November 20th, 1894 - Whitby Residence
a few hours after this

"She's finally asleep." Sage announced quietly to those gathered in the kitchen. She was exhausted, in every sense of the word. Her body was achy, her limps heavy and slow, her brain still working to figure out what to do and emotionally, well she was just a wreck. She reached for the bottle of wine that was open on the counter and poured herself a deep measure. It was a surreal feeling, tucking her own daughter into her bed (for now) until they could find a proper place for her to sleep. Sage would have to head out to the hospital in the morning and she knew she wouldn't be sleeping much tonight, if at all.

Unsure as to whether or not she could look anyone in the eye at the moment, Sage sunk heavily into one of the kitchen chairs. Mia was down the hall with Maggie and Cricket had curled up as a fuzzy sort of cuddle buddy, in addition to Maggie's blankie and stuffed bear. It was going to have to do for now. Sage put her glass down and put her head in her hands. There were too many warring emotions running through her system for her to choose just one to focus on. This was a lot. Almost too much. Sage knew she wasn't alone in this, but that meant being a burden to those around her (even if she knew they probably didn't see it that way) and she was terrible at handling that.

"I don't even know where to start," she announced quietly, head still in her hands as her shoulders rose and fell with a deep sigh. What were they going to tell people? Where would she sleep? Was Sage going to have to get her own place? What would she tell Maggie about her parentage? Would she tell her? The weight of the questions pushed Sage all of the way down, folding her arms on the table and resting her forehead there.

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Tess Whitby, Saffron Whitby & Declan Buchanan
two days/two posts?

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   Elias Grimstone

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Declan intended on leaving once Tess got back, but there was still the work of the printshop to do even with Maggie's — and Sage's — world coming down. He finished running the invitation job, but did not show Tess the mistletoe illustration he'd done earlier today. It felt cheap, somehow, unimportant, no matter how proud he was of it. He wrote a note off to the client to tell her that she could send her staff to pick up the invitations. He prepped some of the pieces they'd have to print tomorrow. He wandered upstairs to tell Tess about the job statuses, and then remained there, stuck despite himself. At least he had a glass of wine from the open bottle.

He was aware that he was a guest here, and pressed his lips into a line when Sage came in and put her heads in his hands. They were already out of Declan's realm of expertise, and he really only knew this was going on because he'd happened to be in the printshop instead of checking in with clients like Fabian had. So he couldn't help it — he flicked his gaze over to Tess.

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   Elias Grimstone

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set by Bee

Tess sighed in something like relief when Sage returned with the news that Maggie was sleeping. Or envy – she was tired too. But they, of course, didn’t have the luxury: there were other things to settle first. She hadn’t had time to change yet, so she had tucked the spectacles away in an inside pocket and massaged her hair free from where it had been tucked away, feeling the headache forming – from this, if not from that – and had leaned against the kitchen counter in Archer’s clothes. Declan was here, and Saff, but she had been too busy thinking to say much to them yet. Not until Sage was back. It was – really up to Sage.

Deep down Tess had always felt like they had gotten away with something they shouldn’t, back when Maggie’d been born. A living, breathing child was – not just a narrow miss, a scrape to get out of. No, a child had been something that would come back to bite them, in one way or another.

Still, it would have been nice if the coming-back-to-bite-them hadn’t been today.

“First things first,” Tess said, matter-of-fact, because she could feel Declan’s expectant gaze on her (expectant and not judgemental, she hoped; she hadn’t had time to discern his reaction to all this) and because Sage’s head was in her hands, which was not especially conducive to making life-altering decisions at the best of times, “she’s very sweet.” She looked like Sage, and blessedly looked like she had been well-cared for until now. And something about her chubby cheeks reminded Tess of the long but happy days of her childhood, when her younger sisters had all been bouncing or toddling around the old family shop in London. This is not a burden, she wanted to say. She’s ours as much as she is yours. She reached over and squeezed Sage’s shoulder.

“The way I see it,” she added, more seriously, “we’ve two choices. Either you can give her to her father,” – and Tess still didn’t know who the man had been, which really said it all as to what she thought of that damnable option – “or she stays with you.” With us, she meant, but that went without saying. They could work everything else out after that – somehow – but she needed to know Sage actually wanted her here, before they faced the consequences.

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Sage could feel their eyes on her, but she couldn't find the courage to lift her head or say much of anything, lest the tears she'd been staving off for the last few hours finally fell.

Tess wasn't saying anything Sage didn't already know. Maggie was adorable and sweet and Sage felt like she already knew her, despite not seeing her for almost four years. The problem was that Maggie had no idea who she was, or what they were to one another, she was just a stranger that now housed her after losing the only parents she had actually known. The poor lamb's entire life had been ripped away from her and turned upside down in a matter of days.

Giving her to Locke would be the easy way out. He already had children he'd taken in, claimed and cared for exceptionally well. That had never been the worry; she knew he was capable, probably more capable than she was to provide Maggie with anything she could ever want. Maggie would have siblings to play with and a room of her own and would want for nothing. But if Sage did that, she would have to admit to Locke what she'd done; she'd have to tell her family who he was and neither of those things were situations Sage thought she was brave enough to handle. But this wasn't just her life or her house, but this was her mess to clean up and she ought to do it herself, without making it anyone else's problem. The real problem was, it wasn't like she could just find somewhere else to live and take Maggie with her.

"She has to stay here," Sage said finally, resolved. Only after another moment of quiet contemplation did she pick her head up, looking directly at Tess. "I'm sorry, there is no other choice." Sage couldn't let her go twice; it would break her completely.

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The girl was sleeping and Mia had quietly placed blankets and pillows between her and the edges of the bed so that she would not roll off of it and hurt herself. She caught the tail end of the conversation where they were choosing between two choices. She floated over to where Sage was and hugged her from behind, tucking her chin onto her sister shoulder. "We'll get through this, we always do," she assured.

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   Sage Whitby

Fortunately, the shock of this arrival hadn’t shaken her sister too much for Sage to still know her own mind. Tess met her gaze and saw that she meant it – that was good. Because Maggie staying would not make things easy.

But Tess thought it was the right decision too. She was thankful Mia had returned to offer some optimism, some of the emotional support – Declan would too, she was sure – but her mind was going at twenty miles a minute, weighing up the options. “Alright,” she said. “We’ll make this work.” They did not even have enough rooms apiece for all the girls, particularly in the summers when Amber was home from Hogwarts, but that was fine, they were close enough, they had lived without much personal space. Sage could have Maggie in with her, and the others would shuffle around. Tess would – make up a bed in the sitting room if she had to, or take shifts, alternating their shifts between sleeping and looking after the girl, if it came to it. As for Maggie – they might not be society people, but still, there would be looks, and questions. Four-year-olds did not just appear fully formed in households full of unmarried young women. There would be suspicions, if they lied, and scathing judgements of them, if they did not.

Tess inhaled carefully before she spoke. “If you wanted, we could – make out she’s some other cousin come to us, find a story,” she began, although if it had worked once with Archer, she doubted it would work half so well the second time, let alone with a much younger child who actually existed in the world. And although everyone here could feign Archer’s existence from time to time, Tess knew firsthand the difficulty of it, a pretence or a lie as one came to depend on it, and how much effort it took to keep in check. It was not foolproof; it would get complicated. And there would be questions all the same.

“But if you lie to the world, you’d have to lie to her, too.” The alternative was going to be hard on them all, and hardest on Sage, but – Tess could only imagine that lying to your own daughter about who she was would be near impossible, and a child that young could not be expected to school herself into calling someone mama one minute and not the next. “So maybe... maybe this time we go with the truth?” And Tess would take it all on for her if only she could – she had printed and distributed pamphlets enough in defence of unwed mothers to be a hypocrite about it now – but facing up to the truth would take a little bravery from them all. (Merlin, she hoped Mia was right, and they would get through.)

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Mia was being optimistic, and Tess was asking significant questions, and Declan kept himself when reacting as Sage answered. It made sense that she wanted to keep the baby, because he could not imagine her giving the girl up after they had spent all day with Maggie. He still felt as if he was introducing. He stayed silent, and took a sip of his wine.

And Tess proposed something that was as brave as it was crazy, and all Declan could do was look up at her, expression somewhere between wary and adoring. Still wearing the same look on his face, his eyes flicked quietly between Sage and Tess.

  

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set by Bee

It had been a long day. For everyone, Saffy gathered as she looked around the room, and in more ways than one. She settled into her chair and scooted it back up to the wall; otherwise, she’d end up fidgeting, which would lead to her tipping it back, which would lead to her knocking it over and causing a raucous. And no one, especially the baby, needed that today. So scooted up against the wall and tucked into it as much as she could, it was. Her feet hurt from flitting around the Ministry offices all day, and she massaged her right foot as she sat. Naturally, Tess spoke first after Sage has settled in. Saffy pursed her lips sympathetically at her sister before nibbling on her bottom lip as Tess laid out the options.

Give her to her father. Or she stays with you.

This wasn’t for Saff to have an opinion at all. So her head whipped to Sage, trying to gauge her reaction to her options. Of course, she couldn’t see her sister’s full reaction. But she knew her sisters well, and she could see the decision taking place right before their eyes. Could see it settling on Sage’s shoulders. Saff kept chewing on her bottom lip and watched Mia approach her from behind. Mia’s blonde hair almost melted into Sage’s own seamlessly and Saff’s fingers itched to pick up a pencil and start sketching. But this was hardly the time, even though it might help her focus and she knew her sisters wouldn’t mind in the least.

As Tess again laid out the options, Saff could see the wheels in her sister’s head turning. Merlin she looked exhausted, and Saff felt an all too familiar tug of guilt; a feeling that she didn’t do enough to help her family, that she could always do more, that she wanted to get away, that she wanted remove herself from the household so they would have more space. Sage and Tess bore the brunt of it all being the eldest two. Perhaps Saff’s own purpose was to alleviate the load a little bit; physically speaking. Now that there was going to be a little one in the house, one that Saff already knew she’d do anything to protect.

But now was certainly not the time to reveal her thoughts to the room. And by the time all these thoughts had passed through her mind, only a few seconds had passed. The idea of Sage having to lie to Maggie already - she’d just gotten her - sent a knot twisting through Saff’s stomach. She shifted in her chair, pretzeling herself further as she crossed her legs. Her gaze went to Sage again. “Whatever you decide, Sage,” She said softly. “We’re with you.” Then, even more quietly, as she knew - again - it wasn’t her place to push her sister any which way: “You don’t have to lie to your daughter.”

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   Tess Whitby

Sage had tried turning all of these options over in her head. Nothing made sense. She couldn't just figure out what was right. There were too many social repercussions for Sage to claim Maggie as her own. She could lose her job. The printshop could face backlash, then what good would it do them? She leaned into Mia subconsciously, hearing what everybody was saying, but there was no way she could do that to them. Sage had already put them all through the ringer with this.

"I have to," she blinked back the tears, looking up at the ceiling, willing them away after holding them in since earlier. Despite their unwavering support, her family didn't deserve this. People could connect the dots, see the resemblance between mother and daughter, could whisper all they wanted, but Maggie would have to remain a relative. "It's much bigger than that, there's so many consequences." Sage could handle this. She had to handle the brunt of this as best she could. Maggie had already lost one set of parents, she didn't need the shame of an unwed mother hanging over her either. It would be easier, in the long run. It had to be.

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   Tess Whitby

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She ought to have guessed Sage would protest. And that was fair – her choice would rebound on them all too, as well as the printshop, as well as Sage’s hospital job (which she might keep, if she were lucky, but there was no guarantee). Tess remembered thinking about these possible consequences years before. All of these were reasons why it had been safest to give her up.

But if she was here, living with them for – well, forever... Tess wanted to trust that her sister knew what she was signing herself (and Maggie) up for, but she couldn’t shake the creeping feeling that it would go wrong. Someone would slip up, sooner or later. Sage wouldn’t be able to take it, having her daughter so nearby and having to pretend. She wasn’t even sure Sage was being honest with herself now, and not committing to lies just to spare the rest of them.

Tess’ jaw was tight: she was inclined to argue, but she swallowed it. “I know, but – once you pick the course, you know we’re stuck to it,” she warned – Sage, Mia, all of them would be. They would all have to commit to the charade. “But if you’re sure.” The only mercy of this was that Maggie was perhaps too young to remember much of her life up to now; and that the adoptive parents they had found did not live in Hogsmeade or London, and had lived a quiet, private life. There was no reason for anyone to recognise the girl. “Will she keep their last name, or take ours?” As she said it, Tess supposed christening her a Whitby in name might be safer than keeping any connection with her previous parents, who had not been biologically related to her at all. “If we said she’s – just an orphaned niece to us or a second cousin or something?”

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   Sage Whitby

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Declan was — a little disappointed, that they were hiding Maggie. He was not sure how long it would work. He was well-acquainted with witnessing scandal, and — surely anyone who saw her and Sage in the same room would eventually put things together. But maybe it wasn't about no one ever figuring it out; maybe it was about plausible deniability.

They would figure it out, though, even if they were hiding Maggie. Declan shifted his weight from foot to foot. He really was starting to feel as if he did not belong here.

  

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set by Bee

Sage knew Tess didn't mean anything by it, just that the family would support her, but every time her sister said the word "we" sage shrunk in her chair a little bit. The guilt was eating at her from the inside out. This shouldn't be their problem. They had already dealt with it once. Now they had all been shoved unceremoniously back into the same dilemma and it was all her fault.

"I think," Sage didn't want to saddle anybody with anything else, but they did need a cover story, one everyone could stick to. It had to be simple, straightforward. "It would be easiest if we lost a cousin, somewhere on Father's side, then she could have Whitby for a surname and it might be a little more believable." Maybe Sage was trying to convince herself more than anyone else about how easy it could be. Nobody else was going to have to resist the temptation to have them call her Mama or anything like that. Hopefully it would be easier for everyone else. They could all just be aunties and that would make it simple.

Changing a glance around the room, she tried to take in everyone's expressions, worried about what she might find.

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She watched this exchange with about the same apprehension as everyone else. Watched her older sister lay out the consequences, that once a decision was made, they would all have to play along. Saffron looked around at all of them - Sage; Mia; Tess; Declan; herself - and released a sigh as she bit her lip.

That was a lot of people to be let in on one secret. And the fact that they had so many people in and out would likely mean at least the two other fellows in the shop would be privy to the information. Which meant more people who had the potential to slip up. It wasn’t that Saffron had such a lack of faith in everyone, but the numbers, the probabilities didn’t lie. She looked to Tess as she pointed out quietly: “That’s a lot of people to know the truth.” She tensed not wanting to be the source of any strife; didn’t want to come across as deliberately accusing anyone of having loose lips.

And then another thought hit her and in the same breath she looked towards Sage. “Sage, what does she - Maggie - see you as? What’s her knowledge in all of this?” She must have been told something to explain the sudden change of residence.

  

Mia did not have anything helpful to offer so she just continued to massage her sisters shoulders, hoping to both bring comfort and relieve some of Sages tension. "Either way we go, if she happens to end up calling you Mama. Well, we can just claim it is because you take the most care of her and so she sees you as the most Mama-like," she suggested, finding it unfair that Sage should be denied being called Mama by her own child.

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   Sage Whitby

It was a lot of people to know, but Sage had to trust that everyone would keep the secret. She'd already kept this from Declan once and she felt guilty about it. She felt equally as guilty for dragging him into it now and likely everyone else that worked for the printshop, but they were family and family had to stick together.

She leveled a sad, tired sort of smile at Saffy and sighed. "Nothing, I think her nanny just told her we are family." No specifics, it might be in the letter Sage hadn't been brave enough to open up yet, but she still couldn't bring herself to read it. Today had been so overwhelming already, she needed to reconcile the life she thought she'd given Maggie and the life they were about to embark on. She just had to hope that Maggie was too young to make any connections just yet. She could look just as much like Tess or Mia, of even Saff if her hair got any darker and while the last thing Sage wanted to do was cast any doubts on her sisters, they needed the reasonable doubt. "I just can't damn her to a life of being looked down on for my decisions." Her voice was tight as she said it. Being labeled a bastard was horrible in this society. If Sage could protect her from anything, it would be that. Maggie hadn't made those choices, Sage had, and they all had to live with them, but hopefully everybody could be spared the public malice that came along with it if they played their cards right.

"I think we should correct her, we can all just be auntie," she passed a slightly amused look to Declan before looking at Mia, "Or uncle, and leave it at that." Sage didn't think it would happen, she hoped it wouldn't. If they modeled it, everything would be fine.

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Saff had a point, about how many people would be keeping the secret – but Tess trusted that the rest of them would be able to take the story and stick to it. Even Declan, even the boys in the printshop – they were as good as family. And there was nothing for any of them to gain by telling the truth.

No, the biggest loser in this was Sage – who had a point as well. Lying to her daughter was dreadful, but even a rumoured bastard, a child of slightly suspect parentage, was perhaps easier for Maggie to bear in the long run than the brazen truth. Tess chewed on the inside of her cheek, hating it, hating all of it. Not Maggie, but her suffering, and Sage’s, and society for making this an issue where it ought not to be. If Maggie was looked after and loved, there shouldn’t be any shame in it.

Tess let out a breath, casting a look around the room. “We can do that,” she agreed, firmly, for everyone. Aunties it was – the poor orphaned daughter of a Whitby cousin. “We’ll manage just fine. And hashing out all the finer details can wait until tomorrow,” Tess suggested, softening, because everyone looked a little emotional and a little exhausted. “Unless there’s something else we ought to sort tonight?” They had their story straight, and Maggie was sleeping, so – that felt like enough of a start to her on this uphill climb.

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