lady euphemia howard, youngest child of the duke of norfolk
━━ ⊰ [ ALEXANDRA DOWLING , 25 , Cis Woman , She/Her ] the ton is buzzing ! have you heard ? LADY EUPHEMIA HOWARD has arrived in mayfair ! i have been told that she is + OBSERVANT & + WELL-READ but are also - ENVIOUS & - OPAQUE but we shall know more about them as the season progresses. they aim to MAKE A SUCCESS OF HER ENGAGEMENT before the season ends. we cannot be too sure but it is said that their loyalties lie WITH THEMSELVES.
STATS.
FULL NAME : euphemia alice howard
TITLES : lady of house howard (courtesy title)
PLACE OF BIRTH : arundel castle, arundel, west sussex, england.
AGE : 25 (1st May 1788)
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION : Anglican
MARITAL STATUS: betrothed to mr. edmond lambton
MOTHER : duchess of norfolk
FATHER : duke of norfolk
SIBLINGS : earl of arundel (elder brother), duchess of fife (elder sister), lord howard (twin brother)
EXTENDED FAMILY: george, king of great britain and ireland (maternal uncle), anne, queen of great britain and ireland (aunt by marriage), william, prince of wales (maternal first cousin), felix, duke of york (maternal first cousin), duke of kent (maternal first cousin), sophia, princess of great britain and ireland (maternal first cousin).
1788 - euphemia and her twin brother are born to the duke and duchess of norfolk
1796 - euphemia is considered an intelligent but very quiet child. her curiosities are indulged and it is assumed that she will become more sociable with age.
1804 - euphemia is presented to the queen and makes a respectable showing.
1810 - euphemia partakes in an affair with a contentious acquaintance who soon feels honor-bound to propose but she dissuades him from seeking a betrothal. (wc).
1812 - euphemia’s sister becomes the duchess of fife
1813 - in her ninth season, euphemia is betrothed to mr. lambton.
dark brown hues trailed the mother duck circling around the floating feed, amused at the scene in front of him. "i never knew you sketched," william slowly turned his head towards the sweet voice of his cousin. he hadn't seen her in quite some time, mostly due to his own self-imposed isolation following months of grief. it was unfortunate that he knew so little about his cousins. the strained relationship between their parents playing a role in creating this distance. though he couldn't blame his aunt for it; she, too, was bound by duty, a circumstance he oddly understood.
nevertheless, seeing euphemia was a refreshing change among the familiar faces he encountered daily. "we are no better than ducks then," the prince let out an airy chuckle at the thought, finding it fitting to compare themselves to those animals. it seems as though ducks' behavior closely resembled theirs in certain ways. it was a thought worth pondering. "one should consider themselves lucky to find a lifelong mate, don't you think? i hear you are soon to meet yours." william had believed he had found his, but life cruelly snatched her away from him—so cold, so heartless. "— but yes, they can be quite adorable creatures when they're not nipping or incessantly quacking at you."
in the presence of others, he made an effort not to exude too much melancholy, keeping his innermost thoughts to himself and wearing a warm smile. "are you here alone, dear cousin? i was planning to continue my stroll around the lake. perhaps you'd like to join me?" he offered, extending an invitation for them to walk together.
“oh, i suppose there is quite a lot that we don’t know about what another,” euphemia replied, not resentfully but perhaps, regretfully. possibly, there was still time to catch missed opportunities. tongues had been ceaselessly wagging since the death of the princess, all wondering when and who the prince might wed next. the king’s line of succession was secure what with the royal dukes alive and well and yet euphemia hated to think of that the prince’s position or reputation might be perceived as weakened. loyalty could be a funny thing, as easily won by being a little girl's most admired cousin, even if practically a stranger.
euphemia blushed at the mention of her recent betrothal, not because she was a besotted maiden, but because impending nuptials of any sort this season would inevitably be tainted by the loss of poor eleanor and her babe. “yes, well, i can only pray mr. lambton and i will make suitable companions. i would love to join you, cousin, thank you.” turning her face against the breeze as they set off, euphemia snuck a glance at her elder cousin, mind turning over what words to offer when she had never been touched by grief the same way he had. she slipped her arm through his, blonde head leaning in slightly as if to grasp for a modicum more privacy to discuss such public circumstance. “you know, william, if i may be familiar a moment, i know the family has sent all manner of condolences but i must personally reiterate how terribly sorry i am for the loss of your most lovely wife. i’m sure words offer little comfort but know that if you require it, you have my friendship, always.” nine years her elder, the prince of wales had always seemed such a distant figure, simply a man who would be king as opposed to a kinsmen but in some ways, death was the great equalizer. no man or prince was untouchable. he would need people in his corner now, and even being of little influence or consequence, euphemia intended to be one of them. “if you are ever in want of a distraction, you shall have to come to arundel and sketch the flora. such interesting shapes to muddle with. it can be quite a lovely sojourn.”
while most of their ladies in waiting had elected to accompany the youngest daughter of macklenberg - strelitz to the tea shop that morning, elisabeth had excused herself from their company soon after acquiring a sweet treat, choosing instead to venture to the elegant gardens of vauxhall after hearing that a musical concert was to be held in the afternoon, the assembly comprising of musicians from vienna that had been invited by the queen of england to make her german guests feel more at home whilst at mayfair. as the stringed instruments picked up in cadence, the vibrating harmony filling her lungs with something larger than a breath of air, elisabeth found herself transfixed by the passionate production of the small orchestra, bracing one hand on the empty seat beside her as she leaned forward at the cusp between two musical pieces ─ only when the musicians bowed out for an intermission break did her body relax back into the seat, dark brows furrowing as she took in the forgotten, half - eaten teacake that she had smuggled away from gunter's earlier that morning. unashamed, she licked the crumbs off the tips of her fingers as she rose to find someplace to dispose of the cake, her gaze still on the area where the musicians had been until she collided, gently, with the body of another.
a soft noise of surprise escaped her throat, eyes dropping to where the delicate teacake, already crumbling, had been further rubbed into the fabric of the person beside her. ❝ oh ! oh ! please forgive me ... ! i was ... i was watching to see if the musicians would return and i ... oh goodness ... please, allow me to have this cleaned or replaced for you. ❞ pulling out a kerchief from her sleeve, elisabeth pressed the cloth to the stained area, a grimacing, apologetic smile on her lips. ❝ you may not believe it, but i am usually not so unobservant. here, should we move away from the seats so that i might assess the damage done ? ❞
vauxhall was a bit more spirited than euphemia preferred. while it may be a feat of city planning, it was one locale euphemia was not permitted to attend without the lingering presence of a chaperone. while old mrs. york had been keeping a respectable distance since her betrothal, each passing day found euphemia looking increasingly forward to her wedding. euphemia and her promised were not entirely well-acquainted just yet but from what she’d inferred, edmond lambton likely would not deny her her heart’s desires, even if it included flouncing through concerts at vauxhall unattended or going to operas and staying out all hours. not that her heart did desire such things. in fact, euphemia was feeling rather flustered by the stimulation of the orchestra and stood to step away when she was jostled by another. brows raised in surprise as the other woman seemed distressed and glancing down, euphemia saw a bit of food smeared against her bodice. “oh,” euphemia took hold of the offered kerchief, still stuck in the throng of audience members streaming from their seats, “no damage done, i assure you though perhaps we should move somewhere so i may catch my breath.” a placide smile played at her expression as she searched for a clear path to escape, irritation flaring as yet another woman’s parasol nearly caught the sleeve of her dress. gently taking hold of her current acquaintance’s elbow, euphemia finally extracted them from the crowd, steering the pair toward an empty pocket of space a few meters away.
“well,” she huffed, brushing a stray blonde wisp from her cheek, “that was a lovely composition but i must admit i am more accustomed to the quiet of the country. every season i seem to forget how unsuited i am to london. thank you for the kerchief, i truly don’t believe it will stain.” glancing up, euphemia caught her first true look at the other, noting she was exceptionally pretty with dark hair and a glowing complexion. “lady euphemia howard,” she at last introduced herself, “i apologize for monopolizing your intermission.”
𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫
location : lake side at st. james park
it was crucial for william emerge back to society once more after months of being secluded ; he needed to demonstrate that he was a perfect example of a healthy young man, embodying all the qualities expected of britain's future ruler. However, those within his close circle knew that he was far from being such an ideal figure. Despite the lingering chilliness in the air, spring finally arrived—a season he particularly cherished. Today's weather was exceptionally ideal, william thought as he strolled along the lake in st. James park. He tried to ignore his guard and valet, who not-so-discreetly follows him a few steps behind. while walking along the path, william paused briefly and veered off towards the riverbank. He reached into his coat pocket, revealing the feed he had been carrying. The prince had hoped to encounter some ducks today. without hesitation, he tossed the feed into the lake, observing the nearby ducks swim toward the spot where the food had landed. William couldn't help but be amused by the sight. "they have waterproof feathers", the prince of wales mused, turning his gaze towards the other person. "that's why they can swim for hours on end." he clarified, offering the remaining feed from his outstretched hand in his pocket. "would you like to feed them?"
the last person lady euphemia expected to stumble upon in the park was the prince. she hadn’t clapped eyes on her royal cousin since the season had begun, much less since his wife had passed. euphemia was not an unempathetic person and was quite sorry for the prince’s loss, but she had been surprised by the length of his seclusion. women were expected to hide away when their spouses were lost but men, particularly heirs to kingdoms, could do as they pleased. of course, euphemia was not privy to the inner workings of the waleses' marriage or the royal machine. she may be the niece and the granddaughter of kings but in the ways of the world that mattered, she was merely a girl born to a girl. the youngest daughter of a somewhat unfavored princess.
euphemia approached the prince of wales with caution, greyish eyes flitting to his entourage who made no motion to dissuade her. delicate shoulders hunched slightly against the spring breeze as she reached a gloved hand to take the proffered feed. “so i've read,” euphemia nodded, a half smile pulling her expression, always happy discuss the natural world “i’ve actually collected some of their molted feathers to sketch before. mallards can have most gorgeous coloring. the book i read said that while they are monogamous, they do not mate for life. they find one another and then part when the season is over. i suppose it makes them quite practical as a species, to think in seasons instead of lifetimes.” the tail end of her observation came out half-mumbled as she leaned forward to gently toss some of the feed into the pond, a mother with a line of her babies circling nearby. despite periodic molding and scolding in her youth, it did not occur to euphemia that the mating habits of ducks were not particularly appropriate or sensitive fodder for conversation in the present company. indeed, she was fortunate to have secured her betrothal so early in the season. her parents could release that breath they’d been holding for a quarter century now that someone was willing to take her on. “even if they were the dullest creatures on earth i think i’d still find them quite cute and cheering.” perhaps spring was the perfect time for the prince to rejoin society, after all.
