September 13th, 1888 — Irvingly Zoo

It had taken some time for the idea to form in her head. And by some time, Abigail reckoned it was a few hours. But, the waiting til the time was right was a lot longer. She couldn't go while Eavan was in the hospital, that would be too rude. She couldn't go while her brother was there, that would be too awkward. So she had decided on a plain ole day, one where she knew Fletch would be busy and she could be nosey to her heart's content.

She'd actually cased the joint several times before finally agreeing on a date with herself. She'd wandered the zoo for a while each time, looking around, seeing who fit with who and finally, she'd been lucky one day. She'd spotted Fletcher leaving an area and hurried towards him just in time to see a red-headed woman emerge after. Well then, she had thought to herself smugly. She knew where to go when the time was right.

And now the time was right.

Strolling through the zoo, her chaperon a few feet behind her Abigail stopped and smelled a flower nearby where Eavan was standing. Then with a slight cough, Abigail marched up to Eavan's side and gently pressed her hand on the woman's arm. "Miss MacKay? Hello, I'm Abigail Langley, I believe you know my brother."

  

Now that everything was back to a normal routine, Eva was finding she and Fletcher were having a hard time making time to get together as often as they would like. Their little lunch picnics were becoming a routine however, so she couldn't really complain. They were going to have to try and carve out something a little more private sooner rather than later, however. Eva also knew she had to have a more serious chat with her dad about all of this, but was still dragging her feet.

Mostly she was being a little selfish; Eva truly enjoyed keeping her relationship with Fletcher between just them. Without anybody's expectations or nosiness, it was blissfully easy. She knew however, that at least his sister knew about them, so she highly suspected their carefully crafted quiet was going to be interrupted at some point.

Eva just had no idea it would be today.

Fletcher had left to go back to work and Eva was tidying up the aviary, though as soon as he'd stepped out, she'd thought of something she'd meant to tell him about Horatio, but he was too far away by the time she popped out of the door to catch him. Chuckling to herself, she stood there a moment with a sappy little smile on her face. It was then that she felt a hand on her arm and Eva nearly lashed out, a reflex of habit, but the following words kept her from doing so.

Oh, well then.

Eva stepped back a half-step, just far enough out of reach to take a look at the girl before her. Shoving her hands in the pockets of her pants (she'd forgone skirts almost altogether at work these days) she quirked an eyebrow at Miss Langley's introduction. "I am and yes, I do." To say she was apprehensive about navigating this meeting solo was an understatement, but she supposed only time would dictate how it would go.

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Now that she was facing her, Abigail took in all of the woman in a long appraising look. Long hair, good. No blemishes on her face. Better. She was almost of the same height as Abigail was, so there was no intimidation factor with the newest woman to her brother's life. She did tilt her head slightly to the side at the sight of a woman wearing pants, and that garnered a longer look before she dismissed it as practical and moved on. She'd likely wear them herself if she could get away with it, and they certainly did flatter Miss MacKay's waistline.

A few moments passed and then Abigail beamed at the other woman, a genuine smile at that, and nodded her head. "I do believe you'd be good for him, Miss MacKay. At least, by your looks, I mean. You're not too plain and your coloring suits his. I don't know yet about your personality, we should have a nice chat. Ms. McGraw and I brought tea cakes and I thought we could have a nice little sit down. Unless you're too busy? I can come back."

Although she meant it innocently, Abi hoped the woman got the point that she would come back. Again and again and again. Until she got the conversation she wanted. She wasn't her mother's daughter for nothing. She loved Fletcher dearly, as all little sisters should, and she wanted him to have the best choice possible. She assumed he had made the decision about Miss MacKay wisely, because society would be watching every move he made with an American wife should they end up married. And there was only so much that Abigail could do to help them if society turned their backs on the young couple.

  

Eva's jaw nearly dropped wide open as Miss Langley started in right from the get-go with her thoughts on their relationship. Between that and the clear appraisal of her looks, Eva was truly flabbergasted. Of all the things, she started with a comment on Eva's appearance?

Struck speechless for probably only the second or third time in her life, Eva was struggling with how to even respond to that. She knew she was not the most proper girl around, but even she knew she wouldn't have led with that- or even said it at all! It was astonishing how opposite Fletcher and his sister appeared to be. Perhaps it was the fact that Eva was an only child, but she had plenty of cousins. It wasn't as if she didn't understand siblings at all.  

"I-" Eva wanted to be nice about this, but frankly she thought that one, Miss Langley was overstepping some boundaries (Eva remembered Fletcher telling her that he would bring his sister around, specifically) and two, that she had an unexpectedly shallow view of something that was actually none of her business. The problem was how did she say that nicely? "I fear you have a rather hollow opinion of your brother if you think looks have much to do with it." Eva was not about to let some debutante push her around; she hadn't missed the girl's insinuations, not at all.

With her hands now on her hips, Eva added, "I've hatchilings to care for, you can arrange a time to visit another day, after you've spoken to Fletcher about it."

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   Aldous Crouch

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Although she understood what Eavan was telling her, Abigail knew that if she left, Fletcher would never actually bring her. He wanted to keep this relationship between the two of them, and never let Abi get to know the woman. She had clearly touched a sore spot about her looks-- she was praising them for goodness' sake-- and knew that she had to make amends somehow. She wasn't just a vapid debutante, no matter how she had initially come across.

Taking a deep breath, Abi let it out in one big exhale and then turned her grey gaze onto the magizoologist in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said simply. "I don't know how to interact with people sometimes, all my training has been in courtship and small talk. I don't want to annoy you, but I'd love to spend some time getting to know you. If Fletcher has his way, I'd never come to see you. I just wanted to get to know you before he decided I'd bugged him enough. Fletch can be overbearing with me sometimes, and I wouldn't get to ask what I wanted to ask before he shuffled me out the door. You mentioned hatchlings? Do you mind if I look at them? I'd like to see them. If that's okay."

  

The more the girl talked, the more Eva furrowed her brows.

This was a little out of her depth and though she was annoyed, she was wavering on just what to say. She really wasn't up to attempting this without Fletcher, but she also felt it mildly cowardly to admit to it. Eva could sympathize with the fact that Fletcher  could be overbearing, that she'd had to deal with firsthand, but she also thought the two situations rather different. Pressing her lips together, she tried to think through this. She knew he wouldn't be pleased about this and though it wouldn't be directed toward her (she assumed!), Eva still wasn't sure she was ready for this.

"Look, I don't have siblings, so I don't understand the whole dynamic, but I rather think he'll be upset by this," She did know Fletcher and she would hate to be the reason behind a rift between the siblings. "So I really think you should try talking to him first." And frankly, Eva could use the buffer. Just what on earth, if anything, could the two of them have in common anyway, Fletcher aside? "I also think that if you wouldn't ask a question in front of him, it probably shouldn't be asked at all." That was just common sense, really.

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Abigail pouted as Miss MacKay talked about her brother. She didn't want to talk about Fletcher, she wanted to talk about his relationship with her, not him specifically. It was clear when Miss MacKay stated that she didn't have any siblings that she was right, because if she had had any, she would know that the first step to sisterhood was to bond over a commonality such as Fletcher. And what better way to bond over Fletcher than to talk about how good of a kisser he might be? Some would think it was a little awkward to talk about that with his possible intended future bride, but Abigail was always slightly awkward.

"Miss MacKay," she started almost hesitantly, "I don't think you understand why I'm here. I'm here because I wish to understand the woman my brother is falling in love with. Or might be fully in love with. I didn't get to grow up with Fletcher in the house, so I don't know what he's like fully. What his tastes are, what he's like outside of our home. I'm desperate to know all about everything because Mama keeps me under lock and key. If I leave the house I have to be chaperoned, if I talk to a man I have to be chaperoned, I can't do anything without being followed, even in my own home. I just want to learn!"

  

It was becoming more and more apparently that Eva had nothing in common with the girl standing before her. What the hell was she supposed to even say to that? With no siblings and no real desire for siblings, Eva couldn't sympathize or even imagine what that upbringing would look like.

Biting her lip, Eva truly didn't know what to say. It wasn't that she didn't want to get to know Fletcher's family, it was more that she didn't know how to relate, at all. "I grew up on three different continents, in twice as many different countries; I spend more time with animals than people; I've been properly chaperoned less than a dozen times in my entire life. I have zero idea how to relate to any of that." She had always been brutally honest and honestly, that sounded miserable. "And I still think that if you want to get to know your brother, you should spend time with him before me." The excuse of a chaperon was flimsy at best when Fletcher was a legitimate choice. Or so she thought, Eva was a little rusty on how all of that worked, but it sounded right.  

"I also haven't any idea what you could possibly learn from me, either." The redhead shrugged, just trying to be honest here and hopefully save some future arguments from happening. Her perception of Fletcher was likely to be far different than that of his sister and for good reason, the relationship was entirely different in those two situations.

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Sighing as Miss MacKay told her that she should be talking to her brother about everything, Abigail's shoulders drooped. Really? She couldn't even get a single answer out of her? Something to show how her brother acts with people that weren't his family. That was all she was asking for. And honestly, if this was who Fletcher was interested in, she couldn't see the appeal. She was rude and manly and not at all feminine. If they were going to be sisters, and one day she was sure they would be, Abi would have to work with her on her appearance. Pants? Would she wear them to her own wedding? That simply wouldn't do. She'd show her how to dress properly. And explain the importance of a proper skin care regimen.

"You know what, Miss MacKay, I do believe you are right. There isn't much I can learn from you, but I know in my heart that there are things you can learn from me. And one day, I'll show you exactly how much you can learn. I hope you have a good rest of your day. I can tell I'm not wanted here."

  

Eva withstood Miss Langley's  rant with little more than a raised brow and a casual shrug. She highly doubted she had anything to learn from the younger woman unless it was how to make your brother angry in three simple steps; Eva was positive Fletch would not be amused. The question was, did she forewarn him or let him be blindsided by his sister... Probably the former. She didn't want him upset with her too.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I care a great deal for your brother and he's been incredibly good to me. Your relationship with him sounds incredibly different from my own, which, I think it should be." There was a line that should be respected and Eva had every intention of staying in her place in that regard. She didn't want to come between siblings, not at all, but it really didn't hurt her feelings too much if Miss Langley didn't care for her. She would have to cause any undue stress for Fletcher, so she could certainly be civil.

"I hope you can respect that sometime in the future, at which point, I think we'll fair better. I hope you have a lovely afternoon, Miss Langley." Eva cast her a small smile before turning back toward the greenhouse. Maybe, they're be better since time down the road, if they were to eventually be family. She was willing to put in the effort, once they were on better terms, which did not include going behind Fletcher's back to get what she wanted.

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