The Artful Dodger

1.01 Get to Know the Suitor

It is now around lunch time. I am sitting across from Smales reading my book. Father is sitting in a chair near the fire place with the dog in his lap, Fanny and Belle are on the couch across from the fire place - engrossed in a conversation, and mother is standing at the far side of the room. She is watching me like a hawk. I swear, at this rate she just wants to marry me off and gain money.

"Would you like to play the harp for me?" he asked. "No." I said plainly as I turned the page in my book. "Oh. I was rather hoping you'd say, "Yes."" he mumbled. I'm not even all that good at it. Belle is better, not that I could tell the man. Not that I wanted to tell him. "Uh, did I tell you I had a book of poetry published?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. He is so insufferable. "Several times." I mumbled.

"Well, self-published." he added. As if that makes it any better. "That's how Wordsworth started out." he told me. I furrowed my eyebrows. Uh... what world did he grow up in, because it clearly was not this one. "No, it's not." I told him, turning the page once more. "Shall I read you some?" he asked making me sigh. Oh yay. "It's called, Upon The Dew-Lit Morn, My Soul Took Flight, and Flew" he said. I sent him a warning look before going back to my book.

"Upon the dew-lit morn..." he began anyways. I shot up and began to walk out. "Where are you going?" mother questioned me as she grabbed onto my arm. "He's an insufferable bore." I hissed quietly. "Yes, but a rich one and from good stock. Turn around. At least show him the town before you refuse him." mother demanded. So she is in this one for the money. I know that Belle's husband, Michael, did not have a lot of money; yet this is ridiculous. I do not wish to marry, she knows this. I just held a staring contest with her. I do not wish to budge on this matter.

"Marriage, Bonny. Something you dogs don't have to be tormented by." father said. Mother broke eye contact and looked at him. She cleared her throat. "And more's the pity for them." father added. I sighed as mother looked back at me. "We have nothing in common." I complained.

I swear it looks as though she gained the slightest smirk. "Talk to him about hospitals." she said. I blinked confused. That is a totally random thing for her to say. It is clear this man is a poet, not a doctor. "Why?" I asked her. "Because his family founded one." mother informed me. Oh god. "Didn't they, Mr. Smales?" mother asked as she turned to the man.

"Well, uh, hospitals. Other side of the family, of course. Birmingham, Manchester, somewhere north. India, one of them." he replied. He seems very disinterested in it. I looked at mother, she seems so invested. I will pretend, just until tomorrow. For her. But after this, I am done.

I turned from mother and looked at my sisters. "Fanny, why didn't you say something?" I questioned her. I didn't wait for an answer as I moved to the man. I grabbed his arm, making sure to grab a hold of his sleeve and not actually touch him. "Come, we're going to see the hospital. I've never been, and I've always wanted to." I said as I walked back towards mother. I glanced at her before walking towards the exit, dragging Smales with me. "A hospital? No. What about miasma? She'll catch some dreadful..." father began.

I don't even want him to start on the fact that I have the reoccurring episodes. I do not need him to talk about that. I cut his sentence off. "I would hate to disappoint Mr. Smales." I told father. "I'm not really..." the man tried but I just pulled him from the room. "Have you ever heard of ether?" I asked as we made our way out of the estate. "Ether? No, was he a friend of Bunty's?" he asked. I laughed lightly at his stupidity. "Your family owns multiple hospitals yet you haven't heard of ether?" I said. I know he can tell from the tone of my voice that I think he is stupid.

I dragged him all the way to the carriage. "Coachman, we'd like to go to the hospital, please" I said as I dropped Smales's wrist. I climbed into the carriage and waited for him. He too climbed in and closed the door. I instantly began to tell him about ether. If I have to suffer through this ride with him, then I am going to talk about something interesting instead of listening to him ramble about his darn poetry.