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intheheartTitle: Offers
Rating: PG.
Summary: Clara knows what she wants.
As a rule, Mr. Aaron Kendall was a very amiable man. Clara was uncertain if he genuinely enjoyed inane conversation or if he was simply very kind; at any rate, she loved his company, and often sought it out.
"I think I shall marry Mr. Kendall," she told her father one afternoon, upon her return from the market under Mr. Kendall's escort. "If he asks me, of course."
"Of course," her father echoed, sounding amused, and set his newspaper down. "And why should he not offer for my Clara, I should like to know?"
Clara giggled, and kissed his forehead.
--
"You know he's only going to be a barrister," her brother said one morning, at breakfast.
Clara lifted an eyebrow at him. "Of course I know," she replied. "Papa is only a tutor. Do you tell me that he is unworthy?"
"Of course not," Ethan said, sounding annoyed, "but you are my sister and I think you could have someone higher, if you set your mind to it."
"I don't want someone higher," Clara said. "I want Mr. Kendall."
Ethan shrugged, and picked up his glass. "Then I suppose you shall have him."
She smiled, and reached for her spoon.
--
"Mr. Vargas asked for my permission to offer for you," her father said one evening, as they sat around the fire. "I said he might have it, but I did not have any great confidence in his success."
Clara paused in her sewing and thought about it. "Well," she said, at last, "he's genteel."
Ethan, lounging on the sofa, snickered. "Poor man."
She tsk'd. "Gentility is not a crime, Ethan."
"It is," he said, "when a marriage proposal is under discussion."
"Mr. Kendall is also very genteel," she said, and Ethan laughed outright.
"Poor Mr. Vargas indeed," murmured her father.
--
Clara walked arm-in-arm with Elizabeth towards church, their heads together. They talked of all things, usually, but today they were speaking of men, since Elizabeth had just become betrothed to John Gilpin down the street.
"He's so handsome," Elizabeth sighed, putting her free hand to her breast. "There's no man handsomer. I'm so lucky."
"Oh, I don't know," Clara said, and gave a half-smile. "I think Mr. Kendall quite as handsome."
"Mr. Kendall?" Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "He's so ordinary. Not unhandsome by any means, just..." She sought for a word. "Ordinary."
"You have no taste," Clara told her, solemnly.
--
When Mr. Kendall finally offered for her, Clara bubbled over. It had been so very long since she first decided she would marry him that she simply could not keep herself from bouncing forward and throwing her arms about his shoulders. "It's about time," she squeaked, and kissed him.
He laughed when she'd finished, looking a little confused and yet still happy. "I take it you had a timetable?"
"Yes," she said, "and you were tardy."
"My apologies," he said, "I will have to make it up to you," and kissed her again.
She had definitely chosen the right man.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Clara knows what she wants.
As a rule, Mr. Aaron Kendall was a very amiable man. Clara was uncertain if he genuinely enjoyed inane conversation or if he was simply very kind; at any rate, she loved his company, and often sought it out.
"I think I shall marry Mr. Kendall," she told her father one afternoon, upon her return from the market under Mr. Kendall's escort. "If he asks me, of course."
"Of course," her father echoed, sounding amused, and set his newspaper down. "And why should he not offer for my Clara, I should like to know?"
Clara giggled, and kissed his forehead.
--
"You know he's only going to be a barrister," her brother said one morning, at breakfast.
Clara lifted an eyebrow at him. "Of course I know," she replied. "Papa is only a tutor. Do you tell me that he is unworthy?"
"Of course not," Ethan said, sounding annoyed, "but you are my sister and I think you could have someone higher, if you set your mind to it."
"I don't want someone higher," Clara said. "I want Mr. Kendall."
Ethan shrugged, and picked up his glass. "Then I suppose you shall have him."
She smiled, and reached for her spoon.
--
"Mr. Vargas asked for my permission to offer for you," her father said one evening, as they sat around the fire. "I said he might have it, but I did not have any great confidence in his success."
Clara paused in her sewing and thought about it. "Well," she said, at last, "he's genteel."
Ethan, lounging on the sofa, snickered. "Poor man."
She tsk'd. "Gentility is not a crime, Ethan."
"It is," he said, "when a marriage proposal is under discussion."
"Mr. Kendall is also very genteel," she said, and Ethan laughed outright.
"Poor Mr. Vargas indeed," murmured her father.
--
Clara walked arm-in-arm with Elizabeth towards church, their heads together. They talked of all things, usually, but today they were speaking of men, since Elizabeth had just become betrothed to John Gilpin down the street.
"He's so handsome," Elizabeth sighed, putting her free hand to her breast. "There's no man handsomer. I'm so lucky."
"Oh, I don't know," Clara said, and gave a half-smile. "I think Mr. Kendall quite as handsome."
"Mr. Kendall?" Elizabeth wrinkled her nose. "He's so ordinary. Not unhandsome by any means, just..." She sought for a word. "Ordinary."
"You have no taste," Clara told her, solemnly.
--
When Mr. Kendall finally offered for her, Clara bubbled over. It had been so very long since she first decided she would marry him that she simply could not keep herself from bouncing forward and throwing her arms about his shoulders. "It's about time," she squeaked, and kissed him.
He laughed when she'd finished, looking a little confused and yet still happy. "I take it you had a timetable?"
"Yes," she said, "and you were tardy."
"My apologies," he said, "I will have to make it up to you," and kissed her again.
She had definitely chosen the right man.
