xAge: 29 | Dialogue color: 006A4Ex
- She has an unnatural obsession
with the house. Her eyes dilated. - If anything is out of sorts, she will notice.
She becomes hysterical. - Her paintings as of recently
have been dark, unusual, and abstract. This is odd for her. - Privately, she stares at herself in the mirror.
For a long time. Simply, quirks. Nothing to question, right? x | x
As custom permits, a widow must wear mourning clothing for two years from when she loses her beloved. Deepest mourning is portrayed in black which is symbolic for spiritual darkness. A widow grieves the longest because part of who she is, is her husband. She suffers far more than anyone else does, at least that is what is socially believed.
If Josephine didn't marry well, she wouldn't be adorned with reflective paramatta silk, but with bombazine. If she didn't marry well, she would be forced to marry again. If she didn't marry well, her son, who has yet to turn six, would have no future. If she didn't marry well...
She is fortunate to have married into the Northam family. If it weren't for the kindness of her father-in-law, she would've been driven to suicide. Even with the land left behind by Morrie, it is barren without him. That underling sadness walks with her where ever she goes and for a year, since his death, Josephine has been a ghost among her family.
Her beautiful, pale skin and cheeks kissed by roses no longer have the vibrancy it did before his death. It has become a rarity for her to smile, which was part of her charm. She, who reminded people of the morning star, is reserved now, and the beauty she had since birth, her dark waves of hair, her full-bodied red lips, and her lithe frame... they carry a different, more bewitching appeal.
Josephine Northam is not the same woman she once was.
Her mother always wanted her to marry well, so that she didn't have to worry about working. Her mother too became a widow and opened a shop, taking up needlework, since she had no family to aid her. At the time, Jo was far too young to do so herself. Observing her mother's struggles gave Jo the drive to find suitors to steal her away from her reality.
Morrie was who she chose, having met him while her mother tailored his first suit for himself and not something that was provided for him from his father. They were young and in love. The rest was history and they were drawn to each other like her mother was drawn to sex. The only work that was ever required of her was being there for their son. She did take up some hobbies to make up for her only attribute being her silver tongue, like painting.
The reason she is staying at Manor North is because Morrie's parents were concerned for her well-being, as well as their grandchild's. Their estate is in the heart of London, in Westminster, but she hasn't visited for eight months. She considers herself a resident at Manor North, even if the property doesn't belong to her.
She has silent resentment for her brother-in-law, who hasn't been with the family for ages. In her eyes, he may be the eldest, but he's the least deserving of the Northam name, and everything that comes with it.
Somewhere, deep within her everlasting grieving self, there is the blissful, youthful flower child. The girl that didn't like wearing tight, barely breathable dresses. The girl who let her hair run wild in the comfort of her mother's shop. The girl who defied status quo and became a trendsetter. That outspoken, fiery spirit, full of laughter, known as Jo hasn't been seen in months. The shell that is who everyone sees is a woman with innate grace, that takes it upon herself to be soft spoken unless stirred, and has a striking stare that hits the heart. A stare carrying far more weight than any human should carry.
As mentioned above, Josephine is the daughter of a seamstress. For reasons only known to her, she cut ties with her only blood family member. Mortimer pursued her when she was fourteen, he was two years older than her. They spent some of their honeymoon phase sightseeing. Once they returned, their biggest obstacle became having a child. Unfortunately, this gave Morrie an appetite for other women's flesh, causing Jo to turn to alcohol and self harm.
Reaching her mid twenties, she was prepared to give up on this pursuit, and permit him to impregnate one of his whores. Surprised he hadn't. That is until one night, something came over her husband, and she had one of the best nights of her life. She was reminded of the days that he only saw her. It was dark, but his scent was intoxicating and his glowing eyes were welcoming. Nine months later Nicholas was born. Her angel from God. Her blessing. He is one of the most charming, lovable boys anyone can ever meet, and he is her's.
For five years, regardless of her husband's habits, she didn't feel alone and had her son to keep her company. She started to believe she didn't need her husband to function. And then he died. Everything became blurry and she couldn't be there for her son anymore. Not like she once was. She didn't think she'd get this sad, but even with his infidelity, he loved her and provided for her. Now, she is in the house that he deserved and is left in the hands of a man that he despised. His older brother. x |