#master ughtred anstruthers

[kazoosandfannypacks]

The Shuttle Headcanons from @melliabee and I (contains spoilers!)

• You best believe Mrs. Vanderpoel got a summer house built exactly in between Stornham and Dunstanwolde, regardless of how close her daughters' estates are to each other.

• She doesn't usually stay at the summer cottage though- she spends most of her time with Rosalie at Stornham and eventually moves across the Atlantic to be with her daughters. Rueben visits much more frequently after that, sometimes even spending entire summers across the Atlantic.

• Since he's the vicar for Dunstanwolde, Penzance has the honor of officiating Dunstan and Bettina's wedding, and christening each of their children. Every time something like this happens, Dunstan is met with something along the lines of "I told you so," but after he leaves Penzance in on the verge of very proud tears.

• G. Selden is invited to Dunstan and Betty's wedding, which should be obvious, but can you imagine how excited "little willie" is to recieve a paid vacation to England! To go to Rueben Vanderpoel's Daughter's wedding as an honored guest! The boys at Ol' Shandy's are never gonna hear the end of it.

• Tommy and Jane stay close with Bettina long after the end of the book. Eventually, one of Tommy's sons marries on of the Dunstans' daughters.

• ^When one of Tommy's sons comes to him for advice on how to propose to her, Tommy immediately goes "Oh, how lovely! Have I ever told you about the time I proposed to her mother?" and his son is like "WHAT???"

• The Dunstans name one of their daughters "Robin," after the robin that James and Selden met through, because that interaction led to James and Bettina's courtship and later marriage.

• Ughtred inprints on any positive male influence on his life, especially uncle Dunstan, who sees a lot of himself in the boy, especially in terms of trying to grow into a promising member of society when your dad is just really horrible.

• When James and Bettina have kids, Ughtred is very protective over them, and all his little cousins look up to him.

feel free to add more if you come up with any!!!

[kazoosandfannypacks]

"as the sun rose and seasons changed" ch 2/2

Summary: Having asked her father's blessing, Lord Mount Dunstan is ready to propose to Bettina.

a/n: "Magnificent- that is the word. To go to her on equal grounds to take her hands and speak one's passion as one would- as her eyes answered. Oh, one would know! To bring her home to this place- having made it as it once was- to live with her here- to be WITH her as the sun rose and set and the seasons changed- with the joy of life filling each of them. SHE is the joy of Life- the very heart of it. You see where I am- you see!"

-Lord Mount Dunstan, The Shuttle, ch. 35

taglist: @melliabee @accidental-spice @kanerallels [if you’ve read the shuttle, shoot me a dm or ask, and I’ll add you to the taglist!]

Also on Ao3!

Part 2: "TWO STRONG FORCES DRAWING TOGETHER"

 Though the sun seldom cast its warm rays in late autumn, the pale glow through the window of Dunstanwolde's master bedroom may have been the golden beams of summer for how they touched the heart of the lord as he woke. This cheerful wakeup was one of many new additions to his daily routine. You've no idea how good it feels to wake up happy unless you've woken up miserable every morning leading up to it. He opened the window and stood in front of it for a spell, breathing in the crisp chill of the late autumn air.

 Today was the day. Now that he had her father's blessing, there was nothing stopping Dunstan from proposing to Bettina– except, of course, for his own self doubt. Maybe now that Lord Anstruthers was tucked away for life on bedrest and the heroism of Dunstan's rescue had faded, reality might crash in at any moment. Would Bettina really settle for "the ducal bargain counter–" for a beggar Lord like Mount Dunstan? She could have any man in the world– all the men in the world could never measure up to her– how foolish must he be to assume she'd take just him.

 But before he could let the doubt creep in further, Dunstan remembered how tightly she'd clung to him after he'd returned to her on that night he'd seemed lost, and how desperate her voice had called to him, and how longingly her eyes had met his. Surely, she had to see something more in him than just the surface level squalor he claimed his own. Surely, some part of her seemed to like him too.

 And if anything could prove that, it would be this day.

—

 Bettina had been at Dunstanwolde more frequently each week. While the Vanderpoels never sought to impose upon Lord Mount Dunstan, they often would come around the estate for lunch, usually bringing food with them enough to share, citing such occasions as "Rosalie needed to get out today and you're our nearest neighbors" and recently "you men have been tramping about the estate all morning and must be famished, so we brought around a meal," and on one occasion, "we've received a letter from Selden and knew that Reverend Penzance would enjoy reading it."

 Today's occasion was arranged by her father– they'd finished going over the estate yesterday, so why not come around to celebrate? Perhaps they might even show Ughtred some of the lovely old stories and relics of the former Mount Dunstans, and of course the women might enjoy a tour of some of the rooms that were in better condition, and a few that had lovely views of the acres and acres of land.

 And yet, Bettina knew there was more to this day than a simple celebration of the completion of a mere weeks' survey. Her father had never been able to keep a secret from her, and though he made no mention of it, something special twinkled in his eye when he'd returned that night– something Bettina didn't even need to ask about. If he'd wanted to tell her, she reasoned, he would've immediately– and only one piece of news could be so beautiful while still necessitating secrecy. It was, after all, why her father had gone over the estate with him, wasn't it? There was no disguising the truth: Lord Mount Dunstan had finally asked her father's blessing for her hand in marriage, and he had granted it.

 Still, they'd apparently wanted to keep it a secret, so Bettina played along, acting as though nothing was out of the ordinary as the cab drove them to his estate, and as Lord Mount Dunstan greeted her with a smile– one that they both knew would've been a hug if her family hadn't been watching them– and all throughout their stolen glances at the luncheon table.

 "Would you care to join me for a walk?" Dunstan asked Bettina after they'd eaten.

 "It's a bit cool outside this afternoon," Bettina said, making calculations of his expression as it fell, and as it rose again when she said, "but I shouldn't mind the weather, in such warm company as yours."

 Truly, their company must've been warm, for neither party noticed the damp chill in the air as they wandered the pathways of the estate together, saying everything and nothing as they walked.

 "Do you remember our second meeting?" Dunstan asked.

 "When we walked these same paths?" Bettina smiled, "and I thought you were the gamekeeper?"

 "I didn't know one of my most sacred memories was forming." He shook his head.

 "Oh?" Bettina asked, "which one was that?"

 "It was right in that clearing," Dunstan said, and he took her by the hand to the exact spot, "right here, where you whispered six words: 'but oh, if it were mine!'"

 "I recall that moment," Bettina said, "the whole were almost as though a dream. I never could stand to see broken things go to ruin, not when there was still a soul who loved them."

 "There's a reason I brought you out here today, Betty," he smiled, "you've always been clever, so I know you know what I'm going to ask you, but I'm going to ask it anyways, and it's going to be the most terrifying moment of my life."

 "You've no reason to be afraid, James." She rarely called him by his first name rather than his title, but now it felt proper to do so.

 "You've no idea what I fear to lose, Miss Vanderpoel," he said, "I know of your love for Dunstanwolde, and your disdain for its condition– and of my love for it as well. If all I were offering was my land and my title, to watch from the sides as you touch all around me with your life, I'd give even that. But what I ask is something deeper. I do not ask you to love a sullied name or a crumbled ruin. I ask you to love the man who holds nothing besides them," and here he took her hand and said, "I'm asking you to love me."

 Still holding her hand, he knelt before her, one knee supporting him on the damp earth his ancestors had killed for and died on. Out of his pocket he pulled a ring, and held it before her.

 "Bettina Vanderpoel," he asked, "will you marry me?"

 He wasn't the first man who'd proposed to her– but somehow she'd hoped all along that he would be the last.

 "Yes," Bettina said, and his smile when she said it forced a willing laugh from her lips, "I will– and not for the ruins or title you offer, but for you. I love you, Lord James of Mount Dunstan."

 "I love you as well," he said, as he slid the ring onto her finger, "I love you as madly and truly as any man ever has loved a woman– and I'll continue to love you more every moment you stand by my side."

 "And I shall stand by your side forever," Bettina said.

 He stood up, his eyes fixed on hers until the very moment he pulled her into his embrace, his arms strong and tight around her, her head close to his heart. His breath warmed her hair as he kissed the top of her head.

 He pulled her away from him as she turned to look up at him– only far enough that they could look at each other, still close enough that she could hear him whisper, "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how much I love you."

 "Don't worry," she whispered back,"we have our whole lives to figure it out."

 They smiled at each other, then leaned closer, stealing one little kiss before they had to return to her family.

 And so it was that what Bettina had wished to be hers came to her, how something broken became new, how she saved what was great from coming to despair, all because one soul loved it– all because her soul loved him.