Your Interest At Heart

Chapter 10: Aftermath

After the dinner 'party', Father allowed me to go out with Samuel, Eliza, and Alexander. He had pulled both men aside separately.

"Samuel." Father had said to my fiance.

"Yes, sir?" Samuels big brown eyes looked at his future father in-law.

"Keep my daughter safe." He ordered.

"I will protect her with my life." Samuel swore. "And Eliza, too."

"Alexander will do his part." Father nodded in dismissal. Samuel then went back to his fiancee.

"What was that about?" I asked when he returned.

"Nothing." He shook his head, making teasing eye contact with me. "Are Eliza and Alexander ready?"

"I think she's getting her coat." I told him.

"Do you want to get one?" Samuel asked. I shook my head.

"It's still Autumn." I reminded him. He nodded, studying the room. Father, Peggy, and Angelica were having a bonfire in the backyard, so there was no-one in sight.

"When was this taken?" He asked, walking over to a family photo from just a few years after Peggy was born

"Twelve or thirteen year ago, I think." I examined the photo. My hair was super thin back then, and my eyes were a lighter shade of green. I solidified over the years. Eliza had the same look when she was little. Peggy had straighter hair and Angelica had longer.

"Is that you?" He pointed to the little girl with thin auburn hair. I nodded. He then proceeded to point out the rest of my sisters. "Peggy, Angelica, Eliza."

"That's right." I nodded again. By now, Eliza and Alexander had come back.

"You two ready?" Alexander asked, patting Samuel's stiff shoulder. He nodded, and we all headed out.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked.

"The pub?" Eliza guessed looking at Alexander. He nodded, a tight grin on his face.

"I-I don't drink!" Samuel's eyes widened.

"You will tonight." Alexander nudged him playfully. Samuel stumbled.

"You're not gonna fight back?" I asked, a smile on my face. He looked at me.

"Like actually fight?" Samuel asked. I shook my head.

"You're gonna be brother's!" I told him. The realization hit him and he bowled into Alexander. Alex grunted from the force of Samuel's impact, but didn't even stumble. He then threw my fiance into a headlock. Samuel pawed at Alexander's arm.

"I'm not hurting him." He assured me.

"Alexander!" Eliza pulled at her fiance's arm in an effort to release my own. I did the same and Alex finally let him go. Samuel jumped up and tried to do the same to Alexander, but failed miserably.

See, he is smaller (and younger) than Alexander. He tried to keep his arm wrapped harmlessly around Alex's neck, but my future brother in-law easily got Samuel off.

"Am I that weak?" Samuel asked exasperatedly.

"No, I'm just unnaturally strong." Alexander flexed his arms. Both Eliza and I rolled our eyes. Samuel shuffled back to me and held my hand.

"Let's go?" Eliza looked at Alexander, who nodded and took her hand. We then walked to the pub that Alex claimed to have met his friends at.

We all say at a round table, me next to Samuel and Eliza. Alex paid for the first round. Eliza and I were very careful to stay sober, so we both took only the smallest sips. Samuel just swirled the liquid and glanced up at me.

"Take a sip!" Alexander urged. Samuel's eyes snapped over to him nervously.

"I've never had alcohol before." He admitted. "Well, nothing strong."

"So you've had wine?" I guessed. He nodded, bringing the glass up to his lips. As soon as the liquid entered his mouth, his eyes widened.

"Swallow!" Alexander egged on. Samuel swallowed, then sputtered.

"That's disgusting." He coughed. I laughed. He glanced at me. "How can you drink this like water?"

"I'm used to it." I shrugged, taking a tiny sip. Eliza looked at me.

"When?" Her eyes widened. "You're seventeen!"

"I have friends." I shrugged. I don't. None that would get me alcohol, that is. It tasted like the tonic I used to have.

"Let's play a drinking game!" Alexander suggested. Eliza and I both shook our heads.

"I don't want to get drunk." I told him.

"Me neither." Samuel agreed.

"Then let's do something lighter." Alexander shrugged, waving down the barkeep. "Four Sam Adams, please."

The barkeep cane back with our drinks, and me, Eliza, and Samuel pushed the first drinks away. Alex snickered and downed his first cup, the one with the first alcohol.

"Why can't I do that?" Samuel gaped.

"Because you're british!" Alexander faked a British accent. Samuel shoved him away, but put his arm on the table. "What are you doing?"

"Hercules and John were doing this." Samuel explained.

"Arm wrestle?" Alexander asked, putting his arm up on the table and grabbing Samuel's hand. Eliza and I were watching intently as the men seemed to have an entire conversation with their eyes, occasionally nodded towards us.

"Doesn't matter!" Samuel shook his head. "Let's just have a go."

"Okay." Alex agreed.

"Three, two, one... Go!" I counted. They instantly launched into trying to force each others hands down. Samuel hand a pained expression as he slowly pushed Alexander's hand towards the table. My future brother in-law had a shocked expression before heaving my fiance's hand back up. Samuel grunted and tried harder. He ended up getting Alex's hand further down. Alex struggled to fight back. Suddenly, Alexander slammed Samuel's hand on the table.

"Ha!" Alexander flexed in the direction of Eliza. She rolled her eyes.

"You did great, Samuel." She nodded at him.

"Ugh." He sighed, taking a small sip of his beer and stifled a shudder. Alexander turned serious.

"You almost won." He told him. "You're strong, physically, but it looks like I'm just a little bit stronger."

"I'll beat you one day." Samuel swore.

"Seabury, you don't have to." Alexander put his hand on his shoulder. "You're already stronger than Laurens."

"I am?" Samuel looked at his future brother. Alex nodded. "Good."