#safetypin earring you will always be dear to me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

a-singleboat · 6 years

Text

Perchance (1)

A/N: part one! woot woot!

WARNINGS: the roaring 20s

You were sitting on the corner chaise when Tom, your brother-in-law, walked in through the door with a blond following closely behind. Your focus shifted from the house across the river to the pair. The blond looked around and zeroed in on Daisy, your sister. You would admit, you recognized this man, however barely.

Daisy rose to greet him, took his hand in hers, and stared into his clear blue eyes for a second too long. You narrowed your eyes at that, slightly glaring at their clasped hands. Daisy turned around to look at you, suddenly dropping the man’s hand. You snapped out of it just as quickly as Daisy spun around to address the room. She addressed ou first, “Y/n, I don’t expect you to remember Harrison as he stopped visiting for a while, but he’s our cousin.”

You stared into his obnoxiously clear blue eyes, a gentle smile gracing your features. “A pleasure to meet you, cousin.” The look Daisy gave you was a mixture of play nice, and you’re in trouble. You shrugged, returning to stare out the window. The house across the way threw parties nearly every night and you couldn’t imagine why. You heard the man living there was a handsome one, currently looking to become off the market.

You cursed yourself for your thoughts, you were happily engaged with one of the most eligible men in this country. You couldn’t be thinking about other men now, but your mind deflected to the one man you had met way before your engagement to Sebastian. He was from mainland England, his accent was prominent and made you fall in love right away. You spent one glorious year with the man, meeting him in the shipyard that she would later see him depart from. He promised her he would come back good enough for her.

Three years later, she found herself here and engaged. She shook the thoughts of the man from the shipyard out of her head, standing from her relaxed position on the couch. “I think I’ll look for Sebastian now,” you declared before practically sweeping out of the room. Daisy’s gaze followed you until she was sure you were out of the room. You stopped by the door frame, still listening in.

“She’s been a mess since three years ago.” Daisy’s light voice wafted through the room. “She met someone and then she was never the same.”

“Do you think it could have just been Sebastian?” Your sister’s friend, Jordan, spoke. In all honesty, you had forgotten she was here until this moment. She kept quiet while Harrison was being introduced. You hadn’t remembered a time where she was as quiet, she always had something to say.

“I know it wasn’t because, at the time, Sebastian was dating that French girl who came here on an exchange program.” You scrunched up your face at the thought of that French girl who had threatened to end you until Sebastian had her thrown into jail for threatening you. “She used to spend a lot of time at the shipyard.”

“But why at the shipyard?” Harrison’s voice rang through the room. Daisy shushed him, probably waving a hand for him to quiet down.

“Nobody knows because nobody followed her, a stupid decision on my father’s part. He should’ve had someone to trail her.”

You had decided you had heard enough, turning on your heel ever so quietly to go search for your fiance. You breezed down the corridors, deciding you might find him in the kitchens. He spent a lot of time down there for a reason you knew all too well. Tom did it to Daisy, so why couldn’t Sebastian do it to you? He was hooking up with one of the Buchanan’s service maids, trying at all hours of the day to find the woman and duck into a linen closet with her.

You knocked on the one you commonly found them in together, waiting for the door to open wide. The door opened and the woman fell out first, undressed and a general mess. She had a goofy smile on her face, despite having hit the floor rather roughly.

In all honesty, Sebastian was more of a best friend to you if not a lover. You both really didn’t want this, but to preserve the old money both of your parents had dictated it so.

“I don’t understand why you don’t just hire her to be your own official service maid,” you said while stepping around her to get to your fiance. You kissed his cheek and pulled him from the closet. You led him away from the kitchen and back towards the main room. “We have a guest over and it looks suspicious that you aren’t there. I know we made this deal, but you still have to play the part.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and slung an arm over your shoulder. “Don’t worry, dear. I have it all under control. Besides, I think I’m done with her for good.” He pulled you closer into his side, leaning down to whisper in your ear. “You don’t have to be jealous anymore.”

You laughed and pushed him away, crossing your arms in front of your chest. “We made this deal for our families. To be the perfect couple, even more so than my sister especially after Tom’s mishap with the car. I can’t be the only one acting, it takes two.”

Sebastian nodded and pulled you back into his arms. He kissed you deep, right there against the wall. “Don’t worry,” he muttered against your lips. “I told you that I’ve got it all under control.”

An awkward sounding cough resonated down the hallway. You both separate, still holding hands, and turn to face the intruder. It was Harrison, his blue eyes were looking upon the two of you in absolute confusion. He glanced down to your intertwined hands and then back up to your faces.

“I’m so sorry to intrude, but Tom is looking for Sebastian.” Harrison looked at the man next to you, unsure if it was Sebastian or not. You nudged Sebastian forward, letting go of his hand. He bent down to kiss you swiftly, muttering a goodbye before sauntering down the hallway. The moment he disappeared around the corner, you were by Harrison’s side.

“Let’s take a walk.”

Out in the gardens, people were scarce. The only person around was the gardener and even then he was half deaf. You walked to the edge, stopping by the water. You sat on the bench and invited Harrison to sit with you.

“It’s always so peaceful in their garden,” you kept your eyes transfixed on the house across the river. Harrison pointed out across the water, at the house you had taken note of.

“You see that house?” You nodded, vaguely aware of the fact that he might have seen you staring. “I live in the gardener’s shack right next door.”

You shifted your focus to the significantly smaller house next door. “It’s quaint,” you stated, taking in its features. “Looks very cozy.”

You leaned into Harrison, keeping your eyes on his house. “I heard you guys earlier, about my not-so-recent affairs.” You didn’t know what it was, but you felt extremely safe with Harrison. Like you could tell him anything. “I did meet a man down at the shipyard. He was a dream come true, my dream come true.”

You got up from the bench and walked closer to the water’s edge. “Daisy had just had Pammy and I was feeling more alone than ever. The water calms me, I go down to the shipyard a lot. I met him in August. He was gone the next.”

You walked along the water and Harrison followed, offering his arm to you. You thread your arm through his, pulling him closer. “He was British, brown-eyed, and brown-haired. The most generic British man you could think of, but he made me feel special.”

You stared Harrison in his eyes, “I loved him and I probably still do, but he left me all those years ago. I never saw him again.”

The sun was setting and you glanced across the water. A party was starting on the other side, bright and attractive. ��I would love to go to one of those parties.”

You walked Harrison to the front where a car was waiting for him. “It was nice meeting you, Harrison.” You turned away from him, on your way to search out Sebastian.

“Y/n.” You turned back around. “I could bring you sometime, y’know, to the party. Only if you’d really want to though.”

You brightened up, radiating happiness. “I’d like that, Harrison. I really would.”

He smiled at you and then ducked into the car. You waved as he drove off, the sun finally setting behind your figure.

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@beautiful-holland @toms-order @starlightfound @lafayettes-baguettes-1

PERCHANCE TAGLIST

@heavenly---holland @safetypin-inspace

REQUEST HERE

Prologue - Part One - Part Two

92 notes · View notes