Does love matter? Gilbert Bylthe x reader

13

Y/n's POV

I don't remember what my parents were like before Adam left. I know they had high standards. But after this whole thing with Billy, I am starting to think that Adam didn't run away, what if my parents called off his engagement to Prissy too, and let him go to college.

After he left they let me go to school more, before it was school 3 days and housework 2, mothers intent was to make me a wife. Thats why I am 15 but learning on the level of 13, although I do know most of the things we learn. The more I think about my parents before Adam left and compare it to now, I realise maybe they were never as bad as I thought they were.

Maybe it isn't the Stuarts who are changing them, but it's having Adam back. I never listened to what father would say in his yelling, I would just recognise that he was yelling, so that made me think he was mad.

Maybe that was just how he spoke when he was passionate about something.

While I am thinking about all this, I should be getting dressed, but I notice something on my dresser that I didn't put there, a pile of letters, letters from Adam, with a note on the top, 'I wrote these but mother took them, I am so sorry pip-squeak. Adam' how do you write this many letters and I not get any? I start reading, he talks about why he left, I was right. He tells me about college but I already knew all that. Then he tells me about a girl he met, Elizabeth. How he wants to marry her, and how I would like her so much, he's not wrong. I keep reading until I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in." I say and turn to see Elizabeth.

"Why aren't you dressed? It's almost time!" She yells running to my closet to find a dress, she pulls out a light greeny blue dress, my favourite dress that I only wear on the most special occasions.

"Oh no, not that dress. That's only for balls and parties. Not tea." I say shaking my head.

"Well I think this is a special occasion, so you will wear it. Look how it makes your eyes pop." She shoves the dress into my arms and starts working on my hair.

"Lizzy! I can't get dressed if you are holding my head like that, help me take this dress off." I say trying to reach the buttons on the back of my pink dress.

"Oh yes, sorry." It takes a few minutes but eventually I am in the fancy dress, and now she starts braiding my hair.

"Lizzy, that is too fancy! It's just tea!" I say when she finally lets me look in the mirror.

Knock knock knock, "Too late. He's here." She says and grabs my arm leading me to the stairs.

"Gilbert! Thank you for coming!" I hear mother exclaim while I am still at the top of the stairs not wanting to go down.

"Thank you for inviting me Mrs y/l/n, you really didn't have to." I hear Gilbert's voice and immediately start blushing.

"Lizzy, I am not going down there!" I whisper yell as she begins to walk, still holding my arm.

"Yes you are! You look beautiful, thanks to me, and I want complements!" She says pulling me down the stairs.

"Ahh, girls! There you are!" My father exclaims as we walk in, taking our seats on the couches. The parents sit together, Lilly sits next to Gilbert and on his other side is Elizabeth and Adam, and I sit on Lilly's other side.

"So, Gilbert, I hope you understand you are here as a thank you for getting y/n out of the fire?" Mother says, looking him in the eye.

"Yes, it was the least I could do, I wish I was the one who realised the doors needed to be closed, so she wasn't in that situation, but I am very happy she is ok now." He says looking between my mother and myself.

"Well, it was very brave of you. And you were the only one who thought of going in to get her, even her Billy didn't do that, which was definitely a component of the breaking of their engagement." Father says.

"Father!" I say, angrily.

"Oh, y/n, Billy already told me," he says to me, "and from being his friend for quite some time, I agree that he does not deserve your wonderful daughter." He says smiling at my parents.

"Yes. Oh and Gilbert, why don't we see your father out anymore?" Mother asks.

"Mother! Gilbert you don't have to tell them, I am sure they are just curious though, but you don't have to tell them." I whisper to him.

"It's ok y/n. My father is quite ill, he can't leave his bed." He says it strongly but I can tell he is holding in his pain.

"Oh dear. We are so sorry. Is there anything we can do? Do you need any help around the house or want us to run any errands?" Mrs Stuarts asks him.

"Well, it would be helpful but I don't want to burden you with my families problems." He says sincerely.

"It's not a burden, we would all like to help." My father says.

This is going differently than what I expected.