It took a few days for the letter to come back, and then Kaladin handed off duties to Seamus with a grin.

"Go get Brit to help you," he suggested, shoving his brother playfully.

"You're evil," Seamus commented. "Focus on your own plans, not mine." But he didn't exactly argue with his brother, either.

Kaladin chuckled and headed off over to the front of the ranch again, so he could meet up with Hazel and they could go inspect animals.

Brit watched him go before she headed over to check on the snakes, her phoenixes following her. They were still young and curious and energetic.

Hazel was waiting for Kaladin near the carriage. She was wearing one of her day dresses this time, rather than her ranch clothes, since she was going as the owner rather than as the overseer. It was still a rather plain (although flattering) dress.

Seamus rolled his eyes at his brother and went to see about the dragons. It was close enough to the snakes that he could justify 'running into' Brit while he was there.

Kaladin smiled and motioned for her to enter first, holding the carriage door open for her. "Nice dress," he commented once she was seated.

Brit glanced over at him, watching him pass, before she picked up one of the snakes to play with it for a little while.

"Thanks," Hazel replied as she sat down in the carriage. "It's old, but it works well enough for every-day wear."

Seamus backtracked once or twice to watch Brit, just giving a sort of shit-eating grin when she caught him a couple of times. Hey, he wasn't making any secret of admiring her.

Kaladin nodded and looked at her for most of the trip. "So did you decide how many you'd like to keep for the moment?"

Brit blushed once she figured out he was admiring her, not quite sure what to do with that information. She floundered for a few moments before she gave up and went back to playing with the snakes.

"Not yet," Hazel admitted. She kind of wanted to see how a few factors came into play, first; namely, what the selkies were like, how many of them she actually liked, which ones Kaladin liked, and what Kaladin thought. Then she would decide.

Seamus hung around for a few minutes after that, watching her from the entrance of the enclosure. The rest of the ranch could wait a little while longer.

Kaladin nodded. "Alright. Well, we'll see how many are available when we get there." And really he didn't mind that.

Brit wasn't sure what to do about Seamus so she just kind of ignored him. She had one snake draped across her shoulders, another winding around her so that its wings were spread across her chest, its head resting atop the other snake, and a third lounging quite happily in her lap.

Seamus watched her for a moment longer before going into the snake enclosure.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Brit nodded after a moment, moving a fourth snake that had been trying to climb her side over to him instead. She already had half the snakes using her as a sunning spot, she figured that was enough.

Seamus took the snake easily, settling it around his shoulders as he sat down next to Brit.

"So," he asked casually, "how long do you think before Hazel realizes my brother is head over heels for her?"

Brit blinked, and then shrugged, careful not to unsettle the snake there. She managed to pull out her paper and pen. I don't know. Is he really?

"Blatantly," Seamus replied with that same shit-eating grin. "Has been since that party, I think."

Brit nodded, looking at him for a moment before she went back to petting a snake. Well, I hope he makes a move soon, for his sake.

"I told him so," Seamus replied. "Elsewise he'll lose to some pompous, rich lordling."

Brit nodded. Yup. And that would be a shame.

"For my brother, yeah," Seamus replied. "Poor fool's fallen for a lady. That's bound to bring some trouble with it, I'm sure."

Brit shrugged. Hazel's much more laid back than any other lady I've met, she wrote. Because she'd met a few. Not a ton, but a few.

"That might also be because she takes care of more than planning parties," Seamus said. "I've never met any ladies who would willingly take on an entire ranch."

Brit shrugged. She was glad Hazel was the way she was, and she wasn't going to question it any more than that. She did roll her eyes when one of the snakes curled its tail around her neck and then slithered over so its head was on Seamus's shoulder.

Seamus grinned and let the snake move over closer. He didn't mind, he liked the snakes and besides, it got him closer to Brit. Bonus.

Brit stayed there for a while, just relaxing. She knew that soon things were going to be getting a little hectic, so she just enjoyed the peace while she could.

Seamus was quiet for a moment, contemplating the wisdom of his next decision. Figuring he had less to lose than his brother did, in someways if not others, he gave in to the impulse. Leaning over, he kissed Brit's cheek softly and then moved back again.

Brit flamed red and turned to look at him, too astonished to think properly. She'd never had anyone show interest in her before, and now she was taken totally by surprise.

That didn't mean that she didn't like it though.