The Crystal Palace
Title: The Crystal Palace
Genre: Angst/Drama/Family
Pairing(s): USUK, France/Canada, France/Monaco, past FrUK
Word Count: 3,710
Rating/Warnings: Victorian London. 15
Summary: The Kirkland family had fallen from grace and now they scraped out a living with the rest of the lowest of the low. Alfred Jones, heir to the great Jones fortune, was staying with his brother in England and his biggest worry was dealing with an unrequited crush. Their two worlds brutally collide one sunny day in May. Victorian Era AU. Done for the 'sightseeing' prompt of the usxuk summer camp.
First part - http://redblonde7.livejournal.com/10119.html
Second part - http://redblonde7.livejournal.com/11183.html
Alfred was the first to arrive down in the entrance hall. Matthew had told him that he had a surprise outing for the three of them and had given the job to Alfred of asking Arthur to come as well. It had been the only time that Alfred had been alone with Arthur since the theatre trip and it had been just as awkward as Alfred had anticipated it to be. When he had asked Arthur to accompany them, he had placed emphasis on the fact that Matthew would be coming along as well. Arthur had smiled and accepted the invitation gracefully, leaving Alfred to wonder if he was saying yes because he actually wanted to or because he did not want to offend them, like with the play.
Arthur's revelation had made Alfred doubt every single interaction that had taken place between the two of them. Had Arthur really been that interested in him or was it because Alfred had the power to throw him and his brothers out onto the street? This question kept revolving in Alfred's mind and nothing seemed to stop it cropping up.
"Alfred," Arthur spoke from behind Alfred and he jumped at least a foot in the air. Arthur was much quieter at moving than either Alfred or Matthew, obviously a side effect of living as a thief. "Please can I talk to you?" Arthur was quiet but Alfred picked up a certain intensity behind the words. He would not let Alfred make excuses and flee.
"Sure Arthur. Do you want to talk in here?" Alfred opened up a door to a small room. It was a private study of sorts, Matthew used it when Alfred was grating on his nerves too much and Alfred used it when he could no longer watch Matthew and Francis together. There was a writing desk, a bookcase, several comfortable chairs and a large fireplace and Alfred relished the pleased look on Arthur's face as he examined the room. "No one will disturb us in here." It was the truth; not even the servants were allowed in here unless they were specially asked to clean. Arthur waited until the door clicked shut before speaking.
"I wanted to talk about what happened at the theatre," Arthur said bravely, even though Alfred noticed that he was staring at the fireplace rather than at Alfred. It was the only thing that kept Alfred from running out of the room because that seemed to make it slightly less embarrassing than it really was. At least Arthur was not beating around the bush.
"Well, I think we talked enough at the theatre," Alfred replied, crossing his arms and wanting Matthew to start calling for him so he would have a justified reason to escape.
"I don't think I said everything I needed to though. You said some things that I really needed to hear and now I need to tell you some things that you need to hear," Arthur said, turning and looking at Alfred for the first time since they came into the room. Alfred wanted to turn away but he could not look away from Arthur's eyes. They were a brilliant green, the first thing that Alfred had noticed about him, and this time the emotions were so plain that Alfred was frozen like a deer staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Fine. What did you want to say?" Alfred asked gruffly as he took a tiny step forward, not breaking eye contact with Arthur.
"I wanted to say that I am sorry. I should have known that you're not - that you would never do what I assumed. I feel like I did know, but I just didn't listen to the part of me that knew you and listened instead to another part of me that was saying that nothing is ever for free in this world and why would you help four street urchins with no chance of repayment. Please forgive me, Alfred." Arthur was obviously remorseful and Alfred could feel his anger and his hurt softening. Arthur looked like - Arthur and Alfred could not tear his eyes away.
"It's fine. I forgive you," Alfred said quietly and Arthur looked relieved. He stepped closer and Alfred felt his cheeks start to heat.
"Listen Alfred," Arthur said before taking a deep breath," I want what you proposed when we went to the theatre. I do return your affections, in all complete honesty, and I was hoping that you could forgive and forget my insulting assumptions. I would like to try." Alfred found himself staring at Arthur in a stunned silence. When Arthur had asked to speak with him, he had not imagined this. They stayed like that for minutes, minutes which stretched on for what seemed like an age. Arthur, whose expression had been filled with hope, started to look disheartened. He took a step back and clasped his hands in front of his body. "I'm sorry. I made an assumption again. Forgive me." Arthur's words were polite and spoken with no visible emotion and Alfred knew he had to do something quickly before it could no longer be fixed.
"Thank you Arthur." Arthur looked at Alfred in surprise. "For being brave enough to say that." Alfred gave Arthur a big grin, one that he had not given the other man in days and he could see Arthur visibly relax. Now Alfred was the one to step towards Arthur to make sure there were only a few inches between them. He smiled and kissed a shocked Arthur on the lips. "I would like to try too."
"Alfred? Are you in there?" Matthew's voice was the only warning they had before the door swung open. Luckily they had already managed to move apart from each other so there was nothing suspicious about their position, not that Matthew could judge them for it.
"Hello Matt. Are you ready to go? Arthur and I have been ready for ages," Alfred said cheerfully. He felt like he was floating and judging from Arthur's poorly hidden smile, he was feeling the same thing. Matthew looked between the two of them in bemusement but accepted Alfred's words at face value.
"Yes Alfred. Come on, we have to go in the carriage to get to it. I hope you both have eaten breakfast because you're not going to want to stop," Matthew said in a light voice as he disappeared from the doorway.
"I hate it when he knows something I don't. He's always so smug," Alfred muttered to Arthur who smiled.
"I'm sure you're exactly the same. I do wonder what Matthew has got up his sleeve," Arthur mused and Alfred raised an eyebrow at him. He knew that Arthur was just as curious about where they were going as he was; he was just politer about it. "We should get into the carriage now." Arthur, having already said goodbye to Peter, William and John, walked straight out of the front door while Alfred made sure the room was exactly how they left it.
They travelled in an open carriage since the day was clear and sunny, if a little colder than Alfred would have liked. Matthew was just as irritatingly smug as he had been that morning but Alfred could get nothing out of his brother.
"Come on Matt, just give us a little hint about where we're going," Alfred begged Matthew who shook his head, but Arthur gasped, drawing their attention towards him. As he turned, Alfred could see what Arthur was staring at with wide eyes and his mouth dropped open.
Rising out of the trees was a building, a palace, built entirely of glass. It shined in the sun, the light hitting Alfred's eyes and blinding him. It was the most beautiful building he had ever seen.
"That is the Crystal Palace and it is where we're going today," Matthew said with more than a hint of laughter in his voice but Alfred could not care less. He had caught sight of Arthur's delighted face and the feeling of joy inside of him just added to his own excitement. The first moment he could get, he would repay Matthew many times over. The carriage pulled into the line which moved slowly up towards iron gates before the entrance to the Palace. Out of the carriages in front, finely dressed men and women stepped out, all of them outwardly marvelling at the building that towered above them all.
Matthew showed their credentials to the man at the entrance before they joined the crowds of people that were walking into the main entrance hall. As so many had done before them, they froze at the sight of the hall and spent a minute admiring it. The entrance hall was long and the ceiling soared above their heads, so high that there was a full grown elm tree growing inside it. The leaves offered shade against the sun that shined through the glass and offered some colour against the glass and steel of the building.
"It's beautiful," Arthur whispered and Alfred felt himself nodding. He had seen nothing like it.
"Look at the fountain," Matthew said, gesturing to a fountain made entirely out of pink glass. Alfred could feel the water cooling everything down as it flew high above their heads before falling down into the pool of water that lay level with them.
"Shall we go and look at some of the exhibits, before we spend our entire time staring at the building?" Alfred joked, knowing that he was failing to disguise his eagerness to look around at all the different inventions. He had heard that there was something from nearly every major country and he wanted to see what America contributed. He knew that the main exhibits would be British or from the British Empire but there seemed to be every invention possible in the expansive glass building to look at.
"Yes, let's go and look around," Arthur answered eagerly, starting to walk in a seemingly random direction as Alfred and Matthew followed behind.
There were so many exhibits to be seen that they were sure that even by late afternoon they had not seen even half of those available. Alfred's favourite exhibits had been the huge hydraulic press that had helped to build the bridge at Bangor as well as the collection of small stuffed animals arranged into different situations which had come from Germany. Arthur had scoffed at it but Alfred had returned the favour when he and Matthew had not been able to drag Arthur away from the Koh-I-Noor, the world's biggest known diamond. Alfred had not seen what was so interesting about the diamond, it had not even sparkled like it was supposed to. Arthur had also shown unusual interest in the 'stiletto', a defensive umbrella that seemed to fit Arthur's personality perfectly.
Matthew, before he excused himself to go to the waiting room, had said that he liked the Canadian painted fire engine and the elephant with the throne from India. After Matthew had left them alone, Alfred and Arthur had wandered around many other exhibits, enjoying each other's company and flirting as boldly as they dared in public.
Soon enough, the heat of the sun through the glass and the press of the people started to made Arthur feel slightly ill so Alfred suggested that they go and get some refreshments, trying to hide his relief that they were stopping so he could cool down as well. Arthur gave him a look but said nothing to Alfred's relief and they collected some thirst-quenching drinks before sitting down next to the fountain.
"I do really like this. This was a really good idea of Matthew's," Alfred said to Arthur cheerfully as he looked at all the people milling around. He had always had a nosy streak which was fulfilled by trying to guess people's private lives from just a quick look.
"It was. I thought I would not be able to see this but I'm so glad that I managed to get the chance. It is such a beautiful place and a wonderful exhibition." Arthur's eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were flushed as he talked about the exhibit and Alfred nodded along, almost not listening because he was so enraptured by Arthur. Staring at Arthur, he managed to catch his brother emerging from the slowly thinning crowds behind Arthur. Matthew did not look happy and Alfred's eyebrows drew together as he worried about what was wrong with his brother. When he saw the two people behind Matthew, he understood.
"Matthew!" Arthur said happily as he turned to see what Alfred was looking at and catching sight of Alfred's brother. He stood up and was closely followed by Alfred.
"Hello Arthur," Matthew smiled at him before turning to his two companions. "Francis, Mrs Bonnefoy, this is my brother, Alfred Jones and our friend, Arthur Kirkland. Arthur, Alfred, this is Francis and Monique Bonnefoy." Several things happened during Matthew's introduction. Arthur caught sight of Francis and his face turned white, but Francis was already avoiding his eyes. They obviously knew each other but neither one of them were happy about seeing the other. Alfred noticed this and his suspicions heightened as he looked between the two of them. Matthew narrowed his eyes at the two of them and Alfred knew that he had seen it too. Each of the parties bowed to each other while Monique curtsied at the group.
Matthew was talking with Monique, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair swept into a stylish up-do and wearing an elegant pink dress which accented her womanly figure. Alfred smiled at her when she turned his way. He knew that he should be angry at her for hurting Matthew but the only one he blamed was Francis.
"So Mr Jones, how long are you staying in England for?" Monique asked. Her voice was soothing to listen to and she seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. Alfred could see Arthur looked interested in the answer and he realised that he had not told Arthur how long he would be here for.
"I am staying for the rest of the summer before going back to America. However I will be back soon after that, I am always wanting to spend more time with my brother," Alfred answered with a smile, leaving Arthur's name unspoken from the equation. He could tell by Arthur's softened stance that he heard it though.
"That is good. I hope you are enjoying England so far," Monique said with a happy smile. "Francis and I come from France but we were both schooled here, so England is almost like our second home." Alfred did not miss the flicker of distaste on Francis' face and he could almost feel Arthur stiffen beside him. Unable to rub Arthur's back in comfort, Alfred settled for shifting slightly nearer to him.
"It is very enjoyable here at the moment and this Crystal Palace is a tribute to Britain and the Empire. Have you managed to see many of the exhibits?" Alfred asked, not wanting to delve too far so he would be thought rude, even though he was technically ignoring Francis.
"We have been to see many but we have not managed to see all of the French exhibits so there are still them to see," Francis said, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation.
"We have already seen them. They are definitely the most beautiful exhibits here," Matthew said warmly and Alfred's eyebrows raised at the smile Francis graced upon his brother. His wife was right next to him.
"We have seen many of the exhibits and we were thinking that it was time to head back towards the house. Don't you agree, Arthur? Matthew?" Alfred asked, turning to his two companions. Arthur nodded and smiled gratefully at Alfred while Matthew looked torn for a minute before nodding as well.
"That is a shame. But it was a pleasure to meet you," Monique said graciously and Alfred smiled. He could like her under different circumstances.
"It was a pleasure to meet you too," Arthur said, finally managing to snap out of the stunned silence he had lapsed into.
"I hope we can see each other again," Matthew said and there was another round of bows and curtsies before Francis and Monique swept off into the crowd. "Let's go."
Alfred and Arthur almost had to jog to keep up with Matthew and all three of them remained silent on the carriage ride home. Alfred was thinking about what had happened between Francis and Arthur and judging by the glances Matthew shot Arthur, he was wondering the same thing.
In the hallway, after the maid had been dismissed after taking their coats, everything came to boiling point.
"Please can I speak to you Arthur?" Matthew asked politely. "Alone." A little put off but understanding, Alfred smiled at the two of them.
"I will just go check on Peter, John and William," he said before climbing the stairs. Arthur threw a desperate look at his back as he saw his last hope that could save him for the awkward conversation that was about to happen. He was aware that Matthew had feelings for Francis and knew that he would have to tell about Francis and his' relationship, but it was definitely not something he was looking forward to.
Matthew led him into the room where Alfred had taken him earlier. Instead of hopeful nervousness, Arthur was filled with dread. Whatever was said here could not be good.
"Please close the door after you Arthur," Matthew requested and Arthur gladly followed through, eager for something to do with his hands so he would not be standing there waiting for a verdict. "I wanted to speak to you about Francis." Arthur nodded but said nothing. He was well aware that was why Matthew wanted to speak to him. "Nothing that you say here will get back to Alfred."
"I will be telling Alfred everything about Francis and I anyway. He needs to know." Arthur was adamant about this point. Complete honesty from this point on between Alfred and him. Matthew nodded, seemingly unsurprised, before settling himself down in one of the armchairs. He did not offer a seat to Arthur and so he hovered, knowing that it was rude for him to sit down without invitation but also knowing that Matthew was being rude by not offering the seat in the first place. Unable to tell whether this was an accidental or a deliberate slight, Arthur decided to err on the side of caution and be overly polite.
"Fine. I was hoping that you could tell me what the relationship between Francis and you is." There it was. Now the time had come for Arthur to be completely honest.
"Francis and I attended school together. We were friends, then lovers. At eighteen we pursued different careers and our romantic relationship broke apart. Shortly after, he married Monique. I have not heard from him ever since my family's financial difficulties became common knowledge." There was no need to say how he felt about that. His contempt and disgust for Francis could be heard in his voice, even by him. Matthew's face twisted at the last words but quickly settled back into the calm, placid expression he had been wearing before.
"You know that Alfred is leaving at the end of the summer, in just over two months’ time?" Matthew's question was so out of the blue that Arthur was thrown for a moment.
"Yes, I am aware. I heard him tell Mrs Bonnefoy today. Why is this - "
"Relevant?" Matthew finished the sentence and Arthur nodded, even though he hated to be interrupted. "Just believe that it is. Are you also aware that this house is mine, I bought it and it is up to me who stays and who goes?" Feeling like he could see where this was going, Arthur nodded mutely. "You picked the wrong brother to cosy up to." Matthew's tone was calm but his words lashed at Arthur especially after everything that had been said and done between Alfred and him. He shook his head at this, still unable to speak up. It felt like all his words were trying to force the way out of his throat at the same time and getting stuck on the way.
"When Alfred goes back to America, I want you to move out. I will give you a tidy sum that will keep you and your family, not in the style you are used to, but more comfortably than you are at the moment. This money will only come if you say nothing to Alfred about this request. You must never contact him again. Alfred will find a suitable woman and settle down like we all must do. You will be forgotten as you should be."
"That's enough." Alfred's voice definitely beat Matthew's in terms of coldness. The sound made them both jump and Matthew rose out of the armchair at the sight of his brother.
"Alfr - " Matthew tried to speak, looking horror-struck, but Alfred cut him off with a slice of his hand in the air. He turned to Arthur, who reared back slightly, expecting the same cold look that Alfred had just given Matthew. However the coldness had vanished from his expression, leaving Alfred's usual easy smile there.
"Peter wants you to read them all a bedtime story. Apparently I don't tell it right." Alfred joked and Arthur smiled weakly, unable to deal with the mood whiplash. He started to move slowly towards the door, waiting for one of them to call him back. "I'll see you upstairs soon," Alfred said in a quiet voice as Arthur passed him. He cast another glance at Alfred's sky blue eyes and they were warm, showing nothing of what he must be feeling after overhearing the conversation.
Arthur left the room, slamming the door shut so it was properly shut unlike earlier, when it had obviously been pulled open by a draught, unnoticed by Matthew or Arthur. This was one conversation that he definitely did not want to hear.
Literally, your comments are making me smile so much. And confusing my laptop is broken and I'm typing this on my mum's laptop which does not allow me to do links on LJ, that's a big thing. Thank you!
Sorry if you didn't like it but this entry of the summer camp was on the laptop as it broke so I had to rewrite in the few hours last night. The Great Exhibition was in 1851 and it basically a chance for Great Britain to show off to the world. There were exhibits from all over the place as well. Now I'm going to see whether I can recover anything off my harddrive because my back up did not work.
Genre: Angst/Drama/Family
Pairing(s): USUK, France/Canada, France/Monaco, past FrUK
Word Count: 3,710
Rating/Warnings: Victorian London. 15
Summary: The Kirkland family had fallen from grace and now they scraped out a living with the rest of the lowest of the low. Alfred Jones, heir to the great Jones fortune, was staying with his brother in England and his biggest worry was dealing with an unrequited crush. Their two worlds brutally collide one sunny day in May. Victorian Era AU. Done for the 'sightseeing' prompt of the usxuk summer camp.
First part - http://redblonde7.livejournal.com/10119.html
Second part - http://redblonde7.livejournal.com/11183.html
Alfred was the first to arrive down in the entrance hall. Matthew had told him that he had a surprise outing for the three of them and had given the job to Alfred of asking Arthur to come as well. It had been the only time that Alfred had been alone with Arthur since the theatre trip and it had been just as awkward as Alfred had anticipated it to be. When he had asked Arthur to accompany them, he had placed emphasis on the fact that Matthew would be coming along as well. Arthur had smiled and accepted the invitation gracefully, leaving Alfred to wonder if he was saying yes because he actually wanted to or because he did not want to offend them, like with the play.
Arthur's revelation had made Alfred doubt every single interaction that had taken place between the two of them. Had Arthur really been that interested in him or was it because Alfred had the power to throw him and his brothers out onto the street? This question kept revolving in Alfred's mind and nothing seemed to stop it cropping up.
"Alfred," Arthur spoke from behind Alfred and he jumped at least a foot in the air. Arthur was much quieter at moving than either Alfred or Matthew, obviously a side effect of living as a thief. "Please can I talk to you?" Arthur was quiet but Alfred picked up a certain intensity behind the words. He would not let Alfred make excuses and flee.
"Sure Arthur. Do you want to talk in here?" Alfred opened up a door to a small room. It was a private study of sorts, Matthew used it when Alfred was grating on his nerves too much and Alfred used it when he could no longer watch Matthew and Francis together. There was a writing desk, a bookcase, several comfortable chairs and a large fireplace and Alfred relished the pleased look on Arthur's face as he examined the room. "No one will disturb us in here." It was the truth; not even the servants were allowed in here unless they were specially asked to clean. Arthur waited until the door clicked shut before speaking.
"I wanted to talk about what happened at the theatre," Arthur said bravely, even though Alfred noticed that he was staring at the fireplace rather than at Alfred. It was the only thing that kept Alfred from running out of the room because that seemed to make it slightly less embarrassing than it really was. At least Arthur was not beating around the bush.
"Well, I think we talked enough at the theatre," Alfred replied, crossing his arms and wanting Matthew to start calling for him so he would have a justified reason to escape.
"I don't think I said everything I needed to though. You said some things that I really needed to hear and now I need to tell you some things that you need to hear," Arthur said, turning and looking at Alfred for the first time since they came into the room. Alfred wanted to turn away but he could not look away from Arthur's eyes. They were a brilliant green, the first thing that Alfred had noticed about him, and this time the emotions were so plain that Alfred was frozen like a deer staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Fine. What did you want to say?" Alfred asked gruffly as he took a tiny step forward, not breaking eye contact with Arthur.
"I wanted to say that I am sorry. I should have known that you're not - that you would never do what I assumed. I feel like I did know, but I just didn't listen to the part of me that knew you and listened instead to another part of me that was saying that nothing is ever for free in this world and why would you help four street urchins with no chance of repayment. Please forgive me, Alfred." Arthur was obviously remorseful and Alfred could feel his anger and his hurt softening. Arthur looked like - Arthur and Alfred could not tear his eyes away.
"It's fine. I forgive you," Alfred said quietly and Arthur looked relieved. He stepped closer and Alfred felt his cheeks start to heat.
"Listen Alfred," Arthur said before taking a deep breath," I want what you proposed when we went to the theatre. I do return your affections, in all complete honesty, and I was hoping that you could forgive and forget my insulting assumptions. I would like to try." Alfred found himself staring at Arthur in a stunned silence. When Arthur had asked to speak with him, he had not imagined this. They stayed like that for minutes, minutes which stretched on for what seemed like an age. Arthur, whose expression had been filled with hope, started to look disheartened. He took a step back and clasped his hands in front of his body. "I'm sorry. I made an assumption again. Forgive me." Arthur's words were polite and spoken with no visible emotion and Alfred knew he had to do something quickly before it could no longer be fixed.
"Thank you Arthur." Arthur looked at Alfred in surprise. "For being brave enough to say that." Alfred gave Arthur a big grin, one that he had not given the other man in days and he could see Arthur visibly relax. Now Alfred was the one to step towards Arthur to make sure there were only a few inches between them. He smiled and kissed a shocked Arthur on the lips. "I would like to try too."
"Alfred? Are you in there?" Matthew's voice was the only warning they had before the door swung open. Luckily they had already managed to move apart from each other so there was nothing suspicious about their position, not that Matthew could judge them for it.
"Hello Matt. Are you ready to go? Arthur and I have been ready for ages," Alfred said cheerfully. He felt like he was floating and judging from Arthur's poorly hidden smile, he was feeling the same thing. Matthew looked between the two of them in bemusement but accepted Alfred's words at face value.
"Yes Alfred. Come on, we have to go in the carriage to get to it. I hope you both have eaten breakfast because you're not going to want to stop," Matthew said in a light voice as he disappeared from the doorway.
"I hate it when he knows something I don't. He's always so smug," Alfred muttered to Arthur who smiled.
"I'm sure you're exactly the same. I do wonder what Matthew has got up his sleeve," Arthur mused and Alfred raised an eyebrow at him. He knew that Arthur was just as curious about where they were going as he was; he was just politer about it. "We should get into the carriage now." Arthur, having already said goodbye to Peter, William and John, walked straight out of the front door while Alfred made sure the room was exactly how they left it.
They travelled in an open carriage since the day was clear and sunny, if a little colder than Alfred would have liked. Matthew was just as irritatingly smug as he had been that morning but Alfred could get nothing out of his brother.
"Come on Matt, just give us a little hint about where we're going," Alfred begged Matthew who shook his head, but Arthur gasped, drawing their attention towards him. As he turned, Alfred could see what Arthur was staring at with wide eyes and his mouth dropped open.
Rising out of the trees was a building, a palace, built entirely of glass. It shined in the sun, the light hitting Alfred's eyes and blinding him. It was the most beautiful building he had ever seen.
"That is the Crystal Palace and it is where we're going today," Matthew said with more than a hint of laughter in his voice but Alfred could not care less. He had caught sight of Arthur's delighted face and the feeling of joy inside of him just added to his own excitement. The first moment he could get, he would repay Matthew many times over. The carriage pulled into the line which moved slowly up towards iron gates before the entrance to the Palace. Out of the carriages in front, finely dressed men and women stepped out, all of them outwardly marvelling at the building that towered above them all.
Matthew showed their credentials to the man at the entrance before they joined the crowds of people that were walking into the main entrance hall. As so many had done before them, they froze at the sight of the hall and spent a minute admiring it. The entrance hall was long and the ceiling soared above their heads, so high that there was a full grown elm tree growing inside it. The leaves offered shade against the sun that shined through the glass and offered some colour against the glass and steel of the building.
"It's beautiful," Arthur whispered and Alfred felt himself nodding. He had seen nothing like it.
"Look at the fountain," Matthew said, gesturing to a fountain made entirely out of pink glass. Alfred could feel the water cooling everything down as it flew high above their heads before falling down into the pool of water that lay level with them.
"Shall we go and look at some of the exhibits, before we spend our entire time staring at the building?" Alfred joked, knowing that he was failing to disguise his eagerness to look around at all the different inventions. He had heard that there was something from nearly every major country and he wanted to see what America contributed. He knew that the main exhibits would be British or from the British Empire but there seemed to be every invention possible in the expansive glass building to look at.
"Yes, let's go and look around," Arthur answered eagerly, starting to walk in a seemingly random direction as Alfred and Matthew followed behind.
There were so many exhibits to be seen that they were sure that even by late afternoon they had not seen even half of those available. Alfred's favourite exhibits had been the huge hydraulic press that had helped to build the bridge at Bangor as well as the collection of small stuffed animals arranged into different situations which had come from Germany. Arthur had scoffed at it but Alfred had returned the favour when he and Matthew had not been able to drag Arthur away from the Koh-I-Noor, the world's biggest known diamond. Alfred had not seen what was so interesting about the diamond, it had not even sparkled like it was supposed to. Arthur had also shown unusual interest in the 'stiletto', a defensive umbrella that seemed to fit Arthur's personality perfectly.
Matthew, before he excused himself to go to the waiting room, had said that he liked the Canadian painted fire engine and the elephant with the throne from India. After Matthew had left them alone, Alfred and Arthur had wandered around many other exhibits, enjoying each other's company and flirting as boldly as they dared in public.
Soon enough, the heat of the sun through the glass and the press of the people started to made Arthur feel slightly ill so Alfred suggested that they go and get some refreshments, trying to hide his relief that they were stopping so he could cool down as well. Arthur gave him a look but said nothing to Alfred's relief and they collected some thirst-quenching drinks before sitting down next to the fountain.
"I do really like this. This was a really good idea of Matthew's," Alfred said to Arthur cheerfully as he looked at all the people milling around. He had always had a nosy streak which was fulfilled by trying to guess people's private lives from just a quick look.
"It was. I thought I would not be able to see this but I'm so glad that I managed to get the chance. It is such a beautiful place and a wonderful exhibition." Arthur's eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were flushed as he talked about the exhibit and Alfred nodded along, almost not listening because he was so enraptured by Arthur. Staring at Arthur, he managed to catch his brother emerging from the slowly thinning crowds behind Arthur. Matthew did not look happy and Alfred's eyebrows drew together as he worried about what was wrong with his brother. When he saw the two people behind Matthew, he understood.
"Matthew!" Arthur said happily as he turned to see what Alfred was looking at and catching sight of Alfred's brother. He stood up and was closely followed by Alfred.
"Hello Arthur," Matthew smiled at him before turning to his two companions. "Francis, Mrs Bonnefoy, this is my brother, Alfred Jones and our friend, Arthur Kirkland. Arthur, Alfred, this is Francis and Monique Bonnefoy." Several things happened during Matthew's introduction. Arthur caught sight of Francis and his face turned white, but Francis was already avoiding his eyes. They obviously knew each other but neither one of them were happy about seeing the other. Alfred noticed this and his suspicions heightened as he looked between the two of them. Matthew narrowed his eyes at the two of them and Alfred knew that he had seen it too. Each of the parties bowed to each other while Monique curtsied at the group.
Matthew was talking with Monique, a beautiful woman with long blonde hair swept into a stylish up-do and wearing an elegant pink dress which accented her womanly figure. Alfred smiled at her when she turned his way. He knew that he should be angry at her for hurting Matthew but the only one he blamed was Francis.
"So Mr Jones, how long are you staying in England for?" Monique asked. Her voice was soothing to listen to and she seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say. Alfred could see Arthur looked interested in the answer and he realised that he had not told Arthur how long he would be here for.
"I am staying for the rest of the summer before going back to America. However I will be back soon after that, I am always wanting to spend more time with my brother," Alfred answered with a smile, leaving Arthur's name unspoken from the equation. He could tell by Arthur's softened stance that he heard it though.
"That is good. I hope you are enjoying England so far," Monique said with a happy smile. "Francis and I come from France but we were both schooled here, so England is almost like our second home." Alfred did not miss the flicker of distaste on Francis' face and he could almost feel Arthur stiffen beside him. Unable to rub Arthur's back in comfort, Alfred settled for shifting slightly nearer to him.
"It is very enjoyable here at the moment and this Crystal Palace is a tribute to Britain and the Empire. Have you managed to see many of the exhibits?" Alfred asked, not wanting to delve too far so he would be thought rude, even though he was technically ignoring Francis.
"We have been to see many but we have not managed to see all of the French exhibits so there are still them to see," Francis said, smoothly inserting himself into the conversation.
"We have already seen them. They are definitely the most beautiful exhibits here," Matthew said warmly and Alfred's eyebrows raised at the smile Francis graced upon his brother. His wife was right next to him.
"We have seen many of the exhibits and we were thinking that it was time to head back towards the house. Don't you agree, Arthur? Matthew?" Alfred asked, turning to his two companions. Arthur nodded and smiled gratefully at Alfred while Matthew looked torn for a minute before nodding as well.
"That is a shame. But it was a pleasure to meet you," Monique said graciously and Alfred smiled. He could like her under different circumstances.
"It was a pleasure to meet you too," Arthur said, finally managing to snap out of the stunned silence he had lapsed into.
"I hope we can see each other again," Matthew said and there was another round of bows and curtsies before Francis and Monique swept off into the crowd. "Let's go."
Alfred and Arthur almost had to jog to keep up with Matthew and all three of them remained silent on the carriage ride home. Alfred was thinking about what had happened between Francis and Arthur and judging by the glances Matthew shot Arthur, he was wondering the same thing.
In the hallway, after the maid had been dismissed after taking their coats, everything came to boiling point.
"Please can I speak to you Arthur?" Matthew asked politely. "Alone." A little put off but understanding, Alfred smiled at the two of them.
"I will just go check on Peter, John and William," he said before climbing the stairs. Arthur threw a desperate look at his back as he saw his last hope that could save him for the awkward conversation that was about to happen. He was aware that Matthew had feelings for Francis and knew that he would have to tell about Francis and his' relationship, but it was definitely not something he was looking forward to.
Matthew led him into the room where Alfred had taken him earlier. Instead of hopeful nervousness, Arthur was filled with dread. Whatever was said here could not be good.
"Please close the door after you Arthur," Matthew requested and Arthur gladly followed through, eager for something to do with his hands so he would not be standing there waiting for a verdict. "I wanted to speak to you about Francis." Arthur nodded but said nothing. He was well aware that was why Matthew wanted to speak to him. "Nothing that you say here will get back to Alfred."
"I will be telling Alfred everything about Francis and I anyway. He needs to know." Arthur was adamant about this point. Complete honesty from this point on between Alfred and him. Matthew nodded, seemingly unsurprised, before settling himself down in one of the armchairs. He did not offer a seat to Arthur and so he hovered, knowing that it was rude for him to sit down without invitation but also knowing that Matthew was being rude by not offering the seat in the first place. Unable to tell whether this was an accidental or a deliberate slight, Arthur decided to err on the side of caution and be overly polite.
"Fine. I was hoping that you could tell me what the relationship between Francis and you is." There it was. Now the time had come for Arthur to be completely honest.
"Francis and I attended school together. We were friends, then lovers. At eighteen we pursued different careers and our romantic relationship broke apart. Shortly after, he married Monique. I have not heard from him ever since my family's financial difficulties became common knowledge." There was no need to say how he felt about that. His contempt and disgust for Francis could be heard in his voice, even by him. Matthew's face twisted at the last words but quickly settled back into the calm, placid expression he had been wearing before.
"You know that Alfred is leaving at the end of the summer, in just over two months’ time?" Matthew's question was so out of the blue that Arthur was thrown for a moment.
"Yes, I am aware. I heard him tell Mrs Bonnefoy today. Why is this - "
"Relevant?" Matthew finished the sentence and Arthur nodded, even though he hated to be interrupted. "Just believe that it is. Are you also aware that this house is mine, I bought it and it is up to me who stays and who goes?" Feeling like he could see where this was going, Arthur nodded mutely. "You picked the wrong brother to cosy up to." Matthew's tone was calm but his words lashed at Arthur especially after everything that had been said and done between Alfred and him. He shook his head at this, still unable to speak up. It felt like all his words were trying to force the way out of his throat at the same time and getting stuck on the way.
"When Alfred goes back to America, I want you to move out. I will give you a tidy sum that will keep you and your family, not in the style you are used to, but more comfortably than you are at the moment. This money will only come if you say nothing to Alfred about this request. You must never contact him again. Alfred will find a suitable woman and settle down like we all must do. You will be forgotten as you should be."
"That's enough." Alfred's voice definitely beat Matthew's in terms of coldness. The sound made them both jump and Matthew rose out of the armchair at the sight of his brother.
"Alfr - " Matthew tried to speak, looking horror-struck, but Alfred cut him off with a slice of his hand in the air. He turned to Arthur, who reared back slightly, expecting the same cold look that Alfred had just given Matthew. However the coldness had vanished from his expression, leaving Alfred's usual easy smile there.
"Peter wants you to read them all a bedtime story. Apparently I don't tell it right." Alfred joked and Arthur smiled weakly, unable to deal with the mood whiplash. He started to move slowly towards the door, waiting for one of them to call him back. "I'll see you upstairs soon," Alfred said in a quiet voice as Arthur passed him. He cast another glance at Alfred's sky blue eyes and they were warm, showing nothing of what he must be feeling after overhearing the conversation.
Arthur left the room, slamming the door shut so it was properly shut unlike earlier, when it had obviously been pulled open by a draught, unnoticed by Matthew or Arthur. This was one conversation that he definitely did not want to hear.
Literally, your comments are making me smile so much. And confusing my laptop is broken and I'm typing this on my mum's laptop which does not allow me to do links on LJ, that's a big thing. Thank you!
Sorry if you didn't like it but this entry of the summer camp was on the laptop as it broke so I had to rewrite in the few hours last night. The Great Exhibition was in 1851 and it basically a chance for Great Britain to show off to the world. There were exhibits from all over the place as well. Now I'm going to see whether I can recover anything off my harddrive because my back up did not work.