The cold, winter snow swirled through the grounds of Astley Park and landed in a large, white blanket that coated everything living and non-living. Each unique snowflake tumbled against another and stuck together as it hit the ground. William Maxwell sat by the window in the room that had been provided for him at the estate. His forehead pressed against the glass and his lips hovered only a few centimeters from the surface of the window. Each time he breathed, it fogged up lightly, clearing up slightly when he inhaled again. The cycle repeated again and again as Will focused on the simplicity of the task, willing his mind to focus on such a trifle thing. It was better than focusing on other things, at least.
This Christmas was to be the first one spent without his mother or his father. Their untimely deaths, so soon after his return from war, had plunged him into a depression so unlike any he'd ever felt before. The young man, not even in his thirties, was a broken soul. What purpose did he serve in life anymore besides protecting his younger siblings. In fact, perhaps it was only his siblings that kept him from pointing a gun down his throat. As more snow gathered on the grounds, William groped around for the rosary on the windowsill while his eyes still focused on the view. His fingers fastened around the familiar cross and he pulled it close to his lips. Pressing it against the slightly chapped skin, he closed his eyes and winced lightly as if the memories of the rosary brought by memories too painful to handle.
"You would love the snow here, Mother," he murmured, his voice on the edge of cracking. He could keep a strong front for his siblings and for Nathan...but, on his own, he was nothing more than a miserable wreck of a man. "The grounds glisten with so many little snowflak-." His voice caught in his throat and he stopped, pressing his lips together. What had become of him, damn it? Was he not Major William Maxwell of the 21st Lancer Division? Had he and his stallion not chased the damned Germans back behind their lines? He could almost hear his father, a rough, outspoken man, scold him for his childish behavior. Stiffen that upper lip, William, he'd snap, silencing Will almost instantly.
He dropped the rosary and slowly stood up, legs weak from what must have been hours of sitting at the window. He walked to his nightstand and turned on the lamp there before sitting on the bed. Face in his hands, he shook his head slowly and sighed. He couldn't go out like this...he couldn't let Nathan or Jasper or Victoria see him so upset. The young lawyer looked up and reached for the flask that sat on his bed stand. Flipping open the top, he tipped his head back and poured a decent amount of the sharp whiskey into his mouth. He swallowed the liquid and sighed again, this time in relief, as it slid down his throat. That should do for now, hopefully. Will stood and stretched his arms above his head. He'd already dressed for the day in a blue suit with a white dress shirt and light blue tie underneath. William stuffed the flask into a pocket in his trousers, keeping it on him should he need it later.
The lawyer turned off the light and moved across the room to open the door, which creaked lightly. In turn, he suddenly heard paws against the floor and turned to look down at two of his dogs. He couldn't bear to leave all of his dogs behind and, despite Jasper's dislike of them, he'd brought along a greyhound named Duke and a beagle named Teddy after one of the first casualties he'd seen on the battlefield. The dogs stopped in front of him, tails wagging expectantly as if hoping he'd let them outside.
"Not now," he murmured, voice staying low. "After breakfast." They couldn't understand him, and he knew it fully well. Yet, he still seemed to get some sort of satisfaction from speaking with his dogs. Closing the door carefully behind him, William started down the stairs to the dining room, buttoning his suit jacket up slightly as he'd had it open while sitting down. By then, the whiskey seemed to have cheered him up and he turned into the morning room with a smile upon his countenance. "Good morning, Countess. And, good morning Nathan." He stopped by the breakfast bar and placed some sausage on to his plate along with eggs and a slice of toast before heading back to the group. Will slid out the chair beside Nathan and sat himself down before he began to eat a bite of his toast. "So...how did the two of you sleep last night?"