Pursued and Wooed - Closed for wombat9966

Connor could tell that Amelia had been disturbed in the middle of something. She had not had time to prepare herself and was appearing before him in her 'natural' state. The thing was she was beautiful just like this. He didn't know why she bothered to go through all the trouble to hide her natural beauty when she looked this good to begin with. He caught himself staring a little and got down to business so to speak.

"I have spoken to your father Amelia and now I would like to speak to you. I know you are leaving for America tomorrow but I must say this now. I have come to have strong feelings for you miss Amelia and would like to pursue them. I have asked your father and he has agreed to allow me to do so as long as you agree to it. If you do I will be sailing with you tomorrow in my own ship bound for America with you to set up a trade route for my business but also to live in your fathers new settlement and pursue your hand in marriage. As a token of my intentions and my affections may I give you this gift," here Conner handed her the locket, " And ask for your answer. Do you consent for me to try to win your heart and some day marry you and make you my wife?"

“Marry you? Wife? Consent? Oh my….. YES!!! Yes, I do!” Amelia squealed with delight as she ran over to Connor and threw herself into his arms! “Are you serious? You are really going to America also? I thought our ship was full? Wait, did you say your own ship? That means we will be apart during the whole voyage to America? Can’t you trade places with someone from our ship? Connor, I don’t want to wait four months or longer before we can see each other again!”

Amelia was having such a mix of emotions she didn’t notice the locket when Connor first offered it to her. As he held it out again, she looked at it and was in awe at the beauty of the locket.

“It is beautiful! You sure you can’t join us on our ship? This is going to be a long and torturous journey, but I guess it will be worth it when we reach America and can be together again.”

Conner smiled happily at Amelia's reaction then looked quickly at her father. He just wore a patient smile as if to say 'What can I do'. "Yes we will be apart for four months Amelia but I know my love for you will not diminish. I am hoping that from your reaction yours for me will not as well. As for not being in contact well that remains to be seen. I may yet have a surprise for you on that front but I do not want to get your hopes up because I do not know if it will work." He smiled sheepishly and looked at her with lovestruck eyes.

Grinning he turned to her father. "I thank you for this opportunity sir and you will not find me lacking. I will never harm your daughter and I promise to be a suitable man for her to marry. I will make it to America right beside you and will offer my ships guns to help protect you and my future wife if you get into any trouble on the journey."

Turning back to Amelia he hugged her fiercely then kissed her hand. "Until America sweet Amelia. I will be counting the days until I may hold you again, but I must be off to finish preparations for the journey as must you. Keep the locket safe with you and look out for a message from heaven soon."
So saying he bowed to the Admiral and left to ride back to his Estates with a smile on his face and a happy heart.

Everything was packed and taken to the docks to be loaded on the ship. Amelia had not seen nor heard from Connor since he asked her to marry him and gave her the locket. She knew he must be busy since he decided to go to America at the last minute and had to get his own ship loaded. She missed seeing him and it had only been a day, how will she ever survive four months!?! The carriage had just pulled up to the front of the house and they were all heading out to get in it. They stopped to look at the house realizing this would be the last time they ever live here or in England. It was both sad and exciting. Amelia saw a tear running down her mother’s face and knew this was very hard for her. She reached out and held her hand; her mother looked over and smiled at her. They got into the carriage and headed to the docks.

Once at the docks the carriage stopped directly in front of the ship they would be sailing on for the next four months. It was so big and had so many people moving about loading stuff onto it. They exited the carriage and stood to the side so not to get in anyone’s way. Someone came over and was talking to her father, when they were done talking he led them onto the ship. “Sorry I wasn’t here to meet you as soon as you arrived Admiral, but there was a slight mix up with some of our cargo and I had to go straighten it out. I hope you find your quarters satisfactory.” Amelia found out that this was her father’s second in command. He was an older gentleman, just a bit taller than Amelia. He had blonde hair with some gray along the sides. She guessed he was probably close to her father’s age. He seemed to enjoy his job and smiled a lot. She found out his name was Robert Anderson and his wife and kids were already on the ship. His kids were two boys and a girl. The boys were about twins who were just a little bit older than Amelia and the girl was just a bit younger than James.

After Mr. Anderson showed them to their quarters, Amelia checked out her room and found it to be quite spacious for a room on a ship. It wasn’t as big as her room at home, but it had a big bed, a dresser, a closet and two of her chests were off in one corner. There was also a vanity table and a wash basin. She noticed there was also a chamber pot in the far corner with a curtain hung around it for privacy and discreetness. She opened her chests and put some of her clothes in the closet and some of her personal items in the dresser. After she was done unpacking she decided to look around the ship. As she got back to the deck she noticed people were still scurrying around and not looking where they were going. One of the men accidently bumped her and she would have fallen if there had not been a gentleman behind her. He caught her and helped her to steady herself. When she turned around she saw a much younger version of Mr. Anderson, with the same quick smile.

“Hi, I am Tom, Tom Anderson. You much be Amelia, so nice to meet you. Once we get out to sea the deck won’t be so crowded and will be easier to take walks.”
“Oh, um, hi Tom, nice to meet you also. I had just come up to see what was going on, but I guess I am in the way. Maybe I should head back down to my quarters.”
“You will be fine up here if you just stay over in this corner with me.” Tom winked.
“No, I really should go back to my quarters, it was nice meeting you,” Amelia replied as she headed back down to her quarters.

Shortly after returning to her quarters her brother came to get her and they went to their parent’s room. “We will be setting sail shortly and I just wanted to let you all know that when the whistle blows that is what it is meaning. We will be eating lunch shortly after we get out to sea. At that time we will meet Mr. Anderson’s family so you shouldn’t be so lonely on the journey. I hope this is exciting for you both and please don’t get in the way of the crew. You will be able to walk around and check out the ship, just keep your eyes open so not to get in anyone’s way.” Their father stated. With that they heard the sound of the whistle and felt the movement of the ship. They all went over to the windows and watched as they moved farther away from the docks. Amelia looked around hoping she would get a glimpse of Connor. It was going to be a long four months!

Connor had been hoping to be there to see Amelia off but the weather had turned unseasonably warm and the sun had peeked out making it a little too dangerous for him. Luckily the area of America they were heading for was much like London, Wet a lot of the time and foggy and overcast. He would be able to move around freely enough to not cause any rumors to form around him.

He made his way on board his ship by means of being smuggled on inside a crate and then having his servants opening it up in his chambers. He called the captain to them and gave the orders to sail as soon as possible. The captain was surprised to see him of course having not seen him board but he went about his business and only ten minutes after the admiral left they left the docks themselves.

By the time night fell they had caught up to the slower ship but as per his orders they shadowed it about a mile away, safely within eye range and with their speed they would be able to close the distance rapidly. At the same time they were far enough away to not effect their wind or currents. It was an unspoken agreed upon distance by captains.

Connor wandered onto the deck and breathed in the night air. It had been a long time since he had been on a sea vessel and he had missed the smells of the ocean. He took a leisurely walk around before retiring back to his cabin and penning a note to Amelia.

'My dearest Amelia,
I am sorry I was not there to see you off but pressing matters kept me away. I am sending this to you by special messenger. It has been specially trained to seek you out and then return to me when you release it again, this way we can keep in touch for the next four months. My heart aches for you already knowing I will not be able to see your lovely face or hold you for the same amount of time. The only thing that will keep me going is the thought of us together forever when we reach America and I can make you my Bride. Perhaps I can convince my captain to pull alongside your ship one day so I can glimpse you again. Until I see you again know that you have a special and warm place in my heart my dearest Amelia.

Warmest Regards
Connor.

He sealed the letter then summoned one of his vampire servants. He handed him the letter then told him to change into his bat form. Then using a little touch of magic he had learned he changed his form into that of a pigeon. "I am sorry for the indignity of the form my friend, but I will make it up to you. Deliver the letter to Amelia and stick near her until she needs you to deliver one back. Report back to me all that goes on regarding her. Now go."

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. After lunch, Amelia and her family finished their unpacking. By the time everything was hung up or laid out and the trunks put against the walls, it was nearly dinner time. It had gotten dark and Amelia decided to go above deck before she went to dinner. As she walked around to the back of the deck, she learned it was called the stern, she noticed the ship following them. She knew it was Connor’s ship and she wished it would get a little closer so maybe she could see him standing on his deck also! Unfortunately, the ship kept its distance. As Amelia stood there she noticed a bird flying towards her, a pigeon, she ducked as it got closer because she thought it was going to fly into her. Instead the bird landed on the rail right in front of her and had a piece of paper in it’s beak! Amelia reached for the paper and the pigeon opened to release it. As she opened the paper she saw it was a letter from Connor!! She quickly read it and then looked at the bird, “Stay right there, I will write one back real fast, please don’t leave yet!” Amelia dashed down to her quarters and quickly wrote a return letter.

My dearest Connor,

I understand you were very busy with all the last minute details to have your ship ready to sail so soon after ours departed. I stood on the stern of our ship and looked out and saw your ship, I was hoping it would get closer so maybe I could see you, but I know that safety reasons prevent that. Just knowing you are so close is comforting and also distressing because I can’t see or talk to you. I can’t wait until we reach America and I can be in your arms once again. I am glad you have this pigeon so we can at least stay in touch. I miss you so much, but these letters will make the days go by faster!

All my heart,

Amelia

Amelia raced back to the deck and the pigeon was sitting there waiting, it hadn’t moved an inch. She walked over and held out her letter, he took it in his beak and flew back towards the other ship. Amelia stood there for a little bit and then went down to join her family for supper and to tell them all about the pigeon and the letter from Connor!

Connor was sitting in his room when the pigeon came flying through the open window. It landed on his desk and dropped the note then flew to the floor and stood looking at him. If ever a bird could be said to be looking angry it was that pigeon. Connor almost grinned but stopped himself in time. With a wave of his hand he released the spell and the bird turned back into a bat which promptly became a young man again.

"Thank you Iain. I know how much this is going to cost your dignity but I have heard a rumor about there being a certain someone on board that ship. I may need you to stay there for a whole day as my spy. As a reward for your loyalty you will have your pick of any of the girls I have brought with me. If you hurt them in any way I will of course stake you out in the midday sun," he said coldly.

Iain gulped and nodded and rushed off to take his reward. His master's stable was exquisite and to be given his pick was rare indeed. He would enjoy a taste and the sex but he would always remember that threat. No one had ever crossed his master and lived and he was not old enough nor crazy enough to try.

Connor read Amelia's letter and was gladdened. She still thought of him and had actually been looking for him. He planned to write to her every other day and perhaps he would send one to her father and James as well.He would maybe have to rig up a little scroll case for Iain to wear. For now though it was time to look in on his staff and see to his travel arrangements.

Over the next few weeks Amelia and Connor wrote on a daily basis, describing how their days have went and how much they have missed each other. Amelia told Connor about the Sullivan family and how it looked like her brother may have a crush on their daughter. She had briefly mentioned Tom Sullivan also, but didn’t go into much detail as she mainly tried to avoid him except during meals where they all sat together. Unfortunately, Amelia’s luck at avoiding Tom had just run out. She decided to go up on deck as it was about the time the pigeon arrived to bring her letter from Connor but when she got there she saw Tom was on the deck also. Amelia didn’t want to go back down to her quarters and miss the pigeon so she decided she would just try to stay on the opposite side, but that didn’t work so well as some of the crew were busy checking ropes so had her move to the same side as Tom.

“Hi, I haven’t seen much of you lately, been keeping busy?” asked Tom.

“Yes, I have been writing letters to my fiancé every day. See that ship back there? That is his ship and he and I exchange letters on a daily basis.” Amelia explained.

“Oh, fiancé huh? How long have you been engaged?” Tom questioned.

Amelia blushed and responded, “He asked me the day before we set sail. It was very sweet.”

“Didn’t want to lose you huh? And now he is following you to America so you can be together? Was he planning on going to America anyway?”

“Um, I am not sure, he never mentioned it, but then we only knew each other a few days,” Amelia stated. Amelia realized too late that she let Tom know that she and Connor really didn’t know each other that well before becoming engaged.

“Oh, wow, a quick engagement huh? So, it is possible that I may know you better by the time we get to America than your own fiancé does?” Tom asked.

“No. That is why we are writing letters, we are getting to know how each other feels about things and what our dreams are when we are finally able to be together again.” Amelia stated firmly.

“Okay, well, I still may know more about you than he does, but maybe not. See you later Amelia.” Tom said as he winked at her and then went below deck again.

Amelia was all flustered, how dare he think he will know her better than Connor, she hardly ever talks to Tom. She knows that is because she has been avoiding him, but even so, what makes him think she would even want to get to know him? As these thoughts are running through Amelia’s head she sees that the pigeon has landed and is waiting and watching her. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts and gets her letter from Connor. She already has one written to him so she attaches it to the pigeon and sends it back. Amelia heads back to her quarters to read her newest letter.

~first have to say I love the new AV~

Connor had been learning a lot about his Fiancee from her letters and from his little spy. They had written about their hopes and dreams and he was glad that her love for him had not dimmed as his for her had not. He was glad that James had someone to talk to and maybe more than talk to on the voyage, but he was leery of this Tom Anderson. It seemed that he had been placed on board as an enticement for his love and was trying to woo her away from him. Of course she was having none of that nonsense and he chuckled as he remembered the last man who had chosen to press her against her will.

Still it sounded like this Tom was someone he was going to have to keep an eye on. Perhaps a little visit one night might even be in order. He chuckled at that and rubbed his hands together. Yes it had been a long time since he had put the fear of death into someone. It could be fun.

Still he would wait and see what happened first. Iain had told him that Tom had a twin brother and he would not want to get the wrong boy. Speaking of which Iain should have been back. He rose and began to pace his room until the pigeon flew in and quickly entered the small chalked circle in the corner. It had become a chore for Connor to constantly cast the spell so he had made a conjurers circle just for Iain. Now the boy just had to enter it in bat form and he became a pigeon or vice versa.

Iain stood up and walked over to the desk putting Amelia's latest letter down and then waited. Connor turned and was shocked to see him still standing there. Although they sent letters almost every other day, Iain's use had to be curbed to once a week and tonight was his night. He must have important news.

"Yes Iain what is it. Is something wrong with Amelia?"
"Not her My Lord, but that Tom fellow. She has tried to avoid him but tonight she was unable to. He is up to something. He believes he can learn more about her than you can before we land sir. I don't like the way he said it either."

Connor got up and paced. He could protect her quite easily but he had promised himself no killing without good reason. He had left that life behind him.

Amelia finishes reading her letter and holds it to her chest. She is so happy they have a way to communicate and get to know each other. She wishes Connor were here so he could make her feel safe, she did not like the way Tom talked to her tonight and it made her uncomfortable. She knew she could and has handled many advances on her own, but it still would be nice having Connor here and feeling his arms around her and seeing his eyes and how they looked at her. Amelia writes a letter to Connor again.

My dearest Connor,

How I miss being near you and seeing your eyes as you look at me and knowing how much you care. I wish our time on the ships was almost over so we could finally be together. I miss you so much that I ache. I know my feelings grow for you with each letter and that we were truly meant to be together forever! Until we can be in each other’s arm again I will just have to be satisfied with exchanging letters. Just know I miss you and think about you always!

Love forever,
Amelia

She put the letter in the envelope and sealed it closed.

Connor was upset. He trusted Amelia implicitly but this Tom character sounded like he was trying to steal the love of his life away from him. The man had no honor to his name either. He knew that she was engaged to him and yet he was trying to take advantage of their situation to make his move on her.

The more he thought about it the angrier he got. Perhaps it was time he was warned to stay away from his fiancee. He began to grin as a plan formed in his mind. After all who would believe him if he talked about Connor showing up in his cabin, he would obviously be lying because everyone knew he was stuck on his own ship. Connor's grin turned into outright laughter as his plan continued to grow. Oh this was going to be fun. It had been a long time since he had let his bad side out to play.

Amelia went to breakfast the next morning and noticed that the only available seat was between Tom and his twin, Tim. Amelia got her food from the buffet and took her seat. Even though Tom and Tim were twins, Amelia could tell them apart by the way they fixed their hair and their eye color was different. Amelia turned her attention to Tim and asked him how the trip was for him so far and that she hadn’t seen him around much. He shyly admitted to being seasick but seemed to be getting over it. Amelia and Tim continued talking off and on as they ate breakfast. When breakfast was over Amelia took her dishes to the wash area and set them down, she then proceeded to leave but Tom grabbed her elbow to stop her.

“Excuse me!” Amelia said huffily, “Please let go of my elbow!”

“You have been ignoring me all morning and I want to know why before I let you slip away.” Tom said.

“I don’t have to tell you anything and I have not been ignoring you, I have been talking to your brother and you never entered the conversation.” Amelia stated.

“I think you are afraid to get too close to me. You are afraid you will fall for me and forget about your fiancé.” Tom mocked.

“There is no way I would ever fall for you even if I didn’t have a fiancé! You are arrogant and obnoxious and totally full of yourself, the exact type I avoid!” Amelia exclaimed.

“So you were ignoring me, you basically just admitted it!” Tom stated happily.

Amelia pulled her elbow again but to no avail, Tom still had a tight grip on it.

“Let go of my elbow before I do something you will regret!” Amelia threatened through gritted teeth.

“And what exactly could you do that would hurt me?” Tom challenged.

With a wicked look in her eye, Amelia brought her knee up so quickly that Tom didn’t have a chance to dodge and took it full in the groin. He immediately released her elbow and doubled over in pain.

“You will regret that!” He said as he glared at her through his pain.

“You will get much worse if you ever lay a hand on me again!” Amelia stated as she turned and walked away.

She went straight to her room and sat down to catch her breath. ‘Oh my god, what have I done. I have now made him very angry and we still have months to go on this trip.’ Amelia thought. ‘No, I won’t let him threaten me and think he can get away with it and I won’t let him keep me hiding in my room either.’ She thought. With that she opened her door and headed up on deck to get some fresh air and sunshine.

As she walked onto the deck she noticed the clouds getting darker and the wind picking up. Well, so much for the sunshine. But she could still be up here for a little while longer before she would have to get to her quarters because of the storm. She looked out at the horizon behind them, but was unable to see Connor’s ship due to the clouds and waves.

“Oh Connor, I wish you were here with me! I miss you so much!” She said aloud.

“Oh Coooonnnnnnerrrrr…” Tom mimicked behind her.

Amelia turned around quickly to face him. “What do you want? More of what happened in the galley?” she asked.

Tom glared at her, “Don’t push your luck Amelia, you don’t want to anger me.”

Amelia looked around and saw the deck was full of bustling crewmen so knew he would do nothing up here.

“Why don’t you just leave me alone? I don’t want to be with your or even your friend.” Amelia said.

“Who said you have a choice?” Tom asked wickedly.

Amelia shivered at the threat. “I always have a choice! So go away!” she exclaimed as she pushed by him and headed to her room.

“I will see you later Amelia, you can be sure of it.” Tom called after her.

Amelia got to her room and locked the door behind her. He would not see her alone again if she could avoid it! She would try to be with a family member at all times. Just two more months and she wouldn’t have to deal with him again, that is as long as this storm doesn’t delay them!

Connor Arrived on deck and grinned. So even the Gods were with him. With this storm he would be able to have all the time he needed to dance with this boy. He raised his arms and a giant bat took off from the deck unobserved and hurtled into the air. The storm caused him no discomfort as he flew unerringly towards his loves ship his senses guiding him. Within minutes he was landing in the shadows and became virtually invisible. He looked over the ships deck and spotted his quarry making an ass of himself shouting orders at crewman that knew their jobs better than him. All of them ignored him and carried on doing what they knew needed to be done and soon the ship was battened down for the heavy storm.

The Captain appeared on deck and looked around. 'Well done crew, a fine job. I hope my son didn't interfere too much. Tom you must learn that in these situations the crew knows what to do and the best thing to do is give one order and stand back. Don't try to manage everything."

Connor was impressed with the old man but his son glared at him. His opinion of the boy went down another notch. He was going to enjoy this even more now. "I have the watch now Tom, go to your cabin and rest. You will be needed to stand night watch and this looks to be a heavy storm. Likely you will be standing it in heavy weather." The boy stalked off and Connor followed him gliding silently behind him. As he opened his door he sped past him and hid in the shadows waiting for him to enter.

As the boy entered he began to mutter to himself. "Bloody father always looking down on me. Old fool should have retired years ago. I can run this ship far better than him. If I was captain that foolish girl wouldn't be able to say no to me then. I will have her by the end of this voyage by force if necessary and then this so called fiancee will call off the marriage and she will be forced to marry me. Of course I will use her for awhile then throw her away, she isn't that pretty and she is far to feisty for my liking, but it is enough just to see her fall."

Connor's rage had been boiling when he entered, now it was white hot. He arose from behind the boy and allowed his fangs to grow and the fires in his eyes to show. His nails grew and his voice became laced with the sounds of the pit. "You, Boy. You would attempt to steal my woman all for the sake of your lusts. Do You have any idea who you are messing with and the forces I can bring against you. I could rip the very soul from your body and send it to the fiery depths of hell to rot for all eternity."

Tom had collapsed to his knees and was shaking like a leaf. He had lost control of his bladder and had pissed his trousers and was blubbering like a little baby. "I should end your life here and now you wretched being but for the sake of my beloved I will not, but if I hear you have done one more thing against her I will be back and nothing on this world or the next will save you."

Connor threw up a smoke screen and quickly escaped through his door. Tom probably thought he had vanished into thin air, the always did. He ran with his supernatural speed back to the deck and once again changed and flew back to his ship. He would have liked to have seen Amelia, but knew if he did he would have rushed to her and then the ruse would have been discovered. No better they remain apart until America.

Amelia asked her brother to bring her back some lunch so she wouldn’t have to see Tom again so soon, but now it was dinner and her parents would be concerned if she didn’t show up. So she took a deep breath and headed to dinner. Tom was there, but he was sitting next to his sister at the end of the table, he didn’t even look up when she entered. Amelia took the empty seat at the opposite end of the table and had a very nice dinner. She was near her parents and Captain and Mrs. Anderson. When dinner was over Amelia noticed that Tom left quickly and didn’t say a word to her. She wasn’t sure what happened, but she liked that he didn’t hang around. Maybe someone overheard him threaten her and told him to leave her alone. Well, whatever the reason, Amelia liked it and hoped it would continue.

There was approximately two weeks left of their voyage and Amelia couldn’t wait for it to be over! Tom had avoided her since their incident and if he was on deck when she appeared he quickly left the area and never said a word to her. Amelia saw Tim a few times, but with the weather being as windy as it was it made the boat sway around a lot more and brought back Tim’s seasickness. Amelia and Connor continued with their letters and it brought them closer together knowing how they were both dealing with the journey and how they missed each other.

Connor had been relying on his spy as well as his letter's to keep him up to date on the matter of Tom. He was pleasantly surprised to find that the boy had taken to avoiding Amelia all together if possible and being as far away from her at all other times. It was rewarding to know he still had it but at the same time it was most disappointing. He had had so much fun he was looking forward to going back and really teaching the boy the true meaning of fear.

With only two weeks to go their letters were starting to get a little racy, as they prepared to meet each other again. Connor reminded her that it would not be straight away as she would arrive first and she would have to go with her family to inspect her new household as did he. However they would meet as soon as possible and he would be sure to send a letter to request a meeting to her father. It was all going according to plan.

Amelia was so excited, they should be docking sometime tomorrow! She was also a little disappointed because in Connor’s last letter he said they would not be able to see each other right away. She was hoping to persuade her father into letting her wait until Connor’s boat arrived so she could see him, but she knew he was right and she should go to the new house. He may not even have time for her when he docked because he would have to get his ship unloaded and sent to his warehouse or shop or wherever he is taking it. She never did ask him about his business in America. What kind of business would it be? Would it be okay for her to see him while he worked? All she could think about was seeing Connor! She wanted those gorgeous eyes of his to look at her the way he does, it is like he sees no one else but her. She wanted his arms to wrap around her and those lips, those beautiful, skillful lips. Amelia started to get that feeling again between her legs, it had been happening a lot lately when she would read Connor’s letters and he would describe how he wanted to kiss her and how he wanted to touch her body, she blushed at the thought. She wasn’t afraid of Connor touching her, she was curious about it. Would he be disappointed because she didn’t have any experience in touching a man? She had kissed men and a few tried to touch her breasts, but that is when she always put them in their place. Connor had touched her breasts, but she wasn’t put off by his touch, she actually enjoyed it and wanted it. She didn’t want him to stop; she wanted him to touch her all over.

Amelia looked back at the ship following them. Oh how she wished she could see Connor. She hoped it wouldn’t take too long for him to get his ship in order and come see her!

Connor knew Amelia would be cross with him about not flying into her arms as soon as his feet touched the pier, and the truth was he really did want to but the reality was he did not know if that was going to be possible. The weather had been fine for the last few days and he had been confined below decks until nightfall almost, only appearing at dusk. However after speaking to the Captain he had been told this was not unusual and that by that night or early the next morning the weather could be vastly different as they got closer to shore. The town they were headed for was also surrounded by woodlands, and swamplands and was often considered a gloomy place as the sun had a hard time breaking through the thick canopy. Only the middle of town was truly open and even that still had it's generous parks. With it's good Harbor and it's central location though it was going to be crucial in opening up trade routes, which is why it had been entrusted to the Admiral.

Connor hoped they landed on an overcast day, sometime in the early hours of the morning. That way he could have everything unloaded, in his warehouses, in the shop and in to his house and be able to call on Amelia by the evening. So far it was looking good. The Admirals ship should dock the evening before on the high tide and they would have to wait until the following mornings high tide, but that was to his advantage. He sent a letter explaining his plans to Amelia and then called another of his servants to him. When they anchored the following night they were to fly ahead and have the staff prepare to receive him and the goods. If it was sunny they would know what to do, If it was overcast he would take charge. He was looking forward to finally laying eyes and more upon his sweet Amelia again and finally making her his wife.

When Amelia received Connor’s letter explaining that he would not be able to come into port until the morning after she did, she was a little disappointed, but then also happy because it meant she could have a good night’s sleep and be all refreshed to see him the next day. Connor said he would see her the next evening because he wanted to get his ship unloaded when they docked.

When they docked Amelia’s father escorted them all off the ship after having a few words with Captain Anderson about meeting the next day. They got a carriage and he gave the driver the address of their new home. As they drove through town it was hard to see things properly in the dark but it appeared to be a nice place as you could see the lights shining from the windows of the houses. When they turned up the street next street all of the sudden the houses were much grander and had more space between them. The driver pulled in front of the house at the very end of the street that was on a slight hill. It was all lit up and looked like it was fit for royalty. Amelia walked up to the house with her family and as they approached the front door it was opened and they were greeted by a stern looking gentleman.

“Good evening Admiral and Mrs. Walker, I hope your trip was not too strenuous. The cook has prepared a light meal and your beds are all ready and waiting for you. I will have your trunks brought inside and unpacked while you have a bite to eat. My name sir is Jeeves; if you need anything just let me know. If something is not to your liking tell me and we will get it changed as quickly as possible. Now, if you will all follow me I will show you to your rooms so you can wash up and then I will escort you to the dining area for your meal.”

“Thank you Jeeves, the trip was long but very uneventful. Yes, washing up would be good and then we will eat and get to bed early. Thank you for having everything so organized.” The Admiral replied.

Amelia walked into her room and gasped! It was gorgeous! Right in the middle was a big canopy bed with cream colored curtains on it and a burnt orange comforter over the top of it. Across from the bed was a beautiful three mirrored vanity with a cream colored plush cushioned bench. To the right of the vanity was a big closet that would fit all of her dresses. To the left of the door when she walked in was an armoire to keep all her undergarments. Directly across the room was a set of double patio doors that led out to a private balcony with a small seat. She was not sure what type of view it had since it was so dark, but she was sure it would be breathtaking. On the other side of her vanity was the wash basin, Amelia went over to it and splashed water on her face and then took the cloth and dipped it in the water to wipe her neck and face. She picked up the towel and was amazed at how soft it was, none of the towels in England had been this soft, they were usually scratchy. Amelia smoothed back her hair and exited her room to head down to the dining room with the rest of her family.

They had a nice meal of some soup and bread. There were also some cakes for dessert. After they finished eating, they all headed back to their rooms to get some sleep. Amelia got changed into her nightdress and climbed into her bed; it was as soft as it looked. It was just a few minutes and she was fast asleep dreaming about seeing Connor tomorrow.

Connor was sorely tempted to fly ashore that night and sleep in a proper bed but he decided against it just in case he did not make it back on board in time in the morning. Fortunately for him the Captains words had proved true and as they sailed in the sky was overcast but no wet weather was to be seen. The Admirals ship was well on it's way to being fully unloaded and as they slipped into their berth further down the harbor Connor could see the Admiral himself supervising the unloading of his household goods. He assumed he would have time before he left to have a few words with the man to arrange a meeting with Amelia tonight and so began his own arrangements.

Already his men had arrived. There were carts and bodies aplenty waiting and as soon as the ship was made secure the hold was opened and the supplies started to flow out. As they did Connor approached the Captain and thanked the man for his speedy passage and the well trained crew he ran. He discussed the trade route with him and found out that they could do the run twice a year. The Captain was only a young man, barely in his early thirties and Connor decided to let him in on a few truths. "I plan to settle here for awhile Captain and so I believe I will be helping this town grow a lot. For that it will need people, goods and later on luxury items. Of course I have a company that can supply them but you seem to know your way on this trade route and you may know other trustworthy young Captains with decent ships that wouldn't mind the long journey either. I would be looking for another three ships sir. I think one leaving England every other month should do it. That will keep people here informed of what is happening at home as well. I might have to talk to the Admiral about a mail service. Of course you will be well paid if they prove trustworthy and being the Admiral of even a company fleet is still no mean title."

The mans face split into a wide grin and he said he would get onto it when he got back to England. Of course this would take years to implement but it would be worth it. After all he could wait.

His unloading went well and finally he had his furniture for the house all ready. He bid good day to the Captain and left the rest of the unloading to the professionals. He would see his warehouses and store later. He rode past the Admirals ship after sending his carts ahead and found the man just finishing his own unloading.
"Greetings Admiral, I trust your voyage was as pleasant and as uneventful as my own?"
"Ah Connor I see you are no worse the wear for the Voyage. To what do I owe the pleasure as if I did not know. My daughter has enjoyed your letters lad, a stroke of genius if I do say."
Connor bowed from his horses saddle and grinned. "I did tell you I would find a way to keep myself in her thoughts sir. I love your daughter and have every intention of making her my wife. To that end I would like to call upon her this evening to see if her heart is still of the same thought as mine. Perhaps after dinner at around seven thirty?"
The Admiral grinned already knowing his daughters state. "That is acceptable. We shall expect you then sir. I will inform my daughter when I return home."
Connor nodded and then rode off to catch up to his things. He still had a full day ahead of him and then a busy evening. Still he had a wide smile on his face as he rode.

Amelia woke up later than she planned. She was hoping she could go down to the docks with her father but he had left long before she awoke. Now she was stuck home organizing her room and helping unpack the house. Yes, they had people there to do it, but Amelia and her mother were telling them where things went. They stopped for a lunch break and shortly afterwards her father returned home. He let them know everything was unpacked from the ship and all their stuff should be here. He explained how he had it put in the barn until they were ready to move it to the house and unpack it. They weren’t using the barn yet as they still needed to go pick out some horses and a carriage.

“Oh, Amelia, I saw Connor when I was at the docks,” her father stated. Amelia was upset that she missed seeing him, but was happy he was here and safe. “He said he would like to stop over after dinner, about 7:30, and I told him it would be fine. You don’t have other plans do you?” Her father winked at her because he knew how much she was looking forward to seeing Connor!

“At 7:30? What should I wear? I want to look perfect when he sees me again! What if he has changed his mind?” Amelia started asking all sorts of questions, not really expecting anyone to answer them.

“By the smile on his face I am guessing he has NOT changed his mind!” her father said.

“Oh, the parlor isn’t finished unpacking. We should get that done before dinner so we have a place to sit when Connor arrives!” Amelia exclaimed. Her mother agreed and they went to supervise and get the parlor in order while the Admiral went to his office.

After they finished setting the parlor up so it was suitable to have company at least, Amelia went upstairs to wash the grime off her and to find something nice to wear for Connor. The tub was ready when she got to her room; it was filled with hot water and scented with vanilla. Amelia stripped down and slowly soaked in the tub and let the warmth fill her and the vanilla scents relax her. Even though she didn’t do the actual unpacking, she was dusting stuff as it was unpacked and placed in the proper spot. After relaxing for a little while, Amelia washed her hair and her body, as she moved the sponge over her breasts she thought about Connor touching them and felt her body get all warm and tingly. She slowly moved the sponge lower as she continued to think about Connor’s hands. She was suddenly jolted out of her daydream when someone knocked on her door.

“Yes?” Amelia responded trying not to sound upset about being disturbed.

“Do you need assistance miss?” her maid asked from the other side.

“Give me a minute to rinse off and I will let you in the room,” Amelia replied.

Amelia didn’t like anyone in the room while she bathed so she always locked her door. She finished washing quickly and then wrapped the big towel around her to dry off. After quickly putting on her underclothes, she opened the door and let her maid inside to help her put on her dress. She had picked a deep green dress with a light green underskirt and bodice. The green made her eyes turn an even deeper green and her skin glowed from the bath. The maid also helped brush her hair and put it up with a few tendrils framing her face. When they were all done Amelia went down to join her family for dinner.

Connor had spent the day in a rush of organized chaos. He had only brought a few choice pieces of furniture from England so having them installed in his new home did not take all that long. Especially when the movers had the strength of vampires. Something that would take four strong men was easily carried by one vampire. Several pieces of furniture had to be moved around inside the house until it was to his liking, but quickly the house looked like a home to him. His servants and new head of his house were left to sort out the rest as he returned to the town and his store. He looked it over and saw that it had been built well and stocked with everything that could be gotten from his local trade stores as well as fine local produce. Now he would be able to sell other staple goods from England as well, as well as buying some of the exotic products from here and shipping them back to make a profit. He was most interested in this product called tobacco and corn.

After examining the shop it was onto his storehouses. They were now full of his products but still easy enough to get to any given product. Whoever had designed them was very good at their job, but Connor noticed the rough work on the planks and the rather large looking nails. He had noticed a similar problem in the store and house but not as bad. Perhaps this man wasn't as good as he thought or more than likely he just didn't have the tools to get the job done how he wanted to. Connor noted that in his head and determined that the craftsmen in the village were the first people he was going to visit. Well apart from Amelia of course.

He raced back to his house and ate a quick dinner. He had fed recently so he did not require blood, so he had a rather luxurious bath and then dressed in a royal blue suit before riding off towards the love of his life's new house. On the way he picked a bunch of wildflowers for her. After months at sea she would probably like some life a color to look at.

Amelia enjoyed a nice dinner with her family. The cook made some meat called venison and had some potatoes and a yellow vegetable she called corn. She also made some homemade rolls and fresh churned butter. For dessert she had made a chocolate cake, but they decided to wait on dessert until Connor arrived. Amelia kept watching the clock as she ate.

“Watching it won’t make it move any faster dear,” her mother told her.

Amelia blushed at being caught, but still looked every once in a while. It was finally 7:30 and they had finished dinner and were sitting in the parlor having some drinks and awaiting Connor’s arrival.

Connor knocked on the door as the stableboy took his horse away. It was opened by the same Butler as the household in England and Connor could not keep the grin off his face. "Ahh I see loyalty has not died out yet. Good to see you survived the trip. I have an appointment to see Miss Amelia at 7:30. That is if she still wishes to see me."

The butler grinned himself and ushered him straight in. "I do believe the Mistress may have mentioned something of the kind one or three hundred times today sir since the Admiral told her of your wishes. If you will follow me I am to conduct you to the parlor as soon as you arrive."

Connor suppressed a laugh at the man's news delivered so dryly. So even the servants seemed to approve of him. Another good thing to note. As he entered the parlor he gave a small head bow to the man and a knowing smile which was returned so fast even his extraordinary senses almost missed it. He bowed first to the Admiral as was proper then kissed his wife's hand, then his attention turned to Amelia.

She was wearing a gown of the most exquisite green that brought the color out in her eyes. After having not seen her for four months he was again taken aback by her beauty. She really was a stunning creature. Walking forward he bowed slowly to her and kissed her hand lovingly. Presenting her the bouquet of flowers he smiled at her. "I thought I would pick something beautiful to look at after your many months at sea, but now I see you had but to look in a mirror to see that any time you wanted to."

Amelia blushed at the compliment Connor gave her. She had dreamed of their seeing each other again and this was nice, but she was expecting something more. She had hoped he would take her in his arms and kiss her, even though she knew it would have been inappropriate, but he could have at least hugged her. She knew he was still trying to impress her father and hope he hadn’t changed his mind either, but she knew he hadn’t.

“Thank you very much, would you care to join us for dessert? Cook made a chocolate cake and we were just going to have some.” Amelia said as she led Connor to the settee.

Amelia’s mother cut the cake and handed a piece to Amelia to pass to Connor. As she handed it to him their fingers touched and Amelia felt the sudden warmth spread throughout her body. She peeked at Connor to see if he noticed it also, but he was talking to her father and didn’t appear to have noticed.

It had taken all of Connors will power not to crush Amelia to his chest when he had first set eyes on her, and now sitting next to her and having to breathe in her scent with his supernatural senses was almost torture. Still he had to keep up the niceties with her family or he could loose his chance at being allowed to wed the woman of his dreams.

He was talking to her father when she handed him a piece of the chocolate cake and their hands briefly touched. An electric current seemed to pass between them and a thrill went thru his body. He almost turned and threw her to the ground then and there but he just controlled himself in time and continued chatting with her father. If he had looked at her he would have been lost and her family would have witnessed a scene of carnal debauchery in their parlor the likes they had never seen before.

He managed to bring himself under enough control to finally look at her again while eating the delicious cake. "So Amelia, From your letters I know you had a rather pleasant trip and everything you did, but I need to know if you still feel the same way about me as I do about you. I am ready to resume my pursuit for your hand in marriage right now my love. My heart has not wavered at all these long months at sea, if anything it has grown stronger in it's yearning for you and now it needs to know your answer. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife Amelia?" Connor knelt down in front of her and produced a simple gold band from his jacket with a clear shining ruby to match the one in the locket around her neck.