Where our story begins
Chapter one
A storm was brewing in the rapidly darkening sky and Julia sighed deeply, content as she breathed in the cooling air that came in through the open window. Wind was picking up and she relished in the feeling of air blowing through her hair, her thin robe and the camisole underneath. It wasn't until the first droplet fell on the windowsill before her, that she decided, albeit somewhat reluctant, to close the windows of her second story bedroom. It was time to get ready for dinner anyway.
As soon as she placed the latch firmly on the window, she regretted closing it, missing the cool air. Even if she knew it needed to be done to save the soft carpet on the floor and the heavy curtains that hung by her window. Rain would certainly ruin both of them.
The weather had been unseasonably warm and dry this September and she had known that it would be a matter of time before that changed. This was England after all, and clear skies were a rarity. That said, the rapid procession of the current change had taken her by surprise. Earlier that day there had not been a single sign that the heat would be broken soon.
The sky had been a beautiful baby blue with some puffy white clouds adorning it. There had been no wind to speak off. Now, as she watched the wind grab hold of the massive trees that lined the garden behind her house, she wondered briefly just how much they would be able to withstand.
The branches seemed to bent much further than she had seen them do before, creaking as they went.
With another sigh Julia turned her back to the window, ready to ignore the weather as she got herself ready. That was when a sudden boom of thunder shook the humid air around her, causing her to jump. She shook her head with a small chuckle, laughing at her own behaviour and moved away from the window completely. She should've expected thunder to join the party sooner or
later. Especially now that rain was pelting against the window.
Rolling her shoulders, Julia tried to ease the tension in her body as she sat down in front of the large mirror that sat atop her mahogany dressing table. She really didn't have much reason to be nervous, so why was she? Certainly this was not the first time the a nobleman would join her small family at the dinner table. It probably wouldn't be the last either.
She smiled a little when she noticed that her unruly curls had broken out of the stern up-do that they had been forced into early this morning. It came as no surprise, she had been running all over their property today, rushing and helping wherever she could to get as many chores done before their guest would arrive in the evening.
Who this guest was, she didn't know, or what he'd be like. She wasn't even told that it was a man, though it most likely was. For one the guest travelled alone and women rarely did that. Not to mention that she had been expected to attend several dinners with possible suitors for the past three months, even since her last birthday. Her parents had clearly decided that it was time she married, even if they had not said a word to support her theories.
She wondered what this man would look like, as she tried to think what she could do with her hair in the little time she had. Where would he be from and what would he be like? She just hoped he was nice. That was currently her only requirement. It would make for a more enjoyable dinner. As for a suitor, she didn't have high hopes. None of the previous options were particularly alluring.
Julia pulled the loose strands of hair and considered doing a quick fix rather then a complete do-over. It seemed like an impossible task and she called her maid for her. Together they might just be able to make it work. Having made that decision, she began pulling at all the pins and ribbons that were holding her coiffure together. Once her long tresses fell freely down her back, she heard the door behind her open and close. She smiled brightly at the young woman that walked up behind her. The gesture readily returned.
As Mary ran her fingers through Julia's hair, Julia wished that she could just leave it be. No ribbons, no pins, just nothing. Not only would the lack of an up-do save her quite a bit of time, but the loose curls created much less strain on her head. And the feeling of her hair flowing behind her as she rode her horse was pretty wonderful too. When she was younger, she had even wondered if cutting her hair would be helpful in minimising the strain it caused on her scalp, though her mother had quickly put a stopper in those thoughts. Apparently a lady would never cut her hair and so Julia had accepted the accompanying headaches.
Mary took a brush and gently pulled at the tangled mess that somehow seemed to appear in her hair in the blink of an eye. Knowing how little time remained to them, Julia grabbed for the brush and roughly pulled at her hair, tugging at her scalp harshly. There was no time for gentleness.
Soon there would be a knock on the front door and their visitor would announce himself.
Julia had never met him, but her parents had and they had informed her of his punctuality. If he valued this, it would be bad manners to arrive late. Her parents had not told her anything about him, though her father had appeared slightly nervous of the prospect of his visit. Her father never got nervous and it had intrigued her. It also made her slightly apprehensive, as she did not know what her father's reaction meant. Still as the only daughter to her parents, she knew they only wanted the best for her.
Julia's family come from a long line of nobles and women had very little rights in these circles. She knew her parents wanted to make sure that she would be taken care of. That her dowry would not fall into the wrong hands. They preferred it if that remained in her possession always and it took some searching for a man to agree to that.
When all the snarls had effectively been untangled, Mary made quick work of Julia's hair and the women gossiped happily of what would be awaiting the youngest of the two tonight. Mary was a hopeless romantic, with an optimism which often rivalled that of a child. It was endearing. The woman was by no means naive, she just had a steadfast belief that things always worked itself out in the end. Julia often found herself leaning on those beliefs, using them to her her through trying times. Meanwhile Mary would often consider Julia's more careful thoughts, before making any decisions.
With her hair done - pulled into another, though much less stern up-do, Julia pinched her cheeks to create some colours. When she was satisfied that her complexion resembled that of a healthy young woman, she stood and walked towards the bed. There, Mary was already waiting to help her into the dress that had been laid out on the sheets. Mary had loosened the strings on the corset as wide as they would go and carefully placed it around Julia's waist. Mary tugged at the lacing, making sure it was tight so the dress would fit neatly.
Julia stared at the dress that she was about to wear and smiled. It was beautiful and brand new. Her mother had ordered it quite recently, citing an important upcoming event and Julia had assumed a ball. Perhaps she had hoped for a ball, since those were few and far between since they had moved back to their dwelling in the countryside. During her time at court there had been so many and she rather missed the excitement. It was not until this morning that her mother had informed her that the dress should be worn tonight at dinner, for their expected guest. Julia had done her very best to bite down the bitter sting of disappointment.
Julia had always been close to her mother, Lady Josephine Fitzgerald of Hertfortshire, and though there was little they did not share, she knew better than to voice her opinion about tonight. Her mother would not tolerate it, for she would think it was spoiled behaviour. She wasn't entirely wrong of course, Julia knew she had gotten her hopes up far too high. She did wonder though, why her other had not informed her of this important guest prior to today. If she had known, there would have been more planning this week and much less rushing today.
She dared not ask and Josephine would never show anyone if there had been a lack of information on her end. She was raised at court and knew just what was expected of a woman of her stature. Showing lack of preparation and thereby airing her husbands inability to keep her informed was not part of that.
With one last tug, her corset was properly tightened and Mary quickly grabbed hold of the dress and held it open as wide as possible so Julia could step into it carefully. It was simply a work of art and Julia was almost anxious to wear it. The deep blue material went well with her light skin tone, the colourful flower design livening it up. It had short, puffed up sleeves the were adorned with a few layers of white lace that covered most of her upper arm. A small strip of that same lace covered the wide boat neckline of the dress, alluding to a slightly risqué bosom, which finished the image.
For her comfort the dressmaker had decided on many layers in the skirt of the dress, creating the fashionable wide skirt without the need for hoops. While the fabric made the dress significantly warmer, it was far easier to move around in than it would've been with hoops. And with the recent heat there wouldn't be too many fireplaces roaring.
Mary quickly moved to close the lace of the bodice and when the dress was firmly in place, Julia twirled through the room. She smiled as the skirt swirled around her and she felt absolutely beautiful. Mary clapped happily, praising Julia's appearance. With a bright smile she thanked her maid, and best friend, for the help. She took one more glance at her reflection in the floor length mirror that stood by her bed. The colours of the dress were bold, far bolder than she was used too, but the cut was conservative and almost gentle in the way that it accentuated her figure.
Just then thunder struck again, resounding loudly right outside the window. Lightning followed closely and Mary began to wring her hands nervously. She never did like weather such as this and she looked out the window with wide eyes. Julia placed a comforting hand on her arm and squeezed gently. Mary tried to put on a brave face, though she failed miserably, before excusing herself from the room. Julia knew just where she would go, to the kitchen where her mother, Maudlin would be working. Maudlin always managed to sooth her fears quickly.
Julia moved closer to the window and saw that the storm was now in full swing, wing whipping through the trees and causing the warmth of the day to rapidly leave the house.
A loud rattling sound drew her eyes away from the windswept trees and towards the nearby road, where she could see a black coach racing by. Due to the rain it was impossible to make out a crest on the door of the chaise, if there even was one. Julia wondered if this was the carriage of her guest, it certainly didn't look like one from any family in the area.
It was in that moment, when she thought of their visitor, that the carriage slowed down considerably and turned onto the small lane that led to her house. Suddenly Julia remembered her mothers sense of urgency and punctuality and she became very self-aware. Quickly looking over her dress, she assured herself that there were no imperfections to be found, before she took a deep steadying breath and moved towards the door. It was time to quickly make her way downstairs.
Thunder struck once more as she placed her hand on the doorknob and she lingered a moment longer, wondering if that was as ominous a sign as it felt. Finally she straightened herself up and twisted the knob, opening the door, stepping through it and out onto the landing.
The thick Bordeaux carpet hid the sound of her steps as she hurried along the hallway towards the grand staircase that was situated in the middle of this second story landing. If she moved quick she'd be down before their guest would have time to announce himself. She really didn't want to disappoint her mother.
Julia was ready to speed down the stairs, when she glanced down and straight into the piercing blue eyes of a handsome stranger. He had been mid turn, after handing his top-hat and coat to their butler, Jones. She halted her movements and chose to descent the stairs in a more graceful manner than she had originally intended. Rushing wasn't ladylike her mother had often told her and her education had informed her of the importance of a good first impression. So, she moved down the steps in slow, calm strides, urging herself to appear as serene as her moments were. It wasn't easy, with the stranger at the bottom of the staircase making her both curious and nervous with his intense gaze.
His azure blue eyes looked cold as they remained on her form and she quickly averted her eyes, uncomfortable with the way they seemed to check for even the slightest flaw. It didn't help that his lips were pulled down in a deep frown, moving into a sly smirk as she got closer.
Julia took a moment to take in his appearance. If he was staring, so could she, right? His long hair was neatly tied back in the nape of his neck and with the light of the close-by lantern it appeared to be chestnut coloured. He had a short straight nose and a strong, clean shaving jaw. The man stood tall, his broad shoulders straining the sutures of his suit and his head held high as only a highborn lord would. The black suit he wore seemed expensive, specifically tailored for him. And he had a crisp white shirt underneath. The sleeves of the shirt were embellished with lace that waved out over his hands and drew her attention to his long elegant fingers. Fingers that were currently tapping against his leg in an impatient manner, while he watched her come down.
Julia had half a mind to run back upstairs, unable to shake the uncomfortable feeling he gave her. She'd been stared at before, leered at even, but not like this. She had also kept people waiting in the past. Punctuality was something she had only recently managed to implement in her routine. Though she obviously still failed at times.
Finally she brushed it off, attributing to the unease of the storm that was raging outside and her lack of knowledge about the man before her.
When she was only a few small steps removed from the man, she noticed a small dimple on his chin and was struck by a memory of an old proverb that her grandmother had often spoken off: a dimple in the chin, the devil within.
She nearly laughed at the absurdity of her own thoughts and only barely managed to keep it in, causing her cheeks to heat up and she wished she could wave some cool air on her face. Instead she tried to ignore the spreading warmth, hoping he would see it as a simple blush, and took the last few steps off the stairs. Finally she landed at the bottom and right in front of the him.
He offered something that he must have taken for a smile and though she saw it as more of a grimace with his lips pulled into a thin line, she returned the gesture and plastered a bright smile on her face. His long nimble fingers took her hand in his and he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Her mother quickly stepped forward, brightly smiling as she introduced the man as Lord James Buchanan Barnes.
"My lord," Julia spoke softly as she curtsied, her hand still firmly in his grasp and fighting the urge to pull it back while he haughtily stared down at her. He wasn't that much taller than her, though he managed to make every centimetre feel like ten. A chill went through her body as she met that stare. He really did make her incredibly nervous.
A/n: This story has been going through my head for a long time, though it never did quite fit. As soon as I imagined it with Bucky all the puzzle pieces fell into place. I really hope you like it as much as I enjoy writing it!
It is derived of one of my entries for Fictober on tumblr. However that was pretty rushed and some elements simply didn't fit. So feel free to read that entry but please don't assume it'll give you the same information as this chapter will do. Especially since I removed any allusion to the supernatural, that will not be a part of this story.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!