#Durham mansion | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deepfivetraveller · 7 months

Text

Moriarty the patriot x sick!child!reader

Chapter 2

Everything happened so quickly. One moment your parents got arrested by the military for smuggling drugs in one of their hotels, another moment the Moriarty household took custody of you. Looking at the window, you plan and replan on how your first meeting with them will be. You hear a faint voice saying something in the lines of "______ alright?" So you immediately turn your head to hear what the voice said.

"Is everything alright?" William repeats.

'Yes everything is alright.' You hastily write.

He gently smiles and holds both your hands. "I know it must be overwhelming for you and it's the same for us but don't you worry, we're going to take good care of you." You smile at his statement, finding comfort in it.

Silence continues for some time. In a few minutes, both of you reach the Moriarty mansion. It is fairly large in size and looks luxurious even with its simple structure. William gets out of the carriage first so he can help you out.

As you hold onto his hand and step out of the carriage, you are greeted by a man who looks similar to William. He has a huge scar mark on his cheek parallel to his jaw.

"Good afternoon brother." The man replies. "Good afternoon to you too Louis." William replies back. "Y/n this is my younger brother Louis." Louis looks at you. "A pleasure to meet you." In order to give a quick reply, you smile back.

"Now." William fixes his hat. "I have to go to Durham for that lecture."

"You're leaving?" How can he leave you like this! How can he leave you alone? Sure you have Louis but you literally just met him.

William understands your fear and tries to quell it. "Don't worry love Louis is a person I trust my soul with. I'll come back before you even notice I'm gone." "No, don't leave me!" You hold him back with your full strength which of course doesn't work. He breaks out of your grasp easily. Seeing that he is unable to persuade you, he gives you a small peck on your forehead catching you off guard. Immediately he flees while waving goodbye.

After 50 shades of denial you finally accept defeat. Louis sees an opportunity to talk with you, so he speaks. "Well since you're going to be staying here for sometime may I show you the way around the manor?" You quickly grab onto his hand before you overthink it.

As you enter the manor, you notice a man standing at a distance and you quickly conclude that he is the butler of this household. Louis takes you to him. “Y/n this is our butler Mr Jack Reinfield.” “A pleasure to meet you Ms Quinn.”

‘Please do not refer to me by my last name. It gives me unpleasant memories.’ Jack’s expression changes into a worried one. “Then is it alright if I refer to you as Young mistress instead?” You nod a yes to his question and he smiles. “I do not wish to be a hindrance in your tour so I shall take my leave. Have a wonderful afternoon.”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Louis has now brought you to a living room where you see a blonde man with blue eyes sipping tea while another man beside him is drinking something from a glass bottle

"Mr Moron at least try to quit your habit of drinking in broad daylight. We have a guest here." Louis mispronounced his name on purpose as Moron to emphasise his anger towards Moran and to catch his attention even in his drunken state. Poor you, having no idea, actually thinks his name is Moron. “Moron?! Who names their child that?”

The blonde man spits his tea and starts to crack up. Even Louis turns his head to the side and giggles at your misunderstanding. “The names Moran. Pronounced Mo-run.” He patiently explains with a poker face, blinking rapidly due to his drunkenness. Realisation dawns upon you that you just called a man a moron.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t—-” You start to cough up badly. It seems you've crossed your limit for talking. Your head starts to feel hollow, vision starts to get blurry and your lungs and throat burn.

Both adults rush towards you. Louis picks you up and gently knocks on your chest and top of your head, hoping it would calm you down. Moran looks around, trying to find something that will help in the moment of panic. “Drink this.” He hands you a bottle of alcohol. “Moran, she is a child! Maybe you really are a Moron. Here sweetie drink this instead.” The blonde man hands you his cup of tea. You yank the cup and gulp down the tea. After some time, the coughing stops. You drop your head onto Louis’s chest and you breathe heavily for some time.

Later after that small recovery, you write ‘Thank you’ to the blonde man and ‘Sorry’ to Moran. “Don’t worry too much about it, I get that from kids a lot.” He shrugs.

“Y/n you already know Moran.” Louis clears his throat. “This is Mr James Bonde.” James smiles at you.

He has this sort of beauty to him, which is too much not to go unnoticed. His blue eyes remind you of an ever flowing river while his blonde hair makes you think about a paddy field. You could not resist your urge to comment on it.

‘You look so pretty Mr Bonde!’

Bonde squints and looks at your card. “ Aww thank you sweetie.”

Moran pushes James face to the side. “Hey! What about me?”

‘You look normal I guess.’ You show it with the same poker face he had. “Excuse you but many women have fallen in love with me just cus of my face and you’re saying my face looks just okay?” He points at you while stumbling a bit. Perhaps he too has reached his limit, looking at the fact that he is fighting with a child. “Alright Moran, you've drunk too much beer. Let’s get you to bed.” James leads Moran to his room.

“While they both do that, let me introduce you to Albert. He is our oldest brother and the head of this household.” Louis puts you down to the ground. It’s a little nerve wrecking, since you are going to meet the man who put your step parents in jail. But then again, in a sense he did you a favour.

In a few minutes, both of you stand in front of two huge doors. You take a deep breath in as he opens one of the doors, and step inside. There you see a brown haired man with green eyes.

The man looks at you and smiles “Ah you’re the child.” He gets up from his desk and walks towards you. He then crouches a little and stares at you, for quite some time. You can hear the ticking of the clock and you mentally note he has been staring at you for twenty one seconds.

When you finally pick a topic to write about, he pinches your cheeks, rubbing his fingers onto them. Why is he doing this, you don’t know and you’re too scared to ask him, so you remain as still as stone. His touch does feel pleasant but this is getting wayy too awkward so you sign Louis with your eyes for help.

“Brother you are annoying her.” Louis states. Albert immediately jolts back his hand and straightens his posture. “Sorry. That behaviour was quite unlike me.” He furrows his brows, smiling at the same time.”My name is Albert james Moriarty” You curtsy at his introduction and he bows a little. “Come sit.” He pushes a chair next to his inviting you to sit.

Albert continues to do his work while Louis helps him. And you honestly don’t understand a single word they are saying so you resort to daydreaming for entertainment. About half an hour later even daydreaming gets boring and your start to yawn. “Tired aren’t you?” Albert softly sighs. He looks at Louis. “Don’t worry this is boring for me too.” He leans back on his chair and orders “Louis can you bring the young lady some dessert?” You smile widely when he says that.

Louis runs to the kitchen and bring you a freshly made crepe in almost no time. Of course, you devour it in almost no time. Albert smiles at you, pleasantly surprised that his tactic on feeding you with food worked. But since you ate the food so quickly, some parts of it were splattered on your face.

“You have something on your face Y/n” Albert wipes the food on your face with his hand. He tries to find a handkerchief to wipe it with but you yank his hand to your side and proceed to lick it.

Louis freezes after seeing this. “OH GREAT HEAVENS WHAT ARE YOU DOING Y/N?!”

You look at him for a moment. Then you commence to chew Alberts finger to see how he would react to that. Louis’s head explodes. Albert tries to calm him down, explaining the fact that you were just a child. Louis tries to pull out Albert’s finger from your mouth which results in Albert yelling in pain for his brother to stop, as he felt his finger being torn apart by your teeth. Little did you three know, this entire scene was being spectated by William who just came home.

Naturally, he tries to control his laughter but miserably fails. Now all three of you are looking at him, frozen on the spot. When you three try to explain what was going on, He looses it and starts to roll on the floor (well technically just kneel down and laugh out loud).

Later after calming down, he says “It’s nice to see all three of you getting along like this. Oh Y/n I also got you something.” He takes out a stack of flashcards that seems as if they were cut individually from normal paper since they lacked uniformity in size.

He also handed you two gorgeous fountain pens. One had beautiful carvings with colourful enamel and the other had a silver base with a wooden top body. It’s also nice to see that both of them fit perfectly into your hands.

“I didn’t know what your taste was so I prepared both simple and intricate designs alike.” He replies. “Also the wood used to make the pen was extracted from the bookshelves of the library from the Quinn household.”

So that’s why they looked so similar to you.

“Think of this gift as a welcome gift since you’ve joined the family. I don’t want you to be scared of us or be ashamed that your previous family are criminals, alright? Be comfortable around us, don’t be afraid to tell us your worries and definitely do not be afraid to ask for help. Please treat us as if we are your actual family.” He pats your head.

You nod, smiling at the three brothers. “It’s dinner time now!” James barges into the room startling everyone. “Oh I’m sorry did I interrupt you? I just wanted to ask if dinner was ready.” He explains.

“In fact, yes, I already prepared before I met y/n. Let’s head into the dining room” Everyone walks with Louis towards the dining room.

Huh.

Fitting in with them wasn’t as surprisingly hard as you thought it would be. All the worry in you disappears as you see everyone chatting casually while entering the dining room.

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #albert james moriarty #william james moriarty x reader #william james moriarty #louis james moriarty #james bonde

47 notes · View notes

dream-a-little-longer-1 · 2 years

Note

Omg this isn't an ask but i just thought of something.

Professor William J. Moriarty who has a secret relationship with one of his students. At day they're just your regular teacher and student but when it's just the two of them, they spend the night in each other' embrace.

So imagine when there's an important test that's coming up, William's lover is trying their best to not fail it and studies hard. But after the results were out, it turned out they got such a bad score to the point William scolded them in front of the class. They were embarrassed and humiliated even though they've studied so much.

William, on the other hand planned to do this because the truth is he knew someone sabotaged his lovers test result, he doesn't believe that they'd get such a bad score when HE'S the one who taught them! Him scolding is a way to find out which one of his other students were the perpetrator.

Then, when the culprit thinks they got away, they were dragged to the councilors office and expelled. The prestige university will not tolerate such shameful behavior.

Back at the Durham mansion, his s/o is ignoring him for what happened earlier. He's still in guilt but it was necessary. Turns out his lover actually got a perfect score, the only one in class. So when they get to bed, no matter how angry his s/o is they'd never decline a cuddle from him.

"My dear, are you alright? Did I scolded you too hard?" William asked as he stroked their face, under the moonlight he swore he's never seen such beauty. Seconds later his s/o finally shed some tears and told him how they felt and more than being embarrassed, they're sad for disappointing him.

"How terrible of me to make you feel that way, you'd never disappoint me, my love. Let me make it up to you, how about a little date tomorrow, celebrate your perfect score together?"

I woke up and chose fluff

Omgs Rin san 😭 this is too soft i cant-

I can totally imagine how awful William must've felt to scold his partner in front of everyone like that! And after everything is solved,he will definitely do everything in his power,and even beyond,to make it up to them.

You woke up and chose to kill me with this cute idea 🥺 tysm for sharing it with me!!loved it!!!

#moriarty the patriot fanfic #moriarty the patriot #moriarty the patriot x reader #ask #william james moriarty x reader

121 notes · View notes

hergan416 · 8 months

Note

En mis fics de LouisxAlbert, ellos siempre están juntos en la cama de Albert porque 1. Si nos guiamos por el canon, la habitación de Albert está al otro lado de la mansión. 2. La obsesión o mejor dicho, el TOC,de Albert es conocido por todos, por lo que será normal para el resto de la pandilla que Albert cambie las sabanas o incluso la cama de vez en cuando. imagino la cama de Albert con dosel, porque así él puede levantarse cuando alguien toca la puerta y dejar a Louis dormido en la cama.

(Google translate) In my LouisxAlbert fics, they are always together in Albert's bed because 1. If we go by canon, Albert's room is on the other side of the mansion. 2. Albert's obsession, or rather OCD, is known to everyone, so it will be normal for the rest of the gang for Albert to change the sheets or even the bed from time to time. I imagine Albert's bed with a canopy, because then he can get up when someone knocks on the door and leave Louis asleep in bed.

Yeah, I agree. I feel like it makes way more sense for Louis to go to Albert than the other way around. It's both a privilege to be let in... but also for all the reasons you stated it makes sense.

In my headcanons (since Louis never says where he sleeps to Bonde), his room shares a wall with William's room. That's how Moriarty Manor in London just is to me.

So whether I'm shipping AL or AW, it just makes sense for one brother or the other to make the trek to the other wing where subtlety could happen. Theoretically.

Butttt...I honestly think that no matter what happens there is too much observation power in that house. As soon as it happens, everyone knows.

Also canopy beds would have been typical of nobility at the time.. I don't remember what Albert's room looked like in Durham in the remains (I could look that up), but I feel like at least in the London house where he spends most of his time he would probably have a canopy. Especially since heating was still done differently, canopies would help keep the occupant warm at night when it got cold. It wasn't just a fanciness thing.

#allou #albert james moriarty x louis james moriarty #moriarty the patriot #ask answered #lledron #albert james moriarty #louis james moriarty

8 notes · View notes

kumoriyami-xiuzhen · 9 months

Text

Morimyu Op.5 bingo

In the Save our Twisted Hearts Discord group, we put together a list of bingo prompts for anyone watching Op.5 if anyone is interested in playing Bingo.

Cards should be 5x5 with one free space... and if you do score a bingo, you have to do something Morimyu-related (not mandatory since this is just for fun!). Bonus if you include each actor/character on your card at least once!

List:

William doesn't throw his cigarette butt away

Sherlock tries to stop William from leaving 221b

Shogo cries during a performance

Billy will be played by Yuma kun

Billy shows up

Ryo and Shogo recreate the alternate volume 14 cover (backstage/ on stage)

Fujita Rei visits

Arterton's actor visits

Teruma visits

Ryotaro Akazawa visits

Lestrade's actor makes silly videos again

Louis gets a solo but he's singing to Sherlock begging him to save William

Louis and Fred duet

Albert and Sebastian duet

Sherlock and Mycroft duet

Bond contacts Sherlock somehow… about William?

Gregson gets knocked out. hopefully.

Albert has a solo directed towards William again

Fred tries to convince Moran to stop William from dying

Mycroft and Albert duet

melody similar to the one from the Durham date, when William and Sherlock are just talking about the Lord of Crime plays

Nishimori-san and Tadasuke san will be on curtain call of the final stage

non sherliam hugs on stage

Shogo cries during the bridge scene

the MtP theme isn't the finale song for op.5

Bridge part in the opening will be sung by Liam and Sherly

Bond and Hudson interaction?

Moran solo or duet with Louis during bridge scene.

Rooftop scene with Sherliam duet in last act

recreation of light novel/the remains covers

Albert solo takes place while he burns down the mansion

Instead of cracking the glass of the family photo Albert will throw it in the fire or rip it

The fall is Ryo/Shogo moving or dancing normally on stage, but the background is projected upside down

The letter is a Shogo solo, but is followed up by a Ryo solo right after

William having a nightmare

They will announce Morimyu next project at Senshuraku

Morimyu concert or photobook or studio album after Op.5

the secret standees are post time-skip

Louis will cry this time

"i hope" and "i will" are used in a song

melody from 誓い plays

announcement of an op.5 cd

Mycroft cuffs Albert

"i hope, i will" continuation is them actually singing to each other in person instead of apart like the other opus

Adding "wind" reference to the letter

Mycroft ruffles Sherlock's hair

John actually does up Sherlock's tie

Miss Hudson/John duet to Sherlock

"I will catch you" is said?

William does a cape flourish

someone kisses someone's cheek (actors too)

John solo

John duet with Sherlock

William pushes Louis away/walks away from Louis\

ashas dies

bond pointing a gun at William

Op.6 announcement

William and Mycroft talking

Albert and Sherlock talking

concert announcement

someone on their knees

someone kneeling

Moribros get a song together

Sherlock holding William's letter to his chest/heart

Bond and Mycroft interaction

Lestrade comic relief/adlib involves John

Gregson does something stupid

Lestrade mentions Patterson

Albert mentions Jack

Mycroft and Louis duet

Sherlock fires a gun but shoots upward

The violinist imitates Sherlock when he's thinking about William

Violinist and Lestrade have an interaction

Sherlock is the one doing the 'lights out' movement in main theme

Sherlock grabbing William by the collar

Ikkei posts photos of the musical taken from the side again

Mary's actor visits

izawa posting super aesthetic pictures of the show again

“i caught you” is said or sung during the fall

Miyoshi puts out an op.5 illustration

Moran solo takes place after William walks away after killing noble

Lestrade doing something silly

Albert's hand on William's shoulder

no greenhouse

They will recreate Sherlock's board with photos

William will try to wash his hands

I hope I will during bridge scene

Catch me, don't leave me alone + I will catch you in the lyric

Adlib is John/Lestrade try to cheer Ms. Hudson

Wiggins and Bake street irregulars appear

All/Some of the people that Liam saved from last Op appear

Shunly posts backstage short clip everyday

#yuukoku no moriarty #moriarty the patriot #morimyu

12 notes · View notes

arcanecarolinas · 1 year

Text

AC 00086 - The Price-Gause House of Wilmington

A certain 19th century mansion in Wilmington has a haunted history, with legends abounding of desperate pleas etched in ice on winter nights and ghost tour participants being left frightened for their lives. But what does history have to say about one of Wilmington's haunted destinations?

Upcoming Live Recordings:

ConGregate 9 (Winston-Salem, NC, July 14-16, 2023)

Arcana (Durham, NC, September 28, 2023)

AC Monthly

Arcane Carolinas on Patreon

Arcane Carolinas on Facebook

Arcane Carolinas on Instagram

Arcane Carolinas on Tumblr

[email protected]

Listen now!

#podcast #history #Carolinas #paranormal

6 notes · View notes

wilmington-nc-near · 2 years

Text

Graybar Chiropractic & Rehab in Wilmington, NC

There are many people who want to have the best chiropractor in Wilmington service provider nowadays. After all, this is one of the best ways to maintain one’s health. One of the clinics that offer the same service is Graybar Chiropractic & Rehab in Wilmington, NC location. They also offer prenatal chiropractic care. At Graybar Chiropractic & Rehab, they’re dedicated to helping expecting mothers across Wilmington, Wallace and Clinton through pain-relieving chiropractic techniques. Lastly, their hope is to help you achieve a comfortable, healthy pregnancy. In that, even young mothers who need health-related support can rely on their services. Remarkable, isn’t it?

YouTube Channel

The Graybar Chiropractic & Rehab YouTube Channel is helpful for many people who want to know more about the treatment. Since they have informative videos, it’s easier to research about chiropractic treatment nowadays. Apart from that, the center helps patients struggling with chronic pain through all-natural treatments. Besides, their supportive chiropractic care is designed to provide pain relief for a number of conditions, including chronic back pain, neck pain, muscle spasms, carpal tunnel and plantar fasciitis. Primarily, they’ll evaluate your posture using X-rays and special software. Then, they’ll devise a rehabilitation plan that’s personalized to meet your needs. Lastly, they serve residents of Wilmington, NC, as well as Wallace and Clinton.

Wilmington, NC

Wilmington, NC location has an amazing economic progress nowadays. Aside from that, their economic background is exciting, too. Interestingly, Wilmington's industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; nuclear fuel; and pharmaceuticals. In addition, Wilmington is part of North Carolina's Research coast, adjacent to the Research Triangle Park in Durham, NC location. Due to its close proximity to the ocean and vibrant nightlife, tourism is one of the essential parts of their economy. No wonder the city has a plenty of tourist attractions such as parks, restaurants, gardens, water parks, and more.

youtube

Bellamy Mansion Museum in Wilmington, NC

The Bellamy Mansion Museum in Wilmington, NC is remarkably famous these days. Since it is a popular place, it is highly expected that many backpackers from around the world go there. Basically, it is the Bellamy Mansion, built between 1859 and 1861. The place is a mixture of Neoclassical architectural styles, including Greek revival and Italianate. In addition, it is located at 503 Market Street in the heart of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Besides, it is one of North Carolina’s finest examples of historic antebellum architecture. No wonder many guests were in awe of its structure. Lastly, it is a contributing building in the Wilmington Historic District.

Training ground to tennis greats and home to civil rights activist could become historic landmark

There are recent news reports in Wilmington, NC location that are noteworthy. It includes the training ground to tennis greats and home to civil rights activist could become historic landmark. Reportedly, the Dr. Hubert Eaton House at 1406 Orange Street and 213 S 14th Street could be officially designated as a historic local landmark given approval by the Wilmington City Council. The ordinance to approve the designation will be considered at their meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. Besides, the property was given a placard from the Historic Wilmington Foundation in December of 2020, and now the Historic Preservation Commission is recommending the local landmark designation.

Link to Map Driving Direction

Bellamy Mansion Museum 503 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Head west on Market St toward S 5th Ave 3 s (85 ft)

Take Princess St and N 6th St to Market St 1 min (0.2 mi)

Drive along S 16th St 6 min (2.9 mi)

Drive to your destination 16 s (89 ft)

Graybar Chiropractic & Rehab 2110 S 17th St Wilmington, NC 28401

#Graybar Chiropractic #Graybar Chiropractic in Wilmington #Chiropractor in Wilmington #Chiropractor Wilmington #Best Chiropractor in Wilmington

2 notes · View notes

novumtimes · 3 days

Text

Ontarios Crypto King charged with investment fraud

Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed Ontario Crypto King who went bankrupt and endured an alleged kidnapping, has been arrested and charged following a 16-month investigation. Pleterski’s arrest was confirmed ahead of a Thursday press conference titled Project Swan. In July 2022, police in Durham began receiving complaints about investment fraud involving a man from the Whitby area, later confirmed to be Pleterski. Over a 16-month period, investigators from the Financial Crimes Unit authored over 40 court orders and gathered evidence. A Durham Regional Police spokesperson said it’s believed that approximately $40 million was fraudulently obtained through the Crypto King from over 300 victims across Ontario. According to court documents obtained by CityNews, Pleterski raised approximately $41.5 million from investors but invested only 1.6 per cent of that money. It’s believed that the Crypto King instead used funds from investors to purchase luxury vehicles, including McLarens, Lamborghinis, Audis and BMWs. Pleterski was charged with fraud over $5,000 and laundering proceeds of crime. He appeared in court on Tuesday and was released on bail. His next court appearance is slated for June. Details of the ‘Crypto King’s’ fall from grace Investigators note that Pleterski may have been attempting to solicit new investors as recently as February 2024. Pleterski was declared bankrupt by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in August 2022. Court documents show that only $2.2 million, including several luxury vehicles under his name, was seized, despite the Crypto King owing millions to over 100 investors. On Dec. 5, 2022, Pleterski was abducted in downtown Toronto, leading to a missing persons report. Pleterski was allegedly lured into a vehicle by a group of suspects, and once inside the vehicle, two suspects pointed firearms at him. Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed “Crypto King,” is seen here in this photo on Instagram. Pleterski was held captive for three days and taken to various locations where he was repeatedly assaulted. The suspects later released him in downtown Toronto and demanded a large amount of Canadian currency. Police said the victim’s life and family were threatened. Investigators arrested four people on July 17, 2023. Police identified those suspects as 24-year-old Deren Akyeam-Pong of Toronto, 24-year-old Rakeem Henry of London, Ont., 39-year-old Akil Heywood of Toronto, and 37-year-old Tyler Fast of Toronto. On July 21, 2023, a fifth suspect was charged, identified as 22-year-old Alfredo Paladino of Hamilton. According to the New York Times (NYT), Heywood had filed a claim for losing $740,000 that he had invested with Pleterski towards cryptocurrency and foreign exchange positions. It’s unclear if the other men involved in the alleged kidnapping invested with the Crypto King. In September 2023, a year after filing for bankruptcy, reports surfaced that Pleterski was travelling the world. A few months later, the CBC reported that Canadian NBA superstar and Toronto native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won a lawsuit to undo his $8.4-million purchase of a Burlington mansion where Pleterski used to live. The lawsuit claimed that sellers failed to disclose to the buyer that an alleged series of threatening visits had been occurring at the mansion by individuals looking for the Crypto King and threatening him with violence. Source link via The Novum Times

#The Novum Times

0 notes

legends-of-time · 3 months

Text

The Journey of Living at Downton

Chapter 19: Late May 1920

Masterlist

The Bransons arrive a few days before the wedding to be surrounded by pre-matrimony chaos. Sybil and Billy arrive at a similar time. Sybil is coming along with her pregnancy nicely at 6 months.

Lady Grantham gives them an old bassinet and other baby equipment like a pram that she had moved from the attic. There was the initial offer of having the Nursery set up but Emma doesn't feel comfortable and asks for it to be moved to her and Tom's room. Though she does accept one of the maids, Anne, keeping an eye on Ivy now and again.

——

The servants prepare the Great Hall for the wedding reception. The room is full of flowers and glasses and servants bustling about. Emma had decided to assist Lady Grantham and Gemma with arranging the gifts in the Drawing room.

The Dowager and Edith enter the room later on. Emma is happy to see the beaming smile on Edith's face. Emma still feels nervous in the matriarch's presence though.

"See, I told her everything would come right, but she wouldn't believe me." The grandmother remarks.

"I still can't. Something happening in this house is actually about me." Edith grins as she excitedly looks around the room. Her mother smiles at her. "The dress came this morning."

"I was rather sad you decided against Patou. I would've paid." The Dowager replies.

"Lucille was safer. We don't want her to look like a chorus girl." Her daughter-in-law argues. Edith smiles and shares a chuckle with Emma.

"Either way the dress looked lovely," Emma adds though she had internally cringed at the price considering the family predicament.

The Dowager hums. "How is Anthony? Excited, I hope."

"Desperately." Her granddaughter replies. "Just when he thought his life would never change, he's going right back to the beginning."

"Oh. What an invigorating prospect." Lady Grantham gives the Dowager a look. Emma tries not to give away her own thoughts. She personally does not see the appeal of Sir Anthony Strallen though he did stand up for Billy and Tom after Larry Grey's prank.

——

Emma is walking through the upstairs corridor, after checking on Ivy and giving her a feed, to join the family in the Library when she comes across Thomas and Mr Molesley. The latter, she had learnt, had been brought in to look after Mathew after previously having been left at Crawley house and Alfred had begun to look after him. Emma wonders if the change had anything to do with Alfred being Miss O'Brien's nephew.

She frowns as she sees Thomas helpfully pick up some clothes that Mr Molesley had dropped. Thomas is usually not that helpful. Then Thomas opening the servants' door for Molesley with a smile, really seals the deal. Emma hopes she gets to the bottom of it.

——

Emma walks into the Library to find Lady Grantham arranging flowers while Lord Grantham sits at his desk and Tom, Billy and Matthew read on the settees. Emma plonks herself next to Tom while Matthew and Billy sit opposite.

Tom turns to her. "How is she?"

"She's fine, though a little fussy but she settled," Emma replies.

"I take it Ivy has settled in?" Lady Grantham asks

Emma nods. "As well as a newborn baby can."

"How will they advertise it?" Lady Grantham then asks her husband.

"I don't know exactly." Her husband replies. ""Desirable nobleman's mansion with surrounding estate and properties.""

"Where will you go?" Billy asks his father-in-law as he closes his book.

Lord Grantham leans back in his chair as he answers him. "We have some land further north at Eryholme, on the border with Durham. It came with my great-grandmother. The house is pretty and we might make something of it. We could always rename it "Downton Place."" Lady Grantham sits down next to Emma.

"Who lives there now?" Matthew asks.

"A tenant. But we can come to an arrangement that keeps him happy." Lord Grantham replies.

"Let's take a picnic there tomorrow. Take a break from the wedding on Edith's last day of freedom." Lady Grantham decides. "Tom, Emma and Ivy can come too."

"Are you sure? Isn't it a family affair?" Emma asks.

"Of course, this was once your home too." Mary and Sybil enter. Sybil goes to sit next to her husband while Mary continues standing.

"Molesley's in the Hall. He wonders if he might have a word." She tells them.

"I'll come through in a minute," Matthew says as he continues reading.

"Not with you, with Mama." Matthew looks up from his newspaper in surprise. "Molesley." She moves to sit next to Matthew.

Mr Molesley enters with a smile. Then his face falls when seeing them all there. Emma winces in pity. "Your Ladyship, may I have a word?" Mr Molesley asks.

"Of course." Lady Grantham nods with a smile but doesn't move.

Mr Molesley proceeds nervously. "Milady, might I be allowed to put forward a candidate as Miss O'Brien's replacement?"

"What?" Her Ladyship blurts. Her husband turns around in surprise. Emma blinks in surprise. Miss O'Brien didn't love being here but Emma doubts she would just leave without having a bigger opportunity and Emma doesn't believe she does.

"When the time comes." Mr Molesley continues.

His Lordship walks over. "Is O'Brien leaving?"

Mr Molesley looks unsure. "I hope I've not spoken out of turn. Only, I didn't want to let it go and miss the chance. I thought you knew."

"Of course, I know. Thank you, Molesley. I'll be happy to listen to recommendations when, as you say, the time comes." Her Ladyship answers.

"Thank you, milady." Mr Molesley bows to her and the rest of them and exits.

"Well, I must confess, I will watch her departure with mixed emotions." Lord Grantham remarks.

"Mine are fairly unmixed." Mary retorts, causing Emma and Tom to smile in amusement.

"Did you have a clue?" Sybil asks her mother.

"Not a clue."

"This is Miss O'Brien. She's not exactly the most honest." Emma says.

Lady Grantham sighs despondently. "It is very disappointing."

"But, in a way, it raises the big question: when do we tell the staff that the end is nigh?" Lord Grantham wonders.

"It makes it sound so final," Mary says

Her father takes her mother's hand. "I'm afraid it is final."

"Well, don't spoil Edith's day. Let us get through the wedding first and then tell them afterwards." Mary declares. Honestly, Emma is enjoying this newly harmonious relationship between the elder two of the Crawley daughters.

——

The next day, they all head out to the new house. Sir Anthony is bringing the Dowager and Mrs Crawley, who said Emma should stop calling her Mrs Crawley and instead call her Isobel, while the rest of them leave from Downton.

Anna had told Emma that she is heading up to London to speak with Vera's friend and Emma hopes it goes well.

Matthew and Mary exit the house first, followed by Edith, then Lord and Lady Grantham. Sybil, Billy, Tom and Emma bring up the rear. Emma carries Ivy while the pram is being loaded into the back of the car by Alfred.

"We'll see you there," Matthew says to them as Alfred goes to open his car door.

"You want to come with us?" Mary asks Edith.

"Yes, thank you."

"This is us," Sybil says. Emma climbs in first to get comfortable with Ivy on her lap. Tom gets into the car seat as, since there's only one chauffeur, he had offered to drive their car. Sybil and Billy sit next to Emma and Ivy while Alfred climbs in the front with Tom.

——

Tables are set for luncheon on the grounds, the large house sits in the background.

"Won't it be a bit cramped?" Mary remarks as she, Matthew, Billy, Sybil, Tom and Emma walk around.

"You do realise that for most people it looks like a fairy palace," Tom says. Emma walks beside him, pushing Ivy along in her pram.

"You'll be able to run it with a much smaller staff," Sybil says as they circle the table Isobel, Edith, Sir Anthony and the Dowager sit at.

"This is it." Lord Grantham says as he stands near the table. Mary and Matthew continue walking while Sybil, Billy, Emma and Tom stop. "I doubt we'll need more than eight servants, tops. So, it'll be very economical. A—" His Lordship puts a finger over his lips as Alfred steps forward to place something on the table, then steps away back to the serving table.

"What about me? Where am I to go?" The Dowager asks.

"We still own most of the Village."

"Oh. Perhaps I could open a shop."

Edith chuckles. "Good idea, Granny. What do you think Eryholme needs?"

"Well, if it's like everywhere else: good manners and some decent conversation." Her grandmother replies.

"Well, there you are then. You should have a roaring trade in minutes." Isobel remarks. Edith chuckles.

Ivy begins to fuss so Emma walks away from the tables to get her in the shade and once she is, Emma does a quick loop around the house. When she makes it to the front, she notices that Matthew is storming away from Mary, who has a confused scowl on her face.

"Mary?" Emma calls, walking over to her. "What's the matter?"

"Mr Charkam, Reggie Swire's lawyer, came by this morning with a letter from Mr Swire now that Matthew is officially his heir," Mary explains. Emma internally winces. The fact that Matthew is officially receiving the money is definitely going to cause conflict between the two.

"A letter? What does it say?"

Mary huffs. "He will not open it."

"No?"

"No," Mary grumbles, "he believes that Mr Swire does not know the truth about his daughter's heartbreak and the letter will only praise him."

"And Matthew doesn't want to read it." Emma states rather than asks.

"Exactly. What do I do?"

"Well, opening it is one idea," Emma says not too seriously.

Mary, however, looks interested. "Not a bad one."

"Uh, no Mary, I was joking," Emma says hastily. "You can't break his trust and privacy!"

"I'm his wife. If I do not have the right, who does? Even so, is it right to destroy a man's last words without reading them?"

"I suppose," Emma answers reluctantly.

——

Gemma, after assisting Edith, had popped into Emma's room to help get ready for dinner but since Emma had mostly done it herself, they take the chance to gossip as Gemma tidied up Emma's hair. Tom had slipped away to play billiards with Mathew and Billy before dinner.

"Mr Molesley seems to think Miss O'Brien is leaving," Gemma reports.

"Isn't she? He went to Her Ladyship, asking if he can put candidates forward for her replacement." Emma replies. It seems her suspicions are coming into fruition.

"No, it seems to be a misunderstanding but now Miss O'Brien is mad at poor Mr Molesley," Gemma argues.

"Well, he doesn't deserve that."

"No." Gemma steps away from Emma to sit on the bed.

"I think this is Thomas' doing," Emma tells her, turning away from the dresser.

"Mr Barrow?" Gemma frowns.

Emma rolls her eyes. "Yes, Mr Barrow. I saw him being quite generous and chatty with Mr Molesley yesterday then this, he's behind it. I hope it doesn't escalate or he'll get hurt."

"I'll never understand your care for him. He can be so cruel." Gemma wonders.

"He lives in a cruel world," Emma argues. She can't say anymore but it all irritates her that no one seems to understand.

——

After dinner, Edith regales them with details of her honeymoon as they sit in the Drawing room.

"He thinks I don't know, but of course I do. We'll spend two weeks in Rome, then Florence, then Venice. So, I couldn't be happier." Edith smiles happily as she sits between Emma and Sybil.

"And what about Locksley? Is there lots to be done?" Emma asks.

"It's not too bad."

"It's not too bad downstairs. The bedrooms are kill." Mary says from her seat as she rolls her eyes.

"Well, don't do anything too fast. It takes time to know how a house works." Isobel warns Edith, who smiles excitedly. Sybil smiles with her along with Emma, who can't fight Edith's infectious happiness.

"I really think you should go to bed. No bride wants to look tired at her wedding. It either means she's anxious or she's been up to no good." Her grandmother tells her.

Edith sighs happily. "I won't sleep a wink."

"Tonight, or tomorrow?" Sybil remarks as she sips her tea. Emma lets out a quiet snort.

The Dowager gives her a disapproving look. "Sybil, vulgarity is no substitute for wit." Edith chuckles.

"Well, you started it." Her youngest granddaughter counters. Emma quietly sniggers.

——

Emma gets dragged out of bed by an anxious Mary. This surprises Emma considering none of the family are usually up at this time. Tom smirks as he watches, a book in his hands.

"You read it?!" Emma hisses as they stand in the upper corridor. Mary had just told her that she had gone and read Reggie Swire's letter.

"Yes, and I was right to," Mary replies determinedly. "Lavinia must have written to him on her last day, only hours before she died after she tried to persuade him to call off the wedding and he wouldn't."

Emma catches on. "So, Mr Swire knew the truth when he made Matthew one of his heirs?"

"He still won't listen though," Mary complains. "He believes that it is all faked as it's impossible for Lavinia to send a letter without us knowing."

"There's someone who could've sent the letter without anyone noticing." Emma ponders.

"Who?"

"One of the servants." Emma answers. "One could've found it in her room or she handed it to one of them."

"Of course." Mary gasps, realising.

——

Emma and Mary enter the Servants' Hall while the servants are eating.

"Are we interrupting?" Mary asks. The servants all stand. "No. Please. We just want to ask you all something."

"Milady, I'm sorry I've not been up." Anna apologises.

"Don't worry. I'll change properly after luncheon." Mary dismisses.

"But we had to catch you when you were all together," Emma adds.

"How can we help, my lady, Ma'am?" Mr Carson asks.

"It's a funny thing. Mr Crawley has heard that Miss Swire sent a letter on the day she died. If so, someone must have posted it for her, and we wondered if it were any of you." Mary explains. The servants all look at each other, but no one speaks up.

"I'm afraid not. Given that the poor lady passed away that same day, an incident of this sort would have been reported to me or Mrs Hughes." Mr Carson replies.

"That's right, milady."

Mary looks disappointed. "I see. Well, thank you very much." Emma and Mary turn to leave and the servants sit just as Daisy enters with a tray.

"What were that about?" Emma hears Daisy ask.

"Lady Mary and Emma wanted to know if anyone posted a letter for Miss Swire," Gemma explains.

"Oh, I did that." Emma and Mary pause on the stairs and turn around.

"Daisy? What did you say?" Mr Carson asks as Emma and Mary re-enter and the servants stand back up.

"Poor Miss Swire's letter. She'd written it and she asked me to put it into the box in the Hall." Daisy turns to the stunned looking Mary. "Why?"

"What were you doing in her room?" Mrs Hughes demands to know.

"Making up the fire. We started talking and she said she'd written a letter." Daisy answers. "She was ever so nice. I still get sad when I think about her."

"And it didn't occur to you to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Never mind. We're grateful to you, Daisy. You cannot know how much." Emma replies warmly while Mary smiles at Daisy.

——

Emma leaves Mary to tell Matthew the news. She herself eagerly tells Tom as she doubts Mary will mind.

Edith stands in her room, in her dress with the help of Anna doing the final touches. Her sisters, mother and Emma smile as they watch on. Emma holds a wriggling Ivy.

"You look beautiful." Lady Grantham tells her daughter.

Edith sighs happily. "All of us married." Edith turns to look at her sisters. "All of us happy." Edith looks at Sybil. "And the first baby on the way. Why don't we get the photographer to take a picture of the three of us... when we get to the Church?"

"What a beautiful idea," Emma says, grinning.

——

On the way to the wedding, Mary quietly lets Emma know that Matthew had agreed to take the money to save Downton but they won't say anything so as to not steal Edith's thunder.

Once at the Church, Emma goes to her pew to sit as the sisters take their photo outside. Mary and Sybil soon walk to their pew and as they take their places, the guests stand as the organ begins to play. Edith and Lord Grantham begin to walk down the aisle and Sir Anthony steps up to the altar with a grim look on his face. Emma smiles as Edith passes her. Edith steps up beside him all smiles. Edith and Sir Anthony murmur to one another and Sir Anthony gives her a small smile. The guests watch with pleasant smiles. The music stops.

Reverend Travis begins, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered—"

Sir Anthony looks up at the minister. "I can't do this." Emma looks at him in alarm. Edith and Lord Grantham turn suddenly to Sir Anthony and the guests murmur.

"I can't do it." Edith's smile fades. Sir Anthony looks at Lord Grantham. "You know it's wrong. You told me so yourself several times."

"My dear chap."

"No. I never should have let it get this far. I should have stopped it long ago. I tried to stop it." Emma can't believe she's hearing this.

"What are you saying? I don't understand what you're saying." Edith says, sounding upset.

"Edith..." Sir Anthony looks at the guests who are staring in shock. Sir Anthony turns back to Edith and speaks in a lower voice meaning Emma can't hear what's being said.

"What do you mean? We're so happy, aren't we?" Edith takes Sir Anthony's hand. "We're going to be... so terribly, terribly happy."

Sir Anthony says something else in a low voice. Edith looks into his eyes, mortified.

"Anthony, it is too late for this." Lord Grantham interjects.

Reverend Travis butts in, "Might I suggest we all take a step back?"

The Dowager steps forward, stopping Lady Grantham from doing the same. She murmurs to her granddaughter, who looks up at Sir Anthony, her lip trembling. Sir Anthony looks offended by something the Dowager then says.

"But... Granny..." Edith cries out. Her grandmother speaks but Edith just shakes her head. "I can't." She is becoming more upset by the moment.

Sir Anthony speaks quietly again and then leans close to her ear. He then walks back up the aisle and Edith turns to him, but her grandmother holds her back. Emma reels from the shock as Edith is led out by her mother and grandmother by the side door. Emma can see the family feeling the same and Sybil looks close to tears. Emma feels Tom wrap an arm around her.

——

It's a speedy return to Downton. Edith storms ahead, crying and running up the stairs. The rest of the family follows, the sisters and Emma going after Edith while Lord Grantham, Matthew, Billy and Tom bring up the rear but stop in the Hall. Edith throws her veil over the stairs.

Lady Grantham, Mary, and Sybil enter Edith's bedroom to find Edith crying on the bed. The laurel tiara has been pulled out, ruining the neat hairstyle.

"Is there anything I could say to make it better?" Her mother asks.

"No." Edith sits up and her mother sits next to her on the bed. Edith looks at her sisters and Emma, who lingers at the back. "Look at them. All with their husbands. Sybil pregnant, Mary probably pregnant and Emma probably pregnant again." Sybil is crying. "Oh, just go. I mean it, go!"

"Perhaps you should go." Lady Grantham says. They leave to let her comfort her daughter.

——

Evidence of the wedding is removed. The servants clear away the champagne, the cake, and the flowers, and re-lay the carpet in the Great Hall. Emma watches them all sadly as she cradles Ivy in her arms as she watches from the upper floor. Despite the choice, Emma was glad that Edith was finally getting her happiness.

Anna had also told her that she didn't get anything worthwhile from her visit to Vera Bates' friend but Emma had advised that maybe she should write everything down in her letter to Mr Bates in case he notices anything.

The more positive news is that Matthew has told Lord Grantham that they no longer have to leave Downton. Lord Grantham only accepted when Matthew accepted the offer that he be an investor and joint owner of Downton. Emma feels quite pleased with how that's turned out as hopefully Matthew will stop any more stupid business ideas.

——

Dinner is very quiet that evening. Everyone focuses on their food, taking in the day. Emma glances up to the ceiling now and again, thinking of the upset woman upstairs.

"Has she had something to eat?" Isobel asks.

"Anna took up some sandwiches, but she didn't touch a thing." Mary answers.

"That reminds me. Carson, I don't want Lady Edith to see any of the wedding food." Lady Grantham says.

"Mrs Hughes and Anna are taking what's left down to Mr Travis tomorrow, my lady, for the poor." Mr Carson replies.

"If the poor don't want it, you can bring it over to me." The Dowager says. Emma looks up at her in surprise. Honestly, what kind of statement is that?

"How can we help Edith?" Matthew ponders.

"You can help her by finding her something to do." His mother answers.

——

The next morning, Emma enters Edith's room. She picks up Edith's laurel tiara from the floor. Edith is still lying in bed.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Emma asks softly.

"A different life." Comes the despondent response.

"Let me get them to bring you up some breakfast," Emma says.

"No." Edith sits up. "I'm a useful spinster... good at helping out. That is my role. And spinsters get up for breakfast." Edith gets out of bed and Emma watches her sadly.

She hopes Edith will be able to recover and move forward.

——

A/N: Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.

#downton abbey

0 notes

itsytinyspiders · 5 months

Text

(Part 5)

Can we take a moment to appreciate that we have an added scene for Louis? Louis deserves to have a happy moment, watching the ecstatic townsfolk chatting about the Moriarty’s lowered rent.

Of course, he does leave the market as William comes in to chat with the fruit seller, as he wasn’t present during this interaction.

In the manga, when Michelle asks for grapefruits, we can clearly her sneering down at Burton who was kneeling next to the stall. In this light, her request for grapefruits was meant to hurt her husband, as if reminding him that he’s the reason her child is dead.

On the stage, Burton is further away from the stall – Michelle might have only seen him when she turned to thank William. And as Michelle turned to leave after learning that the grapefruits were cultivated by her husband, Burton tries to speak to her or plead with her, but he doesn’t get a word in as Michelle tell him, to his face, that “things grown on that dirty land…”, implying that the literal fruits of his labor are disgusting.

This Michelle is more proactive in her anger against Burton, and Burton is also actively trying to reach out to her. This is in contrast to the manga versions, with a passive-aggressive Michelle and a defeated Burton. The anime plays up Michelle’s mental state, what with her preparing three seats at the table because she saw her child in a dream, whereas Burton only tries to get through to her when he perceives that she’s going too far.

I think part of their different portrayals stem from the flashback where the Burtons beg Baron Dublin for help. In the manga, Dublin is portrayed as jovial on the surface but also cruel and entitled, much like in the anime. He is dismissive towards the pleading Burtons who are merely his tenants, since there’s no reason for a nobleman like him to care for the prattle of the sheep. His question about how much the Burtons are willing to pay for water is meant to summarize how much worth he thinks their lives (and the life of their son) has.

In the anime, Dublin threatens to fire the husband from his position as gardener if they don’t stop bothering him. Perhaps Baron Dublin believes Burton is trying to get undue benefits because he is a servant of the estate, and thus feels the need to threaten his livelihood lest he gets more ideas. Burton reacted to the threat by stopping Michelle from protesting further, which then becomes the main issue in their marriage. Michelle hates the baron, certainly, but being betrayed by the person who is meant to stand by you and watching your son die as a consequence of that betrayal is a much harder blow than being dismissed because of your status.

In the stageplay, Baron Dublin is still merely their landlord, as in the manga. The differences mainly lie in how he expresses himself. For example, he tells them off from trying to enter the main entrance because they recently renovated it, citing how costly it was. (A callback to when William and Louis first arrived at the Moriarty mansion perhaps?)

Then, when Michelle asks for medicine, or even water, Baron Dublin gets down on one knee, mockingly asking her how much she is willing to pay. He makes it clear that he does not care for them, but he does so in a comedic/mocking manner, as if they were only bothering him because they were too stupid to understand their difference in status and wealth.

Gotta love the “James Moriarty” shot, especially right after William gets his first Durham request. Again, the light used for Will is different from his brothers, accentuating his role as the protagonist.

And Albert’s eager expression here, as he suggests having dinner together to Baron Dublin. Tell me Albert, are you excited for the meal, or are you excited to deliver punishment? You look like a child in the candy store.

I think this picture shows his eagerness even more clearly.

Honestly, this is the most “you know you want to” face I’ve ever seen on this character.

“Come into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly.

In the dinner sequence, the actors walk around stage, only for the spotlight to shine on different characters with every ticking sound. I especially like the shot of William with Burton and this one with Louis pouring Michelle a glass of wine.

Most of the dinner scene is the same as in the manga, so I will skip over most of the conversation. That said, I appreciate the composition of this scene, with William standing in the foreground in front of a fallen Baron Dublin and the kneeling Burtons. Again, Albert and Louis are in the background – passive observers of William’s play.

I might talk about this further in my later manga versus anime comparison, but the fact that William straight up calls him self a “crime consultant” in Baron Dublin’s face and explains the necessity of a perfect crime means that he never intended to let the baron live.

This scene in the stage play serves as a better callback than the one in the manga, in my opinion. The reason is because this perfectly mirrors Baron Dublin’s earlier scene with Michelle, hand on the shoulder included. In the manga, William is instead looking down on the fallen baron, putting more emphasis on the change in the power dynamics.

Oh, but I do like how William asks the Burtons for their opinion on how to deal with the baron. By taking a seat next to them, he is again reaffirming that he is their ally and the framing even implies that he would shield them if necessary.

The scene goes black for a few moments after this, while a mournful rendition of the stage’s main theme is played, ending with the sound of a large bell.

What follows is Baron Burton writing his will, with Louis watching him from behind. Naturally, this is where the baron’s comment about Louis looking like a younger him comes back full circle: “Louis, I am your father. …Just kidding.” *sticks out his tongue*

Poor Louis. First his introduction, and now this…

Welp, medicine sure helps a person go down, eh Baron Dublin?

Can we just appreciate Albert acting like nothing is wrong? Still smiling and hand outstretched, not a single thought for the falling man in front of him.

Can we also appreciate Michelle continuing to eat her meal like a boss, ignoring the baron pitifully trying to get up by holding onto the table?

Final scene of the One Grapefruit Pie arc.

One small thing to note is the presence of the grapefruit, which has appeared from the moment Burton gave it as a gift to the baron and until now, next to Burton’s knees. While the play doesn’t elaborate on its importance, particularly in relation to their dead child, the audience knows that Burton cultivated these grapefruits and that Michelle liked them enough to buy some, despite their landlord trying to suck them dry. Even with only that, it’s not too much of a stretch to assume that Burton grew these grapefruits for Michelle – it’s his way of making amends to her.

And that’s a wrap for the Grapefruit arc, at 37 minutes!

#morisute case 1 #moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #the one grapefruit pie #morisute reaction

0 notes