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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 17, 2009 23:01:18 GMT -5
The house was mostly quiet now, after all the pomp and circumstance of dinner. The younger kids had gone to bed, and Thatcher and Zach were presumably still holed up in the den, drinking away.
Justin stepped into the hall and saw that Gwen's bedroom light was still on. Whatever their father had talked to her about clearly still had her upset. He hesitated a minute, then walked over and knocked lightly on her door.
"Gwen?" he whispered. "It's Justin. Need to talk?"
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 17, 2009 23:10:37 GMT -5
Gwen got out of bed quietly, trying not to wake her mother who had already fallen asleep.
No, she didn't need to talk. Did she want to? No. The whole thing was ridiculous and she was going to find a way out of it. Her biggest fear was losing what little freedom she had, and that's exactly what was happening if they forced her to marry Wolfe.
She opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind her. "Mum's inside... she and Dad aren't speaking."
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 21, 2009 13:42:09 GMT -5
Justin nodded quietly. "Yeah, I gathered as much," he whispered. "He and Uncle Zach have been hiding in Dad's study for hours, drinking and talking. Come on... let's go to my room and talk for a bit, ok? I want to know what happened. Thane and Xav have gone to sleep, so it'll just be us."
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 21, 2009 15:25:14 GMT -5
"Nothing happened," Gwen lied. She wasn't going to let anyone else see how upset she really was. She half thought that it would make her father positively gleeful if he knew just how much he was destroying her by doing this.
But she couldn't say no to Justin, so she nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'm not that tired, anyway." She couldn't fall asleep at all; there was too much on her mind.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 21, 2009 16:28:31 GMT -5
Justin raised his eyebrows at her, then began the walk back to his room. Once they were inside with the door closed, he turned to her with a knowing expression. "Something's up," he said. "Mum and Dad almost never fight, unless it's about something big. Xavier was convinced Dad was planning to murder Timothy, but I saw him when Thane went to bed, and he's fine. So what is it?"
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 21, 2009 19:17:26 GMT -5
"Think you're clever, don't you?" Gwen asked, quirking a smile at her brother. "Nothing happened. Dad yelled a lot, Mum told him not to. Tim was told not to see his girlfriend anymore, which you know he won't listen. And Dad announced my engagement."
Gwen paused and looked at Justin as she said this, looking for his reaction. If he gave her pity at all, she was playing it off and never mentioning it again.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 22, 2009 0:10:44 GMT -5
Justin's eyes widenend, and he stared at his sister in shock. "Wait... what? Your engagement? To who?"
He couldn't believe his father had finally made good on his plan to get Gwen married off. He didn't feel pity, just a strange, gripping fear. This could cause him to lose his sister forever. Either she would accept the marriage and allow the man to break her spirit, or should would rebel, and she'd wind up disowned, just like the eldest Black sister.
Either way, everything was about to change.
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 22, 2009 0:16:11 GMT -5
Gwen's face never changed, just stayed steady and studying him.
She licked her lips, that studying still in her eyes.
"To Adrien Wolffe." Justin knew how much she hated him. Every time their families got together, she was miserable and would try to avoid him at every turn. So naturally, he would be her father's first choice.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 22, 2009 0:55:33 GMT -5
Justin winced at the name. He should have known.
"Damn it, Gwen..." he whispered. "I know how you hate him... I remembered Dad mentioning once that he was thinking about setting you up with him, but I never thought he'd actually go through with it."
He stood up and began to pace. "Do you want me to see if I can talk him out of it? Or... is that why Mum's not speaking to him? Because she tried and he didn't listen?"
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 22, 2009 1:16:19 GMT -5
Gwen sighed. "Bingo to the second," she said. There was still no real emotion in her voice. She would deal with it, she just didn't know how yet.
"Besides, you know exactly how that argument would go. He'd yell a lot, and point out that I'm not a proper young lady and he chose Adrien because he could straighten me out." She rolled her eyes. "If I won't 'straighten out' for Dad, what makes him think anyone else will be able to make me do it?"
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 26, 2009 0:41:42 GMT -5
Justin sighed. He hated this. Gwen was Gwen.... he didn't want her to change. Yes, some of her behavior was a little bit over the line... but if Gwen were a boy, it never would have raised an eyebrow. "That's stupid. Look at some of the crap Uncle Zach has been able to get away with. I don't see Dad sending anyone in to straighten him out. Why can't he just trust you? I don't want to see you become some dead-eyed society wife."
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jan 26, 2009 0:51:18 GMT -5
Gwen actually laughed, but it was only a mask to cover the very real worry she had about this situation.
"Come on, Justin. You seriously think I'm going to go through with it? Dad'll never get to me do it. Even if I do marry him, I will make his life such hell he'll divorce so fast his head will spin." That was her promise to herself, in case she couldn't figure out how to stop this sooner. "It'll work out in the end. I'm not worried."
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jan 30, 2009 16:11:56 GMT -5
Justin laughed as well, but he, too, was worried. "That's my girl," he said. "Just keep fighting and keep strong. We'll find a way to get you out of this. You shouldn't have to marry a man you hate. I don't know about Dad, but I just want what's best for you, Gwen."
He sighed. "Besides, I don't like the Wolffs very much, either. They're more pompous than the Burkes. And Adrien is the worst of them."
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Feb 8, 2009 22:29:09 GMT -5
Gwen sat down on Justin's bed. "I can't stand Adrien," she said softly. She had to find a way out of this, or... no. There was no or. She'd die married to him, unless she became that trophy wife, which she could never be.
"I don't know how long Dad's going to let me stall, but he has to let me finish school, right?" He knew some girls were married off young, but she was close to graduating. She just needed time.
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