Bought by a Shelby

A Familiar face

**************************Lettie Shelby*********************************

Lettie had bounced and squealed with excitement when she flung the door open to reveal her two elder sisters. She stepped out onto the deck and flung her arms tight around the other girls.

"What are you doing here!? How did you find me!" Lettie was so excited her cheeks hurt from smiling. She thought she was going to have another long and boring day waiting for her overzealous passionate husband to come home.

"Thomas and Finn left dad a note with your address in case we were ever in the city. We kept asking around since none of us could read and we were led to your door." Tears glistened in her eyes giving way to a slow burn. She hadn't realized how much she missed her own family. To be far all she really saw was Finn and the occasional blinder who'd come to fetch Finn for a mission but even then he usually pushed them out before she could respond to their inquiry on how she was doing.

He was a very jealous but kind man.

"Da is talking to a Mr. Strong about working with a forge. He's near the barge or something. The snow was getting so deep if we didn't make it out now...." Lavina trailed off but the younger sister could finish the sentence. They wouldn't have made it to spring.Lettie's her eldest sister at twenty four stood straight and tall looking down at her fair haired sister. She had long straight raven black tresses always straight and hanging down making her dark brown eyes her feature. Lavina took her looks after their father as did Lyria. She always kept her jet black hair piled high above her head.

Lettie had taken after their mother. Long, white blonde hair that was more wavy than straight, brown eyes and a little heart face. All three looked like sisters, just two more so.

"So where are you staying?!" She asked them to sit down at their little table and rush around to make tea. She was so excited to see them.

"We don't know yet, Da is talking about renting someplace nearby or hitching his wagon at Mr. Strong's yard." Lettie nodded aggressively excited to have familiar company.

"Do you think you'll rent here? We can run to each other's houses and talk." Her hands were clasp together hoping against all hope they would be so close by.

She opened her door and pushed her sister into the warm little kitchen and dining room eager to show them Finn's place.

"So, how are things with your mysterious city man?" Lryia asked, leaning forward. Lavina stared at her unimpressed. Lettie hadn't spoken to them since they all saw him by the river. She wondered why Lavina seemed annoyed with Lyria asking about Finn.

"You know, there are much more handsome men in the city. You could go out and meet a few." There it was, Lavina was interested in ruining her baby sister's life. And why not. She was the eldest. Finn should have picked her, but he'd chosen the baby sister and asked for her hand.

"Sounds like you should go and meet some. I'm sure Finn works with a few. He could introduce you perhaps." She gave her sister a sly smile before sipping her tea silently challenging her to continue.

"So are you happy with him?" Lyria asked sweetly. She was a hopeless romantic. Always dreaming of how she'd meet the one and how she'd end up with. All her future children's names were picked out for them and she hadn't even met the man yet.

Lettie blushed causing her sisters to laugh at her expense. Finn was kind but stern. He knew what he liked and what he didn't. She was learning he was a particular man who thrived on routine. Opposite of her, however, the mountains never gave you the same experience day in and day out. It was daily survival against the elements, even in the Summer.