Desire and Deceit [bxb]

13. The heir presumptive

...

"I do not understand, why Elizabeth's prospects were ignored in favour of... Mr. Alvin."

Lord Frazier breathed a sigh into his cup.

"I assure you, Amelia, Elizabeth's prospects have not been ignored."

"Really?" The woman quirked an eyebrow at her father-in-law. "Then why was she not pushed onto the duke first?"

"The duke met Alvin at a ball by chance."

"Wilhelm, then?" She did not even register his words. "He's out, aren't you?" She pointed at her son with her teacup.

"Madam, it was not a matter of preference, but interest. It happened to be Alvin who roused it, and that's it."

"Sister has her own beau." Alvin offered, unable to remain silent through his buzzed brain, though by the baron's sharp look his way he felt he had made a mistake with his statement.

"Who, may I ask?"

Well, too late to back out now.

"It's a Mr. McCallum. He's quite taken with her."

"Oh?" She sneered at him openly. "So you kept a duke for yourself, and threw a leftover second son to my daughter?"

"That's quite enough, Amelia." Lord Frazier stood up. "Alvin is tired, he will retire to his bedchambers. Wilhelm, you as well."

At the baron's pointed look, he stood up, eyes wide at the way he was spoken to, but heart hurt at the way he was looked at.

Like he was dirt beneath her feet.

He followed Wilhelm out, who was only too eager to escape the room. As he stepped through the threshold and into the hallway he couldn't help but overhear the argument that followed.

"I've been lenient with you for the sake of my dead son, but I refuse to let you hang his mistakes over me-"

"The mistakes of your son that you allowed, right under your nose while you let me sign my life off to a liar-"

"William is dead, Amelia, and the dead cannot atone-"

"But I am alive, and I will die before I let you name that bastard your heir-"

"The heir has been, is, and will always be Wilhelm."

"You lost my trust the moment you let that son of a whore step foot-"

Alvin heard no more as he rushed to his room.

...

Son of a whore, huh?

Scoffing at his reflection, Alvin resisted the urge to break the full length mirror in his room that revealed every ugly emotion passing through his face like shadows.

He wondered if his dear stepmother knew, by all definitions, the only whore in their situation was William Frazier.

He only wished his father had been more of a whore than a coward.

"Alvin."

The feminine voice of his stepsister reached his ears, and he turned towards the door. She had taken off her ball attire, and donned a soft looking gown with a robe over it, hair undone for the night.

"What is it?" He asked, trying not to let hurt seep into his voice. Elizabeth should not have to deal with his ordeal.

"I heard her in the sitting room." She admitted, and the tense air between them left no doubts on who she was referring to. "Are you alright, Alvin?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He shrugged, turning back to the mirror, ignoring the moisture gathering in his eyes.

"She's wrong, you know." She stepped into his room without invitation and he bit his tongue to contain the harsh reproach forming on his tongue. "You are the rightful heir, all of us acknowledge it."

"Only you, sister." He bit out, sniffing a bit to clear his airways. "Only you."

"Grandpapa knows it too, he just doesn't act like it. And Wilhelm, you know him, he'd die before admitting something like that out loud."

"Well, grandpapa sure doesn't act like it."

"Of course he doesn't, grandpapa repents for his mistakes like all of us. With ignorance."

"I just-" Alvin managed to croak before a sob forced its way out, and he turned to the girl, twin streams of salty water running down his face. "I miss my mum."

"Oh, Alvin..." Elizabeth rushed forward to pull him into her arms.

"I wished she didn't die on me, and leave me to the savages of this farce called nobility." He cried out, wetting the shoulders of his sister's dress with no remorse. "I wish she hadn't asked grandfather to take me in, and I wish grandfather had refused her outright."

He pulled back, sobbing, and wiped his eyes with his sleeves.

"But more than that, I wish she hadn't thrown her life away for man like our father."

"Perhaps, but then," She rubbed his back. "I wouldn't have you, would I?"

"Wouldn't that be a relief?" He giggled ridiculously. "I'm ruining your prospects."

"You're not. Don't let anyone tell you that you are, because you're not." Elizbeth affirmed vehemently, forcing him to look into her kind eyes. "If anything, my prospects will increase tenfold once I have been reintroduced to the society as a duke's sister."

"Haha, Lizzie, very realistic." Alvin sniffed for the last time and let her go. "I think I might collapse on the spot, I'm so tired suddenly."

"It's all that heavy crying you just did, brother." She sighed. "Alright, off to bed you go, and off to bed I go as well."

"Good night, Lizzie."

"Good night, Alvin."

But a good night's sleep was out of his reach. In fact, as he laid down to rest, he found that his night had been utterly ruined. And many of his next would be, as well, if his stepmother had anything to do with it.

His eyes inevitably found the portrait on the isle illuminated by the barest bit of moonlight that curtained window allowed through.

Well, time to paint.

...

OMG, did y'all see the new Bridgerton teasers?! I'm so excited for the series! But I'm looking forward to Philoise the most, ngl.

Anyways, review please <3333