We all fall down.

[Briar Erwood]

The picnic was supposed to be the easiest event for Briar. She had been allowed to bring a book and to casually flip through it. Her mother would stop her if she looked to entranced in the pages of the latest novel by L. Lodge, (a set of poems with strange and intense horror imagery that she was sure her mother would not approve of if she had read it), but as long as Briar looked approachable and allowed herself to have pleasant conversation with the young men who approached the family she would be fine.



The rub came when they asked her to take a walk. The estate they were on was beautiful and there were many amazing flowers and such for her to look at, but there were also steep stone steps that held a danger for the ungraceful girl. In an attempt to mediate this her Mari (who had come with her husband to assist her mother and father) had offered to take Briar on a walk around herself. The thought was that if she knew the land once she would have an easier time if any gentleman asked her for a walk. It would also serve to allow any gentleman to see Briar and know of her presence.



It had gone well at first, until the pair was going down the last set of stairs, Briar’s family blanket was in sight and Briar could see her smiling father looking proud that Briar had done the herculean task of not falling in front of all high society. That was, until the middle step. That blasted middle step which had somehow accrued some slippery mud. One moment all was well, the next Briar was sliding down the rest of the steps, drawing the attention of all onlookers as she finally came to a stop at the foot of the stairs, her hip and legs singing in pain and her right ankle throbbing worst of all.

[Bellamy Talbot]

[nospaces]

rags
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to riches

living
[break]

a lie

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laurence

Picnics were good. Bellamy liked picnics. They were far easier than balls because . . . there was no dancing involved. Bellamy could instead just focus on conversation and avoiding looking like a fool. Which was far easier to do when he was not expected to remember the footwork of hundreds of songs. It was exhausting really! So many rules of etiquette to bare in mind when conversing with anyone in the ton. But at least here, fresh air was offered and a chance to make a swift escape if anything got too terrible. Lydia and Gerard were keeping a very close eye on him of course, but his sisters provided the perfection distraction as well.
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While they sought him to find a woman of high standing, the attention on the Talbots was attention consuming and Bellamy had no qualms about that. So long as they did not ask him to chaperone either of them . . . though he doubted the Duke and Duchess would entrust him with such a task. Standing silently with his biological father and his wife, his three sisters and a couple of gentleman, Bellamy was just fortunate that he did not have to carry the conversation. He was following along -- for the most part -- and would smile when the remark called for it, or look serious to match the other expressions.
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It was not until he heard a sound that he turned just in time to see a woman slide down the steps. His eyes widened in horror at the ordeal as people around gasped and whispered. And all Bellamy could think of was . . . it could have been me. He lacked the same grace and poise that others who had been raised and groomed for this possessed. So that very well could have been him.
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WWithout a second thought, he rushed over to the young woman, immediately crouching down and looking at her with genuine concern upon his features. "Are you alright?" He asked, eyes widened, as he ignored any onlookers. He knew Lydia and Gerard would disapprove and despite their feigned concern . . . inwardly, would be upset at him for putting himself in this rather public scene. ""Can you stand?" He further asked, feel the urge to whisk her away from all these spectators. [break][break]

tag: Briar Erwood --- notes: 

MEL @ ADOX

[googlefont="Dancing+Script"]

[Briar Erwood]

thread title here

If someone had appeared to her and offered a chance to disappear, a kind genie to offering her the ability to go anywhere but here Briar would take it. She would be anywhere but in the middle of the whispers and gasp where she had once again made a fool of herself and her family. Then someone broke from the crowd. She looked up at the kind face kneeling down to help her. His dark hair and eyes, eyebrows furrowed in concern. She swallowed a little of her pride and took his hand. "My pride is more hurt than anything" She muttered softly, Her face betrayed her as she stood up though. She winced as she put weight back on her ankle. "Oh, no, my Ankle hurts more." She said with a light laugh, but her cheeks glowed with an embarrassed pink. "Thank you so much Sir." Glancing behind the man she saw her sister had rushed down the stairs and was now hovering near them with a worried expression. "Oh Mari, really I'm fine, lets not pretend it's the worst fall I've ever taken I just need to get back to the blane-ow" Her words were cut off by the shot of pain as she tried to put the weight back on her ankle, but slower this time so obviously it would work.

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[Bellamy Talbot]

[nospaces]

rags
[break]

to riches

living
[break]

a lie

TEXT

laurence

When the young woman spoke of her pride being wounded more than anything else, it was certainly something that Bellamy could relate to. For far too many times had he mis-stepped during a dance, causing his foot to land on his dancing partner's. Or that he failed to say the proper formality when addressing another. It was not just fear of discovery that coursed through the young male . . . but the embarrassment that so frequently came with it. The wound to ones pride. Now of course, he could not delve into such details at the moment, but he hoped his next words would help bring her some ease. "I completely understand," he told her sincerely, without further elaborating.
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However when she attempted to stand with his offered hand, she was in pain -- evident by her body's reaction, her expression, and of course, her voice. She seemed to take it fairly well however, for instead of tears of pain, she let out a light laugh instead. Concern continued to show on his features. He remained close as if to provide some form of support, when another woman quickly joined the scene. Bellamy's face slightly twisted in empathy when she tried to move again, wondering how best he could help her through this. Carrying her seemed a bit too . . . intimate so perhaps he could try something less invasive and hopefully still not problematic.
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"Would you like to lean on me for support?" He asked. "I can help you back to where you need go," he continued to say, hoping it was not too presumptuous of him. "Only if you would permit me to of course," he quickly added. "For, it would require your arm around my neck." As if explaining it would hopefully make it less . . . awkward. If that was even the right word. "Would it help if I introduced myself?" He asked with a smile, attempting to keep the mood light despite the concern for her wellbeing. "My name is Bellamy." He hated the next part but knew he had little choice. "Talbot," he finished, awaiting to see what her comfort level was so that he would know how best to proceed in assisting her.
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tag: Briar Erwood --- notes: 

MEL @ ADOX

[googlefont="Dancing+Script"]

[Briar Erwood]

thread title here

Briars eyes went to her sisters. Mari looked at her with equal surprise. Talbot, the Dukes son, was offering to help her back to the blanket. Briar looked back at him "Thank you so much for your offer My lord." She said, messuring her words carefully, but of course her parents had not seen fit to tell her the proper protocal when you sprain your ankle in front of the son of a duke. Really that seemed like an oversight now seeing just how much Briar tripped and fell. "It's a plessure to meet you of course, I'm Briar Erwood-" She paused now, considering the effects of him walking her to the blanket while holding her up. Surly taking help when her ankle was hurt was not imporopper. But so many things she did seemed improper in some way... Her sister jumped in, "I'm Mari, her sister, I do think we should go with your plan to get her back to our parents, they're just down the way. I'll hold her other arm, no one can think anything impropper is happening then." Mari's words were more to Briar then Bellamy, and Briar gave her a greatful smile and her cheeks blushed slightly and she nodded. "Thank you, very much." Briar said softly to the both of them.

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