February 20th, 1891 — Sanditon Pier
In all his distraction over Zelda, Alfred had nearly forgotten that today was the day his brother had selected for sailing lessons. He'd woken up too-early, had something to eat, and gone back to bed in the hopes of staving off a hangover, then had woken two hours later to an insistent tap-tap from Evander's owl, holding a missive with a frankly silly question about preparations for the day. Although they weren't scheduled to meet for another hour, Alfred got up and dressed — easier to deal with his brother in person than responding to the owl, he decided, even though the owl fluttered around his room impatiently waiting for a return letter the whole time he was dressing.
He kept catching himself smiling at nothing. This was going to be a good day, he thought — a good week, a good year. He was going to see significantly more of Zelda, if their parting conversation had been any indication, and the prospect had him in a better mood than he'd been in since Christmas. And he was going sailing today! Nothing could have been more delightful, really — except, perhaps, the company. Hopefully Evander wouldn't manage to ruin it.
He flooed to Irvingly and hurried his brother along as best he could — they were only meant to be gone a few hours but the way Evander was acting one might have thought he didn't expect to be back at home for another year, at least. Alfred almost asked jokingly if he'd prepared his last will and testament, but thought there was a chance Evander might take him seriously and cancel the whole trip, so he held his tongue. Eventually, they managed to get to the Sanditon, and from there it was a short walk to the pier.
"Ready?" he asked brightly. "We've got our pick of the boats." Not that Evander would have the first idea how to choose.
Evander Darrow Elias Grimstone
MJ made the most Alfredy of sets and then two years later she made it EVEN BETTER