I Wrote Fiction!?
For the last newsletter of 2021, I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm sharing a short piece of fiction that I wrote!
But first, a disclaimer, because I'm nervous about sharing this. As a writer of creative nonfiction, I am confident in my skills. When it comes to fiction writing, however, I am a beginner. I'm sure that there are many cliches and beginner's mistakes in this piece, and I'm also sure that if I keep working on fiction writing, I'll improve. For now, though, this was just a fun thing to write. It's an opening scene for a Regency(ish) romance. I did no research for it (beyond reading dozens of Regency(ish) romance novels over the last couple of years) so the historical accuracy is low and the character names are just placeholders.
Even if this isn't your genre, I hope you still enjoy reading it! Because I enjoyed writing it!
Lady Elizabeth Farthing sighed and set down her punch glass. Amelia wasn’t coming back.
After her dance with Lord Ashton, Amelia had allowed the man to walk her to the refreshment table and fill her plate with an assortment of hors d'oeuvres, some of which Elizabeth knew Amelia hated, having spent many a ball at the other woman’s side. Now Amelia stood tittering behind her fan at something Lord Ashton had said. A faint blush colored her cheeks, just enough to appear demure and virginal, but not so much to suggest the conversation was especially flirtatious. Elizabeth had seen Amelia’s blush when the conversation was especially flirtatious. Elizabeth had seen how far down Amelia’s neck and chest that rosy blush could travel, had traced its path with her eyes and fingertips and lips—
Elizabeth wrenched her gaze away from Amelia and Lord Ashton. She felt much too warm all of a sudden and desperate to get out of the crowded ballroom. But she was a lady so she walked slowly to her mother’s side and waited for a lull in the conversation. Then she whispered to her mother that she felt a bit faint and, no, she didn’t need company, just a few minutes to recover in the retiring room. She was out in the empty hallway, door closed gently behind her, before she picked up her skirts and practically ran away from the ballroom.
If Elizabeth thought logically about the situation, she knew Amelia could do worse than Lord Ashton. He had a title, and a lot of money, and that was what Amelia’s family needed, after all. But he was so old and so… male. He couldn’t possibly satisfy Amelia, not the way Elizabeth could.
Elizabeth gave herself a shake. Those kind of thoughts weren’t helpful. Besides, Lord Ashton could satisfy Amelia in an entirely different way — by giving her a future. Elizabeth had to admit that the man had a kind smile and a sterling reputation. Everyone knew he wanted an heir, but otherwise he focused on his work. He would probably be away on business frequently, leaving Amelia to run the house and raise the aforementioned heir, and that would probably suit Amelia just fine.
There had been tears in Amelia’s eyes when she first told Elizabeth that she needed to wed this season. She had rested her head on Elizabeth’s lap and shared her father’s money troubles and lamented the end of their affair. Elizabeth had stroked Amelia’s hair and whispered soothing words, but she didn’t see why their affair needed to end. In some ways, Amelia’s marriage would make it easier for them to continue.
In the weeks following that first conversation, Elizabeth suggested several ways they might continue to be together after Amelia’s marriage. “You’ll have more freedom as a married woman. You could even serve as my chaperone…” Elizabeth had said with a suggestive raise of her eyebrows. Amelia had chuckled and changed the subject.
But Elizabeth didn’t take the hint. She grimaced now, remembering their last conversation on the subject, and walked even faster down the hallway. Amelia had grown frustrated and snapped at her, “I’ll have new responsibilities when I’m a wife. This was fun while it lasted, but I need to move on and so do you.”
Elizabeth had thought their relationship a great love affair, but apparently it was just “fun while it lasted.” Feeling like a fool, she flung the door to the retiring room open with more force than was necessary. It slammed hard against something and then opened fully, when that something fell to the floor with a cry of pain.
Elizabeth looked for the source of the sound and saw a young woman lying on the floor, her skirts heaped around her knees, revealing lovely, firm calves. Elizabeth admired the view for a moment until the other woman sat up, revealing a nose that would have been lovely, if it weren’t bleeding profusely.
And that is how Lady Elizabeth Farthing met the heiress Miss Jane Wheatley.
Thanks so much for reading! On / Off is cycling 'off' now, but it will be back again in two weeks on January 3rd. Frohe Weihnachten to those celebrating und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! Bis dann!