July, 1895

Since the birth of the twins, Salvatore had noticed something. The first was that his mother’s belly was not as big or round anymore, and in the room beside his came something like a goat cry at all hours of the night.

The second was that they took up the majority of his mother’s time now. Before, if she were busy with her needle work or chores outside, Salvatore could just simply walk up to her and ask her to read him a story or play with him. Now, she didn’t do any needle work. After the chores were done, she would go upstairs to that room and be with the babies.

Victor and Rosalind. That’s what his mother said their names were. Two annoyingly loud babies that cried instead of talking, that shrieked instead of asking. 

It was for those reasons that Salvatore decided he didn’t like his new siblings – not a single bit.

🕰️ / 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 / 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡

Laura and Franklin's wedding was a huge event for the film industry. Everybody was talking about it, and their faces were all over the newspapers and magazines for days. Any doubts and rumours about their relationship preferences were quickly forgotten or at least shoved to the side, making room for talks about the beautiful dress and the love they were so clearly feeling for each other.

Especially Niall could use the distraction. At first, he was hesitant to go, not wanting another adult thing to worry about. But when he was actually there, it was not as bad after all. In fact, he quite enjoyed watching his friends' live performance and could not help but chuckle at the presence of the reporters whom Laura had been sure to invite anonymously. The best way to combat gossip really was just giving the people a bigger thing to talk about, and the papers did not disappoint.

One day, as Winifred prepared to pay a visit to her husband's resting place, Thomas fervently expressed his desire to accompany her. Seeing an opportunity for him to become acquainted with his grandfather, Winifred welcomed the idea, anticipating a heartfelt conversation during their journey.

Since the passing of her husband a few months prior to Wilhelmina and Edwin's wedding, Winifred had diligently made weekly pilgrimages to his gravesite. She took great care to ensure it was adorned with fresh flowers, each petal a testament to her enduring love and respect.

While at the cemetery, Winifred noticed a familiar figure approaching, someone she identified as the daughter of a late friend. Knowing that her friend's daughter had married, Winifred supposed that the little one cradled in her arms was her daughter. The woman approached a gravestone that seemed relatively new.

Winifred waited for an appropriate moment and then approached to greet her, thinking that she was visiting her mother.

As they began to converse, Winifred realized that the woman wasn't visiting her mother but her husband. Winifred offered her condolences and felt deeply saddened to see such a young woman become a widow. Having experienced the loss of her own beloved husband, she could empathize with the grief. The image of Wilhelmina and Edwin flashed in her mind, and she prayed that such a fate would not befall her daughter.

She explained that her husband fell ill suddenly and after depleting all their savings on a doctor, they discovered he had tuberculosis. He passed away within weeks of falling ill, leaving her alone with a baby.

Winifred asked her what she was going to do to sustain herself and her daughter and the woman replied that she might be able to find work in a factory, but she couldn't leave her daughter alone.

On the other hand, the little girl, seemingly unaware that she had lost her father, couldn't stop looking at Thomas the entire time Winifred was talking to her mother. Thomas, being a shy child, felt a bit self-conscious and didn't want to leave his grandmother's arms.

October 8, 1920, Newcrest, England

For Great Aunt Rosamund’s 80th birthday, Giselle and Francesca returned to Newcrest to visit. They quickly learned that Rosamund wasn’t home, so they assumed she must’ve been at Giselle’s childhood home. 

“Mama? Miss Pace?” Giselle asked, walking through the door.

Rebecca and Rosamond were in the sitting room, staring at a newspaper. Rebecca looked distressed, and it seemed the elder woman was trying to calm her down. 

“Rebecca dear, take deep breaths.”

“Giselle? Francesca? What are you doing here?”

“It’s Aunt Rosamund’s birthday tomorrow. We thought we would come and surprise you. Is everything alright, Mrs. Walsh?”

“Alright?” Rebecca said in an octave higher than her actual voice. “Nothing is alright! We are disgraced, and everything is ruined!”

They both stared blankly.

“Mama, what ever is the matter?”

“Haven’t you read today’s paper?” Rosamond asked.

“Uh, no. We’ve been on a train since before dawn, Aunt.”

Rebecca buried her face into her hands. “I have never been in such a scandal,” she whimpered.

Francesca’s great-aunt handed Giselle the newspaper. 

Slowly, Giselle set the newspaper down. “Oh.”

“Oh, indeed,” Rebecca mumbled. “Your brother is the stupidest man to ever walk the planet.”

“Rebecca, there is no need to be so harsh,” Rosamond said gently.

“He married her for a scandal to try to get out the title. And the worst part is that he didn’t even break the law, here or New York.”

Francesca looked disgruntled. “You’re angry he married a colored woman?”

Giselle gulped.

“I’d care significantly less if he wasn’t heir to a bloody dukedom and she an heiress to a monopoly. I am not a hateful woman, Miss Pace, but you know there are consequences for this. Perhaps it would be different if we were in the Empire, and we weren’t known, but we are here in England and they in America, where they only abolished slavery a year before I was born. Shameful, but our reputation is ruined. My daughter will never find a suitable marriage now. And I fear what the mob would do to that poor girl.”

“Mama, I think you’re overreacting.”

“Am I?”

Silence filled the room, staring at the newspaper.

As spring unfolded its petals, so did the significant moment of Wilhelmina bringing new life into the world.

This time, the childbirth process unfolded at a leisurely pace, keeping Edwin on edge as he eagerly awaited the arrival of their newest family member. Following the swift delivery experienced with Thomas, he had expected a similar scenario, but things took a different turn.

It was only in the early days of spring in 1833 that Wilhelmina brought forth a precious daughter, and they named her Rosemary.

After the arrival of the other two royal families, Casilia and Seaolani, the first event of the Alliance Meeting was put into play. The Grand Dinner.

This dinner gives way for the different royals to converse and enjoy traditional cuisine from the host kingdom, Islavaria.

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Elsie aged up in 1923, and Elodie and Tommy had portraits taken of the children.

May, 1895

The younger man sighed. “Are you sure about this? Eva would have my head if she found out.”

Walter nodded earnestly. “She will never know.”

“Well,” Irving sighed, adjusting his position against the railing. “There is a summer ball that Father wanted me to attend in August…”

🕰️ / 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 / 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡

:(

I don't like asking for help, I don't usually do it, on the contrary I always try to find a solution on my own, even if this costs me a lot of stress. Unfortunately, this time I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. A few days ago my beloved Renault broke down and I can't afford the repair costs. I have just under 400 euros (about $430) left in my bank account and I have to survive until the end of January. With two daughters who go to school and have their own needs, being without a car is limiting me a lot and using the remaining money to repair the car means not shopping for food and not paying for household utilities, or school equipment. Unfortunately the damage to the car is substantial (around 700 euros), buying another one is pure utopia. If you can (I understand the difficulties of every human being in this world) even with a small contribution, you would truly help me breathe.

Paypal

Thank you so much for stopping by for a moment to even just read or reblog <3

As winter wrapped its chilly embrace around Henford-On-Bagley once more, the town's landscape bathed in the serene frost. With a break from the farm, Edwin found himself relishing the luxury of extra time with his family.

Throughout most of the winter, their days unfolded cozily around the fireplace. Thanks to their thoughtful preparation in collecting firewood, worries about the cold took a back seat.

On a different note, this time around Wilhelmina's pregnancy was progressing smoothly, her health resilient amidst the usual ups and downs. Entering the last trimester brought a sense of relief, especially with winter's arrival, a welcomed pause. The thought of tackling farm tasks with a growing belly was a concern, and the winter season provided a comforting backdrop to navigate this phase with ease.

Luckily, young Thomas turned out to be more of a delight than a handful, showing a surprising awareness of his mother's occasional weariness despite his tender age. Whether it was the winter air or just his nature, on days when he wasn't busy playing with Edwin or Winifred, he chose to spend most of his time peacefully dozing in his cot, bringing a calm and natural flow to the daily routine.

Hey, reblog this if you’re ok with mutuals messaging you and stuff!

Asking for my sanity :]

One evening, Abraham called Lucy down to the living room. He was accompanied by two strange men who Lucy had never seen before.

"Lucy! There's someone I'd like you to meet. This is my dear friend Mr. Fletcher Goth. He works for the Brindleton Bay Times. And this is his son, Hector Goth."

"Oh! Um, hello..." Lucy stammered quietly. She realized what was going on right away. Her father was trying to set her up! "Oh, wow Abraham. You surely didn't lie when you said your daughter was beautiful. Isn't that right, Hector?" The oldest man said. The younger man nodded. He looked like he found the ordeal just as awkward as Lucy did. To her surprise, he was sweet and polite, and as soon as they were introduced he seemed to know what he was doing. Lucy wondered if he was truly interested in her, or if he was just acting the part out of obligation.

She wondered how her father would react when she told him, that she couldn't possibly marry Hector. Then again, maybe she didn't even have a choice. She was still confused about her feelings for Joseph. She wasn't sure if she wanted to marry him, but if she had to marry anyone, she knew in her heart that it'd have to be Joseph. Behind the archway, Josephine had sneakily begun to listen in. She was so jealous that her older sister was being introduced to a man, and such a handsome one at that!

After a few days of travel, Nellie had finally arrived at the school. It looked just like the little black and white photo in the paper and suddenly everything began to feel real.

All the lights were off with term having closed but Nellie could see smoke from the chimneys so someone was home. She tentatively knocked on the door, scared but hopeful.

After a few minutes, the door swung open to reveal a woman. At first, she shooed Nellie away thinking her to be a man, but after listening to Nellie's explanations, she looked at her with pity and welcomed her inside.

They talked for a few minutes but Nellie was dead on her feet so the kind stranger, Miss Bess suggested they retire for the night. For the first time in weeks, Nellie fell asleep with a smile on her face, she was finally where she belonged.

May, 1895

The younger man sighed. “Are you sure about this? Eva would have my head if she found out.”

Walter nodded earnestly. “She will never know.”

“Well,” Irving sighed, adjusting his position against the railing. “There is a summer ball that Father wanted me to attend in August…”

🕰️ / 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 / 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡