Miss Tilly Winslow

[matildawinslow]

Matilda Winslow

24 | She/Her | Female | Winslow #5

+ Eager, gentle, and sweet - Nervous, off putting, and embarrassed

Being the youngest has it's advantages, but it's also got it's drawbacks. Miss Matilda Winslow was younger than her eldest brother by a whopping eight years, and she'd always been the baby of the family.

Their family wasn't close. She was raised mostly by servants, not by her parents. She rarely saw them, honestly. and her eldest brother even rarer. It made her secluded, quiet and awkward.

She had friends, sure. but they weren't her family. She got good at painting, at drawing, and at playing the flute. All of those marketable, but she wasn't good at marketing herself.

She'd been nervous, too nervous to try and present herself fully to the men of the ton. what if they don't like me? she worried to her maids. what if they're just pretending to be nice? So she stayed a wallflower, off to the side.

But this year, she's determined. This will be her year. She's been out for four seasons. She's nice enough, pretty enough. She can find a husband this year, right?

...right?

[decayingfm]

"you're welcome to join me if you wish," she murmured from the ground, her legs tucked delicately under her body. "i have done my fair share of walking for the day, so i decided an impromptu picnic was in order." the blonde stares at the other for a moment. "i must insist, actually. i don't bite. tell me about what you've seen so far."

[matildawinslow]

Matilda's face was shaded by a hand, her fair skin starting to burn under the sun for hours. She'd acquired a parasol, but it didn't do much to stifle the red already blooming on her cheeks and shoulders. still, she looked down when she was spoken to, eyes lighting up at the offer- no, order- of a picnic and a quiet discussion, a break from the bustle of it all. "if you insist." she decided, sitting gently down at the other girl's side. "there's a man who put meat in a can, and said it won't spoil for decades in there. can you believe it?"

[mostardcntly]

“ canned beef . . . ” nose scrunches in disgust , stomach roiling just at the sight . could the invention even be called brilliant . . . ? he was doubtful . “ why ever would they make such a thing ? don't they know that meat is best enjoyed fresh . ” [ @londonhigh-societystart ]

[matildawinslow]

"It would certainly spoil." Matilda agreed, a bit of a chuckle in her tone. but the man showing off the can shook his head.

"No, my lady. it won't. not for decades. The can preserves it, so the food cannot spoil. like an icebox, but without temperature control."

"Really?" Tilly asked. "does it still taste as good?" she wondered. "a decades-dead calf can't taste as good as a fresh one."

[gcddcsscs-deactivated20250829]

"i heard there is a fortune teller around. do you know where?" kate asked as her green hues anxiously looked around. it was her very first public appearance ever since the whole tragedy happened. not only her husband's parents passed away, but she also lost the light of hope she had. the possible heir she could've had. kate decided to be brave enough and face the ton. it was time for her to stop hiding and be graceful, even in her darkest moments. "i would be curious to know what she would tell me..." she smiled softly.

@londonhigh-societystart

[matildawinslow]

"oh, um..." Matilda had seen one earlier, but couldn't recall where. "Oh, yes, it's this way." Tilly's smile was genuine at the admission. "Me too, honestly." She admitted, a bit of common ground was a delight. "we can go together, see whose future is brighter between us?"

[fortuneandfeasibility]

“Reminding them? You speak as though you are already on the shelf when you aren’t even five and twenty.” He scoffed, listening intently as Tilly sketched out her idea husband…Or rather didn’t sketch much at all. Perhaps it shouldn’t have some as a surprise that the answer was so vague, given that she had only just decided that she was in search of a husband. “So he must be kind, like you and get along with horses? I suppose if we can’t find a gentleman that meets those requirements we could find you a great many hounds.” Still, it seemed like he would need to prod, at least a little, if they were going to get anything of use.

“Bringing oneself to like a pretty young lady who is even reasonably agreeable is not exactly a hardship. An unpleasant suitor could manage just as easily as a desirable one.” He delivered this reminder with a pointed cautioning look. “What else of his temperament? Is he quiet natured or sociably? Intellectual or frivolous?” The last word made him pause eyebrows knitting together in concern. “…Are you willing to accept a husband that spends frivolously or gambles? Or one that spends a great deal of his time drinking or visiting the gaming hells?”

[matildawinslow]

"Marcel..." She whined, embarrassed by the jabs. They were kind, in their own way. She could tell he cared. Like, honestly cared about her wellbeing. That felt rare. Her own parents didn't worry about things like that, only asked her how many men had called on her, danced with her.

Marcel worried about quality over quantity.

"I won't marry a dog." she promised. "Or a man who will drink or gamble away all of his money instead of saving for our children's futures." She'd have to be desparate before she gave up ground on that. "But I suppose I don't mind if he's outgoing or quiet. so long as he doesn't try to force me to be as outgoing as he is. You know I'm too shy for gatherings every day." She liked taking days off to lie alone in her room or roam the gardens in solitude. "is that too much to ask?"

[gcddcsscs-deactivated20250829]

"a fortune teller? does this really work?" agathe asked, quite skeptical about it. it's not that she wasn't believing in this kind of performance, however, the young woman had enough disappointments in her life to face another one. sighing, the woman put the flyer away as she then asked: "what would you recommend to see first?"

@londonhigh-societystart

[matildawinslow]

Matilda had never had her fortune read. There was quite a bit she wondered about her future. who her husband would be, what her life would look like... where she would go. but she wasn't sure if fortune tellers were real, or how her parents would feel seeing her consult one. "I don't know." she admitted, looking at the flyer awkwardly. "would you like to explore together? Maybe we'll, um, stumble on something."

[lavrences]

"anywhere, anything," he confirmed with a resolute nod, wondering what to extent he might come to regret this idea. relief washed over him immediately -- really, he should've known matilda wouldn't choose something too outlandish -- indeed, she'd picked one of his favourite things to do. "absolutely, we can! do you need to change?" a brief pause, he held up a hand. "what do you think are the odds of the kitchen throwing a picnic together for us?"

[matildawinslow]

"I should like to." Matilda decided, looking down at her dress. It had been selected to meet visitors, not to go riding in. She'd need a thinner skirt for riding. "Oh, I'll ask. they can never say no when I ask." That was the kind of privilege a youngest daughter enjoyed, even if her parents weren't huge fans of her. "be right back!"

-

She returned in twenty-five minutes, a new outfit on and a basket in hand. "come along, berty! We're losing daylight!" She grabbed his arm, steering him towards the stables with a pep in her step, already cheered by Albert's present of his time.

[fortuneandfeasibility]

Marcel leaned forward in his seat, elbows propped on his knees and  chin propped on fist as he eyed her curiously. “And did they? Like you when they spoke to you?” The words had hardly left his mouth before he realized how harsh they’d sounded, quickly adding. “That is to say, did they like you enough to call? It is still early in the season; only fools, fortune hunters and the truly love struck are beating down ladies doors after the first ball.” He assured, waving a hand as if dismissing the very idea of  any of those options. “Creating demand by showing that other people are already interested? It works for shop owners, why shouldn’t it work on the marriage mart as well?”

His brows raised at the declaration, his tone teasing as he questioned. “What is this husband of yours like? Describe him to me and I shall keep a look out for him as well.” Still, it was hard not to want Matilda to succeed now that she had set out to have a successful season and he really didn’t give the offer any thought at all before he was making it. “If you are really so opposed to dancing with your brother then I suppose I shall have to offer to be the first on your dance card at the next ball...If your would be be suitors don’t claim the spot first. If I must have some level of notoriety then one of us should get some use out of it.”

[matildawinslow]

did they like you? Enough to call? Well, no. not yet. He was the first to arrive, and polite visiting hours would be over soon. So, at least today, he was her only suitor. And he seemed right grossed out at the idea of being labeled as such. Creating demand by showing that other people are already interested. Yes, maybe. "Or reminding them that I'm even being sold at all." She offered, although sold felt strange. Wouldn't her parents be the ones providing a dowry?

The question of what her husband was like was a bit more convoluted. It was harder to fathom. Although she knew she needed a husband, she realized for a moment she hadn't really thought ad nauseum about what that would mean. A man. A real man, one she'd be married to until death do they part. "He's kind." She offered, as a start, building her husband's traits up in her mind. "He's got a fondness for riding. or at least will tolerate the fact that I'll be bringing Sweetie home with us." Her horse, who she'd had for ages. "And... he likes me. We'd... I don't know." Spend time together. It would be a nice change from her family now, her siblings who were out of the house more often than not and her parents who never so much as ate with their children. Was it too picky to want someone who liked her, not simply tolerated her? "We'd be a good match."

[fortuneandfeasibility]

Marcel could only nod in understanding; Matilda had been out far too long for polite platitudes on why boys might not approach her and he himself spent enough time avoiding nervous debutantes who might chatter incessantly about nothing (or worse, say nothing at all) for an entire set that he risked being accused of hypocrisy. Well then. He’d suspected that something was afoot at the Sari’s ball, hadn’t he? It was one mystery solved for the season and would make a hilarious anecdote to tell Albert…In a few years. His eyes darted to Ms. Chambers, the more concerning candidate for secret spilling amongst the three of them.

“Clever.” He hummed his approval. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option that he could use with his own siblings but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t appreciate the ingenuity of it. “You get to dance and Adelaide gets to stop dancing long enough to determine that she may actually like gentleman.” Sadly, the flaws of the plan were just as readily apparent. “I doubt it will work for more than a ball or two before the gentleman catch on. Do the two of you intend to keep your dance partners in a state of confusion for the rest of the season or have you concocted some grand scheme for getting over your nervousness?”

[matildawinslow]

"Thank you." Matilda smiled, letting her tone stay hushed as it had been during her whole explanation. She certainly didn't want Miss Chambers overhearing and telling Albert- or worse, her parents.

"Addie said they'd like me. When they got to talking with me." She explained. "I thought they'd come calling today, at least some of them. so far, you're the only one who's shown up." She tried not to sound too disappointed about it, even if she was. "at the very least, people will see me dancing. word will get around." In the ton, it always did.

Louder, now at normal volume, she spoke her conviction. "My husband is out there. I just have to look, seeing as he isn't looking hard enough to have found me. And I shall find him. I want to dance with more than my brother."

[fortuneandfeasibility]

"Strange" Marcel repeated the word with just a touch of incredulity. "I hadn't realized you'd developed such a talent for understatement, Tilly." Now that the awkwardness of the moment had passed he finally allowed himself to laugh at the absurdity of it.

More than used to such quips from his siblings (with perhaps a touch more sarcasm), Marcel had already opened his mouth to respond only to be cut off as his host hurried to actually answer his question. Of course, said answer only left more questions, his head tilting to the side as he considered it. "You're ready? Surely there must be more to it than that? You make it sound as though you simply woke one morning and decided that you fancied a husband with your morning tea." He settled back into his seat, offering Matilda a warm smile. "Hardly, I'm sure there are troves of fanilies wishing that their children would follow your lead this season. Why else would I be here trying to pry the secret of it out of you?"

[matildawinslow]

Her face flushed, a bit nervous with the line of questioning. The truth was, there was more to it than that. But she didn't want to say, didn't want anyone else knowing what was hanging over her head. Wasn't this what was expected of young girls? To fall in love? To be wed and off the mart?

"Can you keep it?" she asked, nervous. "If I told you?" He would, and she knew it. "I've always wanted to find my love. I'm just nervous. and that makes boys not want to talk to me." That, plus the fact that she really hadn't been ready her first year or two. She'd debuted young, she was only really ready the last three years. but someone who had been out for a few seasons without trying to garner notice was someone who anyone in search of a wife overlooked. So now here she was, uncertain how to get off the wall but with nobody adding their names to her card to peel her from it.

"Addie switched cards with me. All those boys I danced with? They signed up for her." And that was how she'd gotten off the wall. hopefully at the next ball, people would add their names to her card on purpose. seeing her dance like that.

[lavrences]

albert halted as she spoke, overcoat only half removed -- the look on matilda's face alone was enough to give him pause -- but coupled with the disappointment in her voice, he could not help but feel for her. "i am sorry, matilda. but there is time yet -- the season has still only just begun." shrugging his coat back on, he smoothed it down and smiled encouragingly at his younger sister. "let us go somewhere! somewhere that will cheer you up -- you choose. i promise i will not complain for a second."

[matildawinslow]

"Anywhere?" She asked, immediately her mind darting to things she'd never possibly get away with. "Can we go out riding?" She asked, because if she asked him to go boxing he'd probably say no. And the concept of time with her brother was honestly such a rare treat that she didn't want to spoil it by asking too much. "We haven't done that in ages."

[fortuneandfeasibility]

It was lucky for Marcel that he’d already been making his way over to the settee across from the youngest Winslow sibling, else the question might have bowled him over entirely.  He blinked at Tilly, years of practiced good manners the only thing keeping the abject horror from his features as he shook his head.  “While your brother is an excellent pugilist,  I would much prefer to keep my role in his fights to that of a spectator.” Tactfully, he refrained from adding that he often forgot that she was several seasons past her debut and not fresh out of the school room. “No,” There was a pause as he considered how best to describe why he’d come “I suppose you could call this a research visit. You have danced more this season, you’re expecting suitors. Something has changed this season and curiosity demands I find out what it is.”

[matildawinslow]

"Oh, good." The relief cutting between them was palpable, and her shoulders relaxed. She hadn't wanted to say it, didn't want to be rude. But he was like a cousin to her, too close to her brother. Courting him would simply be strange, even if she was looking to put herself out there, she wasn't yet that desperate. "It'd be kind of strange to marry you."

"A girl can't like dancing?" She asked, blinking innocently. She knew what he meant, but finding the words for it was hard. "alright. I am different." She could concede that. "I'm Ready. for all of it. I want to find a husband this season, and be wed by next." And that felt scary enough to admit. She had always been a wallflower, blushing and nervous. the prospect of organizing her own prospects was daunting. "is that strange of me?"

[fortuneandfeasibility]

Marcel didn’t seem at all surprised by the information- undoubtedly because it was the third time he’d been informed that Albert wasn’t home at this hour; by the footman not five minutes before and by the man in question over breakfast that morning. “Then I suppose it’s lucky for me that I’m here to see Miss Winslow and not her brother.” He flashed a grin at Matilda, taking a step further into the empty drawing room but not taking a seat. “Your butler said that you were seeing visitors, I can leave if you’re no longer entertaining.”

[matildawinslow]

Tilly looked surprised by this, as did the chaperone sitting in the drawing room, knitting in the corner quietly. She looked over at the woman, who nodded, and she nodded back, looking back at Marcel, confusion, yes, but also excitement painting her face. someone here to talk to her. She'd been sitting, bored alone all day. Nobody wanted to call upon her, but she still had to wait. This was more than welcome. "no!" She shook her head, before speaking again.

"Not no. just, no, Don't go. I just... yes. I am entertaining. please, sit. and pay no mind to Miss Chambers, she's only here because we were expecting suitors." There was a pause, a bit unsure, before Tilly asked the question that had immediately come to mind, seeing him here for her. could he be counted a suitor? "Are you, um... here to get to know me in that sense?"

[matildawinslow]

@albcrts

"So, nobody came." Matilda couldn't say she was surprised- nobody on that dance card had signed up to dance with her anyway, they'd signed up for her prettier older sister. but still, she was disappointed. And it shone on her face as she looked at her eldest brother. "Mother and Father will be cross."

[matildawinslow]

@ofgracee

"Sister!" Tilly greeted, even though Addie was just in the middle of getting her hair put up. What was the point of being the youngest if not to annoy her big sister on occasion? "I met the boy." She shared, sitting on Adelaide's bed, gloating at the gossip she had. "The boy who likes you."

[matildawinslow]

@fortuneandfeasibility

When someone came into the drawing room, Tilly's eyes brightened with excitement. Though, her face dropped when she saw Marcel, immediately knowing he wasn't there for her. "Albert's gone to his rooms." She said, sitting back down. "Or maybe out riding. I'm not sure." He was gone fairly often, so she was used to the lonely days in the estate. "Sorry."

[matildawinslow]

@regentreveries

The Diamond Bachelor, the Duke. Matilda Winslow's eyes widened when she caught sight of him, promanading. She should say something. It wasn't like she was a diamond, she knew that. but maybe being seen with one would rub off? or maybe he'd like her anyway?

No, that was crazy. She was a girl on her fifth season. there was no way she'd be his type.

But she still found herself walking over, until she noticed he was holding a girl on his arm. A very pretty girl, one who looked at him like he was the moon and stars. like he was a diamond. Matilda looked nervous, face flushing. How had she not noticed that? "oh, hello. Your grace." She said, suddenly feeling as if she had no reason to be here.