Authors Note: This is the first draft and is raw at the moment - when I have completed all Parts I will start the editing process. (All critiques welcome) 

Things were never simple. 

Luncheon had ended and Jimmy had still not arrived at Fay's party, I understood his reasons for not wanting to attend one of our family functions.
Jimmy and Papa had a... tricky relationship and they did try to keep their distance in social situations with each other these days for they only ended badly, for everyone involved, but Jimmy would never let down Fay I knew he was coming.

 I went for a quick walk around the grounds  I had to do something. I needed a breather after that hideous meal with Lord Niall I thought if I could just feel the sun on my face and the wind in my hair everything would be okay, everything would be okay this afternoon at least and no one would notice I was gone. 

No one but Fay. 

I had only made it a few paces towards my favourite most secluded part of the grounds when striding over the sun-kissed hill like some kind of victor of men was Jimmy. He had with him a man; I couldn't see his face because of the sun that was so determinedly blinding my vision, just a halo of blonde sunny hair that seemed to crown his head in the midday sun blindly bright next to my brothers light brown.

I just smiled and waved at my brother and walked towards them.

"Jimmy darling" I smiled at James and before I knew it my arms were around his neck and he was enthralling me in the tightest bear hug releasing me only to introduce me to his friend.

"Doctor William Gilbert this is my sister Lady Dolphina Marxby, Doll this is Will, he's a surgeon actually and general good sort I cannot tell you, he's a Scott though." Jimmy wrinkled his nose in jest.

Will Gilbert smiled politely and we shook hands.

"It's a pleasure my lady" Will's Scottish droll fell from his tongue in a strong cursive manner. I could have learned everything I needed about Will just from his voice, Will, just like his voice was strong, unassuming and fierce.

The opposite of my brother Jimmy, my quiet, soft devout brother Jimmy. We always told each other everything, I think we were bound by our differences rather than separated by them and once when our worlds had paused and silence had come we found peace together in a crowd and in that moment Jimmy told me his truth. 

If he hadn't obeyed Father, if he hadn't done as he was told and married the Lady Poppy he would be a priest now. I think deep down I alway knew that was what he wanted but he was Father's son and heir, the heir to Marxby, Jimmy was just as tightly bound as any of us and Father would never allow him to be free.

"My brother a man of God" whenever Jimmy and I spoke of the religious life it would often end in me telling him I didn't believe in God. I still don't.

For Jimmy, it was never to be, his dreams, my dreams, Sarah's they all came to nothing and they were nothing in our parents eyes nothing more than frivolous non entities. We were to live the life that had been forged for us and nothing more.

"Come on Doll, you know we should be getting to the house."

I looked at Jimmy with a sense of finality I'd run away from the party and found my brother, and now he was bringing back not because he was cruel but because he wasn't.

"This is it" he whispered in my ear and I held onto his hand, his big hand and he squeezed my small one tightly and deep down I knew he was right. But like I said Jimmy and I were not alike and I wasn't going down without a fight.

We walked Jimmy, Will and I back to the party towards my fate, it was mid-summer and the heat still surrounded us from the blistering day and only now at dusk had the air started to cool. For the first time since we left the top of the hill Jimmy let go of my hand and approached languishing guests and introduces them to Will.

"Doctor William Gilbert" he seemed to say over and over again.

My mother couldn't help but comment that he was an appropriate quality of a man for Jimmy to have as a friend but he was not "our kind of people" meaning he was not the right man for any of her daughters to take as a husband. I laughed at my ridiculous mother and followed Jimmy and Will who moved to talk away from the crowds of people who were gathered on the lawn.

"Mama's going to be looking for you" said Jimmy taking a slow sip of his drink. I knew he was right but I chose to ignore him.

I felt rail roaded but Jimmy had laid it out clear for me, I had no way out but I wished there were was something I could do so Father and Mother would leave the Percy and Fay let them be free to make their own choices and make an attempt to fight for myself in the process.

It was Jimmy who saw her first, she was like a sunny haired pixie the way she ran across the lawn, so light of foot and bare of feet. Fay, our thirteen year old baby sister she beamed at Jimmy stumbling a little when he beamed back, soon he had stepped away from us and had opened his arms.

"Little bit!" Jimmy cried he opened his arms wide for Fay and she fell into them allowing Jimmy to spin her round until she cried out for him to stop through bursts of Laughter.

Will smiled at them and that made me smile.

"Have you been sent to fetch us Little bit?" Little bit was what Jimmy called Fay. It was short for a little bit of star dust and he would say that star dust could go anywhere and do anything and that's what she should do, be star dust and be anything.

 My brother always had a touch of the fanciful about him but then so did Fay and whatever it was that was so mystical about them both they recognised it in each other. Dreamers the pair of them my Papa would say, but Fay and Jimmy didn't care what anyone said because they could always dream together.

"No I've come for Dolly, I want to tell her what Mama and Papa are planning" said Fay.

"Well what are they planning Little bit?" Said Jimmy before I could sweep Fay off for a walk up the hill"

Fay glanced at Will.

"It's all right Little bit you can talk in front of ol' boy here, proper gent aren't you Gilbert." Laughed Jimmy

Fay squirmed and finally she managed to find the words.

"They want to marry you off to that awful Lord Niall, please, Dolly, we have to do something."

I looked at Jimmy and he knew I was planning to do something to try something. I gave him a half hearted shrug and a smile and placed my hand in Fay's.

"Come on" I said and together hand in hand we ran towards the Manor.

As we ran across the lawn and towards the manor I wished I could be thirteen again, so I could kick off my shoes take down my hair and run barefoot through the grass. But as we ran hand in hand my freedom felt further and further away. I could feel Jimmy and Will watching us as we ran away from them and towards the house, I caught their faint words as they were carried past my ears on the whispering winds as we left their sides.

"Does she stand a chance?" Said Will

"In stopping the engagement?"

Will nodded.

"Not a hope in hell." They followed us slowly and sadly towards the manor. 

The posting schedule for The Girl That Fell Out of The Ocean is Wednesday and Sundays!  

The Girl Who Fell Out of the Ocean is Book 1 in The Ghostly Saga.