Aahana Swrup
In ‘Beauty in Black,’ Charles and Varney’s relationship consistently remains a foundational cornerstone in each character’s narratives. Charles is the youngest Bellarie son, whom Horace detests for his sexuality, but mostly his irresponsible partyboy lifestyle. On the other hand, Varney is the family attorney who deals with all legal matters, but primarily the family will, which remains the source of much tension in the clan. The two are in a secret relationship from the start, kept hidden because the lawyer fears Horace’s reaction. Despite his insistence on secrecy, he harbors serious feelings for the young Bellarie and wants them to be in an actual relationship. In turn, Charles remains averse to commitment, often hurting the other man with his callousness. By the end of season 2, part 1, their relationship remains in tatters. Therefore, as Evan, a new face, enters Varney’s life, Charles’ standing as the latter’s lover becomes all the more precarious. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Varney Walks Away From Charles
Varney’s relationship with Charles has never been a particularly healthy one. Unlike the other men whom the latter hooks up with, the attorney is a constant in the young heir’s life. He can’t write the other man off as a one-night stand, which makes their relationship more real. Furthermore, as the Bellarie family’s attorney, Varney is already aware of his dysfunctional relationship with his parents and his brother. Therefore, there’s a pre-existing intimacy between their connection. Nonetheless, Charles refuses to acknowledge the potential for more in their relationship. His commitment issues prevent him from ever truly being with Varney without writing their dynamic off as a sex-only arrangement. He uses the lawyer’s unwillingness to tell the rest of the family about their relationship as an excuse to keep them hidden behind closed doors.
In turn, Charles’ lack of commitment prevents Varney from risking his career and his standing with the Bellarie family for a relationship that might not even work out in the end. This creates a self-destructive cycle that colors most of their interactions. Things begin to go south after Roy, the older Bellarie son, discovers their relationship and uses it to blackmail Varney into doing his own bidding. Even then, the other brother refuses to help the lawyer out in any substantial way and continues to disregard the reality of his feelings for him. Consequently, Varney finally decides to end things with Charles when he continues to hook up with other men. He realizes that the latter’s issues and refusal to work on them have perpetually doomed any possibilities for a real future between them.
Varney Find the Potential of Something Real With Evan
Shortly after the end of Varney and Charles’ relationship, the attorney finds a second chance at romance. When he accompanies Mallory to Jules’ club, he meets Evan, a young stripper. Initially, the latter tries to seduce the other man, with little success. As a result, he ends up revealing that he’s actually in need of some legal help. Much like the other dancers at the club, Evan and his younger sister were also tricked into coming to Atlanta, only to face a severe criminal charge for drug trafficking. Afterward, Jules used his connection with a judge to entrap the siblings in his trafficking ring under the guise of keeping them out of prison.
Even though Varney is reluctant to hear Evan out in the beginning, he ends up giving the young man a chance. Although he tries to deny it, this decision is influenced by the attraction he feels toward the dancer. However, once he hears Evans’ story, he realizes that they could help each other out in a quid pro quo. As the Bellarie family drama has continued to grow, the attorney and Mallory have formed an alliance fo sort to take the rest of the clan down while saving themselves. Varney realizes that if he uses Evan and his sister as evidence against Jules, Norman, and Roy, he can easily plan their demise without any direct threat to Mallory. Moreover, the reciprocated chemistry between Varney and Evan eventually boils over as the two end up at the lawyer’s house.
In an unexpected turn of events, Charles ends up confronting Varney at his house at the same time. Throughout their relationship, even though the Bellarie heir has shown no commitment to the lawyer, the latter had remained faithful to him to some degree. Therefore, Charles doesn’t face the reality of the other man moving on well. Nonetheless, Varney had been serious when he had ended things with him. Therefore, in the end, he ends up kicking Charles out of his house. Afterward, he and Evan hook up together, and when the latter expresses his desire to have something real with the attorney, his feelings are reciprocated. Ultimately, Varney cements the end of his affections for Charles and chooses a future with Evan.
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