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Jan 23, 2023 23:14:05 GMT
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Feb 8, 2022 1:39:31 GMT
 Getting lost in a good book was something Elizabeth did often. It was no surprise that she was caught up in her own world that she did not hear the door to the library opening and someone walking inside. She should have been more aware of her surroundings. She should have heard the sound of footsteps coming down the long corridor before they entered the library. Instead, Elizabeth stood in the middle of the room with her nose in the book, distracted by the words before she could even find her seat.
Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone cover her eyes. She felt like her heart would beat out of her chest and she felt her fingers fumble to hold onto the book in her hand. One hand closed the book and the other flew to her chest, as if that might prevent her heart from exploding. There were only so many people that would do something like this and Elizabeth knew that it was not her father. Benedict could be considered a likely culprit but they did not have plans to spend time together today, so it was certainly not her dear friend.
It took a moment longer than she was proud to admit, but Elizabeth grinned when the realization dawned on her that this was her brother. Well, it was the brother that she enjoyed spending time with. Dropped her book on the ground, Elizabeth turned around, grin evident on her features, and tossed her arms around Adam's neck. "I did not think we would see you again so soon!" She exclaimed. Elizabeth pulled back and sent him a playful glare. "You nearly scared me half to death," Elizabeth pointed out. "Oh, do tell me about your travels! How have you been?" She asked, dragging her brother across the room so the two could sit on one of the several couches in the library.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 25, 2022 0:24:37 GMT
The Davenport Estate was quiet which was, these days, a rare affair. If their step-mother, Helen, was not shouting at someone for doing something incorrectly then it was certainly the cries of their baby sister, Hannah, that filled the halls. Elizabeth usually hid away in the music study or the library with her sister, Emily, if the weather did not permit her to escape to the gardens. Instead of spending the morning playing the piano, Elizabeth had decided to let the quiet nature of the household rest and instead had spent the day reading. It was her favorite past-time aside from music and Elizabeth found that she could get lost within a book for hours and hours. It was the best escape she could ask for, especially when she was hardly keen to think of her current problems.
Perhaps they were not necessarily problems, but they were not things she was eager to deal with. There was the ever-growing need for her to find a husband and settle down and with this being Emily's first season, it was more important than before. It was wonderful, and rare, that her father had decided to let her take her time and find someone she could get along with. But Elizabeth was not naive enough to believe her father's patience would last forever. Soon enough this would come to be viewed in a different light and while Elizabeth wished for her own happiness, she knew she would never do anything that could jeopardize her family's reputation or something that might inhibit Emily's chances of marrying well. She was fairly certain her sister wouldn't mind but that was not a chance Elizabeth could take.
Marriage was apart of life and Elizabeth knew it would come for her sooner rather than later. Although, it was not that she dreaded it entirely. Her parents had a wonderful marriage filled with love and she'd adored watching them as she grew and before her mother's untimely death, but she could not help but to think they were the exception to the rule. Most marriages Elizabeth knew were made out of convenience and to elevate status. Some were fine with this and others were miserable. Elizabeth did not wish to live a miserable life nor did she wish to spend it with someone that did not hold affections towards her.
She found herself wondering if her brother Noah would ever find a wife, though she felt he would rather spend his time doing other things than participating in the social season. Elizabeth was pleased that her brother, Adam, had found a wife and from what she saw, it seemed like a happy marriage. It was enough to give her a sliver of hope at times. Thinking of Adam, she wondered when she would see him again. He had his own family and his own businesses to attend to, but Elizabeth found that she did miss him and spending time with him.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 24, 2022 1:51:42 GMT
 The explanation that her father supported their union made more sense, and Elizabeth found herself pleased that her father had agreed to such a thing. He had to know that Elizabeth did not hate the Duke after agreeing to allow him to bring her home the other night and perhaps that had been enough for him to know his daughter held affection for him. She knew there had been plenty of others that had sought his approval only to be denied without Elizabeth even having to tell him she had no desire to marry the man. But this was all different and truthfully, it was unknown territory for Elizabeth. She'd spent so much time figuring out how to get out of a marriage proposal that she had never spent much time thinking about what she would do if she were to be proposed to by someone she wished to marry.
She found she was a little sad to see the beautiful piece of jewelry disappear from her sight so quickly but knew that it was the intelligent move to make. His compliment made her roll her eyes in a playful manner. "Of course," she teased. "One must appear their best when the Duke of Wellington is going to be visiting. You never know what a visit come mean," Elizabeth finished with the teasing grin on her face. "Had I know there was to be a proposal I would have made sure to wear my very best gown and necklace."
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 21, 2022 3:42:06 GMT
Describe your perfect evening? |
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 21, 2022 3:39:40 GMT
What is your favorite way to spend a rainy day? |
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 21, 2022 3:38:42 GMT
What, or who, is the most important thing in your life? |
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 21, 2022 3:32:10 GMT
 Perhaps she should know better to introduce herself with her proper title of Lady but it was not something Elizabeth considered entirely necessary in this particular moment. "Lovely to meet you," Elizabeth said with a smile. She continued to smile and nodded her head in agreement at the mention of the heat and feeling quite glad that the windows were open. She wondered if one of the women here would attempt to make a scene by swooning and trying to blame the heat. It would be amusing, if Elizabeth did say so herself, but decided against saying such a thing out loud, unsure how her new companion might take it.
"Of course, the best way to withstand the heat is to have a large group of people in a crowded room," Elizabeth pointed out, a sly smile on her features as she tested the waters. Whether this woman had a sense of humor would be discovered soon enough, and Elizabeth just hoped she'd be able to make a genuine friend this evening. "Is this your first season?" She asked, as she had not seen Kate at any events before.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 14, 2022 0:48:30 GMT
Truthfully, the balls all looked the same to Elizabeth. They were filled with the same people, wearing the same dresses, having the same conversations. She found them incredibly dull but knew given her father's title, there was no way out of attending them. After all, she was upon the marriage market herself and the first born daughter of a Marquess should be a well-sought after prize. Elizabeth was quite grateful for her life but when it came to finding a husband, she wished for something different. Fortunately, this season was to be Emily's first season which meant their step-mother was far more concerned with Emily than Elizabeth.
Breaking away from Helen and her sister, Elizabeth walked through the groups of people to fetch herself some lemonade. Glancing over her shoulder, she attempted to check on Emily to make sure Helen was not shoving her off in the direction of anyone foul. There was only so much interfering Elizabeth could accomplish in one evening. Someone did catch her eye and Elizabeth tilted her head to the side. She was quite beautiful but Elizabeth had never seen her before. Perhaps she belonged to the Sharma family, as Whistledown had written of their arrival. Grabbing two lemonades, Elizabeth approached the woman and offered her a smile. "Hello, I do not believe we have met," she said. "Elizabeth Davenport," Lizzie introduced herself, holding one of the glasses of lemonade out for the woman to take if she pleased. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Now she just had to hope she was pleasant and not like many of the catty woman she dealt with daily.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 23:50:21 GMT
His question about seeking permission to court her made her smile and she nodded. "You may," she agreed. Sometimes courting just happened and sometimes people sought permission. Although, usually one did not need to seek permission from one's father so Elizabeth found herself still curious as to what all of this was about. Then he continued to speak and her eyebrows rose in surprise. Marriage? To hear that he'd gone to her father was a surprise indeed. Elizabeth felt she had such strong feelings for William but wanted to continue to get to know him. Not that she believed she would find someone she was more fond of than him.
The ring was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry that Elizabeth had ever seen. Her hand lifted to her mouth to cover the fact that her jaw had dropped at how beautiful it was. "He said no?" She asked, furrowing her brow, not understanding. Well, it did make sense in a way. A quick engagement would be questioned, even if their families insisted it was arranged. Elizabeth would rather not deal with the whispers of the ton if she could avoid it. "It is most beautiful," she said, looking up at him. "But I think you should keep it until you may properly ask me."
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 4:40:55 GMT
 Elizabeth's eyes looked down at William as she watched him try to figure out what to do. She watched a tear slide down his cheek and she never thought she would see the day where William cried. The only time she had ever seen a man cry was her brothers as children and her own children. It broke something within her and Elizabeth felt her own tears continue to fall.
He claimed she was enough but Elizabeth did not feel like it. If she had been enough then she would have never been put through all of this pain. He would have never found affection with another in another's bed. William never would have needed to look elsewhere because Elizabeth would have been all he ever needed. She didn't feel any of those things.
"Please stand up," she said, her voice small. While this was their home, she wanted to have these conversations in private and right now they were standing in the middle of the stairs. Any of their staff could be listening and Elizabeth did not want to have them privy to her heartache. Elizabeth led William down the hall towards their bedroom and she took a seat on a chaise, wiping at her face. "Will you stop seeing her?" She asked.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 4:02:20 GMT
The nickname made her heart swell and Elizabeth could not help that her smile grew wider at it. She did not think she had ever smiled this much before, or if she had, it certainly had not been around a man. Elizabeth usually found herself frowning or trying her hardest not to roll her eyes around men. But William was different and she did not understand why. She had, after all, found him quite intolerable when they first met. Yet somehow, she now found herself yearning for his company and for him to call upon her.
Elizabeth let out a light chuckle at him, quirking an eyebrow. "Yes?" She asked, wondering what his question was. She glanced over his shoulder to see her father watching them from the window of the house. It was far enough away where they could be seen, but not heard. So much for offering them privacy, but she could nearly see the knowing smile upon his face. Such an odd thing. Perhaps William was here to ask if he could properly court her.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 3:56:50 GMT
It seemed her words would do nothing but anger him. He did not understand any of this and Elizabeth was beyond trying to explain it to him. If he wanted to blame her for everything she she supposed all she could do was allow him to do so. All it did was confirm her idea that she would have to live a life away from him. William had changed and she did not know why. There had been a time, even know, where she had thought she loved him deeply. But this man in front of her was not one that she knew.
There were little things that told Elizabeth she was wearing him down. He was as exhausted as she was from what she could see and Elizabeth would normally use that to her advantage. But right now, she was so exhausted herself that she did not take the opportunity. Instead, she just wanted him to leave her alone. If he was not going to try to fix this, though she was unsure if he could, then what was the point? Why put herself through all of this pain and heartbreak only to learn that he did not truly care?
"It should not matter whether or not I would tell you about him, because if you found out, it would hurt all the same, would it not?" She asked. Elizabeth had never even considered the prospect but now found it almost alluring but only because she wanted to hurt William the way he had hurt her. Surely, it would drive him mad to know that Elizabeth was with another man.
Elizabeth did not know what he was apologizing for. Was it because he had been caught or was he truly sorry for the pain he had caused her? The apology just made the tears fall faster and she lifted her hand to her mouth in an attempt to stop her sobs from escaping. It was all of a sudden, far too much. He knelt in front of her, taking the hand that was not trying to muffle her cries. Elizabeth allowed him to touch her, though she did not know why. His words were things she wanted to hear but Elizabeth did not know if she could believe him. Could she ever trust him again? "I don't know what I did wrong," Elizabeth whispered. "I don't understand why I wasn't enough, why we weren't enough."
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 3:00:39 GMT
Charles rose and shook William's hand, intrigued as to how the conversation between the Duke and his daughter would turn out. Sometimes even he could hardly comprehend Elizabeth. "Of course," he agreed. "I do believe she is in the gardens." Charles walked out of his office with William in tow, down the halls towards the door that led into the lavish gardens. It did not surprise him to see Elizabeth there and he smiled at his daughter. "Elizabeth, you have a caller," Charles spoke.
Elizabeth had been reading a book and looked up to frown at her father's words but a smile soon replaced it when she saw William standing behind him. It was odd that her father was the one seeing him to her. "I shall give you two some privacy," Charles said before giving a nod and leaving them in the garden. It was easy for them to be spotted from the house and surely her father would send a chaperone out soon enough. "Your Grace," Elizabeth greeted with a smile, rising from her seat on the stone bench and dipping into a curtsy. "Did you enjoy the rest of your evening?" She asked.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 13, 2022 2:35:33 GMT
 Elizabeth shook her head. "Perhaps I have," she said. "Or perhaps we are too late to realize that our path was indeed far too treacherous for us to navigate, because right now it certainly does not feel like it's enough." That their love and affection for one another was enough. It wasn't enough for him. Elizabeth thought it had been enough but it just wasn't. Maybe she just wasn't good enough or she had not been the wife he had hoped for.
His mention of calling on the wet nurse made Elizabeth shake her head. "We promised to not use a wet nurse, or have you forgotten all promises you've ever made to me?" His promise to be a good husband had certainly gone out the window.
William turned on her and Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, her eyes locking with his as she felt his anger, or what felt like it, radiate off him. "How could I not? How would you feel if you were in my position? If you had gone off for business and I did what you had done, would you not be hurt?" Elizabeth couldn't comprehend how he didn't understand how all of this had broken her. "You did this. You did this to me. Do you not understand? I am not angry. I am in pain and you put me here. The person who is supposed to love me more than anything." Elizabeth shook her head and she felt tears slide down her cheeks.
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Post by Elizabeth Davenport on Jan 12, 2022 23:34:03 GMT
 Truthfully, it made him pleased to know that he had been able to see through the young man. It seemed he was still keen on the actions of others, even in his old age. His eyes followed as he watched William produce a velvet box from his pocket and Charles did not bother to hide the surprise on his face. Either something had transpired between his daughter and this man, or William was incredibly arrogant to think Elizabeth would accept such an offer so quickly.
The request was not unheard of. Men had tried to request such things before and Charles had always told them the same thing; they would have to ask Elizabeth. But something about this felt different to him, though he could not be certain as to how. "I do not believe you to be the type to do something compromising and I know my daughter well enough that she would not do the same," Charles assured him. "In which case, you have my blessing to ask Elizabeth if she desires the same. Truthfully, I am glad to see someone is able see the true Elizabeth. I'm quite aware my daughter can come across quite . . . prickly." Which was putting it mildly. "I have one request," he said, holding up his index finger. "Should she accept, I ask that you visit and go about courting her for an acceptable amount of time, for appearance sake. While I can understand as much as anyone else that sometimes you just know with another person, the Ton can be an unforgiving place." The rumors could turn wild.
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