So it Begins (OPEN)

[Rose Welford]

Flowers and Dirt Never Hurt

But baby you do.

Rose looked dolefully out of the carriage as they pulled up to the house in London. Her heart heavy with thoughts of home and what was to come. How ever was she to be happy in a place full of people who cared so much about title and money and so little about beauty and nature? Was she just being an unreasonable ninny for wanting to stay in the country? The only positive is that she might very well run into Phillip and be able to converse with one person she cared for this season. She had no doubt she would not find a suitable match any time soon, though her mother would certainly try, as who would want a quiet little mouse who liked to dig in the dirt? This suited her just fine though her pride stung a little bit a the thought that she would receive not one suitor to save face.



Maybe if no one came to call her mother would let her retire back to their estate and she could live her life in peace. Spinsterhood couldn't be that terrible right? No one to tell you to produce an heir. No one to bully you into going to dull balls and endless luncheons. Yes, Rose was starting to think spinsterhood sounded rather lovely indeed. If she could blend into the background she might be able to pull it off. Her looks would garner her mild attention at first but no doubt the more animated and boisterous ladies would soon shine and she could sip punch in a corner and admire some flowers. Her lack of title would help that a bit as well as long as her mother did not mention the large dowry she was attached to. Curse her father and bless him for the large fortune. Her brother would get the lions share but her dowry was large enough to rival and or surpass a noble lady in a lot of ways. Two large plots of land with working income as well as a modest estate, town house in the city, and money enough to satisfy the most picky. Rose was the apple of her father's eye and her grandfathers on both sides. She had made her mother promise not to openly advertise this fact with the guise of wishing to find a "love" match. The Welford momma understood and agreed to not proclaim it out. Mrs. Welford had not, however, promised to not tell the biggest gossips though.



Rose was blissfully unaware that as they pulled up and disembarked from the carriage that her person had been made note of and her value spread. Rose was also unaware of the gentlemen and ladies that were "out for walks" taking notice of her fine figure and fashionable coloring. Instead the girl smoothed her dress and followed her mother into their seasonal home. For all the world looking the picture of calm. Her hands twisting at a book she held being her one give away. As the door closed behind her she drooped a bit. Looking at her mother she frowned at the eager look in her eyes.



"Did you see them all stare? You did well my dear and will soon be the talk to the town with that entrance." Rose of course looked mortified. All she had done was walk into a building for heaven's sake.



Before she could respond her mother was pushing her up the stairs with instructions to get changed into her white gown and to let Emma fix her hair up. They were going to have a small number of people over for dinner tonight. Her mother had made arrangements so that Rose could be introduced to a few people and make her first official event easier as she would have many who could politely offer her introduction to others.



"Oh Momma you didn't." she said softly. "Are we not to get even a day of rest from our travels before you feed me to the wolves?" she looked on at her mother with large blue eyes. "They will surely be available after we have had a chance to unpack and rest a day or two." she said as she was gently but firmly herded up the steps.



With that she was dressed, refreshed, primped, and polished and told to meet her momma to welcome those who would be arriving soon. As she walked down the stairs she groaned when she saw that her harp was already set up and ready in case the opportunity arose to make her perform. For that matter she watched as a maid put up a few of her paintings and settled another she had yet to finish on a stand as if they hadn't just arrived and she had left it moments ago to humbly greet her guests. "At least she picked nice ones." she mumbled.



When her mother grabbed her arm and led her to the entry way she sighed. Let the games begin she thought to herself, and begin they would.

NOTES

OPEN

838

BOBBI

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[Oliver Belmont]

000 Words

Future president of Hell  I've sailed for weeks to escape my demons. Oliver found himself stuffed in a carriage with his father, on their way to an unknown location for an unknown reason. Usually, Oliver would have asked for details before agreeing to come along. But today he was in no mood for rebellion, because The dark haired noble had awoken with a pounding headache and the sensation of pirouetting innards due to last night's drinking and merriment. So, instead of inquiring about the trip, he quietly got into the carriage and immediately tried to resume his sleep so he could hopefully sleep away his hangover. Before he knew it, The rhythmic clip-clop of horse hooves and the gentle swaying of the carriage had put Oliver to sleep. His father gave a glance to his sleeping heir and smirked a bit, clearly a bit proud of himself for being cunning enough to  time this trip right when he knew his son would be too tired and hungover to protest. A few hours later, the local bastion of degeneracy had finally come to again. His emerald eyes quickly scanned his surroundings, and the first thing he saw was his father with his face buried behind a newspaper. Then, Oliver looked out the window in order to determine his current location. The moment he looked through the window he could immediately tell where he was. The young noble had been to London once or twice before, but he wasn't particularly fond of it because the London air was dry and it carried subtle hints of sutt and smoke in it. Due to the large fire breathing factories and the hundreds of homes with chimneys in close proximity to each other, London air was heavy on the lungs and not very pleasant to Oliver.  It was vastly different from the aeiry ocean breeze and clear blue skies  Oliver had grown accustom to in Cornwall Beach. And even though he wasn't a fan of the buildings that were so closely cramped together and the fact that he was this far inland, he understood that every place on earth had its ups and downs, and London was no different London's saving grace was its people and its taverns. This city had more taverns to drink from than any other place Oliver had ever been to, and the women here were much more boisterous and adventurous than women from the country side or from small towns. So, Oliver knew he'd be able to entertain himself while his father handled whatever they had come here for. "London ey?... I suppose we're here to grease a palm or two ? " Oliver asked in a low, nonchalant tone while looking through the window. When William heard his son's voice, he lowered the newspaper that had been covering his face before answering. "We will be attending a few social events. Our presence will allow us to further strengthen our relationships with the other families and market the family business in the process." His father was telling a partial truth, he purposely left out the fact that they were here for the season, and he especially left out the fact that for the next few days he would be  introducing his son to eligible women in hopes of making a match. William knew that any talk of marriage would cause Oliver to suddenly go missing, and once this young noble disappeared there was no telling where he'd go or when he'd come back. Oliver listened to his father but he wasn't looking at him. Instead Oliver was looking through the window while listening. The young noble was actively searching his brain for any familiar streets where he could find some entertainment as the carriage made its way down the road. Then when he finally remembered a road with a half decent pub, his eyes came to life before he spoke . "well I wish you the best of luck with all that, you may drop me off three blocks down this road... I'll entertain myself while you handle your business" Oliver spoke while pointing at the location he had just described. In response, his father chuckled a bit before he began speaking. "I will do no such thing, we will have many eyes on us while we are here. And because of that, I'd rather not have you running around London by yourself and raising hell.... At least, not until we have done what we came here for." Oliver didn't protest, instead he calmly nodded before he continued speaking. " very well. I'll play along" the entire statement was a blatant lie, Oliver knew he'd slip away for some fun at the first chance he got. But before Oliver could ask any questions about who he would be meeting, his father quickly cut him off "we're here....Try to behave". As William spoke, the carriage stopped In front of a beautiful house. "Father, I'm a man of my word. So I'll make no promises that I might not be able to keep" Oliver smirked as he responded to his father's comment about trying to behave. Then he stepped out of the car and raised his arms before lazily stretching like a cat that had just awoken from a nap. Both Belmont men were dressed well, Oliver wore a white shirt with a dark navy suit vest and matching navy pants, while his father wore a complete three piece suit. As his father knocked on the door, Oliver nonchalantly leaned on the wall beside the door and waited for their hosts to answer. Deep down, Oliver was certain he'd have to sit through a long dreary meeting with one of his father's business associates, so he looked visibly bored while leaning on the wall beside the door. Now My heart belongs to the sea .

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[Rose Welford]

Flowers and Dirt Never Hurt

But baby you do.

With the knock at the door Mrs. Welford silently clapped her hands in glee as she quickly pulled Rose forward to greet guests with her.  Rose sighed and followed suit but to any coming in it would be clear she was looking for a reason not to be there.  Her desire to be in the country and away from this madness was barely held in as the butler opened the door and a pair of men stood there.  Rose's big blue eyes took in the scene and another sigh fell from her lips silently.  Trying to look kindly at the poor man who was being dragged out into this mess with her she smiled softly though her eyes clearly gave away her desire to bolt.  

"Welcome, Welcome.  Please do come in Lord Belmont.  I am so honored you decided to grace us with your personage for this little dinner.  My husband will be arriving shortly as well and I am sure you will have things to discuss." Mrs. Welford stated happily.  

Rose on the other hand was looking at the younger man trying to assess if he was as displeased with the parade as she was.  He looked rather bored so maybe he was as well, or maybe he simply did not find her interesting.  Rose wouldn't blame him she was positively quiet by comparison to other ladies of the ton.  With a barely held in sigh she turned her golden head slightly to see if she could at least get a glimpse of the sky before she was imprisoned for the evening.  Her face wistful as she thought about escaping to her garden out back.  A single women in possession of a large fortune and no title must endure the machination of an ambitious momma it would seem.  Rather she liked it or not.

Turning to the two men she curtsied.  "We are honored you decided to join us." her voice was soft and lilting and the complete opposite of her mother's happy shrill. 

Rose tried desperately not to fidget as she waited for the two gentlemen enter and respond as the butler offered to take their things and hang them.  The young woman looked at the way they were dressed and decided she rather liked the younger man's attire. It was far less formal and stuffy.  In her mind the more formal that gentleman dressed the more the more they tended to avoid her or look down on her for being without title.  This man looked a bit of a rake but he also looked like someone who would walk in the mud and not frown about it.  Perking up a bit she looked at him without meaning to.  When she caught her own actions she turned a bit pink and looked away.  Poor man didn't need yet another lady oogling him like meat.  Granted she wasn't doing that but he wouldn't know that.  With his status no doubt he had to swat momma's and their eager daughters away like flies.  Shuddering a bit she couldn't imagine what the poor man was about to suffer at the  hands of her own eager parent.

With that thought the door was opened again and her papa came in and smiled brightly.  He greeted the Lord Belmont and clapped him on the shoulder good naturedly.  Turning to greet the sun as well as the two older men then took themselves away to discuss whatever men discuss.  Mrs. Welford turned to the younger Lord Belmont and motioned for him to follow her into the drawing room where Rose's painting and harp were about.  Rose of course followed behind and did sigh this time.  If only she could disappear into the corner to paint while the rest of them were made to talk.  When she offered the man a drink and a seat she waved for Rose to find a seat as well.  Clearly this had been arranged and no one would miss the look of horror on Rose's face as she looked at her mother.  

"Lord Belmont this is Rose.  Rose this is Lord Belmont.  Why don't you two converse while we wait for more guests to arrive."  Mrs. Welford looked like the cat who ate the canary.  

Rose turned to the man and a clear apology was in her face.  Her bright eyes trying ever so hard to convey her feelings to the man.  "It is a pleasure to meet you my Lord." she said liltingly as she sat down softly on the edge of an overstuffed chair.  "Have you just arrived in London?"  she tried to make easy conversation to help wash away the awkwardness of the situation.  "It is not the country but I am told it is very exciting in town." she added.  She hated small talk and it showed.  Rose didn't like idle chatter unless it was on subjects she found interesting or at least on things that had something more to offer than weather and clothes.

NOTES

Oliver Belmont Belmont

830

BOBBI

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[Oliver Belmont]

Rose Welford TAGS

Future president of Hell  I've sailed for weeks to escape my demons. Oliver had been expecting to spend the day surrounded by middle aged men, discussing profits and politics. He had been in situations like that once or twice before and he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. So, he was a bit surprised when the door swung open, and he saw two women. One of whom was close to his age. His calm gaze analyzed the young woman for a brief moment and he took note of her long blonde hair, her big blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean back home, and the subtle beauty mark just above her lip. That tiny little mark above her lip caused an equally tiny smirk to form on Oliver’s lips. For some reason, he really liked that cute detail on her face. Then when he heard the young lady’s mother welcome them to her house, the dark-haired noble bowed his head with subtlety and silence while his father responded for the both of them. ” Thank you Lady Welford, we’re honored to have been invited.” William Belmont spoke with a calm smile on his face and a deep voice. While his father took care of the social niceties, Oliver had remained silent because his focus was on the wistful expression on the young lady’s face. Like him, she looked like she wanted to be somewhere else. Then when he noticed her move her head to try and sneak a peek at the sky, he chuckled a bit before finally speaking. ” Might I ask who’s winning in this game of hide and seek with the sky?” His voice sounded calm and carefree, and a subtle smirk rested on his features. Oliver didn’t really take himself seriously, so immediately after speaking, he peaked out at the sky too in a playful manner, to mimic her for fun. He wasn’t exactly sure why she was trying to catch a glimpse of the sky instead of just stepping out to look at it, but it was certainly interesting to watch her tilt her head and try. This made him think there was a lot more behind her apparently soft-spoken demeanor. When the young lady curtsied and thanked the Belmont men for deciding to join them, Oliver nodded his head ”thank you.. there was no way I could miss this my lady.” it sounded like a polite response but he meant he literally couldn’t have missed this social event because his father wouldn’t let him. Then immediately after speaking, he nonchalantly slipped his hands into his pockets and walked into the house. Almost immediately after the two Belmont men had walked in, Mr. Welford entered as well. Oliver had seen Mr. Welford work with his father on a few occasions, so it was nice to see a familiar face. But after greeting each other, the two adult men walked away together and had their own private conversation. At that point, Oliver finally realized that he wasn’t here to make a social appearance nor was he here to discuss business like his father had said in the carriage. When he realized what his father’s actual plan was, he held back a laugh “Well played old man” Oliver thought internally as he watched his father walk away with Mr. Welford. Oliver was still surprisingly laid back, despite having been duped, and by his own father no less. So he followed Mrs. Welford as she lead them to the drawing room, where Oliver took note of all the art they had on display ” Quite the collection you have here lady Welford. The way nature is accentuated in the landscapes makes me think A majority of them are en plein air works… then again, I don’t exactly have the eye of an artist so I may be wrong. ” Oliver spoke to the young lady’s mother while following her. Then when he was offered a seat and a drink, he looked at all of the beverages the Welfords had to offer. The moment he saw a bottle of scotch he poured himself a full glass before making himself comfortable in the seat he was offered. Once he was comfortable in his seat, Oliver took a sip of his beverage, and enjoyed the burning sensation of the brown spirit as it made its way down his throat while he listened to Mrs. Welford introduce her daughter as Rose. The look of horror on the young lady’s face was quite amusing to Oliver and he consciously did his best to suppress a chuckle as he took another sip. Then when Rose spoke about it being a pleasure to meet him Oliver nodded ” The pleasure is all mine, Rose. And the Lord Belmont formalities are more of my father’s forte. you can just call me Oliver.” he spoke with a tone as nonchalant as ever while taking another swig from his glass, this one a bit longer than the first while he listened to her ask if he had just arrived in London. He could tell she was a bit tense, so he decided to be a bit playful with his answers, to show her that she didn’t have to take this entire arranged meeting seriously, because Oliver certainly wasn’t either. ” Well to be honest I haven’t the slightest idea Rose. I woke up Infront of your doorstep two minutes ago… So there’s no telling where the carriage had been travelling while I slept. I could have just arrived an hour ago, or maybe I’ve been in London all day without knowing it. he gave a lighthearted shrug. It sounded like he wasn’t taking the question seriously, but he was also being quite honest. The trip from his home to London wasn’t very long, and he had been asleep for quite a while, so there was no telling where those unaccounted-for hours were spent. ”ah Yes, London is one of the liveliest cities in the world. Perhaps one day I could show you some of the places where I find entertainment in London… By the way I heard you mention the country, where are you from?” Now My heart belongs to the sea .

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[Rose Welford]

Flowers and Dirt Never Hurt

But baby you do.

Rose caught the slight change in Oliver as he smirked, or maybe it was a smile, at her.  His response to her looking outside had her blushing just a tiny bit.  "I was playing hide and seek with the sky and I might be winning unfortunately." she said softly to her mother's horror.  The other women quickly trying to flutter over the comment her daughter made.  It was not lady like to be whimsical or express a desire to that might imply you wished to be else where.  Even more so in the presence of a very good possible suitor.  Mrs. Welford and Mr. Welford had discussed who it would be rather lucky if Rose fell for and snagged this particular gentlemen but Mrs. Welford also knew it was going to take a lot of work and a kind man to understand her rather quiet child.  If she could just get the girl to show interest in something more lady like it might work.  The girl was far to interested in books and dirt. 

When Oliver replied to his mother about his coming here her mother fairly beamed with pride.  Rose on the other hand tilted her head again as she detected that it wasn't just politeness.  Maybe he was also being dragged around like prized pig and being subtly sarcastic.  A slight flicker of mirth flashed in her eyes before she suppressed it in the hopes that no one had noticed.  As the two older men where leaving she noticed her father gently clap Oliver on the shoulder.  "Nice to see you again Oliver.  Go easy on my Rose you hear?" he said openly.  Not even ashamed of the fact and clearly in a familiar fashion.  So his father had met Oliver before as well.  Rose couldn't help but give her father a quick frowning glare behind her mother's back to which her father winked.  Rose could die right there she swore it.  Mumbling under her breath she bit her lip.  "Scheming fathers are almost as bad as mommas."  After which her father walked away and she was following her mother and the young man to the room with her things.  

Rose watched as he looked at her paintings and commented a small smile sweeping across her features.  It was always nice to have your work admired even if that was never your intent.  Mrs. Welford beamed again though and softly waved to Rose.  "Oh those are all Rose's work my dear.  She does so love to paint." this of course made Rose stand a bit more rigidly.

"Thank you for you words and yes they are en plain aire.  I like to be outside more than inside if truth is told." she said and nearly flinched at the look her mother gave her.  She wouldn't lie though.  "I think nature offers more beauty when you can look at it directly.  Plants are easier to understand and capture." she added knowing her mother was fit to tie her after this.  Oliver though seemed like he was not a typical gentleman and it put her a tiny bit more at ease to talk about things she liked.

As they moved to sitting and he took a drink she watched him with an open curiosity even if it was a bit shy and skittish.  "I appreciate you allowing me to call you Oliver.  You may call me Rose as well.  It would be silly to call me Miss Rose if I am to call you Oliver." she nodded as if to herself.  She was rather proud she was able to get this many sentences out to the man when normally she would have looked at her hands.  "It does make it feel less forced that way." she added and her mother again gasped at her daughter.  Mrs.  Welford made the wise decision at this point to walk across the room so that she was at the entrance to greet others but still able to be acceptably close for propriety.  If the two were going to get on in their own way she might as well let them.  Rose rarely talked this much to strangers and Mrs. Welford took that as a great start.

Rose's eyes went wide as he spoke.  "You were brought her unaware?" her shoulders were slowly relaxing as she looked at him in sympathy.  "I see you too are subject to the whims and workings of the social season." saying that she covered her mouth as she hadn't meant to say it thus then had to swallow a laugh as her eyes crinkled a bit.  "I apologize that was rather blunt of me." she added as she smoothed her features and sat more comfortably.  His next words catching her off guard.  

"You would show me around?" she leaned in while her mother wasn't looking and said softly.  "You need not feel obligated because of  the machinations of our parents.  I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." she tried to smile a bit.  It was rather kind of him to offer though.  She didn't want the poor fellow to be thought of as a suitor to someone like her when he would have much better options and was forced into this.  She understood it was a offer of kindness and maybe even a bit of friendship but the ton would see it otherwise.

NOTES

Oliver Belmont

894

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[Oliver Belmont]

Rose Welford TAGS

Future president of Hell  I've sailed for weeks to escape my demons. Oliver noticed the light blush that appeared on the young lady’s face, and he thought the subtle shade of pink on her cheeks added a beautiful contrast to the light blue color of her eyes. But what really caught his attention was the comment that Rose had made about winning her game of hide and seek against the sky. Her comment actually got a laugh out of Oliver. He actually appreciated the fact that this woman had a sense of humor because a sense of humor was a very rare commodity among noblewomen. ” Well, the sun hasn’t set just yet. I might still be able to help the sky catch up to you.” Oliver’s voice was almost impossible to read because it was a mixture of nonchalance and just a bit of sarcasm. Which made it hard to tell if he was up to something or if he was just joking. But the mischievous look in his eye hinted at the fact that his mind was hatching up a plan to get her outside. Oliver had initially thought Rose would be another boring prim and proper noble lady, but her sense of humor and the glimmer of life he saw in her eyes had convinced him otherwise. Oliver saw that glimmer return into her eyes when he made a sarcastic comment about not being able to miss this social event. Most people had completely missed the sarcasm in his statement, but she hadn’t. Even though she tried to conceal it, Oliver could see that there was a free spirit hiding behind her soft-spoken, Lady-like demeanor, and he was intent on meeting the true Rose, behind all the propriety and formalities. When she spoke about her paintings and nature he could see that spark in her big blue eyes again, she was clearly passionate about the outdoors and Oliver understood that feeling because he had a similar passion for the sea. As he made himself comfortable in his seat, Oliver took another long swig from his scotch, which left the contents of his glass nearly empty. Then he responded to her comment about preferring to be outdoors. ” I couldn’t agree more. There’s just something about being in nature that helps you focus on what really matters in life and forget about the nuances of day-to-day life” . Hearing her embrace the idea of calling each other by their names instead of unnecessarily long-winded titles put Oliver at ease, then when she asked about him being brought here unaware, he nonchalantly nodded. ” Well yes. But when you drink frequently you pretty much go everywhere unaware… sometimes it feels like black magic actually because one moment I’m here, the next moment I’m somewhere else.” his voice was as carefree as usual until he heard her speak about the whims and ways of the social season, which managed to get another laugh out of Oliver as he sat back in his chair. ” Ah yes, the social season… makes one feel like livestock does it not?” he asked before finishing off the rest of his scotch, then he placed his glass on the table. The moment she apologized for being blunt he smirked a little ” Worry not, you can be as blunt as the face of a hammer with me.” he assured her with a calm smirk on his features. When Rose asked Oliver if he really wanted to show her around, the young noble didn’t verbally respond to her question, instead, he decided to let his actions respond to her question for him. Oliver got up from his seat and walked to Rose’s mother before politely addressing her. ” Sorry to bother you Mrs. Welford, but there is a lovely market less than a minute or so away from here. And I have an errand I wish to run there; I don’t mean to overstep any boundaries, but I would be deeply honored if Rose would accompany me on this errand. I promise it will be a brief two-minute walk, I’ll to have her back well before the sunset. And we could have one of your trusted butlers to chaperone us.” He was trying to take her to Covent Garden, a very popular market in London. It wasn’t exactly a grand tour of the city but it was a start. Maybe going out for a little walk would even help the sky beat Rose in their little game of hide and seek. Now My heart belongs to the sea .

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[Rose Welford]

Flowers and Dirt Never Hurt

But baby you do.

The mental war going on inside Miss Rose Welford's head at this moment would amuse and frighten most. Oliver was not the least bit what she had expected of a Noble and she was pretty sure he was a rake, but she was also starting to feel rather comfortable around him as well. Being so relaxed and talking to others was not something Rose did often but he was so outside the box that it shocked honest responses out of her. Her mother was no doubt enjoying this as she knew how odd Rose was by societal standards and probably went out of her way to research up on Oliver to see if he would fit into a category that suited her ambitions and Rose's unique choice of friends.

His comment about helping with her game of hide and seek pulled a slight smile from her that she tried to cover by looking side ways. It would never do to encourage her mother and put this poor man in the line of daggers her mother was no doubt ready to throw in an attempt to catch prey. Instead she slowly relaxed physically without even realizing it. Her shoulders softened. Her back slowly unstiffened and she looked much more approachable now. With her figure letting strain out she no doubt looked smaller but she didn't feel like she needed to be so stiff when Oliver was clearly a very calm person, even if he walked the line of sarcasm and joking. It was actually hard to read him unlike some and she was finding it fun to study him from the safety of her seat.

Talking about nature always made Rose happy inside. Flowers, grass, trees, and so much more. Nodding at him and his words she let another small smile slip only to cover her mouth briefly till it went away and she could pretend to be more serious. "I agree. I have always enjoyed the company of flowers and trees more than some people. Though don't tell mother that." she winced at that and looked at her mother guiltily. She could tell her mother heard but was pretending to talk to the butler about the next guest due to arrive. Looking back at Oliver she gave a sheepish tilt to her head. "I know why people like the city but I always hoped to stay in the country unless needed else where. If I remember though, do you not live next to the water? I bet that is lovely." a small sigh left her lips at this. Her father often traveled but Rose and her mother where kept at home for the most part. "I have always wanted to live next to the water as well. As long as I could still have my garden." she had a far off look in her eyes as she said this.

Her mother coughing and smiling pulled her back and Rose looked like she could kick her self. "I mean metaphorically that is." she added hurriedly. She had sounded like she was hinting at something she hadn't meant to. She quickly latched on to what he said next and nearly blushed fully when she realized what was being said. He was all but admitting to his ways with this.

"I see. You drink often." she said as a thoughtful look crossed her eyes. There were rumors of rakes and how you should avoid them and she really wouldn't want to marry a man that stayed out drinking and keeping women but Oliver also seemed like a nice man. Maybe he was just young and doing what most nobleman did as young men. She knew they did it. She had talked to other girls about their brothers in secret. "You are a young man so I guess it makes some sense." she nodded trying to be kind. He had shown her kindness and humor it was the least she could do.

His next sentence had her nodding solemnly. "I admit I was not as eager as some girls but it is encouraging to know I am not the only one who feels...well...disconcerted by the whole process." she tried to be as delicate about it as she could but it was ever so nice to have a kindred soul in this aspect. "I think the desire to find a mate is noble but I feel there must be a better way to find love." she paused. "Though I guess for some it is less love and more propriety." she said softly so that her mother wouldn't box her ears later.

When he said she could be blunt she clearly appreciated it but also knew that she could only get away with that in small spaces. "I will keep that in mind Oliver and feel free to be frank with me as long as we are in each others company but do be careful with other mommas. They seem sweet and gentle but do not be fooled." she said this quietly as well. "Even if they love us immensely." the smile she directed at her mother's back was warm and sweet. Her mother might be trying to force Rose into the open but she did it with love. She would not make Rose marry anyone she did not wish to and that said a lot as far as mothers of the ton went. "Some are better than most though." she added as she turned back to Oliver with the smile fading in the process. Not that she wouldn't smile at him it was just a smile she hadn't even realized she had given till it was gone.

Rose was prepared to make more small talk when Oliver suddenly asked her mother to take a walk with her. Her face flushed again and she fought hard to keep her mouth from falling open like a guppy. "Oh you would do that then!" she said as she slowly stood to look at her mother. She really wanted to go outside but she also didn't want to do anything that might bring shame to the family. It was much easier in the country. One simple went for strolls and it was allowed.

Mrs. Welford turned and raised a brow as if she had guessed correctly. Smiling she nodded. "I can arrange for a maid and footman to follow you both if you wish it. You do seem to have hit it off and as you are a family friend I don't see the harm. You really must be back within the hour for dinner though. Wouldn't want to be rude to other guests that will arrive around then." this last sentence making it clear that Oliver and his father had been invited early on purpose.

Rose sighed and stood next to Oliver. "I should have known." she said to him softly. "I would be happy to accompany Oliver on a short walk to a market. I do so love to know the lay of the land as you know." she smiled awkwardly at her mother. Looking to Oliver to take the lead she conveniently did not mention fetching her bonnet. She hated the silly contraptions more than anything. Sun on her face it would be and dash it all what the ton thought. Her hair would shine in the sun and it would be so nice to feel a bit of the comfort from it. Her biggest worry was the other men that would no doubt be there later as well as the ladies. Oliver was easier to be with and she almost wished it was just Oliver at this point she actually quite liked the fellow even if she was certain he meant only to be kind to the daughter of a business partner.

NOTES

Oliver Belmont

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BOBBI

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