#alice m. kelly

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (October 17th, 2023)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Standalones/First in a Series:

Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters

If You'll Have Me by Eunnie

At the End of the World by Nadia Mikail

Flower & Thorn by Rati Mehrotra

Our Divine Mischief by Hanna Howard

Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli

All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology by Various

One Hundred Days by Alice Pung

New Sequels:

Wild Wishes & Windswept Kisses (Singh Sisters #2) by Maya Prasad

___

Happy reading!

[exaltior-a]

the magnus protocol came out and i loved it. anyway, gwen and lena should kiss

[theartofangirling]

part 2 of the 2023 version of this post: young adult books!

part 1: middle grade books | part 3: adult books

this is a very incomplete list, as these are only books I've read and enjoyed. not all books are going to be for all readers, so I'd recommend looking up synopses and content warnings. feel free to message me with any questions about specific representation!

list of books under the cut ⬇️

aces wild by amanda dewitt

the chandler legacies by abdi nazemian

bruised by tanya boteju

juliet takes a breath by gabby rivera

picture us in the light by kelly loy gilbert

when we were magic by sarah gailey

iron widow by xiran jay zhao

the rise of kyoshi by f.c. yee

jane unlimited by kristin cashore

summer of salt by katrina leno

the wicker king by k. ancrum

the dead and the dark by courtney gould

wilder girls by rory power

i kissed shara wheeler by casey mcquiston

her royal highness by rachel hawkins

tell me how you really feel by aminah mae safi

the weight of the stars by k. ancrum

you should see me in a crown by leah johnson

last night at the telegraph club by malinda lo

the grief keeper by alexandra villasante

crier's war by nina varela

how to excavate a heart by jake maia arlow

imogen, obviously by becky albertalli

in other lands by sarah rees brennan

carry on by rainbow rowell

cemetery boys by aiden thomas

felix ever after by kacen callendar

i wish you all the best by mason deaver

little thieves by margaret owen

technically you started it by lana wood johnson

the gentleman's guide to vice and virtue by mackenzi lee

the infinite noise by lauren shippen

bonds of brass by emily skrutskie

the darkness outside us by eliot schrefer

simon vs. the homo sapiens agenda by becky albertalli

what if it's us by becky albertalli and adam silvera

aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe by benjamin alire sáenz

like a love story by abdi nazemian

different for boys by patrick ness

history is all you left me by adam silvera

twelfth grade night by molly horton booth, stephanie kate strohm, and jamie green

across a field of starlight by blue delliquanti

heartstopper by alice oseman

check, please! by ngozi ukazu

bloom by kevin panetta and savanna ganucheau

laura dean keeps breaking up with me by mariko tamaki and rosemary valero-o'connell

the princess and the grilled cheese sandwich by deya muniz

if you'll have me by eunnie

on a sunbeam by tillie walden

the girl from the sea by molly knox ostertag

always human by ari north

rust in the root by justina ireland

dread nation by justina ireland

pet by awkwaeke emezi

the darkest part of the forest by holly black

elatsoe by darcie little badger

i was born for this by alice oseman

loveless by alice oseman

i hate everyone but you by gaby dunn and allison raskin

you know me well by nina lacour and david levithan

the black flamingo by dean atta

spinning by tillie walden

dreadnought by april daniels

a lesson in vengeance by victoria lee

all the bad apples by moira fowley-doyle

clap when you land by elizabeth acevedo

summer bird blue by akemi dawn bowman

the miseducation of cameron post by emily m. danforth

we are okay by nina lacour

radio silence by alice oseman

we used to be friends by amy spalding

a neon darkness by lauren shippen

i hope you get this message by farah naz rishi

are you listening? by tillie walden

alone in space by tillie walden

all out edited by saundra mitchell

out now edited by saundra mitchell

out there edited by saundra mitchell

[kmomof4]

To Sir Graham, With Love - A New Fic for @snowbellewells Birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARTA!!!!! We FINALLY made it, and I am SOOO EXCITED to finally be posting this fic for your special day!!! I love you dearly and I'm so thankful to have you in my life!!! I so hope you enjoy this fic featuring another one of your favorite couples, or at least one of your other favorite characters!!! I hope your day is as wonderful as you are and that this makes it even better!!! Love you, my friend!!!

@jrob64 and @whimsicallyenchantedrose are my FABULOUS betas for this story and they deserve all the love and long distance hugs I can give them for betaing this monster of a fic!!

@motherkatereloyshipper is responsible for some GORGEOUS artwork that is going to take some doing to share, because it's too big for Tumblr. But let me assure you, it is gorgeous and it WILL get shared, just as soon as I figure out how. I wish I could swim the ocean so I could give Kit a tackle hug!! Please go give her all the love!!! Update- we got it and the artwork is below the cut!!!! Please go give Kit alllllllll the love!!!!!

As Graham is one of Marta's favorite characters, this was the perfect Bridgerton story to adapt to him and Ruby. It is inspired by Eloise Bridgerton's story, To Sir Phillip, With Love. This fic is set in the same universe as my first Bridgerton fic, A Mistress to No One, though it's not necessary to have read it to enjoy this one.

Today's prologue is very short, so I'll be posting ch1 on Saturday and then weekly thereafter.

I so hope you enjoy my adaptation and let me know what you think!!!

Summary: After a year long secret correspondence, twenty-eight year old spinster Ruby Jones decides to accept Sir Graham Humbert's offer of a visit to see if they might suit for marriage. Unfortunately, he failed to mention that he was the father of twins, and they are not thrilled with Ruby's appearance.

Rating: M (smut, mentions of abuse)

Words: Almost 2k of almost 68k

Tags: Red Hunter Fic, Birthday Fic, Inspired by Eloise Bridgerton's Story, Smut

On ao3

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Prologue

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I know you say I will someday like boys, but I say NEVER! Do you hear me? NEVER!!! With THREE exclamation points! From Ruby Jones to her mother Alice, shoved under her door during Ruby’s eighth year

~*~*~*~

I never dreamed the season could be so exciting, David! I’m sure I’ll fall in love straight away! How could I not? When the men are so handsome and charming? From Ruby Jones to her older brother David, on the occasion of her London debut ~*~*~*~

I’m starting to believe I’ll never marry. If there was someone out there for me, don’t you think I’d have found him by now? From Ruby Jones to her dearest friend Mary Margaret Blanchard, during their sixth season as debutantes ~*~*~*~

This is my last chance. I am grabbing destiny with both hands and throwing caution to the wind. Sir Graham, please, please be all that I’ve imagined you to be. Because if you are the man your letters portray you to be, I believe I could love you. And if you felt the same… Ruby Jones, writing on a scrap of paper, the evening she ran away from home to meet Sir Graham Humbert for the first time – A scrap of paper that fluttered to the floor behind her writing desk when the created breeze as she opened and shut her bedroom door, reached it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was another sunny day. 

A sunny day after a string of gray.

Just like before.

Could that be why he was feeling so melancholy? God, he hoped so. Because that’s a plausible reason why he couldn’t seem to bring himself to leave his seat in his study and why he couldn’t remember actually drinking the whiskey he’d poured himself when he’d entered the room quite some time ago, if the angle of the setting sun told him anything.  

He couldn’t bear it if he became like her.

Melancholy for no reason at all. A melancholy that permeated her very being. They’d been married for eight years and he’d never heard Jacinda laugh. And he could count on one hand how many times he’d seen her smile.

He probably should have expected it. Who was he kidding? He did expect it; he just didn’t allow that thought, that sense of foreboding, to penetrate the front of his consciousness. 

He never would have thought she’d do it on such a beautiful day, though. 

A beautiful day after such a long stretch of… not beautiful… melancholy… days; days much more suited to her incessant mood.

Graham had been in his greenhouse that fateful day, recording the results of his latest experiment with peas - he sought to breed a new strand that grew fatter and plumper inside the pod, though he hadn’t yet succeeded - when he looked up through the freshly washed glass of the greenhouse and saw a flash of red. Jacinda’s favorite color. She must have roused herself from her bedchamber to come outside and enjoy the lovely sunshine. The thought made him smile. Perhaps the sun would bring her some modicum of joy.

He watched as she disappeared into a copse of trees between the greenhouse and the small lake on the estate, then bent back down to his work.

Suddenly the thought occurred to him that he should collect his children and bring them outside to see their mother. They saw her every evening, but they craved more time with her, even if all they could expect was a trembling of her lips and a pat on the head. He hadn’t yet seen his children today, but with the sunshine, he’d left instructions for their nurse to take them on a walk outside before he’d come down to the greenhouse, but he could just as easily take them on their walk, and he ought not shirk that responsibility.

A wave of guilt came over him. He was not the father they needed. He tried to assuage his conscience by telling himself that he was quite definitely succeeding in his one and only goal he had pertaining to fatherhood - to not be the kind of father his father was. But he was succeeding in that matter only because he spent as little time as possible with them, more often shooing them off to their nurse for her to deal with. It was easier that way.

He rose from his workbench and left the greenhouse, intent on bringing Nicholas and Ava outside to spend a few minutes with their mother, but as he strode toward the house, he realized that he should probably ascertain Jacinda’s mood before springing the children on her. He hated for them to see her in one of her moods, so he changed direction and went in search of his wife.

Her footprints were clear in the soft ground when he entered the woods he’d watched her disappear into, but once he emerged from their cover, he cursed, having forgotten about the grassy meadow he now stood in. Her footprints would be invisible now, so he looked up, shading his eyes against the morning sun, looking for a flash of red. Nothing at the old abandoned cottage, nor near the field of experimental grains he grew, or at the giant boulder he’d spent many hours scrambling over as a child. He finally turned north toward the lake and spotted her.

The lake. 

He was frozen for a moment, as he watched her slow progress toward the shore of the small body of water. It wasn’t until she was nearly there that his paralysis broke, his feet somehow recognizing what his eyes and mind hadn’t yet comprehended. He was still too far away to do anything but call her name as he ran toward her. 

If she heard him, she gave no indication, never halting her progress. She entered the shallows and just kept walking until she came to the drop off, disappearing under the water, the red cloak she wore floating for just a moment before it was dragged down with her to the depths. 

It was another full minute before Graham arrived at the edge of the lake, even at a full run. He had just enough presence of mind to take off his boots and coat before following 

her into the freezing water. She’d only been underwater a minute, but he had no idea how long it took for someone to drown, and every second more was another second closer to her death.

He plunged under the water, and with strong strokes, swam to where he’d last seen her. He peered through the murky water looking for the telltale flash of red. 

There.

She didn’t fight him as he grabbed the cloak and hauled her to him to bring her to the surface. When he got her to the shore, her skin had the gray pallor that he’d only seen twice in his life. Once on his father and the other when his beloved brother’s body was returned home after losing his life at Waterloo. The second thrusting him into the position he now held as well as laying the duty to marry and beget an heir on his shoulders. He didn’t love Jacinda. He never had. But he cared for her, and he knew underneath the persistent melancholy, she was a good person, and he’d never wish for her death.

He shook his head, flinging droplets of water from his hair and face, but was shocked to realize it wasn’t just lake water, it was tears. How could she do this? What about the children? In the balance of life, did her sadness really mean more than their need for a mother? How was he going to tell them? He was barely a father to them. How in the hell was he now supposed to be a mother as well?

He barely remembered carrying his wife’s body back to the house, the persistent hope in the back of his mind that the children and their nurse hadn’t yet left for their walk. He managed to avoid them the rest of the day - sending for the priest and making the arrangements for Jacinda’s burial. But when evening came, he knew he had to face them.

They said hardly a word when he told them their mother was gone, which was unusual. Just turned seven years old, they stared at him with their wide unblinking eyes. They didn’t look surprised, either, which disturbed Graham just a bit.

“I… I’m sorry,” he stammered, looking down at his hands clasped in his lap. He loved them so much, but he’d failed them in so many ways. How could he face them?

“It’s not your fault,” Nicholas said. Graham met his dark eyes as his son lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “She fell in the lake. You didn’t push her.”

“Is she happy now?” Ava asked quietly. Graham looked at her and sighed.

“I think so,” he murmured. “She gets to watch you now from heaven, so yes, I think she’s happy.”

“I hope so,” Nicholas finally said. “Maybe she won’t cry anymore.”

That caught Graham’s attention. He hadn’t realized they could hear Jacinda’s sobs. It was normally so late at night that they should have been long asleep, but with their room directly above hers, he really shouldn’t have been surprised.

Ava nodded in agreement with her brother’s statement. “If she’s happy now, then I’m glad.”

And it was the truth. Graham could only hope her soul had finally found the peace and happiness that eluded her in life. And if that was the case, he would take solace in it.

Pulling himself back from the bleak direction his thoughts had taken, he looked down at his empty glass again. He hated remembering that day two months ago, but the similarities between that day and this were too much to be ignored and he couldn’t help himself. On the day her mother died, Ava had asked if he was going to leave them too and he swore that he wouldn’t - he’d never leave them. But his presence wasn’t enough. They needed more. They needed someone who knew how to be a parent. Someone who knew how to speak to them, love them, understand them, get them to behave. 

He needed a wife.

Almost any wife would do. He didn’t care what she looked like, how much money she had, or if she could do sums in her head. She just needed to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

It was too soon, of course. He couldn’t marry until the prescribed mourning period was completed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t start looking.

“Sir?” His secretary, Miles, interrupted his musings. “A letter for you. From London.”

He took the small envelope, noting the feminine slant to the script, and dismissed the man with a nod. Opening it, a single sheet of paper fell out. It was heavy, clearly expensive. He turned it over and began to read.

No. 5, Bruton Street

London

Sir Graham Humbert-

I am writing to express my condolences on the loss of your wife, my cousin, Jacinda. Although it had been many years since I’d seen her, I remember her fondly and was saddened to hear of her passing.

Please do not hesitate to write if there is anything I can do to ease your pain in this difficult time.

Yrs,

Miss Ruby Jones

Jones. Jones. Did Jacinda have Jones cousins? She must have. The evidence was right here before him. He had received very few notes of condolences since Jacinda passed. She rarely left her bedchamber, after all. It was easy to forget about someone who was never seen.

Miss Ruby Jones deserved a reply. Besides being common courtesy, he just felt it was the right thing to do. 

Graham picked up his quill, and with a weary breath, began to write.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! Happy birthday, Marta!! Hope you've had a wonderful day!!! Ch1 will be up Saturday!!

[a-ramblinrose]

JOMP BPC || June 30 || Read In June:

Lumberjanes Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max by N.D. Stevenson ★★★

The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill ★★★★ [RR]

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill ★★★★★

The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag ★★★★

Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong ★★★★ [RR]

The Book of Songs translated by Arthur Waley ★★

 The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol.4 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou ★★★★

Heartstopper Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman ★★★★

Heartstopper Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman ★★★★

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo ★★★★★

Honeycomb by Joanne M. Harris ★★★★★

Hand In Hand With Love edited by Simon Avery ★★★★

Batman: Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 3 by CRC Payne ★★★★

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett ★★★★★ [RR]

The Magic of Spider Woman by Lois Duncan ★★★

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

Queer Books November 2023

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ The Pirate and the Porcelain Girl by Emily Riesbeck 🧡 Heading North by Holly M. Wendt 💛 The Wisdom of Bug by Alyson Root 💚 Trick Shot by Kayla Grosse 💙 A Holly Jolly Christmas by Emily Wright 💜 Outdrawn by Deanna Grey ❤️ Yours Celestially by Al Hess 🧡 The Christmas Memory by Barbara Winkes 💛 Violet Moon by Mel E. Lemon 💙 The Santa Pageant by Lillian Barry 💜 Only for the Holidays by Shannon O’Connor 🌈 Homestead for the Holidays by Wren Taylor

❤️ You Can Count on Me by Fae Quin 🧡 No One Left But You by Tash McAdam 💛 The Worst Thing of All is the Light by José Luis Serrano, Lawrence Schimel 💚 Today Tonight Forever by Madeline Kay Sneed 💙 Wren Martin Ruins It All by Amanda DeWitt 💜 Emmett by L. C. Rosen ❤️ Finding My Elf by David Valdes 🧡 Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams 💛 Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng 💙 Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree 💜 A Power Unbound by Freya Marske 🌈 We Are the Crisis by Cadwell Turnbull

❤️ The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle 🧡 You Owe Me One, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen by Sarah James 💚 Skip!: A Graphic Novel by Rebecca Burgess 💙 Something About Her by Clementine Taylor 💜 Touching the Art by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore ❤️ A Nearby Country Called Love by Salar Abdoh 🧡 Normporn: Queer Viewers and the TV That Soothes Us by Karen Tongson 💛 Sir Callie and the Dragon’s Roost by Esme Symes-Smith 💙 The Order of the Banshee by Robyn Singer 💜 Once Upon My Dads’ Divorce by Seamus Kirst, Noémie Gionet Landry 🌈 Forsooth by Jimmy Matejek-Morris

❤️ A Common Bond by T.M. Kuta 🧡 Risk the Fall by Riley Hart 💛 Just a Little Snack by Yah-Yah Scholfield 💚 Home for the Holidays by Erin Zak 💙 NeurodiVeRse by MJ James 💜 Dark Heir (Dark Rise #2) by C.S. Pacat ❤️ sub/Dom by Rab Green 🧡 Bitten by the Bond by Elaine White 💛 Heir to Frost and Storm by Ben Alderson 💙 The Sea of Stars by Gwenhyver 💜 Bad Beat by L.M. Bennett 🌈 Idol Moves by K.T. Salvo

❤️ Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa 🧡 In the Pines by Mariah Stillbrook 💛 The Crimson Fortress (The Ivory Key #2) by Akshaya Raman 💚 Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison 💙 Megumi & Tsugumi, Vol. 4 by Mitsuru Si 💜 Pritty by Keith F. Miller Jr. ❤️ Just Lizzie by Karen Wilfrid 🧡 An Atlas to Forever by Krystina Rivers 💛 Come Find Me in the Midnight Sun by Bailey Bridgewater 💙 Bait and Witch by Clifford Mae Henderson 💜 Shadow Baron by Davinia Evans 🌈 Day by Michael Cunningham

❤️ Livingston Girls by Briana Morgan 🧡 Delay of the Game by Ari Baran 💛 The Nanny with the Nice List by K. Sterling 💚 A Talent Ignited by Suzanne Lenoir 💙 A Kiss of the Siren’s Song by E.A.M. Trofimenkoff 💜 Rivals for Love by Ali Vali ❤️ Whiskey & Wine by Kelly Fireside, Tana Fireside 🧡 Buried Secrets by Sheri Lewis Wohl 💛 Ride with Me by Jenna Jarvis 💙 Living for You by Jenny Frame 💜 Death on the Water by CJ Birch 🌈 Merciless Waters by Rae Knowles

❤️ Vicarious by Chloe Spencer 🧡 Sapling’s Depths by Spencer Rose 💛 That French Summer by Sienna Waters 💚 System Overload by Saxon James 💙 King of Death by Lily Mayne 💜 Warts and All by Ashley Bennett ❤️ Principle Decisions by Thea Belmont 🧡 The Best Mistake by Emily O’Beirne 💛 Sugar and Ice by Eule Grey 💙 Until The Blood Runs Dry by MC Johnson 💜 Splinter : A Diverse Sleepy Hollow Retelling by Jasper Hyde 🌈 The Mischievous Letters of the Marquise de Q by Felicia Davin

❤️ The Queer Girl is Going to be Okay by Dale Walls 🧡 Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black 💛 Leverage by E.J. Noyes 💚 Alice Sadie Celine by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright 💙 Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon 💜 Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher ❤️ To Kill a Shadow by Katherine Quinn 🧡 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💛 For Never & Always by Helena Greer 💙 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sally Hawley 💜 Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu Vol. 8 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù 🌈 A Carol for Karol by Ann Roberts

[01sentencereviews]

2023

Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Kelly Fremon Craig)

Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster)

The Curse, "Land of Enchantment" [S01.E01] (Nathan Fielder)

Gush (Fox Maxy) @ New Directors/New Films 2023

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber)

I Thought the World of You (Kurt Walker) @ Persistent Visions Program 1: Always and Only Place, MoMI

Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) [+ its teaser trailer]

Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan)

May December (Todd Haynes) @ Opening Night, NYFF61

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Christopher McQuarrie) in IMAX

My Own Private Final Destination (Alexandra McVicker & Zach Donovan) @ KGB Red Room (09/13/2023)

Oppenhemier (Christopher Nolan) in IMAX 70MM

Our Home Out West (Drew Tobia)

The Outwaters (Robbie Banfitch) [+ Card Zero & File VL-624 (Robbie Banfitch)]

Passages (Ira Sachs)

Priscilla (Sofia Coppola)

Renaissance World Tour (Beyoncé) @ SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA (09/01/2023)

Saint Omer (Alice Diop)

Stop Making Sense - IMAX (Jonathan Demme)

Succession, “With Open Eyes” (Mark Mylod & Jesse Armstrong)

Sunset Boulevard (Jamie Lloyd), West End Production (10/17/2023)

The Swan (Wes Anderson) [+ Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)]

Vanderpump Rules, “#Scandoval” [S10.E15]

The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)

+++

Birth/Rebirth (Laura Moss)

Creed III (Michael B. Jordan)

The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki)

the crash sequences in Ferrari (Michael Mann)

The Holdovers (Alexander Payne)

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Chad Stahelski)

The Killer (David Fincher)

Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)

Monster (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

PARADISE LOST (Richard Hines) @ Daniel Cooney Fine Art

Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos)

Reality (Tina Satter)

Rotting in the Sun (Sebastián Silva)

Smoking Causes Coughing (Quentin Dupieux)

SPRING/BREAK Art Show 2023

Suzume (Makoto Shinkai)

Teen Art Salon - A Protospective @ MoMA PS1

Thanksgiving (Eli Roth)

To Catch a Killer (Damián Szifron)

“Very Delta #65 "Are You A Forever Eye-Con Like Me?” (w/ Raja)”

the 3D sequences in A Woman Escapes (Blake Williams, Sofia Bohdanowicz, & Burak Çevik)

-----------------------

Performances, 2023:

Dave Bautista - Knock at the Cabin

Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon

Cole Escola - Our Home Out West

Mia Goth - Infinity Pool

Elle Graham - Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall & The Zone of Interest

Soya Kurokawa - Monster

Guslagie Malanda - Saint Omer

Rachel McAdams - Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Julianne Moore - May December 

Natalie Portman - May December

Addison Rae - Thanksgiving 

Judy Reyes - Birth/Rebirth

Margot Robbie - Barbie 

Franz Rogowski - Passages

Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things

Kamiki Ryunosuke - Godzilla Minus One

Dominic Sessa - The Holdovers

Nicole Scherzinger - Sunset Boulevard 

Cailee Spaeny - Priscilla 

Emma Stone - The Curse

Alyssa Sutherland - Evil Dead Rise

Sigourney Weaver - Master Gardner

Sophie Wilde – Talk to Me

Teo Yoo - Past Lives

[poppletonink]

evermore: An Inspired Reading Recommendations List

Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (willow)

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio (champagne problems)

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (gold rush)

This Winter by Alice Oseman ('tis the damn season)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (tolerate it)

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (no body, no crime)

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (happiness)

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (dorothea)

Emergency Contact By Mary H.K. Choi (coney island)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (ivy)

One Of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus (cowboy like me)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (long story short)

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous By Ocean Vuong (marjorie)

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (closure)

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (evermore)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (right where you left me)

Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo (it's time to go)

[squibstress]

HP Rec Fest - Day 14

Prompt: A favorite series @hprecfest

There's little I like more than settling into a good, long series, but I'm picky if I'm going to be spending a lot of time with a story. It needs to have great characterization, a plot and charcters arcs I can invest in, and terrific writing. These have all of those elements and more.

The "Adelaverse" series by @kellychambliss

"My Journal About My Life and Stephen and Miranda” by Adela

2. "Now That I'm Older" by Adela

3. Inamorata

Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Original Character, Severus Snape

Pairing: Minerva/Severus

Rating: K/G - T/PG-13

Summary: Severus and Minerva, disguised as Muggles, are observed by their precocious teen neighbor, who enjoys speculating about the mysterious couple next door.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This series, comprising 3 stories, is a wonderful take on the third-person observer. It throws Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape into Muggle America and the sights of precocious twelve-year-old Adela.

Kelly's Minerva/Severus is always rich and complex, and the original characters, especially Adela, are wonderful.

It's wry, and tender, and funny, and exactly what I'd imagine these characters to be like in this situation. It's a lovely read for those who like happy endings without sappiness or doe-eyed visions of happily-ever-after.

The Minerva Quartet by @eldritcher

Thy Kingdom Come

2. I, Alastor

3. How do you like your blue-eyed boys?

4. O Gentle Faustus

Characters: Alastor Moody, Alice Longbottom, Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Voldemort, Charlus Potter

Pairings: Albus/Minerva, Lucius/Minerva, Abraxas/Voldemort

Rating: M/R

Summary: Thematically related stories about he beautiful and dreadful parts of being humans who love.

Why You Should Check It Out:

Eldritcher's stories cut to the heart of what it is to long for what we know we should not want, and knowing the price, want it just the same.

The main characters are self-aware enough to understand important things about themselves and one another but often helpless to change their course, which is, of course, the most human of failings.

Eldritcher has an excellent sense of the little details that reveal character. The stories have the quality of a particularly lucid dream; they suggest things, but never hit the you over the head with them, allowing the reader to suss out the important bits and the themes that animate them, and there are occasional surprises that shock the reader out of any misplaced complacency regarding what a particular character will and won't do.

Literary and mythological allusions and references are woven deftly through the work, and I adore the way Eldritcher makes Hogwarts castle a character in its own right.

The "Resolving a Misunderstanding" and "Death's Dominion" series by MMADfan

Resolving a Misunderstanding

2. The Unsentimental Arithmancer

3. An Unexpected Shower

4. A Holiday with the Headmaster

5. Malcolm's Tale of Angus Óg

6. Obliging Minerva

7. Invisible Lover

8. A Christmas for Aberforth

9. An Act of Love

10. Death's Dominion

11. Enter, Peacetime

12. A Long Vernal Season (incomplete)

Main Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Poppy Pomfrey, Hermione Granger and a cast of thousands.

Pairings: Multiple, but the main ones are Albus/Minerva and Poppy/Severus, plus multple pairings with OCs.

Rating: Stories range from K+/PG to MA/NC-17.

Summary: The main focus of the first series, which takes place before the events of the 7 Potter books, is the epic romance between Minerva and Albus, with some shorter pieces that focus on some of MMADfan's fabulous original characters. The Death's Dominion series takes place during the 7 Potter books and later, and focuses Severus's life as a spy for Dumbledore and his attempts to come to terms with life after the war.

Why You Should Check It Out:

If you're looking for total immersion in the wizarding world, thess are the series for you.

This is truly an epic arc, with over a million words total, but the length allows MMADfan the scope to create an incredibly vivid wizarding world, populated with a huge cast of canon and original characters. The wordlbuilding is impressive, and the storytelling vivid, but what stands out to me are the characters. Not only does the author breathe fascinating life into canon characters we see only peripherally in the HP series, but she creates some of the best OCs I've ever encountered, in fanfic or original fic. (Her Gertrude Gamp and Gertrude's son Gareth are two of the best I've ever read.)

The Nox Lumina Series by eudaemonia

Lux Prima

2. Ministry

3. Turn the Light

4. Woman

5. Redeemer

6. Drown

7. Leopard's Tongue

8. Reveries

9. Nox Lumina

Characters: Alastor Moody, Albus Dumbledore, Amelia Bones, Cornelius Fudge, Filius Flitwick, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Harry Potter, Horace Slughorn, Lucius Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout, Severus Snape, Sirius Black

Pairing: Minerva/Severus

Rating: MA/NC-17

Summary: The love story of Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, framed by the 2019 album Lux Prima by Karen O and Danger Mouse.

Why You Should Check It Out:

I love stories that show us what characters like Minerva and Severus keep hidden—their foibles, their doubts, and their inconsistencies.

These are not comfortable people, and there are no easy answers here. It’s a guilty pleasure to watch two intelligent characters try, and so often fail, to understand their own motivations and needs. They butt heads, rub up against one another (literally and figuratively), and ultimately provide something that neither of them finds elsewhere.

The comfort they find is matched by the pain they cause one another, as I can only imagine it would be, given these characters and their circumstances.

In addition to the delicious, delicious angst, it includes some moments of lightness and humor, which settle perfectly on these two.

The Ways of Minerva series by margaretrevie

The Way It Should Have Been

2. Die in Thy Lap, Be Buried in Thy Eyes

3. The Way It Was After

Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, Lily Evans, Poppy Pomfrey, Rolanda Hooch, Tom Riddle, lots of canon and original characters

Pairings: Albus/Minerva, Minerva/OC, James/Lily, Poppy/Rolanda

Rating: From M/R to MA/NC-17

Summary: The story of Minerva McGonagall from the start of her Hogwarts career as a student.

Why You Should Check It Out:

This series is a long-arc story that hits—and artfully subverts—many of the usual tropes and expectations for an Albus/Minerva fic.

The first fic focusses on the development of Minerva and Albus's relationship, from her schooldays to her early days as a teacher.

The second is a brief interlude with Poppy and Rolanda, and the latter's dream of an erotic interlude with their friend, Minerva.

The third continues the Albus/Minerv story, with an additional focus on the James/Lily arc that begins near the end of the first story.

The series wins a place alongside some of my favorites because it delivers what I always want but seldom get from fic about this ship: a deep and unflinching exploration of the complexities of a relationship between two powerful, flawed characters. It digs beyond the obvious issues of power dynamics and age differences to get at fundamental differences between their personalities and worldviews which love may or may not overcome.

This Minerva and Albus are each far from perfect, and far from perfect for one another, and author margaretrevie doesn’t shy away from the less attractive aspects of their personalities: Albus’s enormous ego and his desperate need to be admired, and Minerva’s intolerance of what she sees as frailty or moral imperfection. The length of the fic gives the characters room to change and grow over time, which is part of what makes it such a satisfying read.

The story also features some powerful magic of a kind that one encounters in other fics, but rarely are the practical and emotional ramifications for the characters who practice it so thoughtfully and poignantly explored. I won’t spoil it for you with too much detail, but the author takes a trope particularly beloved of AD/MM shippers and gives it a realistic (in the HP realm) treatment that delivers a punch to the gut.

Added to all that, you’ll find satisfying and surprising backstory for several familiar HP characters as icing on this lovely, richly textured cake.

[maaarine]

Bibliography: articles posted on this blog in 2024

Posted in January

Men Just Don’t Trust Women – And It’s A Huge Problem (Damon Young, Huffington Post, Mar 16 2015)

Amsterdam sex workers protest against plan to move red light district (The Guardian, Oct 19 2023)

They were Israel’s ‘eyes on the border’ - but their Hamas warnings went unheard (Alice Cuddy, BBC News, Jan 15 2024)

The Heteronormativity Theory of Low Sexual Desire in Women Partnered with Men (Sari M. van Anders, Debby Herbenick, Lori A. Brotto, Emily A. Harris, and Sara B. Chadwick, Aug 23 2021)

A new global gender divide is emerging (John Burn-Murdoch, Financial Times, Jan 26 2024)

The secret of OnlyFans: It’s much more than porn (Marta Biino and Madeline Berg, Business Insider, Jan 18 2024)

—

Posted in February

Half of Spanish men feel discriminated against amid feminism backlash (James Badcock, The Telegraph, Jan 16 2024)

Parisians vote in favour of tripling parking costs for SUVs (Angelique Chrisafis, The Guardian, Feb 04 2024)

Ireland kickstarts vote on constitution’s wording about women and family (Rory Carroll, The Guardian, Jan 25 2024)

Divorce rates plummet to lowest level in 50 years ‘due to cost-of-living crisis’ (Kieran Kelly, LBC, Feb 22 2024)

—

Posted in March

‘There are some really extreme views’: young people face onslaught of misogyny online (Clea Skopeliti, The Guardian, March 01 2024)

Johnson: Why men interrupt (The Economist, Jul 10 2014)

France makes abortion a constitutional right in historic Versailles vote (Kim Willsher, The Guardian, March 04 2024)

‘My self-worth plummeted every month’: the hidden disorder that can ruin women’s lives (Chloe Aslett, The Guardian, Oct 16 2023)

The tyranny of the algorithm: why every coffee shop looks the same (Kyle Chayka, The Guardian, Jan 16 2024)

DNA Tests Are Uncovering the True Prevalence of Incest (Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, March 18 2024)

Finland is world’s happiest country for 7th year while US drops out of top 20 (France 24, March 20 2024)

Swedish pharmacy bans sale of anti-ageing skincare to children (Miranda Bryant, The Guardian, March 20 2024)

Women are being diagnosed with ADHD at unprecedented rates. Here’s why. (Kaelyn Lynch, National Geographic, Jan 16 2024)

5 Takeaways From an Investigation Into Hysterectomies in India’s Sugar Industry (Megha Rajagopalan, The New York Times, March 24 2024)

English Just ‘Badly Pronounced French’, Paris Academic Says (Tom Barfield, Barron’s, March 09 2024)

—

Posted in April

Why are women more prone to long Covid? (David Cox, The Guardian, June 13 2021)

French Revolution: Cyclists Now Outnumber Motorists In Paris (Carlton Reid, Forbes, April 06 2024)

Long Covid may be the body trying to fight off other viruses (Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph, April 08 2024)

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex (Peggy Orenstein, The New York Times, April 12 2024)

Sydney knifeman who targeted women ‘was desperate for a girlfriend’ (Andrea Hamblin, The Telegraph, April 15 2024)

Revealed: Israel has sped up settlement-building in East Jerusalem since Gaza war began (Jason Burke, The Guardian, April 17 2024)

‘I was only a child’: Greenlandic women tell of trauma of forced contraception (Miranda Bryant, The Guardian, March 29 2024)

Hormones and their Interaction with the Pain Experience (Katy Vincent and Irene Tracey, 2008)

—

Posted in May

Study suggests injury risk varies in menstrual cycle (Katie Gornall, BBC News, May 01 2024)

‘Urination equality’: Amsterdam women win fight for more public toilets (Ashifa Kassam, The Guardian, April 29 2024)

You can want things you don’t like and like things you don’t want (Shayla Love, Psyche, May 07 2024)

‘A new abyss’: Gaza and the hundred years’ war on Palestine (Rashid Khalidi, The Guardian, April 11 2024)

The important link between eating disorders and past trauma (Giulia Suro, Psyche, May 14 2024)

Hostile Intelligence: Reflections from a Visit to the West Bank (David Graeber, 2015)

—

Posted in June

AfD: How Germany’s far right won over young voters (Hans Pfeifer, Deutsche Welle, June 10 2024)

—

Posted in July

Coloniser le sud du Liban ? Un fantasme d'Israéliens messianiques à prendre au sérieux (Ha'Aretz via Courrier International, 3 juillet 2024)

Tampons found to contain concerning levels of arsenic and lead in world first study (Vishwam Sankaran, The Independent, July 10 2024)

South Korea politician blames women for rising male suicides (Jean Mackenzie, BBC, July 9 2024)

“Violence against women a ‘national emergency’ in England and Wales, police say (Vikram Dodd, The Guardian, July 23 2024)

—

Posted in August

Menopause was a French invention at a time of revolution (Alison M Downham Moore, Psyche, July 30 2024)

Misogyny to be treated as extremism by UK government (Helen Catt and Charlotte Rose, BBC, Aug 18 2024)

—

Posted in September

What Is Synaptic Pruning? (Jacquelyn Cafasso, Healthline, Sep 18 2018)

‘Frightening’ Taliban law bans women from speaking in public (Annie Kelly and Zahra Joya, The Guardian, Aug 26 2024)

Elon Musk suggests support for replacing democracy with government of ‘high-status males’ (Ariana Baio, The Independent, Sep 03 2024)

‘Not our tradition’: calls in Sweden to ban fathers walking brides down the aisle (Miranda Bryant, The Guardian, Aug 31 2024)

Olympic runner Cheptegei defied her violent ex. She lost her life anyway (Ammu Kannampilly, Reuters, Sep 14 2024)

[neshatriumphs]

Dark Skin Directory

I did one of these for my sideblog BlackFemmeCharacterDependency (BFCD) and... While it’ll take longer on this end to do because there are more prominent figures here than on that one, I thought it would be good to also have one for my main...

EDIT: Okay, so the one that I did for BFCD does not work, so I am posting this one to see if it works, and if not, they’ll both be WIPS until I have the time to repair them

For the purposes of this list and on this page, whenever I say “dark skinned,” I mean a traditional brown crayon or darker. I grew up around Black people, so the words “dark skinned” do not mean the same thing to me as it do to nonblacks.

Aaron Rose Philip | Abbey Mag | Adelayo Adedayo | Adepero Oduye | Adina Porter |  Aesha Ash | Afton Williamson | Aïssa Maïga | Aja Naomi King | Akiima | Alexandra Arboleda | Alfre Woodard | Alisha White | Allison Dean | Alysia Rogers | Amber Riley | Amber Ruffin | Andrea Bordeaux | Angel Haze | Angel Theory |  Angelica Joy | Angelica Ross | Angelique Noire | Angely Gaviria | Aniela Gumbs | Ann Ogbomo | Ann Wolfe | Anna Diop | Anne Amari | Antoinette Robertson | Ashleigh Morghan | Ashleigh Murray | Ashley Blaine Featherson | Asjha Cooper | Assa Sylla | Aube Jolicoeur | Aunjanue Ellis | Awar Mou | Aweng Chuol | Ayisha Issa | Ayo Edebiri

.

Betty Adewole | Beverly Osu | Bianca Brewton |  Biba Williams | Bintou Sillah | Bob the Drag Queen | Bonnie Mbuli | Brandy Norwood | Bre Scullark | Brittany Adebumola 

.

Camille Winbush | Caroline Chikezie | Ceval Omar | Charlayne Woodard | Charnele Brown | Chinenye Ezeudu | Christine Adams | Cicely Tyson | Coco Jones | Condola Rashad | Crystal Clarke

.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph | Damaris Lewis | Dana Davis | Danai Gurira | Danielle Deadwyler | Danielle Moné Truitt | Dawnn Lewis | Debbi Morgan | Deborah Ayorinde |  Debra Shaw | Debra Wilson | Denee Benton | Dewanda Wise | Diahann Carroll | Diany Samba-Bandza | Diarra Ndiaye | Dominique Jackson | Duckie Thot

.

Ebboney Wilson | Ebonee Noel | Ebony Obsidian | Ego Nwodim | Elle M. Chaman | Elise Neal | Emayatzy Corinealdi | Enuka Okuma | Erica Tazel | Erika Alexander | Ester Dean | Esther Rolle

.

Faith Alabi | Faith Omole | Faithe Herman | Fardosa | Felecia M. Bell | Femi Taylor | Florence Kasumba | Folake Olowofoyeku | Franchesca Ramsey

.

Gabrielle Graham | Gabrielle Union Wade | Gabourey Sidibe | Garcelle Beauvais | Geffri Maya | Genevieve Nnaji | Gina Torres | Gloria Hendry | Grace Jones

.

Halimotu Shokunbi | Hamamat | Harriett D Foy | Heather Headley | Heir of Glee | Helen Aluko

.

Iman | Imani Hakim | Imani Lewis | Ingrid Silva | Ireanna | Issa Rae

Jacqueline Moore | Jada Harris | Janelle James | Janelle Monae | Janeshia Adams Ginyard | Janet Hubert | Janet Jumbo | Javicia Leslie | Jayme Lawson | Jeante Godlock | Jemima Osunde | Jennifer Hudson | Jerrika Hinton | Jessica Allain | Jessieca Alford | Jill Marie Jones | Jo Marie Payton | Jobel Mokonzi | Jodie Turner Smith | Johnnie Hill | Joi Harris | Joie Lee | Jonica “Jojo” T. Gibbs | Josette Simon | Jwaundace Candece

.

Kabrina Adams | Karen Glave | Karen Obilom | Karidja Touré | Karimah Westbrook | Keeya King | Kellie Shanygne Williams | Kellita Smith | Kelly Rowland | Kenya Moore | Keshia Knight Pulliam | Kiara Pike | Kiki Layne | Kimberly Marable | Kirby Howell Baptiste

.

Laci Mosley | Lanei Chapman | Lashana Lynch | Laura Kariuki | Lauren Byfield | Lidya Jewett | Lisa Berry | Lisette Malidor | Lolly Adefope | Lorraine Pascale | Lorraine Toussaint | Loren Lott | Loretta Devine | LovelyOverdose | Lyric Ross

.

MaameYaa Boafo | Madison Curry | Mame Adjei | Marcia McBroom | Maria Borges | Mariah Iman Wilson | Marlene Clark | Marsai Martin | Mary Alice | Mary Oyaya | Mayowa Nicolas | Medina Senghore | Melodie Wakivuamina | Merrin Dungey | Michaela Coel | Miji Awakyr | Milauna Jackson | Miqueal-Symone Williams | Morgan Dawson | Moses Ingram | Moshidi Motshegwa | Mouna Fadiga | Mouna Traoré | Mumbi Maina | Musabey

.

Naomi Campbell | Naomi Ekperigin | Naomi WWE |  Naomie Harris |  Natalie Desselle Reid | N’Bushe Wright | Nia Jervier | Nia Long | Nichole Galicia | Nicki Micheaux | Nicole Beharie | Nicole Byer | Normani Kordei | Nyakim Gatwech | Nyanderi Deng | Nyaueth Riam | Nyla Lueeth | Nyma Tang |

.

Octavia Spencer | Ola Ray | Olunike Adeliyi | Olivia Sang | Omono Okojie | Oprah Winfrey | Oyin Oladejo | Ozioma Akagha

.

Patina Miller | Paulina Otylie Surys | Philomena Kwao | Phina Oruche | Phylicia Benn | Phylicia Rashad | Pippa Bennett Warner | Precious Adams | Precious Mustapha |

.

Queen Quet | Quiana Welch | Quinta Brunson | Quvenzhane Wallis

Raigan Harris | Reagan Gomez | Regina King | Regina Van Helvert | Renee Elise Goldsberry | Retta | Riele Downs | Ronke Adekoluejo | Rose Jackson | Ruth (IAmBabeRuth/BabeRuthTV) |  Rutina Wesley | Ryan Destiny

.

Saidah Arrika Ekulona | Samantha Liana Cole | Samantha Marie Ware | Sandra Dede sandramabelle | Saniyya Sidney | Sara Martins | Sasha Lambon | Sasheer Zamata | Sese Madaki Ali | Shahadi Wright Joseph | Shanice Williams | Shannon Thornton | Sharon Duncan Brewster | Sharon Ferguson | Sharon Pierre-Louis | Shea Couleé | Sheryl Lee Ralph | Shyko Amos | Sibongile Mlambo | Sierra McClain | Simbi Khali | Simona Brown | Simone Biles | Simone Missick | Sindi-Dlathu | Skai Jackson | Skye P. Marshall | Sokhna Cisse | Sonya Eddy | Stefanee Martin | Stella Okech | Subah Koj | Sufe Bradshaw | Susan Wokoma | Symphony Sanders

.

T’Nia Miller | Tamara Dobson | Tamara Lawrance | Tamera Mclaughlin  (Dwarfism Disability. Check PC before adding to that list) | Tanerélle | Tanedra Howard | Tanisha Scott | Tanya Moodie | Tanyell Waivers | Taral Hicks | Tarana Burke | Tempestt Bledsoe |  Tenika Davis | Teresa Graves | Terri J. Vaughn | Teshi Thomas | Teyonah Parris | Theresa Fractale | Thishiwe Ziqubu | Tichina Arnold | Tonya Pinkens | Tracey Ifeachor | Trina McGee | Trina Parks | Tyra Ferrell

.

Vanessa Bell Calloway | Vanessa Lee Chester | Vanessa Gyimah | Vanessa Nakat | Vanessa Estelle Williams | Vaneza Oliveira | Veronica S. Taylor | Viola Davis | Vivica Ifeoma

.

Wakeema Hollis | Whitney Houston | Whoopi Goldberg | Wunmi Mosaku

.

Xosha Roquemore

.

Yaani King | Yandeh Sallah | Yanna McIntosh | Yaya Dacosta | Yaz | Yetide Badaki | Yolonda Ross  | Yusra Warsama | Yvonne Okoro | Yvonne Orji

.

Zainab Johnson | Zelda Harris | Zenobia | Zethu Dlomo | Zhariah Hubbard | Ziwe Fumudoh | Zola Williams | Zozibini Tunzi

#to add to darkskin directory

Aliet Sarah

Tricia Akello

Sokhna Niane

Rashida Renée

Javonna Charde’

Ajak Deng

Edun Bola

Pretty Tye

Herieth Noela

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

Tash Hearts Tolstoy, Kathryn Ormsbee, ace

Transmogrify! 14 Fantastical Tales of Trans Magic, edited by g haron davis, trans and many other things

The Secret History, Donna Tart, mlm

Black Water Sister, Zen Cho, lesbian

Spell Bound F T Lukens, nb/m romance

In Deeper Waters, F T Lukens, mlm

So This is Ever After, F T Lukens, mlm

Hench, Natalie Zina Walschots, bi main character

Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree, wlw

She Drives Me Crazy, Kelly Quindlen, wlw

The Atlas Six, Olivie Blake, idk everyone's bi

These Violent Delights, Micah Nemerever, mlm

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry, C M Waggoner, wlw

The Girls I've Been, Tess Sharpe, wlw

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses, Kristen O'Neal, bi main character

Between Perfect and Real, Ray Stoeve, trans main character

Kemosha of the Caribbean, Alex Wheatle, wlw

Tarnished are the Stars, Rosiee Thor, aro and wlw rep

Golden Boys, Phil Stamper, mlm

Vespertine, Margaret Rogerson, aroace

Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid, lesbian part-main-character (one of four)

The Henna Wars, Adiba Jaigirdar, wlw

I'm Afraid of Men, Vivek Shraya, trans author (autobiographical)

The Gilded Wolves trilogy, Roshani Chokshi, mlm and poly rep

That Inevitable Victorian Thing, E K Johnston, wlw and intersex rep

Girls of Paper and Fire, Natasha Ngan, wlw

Daja's Book, Tamora Pierce, wlw

If We Were Villains, M L Rio, mlm

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid, wlw

Ramona Blue, Julie Murphy, sapphic but questioning main character

The Fascinators, Andrew Eliopulos, mlm

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, Hank Green, bi main character

On a Sunbeam, Tillie Walden, wlw

Wilder Girls, Rory Power, wlw

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, Jaye Robin Brown, wlw

We Are Totally Normal, Naomi Kanakia, mlm and some unaddressed trans undertones

Like a Love Story, Abdi Nazemian, mlm

Pet, Akwaeke Emezi

The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, Adan Jerreat-Poole, nb gay queer rep

Finding Home series, Hari Conner, mlm

The Sea in You, Jessi Sheron, wlw

Love Letters, Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, wlw

The Summer of Jordie Perez, Amy Spalding, wlw

I Was Born for This, Alice Oseman, trans, mlm, and unlabelled main characters

Radio Silence, Alice Oseman, demisexual and bi main characters

Ash, Malinda Lo, lesbians

Our Wives Under the Sea, Julia Armfield, trans and wlw main characters

Confessions of Frannie Langton, Sara Collins, wlw

A Taste of Gold and Iron, Alexandra Rowland, mlm

Even Though I Knew the End, C L Polk, wlw

Huntress, Malinda Lo, wlw

Hope that's better, sorry I missed the submissions form! I checked everything against your list so these are all new.

These are finally all queued! Thanks for your patience :)

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Black Femme Character Dependency Dark Skin Directory || Entertainers Pt. 1 (A-N)

For the purposes of this list and on this page, whenever I say “dark skinned,” I mean a traditional brown crayon or darker. I grew up around Black people, so the words “dark skinned” do not mean the same thing to me as it do to some nonblacks.

*I am attempting to redo this list that will not show up for some reason...

A.

Aaron Rose Philip | Abbey Mag | Adelayo Adedayo | Adele Oni | Adella Afadi | Adepero Oduye | Adina Porter | Aesha Ash | Afton Williamson | Aïssa Maïga | Aja Naomi King | Ajak Deng | Akiima | Akon Changkou | Alexandra Arboleda | Alfre Woodard | Aliet Sarah | Alisha White | Allison Dean | Alysia Rogers | Amanda Warren | Amandla Jahava | Amber Gray | Amber Riley | Amber Ruffin | Andrea Bordeaux | Anesha Bailey | Angel Haze | Angel Theory | Angelica Joy | Angelica Ross |  Angelique Noire | Angely Gaviria |  Aniela Gumbs | Ann Ogbomo | Ann Wolfe | Anne Amari |   Antoinette Robertson | Ashleigh Morghan |  Ashleigh Murray | Ashley Blaine Featherson | Ashley Romans | Asjha Cooper |   Assa Sylla | Aube Jolicoeur | Aunjanue Ellis | Awar Mou | Aweng Chuol | Ayisha Issa |  Ayo Edebiri

B.

Betty Adewole | Beverly Osu | Bianca Brewton | Biba Williams | Bintou Sillah |   Blesnya Minher | Bob the Drag Queen | Bonnie Mbuli | Brandy Norwood | Bre Scullark | Bria Henderson | Brittany Adebumola | Brittany Marie Batchelder |   Brooke Singleton

C.

Camille Winbush | Caroline Chikezie | Ceval Omar | Chanelletime | Charlayne Woodard | Charnele Brown |  Chinenye Ezeudu | Chiquita Fuller |  Christine Adams | Cicely Tyson | Coco Jones | Colette Dalal Tchantcho | Condola Rashad | Crystal Clarke

D.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph | Damaris Lewis | Damita Jane Howard | Dana Davis |  Danai Gurira | Danielle Deadwyler | Danielle Moné Truitt | Dawnn Lewis | Debbi Morgan | Deborah Ayorinde | Debra Wilson | Denee Benton | Dewanda Wise |   Diahann Carroll | Diany Samba-Bandza | Diarra Ndiaye | Dominique Jackson | Duckie Thot

E. 

Ebboney Wilson |   Ebonee Noel |  Ebony Obsidian |  Edun Bola | Ego Nwodim |  Elle M. Chaman | Ellen Bendu |   Ellen Thomas |  Elise Neal |  Emayatzy Corinealdi |  Enuka Okuma |  Erica Tazel |   Erika Alexander |  Ester Dean |  Esther Rolle

F.

Faith Alabi |  Faith Omole | Faithe Herman | Fardosa | Fatou Jobe | Felecia M. Bell |  Femi Taylor |   Florence Kasumba | Folake Olowofoyeku |  Franchesca Ramsey

G.

Gabrielle Graham |  Gabrielle Union Wade |  Gabourey Sidibe |  Garcelle Beauvais |  Geffri Maya | Genevieve Nnaji |  Gina Torres |  Gloria Hendry |  Grace Jones  

H.

Halimotu Shokunbi |  Hamamat |  Harriett D Foy |  Heather Headley |  Heir of Glee |  Helen Aluko

I.

Ifeoma Nwobu | Iman |  Imani Hakim |  Imani Lewis |  Ingrid Silva |  Ireanna |  Issa Rae  

J.

Jacqueline Moore |  Jada Harris | Jade Eshete | Jaimi Gray |  Janelle James |  Janelle Monae |  Janeshia Adams Ginyard |   Janet Hubert |  Janet Jumbo |  Javicia Leslie |  Javonna Charde’ | Jayden Rey |  Jayme Lawson | Jeante Godlock |   Jemima Osunde |  Jennifer Hudson | Jerrika Hinton |  Jessica Allain |  Jessieca Alford | Jill Marie Jones |  Jo Marie Payton |  Jobel Mokonzi |   Jodie Turner Smith |  Johnnie Hill |  Joi Harris |  Joie Lee |  Jonica “Jojo” T. Gibbs |  Josette Simon |  Jwaundace Candece  

K.

Kabrina Adams |  Karen Glave |  Karen Obilom | Karidja Touré |  Karimah Westbrook |  Keeya King |  Kellie Shanygne Williams |  Kellita Smith |  Kelly Rowland |  |Kenya Moore |  Keshia Knight Pulliam |  Kiara Pike |  Kiki Layne |  Kimberly Marable |  Kirby Howell Baptiste |  Kyla Ramsey 

L.

Laci Mosley |  Lanei Chapman |  Lashana Lynch |  Laura Kariuki |  Lauren Byfield |  Lidya Jewett |  Lisa Berry |  Lisette Malidor |  Lolly Adefope |  Lorraine Pascale | Lorraine Toussaint |  Loren Lott | Loretta Devine | LovelyOverdose |  Lyric Ross

M.

MaameYaa Boafo | Madisin Rian | Madison Curry | Mame Adjei | Marcia McBroom | Maria Borges | Mariah Iman Wilson |  Marlene Clark |  Marsai Martin |  Mary Alice |  Mary Oyaya | Mayowa Nicolas |  Medina Senghore | Melinda Berry (Melrose) | Melodie Wakivuamina |  Melody Lulu-Briggs | Merrin Dungey |  Michaela Coel |  Miji Awakyr |  Milauna Jackson |   Mimi Ndiweni | Miqueal-Symone Williams | Morgan Dawson |  Moses Ingram |  Moshidi Motshegwa |  Mouna Fadiga | Mouna Traoré |  Mumbi Maina | Musabey

N.

Naomi Campbell | Naomi Ekperigin | Naomi WWE | Naomie Harris | Natalie Desselle Reid |  N’Bushe Wright | Nia Jervier |  Nia Long |  Nichole Galicia |  Nicki Micheaux | Nicole Beharie | Nicole Byer | Normani Kordei | Nyakim Gatwech | Nyanderi Deng | Nyarach Abouch Ayuel | Nyaueth Riam | Nykhor Paul | Nyla Lueeth |  Nyma Tang

[kmomof4]

To Sir Graham, With Love Ch. 3

An early posting for ch3!!! Hubs and I are heading out of town for the weekend to celebrated our anniversary, and I didn't want Marta to have to wait until we got back for an update!! Thank you so much for reading and sharing! I hope you enjoy and I'd love to know what you think!

Thank you again to @jrob64 and @whimsicallyenchantedrose for beta and sounding board duties, and also to @motherkatereloyshipper for the GORGEOUS banner!!!

And finally, happy birthday again, @snowbellewells!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

Summary: After a year long secret correspondence, twenty-eight year old spinster Ruby Jones decides to accept Sir Graham Humbert's offer of a visit to see if they might suit for marriage. Unfortunately, he failed to mention that he was the father of twins, and they are not thrilled with Ruby's appearance.

Rating: M (for smut in later chs and mentions of physical abuse)

Words: Approx 8800 of 68k

Tags: Red Hunter Fic, Birthday Fic, Inspired by Eloise Bridgerton's Story, Smut

On ao3 From Beginning / Current Ch

On Tumblr Prologue Ch1 Ch2

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites @myfearless-love 

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

… implore you, Mother, you MUST punish Belle. It is NOT FAIR that I am the only one sent to bed without pudding. And for a week! A week is far too long. Especially since it was all mostly Belle’s idea.

– from Ruby Jones to her mother, left upon Alice Jones’s night table during Ruby’s tenth year

~*~*~

… have never been so bored in my entire life. David, you must come home. It is interminably boring without you, and I don’t think I can bear such boredom another moment. Please do return, for I have clearly begun to repeat myself, and nothing could be more of a bore.

– from Ruby Jones to her older brother, David, during her fifth season as a debutante, sent (but never received) while David was traveling in Denmark.

~*~*~*~*~*~

How could so much change in a single day? Ruby thought. Not long after arriving - just this morning, Ruby realized with a start - she’d been convinced that she’d made a dreadful mistake, but now, as they strolled through Romney Hall, ostensibly to view the portraits in the gallery, but which she knew was actually just prolonging their time together, she was almost convinced that he would make a fine husband after all.

He was obviously quite handsome. He was tall and lean with a chiseled face that reminded her of some of the works of art she’d seen in the British Museum. His blue eyes were piercing and his boyish curls simply begged for her fingers to run through them. But besides that, he’d been quite a pleasant dinner companion, though not as loquacious as she was used to. He’d accepted, and even admired, her fish-in-the-bed treatment of Ava, proving he had an innate sense of fairness, which to her was quite essential in a potential husband, and for whatever reason, he’d handled Ava’s understandable tantrum with aplomb, which after the confrontation this morning when she’d arrived, was a bit surprising.

They stood now in the hall, his large hand gently holding her elbow, and she was quite simply enveloped in his presence. It was thrilling and terrifying in equal measure, but gratifying as well. She’d taken a gamble on her future and she appeared to have won. Nothing would have been worse than coming back to London, her tail between her legs, and explaining to her family what she’d done. 

Ruby hated to be wrong. 

She hated even more to admit that she was wrong. 

Especially to herself.

But in this case, she didn’t appear to be wrong. 

Perhaps this could work. He wasn’t a complete stranger, after all. They had been corresponding for over a year.

“My grandfather,” Graham said, gesturing vaguely at a large portrait she could hardly see in the low light. 

Ruby nodded. “Is that your father?” she asked, nodding at the portrait on the right.

That was all it took for Graham to tense up - his shoulders and the corners of his lips tightening, the lines on his forehead becoming more pronounced as he nodded sharply.

“And where are you?” she asked, quickly realizing Graham had no wish to talk about his father.

“Over here,” he replied, leading them some distance away from where they stood. They came to a stop before a medium sized portrait of two boys - the older a young teen, the younger a couple of years behind.

“What happened to him?” Graham was obviously the younger and wouldn’t have inherited Romney Hall and the Baronet if his brother still lived.

“Waterloo.” No other explanation was needed. 

Ruby nodded and turned to him. He stood staring at the portrait, profound sadness in his eyes that Ruby couldn’t help responding to.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, laying a hand on his arm.

A small sigh escaped his lips, but his gaze didn’t waver. “No one was sorrier than I,” he whispered.

“What was his name?”

“George.”

“You must have been quite young,” she observed, thinking back to 1815 and doing the math.

“Twenty-one,” he replied.

It was odd, Ruby reflected. At twenty-one she was expected to be married and running her own household. But now, nearing thirty, she thought it was awfully young and green to be thrust into responsibilities he never expected to have.

“My father died two weeks later.”

Ruby gasped in dismay. To lose a brother and a father so closely together must have been terribly difficult for Graham to endure.

“Here’s a portrait of Jacinda with the children,” he said, motioning to the other side of the room. It had been many, many years since she’d seen her cousin, but she still recognized her, the darker skin tone, the dark eyes with a sadness in them that was utterly foreign to Ruby then and heartbreaking to see now. With a much younger Nicholas by her side and Ava sitting on her lap, Ruby would have hoped that her eyes would reflect the joy of having two beautiful children, but no, her eyes still held the same emptiness and sadness that had so baffled her when they were children together.

“She was lovely,” Ruby said quietly. “The children must miss her.”

Graham nodded. “They’ve missed her for a long time.”

Ruby thought that was a rather odd way of phrasing it. “I know how they feel. I was very young when my father died.”

“I didn’t realize,” he said, turning to her.

“It’s not something I talk about all that much,” she replied with a half shrug. “It was a long time ago.”

“Did it take you very long to get over it?” 

Ruby considered her words before answering, quite aware that the question wasn’t simply referring to her. “I’m not sure it’s something you ever fully get over,” she said, “completely, anyway. There will always be moments that you wish they could have been there to see and experience with you. But if you’re asking if I still think of my father every day, the answer is no, I don’t.”

Graham didn’t look away and Ruby finally turned to face him. They were still a respectable distance apart, but the darkness of the room and the intimacy of the conversation had a chill running down her spine. The blue of his eyes was spellbinding, and Ruby could almost feel his gaze as a physical touch on the apple of her cheek, along her jaw, and down the long line of her neck. 

“Ruby?” His voice was a whisper, and it broke the spell she was under. She took a small step back and searched for something, anything, to say in response.

“My brothers!” The words burst out of her mouth. “Especially Liam. He’s the oldest. It affected him much more than it did me. They were very close. And my mother, as well. They loved each other very much.”

“How did she react to his passing?”

“She cried a lot in the beginning,” Ruby said softly. “I’m quite sure we weren’t meant to hear. It was always late at night after she supposed we were all asleep. She missed him desperately, and it couldn’t have been easy with seven children.”

“Seven?” Graham asked. “I thought there were eight of you.”

“Tilly wasn’t yet born,” she informed him. “Mother must have been about eight months along.”

Good God, she thought she heard him breathe. Good God, indeed. She had no idea how her mother had managed.

“He was stung by a bee,” she continued. “Can you imagine?” A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the room. It always left her a little melancholy to speak about her father, but now, talking about him to a virtual stranger in a room filled with portraits of dead people, she wanted to leave. Immediately. 

“May I see your greenhouse?” she asked abruptly, turning back to face him.

“Now?” he asked, his voice filled with surprise.

Well, she shouldn’t have been surprised; it was dark outside, after all. “In the morning then, when we’ll be able to see.”

A bemused yet indulgent smile was on his lips. “We can go now,” he said. “The moon is full and we’ll take a lantern.”

She returned his smile. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, I’d like that very much.”

He held out his elbow to her, and she took it, allowing him to lead her out into the night.

“It’s so warm!” she exclaimed some minutes later as he shut the door of the greenhouse behind them.

“It’s usually warmer than this,” he said. “The glass traps the heat from the sun to warm the air, allowing plants native to much warmer climes to grow and thrive, and aside from today, it’s been rather overcast lately.”

Graham often toiled in his greenhouse at night when he couldn’t sleep. Even during the day, he rarely had anyone with him, preferring to work alone, but now he found that he was seeing the greenhouse through Ruby’s eyes, and it was mesmerizing. The moonlight fell on the leaves and fronds of the plants he knew and loved so well, creating an otherworldly hush that was almost indescribable. During the day, the greenhouse wasn’t that different from almost any wooded place in England, but under the light of the moon, it was enchanting and mysterious, as if he moved his head quickly enough, he might catch a glimpse of a fairy, leaving a trail of magic in her wake. 

“What is this?” she asked, looking at a row of pots on his workbench.

His smile was ridiculously wide, exceptionally pleased that she seemed truly curious about his work. Most people feigned interest and looked for a quick escape.

“It’s an experiment I’m working on with peas,” he informed her.

“The kind we eat?”

He nodded. “I’ve been trying to develop a strain that will grow fatter in the pod.”

“Really!” she exclaimed, her eyebrows rising in surprise. “I had no idea that could be done.”

He shrugged. “I have no idea if it can be done, either. I’ve been trying for a year.”

“With no success? How very frustrating!”

“I’ve had some success,” he admitted. “Just not as much as I’d like.”

“I tried to grow roses one year,” she said. “They all died.”

“Roses are not easy to cultivate.”

She raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “You have a lot of roses.”

“I also have a gardener,” he informed her amusedly.

“A botanist with a gardener?”

He shrugged. “It’s no different than a dressmaker with a seamstress.”

She considered that for a moment before nodding decisively and turning away from him, heading deeper into the greenhouse and scolding him for not keeping up with her with the lantern.

“You’re a bit bossy, this evening,” he said, an amused smile on his lips.

She smirked back at him. “I prefer the term ‘managing.’”

“A managing type of female, huh?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t deduce as much from my letters.” She tossed the words over her shoulder to him flirtatiously and he responded in kind.

“Why do you think I invited you?” He continued to follow her until she came to an abrupt stop and turned to him.

“You want someone to manage your life?” she asked, a bit breathlessly, he thought. He wanted someone to manage his children, but he didn’t think now was a good time to bring them up. Not when she was looking at him like that. Like she wanted…

Like she wanted to be kissed.

“May I kiss you?” he whispered. He would have stopped if she’d shown any hesitation, but her gorgeous green eyes were lit by the moon and there was nothing but wonder and acceptance and desire in them. “May I?” he asked again.

She nodded, a tiny, but sure thing. He lowered his head and simply brushed his lips against hers, the way one should kiss a woman one thought about marrying. But then her arms stole around him and her fingers brushed his neck, and he was lost.

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, closer, closer, until her body fully lined up with his. His tongue touched the seam of her lips and she opened, allowing him full access to explore all the hidden depths of her mouth, and he took full advantage, drawing soft mewling sounds from her that he swallowed with more kisses. 

But it wasn’t enough. 

He wanted to feel her. All of her. His hands ran up and down her back, until one boldly reached the curve of her bottom. He pressed her against him, not caring that she’d be able to clearly feel his desire for her. It had been so long, so damned long, and she was so soft and responsive in his arms, hesitantly at first, but then answering his passion with her own. She gasped, her head falling back and Graham took the invitation to pepper her jaw and the long line of her neck with his ardor. 

He’d begun working his way down, over her collarbone toward the neckline of the gown she wore when she pulled away from him.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted out, her hands flying to where he’d last kissed her.

“I’m not,” he said matter-of-factly.

Her eyes widened at his bluntness. But he’d never been particularly good with words and it was probably better that she learned this now.

“It… it was a figure of speech,” she stammered.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said I was sorry,” she repeated, shrugging one shoulder, her eyes wide and guileless, confusing him further. “It was a figure of speech. I’m not really.”

She sounded rather flustered to his ears, and he couldn’t help the surge of male pride that he’d brought her to this state.

“It’s something one might say to fill the silence,” she continued. 

Graham was beginning to realize that Ruby didn’t like silence. He kissed her again. “You know, silence is sometimes a good thing.”

Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. “Are you saying I talk too much?”

He shrugged, the corner of his lips lifted in a smirk, having much too much fun teasing her.

“I’ll have you know, I have been much quieter here than I normally am,” she informed him haughtily.

He wrapped his arms around her again and smiled. “We need a bit of noise around here.”

~*~*~

Ruby woke the next morning feeling wonderful. As if she was still wrapped up in a dream. A dream of a completely unexpected kiss.

A dream of enjoying a completely unexpected kiss far more than she thought she would.

Her stomach reminded her of the lateness of the hour and she decided to make her way down to the breakfast room. She had no idea if Sir Graham would be there or not. Was he the kind of man who rose with the sun? Or did he prefer to lay abed until noon? It seemed rather odd that she didn’t know something like this about a man she was seriously contemplating marrying.

And if he was there - waiting for her to join him to break their fast together - what would she say to him? What did one say to a man who’d licked one’s neck as if it were a delectable frozen treat? It was quite beyond scandalous.

What if she got there and could barely get out a good morning? He’d surely find that very amusing after his teasing her last night. It nearly made her laugh out loud. Ruby Jones - who could carry on a conversation about anything and nothing, and frequently did - not knowing what she was going to say to Sir Graham Humbert when next she saw him.

Of course, he had kissed her, and that changed everything.

Once dressed, she crossed the room, ready to leave, making sure her door was still tightly shut. She didn’t think the twins would try the same trick twice, but she wasn’t willing to place a large amount of trust in the thought. Honestly, after using a fish, she expected they were devising a more slimy or smelly retribution.

Humming softly to herself, she emerged into the hallway and headed toward the stairs. She was in a good mood since the sun had been peeking out from behind the clouds, making the day seem filled with promise…

“OH!”

The cry ripped out of her as she plunged forward, her foot caught back behind her, wrapped in something strung between two pieces of furniture. She had no chance to try and maintain her balance. She’d been walking quickly, as she was wont to do, and never saw the string reaching across the hall until it was too late. She didn’t even have the time to break her fall with her hands.

Tears burned her eyes. Her chin - dear God, her chin - her chin felt like it was on fire. She’d just been able to turn her head to the side before she landed, but the side of her face had taken the brunt of the fall, and Ruby couldn’t keep the incoherent whimpers of severe pain inside. She waited for the pain to fade, like it did when one stubbed one’s toe. The pain would take your breath away for a moment, but then would fade until it was nothing more than a dull ache. But the pain was not fading at all. Her chin, the side of her face, her elbow, hip, and knee were such a cacophony of agony, that she could do nothing more than lie there until she could draw breath without wanting to scream in anguish.

She felt as if she’d been beaten.

“Ruby!”

Graham. She couldn’t even look up, still trying to control her breathing and not willing to move from her curled up position.

“Ruby, my God!” he cried, taking the last few steps in one giant stride until he reached her side. “What happened?”

“I fell.” She tried not to whimper, she truly did, but it came out anyway.

His actions full of tenderness, he pulled her hand away from her face. The words that fell from his lips once he got a good look at it were not words Ruby was accustomed to hearing.

“You need a piece of meat on that,” he said grimly. 

“Is it very bruised?”

He nodded. “You may have a blackened eye as well; it’s too soon to tell.” She tried to smile, but it was just too painful to manage. “Does it hurt very badly?” he asked softly.

She nodded, a single tear finally falling down her cheek. It reminded her of a time when she was very small and fell out of a tree. She’d sprained her ankle quite badly, but hadn’t cried until she got home to her mother.

Graham touched her cheek gingerly, but pulled away with a scowl on his face when she winced. “What happened?” he asked again.

And of course she knew exactly what had happened. The twins had strung a piece of string across the hallway for her to trip over. But one look at Graham’s face and she almost considered holding her tongue. She didn’t think they meant to cause quite so much harm.

But she didn’t need to say a single word. He’d obviously already seen the piece of string, and without taking his eyes off of hers, he’d twisted it around his pointer finger until it snapped in two. He didn’t seem aware of it - his strength, nor the strength of his anger.

“Sir Graham,” she whispered, but it was clear he didn’t hear her.

“Nicholas! Ava!” he bellowed.

“I’m sure they didn’t mean to injure me,” Ruby tried, quite sure that any punishment coming from their father while he was in this state would be far more painful for them than what she’d mete out.

“I don’t care what they meant!” he snapped. “Look how close to the stairs you were! What if you’d fallen down them?”

The thought hadn’t occurred to her, and now that she really looked, she had fallen dangerously close to them.

“They must answer for this.” His voice was low, and shaking with rage.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. And she would. In a few days. The agony was finally starting to fade, but she still cried out softly when Graham picked her up in his arms.

“You’re going straight to bed,” he bit out. She offered no disagreement. 

A maid arrived, a dismayed gasp escaping her when she saw Ruby’s bruised face. “Get me something for this,” Graham ordered. “A piece of meat, anything.” She nodded and quickly disappeared.

“Does anything else hurt?” he asked, as he laid her on top of the coverlet.

“My elbow. Hip. And knee,” she admitted.

“Do you think anything is broken?”

“Oh, no!” she assured him quickly, shaking her head as well. “I’m sure…”

“I’ll need to check anyway,” he interrupted her, cradling her arm in his hands as he gently examined it.

“Sir Graham!” she protested.

“My children nearly killed you,” he growled, but with no real heat in it. “I think we can dispose of the Sir.” He finished his examination and moved to the door of her bedchamber, his stride powerful and full of purpose. “Get me the twins immediately,” he barked to some servant who must have been hovering in the hall. She couldn’t imagine they hadn’t heard his earlier summons, but she also didn’t blame them for attempting to delay judgment day at the hands of their father.

“Graham, please,” she tried again. “Leave them to me. I was the injured party…”

“They are my children and I will punish them,” Graham said grimly. “God knows, it’s long overdue. They hurt you and that is unacceptable.” He leaned back against the wall next to her bed and raised his eyes to the ceiling. “If I had…” He stopped and tried again. “If I hadn’t…” He blew out a frustrated breath and that was when Ruby knew. 

The rage in his voice, the shaking in his hands and body, wasn't directed at the twins. Not entirely anyway. 

He didn’t blame them.

He blamed himself.

Some minutes later - as the twins were ushered into the room by their nursemaid, half dragged and half pushed no doubt, if the heaviness of their gait was any indication - Graham maintained his position next to Ruby’s bed, deathly afraid that if he came any closer to his progeny, he’d beat them within an inch of their lives.

And when he was done, he wouldn’t regret his actions.

So he simply crossed his arms and glared at the children, letting them squirm under his clear anger and condemnation, while he tried to figure out what the hell to say to them.

Finally, Nicolas spoke, his voice trembling. “Father?”

Graham took a deep breath, and still not moving from his position, said the only thing he could think of. The only thing that bore mentioning at the present moment.

“Do you see Miss Jones?”

They both nodded, though they didn’t lift their gazes to where she lay on the bed.

“Look at her!” he barked.

They both jumped slightly, and then raised their eyes to actually look at her. From where he stood, he could see sorrow and, he hoped, remorse in their countenances, which helped him rein in his fury.

“Sir?” a servant asked from the door. 

He acknowledged her with a nod and took the piece of meat she’d brought for Ruby’s eye.

“Hungry?” he snapped at the children. When they didn’t answer, he continued. “Good, because we won’t be able to eat this now, will we?” He gently placed it over her eye and then covered it with a cloth so she wouldn’t dirty her fingers as she held it in place. Once he was done, he rose and stood in front of the children.

“Look at me,” he said, his voice still low and furious. They met his eyes and the fear he saw there made him sick, but he didn’t know how else to act. Or what else to do. They had to learn that they couldn’t continue behaving like this. They had to learn to show respect to adults. 

“We didn’t mean to hurt her,” Ava whispered.

“Oh, really?” he asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “You didn’t think she might possibly be hurt when she tripped over the string? Hmmm? Or perhaps you correctly thought that the string wouldn’t actually hurt her, but it didn’t occur to you that she might be injured when she actually fell?”

They said nothing. Graham glanced back at Ruby, who’d removed the meat from her eye and was gingerly touching her cheek. The bruising was getting worse by the minute.

“You will come with me,” he said, directing his words to the twins, and jerking his head in the direction of the door. He turned to them when he reached it to see they hadn’t taken a single step to follow him. “Now!” he barked. They finally moved and Graham prayed that he’d be able to control himself.

Once they were gone, Ruby tried not to listen, but she couldn’t stop herself from straining her ears. She didn’t know where he was taking them, but one thing was perfectly clear. They were going to be punished.

And while she agreed that it was necessary, what they’d done was inexcusable, she found herself anxious on their behalf. It reminded her of when Nicholas asked if she was going to hit them after he’d pushed her the day before. As if he’d been hit before. Surely Sir Graham didn’t… No, it was impossible. It was one thing to administer a spanking at a time like this, it was another thing entirely to habitually strike children.

She couldn’t possibly be that poor a judge of character. She’d spent time with the man. Allowed him to kiss her. Even kissed him back. She would have been able to sense if there was an inner streak of cruelty within him that would cause him to beat his children.

Shortly thereafter, Nicholas and then Ava entered her bedchamber again, their father bringing up the rear for the sole purpose, she was sure, of making sure their steps exceeded that of a tortoise. They were somber faced and red-eyed, and Graham looked just as grim as they did. 

They shuffled over to Ruby’s bed and she turned to face them. 

“We’re sorry, Miss Jones,” they mumbled in unison.

“Louder,” Graham said sharply.

“We’re sorry, Miss Jones,” they obeyed quickly.

Ruby nodded and tried to give them a small smile.

“It won’t happen again,” Ava added.

“I’m certainly glad to hear that,” Ruby replied. Graham cleared his throat, loudly.

“Father says we have to make it up to you,” Nicholas said.

“Oh…” Ruby wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“Do you like sweets?” Ava asked, in an apparent burst of inspiration.

“Uh, yes, I do,” Ruby replied. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“I have a bag of lemon drops,” Ava informed her. “I’ve been saving them for months. You can have them.”

Ruby sighed internally. There was something quite wrong here in the lives of these children. She had enough nieces and nephews to know, and her own upbringing as well to reference, what happy children looked like. And these children before her were anything but happy. She felt her heart clench in her chest in compassion for them.

“That’s alright, Ava,” she said softly. “You may keep your lemon drops.”

“But Father says we have to give you something,” she said, casting a fearful glance at Graham.

Ruby was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but then she realized it was. Not only because Graham had obviously insisted upon it, and she wasn’t about to undermine his authority in front of them, but because they also needed to understand what it meant to make amends.

“Very well,” she conceded, “You may give me an afternoon.”

“An afternoon?” they parroted.

“Yes,” she said. “Once I’m feeling better, you may both give me an afternoon. After all, there is much here at Romney Hall that I know nothing about and I’m sure you two know every nook and cranny of the house and gardens. You may take me on a tour. Provided of course,” and here she looked at them as sternly as she could manage with a large steak still covering her eye, “you both promise there will be no pranks.”

Ava nodded vigorously and quickly. “No, no pranks,” she promised.

“Nicholas,” Graham growled.

“There will be no pranks that afternoon,” he mumbled. Graham grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Ever,” he shouted. “There will be no pranks ever! We’ll leave Miss Jones completely alone!”

“Well, not completely, I hope,” she said, shooting a glance at Graham until he released Nicholas’ collar, “since you do owe me an afternoon.”

Ava smiled softly, but Nicholas’ scowl remained firmly in place.

“You may return to the nursery, now,” Graham informed the children, and they scurried away as fast as their feet could carry them.

Ruby and Graham remained silent for nearly a full minute after the twins left them alone. Ruby felt quite drained and wasn’t sure what to say. Graham turned back toward her and swallowed hard.

“How are you?” he asked. His voice was still rather gruff, but given the entire episode, she didn’t really blame him.

“If I’m not permitted to remove the steak soon, I think I might be physically ill,” she said, honestly.

He picked up the platter it’d arrived on and Ruby placed the meat upon it, grimacing at the squelching sound it made. “I’d like to wash my face, please.”

Graham nodded. “Let me first examine your eye. Look up,” he directed, probing gently around the socket when she obeyed.

“Do you have much experience with this sort of thing?” she asked.

“A bit,” he replied. “Look right.”

“A bit?”

“I boxed at university.”

“Were you good?”

“Look left,” he said, turning her head to the side. “Good enough.”

“What does that mean?”

“Close your eye.”

“What does that mean?” she asked again.

“You’re not closing your eye.”

She closed both eyes, though with a scowl on her face. “What does it mean!?” she repeated for the third time. And though she couldn’t see his face, the smile came through in his tone when he spoke.

“Has anyone ever told you that you are exceedingly stubborn?” he asked.

“Oh, all the time,” she replied. “It’s my only flaw.”

“The only one, eh?” And now she could imagine his raised eyebrow.

“The only one worth commenting on.” She opened her eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’ve quite forgotten what it was. Now close your eye again, I wasn’t finished.” Ruby scowled when she caught the teasing glint in his eyes, but obeyed. “Good enough,” he continued once her eyes were shut, “means that I never had to fight. Not if I didn’t want to.”

“But you weren’t the champion,” she speculated.

“You may open your eyes now,” he said gently. She blinked a few times in surprise when she saw how close he still was. “I wasn’t the champion.”

“Why not?”

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. “I didn’t care about it enough.”

“How does it look?”

“Your eye?”

She nodded.

“There’s nothing to be done to stop the bruising.”

“I didn’t think I hit my eye,” she said, pressing her fingers gently around the socket. “When I fell. I thought I hit my cheek.”

“Hitting your cheek, the blood will spread to the eye area. I can see from your face that you fell right here,” he said. His fingers oh so gently touched her cheekbone, exactly where she landed, but his touch was so light, there was no pain. 

Ruby groaned. “I’m going to look a fright for weeks.”

“Maybe not weeks,” he tried to reassure her.

She sent him an extremely dubious look, one that should have told him she knew what she was talking about. “I have brothers. I’ve seen blackened eyes. Killian had one that didn’t completely fade for two months.”

“Really?” Graham chuckled. “What happened to him?”

“Our older brother,” she informed him drily.

Graham nodded, his lips pressed together in amusement. “Say no more. I had a brother myself.”

“Beastly creatures,” she said, but her affection for them was clear from her tone.

“Your black eye probably won’t take that long to diminish,” he said, helping her from bed and over to the washbasin.

“But it might,” she said as she washed the smell from her face.

Graham nodded in agreement. “We need to get you a chaperone.”

Ruby stopped abruptly. “I’d quite forgotten.”

“I hadn’t.”

“It’s all my fault, of course,” she said, patting herself dry. “You had written in your invitation that you’d provide a chaperone, but in my haste to leave London, it didn’t occur to me that you’d need time to make the arrangements.”

Graham watched her closely and wondered if she realized just how much she’d revealed to him about her reasons for coming. It was hard to imagine someone as open, honest, and loquacious as the woman before him having secrets, but he did have to admit she’d been rather quiet about her exact reasons for coming to Gloucestershire.

She’d said she was looking for a husband. But he was starting to wonder if perhaps it had as much to do with what she was leaving behind in London as what she was looking for here.

And then the words in my haste…

What could have caused her to leave in such a hurry? 

“I sent a letter to my great-aunt yesterday morning after your arrival,” he informed her, “but she’s not the sort to leave home at the drop of a hat. She’ll need to pack and do whatever it is you ladies need to do when preparing for a journey.” He waved his hand vaguely around, and Ruby tried her best not to laugh. “I don’t expect her before Thursday. At the earliest.”

“Well, it’s only a few days, and it’s not like we’re completely alone,” she asserted. “You do have a house full of servants.”

“That may be,” he agreed, “but your reputation could be seriously compromised if this visit of yours were to get out among society.”

Ruby blew out a long breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Well, there’s not much I can do about it now,” she said. Then motioning to her eye, she continued. “And if I were to return now, this will have more people talking than the fact that I left to begin with.”

He nodded, acceding to her point, though his mind started shooting off in other directions entirely. Was there a reason she was so unconcerned about her reputation? He may have spent little time in society, but it’d been his experience that properly bred young ladies, no matter their age, were always concerned about their reputations.

Was it possible that Ruby’s reputation had been in tatters before she’d even arrived on his doorstep?

And more to the point, did he care?

He honestly wasn’t sure. He knew what he wanted - no, needed - in a wife, and it had very little to do with purity and chastity and all those things that society deemed important for young ladies.

He was looking for someone who could step in and manage his life and care for his children. He was quite pleased that Ruby not only appeared to be able to fill the role admirably, but that she was rather beautiful and he most undoubtedly felt a great deal of desire for her. Even if she’d been as ugly as a crone, he’d still have been willing to marry her if she could be a good mother to his children.

But if that were all true, then why did he feel no small amount of annoyance that Ruby might have had a lover?

She settled herself against the pillows, looked longingly out the window, and sighed. “Oh, look, the sun is shining again.”

“Would you like to sit in the garden?” he asked. “You haven’t eaten yet; I can have breakfast brought out to you.”

“I’d like to walk in the garden,” she groused, “but I suppose I should try to rest today.”

“More than just today,” he murmured.

“I’ll never be able to manage it,” she said. 

“You could take a book with you,” he suggested. It didn’t surprise him at all when she said she couldn’t sit still. Even injured, she was fidgety on the bed, and he couldn’t suppress a small smile.

“Will you not join me?” she asked.

“Ah…” he stammered. “I have work to do in the greenhouse today.” Her eyes reflected her disappointment, and as much as he would have loved to spend time with her in the garden, he needed to get away. Away from his swirling thoughts, conflicted feelings, and most of all the desire to crawl out of his skin over having to spank the children. He needed his hands in the dirt where the most complicated thought he’d encounter was about plants, something he did know something about. 

Every fortnight, it seemed, they did something that warranted punishment. He hated having to do it. To the depths of his being. But what else was he supposed to do when they behaved this badly? He could justify to himself brushing aside small things, but when they’d glued their last governess’ hair to the pillow while she slept, how on earth was he supposed to brush that aside? Or when they’d gotten into his greenhouse and broken an entire shelf of terra cotta pots? They’d claimed it was an accident, but Graham knew better, and from their countenances, they didn’t even truly think he’d believe them.

So he punished them the only way he knew how, if he punished them at all - though, to this point, he’d only used his hand. More often than not, he was so overwhelmed at the memories of his father’s brand of discipline and horrified at the way his hand itched to swat them on their behinds that he’d simply stumble away, a trembling and sweating mess.

He knew he was too lenient with them. They weren’t getting any better, after all. He knew he needed to be more stern with them, but the memory of what he’d almost done after the episode with their governess was enough to make him want to retch. He’d been so furious, so blindingly angry, that before he even realized it, he’d gone out to the stable and grabbed a whip. That was all it took for him to realize what he’d done and make him drop it in horror. Graham had fled to his greenhouse, shaking with disgust and hating himself for what he’d almost done.

But not only that. Hating himself for what he couldn’t do. 

Make his children better people.

He didn’t know how to be a father to them. Maybe he just wasn’t suited to the task. Perhaps there were men out there who just naturally knew how to teach, how to mold children, but Graham certainly wasn’t one of them. Perhaps one needed a good father in order to be one. But if that was the case, Graham had been doomed from birth. 

And now, here he was, pinning all his hopes on Miss Ruby Jones. Perhaps he wouldn’t feel so guilty about being a miserable father to them if he could provide them with a good mother. 

But nothing was ever as simple as one might want and Miss Ruby Jones was proof positive of that. He’d never expected to want her. And when he came up the stairs and found her on the floor, his first thought hadn’t been anger at his children, it had been terror for her. For her wellbeing. As well as, if he was being brutally honest, terror that they might have convinced her to leave.

With the glue incident, his first emotion had been rage. With Ruby, he spared barely a thought to the twins until he’d assured himself of her well being. He hadn’t wanted to care about her, and now that he did, he didn’t know what to do with himself. So while a morning in the garden with her sounded lovely, he had to get away for a while. He had to try and bring his chaotic thoughts and feelings into some semblance of order. And if that made him a coward, then so be it.

~*~*~

Ruby spent the entire day in the garden on what she was sure was the most comfortable chaise lounge she’d ever had the pleasure to sit. It must have come from Italy, because in her experience, neither England nor France knew how to make comfortable furniture. Not that she normally spent much time pondering furniture makers, but being left alone in the gardens did provide her with an abundance of time and blessed little else to ponder.

Well, perhaps beside the fact that Sir Graham Humbert had to be the most ill-mannered beast on the planet, leaving her alone after his two little monsters - whom he hadn’t even disclosed the existence of in his correspondence - left her with a blackened eye. 

It was a perfect day. The sun was shining, the sky was the deepest shade of blue, a light breeze was blowing, and Ruby had not a thing to occupy her thoughts.

She had never been so bored in her entire life.

It just wasn’t in her nature to sit still and watch the clouds roll by. She would be much happier doing something - walking through the gardens, or at the very least having someone to talk to, rather than just sitting here like a bump on a log. If she had company, then perhaps the clouds would be more interesting. They could discuss the shapes they saw in them.

But no, he’d left her quite on her own. She could see him out there in his greenhouse from where she sat, but while she’d really like nothing better than to join him - his plants must be more interesting than clouds - she refused to seek him out. Not after the way he’d departed so abruptly earlier. She’d thought they were getting along rather well, but then he’d suddenly grown distant and irritable and made up a terrible excuse about having to work in the greenhouse. He’d all but run away from her.

Odious man.

She picked up the book she’d chosen from the library and held it in front of her face, determined to actually read it this time. Of course, that was what she said the previous four times she’d picked up the book. 

Blast it all. 

The Botany of Ferns? What exactly had she been thinking when she pulled it off the shelf? Well, the clear answer to that question was, she hadn’t been. Ruby rolled her eyes at herself. She should have at least looked for a novel to read. The library was quite extensive and she was sure she could have found something more enjoyable than this thing. And what was worse, if, for some reason, Sir Graham came back and found her reading it, he’d think she was wanting to learn more about him and his interests.

This was ridiculous. She slammed the book closed and back down on the side table. She got up and took a few steps to test the tenderness of her hip, a satisfied and rather smug smile lifting her lips when she realized her hip was causing her no more than mild discomfort. She walked all the way to a large rosebush some ways ahead and bent over to see if they had a scent yet. The buds were still closed, but there was always the chance…

“What the devil are you doing?”

Ruby just managed to avoid falling into the bush in surprise. “Sir Graham!” she exclaimed. “I was just…”

“You were supposed to be sitting down,” he interrupted.

“I was sitting down.”

“You were supposed to stay sitting down.”

The truth would make a superb explanation, she decided quickly. 

“I was bored.”

“Did you not get a book to read from the library, like I invited you to do?”

She speared him with a glance and Graham could feel a flush rising on his skin. 

“You said that you could have breakfast sent out to me,” she began, her temper rising along with her words, “and suggested that I could enjoy a book in the garden, which I wrongly assumed meant that you’d have something I’d enjoy reading included on the tray.”

Blast, he had said that, hadn’t he? He’d been in such a hurry to get away, he’d quite forgotten. The flush reached his face. 

“Allow me to apologize and correct that oversight, then,” he replied in a remarkable display of humility. Ruby wasn’t used to men ever admitting to a mistake, however unintended. “But you should remain seated.”

Ruby patted her hip. “I am truly perfectly fine. It hardly hurts at all.”

His expression was still irritable, but even with filthy hands and face, there was something very striking about him. Elemental, almost. Ruby’s mouth dropped open as a shiver of awareness worked its way over her.

“I can’t work if I’m worrying about you,” he groused.

“Then don’t work.” The solution seemed perfectly logical to her.

“I’m in the middle of something.”

“Then I’ll accompany you,” she said lightly, brushing by him on her way to the greenhouse. Really, how did he expect them to see if they would suit if they didn’t spend any time together?

“Miss Jones,” he bit out, “you cannot…”

“Couldn’t you use the help?” she asked, turning back toward him.

“No.”

“Sir Graham,” she snapped, deciding on a different tact. “Are you the same man you were last night?”

“I beg your pardon?” The expression on his face suggested that he thought she’d lost her mind.

“The man I spent the evening with last night,” she began, only just restraining herself from crossing her arms in her annoyance. “The one with whom I shared a very pleasant meal, then toured the house and greenhouse. The man who actually spoke to me, and seemed to enjoy my company.”

He shook his head at her words, bringing himself out of his haze of confusion. “I do enjoy your company,” he replied, utterly befuddled at her seemingly random tirade.

“Then why,” she asked, “have I been sitting alone in the garden for the last three hours?”

“It hasn’t been three hours.”

“It doesn’t matter how long…”

“It’s been forty-five minutes,” he interrupted.

That silenced her for just a moment. She stood there staring at him, her lips pressed together in a straight line, before opening them to speak again.

“Well…” She lost her words after that and Graham decided he’d better say something to save her from any more embarrassment her countenance told him she was swimming in.

“Miss Jones.” He tried not to snap, truly he did, but was extremely doubtful he’d succeeded. “As you might imagine, the incident with the children this morning has left me in rather a foul mood, and I sought to spare you my company, such as it is.”

“I see,” she said, rather meekly in his opinion.

“Good,” he bit out. 

But then she straightened up and looked him directly in the eye, lifting her chin just slightly. “In that case, I’ll just leave you to your work.” Then she had the audacity to wave him off as if he were nothing more than a buzzing fly, disturbing the peacefulness of the garden.

“And what will you be doing?” he asked.

“I will go for a walk,” she informed him, haughtily.

“You will not go for a walk,” he growled.

Almost, Ruby thought, as if he cared about her.

“Sir Graham,” she began, “I assure you, I am perfectly fine. I shall remain out of your way, which is all that really matters, is it not?” A vein in his temple began to pulse, and Ruby found entirely too much pleasure in the fact. She turned on her heel and began to walk to another area of the garden. 

“Stop this instant!” Graham exclaimed. “You may not go for a walk!”

Ruby stopped and turned to him, about to ask if he intended to tie her down to stop her, but shut her mouth just as quickly when it occurred to her that he might heartily approve the suggestion. 

“Sir Graham,” she said, “I fail to see… OH!” she exclaimed when he scooped her up in his arms, mumbling something about stubborn and foolish women, marched over to the chaise, and dropped her unceremoniously upon it.

“Stay there,” he ordered.

She sputtered indignantly, almost at a loss of what to say after his unbelievable display of arrogance. “You can’t just…”

“Good God, woman! You would try the patience of a saint!”

She glared at him.

He huffed in frustration. “What would it take to keep you from moving from this spot?”

She lifted her chin at him before answering. “I can’t think of a single thing,” she said honestly.

“Fine,” he said. “Hike all over the countryside, if it pleases you. Swim to France.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “From Gloucestershire?”

“If anyone could figure out a way to do it, it would be you, Miss Jones. Good day.” Then he turned on his heel and left her exactly where she’d started from.

~*~*~

Graham sat at supper that evening utterly dejected and lonely. One would have thought that eating alone was commonplace for him after all the years married to Jacinda, but in the last day and a half, he’d become used to Ruby’s presence and now, he missed her. If he wasn’t already painfully aware of how badly he’d handled the day's situations, her short missive informing him she intended to take supper in her room this evening made it abundantly clear. Considering the fact she’d been complaining about the lack of his company earlier, her refusal to join him was a stark insult, indeed, and one that the servants were obviously aware of. Graham sighed. He hated being the subject of the servants' gossip. 

He made his way through all the courses, hoping she might change her mind and come down. It was certainly doubtful, given her stubborn streak, but he could always hope. When it became abundantly clear it was a futile hope, he considered going up to her. But that would have been extremely inappropriate, even out here in the country. Besides the fact that seeking her out after his behavior this morning was tantamount to eating crow.

Which wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world, considering he’d already decided he was willing to beg her to stay and be a mother to his children, if necessary. But wanting to woo a woman didn’t mean that he knew how to do it.

George had always been the one to charm and woo the ladies. He always knew what to say and how to act. He wouldn’t have cared about being the subject of the servants’ gossip. Graham had always been the quieter one, the studious one, the awkward one when compared to his older brother. Much less suited to being a father and lord of the manor. He’d always planned on leaving Romney Hall and never looking back, at least while his father was alive. George was to have married and had half a dozen perfect children and Graham would have been the somewhat strange but still fun uncle, working on his experiments at Cambridge.

But all of that changed on a battlefield in Belgium. England may have won the war, but it was blessed little comfort when his father dragged him home, determined to mold him into a suitable heir. Determined to mold him into George, who’d been his favorite.

And then he’d died. Right there in front of Graham. In the middle of a screaming, raging fit, his heart had given out on him. 

And Graham had become Sir Graham, with all the rights and responsibilities of a baronet. Rights and responsibilities he’d never, ever wanted.

He loved his children more than life itself, so he guessed he could say it’d turned out alright in the end, but he still felt like he was failing. Romney Hall was doing well. As a result of the agricultural techniques he’d introduced in the fields of the estate, they were turning a profit for the first time since… Well, he wasn’t sure exactly. They’d certainly never turned a profit in the years his father was lord of the estate.

But the fields weren’t nearly as important as the children. They were flesh and blood and would someday grow up, and with how badly behaved they were now, he was terrified of what the future would hold for them if something wasn’t  done soon. Which was why he was so desperate for Ruby to stay and marry him. 

He couldn’t continue to fail his children the way he had been since they were born really, but especially since Jacinda died. He had no idea how to handle them. 

Except the night before, with the fish incident. For the first time, he’d handled Ava exactly right. Ruby’s presence had calmed him in a way that he never would have believed, if he hadn’t experienced it himself.

That was why he couldn’t seek her out this evening. So he couldn’t muck it up any more than he already had.

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing! I'd love to know what you think!

[asobai]

hi, this is io! could i please ask for a f, m, nb fc suggestions for the blackwood liege?🥺

for  the  blackwood  liege  (  20 - 29  ),  i  would  suggest  amy  james  kelly,  giorgio  belli,  alex  hogh  andersen,  georgie  henley,  guy  remmers,  alice  nokes,  jonah  hauer - king,  ella  hunt,  gijs  blom,  sam  retford  or  jessica  reynolds  as  options  !

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🗞️ Bookish News: August 2024 Edition

🦇 Extra, extra. Read all about it! Good evening, bookish bats! A lot happened in the publishing industry this month, but here are a few highlights you may have missed! ⤵

📺 Adaptations 💜 The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires: limited series on HBO 💜 His & Hers - Alice Feeney: limited series for Netflix 💜 The God of the Woods and The Unseen World - Liz Moore: series for Sony 💜 My Lady Jane cancelled by Prime after one season 💜 Mark Hamill has joined the highly anticipated adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk 💜 Court of Thorns and Roses series faces another setback - showrunner exits the production 💜 Trailer for Season 2 of Pachinko 💜 Britney Spears’ memoir is being made into a biopic 💜 Tom Blyth and Emily Bader starring in Netflix’s People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry 💜 The Games of Thrones prequel promos are out 💜 Burn Book: A Tech Love Story - Kara Swisher optioned as a series 💜 Every Summer After - Carley Fortune - Amazon series 💜 Regretting You - Colleen Hoover - McKenna Grace to star ppposite Allison Williams 💜 Verity - Colleen Hoover - no casting yet 💜 Percy Jackson season 2 is currently filming, and Sandra Bernhard, Kristen Schaal, and Margaret Cho have joined the cast of the Disney+ series 💜 Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt - Sally Field to star 💜 Bridgerton cast Yerin Ha as Sophie Beckett, Benedict’s love interest 💜 The Picture of Dorian Gray is getting a contemporary TV series adaptation 💜 Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel A Pale View of Hills is getting an adaptation

📕 Cover Reveals 💜 When We Were Real - Daryl Gregory 💜 Blood on Her Tongue - Johanna van Veen 💜 Frenemies with Benefits - Synithia Williams 💜 The ABCs of Democracy - Hakeem Jeffries 💜 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - Susanna Clarke 💜 Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us - Jennifer Finney Boylan 💜 The Silent Emperor - Snorri Krsitjansson 💜 Nothing Bad Happens Here - Rachel Ekstrom Courage 💜 Open, Heaven - Seán Hewitt 💜 And, Too, the Fox - Ada Limón & Gaby D’Alessandro 💜 On Again, Awkward Again - Erin Entrada Kelly and Kwame Mbalia 💜 Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One - Kristen Arnett 💜 Stage Dance - Torrey Peters 💜 The Hymn to Dionysus - Natasha Pulley 💜 Time After Time - Mikki Daughtry 💜 Pizza Witch - Sarah Graley & Stef Purenins 💜 A Drop of Corruption - Robert Jackson Bennett

⏰ Upcoming Releases 💜 Young Sheldon actress Raegan Revord is publishing her debut young adult novel, Rules for Fake Girlfriends 💜 Liza Minnelli has announced a new tell-all memoir 💜 Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old - Brooke Shields 💜 Maureen Johnson has announced a new book which she describes as “a case file in book form,” with a sealed solution in the back of the book: You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder 💜 Olympic track star Allyson Felix has sold North American rights to a memoir, Fast and Slow, to the Dial Press 💜 Meghan Markle is allegedly planning on releasing a tell-all memoir 💜 House of Blight - Maxym M. Martineau 💜 Tor acquired Talia Hibbert’s romantasy debut The Last Thorn

🗞️ News 💜 Francine Pascal, author of the Sweet Valley High books, died at 92 💜 This year’s longlist for the Booker Prize has been announced 💜 Flatiron is debuting a new imprint, Pine and Cedar Books 💜 New GMA Book Club pick: The Seventh Veil of Salome - Silvia Moreno-Garcia 💜 Algerian boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif has filed a cyber harassment lawsuit against Elon Musk and JK Rowling for their disparaging comments about the boxer’s gender during the Olympics 💜 Kristen Bell will be reuniting with her Frozen costar, Josh Gad, to narrate his upcoming children’s book PictureFace Lizzy