#scottageduo

Scott’s mother was always a romantic. She would go on and on about how marrying one’s best friend was the best way to guarantee a love match, and how Scott’s father was the love of her life, but Scott had always been a skeptic at that sort of romanticism. He never felt that sort of way about his best friend, even when everyone else seemed to expect it. 

He later found that he fancied other men, not women, so perhaps that had something to do with his lack of attraction the way his mother described it. When it came to men, well… maybe he was a bit of a romantic as well. When Scott was around Martyn, his closest male “friend”, his heart sped up and his stomach did somersaults, but in a strangely pleasant way. He had never felt anything quite like it before, and he didn’t want to lose it any time soon. 

That being said, according to the recent round of gossip spreading throughout the ton, he was head over heels for his best friend, Pearl Moon. It would be laughable, considering what they meant to each other and their affections for other people, and he would have laughed if it wasn’t their best option. Hold on, let’s rewind a bit.

“I just don’t know what to do, Scott!” Pearl pressed her face into Scott’s chest, tears running down her face as her body shuttered with each muffled sob. “Father has barred me from seeing her until I find a husband.”

Scott ran his hand through her hair– she preferred to leave the blonde and brunette locks down and loose, despite her father’s protests– to provide comfort, his sympathies going out to her. As a man of high status, he had more privileges and freedom when it came to marrying than she did. Sure, he knew people talked because he spent so much time with both Pearl and Pearl’s lover, Cleo, without courting either of them, but that was more likely to damage their reputation over his. He wrinkled his nose at that sort of mindset, but changing the mind of their society was not a task he could take on single handedly. Scott’s control of the ton’s collective opinion was rocky on a good day, as much as he wished otherwise.

Luckily, he was able to present himself as honorable, and as one who would never touch a lady like that outside of marriage– not that he would otherwise. At least, not without consent and necessity. Besides, even if his eyes did wander that way, his father was a respected and influential business man. People in the ton would be foolish to go against him and his family name, one that Scott shared.

“‘You’ve spent far too many seasons on the marriage mart, moon pie!’” Pearl started to quote her father as she rolled over on Scott, now using him like a chaise lounge. “‘You can’t keep rejecting or driving away these perfectly respectable suitors!’ I wish he would stop presenting them to me! Or me to them. I don’t fancy any of them.” “As much as you and I understand that you fancying a man is never going to happen,” Scott remindered, though he understood as much as he could her irritation, “your father nor the ton won’t. I doubt such a concept has even crossed their mind.” “I know, I know.” Pearl sighed exasperatedly. “I still don’t like it though. He’s afraid I will become a spinster, but it honestly doesn’t seem so bad of a fate. Cleo and I could become spinsters together, living together away from this town. Maybe we could have a garden together, living off the land so we have less need for a nobleman’s money. We may be known as disgraces and shame our families, but it seems a better fate than being married off to some man! No offense.”

“None taken.” Scott couldn’t help but chuckle, though there was a tinge of bitterness to his tone. Not at Pearl, of course not, but at the situation they were stuck in. “Pearl, I get it. You already know my views on having to marry a lady one day. In fact, I am unsure how much longer I can push off pursuing one before the pressure of providing an heir– a legitimate blood heir– becomes greater, too much to ignore.” “I wish I were a man sometimes,” Pearl confessed after a beat of silence, dragging her finger against the embroidered designs of her dress. “I would be free of the homemaking and social duties required of a woman.”

“I would switch with you if I could.” Scott jutted out his lower lip in a pout, one that made Pearl roll her eyes affectionately at when she glanced over at him. “I am expected to take on Father’s estate, and manage the behind-the-scenes. It involves a lot of maths, Pearl, and you know I’ve never been good at maths.” Pearl snorted at that truth, covering the lower half of face with her hand. “I would try to comfort you by saying that claim is false, but even I am better at maths than you, and you have had  many more lessons in the subject than I.”

“Uh huh, alright, go on,” Scott rolled his eyes as if in annoyance, but his playful smirk said otherwise, “keep rubbing salt in my oozing, infected wound.”

“Hey, I’m just the messenger.” Pearl raised her arms, as if in surrender. 

“Have you brought anything to heal my wound?” Scott continued with the bit. “Lavender, perhaps? It is furiously screaming, painful and full of puss.” “Ew, gross” Pearl whined, half-heartedly pretending to push him away. “I don’t need to hear about your disgusting fake infection.” “You’re the one who rubbed salt into it!” Scott pointed out.

“And I regret it!” Pearl shot back, a shiver running through her body.

“I sure hope so!” Scott gasped as if offended, pretending to clutch his pearls like some of the older women in the ton did when scandalized.

“Ugh, just take your lavender oil,” Pearl dramatized, handing him an imaginary vial of lavender oil to accelerate his fake-wound’s healing, “and leave me be!”

“See, was that so hard?” Scott took the imaginary vial and poured the air-liquid over his heart.

“I hate you so much, actually,” Pearl claimed, though a smile shone on her lips. “I don’t know why we’re friends.” Scott cheekily quipped back, “I love you too!”

The two burst into a fit of giggles as the scene ended, their own ridiculousness knocking them over the edge. Once their amusement died down, Pearl added on to their previous conversation topic, “If it makes you feel better, I’m sure you could throw a better ball than I could.”

“I have no doubt,” Scott agreed as his eyes hazed over with an almost wistful yearning. “I always loved helping Mother design the themes and plan all the details. It is one of the only times I was allowed to spend so much time with her growing up, instead of with my nanny.” “I wish we could do as we pleased, regardless of what is between our legs,” Pearl huffed, “or, I wish we could switch roles, just the two of us, at least.”

“It would make our current predicament easier, but, alas,” Scott almost ended there, but he continued just to humor his best friend, “no matter how many times Martyn and I lay together, a heir won’t be produced. If it were possible, I could talk my way into the church allowing us to marry.”

A shuttering laugh escaped Pearl’s lungs as she attempted to control herself. “If only that were how it worked.”

Yes. If only. Scott couldn’t help but be disappointed that their hypothetical couldn’t be reality. Not out of any wish to be a woman or be with child himself, but simply because their lives would be easier that way.

The two laid as they were for quite awhile, finding peace in their platonic acts of affections and comfort. Scott was startled, however, when Pearl suddenly shot up with her face lighting up as it did when she got an idea. “Scott, you should court me! We should get married.”

“What?” Scott gaped at her, baffled that she even would suggest such an idea. He had thought they were on the same page when it came to their relationship. “Pearl, you know I love you, but not like-”

“Not a love marriage, silly.” Pearl grabbed his hands, practically vibrating from excitement. It was quite darling, Scott must admit. “But they don’t need to know that! We could say we’ve been courting in secret. No one would doubt us! We see each other enough for it, and you know the servants have caught us cuddling more than once.” “This is true,” Scott hummed, beginning to understand where she was going with the idea. “I’m sure there have been rumors of us courting already, so that would help make our lie believable.” “It would be believable anyway, with or without the servant’s gossip,” Pearl dismissed mildly. “Friendship this strong between a gentleman and a lady without romance sparking is almost unheard of. Plus, it’s what they will want to hear. We would only be confirming what they already believe to be true.” Hesitance tugged at Scott’s mind, but he was coming around. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but–” “But nothing!” Pearl interrupted, bopping her fingertip against his nose and giggling as Scott went cross eyed. “Scott, you’re overthinking it. Stop being anxious for a moment and trust me: a marriage would solve both of our problems.”

“It would get Mother off my back,” Scott considered thoughtfully.

“There you go!” Pearl cheered, accompanied with the clever little giggle she often got when she believed a plan of hers was working out.  

“And, if we get Martyn and Cleo on board, they could marry each other! Or I could marry Cleo, and you Martyn.” Pieces started to fall into place, a more detailed plan already starting to form in Scott’s mind. “If we are all married, the ton’s attention will move off of us. I don’t believe anyone would bat an eye if we chose to live together as two couples, as long as we have a convincing enough story.” “Exactly.” Pearl nodded enthusiastically, extremely pleased and more relaxed than before. She pointed her finger, bouncing it against his chest several times. “Scott, you need to get a ring made for me, or perhaps for Cleo if Martyn would rather fake-court me, and talk to Martyn and Cleo about our plan. Father would kill me if he knew I went to see her after he explicitly told me not to.”

“Don’t you see Martyn tomorrow?” Scott inquired, recalling an event Pearl informed him of previously. “At the banquet his family invited yours too? Perhaps you could ask him then?” “That’s right!” Pearl’s grin only widened at the recall. “I’ll talk to him then, but you need to talk to Cleo for me. Please? And tell her that I miss her presence dearly.”

“I can slip her a letter,” Scott offered, “if you have more to say.”

Scott was almost dazed by how instantly Pearl detached herself from him. She stumbled out of his hold and off the bad, nearly dashing over to the private writing desk Scott kept in his bedroom. “Of course! I shall note my affections for my love now. You do the same so that I may hand him your words at the banquet.” “We should arrange a time for the four of us to gather,” Scott proposed, “so that we may discuss the plan in full before everything gets started. Courting rules will fall into place once we are officially courting, which would restrict us, in a way, placing more attention on our actions.”

Pearl paused her letter writing, furrowing her brow in though. “We won’t be unable to gather as discreetly as we are now.”

“Exactly.” Scott joined her by the parchment, ink, and quill. “I think we should explain in full once we are together, and alone.”