[-][L-A][P-1x1] .:A Not-So-Classic Romance:.

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter almost fell down into the chair from exhaustion and fear. It sure didn't make his stomach feel well. Accepting the glass of brandy with a murmur of thanks, he drank it down halfway before even looking at Eduard again. Brandy would make his anxiety go away, even if it was temporary.
Listening to Eduard's little explanation, Peter was very surprised to find that this was the man he had been sent to find. It was a most beneficial coincidence. Now he could give back the ring and get on with his life.

Peter was now quite relaxed himself, and was sitting comfortably in the chair by the fire, his clothes rapidly drying. The brandy had a great effect on him, making him much more social and less of the stuttering klutz he was known to be. Upon hearing the inquiry as to what he was to do, Peter promptly answered, "Call me Peter, please." He didn't like being addressed so formally by a noble. It made him feel much higher than he knew he was, and that would be out of place for a person like him.

Continuing to his real answer, he replied, "She wanted me to do what I am going to do right now. That is, return the ring to its rightful owner. It appears to me that you are the godly and handsome man she was talking about, so I shall return it to you." Peter's voice was a lot softer than it usually was, though. Probably another effect of the brandy. His voice was quite soft as it is, so this made people have to strain a little to hear him.

A soft blush graced his complexion as he studied Eduard's face. Gisela was completely right when it came to her description of Eduard. He was, indeed, beautiful beyond anything that Peter could have imagined. It amazed Peter a little that such a man would fall in love with a woman like Gisela, who was pretty, but was no where near Eduard's level of looks. But maybe Eduard didn't care about appearances...

Peter almost choked on his brandy as he had this thought. What aristocrat didn't care about appearances? Politics was all that mattered in that high world. And that's why Gisela's heart was broken. A stormy expression fleeted by Peter's face, only to be replaced by a gentle smile. Surely, he was a good actor. It would not do well if the Marquess knew that this commoner was quite angry at him, even though he knew that Eduard couldn't have done much about it. This world was all based on appearances and status. That thought left quite a bitter taste in Peter's mouth.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Dark eyes narrowed suddenly.
Oh yes, Eduard had caught Peter's sudden scowl.
"You disapprove?" the Marquess asked, standing and moving behind the sofa once more.
He lifted the carafe, pouring himself another glass.
"It was heartless... wasn't it?" Eduard whispered, moving back around the sofa again and standing before the fire.
His gaze remained glued to the hearth.
"Nobility and it's damned games of courtship..."
It wasn't a thought that Eduard would have let slip normally, by any circumstances.
But oh, how he hated the entire wretched idea of marrying for wealth, for power or land...
It should be about love... shouldn't it?
"Don't all the great playwrights support love over duty?" he asked softly, looking back at Peter.
"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy,
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand nor foot
Nor arm no face, O be some other name
Belonging to a man.
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. -"
Eduard's voice was soft as he recited words from a play in the not-so distant past of the theatre. "William Shakespeare's plays are still performed... and even now love is held in such high regard. But not for a noble."
The man frowned, downing this next glass of brandy before his dark eyes fixed themselves on Peter again.
"Would that I had as much sense as Romeo." the Marquess spoke softly, "Would that I had defied my father and my station. But I was hardly ready for marriage at the time, Peter."
It was the first time that he had addressed the young man by his first name.
He smiled softly, "I was only sixteen when I met Gisela... and as I have said, I am grieved to hear of her death. I had hope she would sell the ring and make a small fortune for herself from the profit... but it seems she was as sentimental as always."
Carefully, Eduard placed his glass on the fire mantel before sitting down again. "I have no intention of taking it back, Peter. That ring is given from the nobles of the Michaels family, to their prospective brides. If you wish me to be honest, I have no desire to find a wife."
Eduard could only hope that Peter knew nothing of the recent declaration by Duke Michaels himself...
That his son was looking for a future wife, and that he would need to find one before the end of the winter months.



~ ~ ~

(((OOC: Yeah... "Romeo & Juliet" (By William Shakespeare) there... pulled from the depths of my boxes in the closet (I don't have room for ALL the Shakespeare plays, let ALONE all my books I acquired working on my BA in English... too many! NEED A LIBRARY OF MY OWN!)...
It's Act II, Scene I, Line 80-89.
Page 37 in my little old (literally old) Yale Shakespeare (Library of Congress Catalog Number 52-13975) Copyright date of June 1954.)))

(((OOC: Also, I figured that this time period would work really well as having been after the formation of the theatre, since it really got going during Shakespeare's lifetime. So I'm kind of taking a liberty here saying that Shakespeare's plays have already been played... but it should still be keeping about the same era... I think. I hope. I admit, I didn't study much about the time period when I took the classes for Shakespeare... studied a lot about the theatre itself, since it was more a theatre oriented class than a literature one, but not really anything in a historical context and geez... I haven't had a world history class since 11th grade so... yeah... kind of don't know my British history as well as I would like. Gomen...)))  

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


If Peter had been in his usual state, he would have repeated many apologies to Eduard for having that scowl in the first place. But, seeing as he wasn't at all normal, Peter just sighed, "Sorry." He meant it. Though he was quite out of it, he still was aware of the great power that aristocrats held; it wasn't something to be trifled with.

Hearing Juliet's words slip out of Eduard's mouth, Peter couldn't help but murmur along with him. The velvet voice was quite alluring, and though it didn't fit the feeling of the quote, Peter found himself just as transfixed. He knew these lines by heart, mostly because he had been Juliet many times over. Apparently he looked better as a woman than as a man. It was something that he had never fully believed, though everyone who saw him was quite convinced of it.

Peter didn't even realized when Eduard had finished, for Eduard had used his first name. The soft and ponderous voice once again held Peter transfixed. No one had ever held his attention by just stating his name. It was like a spell of sorts. And what brought him even more into a state of contentedness was the fact that Eduard had a heart, which was more than most nobles could put claim to. He had really cared for Gisela, but there was nothing either of them could have done. Damn society... But it made Peter quite relieved to see that before him was a noble that was quite different from the norm. All of a sudden, Peter felt dreamlike and aloof, floating in... happiness?

Whatever it was, he quickly snapped out of it, flushing slightly in embarrassment. Trying to recover from whatever it was, he pressed on the matter. "Hmm... But you need it back, don't you? I recently heard a bit of curious news... It seems that Duke Michaels wishes for his only son to be married, and soon, or else the inheritance will have to be passed on to a different family..." His words were slightly slurred. It seemed like he was reaching the end of his sobriety.

Peter's eyes were trained on his empty glass of brandy, trying to focus on his attempt at changing the subject. That little moment was quite embarrassing, and if it wasn't for the brandy, he would be quite a mess at the moment. His cheeks were a rose colored hue, and he seemed to glow a little bit. He tried his best to focus, but not being a heavy drinker, or even a drinker at all, he fell easily to alcohol.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Eduard visibly stiffened when Peter mentioned his 'bit of curious news'. The man's dark gaze trailed off to the side as he thought for a moment, aware that the young man opposite him was getting a bit tipsy.
'No better time than the present to ask then, is there?' he thought to himself.
Straightening in his chair, Eduard turned his eyes to Peter, trying to hold the young man steady with his gaze. "What I'm about to ask is, well it does sound rather absurd but it will pay quite well." his mouth curved into a bit of an amused smirk. "Not to be rude, Peter, but you have the body of an actor who plays the role of a woman far more often than that of a man. The Duke is returning to London soon, and I would very much like to receive him at my private manor and... well and set his heart at ease on a few matters."
Eduard changed his posture, leaning forward. His booted feet were planted firmly on the wooden floor, his elbows on his knees. Dark black, almost purple hair, cascaded down his shoulders, framing his face as he spoke.
"I will pay ten times the amount you make now as an actor, Peter. If you would play the part of my current love interest."
He let that news sink in before continuing.
"You would have your own lodgings at my manor, under the guise that you are visiting from the country... up north I think would do nicely. Food, lodgings, wardrobe... all would be provided for you at no charge. A wardrobe of men's clothing as well, for you to wear when not playing the part. We can say that I've... taken an interest in your acting career and wish you to excel above the expectations of the likes of Bradley. You would be the star in every play I sponsor... and you would be playing the male lead."
Eduard leaned back in his chair, one elbow propped on the armrest and his chin in the palm of his hand.
"What do you say, Peter? I can raise you from the status of commoner. Perhaps you will even win the chance to perform before royalty? All you have to do... is play my lover, out of bed of course."
It was an outrageous idea to be sure.
However...
Earlier in the week, Eduard had received a letter from Duke Michaels, stating that he expected to see Eduard's newest love interest at a banquet in honor of his return from Italy.
The young Marquess was desperate... and it all seemed that suddenly, everything had fallen into place.
"After all, Peter... you already possess the ring."

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Even though he was quite drunk, Peter still had some wits about him. It took a while for the proposal to sink in, but when Peter finally understood, his eyes widened. He hiccuped quietly, thinking the matter over with his currently sluggish mind. Not sure what his opinion was on the matter, he started saying "Sure..." but it was very unconvincing. After all, he was out of his right mind at the moment.

And with that, Peter's eyes drooped and he fell into a deeper sleep than what was his usual. He would scold himself for his rudeness later on, but now, he was just drifting in the realm of sleep. His expression was quite unguarded and relaxed, his cheeks still quite flushed. His lips were parted slightly, showing quite an angelic and feminine face. His grip loosened on the glass of brandy and it fell to the ground with a thud. Luckily, this room was carpeted, and the chair wasn't that high off the ground. Otherwise, Peter would never forgive himself for breaking such a glass, which he was sure that he couldn't afford.

((Sorry about the short length in this one, but there wasn't much I could do with a drunk person... especially after he had fallen asleep. But at least he unknowingly accepted! There's no way out of it now! MWAHAHA~))

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

For a moment, Eduard nearly burst into laughter.
Peter was asleep and rather unconscious from just a single glass of brandy.
"Not much of an alcohol tolerance..." the Marquess spoke, standing and moving over to the sofa.
The man hadn't realized how feminine Peter actually looked, but now, close up... Eduard reached out, carefully moving the young man's hair from in front of his eyes.
Peter was still soaked, though Eduard wasn't much better off.
Going to the door, Eduard called out, "Mister Bradley?" and in a few moments, the theatre manager appeared.
After quickly explaining that it seemed the rain had made Peter rather ill, Eduard arranged for a carriage to pick him and the young Mister Winters up. Of course Bradley tried to assure the Marquess that Peter would be well cared for at the theatre, but Eduard would have none of it and insisted that Peter meet with the Marquess' own physician.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped falling and, within minutes, Peter had been carried into the carriage by a footman and Eduard was seated comfortably across from the still unconscious actor.
The carriage headed off toward the Marquess' private manor.

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter found himself held down when he awoke. Still feeling groggy and in possession of a serious headache, he had no power to shift whatever it was that was on top of him. Panicking, he shifted with what little strength he had and found that it was a heavy duvet on top of him. Where was he? He was quite confused and looked around as best as he could.
But his lack of strength combined with the small visibility range due to his fluffy pillows made it difficult for him to gather much information from sight.

Peter groaned softly, wincing from a sudden pain attack in his head. His hand clenched and he felt a thin, but hard something on his left ring finger. Panicking again, he tried to raise his hand, but the blanket was too heavy. He tried to relax and remember various details from before. The last thing he remembered was holding a cup of brandy, next to a fire, and stating that he would return the ring to... Eduard, was it? Nice name...

But how did he end up here? Where was this place? It seemed quite grand to be any place that he was ever acquainted with. Maybe it was a private room within the theatre, but he wasn't even sure that the theatre was this extravagant. The bed itself was probably as big as Peter's bedroom in his little apartment.

Peter tried to look around again and discovered that he was naked. Blushing beet red, he tried to remember the reason for it, but it was just out of his grasp. Getting another stab of pain, he moaned and decided that it was best to just stop the unnecessary mental activities until he felt more... sober.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"You really should try to take it easy. A hangover is never fun to wake to." Eduard spoke.
The Marquess was seated in a chair by the window, not too far from Peter and the bed. He was smiling slightly, watching the bed's occupant and wondering how long it would take before the young man bolted up from sheer shock.
The room was enormous, decorated in soft blues and white, it was a rather timid room. But it was also gorgeous.
Rainclouds had built up once more outside, and again, the storm pelted the shuttered windows.
"I had the butler get you out of those soaked clothes, they're drying in the wash room, as are mine."
It was true. Eduard now wore a cream colored ruffled long sleeve shirt, a slight frill coming from the collar and trailing down the front buttons. He sported dark purple, almost black pants, and a fresh pair of boots. Dark hair hung around his shoulders, freshly dried and with a hint of lavender to the locks.
"You agreed to my proposal, Peter." Eduard reminded. "Then you passed out. I thought it far more prudent to bring you here, than to leave you in Bradley's care."

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter snapped up, looking immediately towards the voice, earning him yet another pang in his head. "Eduard...?" Peter was quite sure that this was the name. Straining his mind to make sure that he was correct, he blushed. "S-sorry! I mean... Marquess M-Michaels..." The fear was evident in his voice. He didn't particularly want the wrath of a noble upon him yet at this early age.

Then realizing what Eduard had said, Peter exclaimed, "Pr-proposal?!" Peter didn't remember a word of this. What did Eduard propose? It couldn't have been something that bad if he had agreed to it... But it was always dangerous when he couldn't remember anything. Peter didn't like that feeling. It made him feel out of the loop, even though he was clearly involved deeper than he probably wanted to be.
Yelling out like that brought him a stab of pain, resulting in a hard wince. He had had a hangover once or twice before, but nothing as high as one 80 proof drink. Beer was mostly all that Peter had ever drunk, so brandy was something that was completely new to him.

Peter was now sitting completely upright against his pillows. Though how he had gotten himself to that position was a mystery. He had been to enraptured in the conversation at hand. Getting comfortable again, he tried his best to keep a clear view of the perfect silhouette at the window. In doing so, he also got a chance to examine his surroundings a little.
The room was very... calming. Though it was extravagant and grand, it wasn't gaudy. One could only tell of its price based on its decor. Though subtle, there were many indications of wealth within the room. Peter was sure that his bed was probably of one of the finest qualities, and so were his blanket and pillows. It was all very far from what he was used to.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Eduard stood from his chair, coming to the bed and soon sitting on it's edge. "You agreed to play the part of my love interest, in a dress of course. My father returns from Italy soon and he is hoping to meet the woman I intend to marry one day. I'd rather not marry and so I asked you to act on my behalf." he smiled, before pointing to the ring on Peter's hand. "You agreed because I promised to pay you ten times your theatre salary, as well as give you a full woman's wardrobe and a separate men's wardrobe. I also promised to sponsor you as the male lead in every play my theatre produces, and to give you food and lodgings here within my manor. This," the Marquess indicated the room around him, "Is your room."

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter's eyes widened. This was all too much. Who would have thought, first of all, that he'd get paid that much just to dress up as a woman?—which was something that he already did regardless. And he also got food, lodgings, and new clothing? Peter blushed a bit and murmured, "W-wouldn't I have to m-marry you event-tually?" He was sure that Duke Michaels wouldn't let this matter drop and the inheritance passed on before the marriage was secured.

Peter shivered at the idea of being married... especially to a man. It was something that he never ever saw himself doing. But if he were to play the part, there would have to be a marriage, right? And what then? "... Divorce?" That was all he could think of, but would it work?
It surprised Peter that he was actually going along with this. He should probably be expressing some outrage at the Marquess for deceiving his family like that, but Peter was desperate for some income, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity. Still, the rewards seemed a bit much.

Deciding on the terms himself, he eventually stated, "I-I know that I've already a-agreed, but..." He didn't want everything that the Marquess had offered. It was really over paying, and he felt that Eduard was awfully carefree with his money. It made him a little annoyed, and he felt that he didn't need all of that which Eduard had offered to him, especially the acting roles. He would agree only on his own terms.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Eduard frowned, "What's wrong, Peter? If it's the marriage idea that you're concerned with, put it from your mind. Yes, my father will probably need that before the inheritance is passed down but we can easily divorce not long later and, I can promise you, a hefty sum of money and property after the split." his frown turned to a simple smile. "You have nothing to lose Peter... and an entire new world to gain. Your acting career will cement itself in London AND you will never be in want for money again."
The man stood, pacing slightly around the bed before looking to the young man once more. "Or is there something else you want? We would only need to be seen together in public on few occasions, and you would be free to come and go from the manor as you please... not to mention you can stop calling me 'Marquess Michaels'." he added teasingly.

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter was about to say something when he heard the last comment. He blushed deeply and 'humphed.' His eyes remaining averted to his suddenly interesting hands, he murmured, "I don't need it all..." Peter wasn't one who took more than was necessary to make himself content. He knew that there were plenty of other people who would have jumped at this opportunity and laughed at him for his stupidity, but Peter would never come to terms with himself if he agreed to the proposal, in both terms, as it currently stands.

"I... only w-want enough money for the tuition at my school... Food, clothing, and a-a comfortable place to live," He smiled, "is also all that I would want from t-this." His expression was quite angelic for a bit, for he was filled with happiness at the idea that he would no longer have to depend on his parents for money and that he might be able to pay them back some through all this.

Peter suddenly looked up with quite a serious expression, only slightly wincing at the sudden pain it brought. "B-but... save the lead r-roles for those who d-deserve them... and I already have a-all the m-men's clothing that I need..." Peter wasn't sure if he could convince Eduard of this, but he really didn't want to enter into this contract with all of these unnecessary tidbits. He was already thankful enough that Eduard recognized him as a good enough actor to play such an important role.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e

 

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Sighing, Eduard paced to the window. He carefully opened the shutters, illuminating the room with the dull grey of the storm. Hands behind his back, the Marquess stood there, considering this new proposal.
"You'll need the woman's wardrobe if you're to be see with me, Peter." he reminded, glancing over his shoulder at the actor. "If you don't want fame, then alright... but I will speak with Bradley about having you play a male lead instead. It wouldn't do for someone to go to the theatre and recognize you as my fiance, after all." Eduard sighed again, shaking his head. "Honestly, if you did not want it all you could have given it away to those less fortunate really." he reminded, but turned and smiled to Peter. "So be it. But you had better start calling me Eduard from now on... we'll have to come up with a name for you... any suggestions?"

 

[Lady Sherlock]

P e t e r - W i n t e r s


Peter relented on much of the matter. Eduard's reasoning was just too good. But he still felt quite guilty about it all, and it showed clearly on his face. "Or... H-how about I s-stop working? I-I'm not that prominent of an a-actor, so barely anyone w-will notice that I'm m-missing..." Peter was thinking about school and with this proposal, he'd be busy almost all the time out of school. Even if Eduard said that there would be only a couple of meetings and engagements that Peter must attend, didn't they have to complete the act by actually letting people see them together on a regular basis?

That beautiful smile stopped his thoughts immediately. Why did Eduard have to be so handsome? It was truly unfair that Eduard held the power to completely stop Peter at will, and he probably didn't even know it.
Peter found himself staring at Eduard for a while, before he snapped out of it and quickly averted his eyes. "S-sorry!"

Quite embarrassed, he sat stiffly in the bed, trying to look everywhere but at Marquess Michaels's face. Peter still couldn't think of him as just 'Eduard.' "Ah! A-about my name... Would Rosaline do...? R-rose for short..." Peter hoped that this would successfully divert Eduard's attention to the fact that Peter had just been staring at him.

L a d y - R o s a l i n e