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Lord Tobias Hurst, Duke of Devon (lord_hurst) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-10-12 09:55:00

Entry tags:

character_development, nathaniel_piper, tobias_hurst

Grouse Season
Subject: An Afternoon Hunt
Who: Lord Tobias Hurst
Where: Bailston Abbey, The Hurst's Country Estate
Warnings:None
Open to: Everyone you would like to come along to the hunt, the Hurst family and friends, including friends of the Hurst children.

Hurst glanced back over at the moor, hushing the two dogs at his feet. The beaters and groundsmen had not long gone up, stalking through the heather-covered scrub. It was a fine day for it, one of them had said, touching his cap to Hurst as he'd passed earlier, with the sun behind them and the sky clear. True, the air was crisp, and no doubt it would get dark before he and his guests were tired of the sport, but the kitchens were prepared and ready to receive whatever was brought back to them.

Truth be told, Hurst was looking forwards to the afternoon. With most hunting seasons over and done with now, Grouse and Fox was the only available sport left at Bailston, and soon Rebecca would want to return to London, where the season of masquerades and parties was only just beginning. They needed to find suitable matches for the children, she would say, and they were unlikely to be hiding in the moors and gorse bushes of Devon.

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piperisalord
2008-10-12 05:21 am UTC (link)

When the Piper family had received the invitation to go Grouse hunting with the Hurst's Nathaniel had been thrilled, even more so when his father said that he would not be attending, and nor would any of his sisters. Tobias was a close friend of his, and now that he would be traveling alone to see him he could express his true distaste for the arrangement that his father had set up for him, which he couldn't have done if any family had been present of course. He had always been taught that he was to respect the family elders, so expressing his chagrin would have been immediately frowned upon.

Nathaniel had set out early, while it was still dark and ridden swiftly, his hound at his side as he took a treacherous route through the woods just for the thrill of it. There was something so exciting about never knowing just what one would encounter that Nathaniel adored and tried to experience whenever possible. He'd seen a stag, though nothing more, but that was enough to have his heart racing with pleasure, and it lead him to looking even more forward to the afternoon with his friend.

When he arrived there was as always someone there to take his horse, and he thanked them with a smile after being told where Tobias was. He had of course been invited in for something to eat and a rest, but Nathaniel didn't feel the need for it, and really just wanted to get out. He did however take five minutes to let his dog have a drink of water and a quick bite as it would be important for it to have all the energy it could. After much pushing he finally did except a small food parcel, and deep down he was thankful for it as he slipped it into his satchel.

Finally on his way Nathaniel had his gun over his shoulder as he trudge across the grass, glancing around at the sun and feeling the wind, it truly was a perfect day for a hunt, and the crisp air did nothing but add a slight rose colour to his cheeks. He was far fonder of winter than summer anyway, and being able to feel that the season would soon be upon the country just made him smile. Really, today there wasn't much that could bring him down. And who knew? Perhaps Tobias had invited other families that would bring in a few females that would be to his liking, a woman who could enjoy a hunt was his type of woman after all, and of course if Tobias had invited them they would be the type of woman his father wanted to see him marrying.

The smile on Nathaniel's face only spread when he saw Tobias and he motioned for his dog to stay where he was, then slowly moved up behind the other man, careful to be quiet as he leaned in as close as he could get.

"BOO!"

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lord_hurst
2008-10-12 07:28 am UTC (link)

In truth, Hurst had not been expecting anyone to creep up behind them. It was hardly the wisest thing to do with loaded guns and with the dogs tense and excitable. He jumped, of course, and cursed, turning on his heel. "Nathaniel!" He exclaimed, smiling slightly, "I should have known it was you. Not an ounce of your father's good sense." He added, teasingly, turning back to watch the beaters and groundsmen disappear over the crest of the hill. "Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?"

"Meet any eligable young ladies lately?" He asked, gesturing for his latest arrival to climb up towards the moors with him, the calls of the frightened grouse growing louder. "Your father tells me he has one or two in mind for you already."

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piperisalord
2008-10-12 08:24 am UTC (link)

Nathaniel received the exact reaction that he wanted and beamed at Tobias, it was after all payback for all the times the other had scared him in his youth. "Well, if I had my fathers good sense then I wouldn't be the fabulous person that I am, now would I?" he asked with a laugh. He was so different when he could be free like now. Whereas with his father he was a quiet man, an humble; when around others? He was a cocky bastard who probably would have gotten smacked upside the head if it wasn't for his social status. "Dinner? Of course I will Tobias, you know how well I like your dear cook and the way the grouse is prepared here. And you always have the best wines," he nodded, though the nod was most to himself.

He let out a soft groan at how quick the question of his marriage status came up and didn't reply as he joined the other towards the moors. Well," he started, the slight smirk returning to his face again. "It depends on what you mean by eligible. If you're talking about what my father would see fit, then no, I haven't. But what I like? Well... I like a lot, and I like to have fun with them," he said, his eyes sparkling slightly. "They're not marriage material though, oh no not at all." His face turned to distaste again when Tobias brought up his father having findings for him already. "Ah, so father has told you about his arrangement has he?" he said, scowling with distaste for the idea. "Has he said anything of the ones he has in mind for me? Knowing him he'll have chosen women who know nothing about pleasuring a man how we like to be pleasured, but rather one who thinks that sex is something you have once each time you want a child." He had a foul tongue, but other than his father he didn't really care what people generally thought of him. "If he does find ones for me though I at least hope that they're young and eager to learn so I can teach them exactly what I want."

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lord_hurst
2008-10-18 05:25 am UTC (link)

"Fabulous may be pushing it, Nathaniel." Tobias grinned in reply, "Cheeky, certainly." He added, shifting his gun and studying the mechanism, blowing the lint from the firing hammer. "And I wouldn't be surprised if there is no grouse for tonight's supper, you and your surprises scaring them off." He added, almost teasingly, glancing up again at the young man. "Five pounds say I make first kill."

"Pliny!" Hurst called then, waiting for his gun dog to bound up towards them, up to the crest of the hill, listening to the younger man's spiel. He didn't often use such language himself, not in good company. There were ways to say what one wished to say without saying it outright. "Now now, Nathaniel. You're smart enough to know marriage is nothing to do with that. Marriage is about procuring the right linages and alliances. I don't doubt your father has already told you the particulars. You can find entertainment elsewhere, if you must. Most do."

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piperisalord
2008-10-18 10:12 am UTC (link)

"You just don't know what fabulous is my good man," Nathaniel replied, shaking his head at being called cheeky. Perhaps he was cheeky, but if that was the case he was very pleased and proud to be cheeky. He was leaning on his own gun, palm on the barrel as he used it for rest. "Well then, even if there isn't any grouse, and if I know you well enough, I'm quite sure that you have much of everything else prepared to compensate for the lack." Nathaniel's eyes were sparkling with glee and excitement, and they lit up even more at the notion of a bet. "Ah, you remember my weakness I see Tobias, I'll take you up on that bet, and add ten to the fact that I'll bring home most grouse."

Nathaniel was a very outspoken person though, he had been since his teen years, and though he probably could do with a lesson in humility. But then again, he had to always be humble when he was around his father as to not lose his inheritance, in both title and riches, so whenever he had the chance he changed completely. "I do I do, I just don't understand why father is insisting that I get married now. And by 31! You do realise that I turn 31 in April, do you not?" he asked, anger going through him again, though he calmed himself down quickly and brought his gun up to his face, aiming it at nothing and wanting to take a practice shot, but that would just scare the grouse off again, and he wanted to win. "I do find entertainment else where," he replied, though then turned his head to look at Tobias. "Do you?"

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lord_hurst
2008-10-18 10:41 am UTC (link)

"If there isn't any grouse we might have to go fishing." Hurst told him, with a small amount of glee. While most of his peers seemed to think the sport was for commoners, he had no qualms about spending several hours in the fast-flowing water of the river that ran through the estate, nor a day say on the bank of the lake. Still, he was an odd breed of man. "For I doubt my cook will be happy to raid her store cupboards if we come back with nothing, and I shall never hear the end of it."

It was at the young man's mention of bets that Hurst raised an eyebrow. "You, boy? Shoot more than me?" He laughed, "You'll fire more rounds, but you'll not get half as many birds."

"You are forgetting that I was married by 20, Nathaniel, and a father three times over before I was the age you are now." He said rather flatly, unimpressed with the boy's adamant words. Of course, Hurst had only counted his legitimate children, but one did not go around flaunting the others, especially after the damnable mention of his newest son in the papers had not helped matters much. "What I may or may not do away from home, young Nathaniel, is not something I shall discuss with my god-son. You forget that I can remember very clearly the day you were born."

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piperisalord
2008-10-18 04:19 pm UTC (link)

"Fishing? You and your...commoner sports," Nathaniel replied with a snort of laughter, though he didn't mind. It just wasn't his favourite after a nasty run in with it during his youth. Falling into a running river at age 11 and being swept down it for quite a ways, and finally managing to get out only to become sick left bad memories imprinted on one, but Nathaniel had been forced to overcome his fears by his father, who told him that only weak people had fears. It was rivers more so than lakes though, mainly due to the fact that the lake could take one away so quickly, whereas a lake just sort of...sat there. "You do still have the same cook as you've had all these years, right? And that tubby little helper she has? Is she still there? She was always such a dear. So good natured, and her cheeks were always so rosy," he continued, trailing off a bit as a smile spread across his face. "I have many memories with her, oh yes."

"Oh no, I will most definitely win the bet old man, your eyesight must be starting to fade now, you don't stand a chance," Nathaniel replied, taking a jab at the others age just like he did his, he wasn't all that much younger after all.

"I'm quite sure that somewhere I am a father," Nathaniel said crudely, though of course that wasn't in the same way that Tobias was. His didn't count for anything, nor did Nathaniel really give them much thought. He rolled his eyes though slightly at the way the other was speaking. Married by 20? Nathaniel had never shown the desire. He was glad to be unattatched, and he would have gladly stayed that way for a few more years. "But!" he started, dropping the gun away from his face to scowl at the older man. Really, he'd always seen Tobias as a friend more than anything, so he hated when he pulled the God-father card on him. "So what if you can remember the day I was born? I'm just curious as to what you do. And here I thought we shared a special bond." He brought the gun back up to his face now and was glaring more intently with his aim this time. "And here I thought that we were friends."

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