Quoted By:
You follow the finely-dressed man through the foyer into what you guess is the reeve's study. Amelia is here as well and it seems the two of them were in the middle of a brunch of sorts. Amelia explains who you are to the other man, whose low opinion of you does not change at all by the revelation. In the conversation that follows you learn that he is the second son of a viscount, and (though it is not explicitly announced) a suitor arranged by Amelia's father, one that Amelia does not seem entirely enthusiastic about. She is polite enough, but you can detect the signs of discomfort and disgust known to you from your childhood. The suitor, in turn, notices how Amelia relaxes when speaking to you, how she smiles and laughs.
You are finally rescued from the inexhaustible, self-absorbed speeches of "Lord Royce" (so he calls himself) by the arrival of the reeve. He is happy to see his daughter and Lord Royce together and decidedly less happy to see you with them. His mood improves when you present him with the purse of silver. And it is with satisfaction that you watch Lord Royce's color change as the coins are counted out. He then nonchalantly tells a story about a rich fraudster his father caught once. Though he does not actually air the accusation, the insinuation is enough to spur Amelia to tell a wildly exaggerated version of your recent exploits. Lord Royce merely scoffs.
The coins are counted and the reeve is ready to write up the account, when, suddenly, he pauses and looks up. He then wonders aloud if you would be willing to consider a different proposal: use the money to rent a few of his less profitable boats. He'll handle the labor side of things, and you'll manage the day-to-day operation. You have enough for at least two more boats, three if you're willing to stake the whole.
Lord Royce finds all this preposterous and is so unreserved with his opinions, that even the reeve seems to find him distasteful. He does not rebuke him, however, holding his tongue, perhaps, for the prospect of future nobility. Amelia not yet possessed of such self-control, makes an outlandish bet with Lord Royce: that within a year--no, within two seasons--you'll have turned a profit with the boats. The reeve begins to reproach Amelia but Lord Royce intercedes. He is very much interested. Amelia offers up her personal savings, consisting of some inherited jewelry and a not insubstantial sum of gold pieces she has been saving since childhood. And should she win, Lord Royce will "no longer spend his attention" on her.
The reeve is not at all happy about this development and looks in desperation to you to bail him out.
You decide to:
>Keep to the original arrangement, you'd rather not get involved in this
>Take the new offer. Their bet is none of your concern, but this is a good opportunity.
>Get in on the action. If they're betting on you, it's only fair.
>Write-in
