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a plan in motion
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THERE WAS NOTHING AMELIA HASTINGS WOULD rather be doing than sitting on the back of an old sheep cart heading anywhere with her two best friends by her side. She wanted so desperately to be able to hug Enola another time, play with her hair as they gossiped about the people of the town, tell great adventure by the fire, or go on random shopping spurts in the city like they had once before. But another part of her, one she tried very hard to ignore, was begging to see the annoying but slightly charming marquess again. She wanted to call him names to poke fun at him, walk through the park at sunset letting him point out every flower and plant he knew the name of and let him ramble on and on about what they did and how important they were to the planet. Even if it was overbearing in the moment, she would kill to jump out of a train with him, holding his hand as they went on their own crazy adventure. Amelia wanted to sleep under the stars in the grass, her arms behind her back as she let the calming presence of her friends lull her to sleep. She desired the thrill of the exhilaration she experienced while on the run. But yet, she sat on the floor, back against the wooden paneling of her living room as the grandfather clock ticked loudly across the room.
She held her knees to her chest, wanting to drift away into a different world where her family wasn't only concerned about who she would marry over her herself. She assumed that was why they put out the wanted poster anyways, as Amelia was the only girl in the family, therefore she was the only one they had absolute complete control over the family she married into.
"You know, I didn't peg you as the type to be wondrously contemplating on the floor of her lounge." A voice broke the silence, one she was all too familiar with. In an instant she had jumped to her feet, shifting in silent distress in the uncomfortable fabric of the dress Abigail had forced her into. A brilliant smile crossed her face as she saw him in the doorway of the room, leaning against the post as he stared her down. But as soon as they made eye contact, his hard exterior cracked and she ran forward into his arms. Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder as she hugged the life out of the boy.
He looked different then when she last saw him, taller, bigger. He had grew at least two inches, making him even taller than before, still towering over her by a long shot. His brown hair was styled loosely, as if he had messed up his usual style in defiance. He wore the same half suit, fancy shoes and a black jacket.
"It's so good to see you, 'ia!" He cried, hugging the girl back and resting his chin on hers. Amelia let out a huge sigh of relief, part of her happy to see him, the other questioning why he was there in the first place. She pulled away, her hands coming to a delicate rest on his forearms as she threw him a cautiously curious look. With a sigh, he rolled his eyes, pulling her along through the lounge and to the foyer, then up the stairs. How he still had every grand hall and every secret short cut memorized Amelia would never know. She felt as though she spent so little time in her home that even she could get lost. It was just a house to her, after all.
