Seduce Me at Sunrise. (Closed for MadMissJ and Dreamwalker85)

[MadMissJ]

The day had been a difficult one. It was more than a funeral for Emma, it seemed to signal the end of a childhood that had seen much tumult and hardship. She stood in front of her mirror, the lady in waiting behind her changing her yet again that day. The morning had been heavy, both with rain and emotion. She was shedding those dripping wet layers, her black hat with the silk ribbons had been undone, letting her red ringlets free, her cape was draped near the fire to speed the drying before the fur could mat. Her dress was unbuttoned and left to hang over a chair while she stood in her stockings, camisole, petticoat, and corset.

“My cousin, he’s here now?” Emma ventured the guess, after all she had seen her older cousin in the crowd of mourners. And though she should have been happy to receive more of her extended family into the home she’d lived in since she’d been a small girl, the fact was, was that her uncle had, had little respect for the working class and her Uncle John and his son, so she’d not seen the man since she’d been collecting dolls and hosting tea parties for them. He was the only son of her Uncle’s youngest brother in a family cursed with accidental deaths. Her own father, who’d been the heir and Lord Hallowell had perished on a trip with her own mother to India, something of a blood born fever which had left Emma, at the age of five in the wardship of her Uncle Charles, who’d been preceded in death by her cousin’s father; Uncle John. But the three brothers were gone now, after her Uncle Charles’ ill-fated horse ride, between them they’d only been able to produce two potential heirs. Emma and her cousin, the last of the Hallowells.

“I’m sorry what?” Emma hadn’t been paying attention, she’d been staring into the mirror lost in thought about her Uncle John. He’d been a man who’d loved the sea, his merchant ships had taken him around the world. In her very room were dolls that he’d bought for her in the native dress of some of the many countries visited, he’d been a thoughtful man, there was no reason to assume that her cousin wouldn’t be of the same ilk.

“I said he’s waiting in the drawing room with your barrister.” The maid murmured as she buttoned up Emma’s blouse and vest, draping her once more in somber black and dark burgundy. The colors didn’t suit her, Emma was more fire than ice. Her red hair done up still longed to curl and spring away from the carefully crafted hairdo, she had rosiness in her cheeks, red in her lips and green eyes that flashed and burned with curiosity and temper. But once she was presentable to the company downstairs, Emma strived for rigidity, taking the stairs slowly with hands clutched in front of her, pausing only once she was at the door and had to have it opened for her to be let in, joining the men.

“I’m sorry you had to wait.” Was her greeting, but she saw that they were still dressed in their funeral attire, her lawyer, Mr. McShane reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze of reassurance. But her fluttering dark lashes tried to hide the sidelong look that she gave her relative as she sat and Mr. McShane cleared his throat. There would be no questions about the transfers of the Hallowell estates and titles to the new Lord Hallowell, what was in question was her wardship, her money and the estates from her mother’s family. It had been held in trust for her and hadn’t been touched, for a dowry upon her marriage, but the Hallowell Estates were no longer supporting themselves, and Charles had been selling bits of it by piecemeal to farmers and middle-class gentleman. Grazing and fishing in the country, their London house was only to be in operation for her coming out into society, and was rented out otherwise. After all, it was important to give the appearance of wealth, especially when looking for a husband.

“Please, sit.” Emma invited her cousin to relax only to blush with hot embarrassment, as her hand had waved to the seat next to her on the couch. She’d forgotten, again, one couldn’t instruct the lord of the manor to sit, as a guest it would have been a gracious action, now it was wholly improper.

“I’m sorry, My Lord.” She corrected herself, looking down at her hands. “I’m still adjusting…” But her Uncle’s words to her about her last surviving family member on her father’s side plagued her. They’d been coated with blood and warning.

‘Beware, Sweet Emma. He’s not had the trappings of the landed gentry, like his father before him, he cares for little besides gambling, women, coffee, clothes, and clubs.’

 

[Dreamwalker85]

Edward was waiting downstairs. The last time he had been in the estate was ages ago. Charles had caste Edward and his father out. They were considered too low. Other members of the family, before misfortune, had talked down upon them. It wasn't that Edward and his father were poor, no. Well, not right away. Whether it was the words of family, stories that proved to be true that fueled said words or a little of both, but Edward and his father became drunkards. The pair fell on bad times because of not knowing when to walk away from a card table, when it wasn't the bottle that drained coin. Eventually, the father fell upon bad times. Loosing standing with family, land, property and everything else. It forced a change of hard times.

Bridges became burned in the process. The pair became the black sheep of the family. Edward was on a similar path to self-destruction until the death of his father five summers ago. A sailing accident. The stories conflicted, but all said the bottle played a role in the misfortune. This was a wakeup call to Edward.

He had not married, there was not enough time since becoming a dock worker. Coin was being squirreled away for a home that wasn't an inn room he had been living in for an extended stay. When word came of Charles's funeral, the money was spent on a proper suit.

A day before the funeral was when the lawyer came. The news was broken to him that he was the new lord. Edward refuted the claim at every turn until the lawyer went through every possible heir. Eventually Edward replied, "Good thing I bought a proper suit."

Standing among the mourners, Edward noticed Emma during the procession. Rain had come down upon him and the others during the ordeal. Afterward he went toward the manor that was his now. Well, would be after some contracts were signed.

Emma patted the couch next to her. She was still a very pretty woman. Edward wondered why she stayed a ward to Charlie instead of becoming a wife to another man. Still, he was in the process of moving to the couch when she apologized with a blush.

A blush rose into his face, “Don’t worry about. If anything, I will need your help. You can stay as my guest and confidant. You know the proceedings of the manor better than anyone. I would need your help for the manor’s sake. You still have a home here,” he waited for her reply before sitting down into the offered spot.

 

[MadMissJ]

Before Emma could respond, she heard Mr. McShane clear his throat loudly, briskly. His voice was just a little more starched when he spoke to the new Lord Hallowell.

“I do hope she has a home here, Milord. She’s your legal responsibility now. As stated she is your ward, until she’s come of age and come out to society and found a proper husband.” Obviously, there was more than one person who was worried about Emma’s safety and care. The way the barrister described things it seemed like she was nothing but an infant. Though honestly, an infant would have more rights if it had been born male than she enjoyed currently. Though she couldn’t say that she didn’t have an enjoyable life here. It was preferable to what would have happened had her Uncle Charles not have been interested in her at all.

“It’s the interest of her fortune that is keeping Hallowell from debtors. The interest and the selling of the some of the properties. I’m afraid you’ve inherited an estate in sore need of an influx of…well…to be so crass, cash.” The mustache on the man’s upper lip quivered a little, and he looked at Emma herself as if to apologize for even saying the words in front of her. But Emma wasn’t so sure that her cousin Edward would know what to do with that information. From what she knew of him, he worked for his living, as her Uncle John had. But to aristocrats, the social stigma that would come from working for a living was nigh on being found out to have held orgies and mistresses in one’s home with his wife and children. It cost more to run an estate than the estate could make on lending their lands for grazing or having farmers pay taxes on the land they worked. The last time the home she lived in had been updated had to have been when her mother married her father. She had money on her mother’s side, and a title on her father’s, in a land were marrying a peer with money was quickly becoming nonexistent.

Emma glanced toward her cousin sitting next to her, a faint apologetic smile on her face. She didn’t know much of the history of what Edward had done to merit his expulsion from their family pile but whatever it had been, it wasn’t talked of. But she tried to be encouraging when he was getting the news, reaching over to pat his hand, just before McShane continued.

“You’ll be responsible for her coming out this season.” The lawyer seemed to weigh this information before he expanded on it for Edward’s benefit. “She needs to be shown about town, Milord. It’ll require dresses, shoes, maids, dressmakers, money for frivolities, ballgowns, seats at the opera, your London home. For your sake, I do hope she acquires a husband as quickly as possible before she starts to drain your coffers.”

Emma had to close her eyes and remind herself to be patient with the man. He made it seem as if Edward would be the one footing her bills, well in a way he was, all that money that would be for her debutant season was going to come out of what was used on the estates themselves.

“I need you to sign some papers, your acknowledgment of the transfer of Lady Emma’s wardship into your hands. The estate and debts.” Several papers were put out for Edward requiring his signature and once those were gathered up and the man packed himself up and Emma stood once he tipped his hat at them and walked out of the room. Leaving Edward and Emma together for the first time, the air heavy with the news that had been put on Edward.

“It’s not something you’ll not have to worry about, for a time.” She tried to find him a silver lining. “Uncle Charles put my season off a year, thinking that things would start to turn around for the better…” She trailed off, obviously, things had not. “I think he was looking for a wife himself, one of those American heiresses that would like a title and could bring in railroad money.” The exact people that Emma herself would be competing with when the spring season opened in London. “It wouldn’t have been seemly for me to marry whilst Uncle Charles was looking for a bride.”

The red-head smiled, “Surely, we’ll now be the talk of the town with the two of us looking for spouses.” The idea tickled her, in so much as she would have someone to slog about in the societal mishmash, same as she. He was young, attractive, he’d be escorting her to and fro, it seemed to her that if they were going to make a splash an eligible bachelor and his ward would be the best of situations.

“Truly, Edward. I don’t know much of why you and your father left Hallowell. Some people here had long, long memories, as do the people in London. Don’t let that discourage you. You are a titled gentleman now. You can take it all in, in pieces. Like this piece…” Emma reached over for a bell on her Uncle’s desk and rang it, the man that had been standing behind the door peeked in on them in question before Emma asked him to fetch them some tea.

Then once more they were alone.

“Does this differ much from what you are used to?”

 

[Dreamwalker85]

Edward tried not to blanch as the conditions, terms and everything else was outlined in detail by the lawyer. Oh, he knew there would be pressures. He just didn't know there would be so many. Still, he was there and nodded.
“Emma will come out as scheduled,” Edward spoke firmly on that. The question was: was it to himself, to her, the lawyer, those in the room or everyone that could hear including himself? Only time could tell on that one.

Rising up from his spot, “Excuse me, Emma,” he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Then he moved to the lawyer. One thing Edward wanted to ask in private was, “How much money do I have? In order to bring her out properly, I need to have money to do this the proper way. I want to hold off putting up land for sale, for rent or whatever is required to sustain the manor. However, were I to do that now it would harm Emma’s chances.”

Edward waited for the details to come out. He knew the details were probably not going to be pretty. However, he wanted to see something. Some shred of hope so Emma wasn’t forced into a life that he once had not long ago.

After the talk with the lawyer, Edward sat down. Emma talked about how great they would look together, “If we look too good, they will think I am courting you. I will dress mutely so you may shine like a star upon the sky. They will speak more of you than myself.” All of the pressures of Emma had, and he by proxy now, seemed to make his worries about being wed just fade away for the moment. He was less picky and caring about the formal life.

“My father fell on hard times, much like Charlie had he live for another three years. The family pounced upon it and it helped him to continue spiral out of control.” Then Emma ran the bell and the butler came in. “I remember this. It was just so long ago,” he spoke softly to Emma as his gaze was on the bell. The servant was left there for a moment.

“I require some food and information. Can you get the next meal started?” he wasn’t sure if it was lunch or dinner that came up next. "What else can you show me?" he asked.

 

[MadMissJ]

When Edward spoke firmly that Emma would be going to London to seek out a husband, it seemed to imply that it was going to happen come hell or high water. The redhead tried not to smile outright and put her hand up over her mouth as if to block a cough, rather than a grin. But this wasn’t as uncomplicated as just saying it. Which was apparent when Mr. McShane answered Edward’s question before leaving.

“Sir, you have no money.” The mustache man shook his head. “Emma’s fortune and the interest there of is what you have. Marry her off quickly so her husband can manage her money, and get yourself a rich bride. Or you’ll have to piecemeal your inheritance to death.” Rather than merely stating a fact, there was an undertone of warning. An air of distrust, something that seemed to surround Edward and haunted him in these halls from the people who had been around in his youth.

“If we look too good, they will think I am courting you.” Emma couldn’t have said why that made her blush, but the pink on the apples of her cheeks seemed to spread. She hadn’t been around such plain speaking company in a long time. And though Emma had thoughts of what her future husband would be like, now she turned her green eyes on her cousin. Who was fashioned so differently than the dandies and beaus of London. He had broad shoulders, tanned skin that meant that he’d been outdoors, doing work instead of dancing and attending country soirees.

“I will dress mutely so you may shine like a star upon the sky. They will speak more of you than myself.”

The stiff morality of that made her smile, this time unable to hide it behind her hand, she let it settle into place when she stood, reaching out to rest her hand, a little too comfortably on his shoulder.

“I cannot imagine that you’d enjoy spending your days standing up to a mirror while you are measured and remeasured for new suits and shopping for endless accouterments.” Emma confessed, “But I’m not the only one looking to get caught.” She should have separated her hand from his shoulder, it was lingering too long, but as he confessed the life that he had been leading since his expulsion from their family pile. “I’m so sorry, Edward.” And she was, it looked as if it had been painful to say.

“I’m afraid that we run on the Servant’s schedule here.” She responded as Edward asked for her to get the meal started and the tea had been delivered. She poured him a cup of tea, and sipped her own, there was a small sampling of sandwiches and treats on the tray. “Let’s go for a walk. I’ll reintroduce you to your home.” With tentative gloved hands, she put her fingers into the crook of his elbow, the extreme familiarity of it, was meant to comfort. And so, she walked, reaching for one of the many umbrellas that sat by her door and handing it to Edward to hold over them.

“I know that it’s not all that common to take a stroll in the rain, but I think we could both use the fresh air.” Emma did, the weight of their financial straits weighed on her too, this was her home and Edward was what she had left of her family. The pouring had lifted to a drizzle outside and to keep herself from being drenched, the redhead pressed herself against his side, strolling easily with her cousin.

“Do you have a…” What was the polite term she was looking for when one didn’t have a wife? “A woman that you are seeing? Courting? I’m afraid that I would have my nose bent out of shape if the chap who was courting me, decided to go find himself someone new.”

 

[Dreamwalker85]

What the lawyer spoke to Edward was his worst thought. Oh, the relatives were going to say what fortune Charlie had was wasted in no time by Edward. That he was just like his father.

"Make me a promise," her hand was on his shoulder. "Should the relatives talk, tell them what the lawyer had said. I don't mind not having a fortune, but I don't want them to think I'm dragging you down. I'll do all I can to see you're wed, but it's not like Charlie has given me much to work with. Good thing you're the most beautiful thing in the house, we'll find some rich suitor that sees your beauty should matter more than money, and get you squared away," Edward gave his cousin a soft smile. The hand stayed too long, it made him wonder, but with all the news it felt like an anchor. Part of him wanted to run away because the task felt Goliath in nature. However, the hand was comforting like seeing the light tower's beacon in a storm while the winds were raging and the night was all consuming.

She brought up being measured and re-measured, "I may be open to such treatment if the tailor were somehow a woman. I would not mind being fawned over again and again because it would probably lead to conversation I dare not speak in front of your presence. Especially if their beauty was comparable to yours," Edward paused for a moment. "What I mean is if the female tailor was comparable to you then they could have spent all the time in the world fawning over me with hands and tape to measure me. Since they more than likely would never be a woman, it would be a waste of my time despite what little value it may be worth to people. I will see that your husband is not adverse to this treatment, but if he spends more time than you being measured there may be a desire by them to seek the company of someone that looks more like me than you. I at least wish for you to have some pleasure by your future husband. The chances of such dandies giving you such pleasure would be non-existent and that would just be a waste of a beauty."

Emma was beautiful so the comments were not an outright lies. However, he knew that Emma was going to have issues finding a husband in certain circles because they would have looked at the bottom figure, like a beautiful and willing wife was not enough. Somehow she had to come with more features to be worth their while. So, he wanted to own a room when she entered, to know how beautiful she was even before any person paid her attention.

The rain was coming down, "It's only scandalous if you are wearing thin white material. Even if you were I have an umbrella to keep you dry. Also, who would I tell even if it were to become scandalous?" Edward asked with an impish smile. "I could use the air to think, so I will not deny such notion."

The gloved hand of Emma went to the crook of his arm. A nod went to her as he took the umbrella. They stepped out the door and he opened the umbrella, "I wish there was a female tailor to fawn over me, but there is not. A gentleman can dream of such. The closest I have to one is you, because I know you will try to see that I have such a woman. However, you should be focused on your husband."