Welcome to my new multi-chapter story! I promise that you won't need to have watched Downton Abbey to enjoy this historical Klaine AU, set in Britain during the 1910s. It's fully drafted and I'm now doing the final editing and polishing up. This story is a slow build, but there are plenty of plot twists along the way that I hope will keep your interest.
The story is roughly 225k words over 64 chapters. Updates will be posted each Wednesday and Saturday. I live in Thailand and travel a lot, so the timings might vary with time zone changes, but I'll post faithfully on the days, wherever I am.
I couldn't have possibly written this story without my amazing betas, Fearlessly and Lilyvandersteen. They are both accomplished writers, and I urge you to check out their stories on this site. I did the last-minute edits and proofreading by myself, so all mistakes are mine.
The preface is written in a POV that is different than the rest of the story. If you don't like it, please don't give up. It will change to either Blaine's or Kurt's POV after this.
Now close your eyes, and imagine it's a late afternoon in February. The sun has begun its descent behind the hills and casts weak shadows across the moors where cattle and sheep graze. The farmers are rounding up the livestock and leading them into barns to give them shelter on this cold winter's night. There is no snow, but the hard ground crunches with the frost as you walk. You try to wiggle your toes in your boots to keep them warm, but it doesn't help much, so you walk faster.
Can you feel it?
If you look to the east, you'll spot a public bus in the distance, making its way across the moor. There's a passenger on board who has never been away from his home in Somerset, the neighboring county. He sits by the window and marvels at the new landscapes that he sees. At 18 years old, he's finally filling into his tall and lanky body. He's lost the baby fat in his face and has muscular arms, thanks to the backbreaking work he's done back at home on the farm. And like you, many ladies in the village find him beautiful.
He's now a man and must make his own way in life. His father has secured him a job as the second footman at Westerville Abbey, an enviable position coveted by many a lad. It isn't the type of work that he would have chosen for himself, but he's accepted that it's his lot in life. If he does well at the job, he'll become the first footman, then the valet, and if he's lucky, he'll become the butler. His future is completely mapped out.
His father has been employed by Westerville Abbey for ten years. He's sketched life at the abbey, and it all sounds so grand. The lad has been told many stories about the top-notch benevolence and loyalty that the abbey's family extends to its staff. If he's to be in service, it doesn't seem as if he could do better than Westerville. He looks forward to spending time with his father, and reestablishing their relationship. It feels as though this position is his destiny.
What the young man doesn't know is that Westerville Abbey is only a step towards his destiny, which is intertwined with the family's second son.
The bus makes its way towards you, and you smile at the young man looking out of the window. You wonder how he will get on in his new position at the abbey. Don't worry - this story will recount his tale.
A gust of wind has you turn in the other direction, and you see Westerville Abbey in the distance for the first time. As you walk towards it, you're in awe of its grandeur and beauty. It could be mistaken for a castle, only the land was once owned by the Bishop of Exeter, which classifies it as an abbey. You hurry closer, for the sun is about to set.
You decide not to walk up the main road to the abbey, but take another path that seems to have been used by many. As you approach the estate, you eye what looks like a horses' stable. You spot a young man close the barn door quickly and lower his head so that his mouth is covered by a soft-looking scarf.
The 17-year-old looks left and right to determine which direction the wind blows. It reminds him of how his life will soon change, with one of two predetermined paths already set out. What he doesn't know is that the winds will bring significant changes that are well beyond his control... or even his imagination.
Life will soon not be at all like he thought it would.
George V has been king for almost four years, and already a parliamentary act was passed that made the elected House of Commons have supremacy over the House of Lords, of which the young man's father is a member. Within his lifetime, women will have the right to vote. However, for now, life is very much like under the reign of Edward VII, which was like his mother's, Queen Victoria. Everyone knows their position in life and what is expected of them. He's not sure whether it's a comfort or a noose around his neck, but he's accepted that it's his lot in life.
The winds of change will blow even stronger, for there are rumored troubles on the European continent that will alter everything. It will be touted as the war to end all wars, although we know that this is simply not the case. Another world war will happen soon after, and wars will continue to this day.
However, on this winter's day, the second son of the earl of Westerville is none the wiser. He's more worried about his horse on this cold night than the changes that will soon come his way.
He hears the crunch of gravel as the new second footman makes his way towards the abbey. He looks in that direction, but soon loses interest when the shadowed figure makes its way to the back of the house, dismissing him as a delivery or staff returning, and really not of interest.
Oh, how wrong he is.
The shadow will change everything.
The sun has now set, and a cold gust of wind reddens your face. Your lips feel chapped, and all you want is shelter and the warmth of a bed with an eiderdown. However, the winds are blowing strong in Devon, England in 1914, for there will be major changes - politically, economically, but most importantly….
… for the second footman and the earl's second son, who are coming of age.