Realistic or Modern Victorian London

[Syrrus]

"That for a social effort I should keep a distance away from you." He smiled at her, and gave a tip of his hat. "I will see you next time I go to the pub, study hard. Adieu, mademoiselle." He then closed the door and paid of the driver, fashionably, to make sure he wouldn't try anything and deliver her home safe and sound. He then turned on his heel and began, slowly, to walk his way back to his apparent. Slightly chilled to the core.


She was a sweet young lady, that was for sure. Sadly, too sweet. He enjoyed his freedom, his easy yet unpleasant life. A woman would change everything, and her way of giving everything; knowledge, the things he valued above all, away for the sake of... whatever she had just attempted, terrified him.

 

[GreyZone]

"And I can see that you greatly care about your social reputation so greatly by the bars you choose inhabit," she teased him, but her face fell when she realized that he was leaving her in the carriage. Had she greatly misunderstood why they had turned around. "I am sure I will see you soon, Sir."


When the driver returned her to the bar, she quickly dashed up the back stairwell so her father would not notice her absence. She roused one of her younger sisters without guilt, insisting that she untied her stays for her before crawling into bed beside the girl. "Where were you, Maggie?" The twelve-year-old asked, Jane. "You weren't working."


"I had to return a hat to a certain young gentleman," she replied in Irish, a hint of a smile twinging in her voice that could be almost be felt in the dark. "He says he will teach me how to read and play the piano. Can you believe that? I gave him free drinks today, so I wonder if it was payment in return for that. He seemed quite nice, though. You should not be worried."


Jane rolled over to examine her sister. "Is he handsome?" For that was the only thing that mattered, of course.


"Quite."


"Good."

 

[Syrrus]

The next day started with what someone would call a bang. Victor had fallen asleep in his chair after returning home, a book in his lap and a needle in his arm - so to speak - and woken up when his sister had slammed the door open. Leaving him to shout out in surprise - nightmare struck - and hid the syringe as quick as he possibly could.


She was angry, for some reason and it took the young man long enough to figure out why. "To be wed!" She shouted, her eyes red form what Victor assumed could only be hours and hours crying. "Who's to be wed?" He asked, carefully, trying not to cause a great stir. "You are!"


Victor blinked in confusion. "Excusez-moi?" That didn't sound likely. Who in the world could have tricked her so badly. "Listen, you imbizile, sober up and listen!" She shouted, and it only took him three hours to slam the door to the pub open, eyes wide, and sunglasses hanging of his nose.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret had been up at four to take the late-night/early-morning shift from her father, allowing him to finally get some sleep. She was tightly laced up again, the dark purple fabric of her bodice tight against her torso, a fair view of her bosom available for they had learned long ago that it came nowhere near hurting tips when your customers were bored men.


She quickly turned around from the counter, pinching her cheeks and lips to bring a little bit of color to them and to keep anyone from noticing her late night last night. She couldn't help but wonder if Victor would have the audacity to show up the day after. Or if he would notice that she kept his practice piano beneath the bar if opportunity would ever arise.


A pensive looking man with a coarse black beard slumped his weight onto a stool right in front of her, and she quickly prepared his stiff drink.

 

[Syrrus]

Through the pub he went, up the the counter where the young woman from the night before were working, he accidently slammed his hands down over the counter and stared at her, his eyes big behind the wonky looking glasses. "Margare- My lady, I need to speak with you. Now." He was paniced, and it didn't help that his sister was standing by the door, not too far away from him, not far away enough. This felt like a strange thing to ask, and he couldn't for the life of him understand why he was doing it.


Lucille seemed to look a lot better, than she had done earlier that day anyhow. Sunglasses covering her eyes and a big purple hat over her head, proper, like any young lady.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she caustically reached across the bar and pushed his glasses up back over his nose before pulling him around the counter. She grabbed a dishcloth and held it to her chest, suddenly embarrassed that his well-to-do sister would see that she didn't wear high-necked gowns while she was at work.


"Yes, Victor? What's wrong?" Her eyes scanned the bar, making sure that her father and her brothers would not see the frantic young man standing behind the counter with her. "Are you alright?"

 

[Syrrus]

"Remember how you owe me a... payment of sorts for my services?" He spoke with a low, slightly paniced voice. She moved his glasses back up his nose, something that took him a little while to realize. He removed his hat from his head, held it in one hand and frowned a worried brow down at her.


"I need you to be my wife." He took a moment, befoer realizing what he had been saying. "I mean-- I mean pretend to be my wife, could you please do this for me?"

 

[GreyZone]

Out of all the things to come from his mouth, that was the last possible thing Margaret had expected. "Uh," she stammered at first, but answered with, "Yes. Of course. Will you explain it to me later?"


She wiped her hands on the dish towel he had been clutching to her bosom, quickly setting it down and making sure her hair hadn't frizzed up from the heat of the sink filled with hot water. "What do I need to do? Just say the word and I will."

 

[Syrrus]

He placed a hand over his heart, it looked as if he was about to heave a heartattack, though instead of falling to his knees he fished out a golden ring from his pocket. "I will need you to dress up and prepare to meet someone very important." He reached out his hand, the golding circle laying upon his palm. "I realize that you probably need to be working, I'll pay for all the expensives and double amount of what you would earn here to day-- if-- if you can come with me, right this instance."


Victor looked over his shoulder at his sister who tapped her wrist with one finger, waiting patiently for the both of them.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret nodded very quickly, slipping the ring onto the proper finger of her left hand. "One moment. I will put on something more presentable and be right down."


She ran upstairs so swiftly that she almost tripped on the stairs. "Jane," she snapped, pulling the girl over. "Help me into mother's blue dress--right now--and watch the bar while I'm gone. You know you know how. I will pay you well."


She quickly looked at herself in the mirror, her mother's best dress that she worn it for her wedding and when she was serving food at weddings she made small alternations as fashions changed, and she hoped that it would do for pretending to be a noblemen's wife.


Wide-eyed Jane quickly tied the matching blue ribbon of the flowered bonnet to Margaret's head, repinning some stray scarlet curls before following her back downstairs.


"This is the best I can do; I hope it's adequate," she told Victor once she was downstairs, her chest heaving from the quick movements in her tight corset. "It is my mother's and it is old, but it is the nicest dress we own."


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[GreyZone]

**After Jane had helped her arrange the skirts over her only crinoline and had laced up the back, she quickly looked at herself in the mirror. It was her mother's best dress; she had worn it for her wedding and when she serving food at other people's to make money for their family. She made small alterations as fashions changed, and Margaret hoped it would do for pretending to be a nobleman's wife.


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[Syrrus]

Victor walked back and forth, lacking the ability to stand still - for some reason he felt awfully tense, though he had every right to be. The lady who he had to present himself to was someone he avoided like the plauge, even Lucielle seemed rather unhappy about whatever news the she had recived. "Victor, we have to hurry. She will be very unpleased with witing." Victor waved a hand dismissivly, just as Margaret came back down stairs. Blinking in slight confusion, not certain how to react. The young barmaid had always been beautiful, though never had he thought such clotheing suited her so well.


"It's--" He began, though interrupted by his sister. "It has to do, now hurry, the carriage won't wait forever. Let us go." She pushed her brother out the door and quickly followed suit, the first to enter the cap, fanning her excaustion away with her hand once she sat down. Victor waited patiently, holding the door upon for Margaret. "You can simply not know how greatful I am..."

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret was mortified that she had to wear a dress that her mother had worn twenty-five years ago for the first time, but it was the only option and Victor had requested her help.


"Do I lie?" She asked him quietly, folding her hands in her skirt. "Do I pretend that I am of money and breeding or am I the sixteen-year-old barmaid of a poor immigrant that I am?"


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[Syrrus]

"Oh, you lie." Said Lucille, before Victor could even open his mouth. The young man sat down opposite the two ladies, frowning at his sister behind thick sunglasses. The carriage began to roll down the street, quickly, towards the train station at Victoria. Lucille gave him the same frown back before turning towards the young barmaid. "Trust me darling, you do not want this lady to know anything about your true self, she's the devil herself."


"That is hardly fair."


"Do you disagree?"


"...No, not particularly."


"You are going to meet a very stern old lady, she will judge you; though not before she judges Victor." Lucille continued, ignoring her silly little brother, as if he was not even there.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret tried to hide the terror in her eyes. "Then what do I say? I can hardly lie about my Irish background, /look at me./ How long have we been married? Who are my parents? How old am I? Do we have any children?"


She was frantic to get this right, to show Victor that she was capable of doing more than pouring a glass of lager. "Just instruct me and I'll do it."


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[Syrrus]

"No children." Lucille and Victor said at the same time, causing both of them to stare at each other, one looking far more timid than the other. "You have not been married for long. You are... sixteen yes? That is a good age to get married. Especially to a Lord of my brother's standards. You have been married for a few months, no more and no less. The lady will not ask any intimate questions of how, when or why. If you feel that it is necessary I'm sure you can come up with a lovely romantic scenario or two yourself." Lucille rolled her eyes and gave her brother a long stare. "Though I prefer if -you- did no talking at all, brother of mine."


"So do I, dear sister, so do I." Victor sighed, heavily and gave Margaret a long glance with grey eyes.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret nodded as they spoke, mentally listing everything to remember. "I am sorry, I am never around married couples of actual noble blood and money. Please excuse my ignorance. Are we supposed to be in love, or are we married for a mere formality?"


What kind of man was this, who's only option is a young and poor barmaid he met yesterday?


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[Syrrus]

"It is irrelevant how you wed, or why for that matter, she probably will not ask you if she does, she'll ask Victor, not you." Lucille said, shrugging her shoulders and glaring daggers into her younger brother, who decided to ignore his sister's stare by gazing at the young barmaid.


Against better judgment, the man decided to explain a thing or two. "Our grandmother is in town." He said. "On out father's side. She's here to meet my wife, a wife I never had; nor said i had. She will not take no for an answer, having you with me will not make her feel better, but atleast quiet her down for the rest of her lifetime... I hope."

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret nodded slowly, twisting the unfamiliar ring around her finger. "But I still need to know. Are we supposed to be in love and familiar with each other, or distant and married as a formality?"


She could make up the rest as she went. She could be polite as well bred. But she needed to know how to treat Victor, no matter how subtly.


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[Syrrus]

"You need to treat me with respect. Call me Mister Edwards when speaking of me, but Victor to my face." The man scratched the back of his head. "You need to act careing, but as if you are... Ready to be a queen." He mumbled the last part. It was all irelevant really, he was not to become King, his father already had a heir, someome born in wedlock intead of outside, their grandmother simply wished Victor and his skster's to be as far away from that family they possibly could.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret nodded slowly, staring down at her dress. "A queen who wears her mother's hand me downs. How spectacular. So am I just to play your wife whenever a family member comes to town?"


She tucked another bright red curl up into her bonnet. She was trying to formulate some lies, a fabricated reality and would fool the old woman.


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[Syrrus]

Victor shook his head. "No, only for today." He watched the world speed past outside the window to his right, much like his sister, though she still managed to look high and proper, back straight, eyes forward. She was everything Victor was not, the way he stretched out his legs as far as he possibly could without touching any of the ladies in front of him, sitting like a sack of potatoes.


The carriage came to a halt. Victor once again held the door open for the two ladies before stepping into the dim afternoon light. The smell of the trains were heavy in the air and the amount of noise they made seemed almost deafening. "Allow me." Lucille said as she hurried along, buying all three of them a ticket for the best suitable train which would take them all the way to Horsham.


"The train leaves in five, get onboard and get seated, I'll be with you shortly." The older of the siblings said, handing Victor two of the three tickets before holding her skirt and rushing off. Leaving her younger brother to blink with confusion behind his red sunglasses.


"Shall we...?" He mumbled before snapping out of it and quickly peered down upon Margaret. "Shall we?"

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret followed them silently, still trying to formulate a life that was not her own that would please his rich grandmother.


She hooked her arm through his as they were trying to board the train and said, "Isn't your father or whomever else going to wonder why your grandmother met a new redheaded bride but no one else did or even heard of a wedding? Or does she just never talk to anyone?@


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[Syrrus]

Victor peered down at the young lady attached to his arm as he helped her onboard the train. "If they speak or not I have no knowledge of." The man shrugged and stepped into the compartment which was there's. Victor instantly removed his hat from the top of his head and sank into his seat.


"All I know is that, if I manage to fake a bride no one will question my bachelor life for a few more years. I am not one to marry, nor... anything else for that matter." The man chuckled as he removed his coat. "You seem more nervous than I assumed you to be. Do not worry, the old hag is going to punish me, not you."

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret slowly rolled her lower lip through her teeth, looking down at him and his horrible posture. "I just do not not want to embarrass you," she told him honestly, straightening her skirts around her. "I would be a filthy liar if I said that I know how to act properly in front of a woman such as your grandmother. Can you give me more details of how I am to act? I have no idea if I am supposed to be educated, invested in the conversation or politely distant..."


She dug into her pocket and retrieved the papers that he had given her with an intent of studying if they had time on the train. "If you continue to be willing to teach me, I will play your wife whenever you need one to get out of troublesome situations." She smirked a little. "As long as I get a new dress that I can wear so I do not look like the impostor I am."