I've attempted to catch all mishaps, if any are lingering please point them out to me and I'll do my best to get them taken care of.

Thank you for the alerts and follows to this, there's not many of you, but I do appreciate it! :)

"Morning Dean, Sam's already gone, he took you mother's car to give Michael a ride. I thought that's something you would've thought of doing this morning, not passing it on to your brother."

"Nonsense dear, Dean's picking up Castiel and Jimmy. I'm spending the morning with Amelia in town. You could attend a match you know, as much as you press for that boy to be smitten with my firstborn baby, you know, the least you could do is show him some support."

I dropped my fork, bits of eggs splattering off as I stared up at my parents. My mother stood with her hand on my father's shoulder, her knuckles slightly bent—oh, she was down right vile.

"Really mom, I don't think dad's into rowing, not like the rest of us."

I dropped my gaze back to my plate. I couldn't bare or tolerate the look of the weighted gaze that landed on me—I couldn't tell if it was from my mother or my father.

"The boy's right Mary, besides, I have to speak to Mr. Singer about allowing Dean into the garage again. You two aren't very good at covering your tracks. Thank you, as always, breakfast was delicious."

I quickly scooted my chair back and stood, giving the head of house the proper courteousness when leaving a room—funny how it's the same for a woman too.

I listened as his chair did the same and then his footsteps left the dining hall.

"Your father thinks he's so smart, if anyone's to scold Robert Singer for allowing anyone to put a drop of car grease in my home, it's going to be me for letting my husband get his hands dirty. Now, go change, and if you'd like we'll take your car and I'll be sure to feign motion sickness to sit by the window up front. That way Castiel can sit in the middle next to you. Surely he will not want to sit with his parents in the back, plus I imagine Amelia will be taking young Claire along with us in town. That child will grow up one spoilt young lady. I'll do my best to influence her to be otherwise."

I glanced up and over at my mother. She was smiling and motioning her hand for me to get a move on. I never understood how someone like her could love my dad, but then I would catch glimpses of them together when they thought Sam and I, or the help, were out and they had a moment alone, and then I knew. Their love was true and it was real and it's what I wanted.

I would never have that with Michael, no matter how much his father could pay my father for me. Sometimes I hated living in the realm of the wealthy, but it was all I knew—until Cas. He told me of his old life and how his parents married for love and had actually ran away from their homes.

High society would never permit me to do such a thing. The thought has crossed my mind. If I ever did my father would pass it off as me getting an education or exploring the globe.

-x-

"Ah, young Mr. Winchester, how are you my dear friend?"

I grinned at Lady Anna and pressed a kiss to her outstretched hand.

"You'd better give this old bag a hug, let me tell the ladies back home I got felt up by a handsome young man."

I let her pull me in for a brief hug and she pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

"No where's that massive little brother of yours, Samuel? Samuel! Don't make an old woman hunt you down; you'd never hear the end of it! Oh my, there you are, what a fine young man you're growing up to be Sammy. I remember when you didn't come past my knees."

She bustled over to Sam and promptly folded him up in her arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Then she turned and smoothed her dress and coat and leveled the Novak's with a look. She's met the doctor before but this is her first meeting Castiel. She knew who he was to me.

She was passing her judgment. If she disproved of him I would be at a loss. She tilted her head to the side just a tiny bit and quirked her lips.

"You must be the good doctor's eldest child, Castiel. It's a pleasure to finally meet another family member of his. I met your darling sister a few weeks ago. She was shadowing him in his office; she's a charming little girl. Come James; take me to the veranda so we may take our seats. Samuel, grab me my usual beverage."

Neither Dr. Novak nor Cas moved. Sam headed towards the small cart loaded with goodies to last through the rowing match. I suppose money does have its privileges.

"Madam, I would like it very much if Castiel joined us, he has never witnessed a rowing match before."

"Dr. Novak it is rude in our society to permit a woman of my status to walk to her seat unaccompanied. As you are the eldest male amongst our party the duty falls to you to be companion for the time being. Do you need to borrow my booklet on manners or are you going to give me your arm? I have it, it's in my bag here; I use it to whack Dean on the head on occasion. He tends to nod off and his betrothed is often broken hearted when he catches a glimpse of a slouched over rich man up this high."

Dr. Novak's cheeks tinged a slight shade of pink and he quickly moved to Lady Anna's side and led her outside. I turned to Sam at the cart who had a smile on his face and he finally glanced back at me—we laughed.

"Surely my father doesn't think she's serious?"

I quickly moved to Cas' side and gave him a quick hug, one he returned stiffly—mostly due to Sammy's presence.

"You've never met Anna before Castiel, she's a force to be reckoned with, don't let her age or her supposed frailty fool you. It's her greatest asset and she uses it to her advantage. Her family owned all of this land before her great-great-great-grandfather thought to make more money by breaking it apart and selling off pieces and building a town. Now if you'll excuse me, Anna and I will be distracting your father from this impromptu outing of yours and Dean's. You're most welcome. I will not be doing something of this sort again."

Sam took his leave of us and I could only smile to myself at Cas' look of perplexity.

"Your mother is the only one in this entire town that approves of whatever this is between us, you do realize that?"

I pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Anna approved, if she hadn't she'd have made you escort her around today. I would've been then forced to give in to the betrothal that I have with Michael. Sammy wasn't lying, Anna's family is one of the oldest in town, Michael's is second, and ours is third. At least my father's is, my mother's came in only a generation or two ago, that's why she's a bit more free-spirited than my father. She still comes from money, we all do, but my mother wasn't from the city life like majority of us here are used to. She came from the south.

"Her family owned plantations and slaves and is still old money, but it was her father that moved away. He married my grandmother for love. They had a summer's fling, very much like how ours start the summer you arrived, but theirs when they were sixteen. Apparently they knew right away they were it for each other."

"If you're going to tell me stories let's sit, you tend to get a bit long winded and I'd rather be comfortable. I'm not sure which will last longer, your story telling or the match."

I let him lead me to couch and arrange us how we sit beneath our tree. My back pressed against his chest, our hands entwined on my lap.

"Are you content now? May I continue?"

I felt him nod against my head as he nuzzled my neck and placed a gentle kiss beneath my left ear. I smiled.

"Apparently my ancestors are big on arranged marriages, or at least my father's family, but my mom's, they were big on love. Like I said my grandfather met his wife the summer of their sixteenth year and they both just knew they were the one for each other."

"Arranged marriages? Is that why you and Michael are already betrothed?"

I shifted away from him, maneuvering myself so that I could face him. I took his hands into my own.

"Zachariah, Michael's father, made an advance on my mother one month prior to my parents' marriage. As compensation my father promised Zachariah that any firstborn's of each other will join the two families together. It wouldn't matter if Michael and I were two chicks or if one of us was one. They don't care about gender roles, it's all about money and that it stays within the correct hands."

His brow furrowed as he tilted his head.

"That's why your town had a conniption when my family moved in to the Milton's old manor; we're new money. We're not good enough in the eyes of old money."

The way he said new was if it was a curse word, something to be spat out vehemently.

"You truly do not care that I am of newly gained status? You would be happy as my husband the remainder of our days Dean? Could you handle having to possibly work the rest of our lives to make our ends meet? All I've known is hard work."

I grinned.

"If I knew Pastor Jim wasn't at the match right now, I'd say let's go have him marry us right now Cas! I love you, what part of that is so hard for you to comprehend? I do not care about some old family promise made against mine and Michael's wills. He and I will always be friends. He knows of my feelings for you and he wants me nothing but happy."

He leveled me with a stare—one I knew all too well. I couldn't fight the elation that was growing within. The smile that grew upon his lips caused me to lean forward and press my lips against his.

"Then let us as Pastor Jim to marry us first thing in the morning. If only Lady Anna and our mothers as witnesses, so be it, but I don't know if I can leave you behind for four years anymore."

"Do you mean it?"

I felt his hands encase my face, his thumbs brushing along my cheeks.

"As you'd do anything for me, I can only return the sentiment Dean."

"Castiel, do not shame us so in public."

We broke apart, startled at his father's voice. Cas' hands quickly fell to his side, curled into fists and I turned to face Dr. Novak.

"Mr. Winchester while you may be used to doing whatever your whims fancy, my son has been raised to do only the right thing. You are spoken for; do not shame him, or my family like this any more. I've permitted it for too long, thinking it was only the foolish fancies of children, but I see I have been mistaken. Come Castiel, you will take your seat now, outside."

We both stood, I gave a curt nod to Dr. Novak—a man I grudgingly respected. Cas followed his father to the door, glancing back at me and mouthed 'tomorrow' before disappearing from view.

"What was all that racket? Did you offend the good doctor again Dean Winchester?"

I grinned at Lady Anna and abruptly moved to her side and pulled her in for a hug.

"Tomorrow Lady Anna, Castiel and I will be husbands."

She grinned in return.

"Your secret is safe with me. I wish you both all the happiness in the world!"

I was so elated, Michael's team could win and he could demand a kiss from me and I could grant it and it wouldn't dampen my mood. Nothing could.