Realistic or Modern Upstairs, Downstairs

[SandraDeelightful]

The year is 1910, in the Ebbington Manor in Yorkshire. For centuries, Ebbington has been the home of the Covington family, Dukes of Singleton. The current Duke lives there with his wife, the Duchess of Singleton, their eight children, and their servants. All is well, and everything seems like it will remain the way it has been for centuries. However, no one can predict the future. The sinking of the Titanic, the Great War, as well as new inventions like the telephone and the wireless, and the decline of the British aristocracy, bringing changes that neither nobles nor servants expect.

Many social reforms are coming, reforms that will change the lives of everyone at Covington forever. Many new opportunities for people of a lower class will bring them more options than servitude, and many more opportunities for women are presenting themselves, making being just a wife and mother one of multiple options for women, as well as the women's suffrage movement, determined to get women the right to vote and the right to own land. Some adapt to the changing social climate better than others, who would rather stay in the past, where everyone and everything were in their place. Others accept the future with open arms, ready for whatever the future has in store.

(OOC: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/upstairs-downstairs-ooc.322707/)
(Character Sheet: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/upstairs-downstairs-character-sheet.322706/)

 

[SandraDeelightful]

Charlotte Gordon
​

Charlotte Gordon awoke early, as the scullery maid pounded on her door, signalling that it was time to get up and start the day. It was something which was not unusual to her. Servants always had to be up before the sun. It wasn't something that was unknown to her. Even before she had entered service, she had to be up so early, when she was working with her mother in a factory. Even though this was something that she hated doing. She had accepted long ago, she would not be able to wake up later than this. She sometimes wished that there were days that she could wake up a little later than this. She would have liked to sleep until nine, at least once in her life. She was sure that she would be in service for the remainder of her life. She knew that things were changing in the world, and she knew that they were changing for women, she just doubted that they were changing that fast. And she doubted that she would ever search for a more accommodating job. She didn't want to risk her position by looking for a new job. She didn't even know what she would want to do if she wasn't in service. She had never thought about the possibility of what she would do if she was not in service. It had always been something that was the last thing on her mind. She had always been too busy with work to think what she would do if she wasn't in service. She did enjoy thinking of stories, and as a child, she had liked the thought of being a writer, but that was such a risky business for someone in her position, that she had never thought about making a career out of it. Besides, she liked Ebbington. The pay helped support her parents, and she was treated kindly. It was all worth it. She honestly didn't find service as bad as she thought it would. It was far better than that horrid factory she worked in. She hated those days, and hoped to never end up in a place like that again.

Charlotte hurried out of bed and grabbed her brush. She took her hair out of the braid that she kept it in while she slept and quickly began brushing out her hair, trying to tame her wild brown curls. Once she had done so, she twisted her hair into a simple braid. Once she had pinned it behind her head, she grabbed her uniform, her corset and her chemise from the closet and went behind the changing screen. She quickly stripped of her nightgown and changed. She had learned to tie her corset quickly in all of her years of service, and in all of her years of working. Once that was done, she put on her uniform and laced up the back. She stepped out from behind the screen, and grabbed her apron, and tied it into place. She took her white cap and pinned it into place on her head. She looked in the mirror and made sure that she looked neat and tidy before leaving her room and beginning her work for the day. She was prepared for the long day that lay ahead.

She made her way away from her room and down to the servants hall, using the staircase that was reserved just for the servants, so that they may make their way about the house without being seen or heard. She disliked these staircases, and she disliked when she had to go up and down these stairs with her arms full of cleaning supplies, that had a tendency to get too heavy to carry, leaving her to stop in the middle of the stairs to rest her arms for a second, without being caught. And, of course, there was always the long walk up, which had always left her short of breath by the time that she got to the top. However, while she did complain to herself, her thoughts never left her head. She really had no reason to complain. Those stairs were a small price to pay for not working in a horrid factory again.

Charlotte made her way down the stairs and into the servants hall, her shoes clicking against the floor with every step that she took. It was bustling, as it usually was in the morning, with everyone trying to finish their breakfasts before their Graces, and the lords and ladies awoke and began ringing their bells, wanting their breakfast, needing to be dressed, and all that. Charlotte went and sat down at the servants table, sitting in the middle, as she always did. Even though she did sit in the middle, she had always had a tendency to keep to herself. She had always been rather timid and rather shy, and preferred being with her thoughts. It had always been that way, ever since she was a little girl. It was a quality that people liked in a servant, someone who was seen, and not heard, speaking only when spoken to. It was one of the most important qualities in a servants. She had embodied that rather well. It wasn't something that she had to learn, unlike most of the skills that she had to learn when she first came into service, when she only knew the basics of cleaning and keeping house. When she was a little too young to go to work, she had helped her mother keep the house clean while she did.

 

[Misty Gray]

Byron Lewis Covington
​

Sat upright in bed, Byron looked over to the clock on the dressing table and saw it was almost two o'clock in the morning. He turned to look at the pretty blonde woman who was almost falling asleep with her head resting on his chest. He gently nudged her so she would sit up and look at him. She was a beautiful woman and for the most part she managed to hold conversation, but he already knew he wouldn't be doing this with her again. As bad as it was, he knew he could get away with it because she would never tell anyone they'd slept together as she'd be punished more as an unwed woman. It was the reason he always got away with it. Besides, he would easily deny anything. "Well, Rebecca--" he began, interrupted as Rachel corrected him, "--Rachel. It's late and I must return home before everyone is awake. You know how it is," he flatly told her. He climbed out of the bed and retrieved his clothes from the floor, standing in front of the mirror as he dressed himself. "Goodnight, Rachel," he said, walking to the bedroom door once he was fully clothed.

"Goodnight, Lewis. Don't wake my parents!" she worriedly told him. He crouched down and removed his shoes so he could leave the house as quietly as possible. As soon as he was outside, he put his shoes back on and began to quickly walk back home to Ebbington Manor. He walked as quietly as he could once inside, though he knew there was always someone still awake, usually members of the staff. It would be none of their business if they did see him. Once in his room, he got undressed and climbed into bed where he was soon fast asleep.

Byron woke not long after sunrise and wasted no time in getting out of bed to start his morning routine. After warming up with stretches, sit-ups and press-ups, he put on his jogging bottoms and vest. before rushing out of his room. He filled his flask with water from the drinking fountain before setting off jogging around the grounds of the manor. He usually saw the groundskeeper during his morning exercise and made a point of returning the man's courteous wave, but never breaking away from his routine to start conversation. Despite have little sleep, Byron managed to complete his circuits before setting off back indoors.

As he reached the entrance of the manor, he removed his vest to help cool down and then took a long drink of water as he stepped inside. Not focusing, he almost bumped into Eve, the housekeeper. He barely hid the irritation from his face, despite it being his own fault for not looking where he was going. "Oh, really, Lord Byron. Must you walk around half-dressed?" she asked, not afraid to question the cocky marquess.

"What's the problem, Evelyn? Are you afraid you can't control yourself around me?" he teased, a smirk appearing on his face. Eve was always fun to wind up.

"Not at all," she began. She would have liked to have told Byron he was nothing special, but she knew her place and she also knew any criticism would float above his head. "I'm just concerned that you need to be mindful of the young women working around here." She cared for the girls and didn't think they needed to see every part of Byron. The oldest Covington son simply laughed and shook his head as he walked away. Due to the length of time she had worked for his family, and that his parents respected her, Byron didn't talk down to Eve as much as he did the other staff. Regardless, this was his home and if the staff had a problem with how he lived in it, he would gladly show them the door. Byron returned upstairs and headed straight for a shower before getting himself dressed in one of his many dark grey suits. It was early and he wasn't quite ready for breakfast yet so would wait a little longer.

Laura Baker

​

Laura was woken by the scullery maid pounding on the door. "I hear you!" she called out. She did not like early mornings, no matter how long she'd had to get used to them. She stayed in bed, tightly closing her eyes as she thought about how much she really did not want to get up right now. Unfortunately, she got her wish and ended up falling back to sleep again. It was only for fifteen minutes, but that was enough to make he bolt upright and almost fall over as she rushed out of bed. She was lucky she hadn't nodded back off for longer. "Come on, Laura. You don't want to miss breakfast... again," she muttered to herself. She began to quickly get dressed in her maids uniform, pulling it down straight to make sure it didn't look too short over her long legs. She then ran the brush through her hair before pushing her thin locks behind her ears. She was lucky her hair was so low maintenance. Satisfied she looked presentable enough, in such a short time, she rushed out of the room and down the stairs to the servants hall.

After getting herself some food and happily greeting others as she passed them, Laura eyed up the seat opposite Charlotte and walked over to the table. "Good morning!" she brightly greeted the house maid and sat down with a wide smile on her face. Laura knew Charlotte was shy and quiet, but she thought that was all the more reason to make an effort to speak to her. "How are you this morning? I'm so tired and I almost overslept..." she said, lowering her voice on the last three words.

 

[SandraDeelightful]

Amelia Covington
​

Amelia Covington had always been an early riser. It had been that way since she was a baby, or so her mother had said. Her mother, who had insisted on feeding her children herself when they were babies, had said that Amelia always needed to be fed at sunrise. She had said that Amelia would wail at the start of the day, just as the sun would rise, making it impossible for her to be able to go back to sleep. It was like clockwork, her mother had said of it. It had been that way ever since she was a little girl; she had always liked to be up with the sun. Morning's had always been her favorite time of the day, anyway. She always thought that everything looked the prettiest when it was covered in the early morning sunlight. She had a tendency to open her curtains, and let the sunlight in, while watching the sun rise. It was something that she considered to be calming and peaceful. The only thing was, she was someone who hated being by herself, and often wished that she had someone there to talk to her. It would have been nice to share this moment with someone. She couldn't wait until she was old enough to begin courting and eventually marry, and then she might have someone she would be able to talk to, though she knew that it was a few years off before she was able to do that.

She was a rather talkative person, and perhaps she sometimes talked a bit too much. It was something that, although she was well behaved, her mother often scolded her for. Amelia had always tried to better herself in that respect. She wanted to be as lady-like as she possibly could. She knew that her elder sisters could find being ladylike all the time rather tedious, but Amelia did not find it tiring or tedious in the least. On the contrary, she enjoyed it. Her favorite classes had always been etiquette classes. Those were the classes that she was always eager to attend, rather than arithmetic or history classes, which had always dulled her. She liked learning how to serve tea or dance more than anything else. She found them far more entertaining, perhaps because they were more social activities, and Amelia was rather a social butterfly. She preferred the company of other people, rather than simply being by herself. She was an extrovert, and she found it so much better, and so much more fun to be around other people. She tended to find being by herself boring and tiring. She needed to be around other people, and she needed to be talking to them. Or else, she tended to get bored quickly.

Amelia threw off the big and comfortable pale pink comforter off of her, and got out of her bed. Almost everything, apart from the walls, and the bigger furniture, like the vanity, dresser and bed frames, in her room was some shade of pink, mostly pastel shades of pink. It was Amelia's favorite color, and her room most certainly reflected that. Her room was feminine and soft, much like Amelia herself. She walked to the window, as her long, ankle-length white nightgown flowed behind her, and her dainty bare feet made a soft padding sound on the floor.

She opened the curtains (pale pink, just like her bed sheets) and allowed the sunlight to enter. She sat at the ledge of the windowsill and smiled brightly. This was something that she considered to be nice and relaxing, and she thought it was a rather good start of the day. She had always told herself that watching the sunrise would make it a good day. It helped her face the day with a positive attitude. It may have just been something silly that she had made up, especially because she was a generally positive and optimistic person, but she saw no harm in.

Once Amelia had gotten her morning routine of watching the sunrise through, she went to her closet, deciding to get ready for the day. The one thing which she hated about her age was that she was too young for a ladies made, and could not wear the facier dresses that her sisters were allowed to wear. She could not wait for the day that she was allowed to wear longer dresses and put her hair up, signalling that she was a lady. She was tired of wearing her hair down, and wearing shot dresses. She wanted to be old enough to have a maid help her change.

She changed into a white sailor dress, lined with pale yellow, as well as a pale yellow sash in the middle, that she tied in a ribbon in the back. The skirt flared slightly. She put on her long white tights and white shoes. For her hair, she simply brushed out her curls, and tied half of it up in a pale yellow satin ribbon. She wished that she could lower her skirts, and put her hair in an updo, like her older sisters were able.

She could hear two voices talking outside. She recognized one voice as the voice of her eldest brother, Byron, and the other as the housekeeper, Evelyn, who had been there long before Amelia was even born.

By the time that she left her room, her brother had gone and Evelyn was there. Her brother must have gone back to his room.

"Good morning, Evelyn," said Amelia, smiling brightly. "How are you?"

She always said hello to the servants the first time that she saw them every day. She always tries to treat them with the utmost respect.

-----

Charlotte Gordon
​

Charlotte began picking at the eggs on the plate in front of her, taking bites between that and her two slices of toast. She was keeping to herself, something that was completely natural for her to be doing. She was always a quiet one. Even in her loud family, she was always the quiet one, looking on, instead of actually participating. She sort of just watched the bustle of the servants scurrying around to eat their breakfast, eating hers while keeping to herself.

Charlotte was rather surprised that Laura had sat across from her. She had always felt that her shyness had made her seem shyness and look unapproachable. It wasn't something that she particularly enjoyed, as sometimes, she did wish that she had more friends, or really any friends at all, that weren't related to her, as she didn't really have any who were not related to her, it was just a way that she had often perceived herself as. She sometimes wished it was easier to talk to people.

"Good morning," said Charlotte, softly, but kindly, as she did not like appearing unfriendly. She did seem rather nervous, however. "I'm well, thank you."

She often felt silly about her nervousness, often knowing that it was unnecessary for her to be so nervous in such situations, and she knew that her fears were often only in her mind, yet that didn't stop her from being so nervous.

"And how are you, apart from being tired?" Charlotte asked politely. She was scolding herself inside her mind. She felt like her question sounded rather forced. Almost like she didn't care and was doing so out of duty.

 

[General_warNpeace]

Evra Catriona Covington could always trust that she would be woken up one of three ways. A maid opening the curtains to let the sun through the windows that though gorgeous had been bolted shut long ago, her horse Bojax nibbling on her hair begging her for treats, and her mother's voice calling her Catriona and being forcefully dragged from whatever cook or cranny she had fallen asleep in. Usually, Evra in her mostly asleep state, would end up with her hair done and in a large hat drinking tea with other ladies her mother deemed respectable before she even knew what had occurred.

Today, thankfully Evra was relieved to find, was an exception it seemed. Moving her lips to try and get rid of her cotton mouth she slowly blinked and remained unmoving as her brain caught up. Like a sloth she slowly moved to stretch and uncurl from her position. She was in a remote part of the family library that she called her secret treasure. In a small corner lodged between a wall and bookcase well out of sight sat a stuffed comfortable chair that seemed long forgotten. It seemed to swallow you as you sat and with a light summer duvet she found it the perfect place for naps or reading secret stories. None, as of yet, had found her here.

Stumbling down the ail like a foal still learning to walk she was just barely aware enough to make sure that none was around before making her way to the main part of the library and out it's doors. Maids and servants scurried past her as she followed her feet back to her room that was blessedly empty of mother, maid, or horse. Flopping back onto her bed she let out a pleased hum as she sunk into it. Eyes closing she fell into the place between sleep and wakefulness. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she finally managed to crawl from the comfort and start getting ready for the day. Ambling around her room and preparing a outfit that she could bear and would gain few hair eyeballs from her mother.

Her room was easy to maneuver in. The walls were paneled on the bottom with brown wood carved to depict animals and flowers while the top was painted a sea foam green and the floors had a matching shade of brown only interrupted by a large white round fur rug that her bed sat upon. Her bed took up much of her room and was piled high with pillows and blankets colored in green's, blues, whites, and grays. Her room lacked a fireplace so at night when it grew chilly she found it comforting to curl beneath the heat of the covers. To the right of her bed was a night stand that was always occupied by a fresh pitcher of ice water and a clean glass cup. On the left from bed to far wall was a giant brown desk covered in paper, books, and ink that threatened to spill to the floor and a thickly cushioned red chair sat before it. Her wardrobe sat in the corner of her room adjacent to her bed like a tall towering brown giant separated by a body length mirror and ornate brown and white room divider with rose buds in the right top corner.
By the door stood her pride and joy. A floor to ceiling book case stuffed tight with books collected over the years. She loved her room but was rarely within it. It was to easy to find her if she was.

She wasn't in a rush as she threw her hair into a braid and dressed in a short blue dress with a high white lace collar around the throat and a matching laced sash across the middle. White tights, and white boot's that laced up to her knees and could be mistaken for riding boots with a low heel quickly followed. Letting her feet and nose take the lead she followed them to the dining room and into the kitchen where breakfast was still being prepared. Taking a seat at the island she fell into easy conversation with the servants, many she deemed friends. Occasionally swiping a piece of bacon or a crumpet from a passing platter and sipping on a cup of lightly sweetened coffee.

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Edmund George Covington
​

Edmund was awake with the servants, laying in bed reading his book by a single candle light so not to wake Clara and had his leg on top of the sheets resting on a pillow. He was usually awake early like this due to the flare of pain from his leg like clockwork every three in the morning, the time when the morphine he takes wears off. He could always take another dose as he usually does but it takes a while to take effect and by than he wouldn't be able to go back asleep. It used to be that the morphine would last him the entire night, generally he had founded he needed more and more morphine to get him through the day.

Still it was interesting being awake so early, hearing the movements within the estate as servants woke up and went to their business. It was surprising what one hears so early in the morning you miss when dawn broke and he always enjoyed knowing thing others expected him not to. One soon revealed itself with the telltale sounds of the latest of his eldest sons girl step out of the room in an attempt to sneak of. He was never sure whether to be disappointed or proud of his sons prowess with woman, certainly he was concerned Byrons dalliances might cause the family trouble sooner or later. He should know after all.

Soon his valet came in as well as Clara's ladies maid, which he greeted both with cheerfully hiding his lack of sleep. The valet handed Edmund his cane and went to help Edmund up but Edmund refused attempting to stand on his own and managing before being led to his changing room. He was dressed into brown trousers and white shirt, with collar button left open and the sleeves rolled up, before he was lead down to the dinning room.

Margaret Winters
​

Margaret woke to the begging of the scullery maid like everyone else, making her groan sheepishly. Despite her body feeling heavy and comfortable in her warm bed, she lifted herself of the bed and got dressed in to her her maids outfit. In the past she could simply ignore the bell only living with the others servants thanks to her mother, however this first day at work as a ladies maid in Ebbington so she had to rise to the occasion. Especially since it was her mother Evelyn who got her the job, Margaret would try to make her proud though considering her history she did not expect she would manage.

She stepped out of her room smiling and nodding at some of the other female staff before following them to the servants dinning hall. At one point a man walked passed her almost knocking her aside without a word. The man was dark haired and dressed in footman entire."Excuse me, me for being in the way Stephan!" She called out sarcastically at the man who didnt react at all just continued on his merry way to the dinning area. She didnt expect a reply, the man barely spook the few time she had seen him, still she would let him just get away with it. She sighed and shook her head before continuing after him.

She entered and bowed her head towards Amelia and the rest of the staff forcing her smile. "Good morning everyone." She greeted before turning a cold eye at the man from before who sat in the far corner of the table. The man just sat there quietly sipping his drink and looking at a newspaper.

 

[Misty Gray]

James Elliott Covington
​

Wearing his dressing gown, James was sat at his desk leaning forward to look closely at the watch as he used a pair of tweezers to carefully extract a small gold cog from the mechanism. The sound of his valet knocking at the door caused him to loosen his grip on the tweezers and drop the small cog somewhere on his desk. He decided he would have to find it later and instead permitted the servant to enter his room. James never thought he needed his own personal servant to attend to him, but he was too polite to say anything and too afraid to go against convention. Besides, he didn't want to come across as ungrateful, even if he would be polite if he were to decline. Byron had long ago harshly declined a valet, not wanting anyone in his room while he was there, and James would hate to come across so rude.

"Good morning, I hope you're well," he softly greeted the valet as he faintly smiled. There was no question about it, he'd already decided he would be wearing some comfortable trousers, a shirt and cardigan. He wanted to make more conversation with the servant, but he struggled to think of anything to say that wasn't small talk. By the time he thought to mention the weather, too much time had passed so it would seem awkward. Instead, he let the valet do his duties before kindly thanking him and walking with him downstairs.

James entered the dining room and saw his father, Edmund, was already there but thankfully most of his family had not beaten him downstairs. He didn't like to enter a full room alone. "Good morning, father," he quietly spoke, before taking his seat at the table. "Did you sleep well?" he asked. His question to his father was genuine and not simply James making an effort to speak up.

Evelyn Winters
​

Evelyn shook her head as Byron walked away laughing. She could never understand how someone so serious most of the time managed to find humour in situations that called for maturity. But, he'd always been difficult and she feared he would never change now. As long as he wasn't giving the young servants any trouble, she was happy enough to shrug off this particular exchange. She welcomed the appearance of the youngest Covington, Amelia. She was such a sweet girl.

"Good morning, Lady Amelia," she happily replied. "I'm very well. How about you?"

Laura Baker
​

Laura could see Charlotte was nervous, the poor thing. She couldn't imagine being so shy as she'd always been chatty and outspoken herself. She could see it was hard work for the maid, but she would push it aside and try to keep the conversation going, perhaps eventually bring Charlotte out of her shell.

"I'm wonderful! I think today is going to be a good day," she enthused. She then observed the young woman for a short time before looking down to her food and taking a few bites. "This is good!" she said of the food.

 

[DeerPrince]

Rosalyn Elizabeth Covington

Rosalyn rolled over, sitting up in a very unlady like heap of blonde hair and blankets. Everything in her room was decorated minimalistically, the majority of it white. White curtains, white blankets, white pillows, a persian style rug was really the only vibrant splash of color within her room. The young woman just didn't really see a point in decorating something she hardly even spent time in.

Rubbing at her cerulean blue eyes, Rosalyn let out a huge yawn, her slender arms reaching towards the ceiling as she stretched like a cat. A pool of weak morning light illuminated her room as a maid pulled back the curtains, nearly blinding the still half asleep Ro. She was exhausted and sore after going through her dancing lessons and then sneaking out at night for her fencing lesson.

Slipping out of bed, Rosalyn managed to stumble over to her dresser before pulling out a light magenta colored dress. Other than the color, it had a rather simplistic design, the round collar showing a little bit of her shoulders and collarbones, gathered in an empire waist, the silky sleeves cinching at right above her elbows. There was no lace or frill to it, to Rosalyn's relief. She preferred to get things done herself, not wanting to bother with a maid unless there was a bigger occasion. Skipping the dreaded stockings, the blonde slipped on a pair of low heels, the long dress hiding her legs. Her little secret rebellion.

Dragging a brush through her tangled mat of hair, after a little bit, she managed to untangle the majority of it. Throwing it back into a loose bun held together with a strand of dark pink ribbon that matched her dress, a few strands escaped its prison, sweeping forwards to frame her face or trailing down the back of her neck.

Already outside, the sun was beginning its daily trek across the sky, its warm rays of heat beating down. Spring was slowly beginning to fade into summer. Another year would soon pass. Splashing her face with some water to further wake her up, Rosalyn stepped out of her room, making her way down the stairs quietly as to not wake anyone else that was potentially sleeping.

She could see her father already downstairs with James, and a few other servants. Leaning over, she kissed one of her father's cheeks, "morning father. How did you sleep?" She murmured before taking a seat beside her twin. ​

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Edmund George Covington​

Edmund sat down on his spot on the dinning table and took out a small box from his pocket. He opened the box to reveal a small syringe and a vial of morphine, with a practiced hand injected himself with morphine as his twins stepped in. He was unashamed of his injections though he was taking more than his doctor advice. "Morning, you two... Ouch. Slept as well as usual, I hope you two slept well as well."He said as he inserted the needle into his arm and sighing softly as he felt the liquid pass through his veins, making him feel a small high. "So what is the plan for you all today?"

(Sorry sorry for short post)​

 

[Misty Gray]

James Elliott Covington
​

"Morning, Ro," James gave Rosalyn a wide smile when she sat next to him. Though they were two very different people, he still felt a connection to his twin sister that wasn't there with his other siblings, and that meant he tended to feel a little braver when she was around.

James watched his father as he injected the morphine. Although he saw it often, it always made James worry in case his father's health was deteriorating. As usual, he didn't say anything on the subject so as not to draw attention to it. Instead, Edmund asked a question which distracted James enough. "I was going to go speak with the gardener to see if he has something varnish I can use to finish off the wood for the clock I'm building..." he began, trailing off as he decided his plans probably sounded uninteresting. "And I'll probably do some reading too."

 

[SandraDeelightful]

Amelia Covington
​

"Well, thank you," said Amelia kindly, with a bright smile on her face. "Have a lovely day."

With that, Amelia scurried away, heading downstairs and into the dining room. She had to remind herself not to run. It wasn't ladylike to run, especially not in the house. Though Amelia had always been a bit too energetic, and she sometimes needed a way to use up all of the energy. She always did have a tendency to act like an overeager puppy.

"Good morning, Papa," said Amelia sweetly, as she walked into the dining room. She normally give her father a kiss on the cheek, but did not do so, as she could see that he was taking his morphine, and she didn't want to disturb him. She didn't know what it was exactly, or why her father needed it so much. She never really questioned it. As long as it helped her father feel better, and kept him healthy, or so she thought, that was all that really mattered to Amelia. She turned to her twin siblings, and brightly greeted them, as she went to sit across from them. "Good morning, James. Good morning, Ro. How are you all today?"

-----

Charlotte Gordon
​

It rather surprised Charlotte that a person could be so open. It was something that she had always found rather amazing, though she was sure quite a few people thought the very same thing about her being so quiet and so shy and so nervous all of the time. She had always been the odd one out in her family, for being the quiet one. She had always found it so hard to talk to people, and it was something that she found rather silly to be afraid of and something that was hard to do. She felt a slight blush come to her cheeks, out of embarrassment.

"Indeed," said Charlotte of the food, taking another bite of her eggs. She was surprised by the cheerful attitude of Laura, but in all honesty, she found it to be rather refreshing. She was often so quiet, and often felt rather dull. So, it was nice to have someone around who was so cheerful, and so much more entertaining to be around. She almost felt bad for her having to be around someone whom was as quiet as herself. She felt that she should at least try to make a decent conversation with Laura. If she wanted to have a conversation with her, it only seemed right that Charlotte put in at least a little bit of effort. Small talk had never been her strong suit. "What are your assignments for today?"

-----

Clara Covington
​

Clara woke just as her husband was leaving, and her maid placed her breakfast tray on her lap. She softly, but kindly thanked her maid.

"Be careful," said Clara to Edmund. She was genuinely concerned. "And don't overwork yourself."

Clara's marriage had been one out of duty. It was something that she had been aware of since the start of it all. And she was quite aware that her children would have to be making advantageous marriages, as well.

Her children were growing up, a little bit too fast for her liking. She was trying to hold on to their youth for as long as she could, but one by one, they seemed to be slipping away from her grasp, and rebelling against her, all trying to make lives for themselves. She couldn't blame them. She just was afraid of one of them making the wrong move, and causing a scandal for the rest of the family to deal with. She didn't exactly enjoy restricting her children. She simply wanted them to have their best chances, and she wanted to prevent them from making a silly mistake in their youth that might affect them and the way that society would perceive them for years to come.

If she was to be honest, Clara hated the idea of forcing her children into loveless marriages. She hope that she would be able to avoid it, and that they might make well matches on their own. She wanted arranging marriage to be a lady resort. She wanted her children to try and make good matches on their own, with as little interference from her as possible. She did try to meddle, and try to push her children into making good matches, she did not want to end up forcing her children into marrying people whom they could not love. She wanted that to be a last resort.

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Edmund George Covington
​

Edmund had just finished with the needle and put back on the case before taking a small piece of bandage and pressed in the wound. He looked up at James curiously as he spoke and smiled sweetly at him. Though not one thing he would ever admit but Baron may be more like himself than his other children but it was James he favoured of his sons. James inventiveness and open mindedness is something Edmund admired and wished he was a at least half as. James is traits, Edmund knew well enough, are rare among the gentry and Edmund could have been prouder to play a hand at it. More the once he had once considered passing of the duchy over to James rather than Baron, believing James might be better choice considering the changing times.

"Your are at varnishing with that clock?" He asked with genuine curiosity at his son project. "You know when it is going to be ready? Your grandmama has been commenting about that empty spot in the library each times she comes. I rather not hear about it much longer." He said with a chuckle. "Incidently..." He went to say before seeing Amelia enter. "Good morning, sweetheart." He said to her as the valet gave him a note. "Oh goody, speak of the devil... My mother has invited herself over for dinner tonight."

 

[Misty Gray]

James Elliott Covington
​

James smiled at his father's curiosity. It felt good whenever anyone was genuinely interested in his projects. "A few more days, I think," he answered. "The wood will have to dry and then I have to attach the clock itself. I've been having a problem with the mechanism and time being slightly off, but I think I've figured it out." He spoke like he'd failed by not getting it right the first time, even though he knew watchmaking and clock-making were very difficult skills to have. He always worried he didn't fit in or wasn't enough for his family. He looked to Amelia as she entered the room and pleasantly nodded to her. "Good morning, Amelia. I'm really good," he said, feeling a little more confident from his father's interest. "Are you okay?" he asked her. Amelia was sweet and he found her innocence, or naivety, refreshing. James raised an eyebrow at mention of his grandmother. "That's great. I can't wait to see Grandmama," he said, quickly nodding. He loved all of his family and especially liked it when his grandmother came over.

Byron Lewis Covington
​

Byron decided he was now ready for breakfast and should probably make sure he didn't arrive late to the table. Dressed smartly, he left his room and walked with an air of confidence about him, acknowledging any servants but not speaking to them as he passed. He entered the dining room just as James finished saying something about his grandmother. "Morning. Ed-- father, Jimmy, Rosie," he said, acknowledging the family members respectively and almost calling his father by his name. He then sat next to Amelia, directly opposite Edmund and the twins. "Good morning, Goldilocks," he finally greeted Amelia.

Once sat at his place, Byron looked down to the cutlery that was set out in front of him, before removing a handkerchief from his pocket and very precisely polishing the silver cutlery. Clearly, it was not up to Byron's impossible standards. James watched his brother and couldn't help but wonder why he often felt the need to do this, but he wouldn't vocalise it as he didn't want to invite Byron to belittle him. Besides, he didn't usually need an invitation for it.

 

[Misty Gray]

Evelyn Winters
​

Evelyn entered the servants dining hall, pleasantly greeting the staff as she did. She'd seen the look Margaret had sent the footman but for the moment went to grab herself a glass of water. After quenching her thirst, she then approached her adopted daughter. "Don't forget to smile, sweety," she said, sending a glance to the footman so Margaret would know what she was getting at. "Did you manage to get up and ready okay? Do you know what you have to do today?" she asked, almost nagging but mostly concerned. This was a big day for her daughter and Evelyn wanted to make sure it all ran smoothly.