coming up with a plan to meet at the lake in a few days, if he was up for it. It sounded to Ella like he was recovering well. But one fateful day, everything changed.

Mr. Sinclair had been gone all day, leaving his daughters with the house to themselves. It wasn't until the evening when he returned, a small procession including one more carriage than he'd left with. Ella and Josephine went out to meet him and sure enough, the first carriage opened to reveal their father. The second opened to reveal a handsome young man, with style black hair and a fancy suit.

"My girls," he said happily, approaching them and giving each a hug. "Allow me to introduce Mr. Logan Carlisle." He gestured to the man at his side. "Logan, this is my eldest Josephine and of course, my lovely Ella." Ella glanced at Josephine, suspicion in her eyes. This better not be what she thought it was.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Spending time with Ella was exactly what Peter needed to start feeling like himself again. Even just those few hours he got to spend with her did wonders for his spirit, even if he knew it would probably be a while until he got to see her again. He took comfort in knowing that at least he wasn't the only one who had ever faced parental disapproval from the father of the Sinclair girls. Alec seemed to fair well in the end, so maybe they would to. In any case he tried not to dwell too much on it, and just take it a day at the time. In the meantime, he spent most of his days helping Alec around the house and in the stables to keep him distracted. He was also in contact with Mr. Lawrence about potentially getting his position back, or at least being referred to a different employer if he valued his relationship with Mr. Sinclair too much.

As for the relationship between the girls, it wasn't as terrible as Josephine expected it to be. Being a willing messenger between her sister and Peter seemed to work well, and although it was still somewhat tense, they were not much worse off than they had been before. The bottom line was that they both needed each other.

But as soon as Mr. Sinclair came home with another man one day, Josephine could immediately sense what was happening. She glanced from the man, Logan, to her father, to her sister. She recognized what her father's intentions were because this was exactly what she had done to her not that long ago with John. She narrowed her eyes slightly and shifted her stance so that she protectively closer to her sister.

Her immediate priority wasn't to be polite, rather she wanted to be there for Ella. God knows she hadn't been the best at it lately, but she could do this. "Pleasure to meet you," she said through a tight lipped smile, but she tilted her head towards her father. "I hope my father didn't promise you my sister's hand, because you'd be sorely sorry to hear she's already spoken for."

 

[AvianJen]

Spending some time with Peter had been the best kind of medicine, although it was starting to wear out for Ella again. She needed to see him, but the communication was better than what they'd had in the past month so she was grateful for that, at least. There was only so much she could do, and this was better than nothing. But she was really hoping that their plan to meet up would work.

But when Logan stepped out of his carriage, Ella's focus completely changed. She knew what this was. Her father had already said he was going to arrange a marriage for his youngest daughter, Ella just hadn't thought it would be so soon. But if not for the purpose of marrying her, why else would he bring this man home? Alec was going to propose any day now, and Ella's wedding couldn't be far behind. But while Josephine made her opinion clear in no uncertain terms right away, Ella stayed calm. She and Peter had a plan if this was what was happening. It was a drastic one, and a risky one, but they were prepared. Was Father?

She stood her ground as Josie spoke, her sister's words making her smirk a little bit in spite of everything. Logan didn't quite know what to say to such a cold greeting, but he had heard a little bit about Miss Ella and her pirate suitor. He lived several towns over, but the news had traveled and Mr. Sinclair wouldn't bring a man to town unaware of his daughter's love life. He just had to find a man who could deal with it, and Logan didn't seem terribly bothered. He was a wonderful find, actually; from an affluent family, handsome, and very respectable. As far as the men were concerned, the arrangement had been made and everything had already been discussed. Logan wasn't thrilled about Ella's desire to go to university but he wasn't bothered by it, as long as it didn't keep her from having a family. As for the pirate...Mr. Sinclair assured him on his honor as a gentleman that he wouldn't be a problem, and Logan believed him. Little did he know the sort of women he was about to encounter.

"Well, not in those exact words, no," Logan replied, flashing a charming smile. "I've heard about the pirate."

"Then you've heard he's not a pirate," Ella snapped, stepping forward. "You've heard he was found innocent." The man faltered and Mr. Sinclair cleared his throat.

"Ella, Logan isn't here to talk about Peter, he's here to talk about you," he informed her. "I had hoped you both would greet him with more respect. I apologize on their behalf," he said to Logan, who merely nodded.

"Not at all. I was also told how spirited you are," he said, approaching Ella. The girl still wasn't very fazed, but she did tilt her head at the two men.

"If you've arranged a marriage for me then come out and say it," she requested. "I don't like these games." Didn't have time for it, actually. Ella needed to know what was going on, and she needed to know it now. Mr. Sinclair let out another sigh. As usual, his girls weren't making this easy.

"We have made an arrangement," he finally admitted. "Logan will stay with us for a few weeks, after which there will be a wedding and you will move in with his family. It has been decided." The man tensed, expecting the backlash from his daughter. It didn't come.

"I see. And where is that?"

"Bodair City, the outskirts of it. It's a beautiful plantation, a short walk from the beach. There's a university there as well, if you still wish to attend. There's lots of space, plenty of bookshops. You'll like it very much, Ella." And Mr. Sinclair truly hoped that she would. He did want Ella to be happy, more than anything. He hoped that Logan could be that for her, because he could not in good conscience allow her to be with Peter. Regardless of the court ruling, Mr. Sinclair knew what he'd heard. The man was a pirate, and he was not fit for his daughter. He braced himself again for her criticism, but again it didn't come.

"Oh." Ella paused for a moment. Her blood was boiling with anger, but it didn't show on the outside. She'd expected this. She could deal with it. Peter could deal with it. "Well then, I guess we'll be getting to know each other very well in the coming weeks, Mr. Carlisle. So you'll excuse me if I take some time to myself. Josephine?" She reached for her sister's sleeve and tugged it, leading her up the stairs to the bedroom. Once the door was closed, Ella burst into action.

"How dare he," she muttered, pulling a sheet of paper and a pen from her desk. "Does he really think I'm that stupid?" She sat down and composed a quick letter to Peter, informing him that her father had arranged a marriage and they needed to enact Plan B. She asked him to meet her on the beach tonight, the same place they'd visited before, to discuss everything. When it was finished, she folded up the letter and sealed it in case Josie got any ideas- it broke Ella's heart, but if they ran away her sister couldn't know. "Will you deliver this to Peter? Now?" she requested, spinning around in her chair and holding up the letter.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine watched the exchange with a quiet kind of interest. She was furious of course that her father would try this. Hadn't he learned the first time? Sinclair girls weren't meant for arranged marriages, and they couldn't fall out of love once they were already in it. This would only mean disaster, and she disliked this new man, Logan, more than she had disliked John. John was at least a nice person. Logan had an air about him. And this time, Josephine wouldn't have to feign nice to him because he wasn't meant for her.

She frowned when Mr. Sinclair apologized on behalf of them, but had the good sense to keep her mouth shut in response to it. Ella was doing a well enough job on her own of shutting their father down, who now looked both embarrassed and a little bit upset with his girls. But good, he should be embarrassed, and if he was angry, he had no right to be. He had created this problem himself. She was a little confused when Ella abruptly ended the conversation by more or less accepting the situation for what it was, but she could read on Ella's face that this was far from over. She was only placating their father so she could get out of there.

Giving both her father and Logan a bitter look, Josephine followed as Ella tugged on her sleeve. She struggled to keep up with the little firestorm, but eventually they were in her bedroom, where Ella went to work composing her letter. She crossed her arms and paced the floor while she waited, shaking her head. She was furious too. "I can't imagine why he thought it would work the second time around. You'd think he would have learned when he tried to do it to me." Although, yes, she supposed this was slightly different. She and father had had a deal. It was almost more forced with Ella.

"We'll figure a way out of this, Ella," she said, coming to stand behind her sister and placing a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. She didn't know how yet, but they would. Of course, she had no way of knowing that Ella had already come up with her own plan, and was writing about it in her letter to Peter. If she had known what that plan was, she wouldn't have plucked it from her sister's hand so willingly so she could be the messenger. Josie loved her sister - she would never have approved of her running away.

"Of course," she agreed. She was used to being the messenger now, so she didn't think much of it. Although she hated to be the bearer of bad news for Peter. "Though are you sure you don't want me to stay here, tonight?" she asked. She was looking forward to spending time with Alec, but she also wanted to be there for her sister. Especially now that she was desperate to fix things with her after her mistakes. "We could have a sleepover and hide from Logan all night together. I'd hate to leave you here alone with him. Especially right now."

 

[AvianJen]

It didn't take long for Ella to decide that she didn't like Logan- Josie was right, there was something about him that put a bad taste in her mouth. He wasn't a jerk, but he wasn't Peter, and Ella wasn't settling. She was not settling, and no one could make her.

Thankfully, Ella had prepared for this. She'd known it was coming, and wasn't surprised at all. It was almost cute that Josephine was so concerned about it, reassuring her that things were going to be okay. Of course they would be- although it killed Ella to think of how upset Josie would be when she discovered what Ella's plan actually was. She'd find out the hard way- Ella couldn't tell her upfront. It could ruin everything, and even though she was confident with her plan that didn't mean that it couldn't be foiled.

It was scary, the idea of running away. It hadn't entirely sunken in yet, either. Ella didn't think the lifestyle change would be too drastic; she already didn't wear fancy dresses, but she knew that she'd have to find some sort of work. So would Peter, and they'd have to find a place to live. They had to decide where they were going, come to think of it. Ella was all for just wandering out into oblivion, but it would probably be better if they decided on a town. Preferably a few days' journey away, if not more...Ella didn't want her family to find her. Not until she and Peter were married, which they would have to do as soon as possible in case that happened. Then, even if they were found, their relationship would be safe. Once they were married Ella belonged to Peter and was bound to his wishes, not to her father's. And Peter...well, he'd always treated her as an equal. Ella wasn't worried about that.

But they'd figure it all out, and at Josephine's sympathetic words Ella glanced back at her sister with a soft smile. "I know," she said. "I'm mad, Josie, but I'm not worried. You think I can't outsmart him?" She grinned and handed Josephine her letter. She shook her head when her sister seemed concerned about leaving her alone; it was sweet, but entirely unnecessary. Ella wasn't going to be bothered by killing Logan with kindness at dinner tonight if Josie wasn't back in time.

"I'll be fine," she assured her sister again. "Have fun with Alec...just make sure Peter gives me a message back, alright? Don't come back until he does." She had several questions in her letter, including suggestions on where they could meet, where they would go, and when they were leaving. Which, if the wedding was scheduled to be in a couple weeks, preparations would begin immediately. Their estimated time of departure needed to be as soon as possible. The thought made Ella suddenly sad, and as she handed the letter to Josephine she took a look around her room. But no, she stopped herself. She wasn't leaving forever. She wasn't leaving Josephine, or her father. This wasn't goodbye, this was just...a vacation. An extended vacation that would fix everything. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

"Well of course you'll outsmart him," Josie said with a little laugh. "I just... I'm shocked father would really go this far." And she felt terrible. None of this would even be happening if it weren't for her. "It's not easy to love a Sinclair girl, so we'll just have to show Logan who is really in charge here, right? I know we'll figure something out."

She glanced at the sealed envelope in her hand. She was really uncertain about leaving Ella alone right after this terrible news and introduction, but she would deliver the message as promised. "I will. Don't worry," she said, giving Ella a squeeze on her shoulder. "Good luck here. I'll see you tonight."

A little while later she was riding up to Alec's. Peter was already out in the stables, helping Alec with some of the work. Although he wasn't a fan of shoveling out horse poop, it was the least he could do while Alec offered him his home to stay at. He looked up as Josephine rode in, gave her a brief nod hello. They were more civil towards eachother than they'd ever been, but they didn't really talk much. She came and went to see Alec, and would occasionally bring letters from Ella. He missed her so much that those letters were practically the only thing keeping him sane.

Josephine got down from her horse while Peter tried to go back to work. He was surprised, however, when instead of just going up to the house with Alec, she approached him. The look on her face was hard to read.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, concern for Ella immediately taking up thoughts in his head.

She handed him the letter. "You'll need to read this. Ella wants you to write back, but... you should know. It's not great news. Ella will be fine, but there's a situation. I'm sorry, Peter."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella waited anxiously for the couple hours it took for Josephine to deliver the letter, visit with Alec and get a response from Peter. There was too much to discuss about their plans in writing, so Ella had asked him to come meet her in the stable loft at midnight. She hoped dearly that he would, but when Josephine finally returned with Peter's response she was encouraged. She knew that he was probably feeling as upset and conflicted as she was, but at least she would see him, for the first time in at least a week. They would talk it out, figure out where they were going and when they were leaving. Once they did that...Ella would feel much better.

She spent the rest of the evening with Peter's letter tucked away in the drawer of her vanity, downstairs socializing with Logan. She was friendly, but not too friendly; Father would know something was up if she was happy about her sudden engagement. So she didn't sit too close and didn't smile too much, but she was pleasant, and made sure to add a few comments about Peter in where she could. Hopefully Josephine wouldn't suspect anything, either. No one could know about this, not even her.

When evening came, Ella was quick to retire to bed. She knew that Josie wouldn't bother her if she was "asleep," and she couldn't have sister time tonight. Josie would want to comfort her, tell her all about how they could fight it and that she and Peter had gone too far and gotten through too much to let this destroy their relationship. Ella knew that, but she didn't think she could act teary enough to pass the sister test if it really came down to it. This was going to be a hard couple of days...but it would only be a couple days. A week at the most.

By midnight, the house was quiet. Ella pulled on her slippers and slid on a dressing down over her robe, lighting a candle to help her sneak out. Ella wasn't nearly as good at it as Josephine was, but she was quiet enough to slip downstairs and out the kitchen door undetected. She dashed across the back yard and pulled open the doors to the stable, slipping inside. Her candle wasn't bright enough to illuminate much of anything so she used it to light a lantern instead. It filled the space with a soft, warm glow.

"Peter?" she whispered. "Peter, are you here?" God, Ella hoped that he was. It was creepy in here by herself- horses didn't bring her as much comfort as they did Alec and Josephine.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

ooc; I'm literally just the worst haha. I really had no idea it's been THAT long since a reply and I feel awful.

bic;

There was a pit of dread in Peter's stomach as he read Ella's letter. It was all of his worst fears realized, and he didn't immediately know how to cope with it. For the longest time, he had never pictured himself settling down with anybody. He had been a rugged man who didn't believe in love, but then he'd found Ella and there was no one else he could imagine himself being with. The thought of her being forced to be with any other man made him jealous and angry in ways he never imagined was possible. He knew it wasn't what she wanted either, but it still made him want to reach for the rum bottle.

He didn't tell Alec where he was going that night. Setting foot back on the Sinclair property was risky enough without either him or Josephine knowing what was going to happen. He was feeling anxious, and although he knew what the outcome of this would be, he was also feeling bitter. Things could have gone so differently for the better, but now to even have a hope at happiness, they had to risk what he had been trying so hard not to sacrifice - the happiness and stability of Ella's family. He would never win the approval of Ella's father, and now what little progress he'd made with Josephine might be easily shattered. When Ella came to join him that night, though, it only took her voice to know that it might all be worth it.

"Ella," he said, answering her call and stepping out of the shadows of the stables to pull her to him and kiss her. It had been weeks since they had really talked or seen each other. Her letters had been a comfort, but it was nothing like the real thing. He took his time welcoming her and drinking in her presence, wanting to prolong the difficult conversation for as long as he could.

"I missed you," he said when he was done kissing her, but he still held her body close to his. "Are you alright?" he asked. Obviously she was physically alright, but he worried how she was doing mentally. They both understood what was at stake here.

 

[AvianJen]

((It's really okay! I've been super busy, I get it And we've been going so long I totally trust you to respond eventually, haha))

Any anxiety Ella was feeling melted away at the sound of Peter's voice. She let out a breath of relief and threw her arms around him, kissing him back passionately. It had been so long- too long since she'd last seen him. But he looked better, felt stronger than he'd been after all those weeks in jail. It was hard to stop kissing him, but when they finally pulled away from each other she moved her arms to hug him around his waist, leaning her head on his chest.

"I missed you, too," she agreed. "More than anything." As for how she was doing...Ella didn't really want to talk about it. As soon as she'd figured out her father had arranged a marriage for her, Ella had immediately jumped into Plan B. She hadn't given much thought to the reality of the situation; the reality that they would be leaving her family behind, her home, the life of luxury she'd always known. She hadn't given much thought to how this would impact her relationship with her father and her sister, both of whom she loved dearly. Ella was in denial of how scary this was, only focused on the actions she needed to take to make sure that she and Peter had their chance. She'd hardly even had time to process the anger she felt at her father for forcing her hand. There was no room for anything except determination.

"I'm fine," she told him confidently, squeezing him tight. "This is going to be okay, Peter. I promise. I know we can do this." If anyone could do it, they could. "And I don't want to...I don't want to talk about him, okay? The guy, he doesn't matter. It's done, so all we need to figure out is where we're going to go, and when we're leaving. I thought...I don't know, we might as well make it worthwhile, right? We need to go far enough they can't find us, at least for a month or two. Why don't we sail somewhere? Somewhere exotic, and we'll give it some time and get married and then nobody can say anything about it. Everything could be on our terms."

God, that sounded incredible. True independence. Even when they had her father's approval, everything was still on his terms. They always had to worry about not upsetting him. Running away would upset him in a different way and it tore at Ella's heart to think about it, but she had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't forever. She had to trust that her family loved her enough to forgive her when they came back. "I want you, Peter," she told him seriously. "You're my priority."

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter wrapped his arms tightly around Ella, holding her close as he stared out into the dark of the barn. He missed this, being near to her. He thought getting arrested and her father banning them from seeing each other had been the final difficult blow, but that was nothing to the thought of her being forced to see and marry some other guy that wasn't him. She wouldn't do it, and he knew that. But what that meant for her and her family was hard to imagine. He'd told her once that he would not come between her and them. Now, it was difficult to imagine a future where that wouldn't happen.

He had to laugh a bit as she described her plans. It was a dry laugh, not filled with much humor, but it was just like her to have some wild imagining of the two of them sailing off into the sunset, screw everybody else. There was not going to be a way to convince her not to do it, short of telling her no and breaking things off, but he was selfish enough not to do that. "Wherever you want to go," he said after a moment, nodding and pulling back just far enough to plant a kiss on her forehead and smooth back her hair.

"But I'll need a bit of time," he added a second later. As much as he wanted to just take off right now, it wasn't as if he had a lot of things prepared. Or a boat ready to go. Being arrested had really screwed up any chance of him getting his job back, which in turn made it difficult to resemble anything close to a regular member of society. Alec had been kind enough to give him a roof over his head, some work to do, but he'd lost some of those savings and connections that Mr. Lawrence had once been able to offer. "I'll need a boat for one thing, and we'll have to set off when the tide is right if we don't want to get shipwrecked anywhere."

He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair as it sank in what he was really agreeing to do. "If your father didn't kill me after I got arrested, he's really going to have reason to kill me now...." Not to mention, all the progress he'd made with Josephine would probably be for nothing. If anything, though, he hoped some part of her would understand given the relationship troubles she'd faced herself.

"Can you survive a week?" he asked.

 

[AvianJen]

((Oh gosh I'm so sorry, I had no idea it's been almost a month! School is kicking my ass right now haha))

Ella didn't really care where they went, as long as it was somewhere no one could find them. She wanted to disappear, and at the moment she was dead set on denying the true hardship of what they were about to go through. And naturally, as Peter showed her, she hadn't really thought anything through. And she didn't know anything about tides.

"I have money," she reminded him. "Why do we need our own boat, why can't I just buy us passage? I mean, that really seems like the way to go." It would be quicker, before either of them had a chance to talk themselves out of it. And they wouldn't have to worry about manning the ship on their own, Peter wouldn't have to worry about teaching her. They could just hide out in a little cabin and enjoy each other's company for a week or so while they traveled. Ella wagered she could even find enough for one of the big cabins.

But she knew that Peter would likely take issue with stealing money from her father; he'd been a pirate, but sometimes Ella swore he was more moral than she was. And where she was confident that her father would ultimately forgive her for what they were about to do, there was no guarantee he would ever forgive Peter. Or Josephine, for that matter.

...Josephine. She might never forgive either of them.

"I just...I don't want to do this thing that Alec did," she argued gently. "He put it off for so long because he needed time to save. We don't have time, Peter, my wedding date is set." And it wasn't that far away. A week wasn't so bad, though. She was sure that she could last a week. It might not be easy, but she'd manage somehow. "Yeah, okay," she agreed, letting out a sigh. "I guess I can try to keep his hands off. But just a week, you promise? And I can help, just let me know what we need and I'll get it. Josie's okay with sending the messages." She'd be decidedly less than okay with it if she knew what they were really talking about, but there was nothing that could be done about that.

Letting out another breath, Ella wrapped her arms around Peter's waist and hugged him tight. "I love you," she murmured. "I'm sorry this is happening." It was far from ideal, but Ella's mind was made up. She just hoped that his was, too. "You sure you're okay with doing this? You're not going to back out on me, right?"

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(No worries! I just got back from visiting family out of state for a week so I haven't had much time for replying anyway.)

Peter gave Ella a small, sad smile. He could understand her eagerness and her urgency, but now was the time to be more careful than ever. "You have your father's money," he corrected. "I've already been arrested for piracy and kidnapping. Let's not add stealing to that list and give your father more reason to send me to prison." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Even if we bought passage, your father is a very influential man. Passage can be tracked, and he'd have that ship turned around quicker than we can do anything. It's best if we get our own. It was part of the plan anyway, even if it's just a small sailing boat for now."

It pained him to have to wait any longer, just like her, he knew that. But he wanted to minimize the damage. They didn't have the luxury that Alec and Josephine had had, and hearing Ella explain that a date had already been set really emphasized the urgency. But he just needed a week. A week to make sure that their plan was secure.

Nodding, he swept her up into a hug. "Just a week. I promise." He kissed her on the forehead, both anxious and also thrilled. They were really going to do it. They were going to marry - elope - something he never thought he'd ever do before meeting her. "But I hope you're prepared for what follows... I love you, and I know you love me, but your family...."

Her father would hate him even more than he already did. And Josephine? What little progress they made together might completely fall apart. She could hate him if she wanted to, but he worried about what it might do for her relationship with Ella. Ella didn't have many friends, and though they'd had their ups and downs, he knew all Josephine wanted for Ella was to keep her safe and happy. But there had to be a line. How much more pain could the two cause each other before they completely broke themselves?

 

[AvianJen]

((I promise to be faster now, I'm about to go on my winter break! I can't believe how quickly time is getting away, again I'm so sorry))

Ella let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. Sometimes it still surprised her to think that he was the pirate- he was far more moral than she was. But she supposed he had a point; if they bought passage, her father would be able to find out where they'd gone. But was a week really enough for Peter to find enough money to buy them a boat? And what about food? Ella didn't think he could get in trouble if it was her who did the stealing, and while she didn't want to cause any more trouble between her and her family, it seemed necessary. Didn't it? But she could tell that Peter was stressed, so she didn't say anything more about it. "Okay," she agreed. "We'll do it your way. The right way." She smirked at him, shaking her head in exasperation.

She laughed delightedly when he pulled her into a hug. She was scared, but her primary emotion was excitement. Ella had never imagined she'd elope either, but now that it was happening, she realized it was every bit the kind of marriage she wanted. Bold, adventurous. She didn't care about the ring, or the dress or any of that. She just wanted it to be over and done with, so that Peter belonged to her and she to him. She didn't want there to be anything anyone could say about it, and when they were married there wouldn't be. Ella was aware that her reputation might suffer, but it was all worth it and she'd never cared about that, anyways. "We don't know what will happen," she reminded him lovingly. "Maybe they'll be okay with it. Father wants my happiness too, I know it. He consented to Alec and Josephine once he realized that was really the only way she'd be happy. I'm sure the same will happen for us." Well no, she wasn't sure, but it made her feel better.

As for Josephine...

Ella's heart ached a little when she thought about her sister, what she would say. She would disapprove, Ella knew that. Josephine liked for things to be done the proper way, and they'd dreamed of being there at each other's weddings since they were little girls. Josie may never forgive her, but Ella knew that at the end of the day, all her sister wanted for her was her happiness, too. It was Josephine who'd insisted that she not settle,and even though she didn't like Peter she didn't think she wanted her to marry Logan, either. Josephine was her sister and her best friend, and it hurt Ella not knowing if she'd have her support, but she knew she had to go through with it. One way or another, she was getting married. If it wasn't to Peter, Ella didn't know what she'd do with herself. Josephine had to understand, she had to.

"I love you," she told Peter, kissing him hard. "More than anything. We can do this, okay? I promise." It was hard for her to let go, but the longer they stayed out here, the bigger the chance they had of getting caught by her father or Josephine. She hugged Peter extra tight before finally pulling away and returning inside. She wandered past the kitchen and snagged one of Rory's cookies, nibbling at it as she made her way towards the stairs. Suddenly, she was interrupted.

"Miss Ella?" Ella turned her head to see Logan, sitting in one of her father's armchairs next to a candle. He seemed to be reading. Ella just stared at him for a moment like a deer in the headlights, panic bubbling up in her stomach. Did he know? "You shouldn't be up so late," Logan said gently, standing.

"Why not? You are," Ella argued.

"You are a feisty one," Logan chuckled. "The rumors are true."

"Yes, they're true." Logan reached out as if to touch her hand and on instinct, Ella pulled away.

"We're not there yet, mister."

"Aren't we? We're engaged. Speaking of which, I have this for you." Logan reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small black box. He opened it and revealed a sparkling diamond ring that glittered in the candlelight. "You disappeared so quickly earlier I didn't have a chance to give it to you. May I?" Logan took the ring out of the box and Ella felt her heart ache. She didn't want to wear another man's ring, but what choice did she have? Biting her lip, Ella reluctantly extended her hand. Gently, Logan slid the ring onto her hand, pressing a kiss against it. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, Ella," he said. "May I escort you to your room?"

"Thank you, but no," Ella said, her nerve cracking. "It's beautiful...good night." Without another word, Ella took back her hand and dashed upstairs, bolting into Josephine's room without a second thought. Her sister was probably sleeping, but that didn't stop Ella from pouncing on her bed, distressed.

"Josie, wake up," Ella insisted. Somehow, she was going to have to get through this week. And she couldn't tell Josie her plan...but that didn't mean she didn't need her sister.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Peter could see she was eager, and he was too, but he also needed time to digest this. He had only just really gotten settled into Alec's, had only just started thinking about plans for how he was going to achieve any sort of real future with Ella. Now there was this Logan thing... it was happening too soon, much too quickly for what he had expected. Seeing what Alec had been able to do for Josephine was inspiring, but he had had months to build up what he had and he still wasn't ready. Not to mention years of positive repor with Mr. Sin Clair. Peter had only had weeks, and what little positive impressions he'd made with Ella's father had all but disappeared with little hope of making it again. Running off with her was not going to help, so they had to be careful about it, or they'd ruin their one chance.

He didn't share the optimism she had when she spoke of her father being able to get over all of this. He wasn't even sure what to expect from her sister. The one thing he told her he would never sacrifice for her was her relationship with her family, but maybe when it came down to it he was really a cowardly man. He couldn't stand the thought of a life without her, or one where she was married to a different man. He couldn't admit to this, though, so he just took her face in his hands and tried to give her a smile. "Maybe," he said, planting a kiss to the top of her head. "We can only hope."

Or maybe it would break everything and she would grow to resent him. He felt his stomach sink with the thought, but tried his best to ignore it as they said their goodbyes. He had a lot of work to do in the next week if this was going to work. He couldn't afford to think too hard about it, it just had to get done. So he watched her go safe back to the house before he crept away from the barn back to Alec's.

----

If there were anyone who could empathize with Ella's situation it was Josephine. She did worry about how her sister would handle this, handle Logan, who even if Ella wasn't in love with Peter, Josephine would still despise for her. There were a lot of men among their class who were entitled and snobbish, but Logan rubbed her especially the wrong way. He was exactly the kind of man who was entirely wrong for Ella. Worse than a pirate. But Ella wasn't the first Sin Claire girl to experience their father playing matchmaker. If she and Alec survived, she knew Ella could. Her sister had more fight in her than Josephine did, and Josephine had fought hard.

She had settled in for the night, and was just about to drift off to sleep, when Ella came bouncing into her room. Surprised, Josephine made a startled noise, then sat up, throwing one of her pillows at her sister. "Goodness, Ella, I was just starting to doze. What is it?" she grumbled, slightly annoyed at having been stirred. Then she caught the glint of the ring on her sister's finger and frowned. She knew Ella didn't want this engagement, but she couldn't help the slight twitch of jealousy in her stomach. As the oldest, she just always assumed she would be first, but she pushed the thoughts away. It was stupid to get jealous at something Ella had no control over, didn't even want.

"The big dumb fool already found you a ring?" she asked, grabbing her sister's hand to inspect it closer. She pursed her lips, hating that she found it to be in good taste. "It's hideous," she lied in an attempt to make her sister feel better. "You should 'accidentally' lose it, claim the band is too big, then have him buy you a better one."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella wasn't really sure why she'd run to Josephine's room. She wanted to talk to her sister about everything- about how she felt about Logan, about her plan with Peter, but it was impossible to do any of that. It was already making Ella's heart hurt, and she wished that she didn't have to wait an entire week. It would be torture, not to be able to talk to anyone about her plan, about how her life was about to change forever. Especially her best friend.

But, she could at least share her dismay about the engagement ring. Josephine was probably surprised that Ella wasn't more upset about how things were turning out. She wasn't the slightest bit apologetic about waking her sister up, knowing that she would forgive her as soon as she saw the ring on her finger. And sure enough, she was quick to grab her hand and examine it.

"It is?" Ella almost sounded disappointed when Josie decided it was ugly. This wasn't her wedding ring; she didn't intend to keep it, and she knew that Peter would get her a better one. Better meaning, of course, that it would be from him. She knew that the stone wasn't going to be big and it might not be the nicest ring in the world, but Ella had never cared about fashion and she wasn't about to start now. She examined the sparkly ring again. "Ugh, you're right. I hate it."

Even if she didn't care, she didn't want to wear an ugly ring all week. She already felt bad enough about it as it was. "I imagine he already had it. It's not like he's proposing, we're just...engaged." Logan hadn't asked her to marry him, but he didn't have to. Her father had already promised she would, and a father's word was even better than the world of the woman herself. She managed a smile at Josie's joke, shaking her head. "I could," she agreed, "but I don't think I'd like another one any better. It's not the ring that's the problem. And it feels weird- I don't want to wear it." It felt more like a pair of handcuffs than like a symbol of love, and Ella found herself taking it off and dropping it on Josie's bed. She didn't want to look at the stupid thing.

"I talked to Peter," she admitted, thinking there was no harm in admitting that. Josephine doubtless would have expected as much...but then the lies started, at least in part. "I don't know what we're going to do. He's going to try and figure something out, but there's not much time. And I can't stand to stay here and wear that stupid ring and go to dress fittings and cake tastings..." it would be nauseating. Logan was wealthy and so were they, so she imagined that their father had a big wedding in mind. Apart from that, he probably wanted everyone to know that his daughter was marrying a respectable man, not a nearly convicted pirate. "What do you think of him? Of Logan?" she asked, genuinely curious for her sister's opinion. It might hep her get through the next week.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine thought the ring really probably did signify the worst of it all. It was a nice ring - though she'd said it wasn't. But it was a ring that Peter would never be able to afford, and it was a symbol of a plan Ella didn't want, without even the courtesy of getting to know Logan. At least when father had played matchmaker with Josephine, he'd given her some choice. She had said no to a number of offers when she'd first started to fall in love with Alec. Then he'd pushed John on her with a heavy hand, but it wasn't so heavy that it was a forced engagement. John could have proposed, Josephine might have felt forced to say yes, but there was a cushion of time. A window of hope. Ella didn't have much of that.

She suddenly felt guilty, as if that was probably partly her fault. Josephine had chosen something less than what her father wanted for her. And now he was going to try and make sure that the same wouldn't even be possible for Ella. She frowned, and stared as Ella tossed it aside before taking her now naked hand in her own. "I'm sorry..." she said. "I know how you must feel. I thought maybe... maybe father would have learned his lesson after what happened with Alec and I. But I know it's a little different."

She wasn't sure what was going to happen, or how, but she knew she had to be there for her sister and support her however she could. She had to give a little laugh at the thought of Ella doing any sort of wedding planning. That was something she couldn't see her sister really enjoying for a wedding she did want to have - well, except for maybe the cake tasting. Party planning was always more Josephine's idea of fun. But even Josie wouldn't want to do that if she had to marry Logan. "You'll think of something," she said. "You'll figure it out. Maybe I could speak with father, or... maybe we could sabotage Logan somehow. I don't know. But you won't marry him." Even if she couldn't marry Peter, it couldn't be Logan.

It was easy enough to answer Ella's question about the man. Josephine was hyper critical of any man her father had tried to set the girls up with, but Logan made it too easy. "He's arrogant... he's clearly one of those old-money types who thinks he's doing our family a favor. And I swear I've caught him trying to get a look down some of the poor servant's dresses already. I'm not sure what father was thinking, but I really don't think he has much else on his mind other than money, alcohol, and women."

 

[AvianJen]

Ella didn't think that her father was doing this to her because of what had happened with Josephine- more likely, he was doing it because of the reputation Ella had won for herself by associating so closely with a man suspected to be a pirate. And Ella did have a reputation. She was the first woman in town to be accepted into a university and shamelessly defended her lover in front of everyone- and Mr. Sinclair knew that she and Peter had gone much farther than any young woman hoping for a good marriage would go. Logan was the only option to salvage her reputation, Ella understood that. There were still people out there, her father included, who thought that Peter was a pirate. At this point, there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

"No, no, no," Ella disagreed sharply when Josie suggested she sabotage Logan. "What good would that do? It'd just get us in trouble." Ella didn't want Josephine to get in any trouble- and the truth was, she already had the whole thing figured out. She didn't want Josephine to do anything that would cause her more trouble down the road, or jeopardize anything for her and Alec. "I don't think speaking with Father will do us much good, anyways." No, he'd made up his mind and he wasn't about to be convinced otherwise. Josie was right about one thing, though.

"I won't marry him," she agreed. "It's not happening, I promise. I'll figure something out." And she would. She already was. Ella took a long look at her sister, missing her already. What would she think when she woke up and found that Ella was gone? She'd be heartbroken, and it made Ella's heart ache to think about it. She loved her sister so much, and they'd been through so much together. But just like their father wasn't changing his mind, Ella wasn't changing hers. She couldn't imagine her life without Josie, but she couldn't imagine it without Peter, either. She just hoped that Josephine would be able to forgive her when she came back.

She listened to her critique of Logan, wrinkling her nose. Well, Josie was always hypercritical but Ella hadn't thought he was all that bad. He just wasn't the one that she wanted. Honestly, if Ella had to marry someone that wasn't Peter she'd rather marry a complete asshole; at least then she'd be justified in hating them. That was probably pretty stupid logic, but she didn't care. "Oh," she said with mild disgust. "Well, he can try to look down my dress all he wants, because that's all he's going to get," she joked. She looked at her sister again, more seriously.

"Jo...I don't want you to worry about all this, okay? I'll figure it out, it's all under control. Just promise not to give up on me, okay?" Ella looked into Josie's eyes, needing her to make that promise.

((If you want, we can skip ahead to the day Ella and Peter leave and Alec proposes to Josie!))

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

Josephine thought there was so much the girls had already done to get in trouble, but she knew Ella was right. This was more than the two of them. It was Ella's reputation, and by extension, hers and their father's. Josephine didn't much care what others thought of herself anymore, but she knew her own future was finally secured. She couldn't say the same for Ella just yet, and she'd be devastated if she did anything that would jeopordize that or her father's business. She sighed, biting her lip before relenting. "No, but I wish it would." She wasn't sure yet if Ella would succeed, or how, but Josephine hoped for her sake everything would turn out all right.

She laughed quietly. "But of course." Maybe if it came down to it, it would be a marriage only in name. She couldn't imagine Logan being loyal, so maybe he wouldn't hold Ella to the same standard. If all else failed, she could still be with Peter. She hoped it wouldn't come down to that, but it may be the best outcome the two had anymore.

"Why would I give up on you?" she asked, confused and concerned by the question. "You're my sister, and my best friend. I love you." She gave her a gentle smile. There was no way for Josie to know what was coming, although when it finally would Josie would look back on this conversation and realize she should have known.

She gave Ella a sisterly Pat on the cheek. "Asking me not to worry is like asking you not to steal strawberries from the kitchen. Not possible. But I trust things will work out alright. Just get some sleep tonight, and maybe tomorrow will bring new hope."

----

A week. It didn't feel like enough time, yet it felt like forever. Peter was both scared and excited about the idea of marrying Ella. Excited because he was in love, and never before had he considered he could be a married man. But then he met Ella, and not only could he think of her as someone he could be a husband to, but he saw himself with a fairly normal life now. If he could only leave those pirate days in the past.

It was those pirate days that had him scared. He left them behind, yet like ghosts they followed him. They were the reason why the future he never thought he could have was at risk. He didn't blame Logan as much as he wanted to, because Logan hadn't been the kidnapper. Ironic that the one reason they couldn't be together was precisely the thing that brought them together in the first place. And now they had one last chance to get what they wanted, and he'd had just a week to prepare.

Almost all of his savings went towards the sailboat. It was small, only large enough for the two of them. If they wanted to, they could spend a few days comfortably at sea, since it could store a few supplies and a mattress in the tiny cabin. Peter had used an alias to buy it, worried that her father would be able to track him down by talking to the merchant that had sold it to him. The rest of his money was spent on food, and a piece of cheap costume jewelry that would have to serve as a ring temporarily until he could find a proper one. How he managed to hide all of this activity from Alec, he will never know.

At least Alec had plans with Josephine that night, so Peter knew neither of them would be able to wisen to his and Ella's plans. Not until they were long gone.

Peter waited until Alec left the house, not knowing that the other couple had something big in store for themselves as well. Then he left to meet Ella at the designated meeting place. Everything he needed was already on the boat, everything Ella needed could be bought or brought on her person, which was to say, there wasn't much. They would have very little for a long time, but if it meant being with her, he could manage.

He was already fidgeting nervously when he saw her. He smiled, kissed her in greeting. "I was worried you might not come," he admitted. Not because he thought she would change her mind, but because he worried she might get caught.

 

[AvianJen]

For Ella, the week dragged on and on. She was excited to see Peter, but every conversation she had with Josephine or her father took on new meaning knowing that soon, everything would be different one way or another. She sucked it up and wore Logan's ring, but it didn't mean anything. Her conversations with Logan didn't mean anything either. He wasn't the worst man she'd ever met, but she definitely didn't want to marry him and thankfully she wasn't going to. If it wasn't for her and Peter's plan, Ella wasn't sure she'd have made it through the week. They were cutting it awfully close- the wedding was scheduled to happen in just a few days' time. She'd sat through planning sessions and had a white dress fitted, all of which were miserable to experience, but none of it held any real weight. Ella was getting married, probably in the next week or so, but not to Logan.

Finally, the day came. She'd made sure that everything was ready to go, hidden in the carriage she intended to take to town that night. Ella had packed light, with only a few changes of clothes, her three favorite books, a few pieces of her mother's jewelry as well as some that she could sell if they needed to, a hairbrush with her hair ribbons tied around the handle and last but not least, her mermaid doll from Josephine. Before she left she wrote two short letters- one to Josephine and her father, and one to Logan.

***
​

Dear Father and Josie,

Please don't be angry. I know you're worried about me, but I want you to know that I'm safe. I love you both more than anything and I'm so sorry it has to be like this, but I can't marry Logan. I love Peter, and we've decided to elope. I'm not sure where we're going but I will write you when I'm able so you know I'm okay. I don't want to lose either of you and I hope that when we come back, you can find it in your hearts to forgive Peter and accept him as a brother and a son.

I'm sorry for anything I've done to disappoint you- it was never my intention. I've always wanted to make you both proud and I love you so much. I'll miss you every day, but I hope you understand why I have to do this. Please don't worry about me, I promise I'll be back home soon.

All my love, Ella.

***​

In Logan's note, she simply wrote him an apology letter explaining why she couldn't marry him and returning his ring. She placed both letters on her bed where they would be found when they came looking for her and backed out of the room, blinking back tears. This was really happening- but she couldn't let on how she was feeling. Not giving anything away, she held back her tears and fluttered downstairs to where her family sat in the living room resting after dinner.

"Ella," her father said, smiling up at her. "Would you play the piano for us, my dear?"

"I'm actually going into town," she informed them. "I've been meaning to pick up some chocolate and just haven't had the time. Is that okay?"

"Keep the driver with you," Mr. Sinclair instructed, "and I want you back home in an hour."

"Okay." Ella smiled and nodded. "In an hour." She backed up, not wanting to make a big deal lest they become suspicious- Josie would know if she did. But how to say goodbye? "Um, see you soon. I love you." She looked at both Josie and her father before turning around, grabbing her cloak and heading out. It was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do.

The carriage driver dropped her off a few blocks away from the harbor and Ella snuck out her bag, hiding it behind her skirts as he drove away. Then she hoisted it on her shoulder and went towards the docks where she hoped to find Peter. When she saw him, all of her fears melted away if only for that moment. She dropped her bag on the ground and flung her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

"Hi, hi, hi," she breathed, her heart pounding. "Hi, I love you." She kissed him back and hugged him a little longer. She was scared, but determined. And with Peter, she could do anything. She pulled away to see the sailboat, behind him, and her face broke out into a huge smile. "Is this ours?" Unceremoniously, she leaped onto the boat and began to look around. "Of course I'm coming, what's wrong with you? You think I'm about to get cold feet or something? Peter...it's perfect." Ella hopped off and gave him another kiss. "Where are we off to, captain?"

***
​

It was a big night for Alec as well. He'd thought about waiting to propose until after Ella's wedding, not wanting to steal any attention away from that. But he was tired of making excuses; he'd been carrying around a diamond ring in his pocket for nearly two weeks now, and there was no longer any reason to wait. He didn't want to, he was ready to make it official. Part of the game was wanting to surprise Josephine, which was made more difficult because she was expecting it, but he didn't think she was expecting it tonight. At this point, she was probably expecting him to wait. But Alec was finally ready, both financially and emotionally, to take Josephine as his wife.

Knowing she was expecting him, he approached the Sinclair estate and knocked on the door. The butler answered and Alec stepped inside to wait. When she finally came out, he grinned and pulled her close for a kiss, reaching down to grab her hand. "Hey," he said happily. "Want to head over to my place for a bit? Peter's gone out for the evening." It had been a little weird having Peter live in his house, especially when he wanted to spend time with Josephine- Peter was good at setting boundaries and making himself scarce when Josie was over and had been especially good at it this past week for reasons Alec had never asked about, but it would be nice to have the house to themselves for a while. And, with all the tension at the Sinclair house currently, she might like to get out of there for a little while.

The ring was already in his pocket, and it felt strangely heavy. He hoped she'd like it. It was simple- he couldn't afford much more, but it was a real diamond set on a silver band, with two smaller diamonds on either side. Alec was rather proud of it, and his worst nightmare was it not fitting properly, but it was simple and elegant.

"Or," he added, suddenly getting an idea, "maybe we could go hang out in the stables for a bit. For old times sake?" That would be the perfect place to do it. The stables, as humble as they were, were where they had fallen in love. So many memories were back there. It was perfect, and he knew she'd love the sentiment.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

If anything was odd about Ella's departure, Josephine and their father weren't paying close enough attention to notice it. Later, Josephine would beat herself up over that, but in the moment, all she did was smile. "Bring me back some of those truffles I like, will you?" she asked as Ella walked out the door for the last time as an unmarried woman. It would be a few days before anybody was actually anticipating that.

---

Her smile brought out his own. "Yes," he said. "I'm afraid it's all we've got for now." He let her climb onto the small vessel while he took from her bag. While he was sure a room and bed at some inn would be far more suitable for their wedding night, the sailboat would have to do. He supposed there were worse places - it was no mansion, not even a quaint cottage, but it was theirs. "Want a tour?" he suggested, before following after her and pointing out the three painfully obvious parts to a ship. "The sails, the deck, the cabin."

He grinned and kissed her temple, joking manner turning to seriousness as this was, after all, a very serious adventure they were undertaking. "Of course I didn't think you got cold feet, Ella. I was just concerned somebody would catch on. Or, maybe Logan would have locked you up in his dungeon, and then I'd have to come and save you. Wouldn't that be ironic after all we've been through," he teased, taking hold of her around the waist and staring out unto the sea.

It was surreal to be here, that they were doing this. He wished they could do this without having to elope, but then again, no part of their relationship up until this point had been normal. The fact they even made it here at all was a miracle and he wasn't about to lose out on it. Which meant that, no matter how much he would love to drag out this particular moment, they had little time before people came to look for them. "Well, for starters, I was thinking a church. After that, anywhere you want." After that, nobody would be left to tell them they couldn't be together. He only hoped that marrying her wouldn't mean she would have to sacrifice her family.

----

Josephine always looked forward to the times she got to spend with Alec - it wasn't as much as she'd like anymore. It hadn't been for a long while. Those days where she could sneak out at night and play cards with him in the loft were replaced with long days of anxiously waiting for the one or two times a week she got to go down the road to his house for an afternoon. Though she missed what they used to have sometimes, she knew that the change had been worth it. They no longer had to be sneaky, and all the time apart only made her appreciate their time together even more. Especially tonight, since she was desperate to get away from Logan and her reluctant sister. Ella had told her not to worry, that she'd figure something out, but it was stressful to just sit there and watch Ella plan a wedding she didn't want, attend dress fittings with her, listen to Logan go on and on about the important guests he expected to show...

So when Alec came to the door, she practically came flying down the stairs. She kissed him back, grinned ear to ear. For as much as she had poked him about it, the farthest thing from her mind at that moment was a possible proposal. She was just glad to see him.

"Let me guess, he's gone chocolate shopping?" she asked with a raised brow, but in hushed tones just in case her father was lurking nearby. "Ella's out, too," she explained. Her eyebrows creased with worry for a second, but she brightened once more when he mentioned the stables. It had been forever since they'd spent any time in there... not since her embarrassing drunken night from that party that felt like decades ago.

She squeezed his hand, was already pulling him out the door. They had gotten a new stable boy since Alec had left, but the loft remained empty for the most part since the young man lived not far from here and had a wife of his own. He didn't need a place to stay like Alec had, and all that remained since Alec moved out was a mattress, a few hay piles, and a couple of boxes for storage. A few minutes later she was climbing up the ladder to dig through one of them, knowing her boyfriend wouldn't be far behind.

"I think there's still a set of playing cards in here somewhere... if you feel like losing, that is," she said, grinning over her shoulder at him.

 

[AvianJen]

Peter made it sound like the sailboat was less than, but Ella couldn't have been more thrilled with it. She knew that they didn't have a lot of money and she was okay with that- she had a couple of backup plans if they ran into financial trouble- but the boat was perfect. It was small, but with just the two of them it wouldn't be too cramped. And considering how they'd met, she was not at all opposed to spending their wedding night in the small cabin. Ella wasn't specially sentimental that way, but it was a nice thought. "It's perfect," she repeated, genuinely thinking so. "I love it."

She giggled at the notion of Logan kidnapping her and keeping her in a dungeon, shaking her head. "Don't be silly, he wouldn't put me in a dungeon. He's not so obvious." Either way, Ella was happy to never have to see him again. She leaned into Peter, gazing out at the water. "Are you excited to be at sea again?" she asked, knowing his answer would probably be yes. "You're going to have to teach me how to sail this thing, too," she realized, looking around. It was just the two of them, and she didn't want Peter doing all the work himself.

The whole thing did seem rather surreal. Ella couldn't believe they were actually doing this. It was scary, but also terribly romantic and very, very exciting. When he suggested that they find a church first she smiled brightly, her heart fluttering with excitement. "I never wanted to get married," she mused, still gazing out at the water. Looking back up at him, she added teasingly, "But I suppose you'll do. Oh! I almost forgot." She knelt down to her bag and dug through it before pulling out a small black box and opening it. Inside were two gold wedding bands, a larger one for him and a small for her, with three tiny diamonds across the top. They were simple, but they matched.

"Before you say anything," she spoke up quickly, "I didn't buy an engagement ring, and I didn't steal from my father to buy these." Well, not really. She'd asked for permission to pick out the bands for her wedding, not specifying to who, and her father had gladly lent her the necessary funds. Ella thought it was perfectly fair, and it was completely within character for her to do something like that. They were the bands for her wedding, just not her wedding to Logan. "I just wanted to give you something. And look." She took one of the rings out of the box and showed him where on the inside, she'd had each engraved with a tiny anchor and the words, "My greatest adventure is you." It was a little cheesy, maybe, but Ella thought it was fitting and it was something she wanted him to carry wherever he went. "Do you like it?" she asked, a little nervous he wouldn't. She glanced behind her towards the docks. "Also...not to ruin the mood but, we should go." Her hour was almost up already.

***
​

Alec wished he could see Josephine more, but he'd found that their time together was more fulfilling this way. Now when she came to see him he wasn't constantly biting his nails worried that he might ruin her life, they could spend entire days together and go out into the world if they wanted (though Alec usually just wanted to stay home), and last but not least, he was actually able to get to sleep at a decent hour after a hard day's work. It was a small thing, but he felt like he was able to be more present with her this way and that was something she truly deserved. He beamed back at her, thrilled to see her so happy even with everything going on. Alec knew that Josie spent way too much time worrying about Ella and this recent development was especially bad, but he was glad that she seemed to be managing despite the insane household.

"Chocolate shopping?" Alec furrowed his eyebrows together, thinking about it. "No, I don't think he said anything about chocolate. Besides, it's expensive." Peter wasn't made of money at the moment, he wasn't about to be buying chocolate. But then she clarified that Ella had gone out, and it all made sense. "Ah," he said, nodding. "Well. I won't say anything." He held her hand tightly as they journeyed down to the stables, thinking about it. "Peter hasn't been at the house much," he mused. "But I haven't talked to him much about Ella. Didn't want to...I don't know, rub it in." The two men didn't talk much, actually. They just went about their own lies, and Alec was happy to let Peter mind his own business. It never once occurred to him that he might be planning to leave.

Laughing at her enthusiasm, Alec followed her up the ladder to the loft. As she began to dig through some of the boxes, he took a moment just to stand and look at the small space where he'd used to live. It seemed so small now, so confining. He couldn't believe how far they'd come. He chuckled when she suggested playing cards, shaking his head. "Okay, but we play one I'm good at. Like...Go Fish." It was those strategy games that always got him confused, where Josephine was essentially flawless. Alec had a feeling he could be good at strategy games if it was something like betting on horses at the races, but he was hopeless at cards. At least Go Fish was mostly chance.

He stood behind her, watching as she rummaged through the box. He had tried to think this through, but as usual had failed entirely- he was frozen, but he really, really wanted her to be surprised. With her back turned, he forced his limbs to move as he knelt down on one knee, pulling the ring box out of his pocket and opening it up.

"Before we play though, could I ask you a question?" he asked her, waiting for her to turn around. Alec had always been shy, and even though he knew he was pretty much guaranteed a yes his hand was still nervous. His hand shook ever so slightly as a thousand insecurities flooded his mind. What if she'd changed her mind? What if he wasn't good enough? What if it was too real? He knew in his heart that none of that was true, but it was hard not to be at least a little nervous. He'd never felt that he deserved her, and he still didn't, but he was determined to keep trying.

 

[SheLuvsMusic]

(Sorry for not replying sooner. I've been a stressed out mess the last month)

"It's still missing a few things," Peter said. "A name, for instance." Every ship had to have a name, no matter how small. "I figured you could be in charge of that." He bought it, he'd sail it, but it had to have something of her in it too to make it truly theirs.

He managed a laugh, trying to imagine the most ridiculous of scenarios in which he might have to go rescue Ella. "A cave then, a tower, another pirate ship," he suggested. "It doesn't matter, I still would have come." He gave her a quick peck on the forehead and then sighed with a nod. "I am." He never felt quite like himself on land. As a child, he'd lived near the sea, in his father's fishing boat sometimes, and then of course he'd spent most of the rest of his life on Tom's giant vessel. The sea was as much a part of him as the hair on his head. "And I will, but you needn't worry about that now."

Peter couldn't say he ever really wanted marriage either, but then again, it hadn't ever really been a possibility to him. Women didn't live on pirate ships. He laughed at her teasing, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm a catch!" But when she pulled out the rings he grew serious again. Peter had seen gold numerous times, but he'd never actually owned any, and now surreal it was that Ella was now the one giving it to him. It wasn't some unlucky woman's stolen necklace this time, but a token of love. And she'd had to buy it. He was equal parts thankful for such a gift, but also guilty that he hadn't been able to fulfill what was traditionally the man's role in this. But Ella wasn't one for tradition anyway, and it wasn't like any part of this was conventional.

"Ella..." he started, but he didn't have the words to say what he really wanted to, or the time. Instead he settled for "They're beautiful. I love them. Just like you," and a kiss.

"Right. Well, I hope you remembered your sea legs." He unfurled one of the sails. The church he planned to take her wasn't that far, but it was going to be safer to follow along the coastline than to walk through the town or catch a carriage on the streets. More than likely her father would check the nearest chapels first, so it was better to go to the next town.
-------

Josephine gave him a slight smile. It was a nice thing, what Alec was doing for Peter. She didn't expect the two of them would ever be friends, but it was somewhat endearing that the man she loved could be so kind towards someone he had every right to hate. Alec was a far better person that Josephine sometimes. "I'm sure he's just... occupying his mind. In any case, I guess I haven't been quite as kind to Ella in that regard." She had never been exactly quiet to her sister when it came to Alec, but then again, Ella had never given her much reason to not be an open book. If she minded, she was sure she would have said something by now.

At the suggestion of Go Fish, Josephine made an exaggerated face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you were still five years old," she teased, but continued to look for the cards she knew she'd left up here somewhere. "Fine, we can play your simple games, but I hope you know I'm still going beat you."

She was completely unaware of his movement behind her, so focused she was on finding those damn cards. Finally, at last, she pulled them out from under a pile of spare horse blankets that were tucked away in a crate, annoyed with the effort it took to get them, but relieved they could start having some fun. She was just turning around to quip that well yes, but technically he'd already asked one, when she realized he was no longer standing. Her eyes drifted down then, and all words fell from her lips.

She didn't think he would manage to do it with as much begging and poking she'd given him about it, but Alec had actually surprised her. And in the stables of all places? She really should have put that together, but that didn't matter. A year ago she didn't think it was possible, and now....

She was on her knees with him a moment later, not even giving him the chance to get the words out before she was pulling him into a deep kiss. She still held his face in her hands when she pulled back long enough to give an actual answer. "Yes, yes of course!" It came out halfway between a sob and a giggle.