To Die For

Chapter 5 - Wyle Dolon

"So let me run you through a hypothetical —," I say, hands up, as I stand in the kitchen with my parents. It's the early hours of the morning and we just walked home and are warming up over cups of tea.
"You disappeared the entire time," My mother says.
"You don't know that you were snogging in corners," I say, "Back to my hypothetical—,"
"You did disappear though, I know that I can watch you and song in corners," my mother says.
"Ask the Emersons if I can court their daughter," I say, folding my arms, "Please?"
"Mate, she has a suitor, probably two by now," my father says, so nicely. They were snogging in a corner when I danced with Riley.
"Not Shaye! Riley," I say.
"The one who also disappeared all evening," oh my mother noticed.
"Yes," I say, lightly, "That sister."
"Why?" My father asks, with a reasonable amount of suspicion given everything about me.
I shrug, completely unable to put my lack of thought process into words.
"I can ask but they aren't even trying to find someone for —that sister," my father says very understandingly. "They'll probably say no."
"Thank you for trying anyway," I say, extremely nicely.
"Don't do anything stupid," my mother says, clearly mentally resigning herself to the fact that I will in all likelihood do something stupid.
My father has more faith in me, based off of nothing I've ever done, and offers to go and talk to the Emersons to ask if I may court their younger daughter.
I expect the answer to be a firm 'no' and decide to deal with that logically, by identifying the girl's bedroom from the exterior of the mostly boarded up mansion. Being small and naturally wriggly, skulking among the rubble goes quite well and I identify a room that might belong to one of the girls.
When I get up to the window it appears to be the girls' parlor, or the like, so that's a win. There's fabric and things laid out on tables and there's a few crates clearly stuffed with sewing things. I just manage to get myself perched in the window casually by the time the door bangs open.
It's both Emerson sisters, now in house clothes of oversized wool shirts, clearly mid argument.
"That was fast," Riley says. Her black hair is in a thick braid down her back but curls are getting loose and sticking to her cheeks.
"I thought so," I smile..
"Oh my god him? No, I'm with father now why would you like it?" Shaye says, gesturing to me.
"I don't know, go, let me talk to him," Riley says, pushing her sister back out of the room.
"I'm probably not supposed to let you be alone with strange men!"
"We're both alone with father all the time! Now go—sorry about that," Riley crams her older sister out of the room, then turns around completely casually.
"Well?" I ask, still sitting in the window.
"My father said no," she says, "Thank you, for ah, trying. I didn't know you were going to do that."
"That's all right, I'll just call on you via windows instead of the front door," I say, smiling charmingly, "May I come in?"
"Yes you may get out of that window before you break your neck," Riley sighs, coming over to help me though I roll to my feet just fine. "You're very nice but it was always going to be a no."
"Hm," I get what I want, "I still don't know anything more about our mysterious item from the puzzle box. But I'll be back on base soon I might turn something up. I can probably forge a day pass by next Saturday may I call upon you then? Walk you to town?"
She sighs, glancing over her shoulder, "It'll have to be after dark."
"That can be arranged," I say, smiling, "Till then?"
"Till then," she smiles finally, "You don't have to do this —,"
"I don't do anything I don't want to. I'll see you in a week," I say, climbing back into the window.
"A week," Riley says, twisting her fingers.
I hop out the window the two stories to the ground and book it back around the house to meet my father on the path. It's a credit to what raising me has done to this man that he isn't even remotely surprised he lost me thirty seconds into the errand but is in fact just mildly pleased I showed back up.
"Well?" I ask.
"Where've you been?" He asks, still just resigned not surprised.
"Girl's room window to say hello I'd not seen her since last night she's just as lovely," I say, pleasantly. "She wants me to call on her what did her father say?"
"No, took about half that time explaining I was sure we were talking about the younger sister," he rolls his eyes a little, "Looked like you'd made that girls' day though. She didn't look like she'd ever had a boy's father come asking for permission."
I glare a little.
"Are you actually getting mad that no one else thinks she's pretty despite how jealous we both know you'd be if someone else did fancy her?"
"Yeah definitely. Anyway that was it just no? Why? It's not like I'm asking to marry her," I reason.
"Because of our family. And we have no money to offer for a potential match," he says.
"Ah," I wince.
"He said he'd get over the family if we had money to offer his daughter be we don't. I'm sorry Wy, I don't blame him he wants to see his daughter cared for—oh my god please don't—,"
"Don't what?" I ask.
"Whatever you're thinking of," he says.
"Well money can be gotten," I say, reasonably, "I'm not, quite sure how yet but it can. If that was his main objection. What was his mood? Don't say I'd know all this if I'd stayed I had to see her and make sure she wanted me calling on her before I go to—lengths."
"Oh hell, Wyle."
"Father."
"He seemed pleased. Like he didn't think he'd find a home for this one, and also there were comments made that we'd not want her once you'd actually gotten to know her. Guess he's unaware the two of you robbed at least three people probably more and sneaked off to read books and snog half the night."
"There was no snogging actually I was just reading to her from fragments of Sappho while we stood in the moonlight and I stared into the black of her eyes," I say.
"That's actually really good no wonder she didn't scream when you were in the window—,"
"She did seem pleased," I say.
"But the stealing bit is true? Like your mother probably knows what you did—,"
"Just the guest table yeah that's when you two lost me I stayed out there because she was pilfering it."
"Like you were going to you you mean?"
"Yeah."
He sighs, shaking my shoulder, "Be patient? Perhaps in a week once things've settled down with her sister then he'll reconsider."
"Perhaps," I say, fully planning to do something about it before then.
I've never felt this way before, much less ever been distracted by something like a girl. However, I find myself rather enjoying it. I want to speak with her again. Besides we have the mystery of the relics we're trying to solve. I go from being blissfully vacant recalling our conversation, to generally annoyed I can't talk to the girl if I wish. I'm aware her father didn't actually succeed in stopping me but it is the principal.
But no matter. Money can be gotten and by the time I get back to base I've got something approximating a diverting plan.
In fact I'm so busy formulating the fine points of my very clever plan, that I genuinely forget not only why I met Riley but that she has a sister.
And so, the following occurs.
"Did you hear Strong got engaged to the Emerson girl?" Joss asks, by way of making conversation when we're out on the training yard.
"What?" I ask, incandescent with rage. Well I thought I was better than this, apparently not.
"Yes?! Put the bow and arrow down—Shaye Emerson her engagement you were there?" Joss says, trying to wrestle my bow out of my hands. He doesn't actually succeed but I do relax when I remember that Shaye was supposed to get engaged to someone and that is why I was there so all that follows.
"Oh right," I smile pleasantly.
"Yes—wait you were chatting with the younger sister when I came in weren't you? That chubby girl?"
That's how I wind up walking Joss to the infirmary with a blood nose.
"I'm sorry, that was a gut reaction," I say.
"Was being about to shoot our commander in the head when you thought he was ENGAGED to a girl you like ALSO a gut reaction?"
"Honestly? Yeah," I laugh, "I definitely didn't think I was better than this."
Joss glares at me.
"What?" I ask, dabbing blood from his shirt.
"So you're courting the younger sister now?" He asks, a little more nicely.
"Yes, definitely. We got on," I say, pleasantly.
"I didn't see you all evening."
"I didn't see you all evening either but I don't see me bringing it up in a nice little conversation on our way to the med bay."
"For you bloodying my nose?"
"I hard it, I heard it, can't blame me for trying," I mutter.
"When are you going to see her again? Did you get a pass?" He asks.
"Oh I don't know," I say, like I won't probably sneak out tonight and I will.
And I do. My brilliant plan is almost set and so I think it's only fair and proper I make sure that Riley wants me to go through with it.
Which is how I end up hauling myself in the parlor window, well past midnight. I checked through the windows her parents are downstairs meaning she's likely up here with her sister.
"You know, at least MINE sent a polite note asking me to walk to town this weekend," Shaye is saying, as I drag myself in the window. The girls are sitting on a sofa, sewing, and watching me haul myself in and not moving to help at all.
"Oh, he sent a nice note? I'm in your fucking walls," I say, rolling into the parlor, "May I come in?"
"You're already in," Riley says, amused, but also not coming to help me which is very sexy of her.
"Why do you like it?" Shaye asks her sister, ignore me.
"I don't know. What are you doing here, Wyle?" Riley asks, "My mother could come up any minute?"
"It's fine I'll jump back out the window—I needed to ask you, if I solve the issue of money will your father consent for me to court you?" I ask, formally as possible, hand on one hip.
"If I beg him he might," Riley sighs, "He doesn't like me very much he might be persuaded. But how are you going to convince him you're rich?"
"We know you're not," Shaye puts in.
"I'll figure something out," I say, leaning against the wall.
"I want to know how," Riley says, narrowing her eyes playfully.
"Well maybe it's up to you to figure it out," I smirk, "Try to catch me."
"Is that a challenge?"
"If you like."
"You're perfect for each other please never involve anyone else in what you have going on," Shaye says.
"Oh I'm in your Strong's platoon, give you something to talk about, me," I say, laying a hand on my chest.
"Does he know about us?" Riley asks.
"No, I don't want him to call off the engagement. I haven't told him either of you even exist—well he knows he exists," Shaye waves a hand at me, "But he doesn't know he's in any way connected to us."
"Why do you want him?" I ask.
"My father does, and he looks stupid," she says.
I nod.
"Clever ones hurt," she says, staring at me.
"Fucking love being threatened," I purr.
Shaye looks at her sister.
"I know it's why I like him. Yes, I'll go beg my father to let me court you if you've got the money but I really don't see how you're going to get that sort of money in a few days," Riley sighs.