Faimished (The Faim AU fanfic)

One

"Dear me! I can barely breathe!" Evangeline gasps.

"You will hold your tongue, child. You are a young lady. This is what must be done," Mrs Beerkens scowls, tightening the corset to its maximum level.

"But we are only going to town, mother." Evangeline stares at her pale complexion in the mirror, placing her hands on the side of waist, she sighs.

"We are to go to the bank, Evangeline, don't question your mother!"

Mrs Beerkens adjusted the corset, turning around, "right, get dressed, I shall meet you in the drawing room."

Evangeline obeys her mother, she slips on her violet, puff sleeved dress along with shoes as she walks down to where she was to meet her mother.

"Evangeline," a voice calls. She turns to see her brother Stephen stood before her.

"Yes, brother?"

"Don't forget cousin Michael is staying over for a few weeks, don't be too awkward around him, please. Just don't mention his father."

"What do you mean?" Evangeline tilts her head.

"Eve, Uncle Godfrey was a troubled man, he gambled his fortune away, drank himself to death and left nothing for our poor cousin."

"Oh yes, of course."

Evangeline nods, meeting her mother in the drawing room.

Michael is due to arrive at ten O'clock, meaning that Evangeline and her mother would miss his arrival as they took the carriage into town an hour prior.

Stephen stayed at home to welcome Michael while his sister and mother visited the bank.

Evangeline (Eve for short) took a deep breath, or attempted to, at least.

"Mother, this corset is far too tight." She frightfully worries to Theadora.

She rolls her eyes. "Quit your whining, Evangeline. You'll have to learn to be quiet, eventually. No husband is going to want to hear your moaning."

Eve miserably looked out of the carriage window, noticing that the town was only a mile away.

"Can we please have one single conversation without you mentioning a husband?" Eve snaps, causing her Mother to gasp.

"Goodness, Evangeline. You will remain silent for the rest or the journey!"

Eve was delighted with being silent as it meant having little to none conversation with her mother, or so she thought.

"But the truth is, you will have to marry- and soon! You're eighteen and you haven't even done so little as to look at another man. When I was your age, I was with child. It's not right, Evangeline. You don't want to be an old woman without a man, do you?" Theadora inquires coldly, and Eve doesn't know whether she should speak. She has been instructed to stay silent, after all.

"I wouldn't want anything more." Eve angrily responds.

Her mother scowls with rage, opening her purses lips to fiercely scold, "Why, you little-"

"We have arrived, Madam." The footman announces.

"To the bank," Theadora asserts herself as she marches towards the red building.

Eve follows in suit behind her mother, "why are we collecting money?" she asks.

"You know why."

"I don't, mother."

"Because Michael is staying," Theadora observes her surroundings before speaking, "he has no money."

"But he's a physician?"

"It doesn't mean he's wealthy, my dear. In fact, it's quite the opposite, it's quite tragic actually, considering he's 22."

"Age shouldn't have any place in defining your wealth, mother."

"I'll have you know, that your fathers brother was the richest man in their village, but he chose to gamble all of the money away in a spur of foolish behaviour. I take no pity on Michael."

"Mother, you're beside yourself, that's the most cruel thing you've ever said!"

Theadora stares at
her daughter with a scowl  before pacing into the bank, Eve sighs, standing outside the bank.

When Theadora exits the bank, both head to a fabric shop to acquire some fabrics for curtains and linen.

The coach meets them outside of the shop, silently they both climb in.

"Go," Theadora slams her hand on the carriage, signalling for it to go.

"I really don't know why you walked off for mother," Evangeline speaks.

"What ever do you mean?"

"You were very rude about Michael."

Theadoras face begins to turn red, "I will not listen to these rude accusations! How dare you tell me how I behaved! Oh, I do was your father was here, he would tell you how to behave and put you in your place! This is exactly why you need a husband!"

As Theodora began to anger, the carriage hit a bump in the road, stopping.

"What is it?" Theadora asks. Wrapping her shawl around herself she rolls her eyes.

"We've got a problem," the footman speaks.

Evangeline sticks her head out of the window, observing a limp body lying on the floor.