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unfortunate-arrow · 10 months

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝

A/N: For @hp-12monthsofmagic’s July prompt (“A surprise”). Warnings include use of the word “bastard,” and panic attacks. Set in 1892 and then 1917. Primrose Gray belongs to @endlessly-cursed, while Josie Edwards belongs to @slytherindisaster. A parallel of sorts to this fic by @endlessly-cursed.

Everyone knew that William Devlin was a bastard. It was quite possibly the world’s most poorly kept secret, gossiped about by everyone from the servants to the tenants to the nobles of the ton. It was hard to disguise, given William’s uncanny resemblance to the late viscount Edward Carlisle. Not many people had seen the Devlin boy, though. William was granted a lonely childhood, with no playmates and only the most discreet of tutors, but he had marketable skills. Fluent in French by the age of seven. He’d become competent in fencing by nine. He’d been granted a drawing instructor at seven after the housekeeper had discovered some sketches done by the young boy. He’d read or skimmed through most of the viscount Paul Carlisle’s library by eight. He’d mastered the piano by ten. The only stain against his character was the overwhelming stain of illegitimacy.

Of course, for the right price or by the right person, stains such as illegitimacy could be overlooked. After all, William was a boy. He had the freedom to adopt a career, gain a fortune that might allow one to overrule any concerns about blood.

“A what?” William asked, staring stunned at the viscount before hastily adding, “my lord.”

“An engagement, William,” the viscount responded, sounding annoyed.

“I am only ten, my lord. I shall not be permitted to marry.”

“The wedding will not be held until you both reach your twenty-first birthdays. It shall allow you both the time to mature.”

“May I ask who the bride shall be, my lord?”

“Your fiancée is Miss Primrose Gray, Viscount Gray’s daughter. You have met before.”

“Only once, my lord.”

“That is of no concern. We shall make the announcement in a fortnight.” The viscount waved his hand. “You are dismissed.”

William stared at the viscount for a moment before taking his leave. A fiancée? He’d never even thought about kissing a girl before! Sure, Miss Gray hadn’t immediately turned her nose at him, but three years had passed since their meeting and everyone eventually turned their noses up at him. Okay, so Louisa didn’t really turn her nose up at him, but she was Lady Carlisle’s daughter and she barely spent time with him outside of the occasional family dinner.

The next fortnight passed excruciatingly fast and with each tick of the clock, William found himself dreading the announcement more and more. He’d always hated events that he was required to attend. Aside from the constant attention, no one was expected to arrive at the time given on the invitation. William had quickly learned that very few people in the aristocratic world valued punctuality quite the way he did and it made him miserable… a feeling that was heightened the moment that he set foot into the event hosted by Lord and Lady Gray. And so, William had slipped out to find somewhere to breathe the moment that everyone had been distracted.

He’d ended up in the nursery somehow. It was a bit of a mess, and he had a particular way that he liked art supplies to be organized. He was organizing the watercolors when a footman appeared and informed him that his presence was required in the ballroom. The knot in his stomach grew tighter and tighter the closer he came to the ballroom. By the time he set foot in the ballroom, William was certain that if he opened his mouth, the contents of his stomach would make an appearance. He was maneuvered to stand by the viscount and Miss Gray, his chest tightening now as well.

“As you know, my wife and I have been searching for a husband for our little treasure, and we believe that we have found the perfect man for her. Hence, I am delighted to announce the engagement of my daughter, Miss Primrose Gray, to Mr. William Devlin, Lord Carlisle’s Ward,” Lord Gray announced with a sweeping gesture to the two children.

The outrage came on almost immediately. His chest tightened even more, causing William to gasp for breath, and he spied the open door to the gardens. His feet moved of their own accord… until a small hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, preventing him from moving. He had never felt the baseness of his illegitimacy quite as much as he did in that moment. And, oh god, could the floor just open up and swallow him?

“That’s enough!” Miss Gray cried. “I made the choice. My father presented me with my options and allowed me to make a decision about my own future. Mr. Devlin was a clear choice. I can understand your anger and disappointment, but I cannot allow you to insult my bridegroom. You shall speak to him with the utmost respect from now on or risk offending me and Winbourne.”

William heard nothing else as the rushing blood hummed in his ears. The feeling in his chest loosened slightly, but he still couldn’t breath. The moment that all eyes turned off him, he wrenched his arm free and made a beeline for the gardens. Cool air rushed against his skin and he gasped for breath, running a few fingers between his neck and collar to loosen the fabric. A movement in the shadows caught his attention and he whirled around to see Miss Gray.

“Why’d you do it? I didn’t ask you to. You don’t even know me. I didn’t need you to.”

“They were insulting you, Mr. Devlin. I couldn’t allow it. The choice has been made and we shall be married when we are older. It is our duty to look after one another,” Miss Gray responded, an air of offense coloring her words.

“Thank you,” he paused. “No one has defended me like that before.”

She nodded. “I shall leave you to your own thoughts. You know where to find me.”

William let out a long sigh as she left. The cool breeze ruffled his hair and tinged his cheeks red, but the tightness of his chest began to loosen just enough to feel like he could breathe again.

Twenty-five years had passed since that mortifying engagement, and at 35 (nearly 36), William could confidently say that being engaged to a woman that you actually cared about and wanted to marry, was much less mortifying than having one be selected for you. Of course, his engagement to his darling Josie had only been for a few short months, not years that were spent dreading every interaction.

“Will, darling, a letter arrived for you!” Josie called, poking her head into the room that served his studio. He placed his brush down, still marveling at the fact that this was his life. He was actually making a living on his art.

“Whose it from?” he asked.

“A Lord Carlisle.”

William frowned deeply. He hadn’t heard from the viscount since he had moved out after graduating from Hogwarts. He took the letter from Josie and studied it, noting that the handwriting was different from the viscount’s. Summoning a letter opener, William gently opened it.

“Dear Mr. Devlin,

It has been years since we have spoken, but I feel that it is my duty to inform you of my father, Lord Paul Carlisle’s death as you have been included his will. He leaves you a sum of £10,000. I have enclosed all the information from the solicitor in here as well in order for you to claim your share.

There is another matter that I am writing to you about, though. I have discovered, amongst Father’s personal papers, that you, Mr. Devlin, are indeed his son. I have enclosed a letter, written by your late mother, which includes the revelation. It appears that she wrote a letter to accompany you when she left in the care of Father. I know that we have never had much of a relationship, but I am glad to count you as my brother. You were always kind to me and I shall never forget your kindness in gifting me Claude. He was the most faithful companion a boy could ask for.

Sincerely,

Your brother,

Viscount Julian Carlisle,” William read aloud, staring dumbfounded at the letter. “He left me money. He never forgot about me. He held onto proof that I was his son.”

William turned to Josie, his eyes starting to light up. “We can pay off the rest of the house, love. We can have money to put aside. We can tell the children that their grandfather thought of me.”

“Oh, that’s incredible, darling.”

William let out a whoop of joy, pulling Josie into him and spinning her around, a goofy smile on his face. He’d only felt this happy a few times before. His wedding. Samuel. Emmeline and Lucy. Sebastian and Mattie. His father, acknowledging his existence and holding onto the proof that William was his son. Of all the ways that William had predicted his life would go, he had never imagined this. A beautiful wife, a burgeoning career as an artist, five amazing children… and it was all his.

#hp12mom #william devlin #primrose gray #josie edwards #willsie #william x josie #hp victorian era #hp legacy era #hphl #my writing #my aesthetic #other people’s ocs #i did not intend for this month’s story to go to william… he popped up and wouldn’t leave #so will it is! hopefully the other months for work for kiddos i haven’t really written much for before #might be the longest because once william got started he didn’t stop #was also debating whether or not to include the end bit (in 1917) but let’s end on a happy note

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