Fic: The Marriage Plot
A little bout of insanity, inspired by watching Pride and Prejudice and dealing with the "soup opera" that is my current love life.
Title: The Marriage Plot
Rating: G
Fandom: Original. Unless "Regency" counts as a fandom.
Summary: Eliza's engagement is not going exactly as she'd hoped.
The Marriage Plot
“Oh Lord, it was positively horrifying!”
Eliza Roberts collapsed back into a chair, her face white. “Really, I don’t know what to think! My heart is having such palpitations, Izzy!”
Her dear friend Isabella Tipton nodded gravely. “It is rather horrible, Eliza, I will admit.”
“Rather horrible?” Eliza closed her eyes, as though the very thought pained her. “How could I dismiss this as simply “rather horrible”? My life as I know it is over. Forever!”
“I am certain it cannot be so awful, Eliza. Tell me, exactly what did he say?”
“He said ... he said - ” Eliza took a deep, steadying breath. “He said: ‘Miss Richardson, I think you and I are well matched, and I would be honoured if you would be my wife.’”
Her words echoed in the silence that followed. “Oh no!” Isabella shook her head, mouth slightly open. “He said... he said exactly those words? You are certain that he didn’t say more?” Her eyes swept around the room, as though looking for some sort of sign, before flicking back to Eliza. When she spoke again, her tone was decisive. “You must have been so blinded by love that you could not heed them.”
“Oh, I wish it were so!”
Isabella blinked. “He did not declare how ardently he admires and loves you?”
“Indeed, he did not.”
“He did not imply that he was half agony, half hope in awaiting your reply?”
Eliza sighed. “I do not think that he knows what agony is. He can have no true feelings for me, if that is indeed the case.”
“Well,” Isabella said, “I think perhaps he does ardently admire and love you, but does not know how to express it.”
Eliza laughed, with trembling notes and wide eyes. “How can it be so? His love has no challenge, no difficulty. How can he truly love me with no obstacles in his path? The course of true love never did run smooth, Isabella! And, I must proclaim, so far it has been as smooth as glass between us.”
“Now, that cannot be true, Eliza.” Isabelle put a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder, willing her to see sense. “He must have some friend, or acquaintance, who dislikes you or thinks you of inferior breeding. He will most certainly attempt to prevent the wedding, spread lies about your feelings or...” She waved her free hand wildly, as though attempting to conjure a solution out of thin air. "... Or perhaps take him away to town on urgent business and introduce him to another young lady there.”
“There is no one, Izzy. All of his friends are perfectly polite to me, and his fortune - indeed, it is hardly one thousand a year! How could such a man have acquaintances with such useful concerns?”
“And you are certain that you have no rival for his affections? There must be a rich heiress about somewhere, Eliza, whom he must at least pretend to tempt into marriage. It is common sense, and he is nothing if not a sensible man.”
“Not at all, not at all! And perhaps it would be bearable if he had declared that he loved me, despite my lack of fortune, against his better judgement and the advice of his overbearing aunt, but I swear he did not even consider it! We are “well-matched,” it seems, and no one could possibly swoon or protest to wording such as that!”
Isabella shook her head. “Oh, Eliza, do not despair,” she said. “It is not yet entirely hopeless. Your father may refuse his consent, and think what a wonder a forbidden romance would be!’
“Papa has already consented! He has very prompt in expressing his approval and allaying all of my future husband’s fears.”
Isabella opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again without a sound.
“I only wish I hated him!” Eliza said. “Then I could have looked him in the eye and declared that I would never marry him, not even for thirty thousand pounds a year, not even to save myself and my family from ruin and despair! It would have been the proper response to a first proposal, but I must admit, he has never called me barely tolerable or refused me a dance, and I could not bring myself to crush him so!
Isabella hung her head. “Well then, I am afraid to say that you are quite right, Eliza. It is hopeless. You are doomed to enjoy a happy, healthy and uneventful engagement.”
Eliza burst into tears.
Title: The Marriage Plot
Rating: G
Fandom: Original. Unless "Regency" counts as a fandom.
Summary: Eliza's engagement is not going exactly as she'd hoped.
The Marriage Plot
“Oh Lord, it was positively horrifying!”
Eliza Roberts collapsed back into a chair, her face white. “Really, I don’t know what to think! My heart is having such palpitations, Izzy!”
Her dear friend Isabella Tipton nodded gravely. “It is rather horrible, Eliza, I will admit.”
“Rather horrible?” Eliza closed her eyes, as though the very thought pained her. “How could I dismiss this as simply “rather horrible”? My life as I know it is over. Forever!”
“I am certain it cannot be so awful, Eliza. Tell me, exactly what did he say?”
“He said ... he said - ” Eliza took a deep, steadying breath. “He said: ‘Miss Richardson, I think you and I are well matched, and I would be honoured if you would be my wife.’”
Her words echoed in the silence that followed. “Oh no!” Isabella shook her head, mouth slightly open. “He said... he said exactly those words? You are certain that he didn’t say more?” Her eyes swept around the room, as though looking for some sort of sign, before flicking back to Eliza. When she spoke again, her tone was decisive. “You must have been so blinded by love that you could not heed them.”
“Oh, I wish it were so!”
Isabella blinked. “He did not declare how ardently he admires and loves you?”
“Indeed, he did not.”
“He did not imply that he was half agony, half hope in awaiting your reply?”
Eliza sighed. “I do not think that he knows what agony is. He can have no true feelings for me, if that is indeed the case.”
“Well,” Isabella said, “I think perhaps he does ardently admire and love you, but does not know how to express it.”
Eliza laughed, with trembling notes and wide eyes. “How can it be so? His love has no challenge, no difficulty. How can he truly love me with no obstacles in his path? The course of true love never did run smooth, Isabella! And, I must proclaim, so far it has been as smooth as glass between us.”
“Now, that cannot be true, Eliza.” Isabelle put a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder, willing her to see sense. “He must have some friend, or acquaintance, who dislikes you or thinks you of inferior breeding. He will most certainly attempt to prevent the wedding, spread lies about your feelings or...” She waved her free hand wildly, as though attempting to conjure a solution out of thin air. "... Or perhaps take him away to town on urgent business and introduce him to another young lady there.”
“There is no one, Izzy. All of his friends are perfectly polite to me, and his fortune - indeed, it is hardly one thousand a year! How could such a man have acquaintances with such useful concerns?”
“And you are certain that you have no rival for his affections? There must be a rich heiress about somewhere, Eliza, whom he must at least pretend to tempt into marriage. It is common sense, and he is nothing if not a sensible man.”
“Not at all, not at all! And perhaps it would be bearable if he had declared that he loved me, despite my lack of fortune, against his better judgement and the advice of his overbearing aunt, but I swear he did not even consider it! We are “well-matched,” it seems, and no one could possibly swoon or protest to wording such as that!”
Isabella shook her head. “Oh, Eliza, do not despair,” she said. “It is not yet entirely hopeless. Your father may refuse his consent, and think what a wonder a forbidden romance would be!’
“Papa has already consented! He has very prompt in expressing his approval and allaying all of my future husband’s fears.”
Isabella opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again without a sound.
“I only wish I hated him!” Eliza said. “Then I could have looked him in the eye and declared that I would never marry him, not even for thirty thousand pounds a year, not even to save myself and my family from ruin and despair! It would have been the proper response to a first proposal, but I must admit, he has never called me barely tolerable or refused me a dance, and I could not bring myself to crush him so!
Isabella hung her head. “Well then, I am afraid to say that you are quite right, Eliza. It is hopeless. You are doomed to enjoy a happy, healthy and uneventful engagement.”
Eliza burst into tears.