Unfair Expectations

Chapter I: A Big Old Manor

Jasper walked into the big house on the country estate. It was by Tudor design and had been in the family for years, so naturally Jasper's father left it to him in his will. Everyone was surprised that Jasper had inherited the country manor instead of Ed because he was, after all, the youngest. What they didn't know was that perfect Ed was an alcoholic and was very carefree with his money, and their father knew that. It wasn't like Jasper didn't gamble, it was just that he had a job as well.

His mother, Agnes trailed around the rooms with a sad expression. Some of her wispy grey hair had fallen out of the bun she wore, her grey eyes brimming with tears as she remembered bringing Jasper and Ed here for the summer when they were still innocent children, before they discovered a world of alcohol, gambling, sex and other devious activities. If only they had grown up to be closer rather than trying to ruin each other's reputations at every chance.

Remembered the first summers with Edward. He was young and gullible, but Agnes had had too many years alone after her last husband died at a young age. Here was the place that Ed had been conceived, much to Agnes' horror.

Jasper went up to the play room and found a few toys that were left behind that belonged to him. He sat down and began playing with his train set. It was one of the most modern sets when his father had bought it. Agnes walked into the room and sighed at it.

"You are no longer a child, Jasper," she said sternly. Jasper looked back at her and rolled her eyes. "On that matter, you are old enough to be married. In fact, I'd say you are beyond the right age to get married."

"Mother," Jasper said, standing up tall and jutting his jaw out, "I am perfectly fine on my own."

"I am worried about you and your old friend Hattie. You need to bring children into the room and, let's face it, Harriet isn't getting any younger," Agnes stated. "Soon she'll no longer be able to bare children and is precisely why I have invited Ed, Diana, Harriett, Mike and Sadie here. Your niece and nephew will be here as well."

Jasper's eyes widened and he stumbled back a little. "What the hell?" he snapped.

"That is not how you speak to your mother young man! Besides, you do not have a choice. Ed and Mike will be able to give you some advice, Sadie and Diana could persuade Harriett, and the children can't be left on their own," Agnes explained. "They will be here on Sunday."

"You can't do that. Hattie has her eye on that-"

"Chemist? He was married a year ago to her cousin." Jasper sighed and looked down at the floor.  Harriett had given herself up to yet another man who couldn't give a shit about her and Jasper felt bad. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad if he married his friend, it wasn't like they were strangers which was what Ed and Diana had been. To be honest, this was one of his mother's most promising matches.

In her twenties, Agnes used to be a matchmaker and busy body. She made couples, helped people out of debt with the money her deceased parents had given her and then with the money her deceased husband had left her. Agnes supplied the poor houses with clothes which were meant to be handed out but were rarely. Then she had met her second husband, Edward whom Ed had been named after. It was love, not a match which was foreign to Agnes so Edward spent many years trying to convince her marriage was a good thing. Agnes had soon fallen pregnant after one of Edward's 'persuasion' techniques and marriage was the only option for them as they didn't want a bastard son.

Jasper looked up to where Agnes had stood. She had vanished, assuming that Jasper had agreed to the proposition. He hadn't verbally. But then something dawned on him. Mike was going to be there. In the two years that they hadn't seen each other, Jasper replayed the scenario between him and Mike on repeat. He hadn't forgiven him for dismissing him like he would with a whore but love made people stupid.

Jasper went across the corridor to the music room. He had never learned any instruments even when his parents told him it was the height of sophistication to learn. He sat down at the piano and recalled a couple of tunes that Hattie had forced him to learn so he could tell his parents to get lost. He played twinkle twinkle little star, smiling to himself. He supposed that he would never grow up because growing up meant knowing that being homosexual was supposedly wrong. He had heard stories of medicines for his 'case' but he knew that it couldn't be dealt with that way. He knew he was normal.

He walked back down stairs, smiling to himself until he encountered Ed and Diana. "Mother said that you wouldn't be here until Sunday. An unholy day for travel, if you'd ask me," Jasper said sternly, straightening out his waistcoat.

"Oh come now, Jasper, that's not how you greet family," Ed sneered, gently tapping his face. "I've just come to pick up some stuff that belongs to me before you find it and pawn it off." He cocked his head to the stairs and Diana hurried up the stairs, her blonde curls bouncing up and down. "You need to be more inconspicuous, dear brother."

"How do you mean?" Jasper asked through gritted teeth.

"Running off after your unhealthy love interest married. Mother began to think you had a thing with Sadie, despite me giving her hints about Mike," Ed said boredly.

"That's because Mother will not suspect a thing," Jasper retorted. Ed began circling his brother, peering at him through slitted eyes.

"Seen any, ah, acquaintances lately?" Ed asked, smirking. Jasper knew exactly what Ed was talking about. He was talking about male prostitutes. "No answer? I suppose it's you who takes it." Ed began to laugh maliciously. He walked up the stairs, bumping shoulders with Jasper as he passed him. Jasper curled his hands into fists, resisting the urge to punch Ed in the face, mainly to spare their poor mother's stress levels.

Ed collected all of his memorabilia and gave them to Diana so she could put them in the car. Instead of returning back to the car, Ed went into the play room and lifted up the rug on the floor to get to a loose floarboard. He lifted it up and took out some money, a jar of tobacco and a vial of something. Most likely opium, but not even he could say for sure. He slipped the money and the vial into a pocket lining the inside of his jacket and left the room.

Ed hooked his head round the door of the living room, seeing Agnes and Jasper. "Goodbye Mother, Jasper. I'll see you on Sunday with the children," he said before leaving the manor.

"If I was allowed, I'd hang him and the world would be rid of that oily-haired bastard," Jasper mumbled to himself. He had never thought that blonds looked good with oiled back hair, it just made them look sickly. Ed especially.

"Do not call your brother a bastard," Agnes snapped.

"He nearly was one," he spat back. He went out into the garden, knowing that he should have never have said that. Too late.

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AN: Thank you to @Zayn_Imagines for the cover!