A carriage stopped in front of the castle and a woman jumped out.
Celina was hysterically crying when she came running towards the 3 Dearhorn sisters, who sat in the garden.
"Cece, what's wrong?" Isa asked, jumping out of her chair to embrace her best friend.
"Roy! He left! For 5 years!" Celina told breathlessly between her cries.
Lucy looked at her oldest sister, who seemed shocked by her best friend's news. It came as a surprise to Lucy too. Did Roy really leave, for years? They had never missed any of their friends for that long.
"And Jack?!" Minnie cried out.
"Jack stays, thank God. I just don't understand it. It was something voluntarily, Roy isn't even forced to go! A group of men was sent to the new land and Roy applied for it and is on the ship already."
"B-but why?!" Isa asked.
"I don't know! I can't believe that man! Why would he suddenly leave like that?! Leave his poor sister alone! I'm not even married yet!"
With trembling legs, Isa walked back to the bench and dropped herself next to her youngest sister while Minnie and Celine continued ranting about the lieutenant's decision.
"Are you alright?" Lucy asked, whispering so the others wouldn't hear.
Stupid question, of course. If she had to miss Scarlett for 5 years, she would also be in shock.
"Roy never showed any interest in me, but I always had some hope. Now, all that hope has vanished. Mama will never let me wait for 5 years, and I can't do that to Minnie either."
A tear rolled over Isa's face. Lucy knew it was a burden to Isa that Minnie couldn't marry Jack yet, because of her.
"That's why I always refused everyone's proposals. Because I hoped he... I mean...even though I've always known he liked you instead of me. I... I still just h-hoped..."
"I'm sorry," Lucy said. What else could she say?
Isa took a big breath and quickly wiped her tears away. "I'll tell mama to set up an arrangement with Mr. Bronson. He has been wanting to marry me for quite some time already. I guess it's for the best, it had to be this way..." She said, stood up, and walked inside.
~
"Poor Isa," Scarlett said.
Lucy's head laid on her lap and the older gently combed her fingers through the red long hair. It was evening.
Their bickering only lasted for one afternoon and then they made up again. However, Lucy hadn't forgotten Scarlett's honest words and she didn't know what to do with them. Because she knew that Scarlett was right...they could never be together. Lucy also knew that at some point, her parents wouldn't wait any longer and would force her to marry a man. And she should if she wants to have a secure life in the future.
Because mama and papa only had daughters and no sons, the entire Dearhorn heritage will go to the first male family member in line. If she didn't marry, she might get lucky if her cousin decides to let her stay in the castle, but Lucy didn't even know the man, so the chances were slim he was willing to do that out of a free will. Her family was much richer than he was, so Lucy was sure her cousin couldn't wait for her parents to die.
She didn't want to think about that all.
"Mama was happy that Isa finally agreed, so at least one person in this house doesn't feel so bad," she said.
"I'm sure your mother is happy because she just wants you all to have a secure life without any financial troubles," Scarlett replied.
"I guess..." Lucy sighed. "Margareth Johnson must be disappointed too, she was all over Roy at the last ball. Maybe she wanted him to propose to her and marry him."
"How does Minnie feel about this situation?"
"Minnie is sad but also happy. She and Jack can finally be together if Isa is married to Mr. Bronson." Lucy shook her head. "What a stupid thing right? 1 needs to marry but doesn't want to, and 1 wants to marry but isn't allowed. These rules make my head hurt," Lucy said, feeling agitated just thinking about it all. She hoped that soon there'll come a time where people can decide for themselves what they want to do with their life.
Scarlett seemed to do what she wanted.
"Why aren't you married?"
"Hmm... There once was a man I liked and wanted to marry. It was long ago. But he...betrayed me. It was a silly love anyway, we could never be together and I knew it. I just didn't want to know it."
"Is love ever silly?" Lucy asked.
"This love was."
"What did he do to you?"
"He promised me the world. He was a rich man, you know? And I was only a poor servant." Scarlett stopped the movements of her hand for a moment and kept going again, stroking Lucy's hair, from her forehead to the top. "In the end, he never kept even one of all those promises. I was so hurt. He said he didn't care what other people thought about us and that we could always be together. That he would marry me. And I was so stupid to believe him."
Lucy sat up straight. "You aren't stupid. I will never do that to you. Is that why you said we could never be? Because I think we-"
"No, Lucy, I said that because that's just the way it is. We are both women. We can be seen as friends, but that's where it ends for other people."
Scarlett grabbed Lucy's face, bowed down, and kissed her milady, putting Lucy's head gently on the pillows before she hovered over the younger.
"We have now," she said, kissing Lucy's perfectly freckled skin. "Let's not think about the worries and sorrows for later, hm?"
"Ok." They kissed until Lucy suddenly pushed Scarlett away. "I still want to... To do that one thing, remember?"
Scarlett smiled. "Not today."
"Oh... Why not today?"
"Because my bleeding will start soon."
"Oh." Lucy was so disappointed.
"That doesn't mean I can't do anything to you..."
"But you always take care of me more than I take care of you," Lucy said, grazing her finger over Scarlett's little mole. Scarlett grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"Your hand is so soft. Much softer than mine is."
"My hand is one that never had to do hard labor," Lucy sighed. She wouldn't even be allowed to do hard labor. That wasn't for ladies.
"Either way makes me happy. I like to feel these soft hands on my body but I also like to take care of you. And right now? I'm gonna do the latter..."
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