#Max Ravenscar

[lothiriel84]

Cards on the Table (pt. 1)

A series of post-canon vignettes, each from a different character's point of view. [Part 1/2]

A Faro’s Daughter one-shot collection. Deborah Grantham/Max Ravenscar, with a side of Phoebe Laxton/Adrian Mablethorpe.

1. Lord Mablethorpe

When informed of his cousin’s engagement to Miss Grantham, Lord Mablethorpe immediately betook himself to St James’ Square, where he spent the better part of an hour questioning Deb as to what manner of horrible things Max could have done to thus prevail upon her. In the end, it was Deborah’s extravagant blush as she declared herself very much in love with the gentleman in question that eventually set his doubts to rest. As utterly baffled at this unforeseen turn of events as he still was, at least he had the presence of mind to wish her every happiness before taking his leave, and setting out for Grosvenor Square.

To Ravenscar’s credit, he met his cousin’s stern words on the subject of Miss Grantham’s wellbeing with a good deal of amusement, and promptly assured him that nothing could be farther from his intentions than to cause any further inconvenience to his betrothed; Lord Mablethorpe privately wondered at whatever past inconveniences Max might be referring to, but in the end he was too much in awe of his cousin to probe any deeper into the subject.

He didn’t get to see much of either Max or his intended bride after that, as he was planning to fetch Phoebe from Wales and properly introduce her into society as the new Lady Mablethorpe; he was therefore quite bemused upon received a letter from Arabella, in which she informed him she had taken it upon herself to act as chaperone to the loving couple, much to her elder brother’s chagrin. Being as much acquainted with Max’s habitual aloofness as he was with the matter-of-fact way Deb dealt with her suitors, he could hardly imagine the pair engaging in anything that might be deemed even remotely inappropriate; but then again, he couldn’t have imagined anything less likely than his headstrong cousin offering for the likes of Deborah Grantham, never mind her consenting to it, so perhaps he was the one in the wrong after all.

When informed of Miss Grantham’s impending marriage, young Lady Mablethorpe declared herself utterly delighted, and expressed a wish to call on Lady Bellingham’s as soon as they were back in London; she went as far as to timidly suggest she would like nothing better than to be introduced to Lord Mablethorpe’s cousin, as he was to be married to someone she owed so much of her happiness to – along with her dearest husband, of course.

Adrian made a mental note to write to Max, detailing how he desired for his new wife to be received, and assured Phoebe that he would grant her heart’s wish, in this as in all other matters.

2. Mr Ravenscar

With considerable effort, Max Ravenscar tore himself from his betrothed’s embrace, turning his glare upon the downright annoyance that was his younger sister.

“I have told you, Belle,” he warned her, struggling for some semblance of his usual composure. “If you don’t leave this instant – ”

“But my dearest brother, I couldn’t possibly do that,” she countered, all feigned innocence and concern. At that moment, he couldn’t agree more heartily with his stepmother’s wish to have the little minx safely married and out of their care. “You see, I do remember someone lecturing me at length on how gentlemen should never be trusted with a young woman’s reputation, and I’ll have you know I take such an enlightening piece of advice very seriously.”

“Very seriously indeed,” he retorted sarcastically, taking hold of Deb’s hands to prevent her from stepping away in her embarrassment. “If this is about that wretched ball you’ve pestering me about all week, I can tell you now – ”

“That we shall be glad to escort you to it, my dear,” Deborah interjected in a rush, meeting his frown with a determined look of her own. He opened his mouth to contradict her, noticed the telltale blush colouring her cheeks, and thought better of it.

“Oh! You truly are the dearest of creatures, Miss Grantham,” the little minx exclaimed in delight. “I can scarcely wait for the moment when I shall be able to call you my sister.”

You can’t wish for that more heartily than I do, he thought to himself, even as Arabella impulsively kissed their cheek in turn, and bolted for the door. Pausing on the threshold, she turned around, the perfect picture of mischief. “I will be back in half an hour. I trust you both to behave within the bounds of propriety in the meantime.”

“I shall never be able to look her in the eye again,” Deb lamented as her sister-to-be finally took her leave, yet did nothing to resist him when he gathered her back in his arms.

“Nonsense,” Max declared, wasting no time in resuming his previous attentions. Deborah sighed, made a token protest, then willingly surrendered herself to his embrace.

3. Lord Ormskirk

If there was one thing Lord Ormskirk despised more than being worsted, it was having his fiascos bandied about; which was precisely why he took every pain to make a show of civility towards Ravenscar, regardless of how much losing the divine Deborah to such a man stung him.

After all, he reflected somewhat cynically, he could hardly measure up to a man of Ravenscar’s wealth, and fool enough to offer the lady matrimony; at least young Mablethorpe had his youthful impetuosity to excuse him, but a gentleman of Ravenscar’s age and position ought to have displayed more sense. Unfortunately, his own pride prevented him from calling Ravenscar out, as it was more than apparent that – for some reason beyond his understanding – the delightful creature’s affections were irrevocably set on his younger rival, and he cared too much about his reputation as a gentleman to attempt anything about it.

As it was, he resolved to withstand the sight of the newlywed couple flitting about the crowded ballroom with the closest approximation to a bored smile he could manage. Looking as radiant as ever, Deborah never once left Ravenscar’s side, and was conducting herself with the dignity and grace of a gentlewoman; still, as the evening unfolded, Lord Ormskirk became aware of a curious alteration to her countenance, so much that he reluctantly started to pay attention to whatever manner of things were passing between husband and wife.

Ravenscar was doing his utmost to – provoke her, there was no two ways about it. From where he was standing, he had a clear view of Ravenscar’s hand resting at the small of her back, his thumb tracing lazy patterns over the fabric of her dress. Ormskirk could hardly recall any previous occasion in which the beautiful creature had looked this flustered, and by such a simple action at that. Ah, to be young, and in love, he sighed, shook his head, and lazily strolled towards the bowl of punch.

It was much later into the evening when he clapped his eyes again on the pair; Ravenscar was distractedly sipping a glass of port when Deborah sidled up to him, leaning closer to whisper something in his ear that very nearly caused Ravenscar to choke on his wine. After that, he appeared to be making his excuses to the rest of his party, and all but dragged his wife out of the room. Deborah’s musical laugh rang out clearly as they passed him by, blind to everything except one another, and whatever his sentiments towards the gentleman, Lord Ormskirk was forced to acknowledge how Ravenscar’s infamous luck extended much farther than his horses and cards.

4. Deborah Ravenscar (née Grantham)

Deborah woke up to her husband gently shaking her shoulder, and had she not been so impossibly tired, she would have been mortified to find herself in the position of relying entirely upon him to hand her out of the carriage. She even caught Arabella casting a worried look in her direction before wishing them both a good night and retiring to her chambers.

“It would appear I am turning more and more into a frail old matron by the day,” she jested half-heartedly as he dismissed both his valet and her maid, and insisted upon helping her out of her evening gown himself. “I am exceedingly sorry you had to find out only after our marriage.”

“I would hardly have expected this sort of thing to happen before our marriage,” she heard him utter under his breath, glanced up sharply to meet the odd look he was directing at her through the mirror.

“Whatever can you mean, Max?”

She studied his reflection as he reached for the brush and started applying it to her locks. There was something peculiar about his countenance, something she couldn’t quite place, no matter how hard she strived to.

“Had either of us been blessed with sensible female relations reasonably knowledgeable about such matters, I would have suggested you to seek out their advice,” he sighed. “However, I would never ask you to submit to the indignity of broaching such a delicate issue with my stepmother, or – heaven forbid – my aunt.”

“You’re forgetting Aunt Lizzie,” she protested weakly, by now thoroughly puzzled by his oblique remarks. The truth was, she was so very tired, and his gentle ministrations had her well on her way to falling asleep where she was seated.

Max had the decency to look vaguely embarrassed at her objection. “As admirable as your aunt is, I fear she might not be as well informed upon such matters as we might wish, or she would very likely have enlightened you upon your entering the married state.”

As the meaning of his words finally dawned upon her, she was suddenly grateful for the support provided by her chair, and the pair of steadying hands around her shoulders. She was dimly aware of the clatter of the brush hitting the floor as the room spun around her in a most dizzying fashion, and the next thing she knew she was lying on the bed in their shared chamber, her concerned husband dabbing at her temples with a damp cloth.

“I am well,” she hastened to reassure him, yet she had to concede he was probably right in preventing her from sitting up. “I’m just – surprised, that’s all.”

He considered her in that intent manner he occasionally displayed in her presence. “You truly had no reason to suspect that might be the case?”

“I – I did not think too much of it, if I am honest,” she admitted, fighting the blush she felt creeping upon her cheeks. “We’ve been married for scarcely over two months, after all.”

A teasing smile danced on his face. “And we have been nothing but diligent in our marital duties, dearest.”

Her cheeks in flame, she gathered whatever little amount of energy she still possessed to swat at his arm. “Max!”

“No need to sound so scandalised, my darling wife. But I will have the family physician summoned in the morning, so that we might seek further confirmation of your condition.”

Caught between utter bewilderment and bone-deep tiredness, she made no protest when he helped her shift under the bedcovers, tucking her in as if she were little more than an infant. He pressed his lips to her brow and she let out a sigh of contentment, and was only pulled back from the brink of sleep by a sudden thought. “However did you come to be so knowledgeable about such delicate matters, husband?”

He let out a soft chuckle, his fingers coming up to lightly caress her cheek. “You forget I have the misfortune of possessing a sister almost seventeen years my junior. And you should be well enough acquainted with Olivia by now to know that anyone living under the same roof as my esteemed stepmother would have no choice but to be extensively informed about every single one of her ailments, imaginary or otherwise.”

Deborah snorted her laugh into the pillow, and let his soothing caress lull her into a deep, dreamless slumber.

5. Lady Bellingham

Upon entering the house in Grosvenor Square, Lady Bellingham was vaguely surprised to be shown into the library rather than the front parlour where her niece usually received her; still, she thought nothing of it, until the door opened again to reveal none other than her nephew-in-law, who bowed politely and explained that, as his wife was currently indisposed, she was begging her aunt’s permission to come and visit her sometime in the afternoon.

“Of course, if she wishes to,” Lady Bellingham replied somewhat hesitantly. “I wouldn’t want her to overexert herself, knowing that she is unwell.”

The amused look Mr Ravenscar addressed her did nothing to dispel her confusion. “She will be perfectly recovered by the afternoon, I can assure you, ma’am.”

What a strange, strange man, she thought to herself even as she thanked him and took her leave. The truth was, she had been finding Mr Ravenscar’s conduct exceedingly puzzling ever since he had decided to send back the mortgage and those dreadful bills, all of this after being kidnapped and put in a cellar no less. Infatuation or not, she would hardly have expected such a proud man to offer for her Deb, and yet there they were – her niece safely married to the richest man in town, and herself very comfortably set in a respectable house in Berkeley Square.

Mr Ravenscar’s extremely liberal settlement – as well as his generosity in taking upon himself the remainder of her debts – was enough for her ladyship to feel secure for the rest of her days, and not having to worry for her niece and nephew besides. Still, she couldn’t help but occasionally harbour some lingering worries with regards to the potentially disastrous effects of her niece’s headstrongness and quickness of temper, even more so when combined with similar faults of character in her husband.

As it was, Lady Bellingham spent the remainder of the morning in a state of uneasiness, her agitation increasing by the hour, and she was just about to succumb to one of her fits when Silas Wantage showed up announcing that ‘our Miss Deb – Mrs Ravenscar, I should say’ was at the door.

“Upon my word, Aunt Lizzie, you look dreadful,” Deborah greeted her cheerfully, pressing a kiss on each of her cheeks. “What can possibly have happened since I saw you two days ago?”

One quick glance was enough to reassure her ladyship that her niece was indeed in as good health as could be hoped for; unfortunately, it was also enough to make her aware of the glint of barely concealed mirth in her eye, one that long experience had taught her foretold nothing but trouble.

“What was all that nonsense about you being indisposed, that is what I would very much like to know,” Lady Bellingham said with feeling, reaching for her smelling salts. “You are never ill, Deb – and if you’re up to one of your horrible tricks, I must beg you to tell me everything at once, before my poor nerves give way.”

“Nothing of the sort, Aunt,” Deborah assured her with one of her mischievous grins. “Max and I were simply waiting to be sure, and for all that we’d rather delay a public announcement for as long as can be managed, we both agreed that you should be informed presently.”

Lady Bellingham blinked, and promptly dropped the smelling salts. “Deb! You’re telling me – oh, I do declare, I will positively die of joy – and so soon after the wedding, too!”

“I can’t say I expected it to happen this early,” Deborah laughed. “But as Max is utterly delighted at the prospect, I hardly have any complaints for myself.”

“Oh, but we should write to Kit, of course! And Lucius, too – I know you said you have your reasons for refusing to receive him, but he has been extremely kind to us all these years, and – ”

“All in due time, Aunt Lizzie,” her niece forestalled her, shaking her head in amusement. “As I believe I mentioned before, we would rather keep the news for ourselves a little longer.”

“Very well,” Lady Bellingham conceded at length with a long-suffering sigh. “I won’t pretend I understand the point of such secrecy – but as I see you’re determined, it’s not for me to question your reasons, or your husband’s for that matter.”

Deborah offered her a warm smile – she looked positively radiant, now that she thought about it – and gracefully stooped down to retrieve the smelling salts from behind the settee.

[go to part 2]

[sarah-thundercaller]

This has to be new. I swear this wasn't here when I played this the first time. This was in the beginning quest for Jotun in Grizzleheim.

Edit: we are level 36 going into the ravenscar section. We play as a four person group and try to min max the crap out of it.

[talentforlying]

@beyondthescully: meta about those criminal records scully is 1000% going to look into — SEND META TOPICS.

constantine's criminal record with the british government is file #A571B, and he knows it by heart because he's spent years mind-tricking arresting officers into avoiding it so he doesn't come up against more trouble than he wants to deal with. it doesn't help much if someone researches him independently, when he's not aware they're doing it, but if he does know, he puts a little glamour down so that their eyes simply skip over it when they look him up.

i wouldn't say that he's afraid of people looking up his record, per se, but he certainly dreads it being brought up, since it lists him being convicted of the murder of a child + a nightclub full of people — which, obviously, tends to get a very strong reaction from anyone who didn't hear the real story of newcastle from him ahead of time; we all know that he inadvertently damned astra to hell by summoning (and failing to properly name or bind) the demon nergal to save her from the terror elemental she accidentally created, but without that important context, it reads horrifically — and because it includes the fact that he was committed to ravenscar secure facility in lieu of prison time, which tends to kill people's trust that he's telling the truth about the supernatural and knows what he's doing.

speaking of which, the newcastle incident was highly publicized across the UK at the time (1978), and continues to raise huge red flags when people go to look him up in government databases, but since it was pre-internet, there are no news articles online other than ones that were digitized later and mystery of the casanova club murders / what happened to mucous membrane? (his band) blog posts on conspiracy & occult fansites. it's kind of an urban legend these days, since constantine is now the last survivor of the original crew and band and his name is notorious in occult circles, but you'll never get him to talk about it unless he's being forced to defend himself or he trusts you with his fucking life, and good luck with that second one.

US databases will also include a murder conviction from new york in 2000, when he was framed for the death of a top gangster, sentenced to max security, and later cleared, but since he was cleared, under new york law, that record is now sealed and can only be seen by federal, state, and local law enforcement. unfortunately, that one's an azzarello storyline so i plan to rework the fuck out of those events, because fuck azzarello.)

[izzythehutt]

Faro’s Daughter might be the funniest Heyer I’ve read. The heroine straight-up kidnaps the hero in order to strong-arm him into handing over the mortgage on her aunt’s gaming house, but refuses to accept it when he escapes and calmly sends it over??? She wanted it but not like this???

[lackadaisycal-art]

New Year's Eve redraw! The original is about 2 years old

[the-knights-who-say-book]

REVIEW: Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb: Deborah Grantham, a gambler's daughter, uses her beauty and cleverness to keep her aunt’s gaming club in business. With the club on the brink of financial ruin, Deb desperately needs to find a way to restore herself and her aunt to respectability. But she detests both her marriage prospects: an old, rich lord whose immoral reputation disgusts her, or the young, puppyish, noble Adrian Mablethorpe.

Max Ravenscar, vastly wealthy, clever, and imperturbable, has no intention of letting his young cousin Adrian squander his prospects by marrying a gambling-club wench. But to Ravenscar's surprise, Deb turns out to be remarkably handsome, witty, and—he can scarcely believe it—well-bred. Disarmed, he expects her to be reasonable and accept the bribe he offers to give up her young suitor.

But Deb is far more stubborn that he anticipated. Though she never intended to marry Adrian in the first place, being bought off is an insult so scathing it leads to a volley of passionate reprisals, escalating between them to a level of flair and fury that can only have one conclusion. Have they finally met their matches?

Review: “Two idiots love fighting each other so much that they might just have to get married about it” continues to be the best genre. People who know what they're talking about would probably say this isn't really like Pride and Prejudice at all, and they're probably be right, but I, a dumbass, will tell you that this has big Pride and Prejudice vibes.

The entire premise of the book is so good. Forget accidental miscommunication for drama, let's all focus on PURPOSEFUL miscommunication for drama in 2020! The fact that Deb is so stubborn that she lets Ravenscar continue believing things she could clear up in two seconds flat just because she hates him that much is just so relatable and lovable, while everyone around her is just going "Deb why. This is literally making your life harder why don't you just clear up the misunderstanding." and Deb's like “RAVENSCAR. MUST. SUFFER.” meanwhile Ravenscar, bless his heart, despite being extremely smart, manages to misunderstand even more things that Deb refuses to clear up. FANTASTIC.

And lest you think Deb is the only stubborn one in this power couple, Ravenscar is straight up so contrary that he yells at a man for trying to help him escape a kidnapping. ALSO FANTASTIC.

In conclusion: historical fiction of straight couples might be valid, actually.

[livia-dovehallow]

I Am a Shadowhunter - Cecily Herondale

{Based on the song “Salt” by Ava Max. It’s quite long for a solo story, but you can read it on AO3 as well. This turned out MUCH longer than I originally anticipated.} Uh oh / I’ve got breaking news / and it’s not about you / Uh oh “My name is Cecily Herondale, you see. And I’ve come to be trained as a Shadowhunter.”

The room was deathly quiet. Several pairs of wide, shocked eyes gazed at her. Cecily only cared about one of them. “Gwilym,” she breathed. 

Will did not answer her. He stared back, pale and unmoving. He had grown up considerably since the last time she saw him. He was much taller, muscular, and covered in dark tattoos she knew only as Marks. She had hoped he would have been much happier to see her. 

“Miss Herondale,” said the woman standing at the head of the dining table. Her voice did not waver, but her eyes betrayed her clear shock. “You wish to join the Nephilim?”

“That is what I said,” Cecily answered, her eyes not leaving Will. The other people about the room continued to flicker their eyes between her and her brother. Finally, the boy with silver hair cleared his throat. 

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Herondale,” he said. “I’m James Carstairs. Call me Jem.��� Cecily nodded. His silver hair matched the bright silver eyes that met hers. He seemed wary of Will’s reaction, glancing back at him for a moment before continuing. “I’m your brother’s parabatai.”

Cecily only moved her attention back to Will. She had no knowledge of parabatai and did not intend to gain any. She had come to bring Will home. “Nothing from you?” She asked him, ice evident in her voice that had not been there before, when she first saw him and whispered his name. “I should think you’d be glad to see your sister after so long.”

The woman who had spoken earlier clasped her hands before any more could be said. “Sophie, please prepare a bedroom for Miss Herondale. It is nearly time for bed and she should not have to rest in the drawing room after such a journey.” The maid in the corner nodded and dashed out of the room.“My name is Charlotte Branwell,” the woman said to Cecily. “I am the head of this Institute. As Nephilim, you are welcome to stay with us here and train. We will provide you gear. Have you any prior training?”

Will finally made a sound, though it made little difference to Cecily. “No,” she answered. “But I am a quick learner.”

Uh oh / I’ve been breaking hearts too / and I learned it all from you / Uh oh

Will roughly caught her arm after dinner as she stood to leave. “What are you doing here?”

The last person quickly fled the room and Cecily cleared her throat. “So, this is where you ran off to.”

His head jerked up. For a moment, Cecily thought he had looked defeated. 

“Yes,” he said to her flatly. “And you were not supposed to ever follow me.”

“Why not?” She snapped. “I am Nephilim, same as you.”

Will looked at her and she could clearly see he was holding back pain. “Cecy,” he whispered. She had not heard her nickname in five years.

“What did we do that was so horrible, Will, that you left your family and came here,” she said, her voice lilting. “To the people who forced our father into exile simply because he fell in love? To the people who never wanted us to exist?” Will flinched at her words. 

“I did it for you, Cecy. For all of you.” The words seemed to spill out.

She opened her mouth to answer but found no words. She had not thought that was what he was going to say. “Excuse me?”

He sighed, his body shaking ever so noticeably. “I did it to protect you. What happened to Ella was my fault, Cecy, and I couldn’t let it happen to you, too.” Cecily felt her chest tighten at her sister’s name. “I ran so you would all forget me. It was the only way.”

“The only way?” She asked, incredulously. “I was nine, Will. I thought you hated me.”

Will’s eyes widened. “By the Angel, Cecily, I could never hate you.”

“I came here to bring you home,” she told him. “I saw the warlock you sent to check on us at Ravenscar Manor. He told me you missed me. I thought—” she paused, then whispered, “I thought you wanted to see me.”

Will continued to stare at her, shocked. “When I saw you at Ravenscar, I didn’t know what to do. I did not think I would have seen anyone there, least of all you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it a wild mess. “Something came over me and I tried to run to you. But it wasn’t safe. Jem stopped me.”

Cecily felt her body heat up. “You were there,” she struggled. “And you said nothing.”

“I couldn’t.” Will reached for her, but she pulled away from him instinctively. He winced. “I would have put you, all of you, in more danger if you saw me.” He seemed to realize something. “But a warlock? I never sent any warlock.”

“Well, I saw him. Hiding in the grass on the hill, spying. I asked him if you sent him to check on us and he told me you missed me. I thought it meant you wanted to come home. When you didn’t come, I left. I probably broke Mam and Da’s hearts, same as you did, to come to Shadowhunters.”

Will gaped. “Mam and Da don’t know where you are?” 

“Maybe. I left them a short letter. I told them I was coming to bring you home. I assume they only learned of it long after I was gone.”

They stood for a long moment, looking at each other. Cecily suspected that the look on her face had fallen to the same look of heartbreak that her brother’s face showed. “Why did you leave?” She finally asked again, her voice no higher than crackling of the fire.

“The curse,” he whispered. Upon seeing her face, he continued. “Cecy, when I opened that Pyxis, the box in Da’s office, the demon that killed Ella told me that he’d cursed me. That anyone who ever loved me would die. That night, Ella died, and I knew I had to leave. I couldn’t let that happen to you or our parents. It was the only way I could keep you safe from me.”

Cecily’s eyes widened. Will hadn’t broken his eye contact with her. He looked so somber and broken. He continued. “I was at Ravenscar Manor because we’re looking for someone dangerous. We followed a lead to the manor, thinking we’d find him there. But instead we found you.” “Mortmain,” Cecily whispered. “Why are you looking for Mortmain?” Will shook his head. “The point, Cecily, is that everything I’ve ever done in the last five years has been to keep the people I love safe. But—” He choked.

“But what?” 

“But today I learned there was never any curse.” He sank back into his seat. “The demon only convinced me there was. He confessed to fabricating the whole thing when I faced him tonight. I left Wales thinking I was protecting my family, but I only hurt them. I hurt you.” Cecily stood, stunned. “There is no curse,” she said slowly. “So, you can come home.” Will shook his head violently. “I can’t come home Cecily. This is my home now. You have to understand. It is you who needs to go home.” Cecily curled her hands into fists. “I will not go home without you. If you will not return with me, then I will stay right here and train to be a Shadowhunter.” Will looked up at her, suddenly furious. “No! You are going home, Cecy. This world is not safe. Curse or no curse, you have to stay away.” She glared back at him. “Oh, I will stay. And I will train until you choose to come home with me.” I’ve got my thigh-highs on / feel like Wonder Woman / that’s when you want all in / but I’m not your woman / when my lipstick pops / and I feel like Monroe / that’s when you want me most / Uh oh The rush was exhilarating.

With every swing of a blade and release of a knife, Cecily felt more and more at home. When days turned into weeks of training, she felt less motivated to return to Yorkshire. She had even relented in begging Will to return, asking him only to write their parents a letter.

Even the feel of gear against her skin felt right. She had never worn trousers before, but it made practical sense to her. A lady’s dress would only slow her down. She looked about the training room and closed her eyes for a moment, reminding herself where she was. She remembered the feel of the stele on her right hand, where she received her first Mark.

“Why should I bother if you’re not going to listen?” Her brother’s voice had snapped. Cecily opened her eyes and glared at Will.

“Because you have to,” Cecily had answered. “I’ve joined the Nephilim, I must be trained, and you don’t trust anyone else in the Institute to train me.”

She knew he was never going to be happy that she had stayed. But, as she spent more time amongst the inhabitants of the London Institute, she understood why Will did. When Cecily landed on the rough gravel of Chiswick House, she had expected to be more graceful about it. Instead, she stared at her wrist, which bent in an unnatural manner. She felt someone’s arms around her help her off the ground. She initially thought it was Will, whose voice she had heard shout as she fell. When she looked up, she was surprised to stare into green eyes instead of blue.

The boy said nothing, but he looked at her in wonder. She felt his fingers under her chin, holding her head up and keeping her gaze on his. She wondered if that was surprise she saw in his eyes. Recognition? Awe? Moments later Will appeared, shoving the boy from her. “Stay away from my sister,” Will had yelled at him. “That was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen a Shadowhunter do,” the boy said to her. His voice was definitely full of awe. 

Cecily glanced at him and bit back a smile. I’m all out of salt / I’m not gonna cry  / won’t give you want you want / ‘cuz I look way too good tonight / I’m all out of salt / tears are running dry / won’t give you want you want / ‘cuz I look way too good tonight Cecily felt at home, standing before the London Institute, her hair pinned and dress neat. She held her head high and smiled. “I intend to stay here, Charlotte, at the Institute,” she had said, though her announcement was to everyone. “I want to remain a Shadowhunter.” Charlotte smiled. Gabriel gazed at her, smiling the way he had in those moments in the stables. Will, despite everything he had ever done to prevent her from staying, smiled at her, too.

“I know I belong here, with my brother and with all of you,” she continued. “I am most like myself here. I feel it when I wake up and I feel it when I sleep. I am a Shadowhunter.”

“And you are a member of this household, Cecily Herondale,” Charlotte said. “Welcome home.”

///////

[simonlovvelace]

Waywood + 46? (I want marry with your fics ^-^)

sorry it’s late!

(46: “dance with me.”)

Being dead was nothing like Robert had pictured it.

If he’d been imagining some kind of bright light at the end of the tunnel, a place of judgment, or a reincarnation, he was disappointed. It was more like blacking out for a second, a moment of nothing, and then he woke up in the green countrysides of Idris, still the same man he’d been five seconds ago.

Except now he could see everyone–dead and alive–and only the dead people knew he was there.

He saw people he’d known from his time in the Circle–Stephen and Céline Herondale, Jeremy Pontmercy, maybe even a flash of Valentine’s white-blond hair. He nodded hellos, still not quite sure what he was seeing. Was he really dead? And if so, did that make Idris Heaven?

He strolled past family manors–Fairchild, Ravenscar, Cartwright–and up through the winding streets of Alicante, trying to think through his next steps. Was he supposed to move on from this place, or was his home country meant to be his final resting place? It gave him comfort to think that, if he stayed, he would still see his family when they visited Idris, even if they didn’t know he was there.

It was the silver lining in a very dark cloud.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to clear the fog of sadness and confusion that lay thick in his mind.

“Robert.”

Robert froze, almost to the top of Gard Hill. If his heart still beat, it would have been hammering in his chest, but he could still imagine the blood freezing in his veins as he recognized and processed the voice.

Slowly, Robert unlocked his joints, stretched his muscles, and made himself turn around. “Michael,” he breathed, a tight pain unfurling inside him. It was like being stabbed all over again.

His parabatai stood behind him, as joyful and charming as ever, looking just as he had when he’d died. Something that looked suspiciously like ash covered his clothes in a thin film, powdering his hair and smearing on his cheek. Robert looked down and noticed in surprise the red stain on his chest, though he felt no pain. “Robert,” Michael said again, and broke into an easy smile, the kind Robert remembered from their childhood, full of sunlight and fresh hair and happiness. It faltered a little as it found the rusty stain on Robert’s shirt, but his eyes still glimmered with joy. “I was wondering when you would join me here. Stab wound?”

Robert nodded grimly. Michael smiled again and shrugged, his perpetual young energy coming off him in waves. “Beats being burned to death,” he said.

“Michael …” Robert said. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say–that he was sorry for how he’d acted all those years ago? When Michael had confessed his true feelings, Robert had shoved him away, brutally and without compassion. How was he supposed to apologize for that? “Have you … seen me here, over the years?”

Michael looked slightly confused at the question, but regained his composure quickly. “I have,” he said, nodding. “You have a beautiful family. And that blond boy, your adopted son–Jace?–is he Stephen’s? I wasn’t able to catch the whole story there.”

Robert nodded, and was surprised when his throat tightened, his eyes filling with tears. Apparently the dead could still cry. “I thought he was your son,” he whispered. “I raised him all that time, thinking that I was making it up to you, but⸺”

“Making what up to me?” Michael asked, his voice gentle and soft, the way it always had been. Even after Robert’s rejection, he’d been graceful and kind. “Whatever mistakes we might have made before–and both of us made several–I’m just glad you’re here, Robert. My friend, my parabatai.”

“No,” said Robert, blowing out a frustrated breath. “I have to tell you that I’m so sorry for–for what I did to you all those years ago. I abandoned you, my brother by oath, and I was so blind. I should have realized that there was nothing wrong with the way you felt about me. My son–Alec–he taught me what it truly means to be a man, and a friend, and I was a terrible man and an even worse friend when I … when I was alive. So I’m sorry, Michael. For everything.”

Michael smiled again, but this time it held a tinge of sadness and the weight of several years in it. Even after death, he observed the living world; the past twenty years hadn’t escaped him. “I forgave you so many years ago,” Michael said, laughing. “Robert, I couldn’t ever stay angry with you. You know that. It wasn’t your fault that you didn’t return my feelings, but there is one way you can make it up to me, if you insist.”

Robert brightened up at that, straightening his spine. “What is it?” he asked, the chance to redeem himself tempting him like an apple on a high branch just out of his reach. “I’ll do anything.”

Michael took a deep breath and held out his hand. “Dance with me,” he said.

Robert heard the words, but it took a long moment to process them, and another one to react to Michael’s outstretched hand. He almost protested, but what was the point? He no longer felt the way he had as a young man, and thinking of the way he treated Michael in the past made guilt twist in his stomach. If this was what he had to do to earn redemption, he would do it.

Hesitantly, Robert stepped forward and took Michael’s hand, pulling him into a loose embrace with his free arm. Michael rested his head on Robert’s shoulder and began swaying to music only he could hear, relaxing into his parabatai’s grip. They stayed like that for five minutes, or an hour, or a day, until Michael let out the tiniest of sighs and pulled away. Robert found that he almost missed the feeling of him in his arms.

“Thank you,” Michael whispered, his characteristic smile returning to his face. “I love you, Robert.”

The words struck Robert hard, disorienting him for a moment. They were the same words Michael had said to him all those years ago, when Robert had been so scared, a child pretending he knew what love was supposed to be.

But love had so many different, complex forms. They were all different, and Robert had discovered that you never loved two people the same way. He loved Alec differently than he loved Isabelle, though he did love them equally; Jace and Max, despite their differences, held the same amount of different loves in his heart. And Maryse, who he had loved for so many years, still made his heart ache with affection, but he loved Michael in an entirely different and yet exciting way.

Robert took a deep breath, his heart lifting with joy as it reunited with its brother. “I love you too, Michael,” he said, and they began to walk together to the heart of Alicante.

-send me a pairing and a prompt!-

[constitutionalweasleymonarchy]

For the bingo - I’m not sure what Heyer’s you like but any or all out of Lord Worth (I’m not sure my own opinion of him is that popular) Max Ravenscar and Lord Damerel ☺️ Also I saw your ask about N&S and thought it my duty to inform you if you weren’t already aware that Richard Armitage has done the narration for a few of the GH audiobooks!!

Can you believe it, I actually haven’t read Faro’s Daughter or Regency Buck! I have, however, read Venetia, though unfortunately my feelings on Damerel are tepid at best. 😬

(I do, however, love Venetia for giving us Aubrey Lanyon, probably one of my favorite characters I’ve ever read. I’d put him down as ‘best character in the work’ and ‘not enough screen time.)

I am… not sure I’m emotionally strong enough to make it through Richard Armitage reading an entire regency romance novel to me. 👀 🥵

Thank you for the ask! I don’t get to talk Heyer with a lot of people!

[ladyherenya]

Books read in July

Four audiobooks (two fantasy, two historical). Two graphic novels and a Webtoon (fantasy). Five fantasy novels, including an illustrated children’s novel.  A short story collection (also fantasy). One YA  book from my shelves (mostly historical). All library books were borrowed through Overdrive.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also my Dreamwidth blog.)

Lore Olympus by Rachel Symthe: Not a book but a Webtoon released in weekly episodes. I binged 23 episodes of this in July (and have read another 5 since). A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone. Parts of it are super cute! The artwork is gorgeous, bold and vibrant; I particularly like the night-time scenes. Persephone is a utter delight; Hades owns a lot of dogs and his initial kidnapping of Persephone is accidental and short-lived, effectively sidestepping the hugely problematic basis for their relationship in the original myth. This is a story interested in respecting characters’ agency. So far, the darker episodes have been handled sensitively. I want more RIGHT NOW.

Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll (narrated by Victoria Fox): After 13 year old Olive is injured during an air raid and her older sister goes missing, Olive and her younger brother are evacuated to the Devon coast. This is poignant and eventful, about life during WWII and attempts to help refugees. It twists and ties everything together very neatly -- more than I was expecting, but this is a children’s novel. I’d have thought it perfect when I was Olive’s age! Reading it now, I was struck by how relevant this sort of story is today. I also really liked Olive’s observations, and the vividness of the coastal community.

Clocktaur War by T. Kingfisher (aka Urusla Vernon):

Clockwork Boys: I wasn’t sure if I’d like this -- criminals on a suicidal mission isn’t my thing -- but I finished it and the sequel within 24 hours. A convicted forger with allergies, an assassin, a disgraced paladin and a young scholar are sent to stop an army of clockwork boys. I loved this! It isn’t as grim and cynical as it sounds. There’s banter and teamwork -- and amusing commentary on the physical discomforts of travelling on a quest. (One of Kingfisher’s strengths is taking something typically fantasy and blending it with something prosaic.) And I cared more about the characters than I expected to.

The Wonder Engine: Slate and her companions have reached Anuket City but are still in danger. I really like this. Again, it involves humour and the teamwork and characters I cared about. I appreciate that these are characters who have made mistakes and have have work out how to move on from their failures. I like the way the romance develops. The beginning of the book meanders a bit but then things become tense and fraught, drawing together various aspects of the story in a way which is unexpectedly clever and unexpectedly heartbreaking.

Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer (narrated by Laura Paton): Oh, this was so much fun! It brims with Pride and Prejudice parallels, but that doesn’t bother me because the characters’ personalities, circumstances and motives are different. When Max Ravenscar hears that his young cousin plans to marry “a wench from a gaming-house”, he sets out to intervene. Deborah doesn’t want to marry Mablethorpe, but, insulted by Ravenscar’s attempts to bribe her, she pretends otherwise to annoy him. I was delighted by their interactions. Deborah’s passionate, with a fierce sense of honour, but also sensible and kind. Ravenscar’s level-headed, has a sense of humour and knows when to apologise.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples:

Volume Five: This deals with the aftermath of Volume Four. It is full of missions which succeed in some way... only to then fail in another way. I was relieved that nothing worse happened, but I didn’t enjoy it much. There were a couple of deaths which disappointed me -- not because I was sad but because their deaths didn’t feel necessary and they made the story less interesting and less complex. I like seeing characters grow and change, and there’s just less potential for a character to build new relationships or challenge other characters when they are dead...

Volume Six: Hazel starts attending kindergarten in a detention centre, her parents search for a way to reunite their family and their enemies continue to pursue them. I enjoyed this volume a lot more than the previous two, because it has what they lacked: Alana and Marko working together! Their relationship is one of my favourite things about this series. They are delightful -- sometimes impulsive and reckless, but also optimistic and loving. They’re the reason I’m prepared to read a story which is frequently darker than I’d prefer. I also appreciated that there was positive resolution to the Hazel-is-abducted plotline.

Granny was a Buffer Girl by Berlie Doherty: A short coming-of-age story about love and leaving home as experienced by several generations of a working class family. On Jess’s last evening at home, her grandparents and parents tells stories about growing up in the 30s and 50s, and Jess reflects on her own experiences. There are all sorts of interesting details in these stories. Telling them side-by-side shows how times changes and how people take different paths to adulthood, but I wished it had focused more on some stories than others. Some of the prose is lovely, and as a whole this book is… oddly melancholy and memorable.

Discworld books by Terry Pratchett:

Wyrd Sisters (narrated by Celia Imrie): A king is murdered by his cousin, his young son is hidden with a group of travelling thespians and three witches break with custom by meddling in politics. This has some fabulously funny Macbeth references and lots of clever descriptions. I liked the witches, especially Granny Weatherwax and Magrat. However, I found some of the witches’ cattiness and pettiness frustrating. The plot is also more predictable than some of Pratchett’s. I wonder if I’d have been more invested in the story had there been more character growth (or more personal stakes) and less parody… Anyway, I liked this enough.

Making Money (narrated by Stephen Briggs): Reread, originally read 2012. I didn’t have much to say about it at the time: “Clever, witty and satirical, like Going Postal. I enjoyed it, but it failed to impress me (or make me laugh) quite as much. Perhaps it was a bit too much more-of-the-same?” No, the problem was that I didn’t listen to the audiobook! Pratchett is more engaging and much funnier when read aloud. Moist von Lipwig is the sort to get into trouble due to boredom; he’s at his most inspired when he’s flying by the seat of his pants. This is fun to watch. I couldn’t remember much about his adventures in banking, which made this reread even more entertaining. And appearances are made by the Watch… I would very happily gobble up more.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik: Compelling and beautifully written, a story about winter, silver and girls who make themselves cold to protect those they love. It most obviously draws upon “Rumpelstiltskin”, but I recognised elements from other fairytales. I liked how the girls’ stories fit together and how they have to work together (and would have liked it even had there been more of that!) They come from different classes and family situations, but they each have to navigate limited choices, unwelcome offers of marriage and unexpected responsibilities. Their most important, most positive relationships, are familial ones -- a source of warmth in this wintry story.

The Halcyon Fairy Book by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon): This has two parts. The Annotated Fairy Tales is a collection of strange fairytales interrupted with amusing commentary from Kingfisher, highlighting the weird bits and speculating about explanations for the characters’ behaviour. Some fairytales are even weirder than I realised. My favourite for its wackiness was “The Golden Apple Tree and the Nine Peahens”. My favourite as a story was “The Deer Prince”. Toad Words and Other Stories is a collection of Kingfisher’s short stories and poems. I love how she blends fairytales with reality, and does so with honesty, hope and humour. I should read everything else she’s written.

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew by Ursula Vernon: Nurk the shrew receives a letter intended for his grandmother, whose whereabouts are unknown. Nurk has never left home before but, packing clean socks and his grandmother’s diary (for advice), he sets out to return the letter to sender. Short and illustrated. Cute without being twee.

[lothiriel84]

Cards on the Table (pt. 2)

A series of post-canon vignettes, each from a different character's point of view. [Part 2/2]

A Faro’s Daughter one-shot collection. Deborah Grantham/Max Ravenscar, with a side of Phoebe Laxton/Adrian Mablethorpe.  

[go back to part 1]

6. Lady Mablethorpe

Augusta Laxton surely was the most insufferable woman on earth, Lady Mablethorpe decided as her son finally bundled his affronted mother-in-law into her carriage. Not that she blamed Phoebe, of course – with a mother like that, anyone would sooner take to their bed than receive any visitors, and there was the poor girl’s condition to be considered. If there was one thing Lady Mablethorpe was not willing to tolerate, it was risking the health of her future grandchild – and prospective heir to Mablethorpe, as she cherished the hope – for the sake of such a selfish creature’s greediness and insensitivity.

“I thought she would never leave,” murmured Arabella at her side, heaving a not-precisely-ladylike sigh of relief. As she couldn’t help but agree on the sentiment, if not her niece’s manners, Lady Mablethorpe simply nodded her assent, and turned her attention to her cup of tea.

“I for one am glad to see Adrian standing up for his wife,” Deborah Ravenscar declared, not unreasonably, and if her ladyship hadn’t heard it with her own ears, she would have called anyone a fool who dared to suggest that her nephew was in fact capable of anything as undignified as a snigger. Marriage was doing Max a world of good, she had to admit, and for all that she still congratulated herself on being spared such a dubious connection, she privately had to acknowledge that, gaming house or not, Lady Bellingham’s niece displayed more respectability and sense than many a duke’s daughter.

“I’m terribly sorry you had to bear witness to such a scene,” Adrian apologised presently, and all but collapsed into the nearest chair. “Lady Laxton is – well, you’ve seen. Truth be told, we’re planning to remove to Mablethorpe as soon as Phoebe is well enough to face the trip.”

“I agree that is probably the wisest course of action,” Max considered thoughtfully, relieving his wife of her empty teacup. The new Mrs Ravenscar offered him a quick, warm smile for his troubles, and let him fuss with her shawl with a look of barely concealed amusement.

“Adrian, dear, do you think Phoebe would be willing to receive me, if only for a few moments? I would very much like to offer her my congratulations in person.”

“Oh, I’m sure she won’t mind seeing you, Deb,” was the prompt reply. “She’s ever so fond of you, and with good reason, as you well know.”

If her ladyship had to suppress a wince at this overly familiar form of address between the pair, she was too well-bred to let it show. And as her nephew appeared more than willing to tolerate such liberties from both parties, it was hardly her place to intervene.

“Give our cousin my love,” Arabella prompted sweetly, even as Max stood offering his arm and escorted his wife out of the room in a most attentive manner. Well, this is beyond everything, she thought to herself, and it took her a full minute to finally register the peculiar way her niece-in-law’s dress – sporting a much more conservative cut than she was normally wont to wear – hugged her figure.

“Max, you impossible creature!” she gasped as her nephew resumed his previous place on the settee. “Are you to tell us we ought to congratulate you as well?”

Had the sudden smile gracing his customarily severe countenance not been indication enough, the air of contrived innocence assumed by her niece would have been her answer. It was plain that Arabella was in on her brother’s secret, just as Adrian had been kept in the dark until that very moment.

“You mean – oh Max, and you never said anything! When are we to expect...?”

“Late summer, we believe.”

As her ladyship’s grandchild wasn’t due until early autumn, she was forced to hold back an irrational twinge of resentment – which promptly turned into a gleam of excitement as the full possibilities started to dawn upon her. So absorbed was she in the contemplation of a much desirable closer alliance between their two families that she all but missed her son’s heartfelt congratulations, and was only brought back to the present day by the sardonic look in her nephew’s eye.

“I fear it is incumbent upon me to warn you, ma’am, that I am determined to see any son or daughter of mine married out of choice rather than duty, or any relation’s wishes.”

“Don’t be absurd, Max,” she chided him, deeply irritated that her secret hopes should be so openly addressed, and just as callously dismissed.

“No child of mine will be induced into matrimony by anything but the deepest of loves,” Adrian declared with an air of affronted dignity, eliciting a startled giggle from his young cousin – who was well enough informed of the circumstances accompanying the sudden transferral of his affections from one lady to another, her aunt reflected gloomily.

Still, Lady Mablethorpe consoled herself reflecting that nothing prevented one of her future grandchildren from falling in love with one among her nephew’s offspring, and she would be there to help things along if she had any say in the matter.

7. Christopher Grantham

“Mr Grantham, what a pleasant surprise! Have you come to visit your sister?”

The gentleman in question shut his eyes briefly, and valiantly set out to ignore the small pang of longing in his chest. Arabella Ravenscar was as lovely a vision as ever in her walking dress and bonnet, and he was faced with the sudden impulse to run up the stairs and gather her in his arms. Only the painful memories of the lady’s inconstancy in her affections stopped him from acting on such an impulse, and he remembered himself in time to bow deeply as she passed him by.

“Indeed I am, Miss Ravenscar,” he replied politely, quickly averting his gaze. “Permit me to wish you a very good day.”

When he was finally admitted to his sister’s presence, Kit Grantham was still so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he didn’t immediately notice the hustle and bustle of servants, as if they were in the middle of packing their mistress’ belongings for an imminent journey.

“Are you going out of town?” he ventured to enquire at length, and was met with a tinkle of laughter from his dearest sister.

“I’m sure I explained it all to you in my last letter, Kit,” she shook her head, apparently amused. “Max and I agreed that Chamfreys would be a great deal more comfortable for my confinement.”

That finally prompted his gaze to drop to her stomach, and he couldn’t refrain from widening his eyes at the sight he was met with. His sister was – huge, there were no two ways about it, and for the first time in his life he actually stopped to consider such an uncomfortable topic as childbearing, and how it might affect any and all females of his acquaintance.

“And are you – I mean to say, is everything – oh, don’t make me say it, Deb, I beg of you.”

His sister took pity on him, and offered him a sympathetic smile. “We are both as well as can be expected, and I’m positive your nephew or niece is eager to meet you, when the time comes.”

“I’m sure I have no idea how ladies are so willing to put themselves through any of this,” he blurted out, immediately blushing at his own forwardness. “Oh, forget I said anything, I’m all out of sorts this morning.”

Deb considered him for a long moment. “Did you by any chance happen to run into my dear sister as she was preparing to go out for her walk in the park?”

He let out a rueful sigh, twisting his gloves in his hands. “I was so sure of her, Deb, I still cannot conceive how she had it in herself to deceive me so.”

“Oh, Kit, I know for a fact she didn’t mean to, but she’s so very young, and more than a little spoilt besides. I hope with time to have more of a good influence on her, and I’m so very sorry you had to suffer because of this – but let me be blunt and assure you that the two of you would not have suited in the slightest, and it is much wiser to take the time to get better acquainted with your prospective partner for life before setting your heart irrevocably on them.”

Kit Grantham turned a mildly reproachful gaze on his elder sister. “Deb, by your own admission you and Ravenscar had only been acquainted for two weeks before he proposed, and you weren’t even in town for one of those same weeks.”

Deborah laughed. “That’s true, but I would hardly call ours an ordinary courtship, and you said yourself that we must have been both out of our senses to even consider marriage after I had him locked in our cellar.”

“Utterly and completely mad,” he nodded with conviction, though deep down he was quite in awe of how noticeably happy his sister had been since becoming Mrs Ravenscar. Perhaps there was still hope for him after his disappointment, after all.

Once he’d kissed his sister goodbye and presented her with his most sincere wishes for a smooth confinement, he left the house in Grosvenor Square with a spring in his step, and the first glimmer of hope that he might, one day, procure the same kind of happiness for himself.

8. Miss Ravenscar

“Arabella, my dear, how can you forget your manners so?” her mother complained weakly after her as she rushed up the stairs, and all but barged into her brother’s study unannounced.

“Good day to you, Belle,” Max greeted her with intolerable composure, gathering the documents spread in front of him into a neat pile. “I trust you had a pleasant journey?”

“Max, how could you be so unbearably reticent in that note of yours? You must tell me everything, at once!”

“Why, I thought I had been perfectly clear,” he demurred, yet she could clearly see the corners of his lips trembling into the beginnings of a smile. “Both mother and child are perfectly well, and they are currently resting – or at least, they were doing so when I left them, not half an hour ago.”

“Max!” she glared at him in frustration. “Am I the aunt to a little boy, or a girl?”

“Always so impatient,” he shook his head, and stood up. “You are aware, I’m sure, that the proper thing for us to do is to go downstairs, and share the announcement with your affectionate mother.”

“You know very well you don’t care a fig for propriety, and as for Mama, I’m positive she will survive. It’s not as if she’s the child’s grandmother – not really, anyway.”

“And thank heavens for that,” she heard him murmur under his breath, and gave him a hard pinch in retaliation. “Now, if you think you can behave yourself for longer than two minutes at a time, it would be my pleasure to introduce you to the new addition to our family party.”

Mollified by the prospect, she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, and offered him a most demure smile. “I will be on my best behaviour, I promise.”

In short order, she was introduced into her sister-in-law’s bedchamber, greeted her with a kiss on her exceptionally pale cheek, and couldn’t refrain from taking hold of both of her hands and questioning her at length about her ordeal.

“Do not fret yourself so, my dear,” Deborah reassured her warmly, patting her on the arm. “It is not so very bad, and you will see for yourself how the blessing that comes of is well worth the pain.”

Arabella cast an extremely dubious glance at her pallid complexion and the look of utter exhaustion about her countenance. Still, Deborah’s eyes were sparkling with barely restrained joy, and she could hardly miss the brightness of her smile when the nurse strode in with her charge in her arms.

“My dearest sister, I would like you to meet your new nephew, Adrian,” Max announced, with no small amount of pride in his voice. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the delicate features of the sleeping infant’s face, his miniature hands curled in small fists around a corner of his blanket.

“He’s so tiny,” she breathed out in wonderment, extending a finger to trace the contours of one diminutive fist. “Did you say his name is – Adrian? Does our cousin know?”

“Not at present, though it will be our pleasure to inform him as soon as he visits, like he promised,” her brother smiled, his eyes searching for Deborah’s. “He is after all the reason why we met in the first place, and I cannot think of a better way to honour his – most unwitting – role in bringing us together.”

“Oh, but you must prepare yourselves, Mama will be most disappointed that you didn’t choose our late father’s name for the child,” Arabella said ruefully. “I wish I could talk her out of it, I really do, but you know her, Max.”

“I do,” Max nodded with a great deal of forbearance, and took hold of his infant son with such an air of practiced ease that had his sister most surprised. “Now, we shall go downstairs and introduce the little one to Olivia, thus sparing my darling wife the trial of being faced with my stepmother’s complaints until she’s well on her way to recovery.”

“That’s most considerate of you, dear husband,” Deborah laughed, her gaze lingering on the child with such undisguised tenderness that Arabella found herself wondering what it would be like, one day, to hold her own son or daughter in her arms.

9. Phoebe Mablethorpe (née Laxton)

Young Lady Mablethorpe quietly studied her husband as he leaned over the bassinet with an expression of pure rapture on his handsome face. He looked ever so pleased with their newborn daughter, and yet, she couldn’t seem to put her mother’s rather uncomplimentary speech out of her mind.

“Oh, Adrian,” she whispered timidly, walking up to his side. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do my duty and provide you with an heir. I promise it will be a son next time.”

The sudden, horrified look on her husband’s face gave her pause, and she didn’t even think to resist when he gathered her in his arms quite abruptly.

“Phoebe, how can you speak so! I find I have no words to express how much I love our little Deb, and I wouldn’t want to trade her for anything in the world, do you hear me?”

“I do,” she nodded meekly, hiding her face into his waistcoat. “It’s just, Mama says that – ”

His arms tightened around her, and she felt him press a fierce kiss on top of her head. “Dearest, I hate to speak ill of your mother, you know I do, but the truth is, you ought not listen to a word she says when it comes to such matters.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologised at once, nestling further into his embrace. “And I do love our daughter so, I hate to think she will be looked down by our families until I can bear you a son.”

Adrian chuckled, and placed a gentle finger under her chin. “Well, my mother for one is positively delighted with her granddaughter, if only because she’s already forming some serious designs for her to marry into the Ravenscar fortune. And you know how pleased our cousins are that we named her after Deborah.”

“I will never allow my daughter to be forced into matrimony against her will,” Phoebe declared with unshakable conviction, all but suppressing a shudder at the horrific memories of her parents explaining in no uncertain terms how it was her precise duty to accept, and even encourage, Sir James Filey’s suit. “Oh, Adrian, I don’t know what would have become of me, if you and Deborah hadn’t come to my rescue at Vauxhall Gardens.”

Her husband kissed her very tenderly, his fingers coming to rest at her cheek. “You don’t need to worry about that anymore. And I thank my lucky star that I found the most delightful companion for my life that night.”

Her heart swelling with joy, she found she had no room left to tie herself in knots over the past. And if their daughter chose to break the moment by making her presence known quite forcefully, that was surely her prerogative; as a new mother, she found she could hardly begrudge her child anything, let alone this.

10. Lucius Kennet

Strolling into the house in Berkley Square after an urgent summoning from Lady Bellingham, Mr Kennet was more than a little surprised to be welcomed by her ladyship rather than one of the servants.

“Oh, thank God you’re here, Lucius,” Lady Bellingham proclaimed in a most agitated manner, clutching at her vinaigrette. “My poor nerves are in such a state, I swear I don’t know what to do with myself. Oh, to think that I should live to see the day – but I daresay I won’t, I can feel my spasms coming already.”

“Calm yourself, ma’am,” he urged her, not particularly moved by such a declaration. “And start from the beginning, if you please.”

“Foolish, headstrong girl! She says she shall never see him again, and he’s such a proud creature he will undoubtedly divorce her – we shall all be ruined, and there’s that poor child to be considered, it doesn’t even bear thinking!”

“I’m willing to bet any sum of your choosing that it won’t come to that, ma’am,” he replied with a considerable deal of amusement, earning a reproachful look from the respectable matron.

“I wish you would take this seriously, Lucius. You know very well how Deb is – she refuses to be reasoned with, and now she’s locked herself in one of the rooms upstairs, and she declares she won’t leave even if her husband comes here on his knees all the way from Grosvenor Square and begs for her forgiveness.”

Mr Kennet looked out of the window just in time to spot a carriage bearing the Ravenscar crest stopping in front of the house, and grinned in anticipation of a most diverting scene. “As to that, we shall have to wait and see,” he winked at her ladyship, and went to answer the door himself.

Ravenscar looked momentarily startled at his presence, but was quick to regain his composure, and barely deigned him with a contemptuous glance as he pushed past him and went straight for Lady Bellingham.

“I need to see my wife most urgently, ma’am,” the man gritted out between his teeth, his hat half crushed in his grip. “I beg you to give me leave to seek her out for myself.”

“And what makes you believe she’s here, hmm?” Lucius drawled from the entrance, his arms crossed in open defiance of Ravenscar’s wishes. If he knew his gentleman, he had more than half an idea of where all this was going, and he was determined to have his fun in the meantime.

“I would advise you to stay out of this, Kennet, or I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“Gentlemen, if you please,” cried out Lady Bellingham, reaching with trembling fingers for her smelling salts. “My niece is indeed upstairs, Sir, and I would lead you to her myself if I thought that would answer. I’m afraid nothing will serve while she’s in one of her tantrums, and I do declare she will be the death of me one day, but what can one do?”

As her ladyship looked perilously close to drop in a dead faint, Mr Kennet stepped forward to help her to the nearest chaise. The two gentlemen exchanged a tense look across the room, until Lucius eventually relented and nodded in the direction of the stairs.

“I’ll take care of the lady, you go upstairs and set our darling Deb to rights,” he smirked, feeling quite sure that, had Ravenscar not had way more pressing matters to attend, he would have happily knocked half the teeth out of his mouth.

It was nigh on half an hour later when Lady Bellingham came back fully to her senses, helped along by a glass of good Burgundy, and promptly resumed her gloomy predictions about the future.

“Think of the scandal, Lucius! I dismissed the servants as soon as I figured what Deb was up to, but I fear by then it was too late. And it can’t be helped anyway, if they’re set to have a breach, which looks more and more inevitable, and – oh, Lucius, they’re fully capable of murdering one another when they’re both in a rage, and where will that leave us?”

“If you have a little more patience, ma’am, you will see for yourself how everything will turn out for the best,” he hastened to reassure her, and indeed, he was soon proven right by the abrupt reappearance of Mr and Mrs Ravenscar, both of them looking oddly flushed, and more than a little sheepish besides.

“Not one word,” Deborah warned him as he took in their rumpled appearances, from his hastily rearranged cravat to the way her curls tumbled freely around her shoulders.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he grinned, and poured himself a glass of wine. “I shall drink to your future happiness, my darling.”

Deborah blushed most endearingly, and turned her attention to the afflicted matron. “Dearest Aunt Lizzie, we’re very sorry for causing you such an unreasonable amount of trouble. With your permission, we shall be on our way presently.”

“Oh, go away, you impossible creature,” her aunt waved her off feebly. “Both of you.”

Ravenscar looked as embarrassed as he ever was, which was in itself most diverting. “My apologies, ma’am,” he bowed, somewhat uncomfortably, and offered his arm to his wife.

“Faith, if young Master Adrian doesn’t get a new playfellow within the next twelvemonth, then I’m not Lucius Kennet,” he laughed under his breath, and tossed off his wine.

[lackadaisycal-art]

i wasn’t happy with my original drawing of max and deb and honestly I’m still not but here’s a slightly improved version yay

[lackadaisycal-art]

“Jade and Jezebel. Harpy”

“And Doxy.”

“I apologise for that one.”

I call it: Max Really Fucking Sucks At Pet Names

[oldwilshiregossip]

if you had to create a group of superheroes to save the world with 8 people from wilshire, who would they be?

“ let’s make things more interesting, huh ?? how about i give you a list of potential superheroes along with supervillains and vigilantes including everyone around here ? ”

superheroes:

elena brooks

tessa wallace

ophelia blackthorn

annie fowler

cassandra skyworth

layla wrayburn

aurora sinclair

alistair hayes carstairs

ezekiel collinsworth

silas nightcross

malakai redfern

darcy rosewain

delilah henderson

julian alvarez

max morris

preston ravennight

lorelai fell

baxtor stevens

stella marshall

katerina laveau

amara

karmina montes

supervillains:

seraphina greyhart

leonard wallace

caelan wallace

octavia williamson

kaleb williamson

seelie queen

eris

vigilantes:

alexandria ravennight

andromeda lux

carson ravenscar

faye lightwood

angelique storm carstairs

finnegan wallace

maximus polaris

theoren brooks

elara vaughn

kedric

azaran

lilian ward

celeste deveraux

madalena glaive

august zhao

astoriel glaive

amalthea wallace

helena havenborn

[lothiriel84]

Ship aesthetics: Max Ravenscar/Deborah Grantham.

Edited with PhotoScape.