- So, Edward breaks off his engagement to Florence. He tells her in person and he tries to be kind because, as he told Alfred, he does care deeply about her even though he’s not in love with her. She cries. She was actually falling for him and she feels lied to and “how could you, Edward? We’ve known each other half our lives!” So he tries to explain that it’s not her, it’s just there’s someone else, it’s just…it’s just…and he kind of ends up implying that the someone else is a guy. Then freezes in horror. Because shit. She cries some more but accepts it for what it is. Says she hopes he’s happy and they hug and decide to stay friends.
- Edward still gets shot, but he doesn’t die. Alfred, after finding out, throws caution to the wind and runs to see him. They have a heart-to-heart with lots of hurt/comfort. Florence walks in on them and Alfred is terrified but Edward tells him it’s alright because she knows. Alfred asks her stay and they spend the afternoon keeping Edward company.
- The parents are Not Happy about the broken engagement and start snooping which becomes dangerous foe Alfred and Edward. Finally, they re-instate the engagement but put off the wedding for a while, the three of them figuring that maybe they can find a way out of it. Alfred now thinks that maybe Edward should just marry Florence after all and Edward is like “No way. She’s my friend, she deserves to be happy too.”
- Meanwhile, Wilhelmina has had a horrible disaster of a whirlwind romance with a no good bastard who leaves her pregnant and alone and possibly ruined. And all she’d ever really wanted was to get married and have a child and a country house. She cries on Alfred’s shoulder and they hatch a plan to get married. This way she has a child in wedlock and Alfred having a wife will help draw suspicion away from him and Edward.
- The four of them start hanging out a lot – the Pagets, Edward and Florence. Florence and Wilhelmina become wonderful friends and constantly coo over the baby once it comes while Edward and Alfred go off to do manly things. (…Well, make out. They go to make out.)
- Finally, once it becomes impossible to put off the wedding any longer, Florence tells Edward they can have a deal: They will marry; they will have just enough marital relations to allow her to have a child and then they can go on as they are. Their marriage will be based on friendship and companionship and platonic affection. Edward and Alfred can stay together and if Florence ever decides to take a lover, Edward will not object in any way. Edward is scandalized by all this but finally agrees.
- Everyone is awkward and unhappy about the “marital relations” part but, luckily, they manage to get the job done quickly.
- Wilhelmina and Florence now coo over Florence’s baby. And one day Alfred and Edward walk in on them kissing in the nursery.
- Everyone is happy. No one dies. And they’re just one big family forever. The end.
Profile
alley_skywalker
Syndicate
Page Summary
Style Credit
- Base style: Compartmentalize by
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure - Theme: Summer Sea by forthwritten
Expand Cut Tags
No cut tags