{OOC: Hullo Boys and Girls~}
~*~WELCOME TO~*~
Five More Things You May Or May Not Want To Know About A Crabby Englishman
Or How To Keep Oneself Occupied While Trapped In A Enamoured House.
11. The mysterious editor mentioned every so often is Eliza Lyon-Bowes, a sharp-tongued woman twelve years Arthur’s senior who is not afraid to rip into Arthur’s drafts (or ego) when she thinks they need adjustment. She is perhaps the only person Arthur truly admires and is most certainly the only person’s criticism he won’t immediately dismiss. Eliza has been with Arthur every step of the way in regards to his writing career as she was the one who took a chance on Arthur and helped him get his first book published. Also, he may fancy her...just a bit…since he was nineteen. But he respects her and their business relationship far too much to ever act on whatever insignificant emotion he thinks he’s feeling.
12. On a related note, love has never been a top priority for Arthur and probably never will be. As such, he’s never really been in a serious long-term romantic relationship (except that one time, but he doesn't wish to talk about it) and doesn’t expect to be in one any time soon. It’s not that he’s determined to be alone; he’s just never viewed himself in such a role. He can’t imagine himself engaging in public displays of affection or celebrating nonsensical anniversaries of when they first made eye contact or held hands. Really, if that’s what it means to be in a serious relationship Arthur much rather opt out, thank you. As for his track record with less serious relationships…well that would be telling now, wouldn’t it?
13. Arthur learned from a very young age (through the scandalous whispers of the housewives at Tesco) that it wasn’t normal to have four half-siblings with three different mothers in the span of four years (little did he know there were more out there...). He never quite understood how his mother could love such a man with such a reputation and who would be gone months on end. Later on he grew to pity her (and in his darker moments, hated her) for having such an unhealthy attachment to someone he was sure would only break her heart in the end.
14. Thus, the source of his complex relationship with Peter. When his younger brother was born, Arthur refused to acknowledge his existence as their mother was all the more determined to stay by their father’s side - despite his philandering ways. This silent treatment towards Peter lasted up until their parents’ death, but the damage had already been done by then. Arthur never really learned how to be an older brother and any hesitant overture he makes, Peter views with suspicion.
15. Yet the man who Arthur made out to be his childhood villain had quite the soft spot for Arthur. Whenever his father came back after being gone for a while, he would always bring back a trinket for his son. Arthur never knew how to react to such kind gestures from someone who was spoken so ill of by the neighbours, so he just thanked him graciously (like a proper gentleman, his mother would say) and tucked the item away in a place where he wouldn’t have to look at it. He still has all the items, and they’re still in a place where he doesn’t have to see them and confront his conflicted emotions about a man long dead.