Graciously Ginny (Letters Of Change Series Book 5)(COMPLETED)

Chapter Six

Graciously Ginny

Chapter Six

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Ginny was sure her mouth hung open at the fact that they expected her to get married. Sure, it looked bad that she was in his room this time of the night but did they honestly think she'd be with a man when she wasn't married to him?

She thought that they all knew her better than that. But as she looked from Signilda to Agda to Albert she knew they didn't know her- not one bit.

"Surely you must be joking." She said looking at Albert who had suggested they got married.

"Not at all Miss Wade" Albert said simply "It's improper what you two are doing and if word gets out then it will make us all look bad."

"This simply can't be happening!" Ginny said shaking her head. She felt guilty for even being in this situation, she felt like she was somehow dishonoring Fergus.

Sending a prayer heavenward she took a deep breath to try and reign in her growing anger.

"I wonder why we can't just keep this between the five of us." Thomas suggested leaning against the door frame, he was still in a blanket and still soaked from her making him jump into a water trough.

"I've been wondering the same thing... Why don't we finish this discussion downstairs as not too wake the girls? Mr. Clayton you should probably change into dry clothing, so you don't catch your death before you meet us down there."

"I'm not sending you alone with these... vultures." Thomas said glaring at the people he
thought he trusted.

"I can take care of myself thank you. Meet us downstairs after you change." Ginny said in a voice the left no room for argument.

"Alright, but I'm just letting you all know that if I'm forced to marry Miss Wade then that would make her the mistress of the house and as such I wouldn't be opposed if she decided she wanted to dismiss the whole staff... just remember that." And with that he went into his room. She appreciated his threat to the others. She still thought of them as her friends even though she was just as upset at them as he was.

"I'll make some Coffee." Agda said scurrying past the others. Ginny crossed her arms over her dark dress as she walked behind the others.

"I suppose I shouldn't be to shocked by all this" Signilda said not even looking at her "That whole grieving act you put on-"

"Don't pretend to know anything about me Mrs. Hastings because you clearly don't. My grief is very much real, just because you don't know what it's like to lose someone who you love doesn't give you the right to belittle my pain, now sit down and remain quiet." She was almost as shocked as Signilda looked. When had she turned into her mother?

Sighing she took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. Part of her wanted to dismiss Signilda if she had to marry Thomas- She could run the house without a staff just as her mother did- but another part of her understood Signilda feeling angry and somewhat betrayed, because she felt the same way.

She crossed her arms and looked away from Signilda who sat across from her at the table. It seemed like a lifetime before Thomas finally came downstairs. He wore simple brown trousers and a blue striped shirt, his hair was still damp and she noticed it looked as though he hadn't shaved in a week.

He looked at her sympathetically as he took the seat next to her and leaned back comfortably as if he was preparing for them all to be in the kitchen for a while.

Everyone remained silent until Agda served coffee and both she and her husband Albert took a seat.

"Alright, so everyone thinks that Miss Wade and I should get married?"

Everyone nodded and Signilda added "Tonight."

"Excuse me?" Ginny said sharing a somewhat panicked look with Thomas "It's nearly midnight!"

"Yes and in case you've forgotten we'd have to travel to the next town or send someone for the parson who is asleep like all sensible people would be at this hour."

"We could send Albert for him. It isn't right what you're doing-"

"We haven't even kissed!" Ginny said growing angrier and angrier.

"Either you two marry or you go back to where ever it is that you came from! Those are the choices" Signilda spat, Ginny couldn't believe her own friend believed her to be a harlot. She knew she couldn't go back home she couldn't be reminded of the life that had been stolen from her, she could sit around and watch everyone have children and get married while she was nothing more than the grieving Fiancée. And she couldn't leave Wilhelmina and Lorelei, both of the girls needed her.

She looked at Thomas "May I speak to you alone for a minute?" when he nodded she grabbed a lantern and led the way to his study, she waited until he closed the door to speak.

"I can't go back to Kansas..." she said letting her sentence trail off as she actually considered having to marry him.

"I can't let you leave, the girls have grown attached to you and I can't imagine allowing them to go through such pain when they've already experienced enough for a lifetime."

"So what do we do?"

"I guess we tie the knot."

Ginny nodded biting her lip to keep from crying. Was she betraying Fergus?

"I'll go tell them our decision... and I'll send someone for your cousin..." Thomas said putting his hand on her shoulder "Ginny I'm so sorry I got us into this whole mess... if I was responsible you wouldn't have had to drag me from the Saloon."

"I was the one who got us into this. I shouldn't have gone in to get you, it wasn't my place."

"Well after tonight it will be your place."

Ginny nodded not believing the turn of events. She couldn't believe she had gotten into this situation.

"Is there anything you need?" He asked looking at her seriously.

"Can I write my Mother?"

"Of course, there is parchment in my desk... I'll leave the lantern with you and I'll go tell the others."

"Alright." She agreed almost shocked at how nice he was being to her. Once he left, she found the parchment and started her letter.

Mama,