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@jovianism
𝄢 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨' 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙟𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙟𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙨.
# 𝑱𝑶𝑽𝑰𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑺𝑴 𝄢 as penned by kris (she/her).
MISTER ARTHUR BAE of greywell ; introduction , threads , pinterest.
LADY SEVDA DURMAZ of dartworth ; introduction , threads , pinterest.
DOWAGER VISCOUNTESS YU JIE CHURCH née FENG of cransbury ; introduction , threads , pinterest.
𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙠𝙖𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙣 ( @wuther1ngs )
"emi," sevda hums, leaning over across the settee to capture a ringlet of her cousin's dark hair around her finger. such affections were reserved for her beloved family, comfortable around them in a manner she could hardly boast publicly. "will you join me at the opera this evening?"
𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 ( @athenaisalderidge )
"lady alderidge," sevda greets warmly, lips upturned into a practiced smile. it was as neat as her curtsey, mauve skirts gathered between gloved palms. "i am so grateful to take you on your offer for tea at last."
𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙪𝙗𝙤𝙞𝙨' ( @hopeflickering )
one supposed it was time to commission some new dresses in a less dreadful shade, her own mayfair wardrobe filled mostly with the colours of half-mourning. it would not do to find a husband with such signalling. door half open, exiting from her appointment, sevda nearly clips the passerby. mollified, the durmaz gasps, "my apologies!"
" you may say no. my ego will be bruised, but i will survive. " judging by her expression, he is the last person she would want to be seen with. when she accepts with what appears to be deep reluctance, he proceeds to walk. " ah, yes. not his keeper and not angry with him. " just as he predicted! he does not take it personally and instead, smiles, feeling satisfaction from being right. the gloating can wait, it is too early to irk her more than he already has. " you are correct, i am not. " he looks to her. " i am compromising. " referring to their last conversation.
oh. the severity of her expression softening at his words. which was dangerous, considering it all. it was the absence of her anxiety that typically served as warning — tread carefully! "compromising?" she echoes, low and wry, her wall rebuilding slowly, "i did not know you knew the meaning." it was hypocritical, one could suppose. her fury at having been named with rafael, and her calm at being named next to benedict. the latter had been named with a number of women, but none with impropriety implied. unlike the pair of them. "do you mean to call me a hypocrite? because only one of you was described to utterly ruin their companion."
if there was one thing sevda ― or anyone else , for that matter ― did not have to tell amélia to do , it was to be alert in the presence of benedict alderidge . which only made her more uncomfortable , having him now be the main subject of their conversation . did the durmaz not know or was she deliberately bringing him up to see her reaction ? no , it would've been cruel , she did not believe the other capable of such a thing , even if they did not know each other so well . “ i find it unlikely that i will , but will keep the advice in mind for future reference . ” perhaps that was saying too much , she should have avoided speaking of the man altogether , especially when giving any sort of clues as to where she stood with him now . “ speaking of safiye , do you know where she is ? ” she had spoken to the youngest durmaz not too long before , it was simply a way of changing the subject to something that didn't make her want to run away screaming .
it was a flaw to admit that sevda kept away from whispers that did not pertain to her and the durmaz family specifically. she found it terribly gauche to pay heed to rumours. although most found a gossip column to be proof enough, sevda hated to lean into rumours. so, she was hopelessly unaware of such arrangements between the miss castelo and the very lord she'd felt her gaze fall upon so naturally. "oh, safiye is off doing something of great interest to herself, i imagine." her little sister was birdlike thing, a hummingbird bouncing from one flower to the next. "you could join us, if you'd like — later, in the maze?" strength in numbers and all. inshallah she would not lead them lost. “the more the merrier.”
" no, no, no, " without hesitation, her protests are spoken over sevda's murmurs, steps slowing to position herself in front of her sister. " no one who knows you would think that of you, " hands place a firm grip upon her shoulders. " and those who do not know you well enough to say otherwise are simply not worth the trouble of convincing. " she gives her shoulders a squeeze – an unspoken reassurance before arms re-link, safiye's hand resting in the croook of sevda's elbow. " you look parched. let us find our way out of here. "
sometimes, it felt as if safiye was the older of the two of them. their close ages blurred the lines. composed in all manners except for when pressure was applied, sevda is content to lean into her younger sister's soothings — her own mind feeling flustered. it harkens back to their upbringing. sevda, more comfortable in a crumpled ball, in the shadowy privacy of her chambers. safiye, head held high above it all, treating their father as an afterthought. "please," she insists, propelling them forward, needing something to cool down.
end.
𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩. 𝙟𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 ( @hopeflickering )
"it is only a small jaunt around the pond," arthur insists, beginning to unknot the ropes securing his boat to the small port at the lip of the water. one hand at his heart, solemnly he says, "i promise i shan't leave us stranded in the water for the day."
𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙠𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙚 ( @gcnteelvice )
arthur offers a palm to his good sister as propriety dictates, having stepped down from the carriage first. "after you," the bae grins, the mischief in his smile at odds with the fanciness of his dovetailed coat jacket — far more formal than he cares for on the regular day.
“ suit yourself . i shall start placing bets on whose mama finds herself walking too close to the pond next in hopes you might still be close by in case they too end up falling into it . ” it was a funny thought that entertained her . a couple years back she would not dare make such a comment for others would find it unbecoming of a lady , but her time in rio had turned amélia into someone with less restraints . the man had a nice physique and she had two functioning eyes , it was simply an observation . “ a pity , ducklings are amongst the loveliest creatures to look at . but my opinion might be biased , i am quite partial to birds . at least the ones who do not attack you . ” she shrugged .
"and i should happily assist if the need arises again," arthur answers earnestly, for he did not discriminate between princess and mama. under his careful eye, all women should enjoy the water if they so wished! at least it would save him the need to further shed his garments. he pats himself dry rather successfully, only his hair still sopping. the shirt was another story. that was still completely sodden even after he'd wrung out the droplets, more water hidden in its folds like a double-coated dog. "ducks do not attack," he offers helpfully in their defence. at least, he did not think they did. "i am rather fond of peaceable creatures." arthur preferred to imagine a kinship between him and them. “it is hard to enjoy fiercer things at a near distance.”
" arthur! just the person i have been looking for! "
"me?" he grins, unable to avoid mirroring the brightness of wenyi's signature smile. "how can i be of service?"
augustus had been of the opinion that lady whistledown would get there eventually. these things had a way of finding their way onto the page regardless of how many people would have preferred they didn't. "i imagine," he said, with the measured calm of a man who had a personal interest in the answer, "she is simply building anticipation." he lifted his own cup. the eye was not invisible in this light, which he was aware of, and lady church was the sort of woman who noticed things. "or she is being uncharacteristically considerate." a pause. "i would not wager on the latter."
"no, nor i," yu jie laughs brightly. the whistledown of ten years prior was a ruthless thing — though she had gone relatively unscathed, flying under her notice as a married woman at the time. "i am curious to see her recount of events however." she eyes the captain curiously, prying into his guarded composure. hating to be called a gossip, but terribly nosy, "i had heard the princes had been involved in some ruckus, though i cannot say i was witness to it." she had hoped to read about it, but still her palms were empty. "did you catch what proceeded it?"
⚲ location : queen anne's conservatory. ↬ with : dowager viscountess yu jie church ( @jovianism ).
a few days had passed since the rather disastrous garden party ─ enough time that mamie felt confident that she would not be scorned for extending an invitation to tea at the conservatory to the dowager viscountess cransbury. society would continue onwards, as it always did, and sometimes it depended on the more seasoned members of the ton to guide it through and past the scandals that were expected to occur, even if said scandal involved members of the royal family. she had certainly witnessed far more interesting moments than two princes quarrelling and a princess falling into the water, though mamie could understand that for the queen, whose life seemed to run on scheduled perfection, such mishaps must be more than embarrassing. idly, as her hand lifted to beckon yu jie over to where she sat, mamie made a note to write to the marchioness of elingwood to offer her support. ❝ my darling viscountess cransbury. ❞ rising from her seat, mamie grasped the other woman by the forearms and pressed two kisses on either side of her cheeks in greeting, pulling back with a fond expression. ❝ thank you for accepting my invitation. it seems that we must, once again, drag the ton into a new day, away from whispers of the garden party. ❞ her voice pitched lower, even if the conservatory was mainly empty. ❝ though perhaps not quite yet. did you get a chance to overhear what was said between the princes ? curse my poor back, i was resting too far from the excitement ! ❞
at the sight of the dowager duchess, yu jie raises her own arm upward, waving brightly at her friend from across the conservatory. as one does when they are happily safe from prying eyes, untouched by children causing embarassment. she accepts the greeting in turn, happily meeting kiss for kiss. "of course, my beauty," she says graciously, finding her darling for extending the invite in the first place. with a drinking appraisal, yu jie declares "you look lovely as ever!"
not quite able to pitch her enthusiasm, yu jie cries out in anguish, "goodness, i wish!" her head shakes with a frown, meeting a lower volume now. it would not do to be a gossip, though, it seemed that was the lot of a mama. "i was at gunter's with captain stirling the other day, prying him for details — little did i know that he had broken their fight!" she sighs, disappointed with her past self for being unaware. "the princes ought to spend some time the army as well. they might learn something from it." perhaps, some decorum. though, yu jie felt some guilt in saying so of the husband of her hosts' daughter. the dowager viscountess was growing inches closer to purchasing a ticket for griffin to visit her homeland to instil some discipline into him lest he debase himself in the future with such a display.
Eleanora's smile was a companionable one, concealing the twang of anxiety deep inside her. "Ahh, it seems Lady Whistledown is more than ready to oblige your eagerness." Reaching into her reticule, Eleanora produced a familiar-looking pamphlet, pressed with Lady Whistledown's famed silhouette, and, opening it, placed it on the table between them. "I'm afraid it was published just this morning. No sooner did I walk out my door than I found it being thrust into my hand! Here, I've already read it. Consider this your copy, if you would like it."
Eleanora wasn't at all sure, but she feared she, herself, may have been mentioned in it. Fortunately, the identity of the lady hadn't been provided, and so for the very reason that it may have been herself, it might have been another, but Mr. Castelo had been noted as walking with a lady in the maze -- a fact troubling to Eleanora as she herself had walked with him there. Nothing whatever untoward had occurred, the two only meeting by chance and forced by circumstance to help each other navigate the labyrinth, but now she feared, were it to get out, the matter would be looked at quite askance...Fortunately for Mr. Castelo and, whomever the lady might have been (whether herself or a different lady), the royal family had taken it upon themselves to outshine everyone in the ton for sheer calamity at their own mother's event!
"Goodness knows there was a great deal of fodder for her, there. It seems the ton was in a secret competition regarding who might expose themselves to the most rumors. Did you happen to see the princes accost one another? One can scarcely believe it...I didn't see it, myself, though I heard some of it...Shocking! I did, however, have the opportunity to see the splash -- those poor young women!"
yu jie gasps delicately, "goodness! i am behind on the times." gratefully, she takes the parchment in gloved hands. before delving into the meal of gossip and fodder, she gives the penwood an appreciative smile. "thank you for this, lady eleanora. what would i do without you!"
she takes swift stock of the writing, skimming through the list of names like a rock skipping across a pond. oh, the poor queen! she would have to speak with athénaïs on the mention of her children, and her poor ward! to care for a young lady required far more consideration than their boys did.
at the end of it, the dowager viscountess is coloured in surprise. "i can hardly believe i was there! i had only seen the aftermath with the princes. thankfully, i had my fill before the table had fallen. again, i saw only the result of that — terrible luck for the princess." her hands press against the table, eyes wide with surprise. "and mister castelo in the maze? how scandalous! he should be more careful, it seems our lady whistledown like to keep an eye on him."
“ i fear that no one shall be spared, ” because history likes repeating itself, and helena, among other things, likes making it. she swallows down the urge to comment any further with the rest of her tea, finding the taste to be far too mellow despite the copious amounts of added honey that should've dissolved by now. instead of lady whistledown, she finds herself thinking of shrewsbury and ratafia cake, even if it's for just a fleeting moment of reprieve. the real shame is that cake is missing from their table. “ which is why i assume she's been so quiet. i hope, however, that the thought of lady whistledown didn't prevent you from enjoying yourself at the garden party, lady church. ”
”
"you are too sweet for inquiring, my dear," yu jie smiles, reaching across the table to squeeze the young lady's palm. "unfortunately i left early than intended," she confesses pitifully, playing into the misery of it all, as if it had not been at invitation to tumble in lord bernard's bed. "i forgot my parasol, you see, and these days i heat so easily." that was the worst thing about growing older. the fire in it. "before i retired, however, i found it all incredibly delightful. the butter tarts were delightful — oh, i wish i had another! the cakes here are delicious as well, though. perhaps we should share?"
antonella received the suggestion eagerly, her expression brightening with an almost immediate and unguarded delight. “no, no—never presumptuous,” she said quickly, warmth spilling into her voice as her fingers reached, almost eagerly, for the offered snapdragons. she handled them with a kind of reverence reserved for discoveries rather than possessions, turning the stems lightly between her fingers as though acquainting herself with their nature. “how beautiful… and how strange, that i have not thought of them.” the admission came without shame, only a soft wonder, as if the world had just revealed a new color to her. with careful precision, she wove them into the arrangement, adjusting here and there until the composition seemed to draw a deeper breath, the pinks and oranges awakening beneath the richer hue. she paused then, studying it, and a small, satisfied smile curved at her lips. “yes… that is precisely what it lacked,” she murmured, half to herself, though her gaze soon returned to the lady beside her, alight with renewed admiration. “you have a most discerning eye.”
but the flora could not hold her focus when a much more fascinating puzzle stood breathing right beside her. she pivoted completely transferring her absolute attention to the stranger with a hunger that was both radiant and unnervingly deliberate. “you must forgive me,” she began, with a gentleness that carried no true apology, only graceful candor, “i find myself at a disadvantage this season.” her fingertips rubbed against one another wiping away the invisible pollen. “i have been away for some time, and i find there is much i have yet to become acquainted with.” she tilted her head letting a fresh wave of curiosity spread across her face. “and you, i think, are not a lady one ought to pass without proper introduction.” her mouth curved into a soft and devastatingly knowing shape. “will you allow me the privilege of knowing to whom i owe my sunset?”
it would have been nice to have a daughter, yu jie finds herself thinking. although she loved her son, a daughter, she imagines would be much easier to relate to. it was easy to stand here with the lovely young lady, helping her arrange her flowers. to mentor a young lady having gone through the same anxieties through her life was far better aligned to herself. "oh, when you get to my age—" yu jie finds herself laughing at herself, finding it rather silly to date herself in such a manner, "—you learn to have an eye for such things. there is no need to rush yourself into the experience. simply... enjoy it."
the florals look complete to the lady, but she was confident that the younger would have come to a wonderful summation eventually. there was much grace in her softness. "oh, there is no need for forgiveness, my dear. lady yu jie church," she offers warmly, extending a palm, "dowager viscountess of cransbury. my son is the current viscount, but he is young still." too young to marry yet, but she did not look forward to the swarm of women sniffing out his title in the next handful of years. "and yourself?"
" surprised ? " his brow perked up with a teasing smile . " i do not make promises lightly , nor do i forget them easily . " his gaze lingered on her a moment longer than propriety might strictly require , as though taking quiet satisfaction in having proven as much . thank goodness they were in the comforts of the durmaz's home else he would have found himsef on whistledown's papers once again . " i hope i did not interupt anything , " his gaze fell, unashamedly this time, to the streak of cobalt upon her apron, and his smile deepening . " i rather like that im learning something new about you with every encounter . first you are excellent at card games and now i am discovering you are also an artist . i begin to wonder what other talents you have been withholding . " and then a beat , his gaze holding hers , steady and unflinching, as though he had no intention of pretending he was merely being polite about it . clearing his throat , he continued , " a pelisse would be wise though i do recall you once insisting upon my services as your … what was it ? a ‘mighty shield , ’ if memory serves.”
she brightens, forgetting to fret about where she fell in his rankings between miss zhao and miss castelo. surely, though, she had thought to herself privately, that her family's title might win her some points in the competition. but perhaps calling it a competition at all reduced the lord benedict to a shallow point that was not indicative of his personality. "alright," she concedes, hands held up in surrender. dried bits of viridescent paint on the tips of her fingers. the view from their london manse is half-finished, but there were still months to finish it. she only wanted not to forget it if this was to be their last season in mayfair. "i should not be surprised. you are a man of your word." he was every bit the gentleman he presented to be.
"i dabble in the pianoforte as well," she laughs lightly, forever unable to admit to it being a talent. "though, you should know i have terrible stage fright so i will beg you not to insist on my proving it." feeling undressed under his gaze, she feels something warm in her belly, an urge to remove some layers. beginning to undo the knot securing the pinafore, sevda's eyes move askance, avoiding the heat. the hue of his eyes were alight with a brightness she found so handsome. at the back of her mind, she wondered what ratio of manganese blue would recreate the shade. "your character shines through brilliantly, though i am eager to learn of your own skills, lord benedict." playfully, she adds, "considering cards is not one of them." her lips quirk upward. a stand-up man, and one who listened. a rare sort. "you played the role well. though, i cannot reduce you to be my coat too." still, she thought his arms would be warm.
