January 11, 2022 – 12:05 PM
Grace Greengrass — Played by Bree
Grace looked at her brother, frowning. Of course she knew, but it didn't change her feelings—Verity shouldn't have been rushed into a marriage like this, with someone she didn't love and who seemed like little more than a stranger in their family.
"But why him? Why did he want to marry her if not for love?" she asked in a whisper, desperate to hear something that left her with a shroud of hope that Verity would be happy. Anything.
January 18, 2022 – 1:18 AM
"Grace," Ford said again, and this time it was less gentle. He wasn't sure if he was pleading with her to drop the subject or warning her not to ask questions she didn't want the answer to. Why him? Wasn't it obvious? Because he was there. Because, for some reason that had still not become clear to Ford, he had offered. The options were Everett Swann or no one, and given a choice like that it wasn't as though they'd had much of a choice at all.
Ford took his arm off of his sister and turned towards the sideboard, as though he wanted a drink (though he wasn't sure whether or not he did). He just couldn't keep looking at Grace if she was going to ask something else in the same vein. He felt guilty enough about the way things were happening already. He'd felt guilty before Verity showed up in the parlor last night, and worse after. He couldn't handle Grace throwing these little poison darts at his already weak defenses. He had to get through today, and at the rate this was going he didn't know if he'd be able to manage it.
Set by Lady!
January 18, 2022 – 1:46 AM
Last modified: January 18, 2022 – 1:53 AM by Grace Greengrass.
Grace Greengrass — Played by Bree
There was something in the tone of his voice that stung, but Grace couldn't figure out why or what she'd done to deserve it. All she knew was that it hurt. She backed off, physically and emotionally, shuffling a few steps backwards while she tucked her hands under her opposite arms, a shield if there ever was one. She remained silent for a good, long moment, unsure of what to say to make it better while simultaneously feeling that she had more to say. If Verity could end up like this, what would come of her? If Verity could end up tossed into the arms of a man who she didn't love and who didn't love her, all to save face over something that wasn't her sister's fault, what would come of her?
"You'd have me married off just like her if it came to it. Just like that." The words left her before she had a chance to change her mind. She didn't mean it... well, she did, but she didn't mean it like that. She knew he would do what had to be done, but she knew she shouldn't have used it as a weapon against him and immediately regretted saying it. She braced herself like she would if she expected to be struck, only she knew he'd never hit her, and besides—anything he said would hit harder than any hand could strike her. She mumbled something under her breath—and apology, she thought, but the words were mumbled even to her own ears—and found a crack in the flooring to stare at, not wanting to chance catching his eye if he turned to look at her.
January 18, 2022 – 2:03 AM
He hadn't had a chance to put enough space between them before she spoke. They were still only inches apart, only seconds away from an embrace. Ford was sure they were close enough that she would be able to feel the effect her words had on him: how the air went out of his lungs and his face fell and his shoulders tightened. He may have been facing away from her, but she'd sense all of that. Not that distance would have made it any better, necessarily. Words like that would have hit him like a punch to the gut no matter where she was standing when she said them, and his reaction to them would have been just as transparent.
I wouldn't, I would never, Ford thought desperately, but — wouldn't he? It was a desperate gamble to put Verity's future happiness in the hands of a virtual stranger, but the chips were down and he was out of cards to play. He couldn't have done anything else. Their circumstances were hardly going to improve. If Grace found herself in a similar situation a year from now, what other options would he have? He and Noble had been trying to shelter the girls from everything since their father had died. They'd meticulously kept secrets, so that the weight of it all wouldn't have to be shared with their sisters. Now Grace had figured it out. She didn't know about the money, of course, but she knew the end result. She was seeing it all play out with Verity and she was perceptive enough to know what she was seeing. She might as well have just said it more plainly: You failed her, and you're going to fail me, too.
Ford had been trying so hard, and in the end it hadn't made a difference. He was failing them all.
When he turned around, he didn't look at Grace. He fumbled to get his pocket watch out and opened the lid, glancing at the face. His eyes were too unfocused to actually read the time, but he pretended to take it in. "I should go check on Verity," he announced, as though he hadn't heard a word Grace had said, and started towards the staircase.
Set by Lady!
January 18, 2022 – 2:13 AM
Grace Greengrass — Played by Bree
As he moved to pass, Grace lifted her head and parted her lips, but whatever she might have said died before it could find its way out. She'd done it now—only somehow it was worse because she didn't know what it was other than ruin her relationship with Ford. How would she make it through the wedding, knowing she'd angered her brother, spoke poorly of her sister and her betrothed, and probably angered Mama with however she was going to mess up her dress by fiddling with it after this disastrous conversation?
Simple: she wouldn't. She might just die on the spot.
