"Felicity, I have to talk to you!" Ben exclaimed, rushing up to her. She had been reading, and looked up at him worriedly.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, rising.
"Very."
"Well what is it?"
"You're getting engaged! They're announcing it!"
"Ben, don't be an idiot. Of course I am! Did you think this was new?"
"No, I mean tonight!"
"What?" Felicity shut the book and sat up straighter. "What do you mean tonight?"
"They're going to surprise you, everyone is coming over sometime tonight, and you'll be announced and you'll be engaged! No turning back, you will be marrying Danny!"
"David."
"That's what you care about?"
Felicity clenched her fists and stood up. "Oooh, I can't believe they're tricking me like this! I don't want to marry him!" she gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Do you mean it, Lissie?" Ben asked, beaming. He walked over and grabbed her waist. "Do you really not love him?"
"No, I just don't!" Felicity sighed. "But he's nice and wonderful and my only prospect for marriage. I can't stay a burden to my family in this way, I won't!"
"You shouldn't marry someone you don't love." Ben insisted, still holding her.
Felicity sighed, then jumped up on her toes and kissed Ben. "I want to marry...you." she said, softly but with great confidence.
Ben beamed and kissed her again, hard.
"Lissie" he said eventually. "There's nothing I want more than that. Mad you beat me to asking, though." he laughed and kissed her again.
"But Ben." Felicity said, breaking away. "You can't scare like that again...you can't just disappear like that ever, ever again. I can't believe I did it once...I don't think I could do it again." she looked him fiercely in the eye. "Promise?"
"There has never been a promise more willingly made or kept." Ben insisted.
"But we are left with one slight problem." Felicity pointed out. "How am I going to get out of getting engaged tonight?"
"Leave that to me." Ben said slyly. "I have to go now, but I'll be back before your party starts. I promise!" he kissed her quickly, then ran out the door, looking over his shoulder at her one more time.
…
"Has the response come yet?" Annabelle hissed, grabbing Elizabeth's arm and pulling her aside. "It has, hasn't it? Oh, when will they tell me? Tell me, Bitsy!"
"I won't tell you a single thing if you insist on calling me Bitsy!" Elizabeth snapped, yanking her arm away. "Honestly, Annabelle. You've been unbearable these past few weeks!"
"Well can you blame me?" Annabelle smiled smugly. "Now that the Merriman brat is getting married off, my only competition is gone!"
Elizabeth rolled her eye, but Annabelle insisted on continuing to speak.
"Not my fault she couldn't wait for him. I knew he was alive...he just stopped writing her is all. And it took her long enough to get the hint, good Lord!" she tsked her tongue, just thinking of Felicity's poor manners.
"Maybe it was a rejection, maybe that's why they haven't told you about it yet." Elizabeth mused, continuing the embroider.
"So it has come!" Annabelle exclaimed, twisting around.
Shit.
"Oh Annabelle, this isn't a witch hunt." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She put her sewing aside and went downstairs, leaning into the parlor. "She knows." she sighed.
Mother put down her book. "Oh for Heaven's sake. That girl is insatiable sometimes." Mother leaned back. "I suppose we have to tell her now."
"I suppose."
…
Elizabeth had brought the good news home eagerly one summer's afternoon. Felicity had been proposed to! By a handsome, wealthy Loyalist - and she had accepted! The family was surprised at Felicity's choice, and were disappointed he hadn't gone after Annabelle first, as she too was a well-off Loyalist - but no matter, no matter. How exciting!
Annabelle was thrilled. The war was over, Ben would be back soon! Her Ben now. Even if he still had that stupid crush on the Merriman girl, it'd all be over now. She had chosen another! And if he was heartbroken...well, he might just need a beautiful shoulder to cry on.
So she had had Father send word of her intentions right away. Outlining her family's position and wealth. Their politics. Ben's family were Loyalists as well during the war, it was a source of great pain for the family that the boy had gone off to fight for the wrong side and had kept up minimal contact with him ever since.
The response had taken weeks to come back. A normal time frame, but Annabelle was so eager to just get an answer - any answer! - that each day felt like weeks.
"Well, Annabelle." Father began at dinner that night. "I believe we have some news for you."
"Oh, really Father?" Annabelle said with a faked air of surprise, lightly clasping a hand over her heart. "Has something happened?"
"There has recently been a response to your letter."
"Oh I just don't like the idea of it! Even if it is after the war, he still fought for the Patriots!" Mother had tittered, wringing a hankerchief.
"I know this sounds...pessimistic...but this could be our Annabelle's last chance for a marriage. And she does so care for him." Father insisted.
"There just has to be someone else…"
"He's from a rich Loyalist family, you know. He's the deviant. He'll grow up eventually, regret his participations...Annabelle will guide him in that! You know she's a strong willed girl."
Mother snort-laughed. "No argument there! But are there no other options? She's got to be married, I won't argue that...but a Patriot merchant?"
"He's be well off, and the war is over. He rebellious young man phase is over, I'm sure."
"I don't know…"
"And Annabelle's just crazy about him, as I'm sure you've noticed. Always rushing off to the shop...did you know she dumped an ounce of cinnamon out the window just for an excuse to go down and see him?"
"Oh father!" Annabelle exclaimed excitedly, flapping her hands. "Do tell! Do tell!"
"Now Annabelle, before I tell you, I want to make sure you're doing this for the right reasons."
"Of course I am-"
"Let me continue." Father held his hand up sternly. "I want you to be marrying him, first off, because you love him, and secondly because you think he will be a good husband, and that you will be a good wife. Not because of some vendetta, or some bullheaded childhood crush."
"I do love him, Father! I truly, truly do! And I've been trying so hard to show him that my feelings are sincere, for surely as soon as this becomes clear, he shall reciprocate!"
Elizabeth snorted into her drink.
Mother chuckled a little. "Yes, that does sound like our Annabelle. Determined as always."
"And she's very determined to marry him."
"Are you sure it's not just to spite that Merriman girl? I was never quite sure of why, but she's always loathed her so." Mother shook her head. "It's not ladylike to hold onto anger in that way."
"Annabelle will steady herself." Father nodded. "And I must admit, that is a concern of mine as well."
"But Felicity is to be married." Mother pointed out. "And Annabelle is still just as interested as before, that's got to indicate something."
"So you're coming around to the idea?"
"Send the letter. Let's receive a response. See if this is even an option."
Father read over the letter once more, then sealed it with wax and stamped it. "I shall take it into town tomorrow."
"Yes...it, it appears so, Annabelle." Father smiled warmly.
"You-you don't mean…?" Annabelle spluttered out, clutching the table.
"The Davidsons have accepted. You are to be married. Ben has also been sent a letter."
"Let me see my letter!" Annabelle screamed for joy, clapping.
"Oh, Annabelle, please be more ladylike!" Mother scolded, but didn't mean it.
"Please Father! Please let me see my letter!" Annabelle pleaded, reaching out her hand like a child for candy.
Father fished it out of his pocket and passed it down the table. Annabelle read it over and over again. "Surely he's gotten his." she reasoned. "I'm truly not hungry - please let me go see him! Father, Mother, please!"
Father looked over at Mother and then turned to Annabelle and nodded. "Go, my child. Enjoy your victory."
Annabelle screeched and jumped up from the table, crumpling the letter a little.