Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

An Ultimatum

It was getting colder, and Will mentioned that the storms were getting worse out there. The trees were already beginning to turn in the parks, a mark that the coming winter would be a cold one. Rigel had decided to stop shedding quite so much, and was now up to my knees and quite fluffy. I made a point of brushing his coat every other day, which he clearly enjoyed by the way he licked me after. It kept me from worrying about Will out in the storms, although whenever I made my way down to the ship she looked resilient. I had remarked that to Will once, when we had laid curled around each other in his bunk. We didn't do anything, my monthly had made an appearance, but it was nice to simply talk to him by ourselves. He had chuckled, "She's a tough girl, much like her namesake."

"Yes, so tough." I had rolled my eyes, "I'm sure I could put up with storms every few weeks. Just plough right through them."

Will had sighed, "With those corsets you wear, you probably could." It had only been a short time later that he had set out again, and the cold breezes had begun to blow throughout the city. I bid farewell to my breezy summer dresses, pulling out my heavier dresses and coats again. At least the fittings for the wedding gown had ended, I would have hated to have to stand in Paul's studio in that short sleeved gown while he adjusted it. He had promised that it would be ready for the portraits by the new year, that his seamstresses were embroidering almost night and day to get it finished.

I was simply thankful that I didn't have to return until then.

Especially when the Anastasia came in, and I was so swamped with business that I couldn't come down to greet him. Rigel lay curled up by my desk, his head on his paws as he watched me scratch away at the papers on my desk. I had barely managed to look up when I heard my door open, and a packet of letters was flung onto my desk. Oscar didn't even ask for permission before he threw himself down in the chair across from me, his hands in his hair. "Anastasia, what is your man doing?"

"Will?" I looked away from the letters, "He's overseeing the unloading of the cargo. And I'm busy Oscar."

His hand slapped down on the desk. "No, that Moody! He's been writing my sister." He took the packet, waving it in front of my face. I could see Liz's name printed carefully on each of the envelopes. "Without asking permission!"

"He did ask." I replied, leaning back in my chair. "He asked her permission, which is all that he needed." I tried to pin him down with a look, "What are you doing with her letters anyway?"

"You know Liz, she never gets anything but magazines and then a few months ago she starts getting letters, almost every week!" He dropped back into the chair. "I was only lucky that she was out today and I was able to sneak these out of her rooms. I just wanted to be sure that she wasn't being seduced by some rogue." Oscar sighed. "He works for you, Anastasia! And he's a sailor, you know what sailors are like!" He held up his hands as I looked up harshly. "Not that Will's like that, or even him. But you know what people think about them! And you said you knew she was writing him."

"Oscar, why is this your problem?"

"Because she's my sister! The last thing I want is for her to get hurt."

"Are you sure she'll get hurt from James? You obviously read the letters, did he say anything hurtful in them? Anything to make you think he would harm her?"

He blushed, looking away. "No, he didn't. But I still don't like him writing her without asking my parents."

"Oscar, if you don't say anything to her about this, I will." I stood, grabbing the packet of letters and throwing it into his lap. "You violated her trust with this."

He looked to the packet, picking it up and standing. "Anastasia, you call him up here right now and I will tell her."

"You're not forbidding him from writing her, Oscar." I said, gesturing to a clerk outside to come in. "We're not in some Gothic romance." I looked to the clerk as he poked his head in, "Please ask Mr. Moody and Mr. Murdoch to come up here." Standing we both wound up looking at each other for a moment, "Oscar, you can't do this to her you know, she has her own life."