Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1895. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
Complete a thread started and set every month for twelve consecutive months. Each thread must have at least ten posts, and at least three must be your own.
Did You Know?
Did you know? Jewelry of jet was the haute jewelry of the Victorian era. — Fallin
Emrys was still whirling from the events of the weekend, and although he wouldn't have considered things properly resolved yet in one direction or another, one thing was clear. He was certainly in no place to propose to Miss Cosgrove today (or last night, when it had originally been planned), and he wasn't going to whisk her away on a cross-continental adventure this coming Tuesday. Since he'd all but promised as much in his letters, he now had to break the news to her — without letting on exactly what had happened that had made him reconsider so quickly and dramatically.
He felt terrible about this turn of events, honestly... at least for how it might impact Miss Cosgrove, who was faultless in all this. She had been amiable company, with a sharp wit he enjoyed, and now she was caught in the crossfire, victimized by mistakes she'd played no part in making. He was anxious when he came to her house, because he didn't know how she would react. Hopefully it would play as nerves related to the incident at the Sanditon the night before, at least to her parents and brother. He'd had to exchange pleasantries with each before finally finding an opportunity to speak to Miss Cosgrove alone (or what passed for alone, in the world of propriety and chaperones).
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to be at the event last night," he began. "I hope you didn't find it too traumatic?"
Clarissa had been expecting a proposal and to be whisked away to some other land. Instead she had witnessed a bit of mass death. The Sanditon had gone from paradise to a traumatic experience in mere moments, it had felt like. Luckily, none of her own had been hurt too badly though Kenneth had a few scrapes from protecting her from some debris. Her parents and brothers were still a little shaken up but they hid it well enough.
"Oh, don't be sorry! It would have been terrible if you had gotten injured," Clarissa reassured when Mister Selwyn apologized for not being able to be at the event. Hell, she wished that she had not gone. It had been traumatic but it was untoward for a young lady to speak too much of such things. Besides, she had taken a very light dose of Draught of Peace so her nerves and anxiety about the entire event were somewhat soothed. "It was quite terrible but luckily none of my own were hurt though one of my brothers got a few scratches. Others were not so lucky."
The maid entered with the tea tray and some light snack fare. "Would you like some tea, Mister Selwyn?" Clarissa asked.
"Yes, please," he agreed. Tea; how mundane. How different this conversation was going to be than any of the others he'd had in the previous forty-eight hours. His affair with Angelica had started in this world, the world of propriety and society events, but it had moved so far beyond the bounds of that now that he knew he could never put it back in the box it had started in. Arthur Pettigrew was something similar. Emrys wouldn't claim they had started off respectable, since they'd met while arranging an illegal duel and then Pettigrew had washed up at Ester's house shortly thereafter. But in any case, what had started off as a relationship he could segment firmly into one particular box, one portion of his life, was now spilling out into other areas. Boundaries he had always kept very firm were being crossed. Things were getting messy. Emrys didn't like it.
Tea with Miss Cosgrove was simpler, safer.
"I'm glad you're safe," he said as he accepted a cup of tea. He glanced towards the chaperone in the corner, who was studiously mending or embroidering something. Emrys lowered his voice slightly as he continued, trying not to be overheard. "Unfortunately, I need to be the bearer of a bit of bad news. It pains me to do it, but it would be far worse not to say anything, given the — content of our most recent letters," he said carefully. Even speaking quietly and nearly alone with her, he couldn't come right out and talk about an impending proposal unless he wanted to get himself entangled in a breach of promise suit. Letters were one thing, being private; he wasn't going to say too much within earshot of someone who might report his words.
Clarissa smiled as he agreed to have some tea. She poured some out for him before doing the same for herself. She offered him the cup and took up her own, sitting as primly and proper as she had been taught to do when taking tea with a suitor.
"Thank you," she replied when he said he was glad she was safe. She knew she had been very lucky. There had still been deaths being discovered when her brother had finally been able to bring her home. She set her cup down as he said he had bad news. "Oh, are you about to tell me that you are unable to get away?" Clarissa asked, assuming that he could not whisk her away on the trip they had discussed in letter. And subsequently the proposal she had known would be coming.
It was hardly a devastation, especially given everything she had seen only recently. But even so, she was disappointed for she was looking forward to it all. Perhaps to the trip a little more than the actual proposal but even so. She'd had mild expectations.
Emrys offered a very tight smile in response. Unable to get away was putting things rather mildly given everything that had happened recently, but he couldn't blame Miss Cosgrove for trying to be conservative in how much she assumed in this conversation, particularly given that she may well have been expecting a proposal at some point today. He'd all but promised one last night, after all.
"There's been an unexpected development," he said with an apologetic tone. He glanced towards the chaperone once again, then continued quietly, "I will be frank, Miss Cosgrove, if I can be assured of your discretion regarding what I am about to say."
Clarissa supposed that was understandable enough. He owned a company, after all. She had assumed there would always be some sort of thing that would sweep him away unexpectedly on business even after a marriage had taken place. "Nothing of what you say to me will land on the ears of another from my lips," Clarissa promised, quite curious about what he might be about to say.
Emrys looked at her seriously, trying to gauge if she meant what she'd said or if she was only parroting what she thought he wanted to hear. Telling her anything at all was a risk, and one he was sure Angelica wouldn't have approved of — but Angelica didn't know that he was here. She'd been quite dismissive both of Miss Cosgrove and of his efforts to court and woo her, so she wouldn't have understood the drive behind him coming here today, he was sure. After how leading he'd been in his letters to the young woman, however, Emrys thought she was owed something of the honest truth from him. Clarissa Cosgrove was innocent in this entire mess that had erupted in the past few days, so he intended to do things right by her — or at least, as right as was still in his power.
"After our names were mentioned in Witch Weekly, a woman I've known for some time came forward and told me she had feelings for me," he explained, keeping his tone level. This was a gross oversimplification, of course, but not factually incorrect. He'd omitted details about how intimately he knew Angelica, and the full litany of all the things they'd talked about over the past two days, but in essence what he'd just said was correct. "I believe it would be unfair to everyone involved to proceed without having given this proper consideration."
Clarissa looked back at Mister Selwyn as he looked at her, her own expression one of mild concern. Clarissa's instinctual reaction to his words was to think so what? The mild confusion was probably clear on her face.
Was he one of those men that considered feelings in these things? That was honestly surprising but also quite commendable, she supposed. Clarissa was also mildly curious as to what sort of woman it was that only chose to step forward when their courtship had been publicly announced. It was all rather gauche and she would not easily forgive anything that marred her own reputation. Not when she had maintained, sacrificed and fought hard to keep it the way it was.
Admittedly, the whole concept of actual feelings in these matters also generally just confused her. She was convinced that she had loved Mister Mills and she knew he had been captivated by her in return. He had made no secret of it. But she hadn't gone running off to marry the lower class brute. He hadn't come bursting through her doors because her name had been tied to Mister Selwyns. Oh god, what if he ended up doing the same as the woman in Mister Selwyns life.
She felt a little nauseous but whether that was her thoughts on the situation or the possibility of Mister Mills disrupting her after Hogwarts life, she had no idea. "I cannot lie and say I fully understand but I respect you all the more for trying to be fair to both myself and this woman. As I said, I promise no one will know of this from me."
Her reaction was probably as good as he could have hoped for. She did look surprised by the news, but who wouldn't have? He was sure that she must have had questions in mind, but was grateful that she'd remained poised and hadn't just blurted them all out at once. Miss Cosgrove was well within her rights to wonder if he returned the other woman's feelings, or what his history with her was, or what he intended to do next — but loudly asking any of those questions could have quickly become problematic if the chaperone in the corner overheard.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I'll keep you appraised of the situation as soon as I'm able. And — no matter what happens, please accept my deepest apologies," he continued with a frown. His mind drifted back to Miss Fawley and the conversation he'd had with her at the Morrowind Ball. "I have never had any intention of making false promises."
"I appreciate that," Clarissa said genuinely when the man apologized and said he would keep her informed of the situation. If he were to break things off, she would hardly be devastated. Pissed off, perhaps, depending on his deliverance of his decision. Annoyed, definitely, because of the disgrace it would bring her whether he intended it or not.
Other potential suitors would think she had been too awful for words or something along those lines - that she was not suitable to consider for ones bride. It would also be a shame though. For he had been a man she found herself greatly respecting and charmed by. Most especially when he had not been trying to be charming. She would not have been ashamed to call him her husband. Honestly, the idea that he might be one of those weak-willed men that fell prey to emotions like some pauper marred his image a little.
"And yet here we are. But come now, you have made your apologies and explanations," Clarissa said diplomatically as she sliced a small piece of cake and held it out to him. "There is almost nothing that cannot be made a little better with a piece of tea cake."
