margot sits perched on the edge of the rooftop ledge, legs crossed at the ankle, white coat wrinkled from a day too long in anatomy labs. the skyline glitters below like broken glass scattered across black velvet. she doesn’t look at harry right away; of course she doesn’t. she lets the silence drag, lets him wonder why she called him up here in the first place. finally, she tilts her head, eyes cutting sideways. ❝ funny, ❞ she says, voice dry as gin. ❝ you’ve got everything in this city, and yet you still look like you’re waiting for it all to collapse. ❞ her lips curve, not quite a smile. ❝ — are you looking for a diagnosis? i'm not a doctor yet, you know. ❞ | @osbornes
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I am determined to finish a story this year and work toward publishing!!
Anyway, here's the prologue:
Athena Osborne-Jones sat in the middle of the room as everyone milled about. Her black clothes and maternity corset hid her growing belly. No one was told officially yet other than her twin Alec and her dear friend Charles Seymore-Windham. Charlie.
She looked across the room where Charlie and Alec stood together chatting with one of Martin's brothers. He was the defacto heir until the baby was born. If it was a boy, that is. If she had a girl, the land and all titles went to Michael. She would still get a house in London, as would the child, boy or girl.
Charlie squinted around the room. He was mostly blind, but he could see enough to spot where he and Alec had left her. He touched Alec's arm and said something to him before slowly making his way toward where she sat.
"Do you need anything?" Charlie asked softly.
She shook her head.
"It's a little dark in this corner, Thee, I can't see getsures well."
"I don't need anything, Charlie." She took hold of his sleeve. "Just sit here a moment, please."
He took the chair she guided him toward and leaned closer. "Your brother-in-law is already talking about what he wants to change."
Athena sighed. "Of course he is. He never liked how I decorated the house. Nor that Martin allowed me to do so in the first place."
"I don't like him."
She snorted a soft laugh and then started sobbing again. "This is the worst thing that could have ever happened."
He reached out a hand to pat her arm, but missed and his hand touched her stomach.
She let out a soft sound and he pulled his hand away quickly. "Apologies, my lady," Charlie said softly.
"Don't do that," Athena scolded. She wiped at her eyes. "I need to be alone." She got up and walked quickly out of the room.
--
Charlie listened as her feet hurried out of the room and up the stairs. No doubt to her room. Would everyone still be here much longer? The immediate family had been here for the last several days and planned to stay for another week as Athena settled in. Alec promised to stay as long as Athena needed. He had brought with him all the legal documents they needed to go over.
He stood and found his way out the back door and into the garden. He slowly walked around the path that led to the little rose garden in the middle. The bench was warm from the summer day. Charlie closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the sun.
Alec found him a short time later. "What did you say to her?"
"I accidentally touched her stomach. But I don't think that's what sent her off."
Alec sighed and sat down beside Charlie. "What bullshit, eh?"
Charlie looked toward him. "How long do you think you'll stay?"
"Through the end of her confinement at least." Alec swiped up Charlie's cane. "Will you stay, too?"
"I don't think Matthews and Andrews will allow both of us to be gone for the next several months."
Alec took the cane and ballanced it on his finger. "I'm not going to be here the whole time. I'll return for all the trials and for meetings. It's just an hour into London from here. But I won't leave her completely alone."
Charlie stood and tried to swipe the cane out of his hand. He missed and stumbled into the rosebush, slicing up his face on the thorns.
"Fuck!" Alec exclaimed, pulling him up out of the plant. "I'm sorry, Chip. Let's go get you cleaned up."
--
"What in the world were you doing?" Athena asked sharply as she cleaned out the cuts on Charlie's face.
"Alec stole my cane," Charlie said.
"I was bored," Alec protested.
"Right into my rosebushes." Athena finished. "At least it was enough to send the extras home when you came in bleeding all over my carpet."
"I didn't bleed that much," Charlie pointed out.
"There's a fair number of scratches, though." This came from his father Horace as he walked back into the drawing room followed by Audrey, Sarah, and Wulfric.
"I figured." Charlie looked to Athena. "Are you done yet?"
"Yes, I am, you baby." She picked up her things and headed out of the room.
"Talking of babies..." Sarah trailed off.
Athena nodded. "Yes. In about four months."
She walked out of the room to deposit the bloody cloths and her bag of medical supplies in the hall. She turned to find her mother and aunt standing there waiting for her. She motioned for them to follow and she turned to Martin's study.
Sarah wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her close.
Folded into her mother's arms, Athena started sobbing again. How could she still be crying? How could there still be tears? She's been doing so for over a week.
When she finally pulled away, Audrey handed her a cup of tea. "You are entering a very important club."
"But I don't want to be. Not without him. Life isn't fair. And I can't help but think..." She trailed off.
"About Charlie," Audrey finished for her.
Athena sipped her tea. "Is this punishment, do you think?"
Sarah squeezed her hand. "Audrey and I advised you toward this. If it is wrong, it's our fault. But we all worked out that Martin was the better choice at the time."
"And I broke Charlie's heart. I would never have broken Martin's." She put her tea cup down and walked toward the desk. She trailed her fingers over the papers left exactly how Martin had left them. "What would have happened if I had rejected Martin's offer?"
"He would have died alone. He would have had to give everything to his brother sooner. Just pray the baby is a boy and that Michael doesn't take everything from under you before then."
Athena asked suddenly, “Is he going to marry her?”
“I’m sure he is.”
“And what do I do?”
“I don’t know, Thee.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Possibly marry again yourself?”
“I don’t have anything to offer a new husband. I have enough money for me and Charlotte. And I have the house. But I don’t have anything else. What man is going to want to marry a widow with a baby?”
“The right one.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze and then let go. “What was that?”
She heard the giggling then. They both moved forward to find Sebastian and Jessalyn behind a tree. Jess had her back leaned against it and Sebastian was close, twirling a bit of her hair around his finger.
“I don’t think so.” Alec stepped forward and took his brother by the arm. “You come with me.”
“Alec!” Jess protested.
Alec turned and pointed. “No, Jessalyn. This isn’t happening.” He turned and continued to drag Sebastian into the house.
Jess slouched against the tree.
Athena stepped forward and leaned against the side of the tree beside her. “I know what you’re feeling.”
“You don’t know a damned thing, Athena.” Jess crossed her arms.
“I do know. And I know you are just starting your marriage look. Any young man would be happy to marry you. You need to be careful, though. Sebastian is planning to join the navy. He cannot marry you if something happens.”
“Nothing can happen.”
Athena pushed away from the tree. “Has your mother spoken to you about intercourse?”
“She told me enough when I started my cycles.” Jess’s cheeks turned red. “I didn’t plan to go to bed with him.”
“Come with me.” She held out her hand and Jess took it.
This bit I am about to share is the precursor to something I have been planning for this story for a long time. I really hope it makes it into the final version.
As always, please let me know if you would like to be tagged in any updates. I am considering uploading full chapters, but still undecided on that front.
(Summary: Jessalyn Seymour-Wyndham had a small fling with Alxander Osborne's younger brother Sebastian and ended up getting pregnant. Due to Sebastian joining the navy, Alec and Jess decided to marry each other and allow Sebastian to follow his dream. This scene is from Alec and Jess's wedding night. The pair are playing backgammon in Jess's room.)
“I wish Sebastian could have stayed another day,” Alec said as they set up the board.
“Mm,” Jess said softly.
He paused. “It really was by your choice? And you enjoyed it with him? Tell me, Jess.”
“It was.” She sighed. “You say he spoke often of his conquests with you. Well, he spoke of them with me, too. And I asked if he wanted me to be one. So I was. And I was not entirely underwhelmed, but he was mostly concerned about himself. And I barely…” She turned an adorable shade of pink as she trailed off. “Well, it was decent.”
“Is that part of the reason you didn’t want to marry him? Mediocre sex for the rest of your life?”
She laughed. “No, not really. I would hope that it would improve with time together.” She shrugged. “It was mostly that I knew if we married, he wouldn’t be able to go right away. And he would resent me for that. And then, when he did leave and was gone for years, I would resent him. It wouldn’t be a happy marriage. No time for mediocre sex when there wouldn’t be any for years at a time.”
He laughed. “Well, I can tell you, it’s not always much better than mediocre. But, it is nice to think about trying new things with the same person. And doing the same things with them as well, if that’s what’s preferred.”
They played without conversation for several minutes before she asked, “So do you have a mistress? Or is it all just conquests for you, too?”
“I’ve never had a mistress. I have had a decent amount of sex with a small number of women. Some of them for months at a time, some just once was enough.”
“So you know a thing or two?”
He chuckled. “A thing or two, yes.”
She swallowed. “What is your favorite thing?”
Alec could feel his cheeks heating up. Why was that? He kept his eyes on the game as he said, “I quite enjoy taking a woman from behind.”
“Hm.” Jess was quiet again.
He lifted his eyes to watch her. She bit her lip. That was adorable. He wanted to kiss her again in that moment. Pull her across his lap and—
“That sounds very impersonal, though. Can’t see in each other’s eyes.”
“It’s easier to rub the woman’s pleasure spot while thrusting.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, then. I suppose that would make sense. Is that something that helps the man as well?”
“Yes.” His voice was husky.
They finished the game in silence and Alec quickly excused himself.
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This is the 5th book of the Osborne series. I actually have never written a single word of this one until now. Sebastian has evolved over the years, so this one should be interesting.
....
Sebastian slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and his throat was scratchy. He looked up at an unfamiliar wooden ceiling.
“You’re awake!” An excited female voice said.
He looked over to see a young blonde girl poke her head out the open door and call for someone to fetch the doctor. She came back and smiled down at him.
“We thought you’d never wake again,” the young woman said. Her accent was hard to follow and his head was pounding just trying. “The doctor said your heart was strong and your lungs weren’t full of water–”
Sebastian interrupted, “Where am I?” His voice was so raspy.
“Lamb Head Broch.” [Orkney Island; placeholder for now]
“Water, please?”
She poured some water into a tin cup and handed it over and helped him to sit up. “I’m Elizabeth.”
“Sebastian.” He drank the water down and then collapsed on the bed once more. “What happened to me?”
“All we know is you washed up on the beach last week. You have a broken leg and there was a very nasty gash to your head. You kept asking for your mama, but we couldn’t get anything else.”
A young man with a pronounced limp came into the room. “Hello, I’m Doctor Smythe.” He put down his bag and started pulling out instruments. “And you are?”
“Sebastian Osborne.”
“Ah, a Londoner! I got my medical license there.” He looked over Sebastian and examined his head.
As the doctor poked and prodded, he could finally feel the concentration of the pain just at his temple. He hissed at the doctor’s fingers poking at the wound.
A gruff voice said from the doorway, “You know how you got here?”
Sebastian tried to shake his head, but it hurt too much. “Last I remember, I was on a ship headed north from Liverpool.” He squinted out the window. “It’s winter.”
“A keen eye, that one has,” the gruff man said.
“Pay my father no mind,” Elizabeth said, “Does winter hold significance?”
“It was the end of spring when we set sail,” Sebastian explained.
The doctor looked him over. “Royal Navy?”
“Yes.”
The doctor nodded. “I’ll send word. They’ll have listed you as missing.”
**
Tagging all the lovely people who were previously tagged and adding any extras who have interacted with the other posts:
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