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tamingthemuse2007-10-26 06:43 pm
leatherdykeuk.livejournal.com) wrote in tamingthemuse2007-10-26 06:43 pm
Entry tags:
Prompt 66 - Hue and Cry – Middling News - leatherdykeuk – Original Fic
Title: Middling News
Fandom: Original Fic – Halcyon Days
Prompt: Hue and Cry
Warnings: none
Rating: PG
Summary: Charlotte announces her engagement.
Prompt 66 – Hue and cry – Middling News - leatherdykeuk – Original Fic
Melissa wouldn’t budge after she’d let slip that the prince who had courted her was from Faery. No matter how much her daughter pestered her and said how utterly ridiculous it was that she believed in fairies at her age – as if 51 were old – Mellissa didn’t utter another word about the subject.
After the state burial of the Queen which Charlotte declined to attend, since it would mean a day’s travel by coach in the dubious company of strangers for her mother had no desire to go to the capital, life at Laverstone Manor returned to normal. Each week, on a Friday, Melissa would go through the accounts and allot Charlotte her allowance of twenty pounds. It was rather a lot for a young lady of few responsibilities, but Melissa reasoned that it would prevent her marrying for the desire of money.
It was on such a day, in late spring, that Charlotte waltzed unannounced into the study, startling her mother so much that she lost her place in the ledger.
“How many times have I asked, no, pleaded, with you not to disturb me when I’m doing the household account?” she asked, the quill still in her hand.
“Thousands of times mother but there’s no need to make a hue and cry about it.” Charlotte was like a whirlwind, scattering files and papers as she planted her hands on the desk.
Melissa sat back. “As important as finding a skeleton in the sarcophagus?” she said. “Or a string of rabbits in the pantry? You were so upset by that.”
“That’s unfair, mother. Both of those were a long time ago.”
“What is it this time then?”
“I’m getting married.”
“What?” Melissa put down her pen and stared at her daughter’s excited face. “Who?”
“Frederick Hawksworth. He works for the bank and is very respectable. You’ll like him.”
“Not even a viscount.” Melissa muttered. She stood and came around the desk to embrace her daughter. “Do you truly love him?”
“I do. He’s very kind and he’s due to be the manager when his father dies. He already has a house in town. Not as grand as the manor, of course, but perfectly adequate.”
“Which house?” Melissa walked across to the far wall where a map of the village, painstakingly created by her father, still hung.
“What does it matter which house?” Charlotte’s face crumpled. “I thought you’d be pleased for me.”
“I am, dear, but trust me that it matters. Can’t a mother look after her daughter’s welfare?”
“Not when I’m engaged to be married to a wonderful man.” Charlotte made pretence of wiping tears from her eyes. “He lives at Park View, if you must know.”
“Park View?” Melissa muttered, moving her fingers across the map. She paused when she found it and, keeping her finger on the spot, picked up a ruler with the other hand. Fixing her eyes on the house she then checked lines between several points marked with crosses in circles. Charlotte had always assumed them to be churches but looking closer she noticed that none of the marks were centred on either of the buildings, though one was in the churchyard at St. Pity’s.
“What are you doing, Mother?” she asked.
“Just checking the lines, dear. Park View is awfully close to the sixth meridian.”
“The what? There’re no regiments stationed in Laverstone.”
“Not regiments, Charlotte.” Melissa put down the ruler and turned to face her daughter. “Leylines.”
Fandom: Original Fic – Halcyon Days
Prompt: Hue and Cry
Warnings: none
Rating: PG
Summary: Charlotte announces her engagement.
Prompt 66 – Hue and cry – Middling News - leatherdykeuk – Original Fic
Melissa wouldn’t budge after she’d let slip that the prince who had courted her was from Faery. No matter how much her daughter pestered her and said how utterly ridiculous it was that she believed in fairies at her age – as if 51 were old – Mellissa didn’t utter another word about the subject.
After the state burial of the Queen which Charlotte declined to attend, since it would mean a day’s travel by coach in the dubious company of strangers for her mother had no desire to go to the capital, life at Laverstone Manor returned to normal. Each week, on a Friday, Melissa would go through the accounts and allot Charlotte her allowance of twenty pounds. It was rather a lot for a young lady of few responsibilities, but Melissa reasoned that it would prevent her marrying for the desire of money.
It was on such a day, in late spring, that Charlotte waltzed unannounced into the study, startling her mother so much that she lost her place in the ledger.
“How many times have I asked, no, pleaded, with you not to disturb me when I’m doing the household account?” she asked, the quill still in her hand.
“Thousands of times mother but there’s no need to make a hue and cry about it.” Charlotte was like a whirlwind, scattering files and papers as she planted her hands on the desk.
Melissa sat back. “As important as finding a skeleton in the sarcophagus?” she said. “Or a string of rabbits in the pantry? You were so upset by that.”
“That’s unfair, mother. Both of those were a long time ago.”
“What is it this time then?”
“I’m getting married.”
“What?” Melissa put down her pen and stared at her daughter’s excited face. “Who?”
“Frederick Hawksworth. He works for the bank and is very respectable. You’ll like him.”
“Not even a viscount.” Melissa muttered. She stood and came around the desk to embrace her daughter. “Do you truly love him?”
“I do. He’s very kind and he’s due to be the manager when his father dies. He already has a house in town. Not as grand as the manor, of course, but perfectly adequate.”
“Which house?” Melissa walked across to the far wall where a map of the village, painstakingly created by her father, still hung.
“What does it matter which house?” Charlotte’s face crumpled. “I thought you’d be pleased for me.”
“I am, dear, but trust me that it matters. Can’t a mother look after her daughter’s welfare?”
“Not when I’m engaged to be married to a wonderful man.” Charlotte made pretence of wiping tears from her eyes. “He lives at Park View, if you must know.”
“Park View?” Melissa muttered, moving her fingers across the map. She paused when she found it and, keeping her finger on the spot, picked up a ruler with the other hand. Fixing her eyes on the house she then checked lines between several points marked with crosses in circles. Charlotte had always assumed them to be churches but looking closer she noticed that none of the marks were centred on either of the buildings, though one was in the churchyard at St. Pity’s.
“What are you doing, Mother?” she asked.
“Just checking the lines, dear. Park View is awfully close to the sixth meridian.”
“The what? There’re no regiments stationed in Laverstone.”
“Not regiments, Charlotte.” Melissa put down the ruler and turned to face her daughter. “Leylines.”
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"as if 51 were old Hee, children can never get their heads around the fact that their parents were young once.
I assumed that Melissa was checking where the house was situated from a status perspective " Can’t a mother look after her daughter’s welfare?”, so to find she's checking for proximity to leylines is very intriguing and I want to know what's going to happen next.
Is this part of a bigger story?
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It will be part of a longer story. I currently have two novels in progress already, so this forum is the only attention I can spare to this one at present. It's actually a prequel to my usual series of stories, the first of which will be published next year.
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It will no doubt take me a few weeks to get familiar with this world. I do hope you continue to give me a chance to do so, by staying and writing more. I do like the glimpses you have shown us so far. And the hints of faery have me somewhat hooked.
Charlotte has grown up to be a very proper young lady, a clearly modern child of the age of reason. I like her, but worry about how she will react if/when she learns that there is more to this world than is dreamt of in her philosophy.
Very nice. Thank you.
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I'd have changed the name in this chapter except that Melissa and Charlotte are already history in the other books.
Sorry for the confusion.