Duke of Oxford Headcanons (AU)
Was adventurous as a child always climbing trees and getting into tight spaces, much like Conrad turned out to be as a child
He loved to read but mainly adventure novels , he would collect them and
he took fencing and became quite good and was good friend with a. woman named Rachel Pollard (OC)whose brother also took fencing bu not a good as a partner in fencing so he taught his sister. she caught on fast and they often fenced together growing up, he won always being the better finer but she out up a good fight.
Rachel and he grew up together and one summer when they turned 15, suddenly hi by their hormones spend the whole summer "together" mostly kissing but after that summer, they summer hormones subsided and guilt on Orlando part, they split and decided to be just friends.
Orlando during the summers would often go out and travel around the world and after he graduated college went on a year long excursion across the globe just adventuring and learning to climb mountain sides and canoeing and being in the Sahara desert ect.
After he came back , he met his wife Emily, a shop girl in a upper high end stores in London, it was love at first sight.
He hardly ever came into the city if he could help it but a fetid invited him into the city and he did and came back the following day to fin Emily again. they met and hit it iff
He was so in love he asked for her hand within the year and scared and surprised her father let alone his, they both made them wait a year until they get married.
He was so excited he broke ever courting property rule one night and asked her to see him in the middle of the night, nothing scandalous but just to see him, they stayed out until dawn where Emily showed him her favorite spot in all of London, onto of the buildings where the sun hit the horizon.
Orlando met Polly through Emily, no clue about her real past so he was hesitant , but Emily convinced him to meet her and when they did he knew he could trust her, when they and children,keeping her past a secret but she asked him to trust her and after meeting polly alone he figured she was a good person and allowed her to work with them at their home. (yes I sole this form Mary Poppins leave me alone )
Orlando after Emily died and he hurt his leg, he got depressed and moody not just for his wife but for his injury left him disabled and he couldn't enjoy the world like he wanted. polly suggested sitting at home wouldn't help but suggested he take a train ride and get outside. He took a scenic train route and began writing. similar to the stores he grew up with (I know the director said he based him off T.S. Elliot and that he was a writer so I decided to add that to Orlando ) he even based some characters from people he knew in real life. like polly and shoal and a few others. though when polly inquired about it one day he coyly brushed off her suspicions.
it became a sort of hobby for him to go out and travel and enjoy the scenery and just write and even thigh he couldn't participate he lived through his writings and it helped him push through it.
it was never meant to be published but he was encouraged to do so but out it under a pseudonym : R.R. Barnes and it turned to be a hit.
He made poly and Shola never to tell anyone in the house because it got so popular amongst the staff as well, he didn't want to be mobbed at home.
