#A Hunsford Tale

[heidimeldrum]

[europolarist]

A Hunsford Tale - Chapter 4

Saturday, February 8th, 1812

When the coast was clear, Heidi dumped the contents of her purse onto her lap,  grateful that she kept her bullet journal in the front pocket, along with a couple of her favorite pens. Sorting through the mess, she grabbed one of her pens and opened to one of the blank pages to start an inventory of what she had.

Her stomach dropped, noticing that her phone was missing. She was sure she’d thrown it in the side pocket before she’d left the car. Not that it would have done much good, busted as it was. She hoped they hadn’t stolen it.

Heidi knew that she'd need to use what cleaning supplies she had sparingly, if she was going to be here for two weeks before they even considered letting her go, and that idea worried her. She hadn't grabbed more stuff at the store because she thought she was going to the cabin, where supplies were old but plentiful.

Now she wished she'd stocked up in Utica. For one, her period was due at any time. It had never been regular and Heidi much preferred condoms than the pill as far as protection went so she didn’t know exactly when it would show up. She had a handful of emergency tampons at the bottom of her purse, but they would not last long.

Glancing up at the door, Heidi resolved to keep what feminine hygiene related items she did have as far away from the Carters as possible. She wasn’t sure what these people would think if they saw them, or even know what they were

She'd already searched through the overnight bag with a pair of running shoes and flats, some extra panties (because she could never pack enough of those), her favorite make-up, various amounts of toiletries, an extra change of clothing and her nightclothes. She did her best not to acknowledge the frilly teddy she'd lovingly packed earlier in the week for their first night living together.

Heidi inspected her emergency cleaning kit next. She should have left it behind. Her therapist would have been disappointed in her for grabbing the third bag when she had a dislocated knee, but she didn't think he would give her too much flack if he ever found out where she ended up.

This bag might save her life.

Mrs. Carter appeared in the doorway sometime later with the atlas she'd promised and Heidi thanked her profusely.  

Before her caregiver could disappear again, Heidi begged Mrs. Carter to take her to the toilet despite the woman insisting that she should use the chamber pot.

Eventually though, the woman relented and Heidi wrangled up her half-used container of bleach wipes and sacrificed her long sleeved t-shirt to use as a toilet seat cover, should it be required.

Mrs. Carter had been shocked at the implication that she didn’t have the place properly cleaned; but she was aware that Heidi had some ideas on making the surgery a better place for healing and it was enough to placate the woman. If anyone in this time could understand her needs, she hoped it was the members of a doctor's household.

Heidi had no words for how happy she’d been to see the doctor’s wife pull a primitive wheelchair out from behind the door. The thought of hopping all the way through their back ‘courtyard’ to the facilities nearly made her sob.

It wasn't like a modern wheelchair at all, really. This one had three wheels and was set up almost like a recliner, the seat more of a basket than anything. And, Heidi was expected to steer the thing with a pole that connected to the front wheel, like the rudder of a ship while Mrs. Carter pushed it. The chair was large and awkward and Heidi was glad to see it had evolved over the centuries. She couldn’t imagine being an invalid confined to this contraption all the time.

Mrs. Carter helped her into the outhouse and Heidi did her best to clean it before she used it.

For someone from over 200 years in the future, she was feeling a little too comfortable, despite her surroundings.

As Heidi wiped herself clean for the third time, after emptying her bladder, she resolved to keep up her guard. Empathizing with these people would get her nowhere.  There was such thing as Stockholm Syndrome, after all.

“You have a fair number of odd items in your bags,” the woman said conversationally as she helped Heidi back to the surgery, pushing her in the rickety wheelchair.

Heidi leaned back on the pillows of the chair and sighed. Despite her growing acceptance of the unthinkable, her eyes were still open for signs of home and modernity. Still, there wasn’t a single sign of civilization when they’d left the main building. She’d expected to see trash cans with fast food wrappers or speakers not-so-cleverly hidden in the decorations of the estate so the owners could make announcements, or at the very least a freaking power line here or there. The house didn’t even seem to be wired for electricity, an abomination as far as she was concerned.

They reached the back door when Rose appeared. Mrs. Carter fixed her daughter with a kind but firm look, above Heidi’s head.

“Have you prepared Edward’s room for our guest?”

“Yes, mother.”

Heidi shifted in the seat to look up at the doctor 's wife more fully. “Who’s Edward?”

“Edward is my brother,” Rose said. “He studies at Oxford, but he will graduate this summer. As you are confined to the chair, you will be residing in his room during your recovery.”

Rose had noticeably straightened her posture as she talked about her brother. Not surprising considering he was studying at Oxford.

Rose helped her mother get the chair up the one step to get inside the cottage. Heidi was pushed through the kitchen, filled with the scent of baking pie crusts and meat and veggies. Together they rounded a corner and moved through a short hall into large common room, where there was a dining table to the right, large enough to seat ten people.

On the other side of a sturdy front door, an implied foyer built by a separation of furniture, sat a smattering of couches near a large hearth. It couldn’t be called a fireplace, Heidi mused, as it took up some ten feet of space on the far wall. This was clearly where the family spent much of their time, with a tea setting still sitting on an end table and a couple of books sprawled on the couch.

Heidi fully expected the main part of the house to be made of long corridors, like the house in Germany that her mother had grown up in. In that home, built sometime in the 1700s, each room was closed off to save on heat. Heidi remembered the formal dining room, between the kitchen and the living room, to always be freezing since the family didn’t bother heating it for most of the year.

Before she knew it, they'd pushed her through another short hall, opposite the first. Mrs. Carter turned them before they reached the steep and narrow staircase and pushed Heidi into a bedroom. Heidi was surprised at how warm and homey it was, with walls covered in neutral wallpaper and a full-sized bed on the long wall across from a small wood stove. The stove’s chimney bent into the wall where the hearth backed up to.

Thankfully, the stove was already lit for the night and the heat filled the room. For that last feature especially, Heidi was thankful. It was warm enough that she wouldn’t miss her pajama pants, which were decidedly missing.

Outside the window, Heidi glimpsed stone-masoned houses across the way before looking over at the young girl.

Heidi found herself curious as she balanced on one leg and stood up out of the chair, hopping over to the bed to get comfortable, even though she was worried there might be bugs. Mrs. Carter aided her in her movements, but remained curiously quiet.

“Is your brother following in your father’s footsteps?”

“Oh no, he does not have the stomach for medicine.” Rose grinned, a mischievous tone in her words. “But I think it is interesting.”

“It can be,” Heidi agreed. “But I think I’m in the same boat as your brother on that.”

Rose quirked her head.

“Medicine makes me queasy too.”

Heidi had begged off dinner sometime later, Mrs. Carter having slipped from the room after the sun set. She couldn't help but be a little concerned about the condition of the kitchen, as their pass through tour hadn’t given her enough time to take it in.

She could live off broth for a couple days and if it turned out this place was real then she would break with being polite and check out the pots and pans. She couldn't always block those nagging, intrusive thoughts; but she'd grown better at it over the past few years to the point where she could occasionally go out to restaurants without making a fuss.  

It was one way, maybe, that Peter had managed to help her, though he wasn’t always patient about it.

With that, Heidi despaired. She didn’t know for sure what she would do without him.

Rose came into the room some minutes later. Heidi figured the girl was lonely and curious, especially if her mother confirmed the story that she was a long lost cousin.

“How fortunate that you found us,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “It will be nice to have a guest, as you are family. We receive only patients at the surgery and none of them stay in the cottage.”

“I believe your father said I will be here for at least a fortnight recovering. Hopefully I won’t be tied to the chair for the entire time.”

Rose nodded.

“It is tiresome.” She paused and leaned in as if sharing a great secret. “Edward broke his leg once. He was climbing trees after mother had warned him over and over again not to.”

Heidi sighed, but offered a wry smile. “I can guess how that story ended.”

Rose nodded again, her eyes mischievously bright. “Mother was so furious that she refused to let him venture to the park for the rest of the summer. She said Percival and Ewan had better things to do than to play nursemaid to the doctor’s son.”

“Percival and Ewan?”

Rose continued speaking as if she hadn’t heard Heidi’s question.

“We do not see them often. Ewan was in regimentals last time he visited. He looked so handsome. And Percival will be an Earl one day.”

Heidi held off on asking what lands he’d be in charge of at the expression on Rose’s face. It was one of utter dejection

“What’s wrong?”

Rose slumped a little. “Everyone that matters is so much older than I.”

“I’m sure things aren’t that bad.”

“It will be different when I am out, I think.”

Heidi considered Rose, confused before remembering. Out. As in society. Not as in romantic inclinations. The meaning of that word had certainly changed over the years.

“I believe I understand. May I ask your age?”

Rose nodded. “I am fourteen.”

“Fourteen is a hard time,” she said, nodding and shifting her position to better look at Rose. She remembered that time well. “You’re becoming an adult, every day you feel a little different. Noticing boys and not fitting in with the other kids about your age.”

“Something like that.” Her admission was quiet.

Heidi wasn't entirely sure that she was in the early 19th century, but damn if the girl wasn't convincing. There was something though that Heidi could say that was likely universal.

“I wouldn’t worry, Rose. This is probably something you should talk to your mother about, but as someone a little closer in age to you, I understand what you’re going through. Your mother might too, if you explain it.”

“She will not listen to me. Women do not talk about such things, she says.”

She imagined a strict religious upbringing for Rose no matter what century they might be in.

“I have always heard that the British were more formal in their ways.”

She hoped she was remaining politically correct, straddling the fine line between stereotype and insult.

“And maybe she’s right about it not being proper; but if you ever have any questions while I’m here you can talk to me about them. I remember being fourteen, I felt like an adult, I wanted to do things with my older cousins; but a few years later, I could see how large the age gap was, at the time it felt like nothing and I was grateful that my cousins didn’t treat me like a child even though I still was.”

Rose sat down on the bed, frowning. “You mean, I am still a child.”

“In some ways, yes. There’s a lot going on – in your body – and your mind at this age. It’s confusing, but it will get better. I promise. The next few years will be a whirlwind, but when it’s all over, you’ll miss what you have now.”

Rose scoffed. “How could I miss this wretched feeling?”

“Don’t be in a hurry to grow up,” she said, reaching out and patting Rose’s shoulder. “You’ll be an adult far longer than you’ll be a child and responsibilities are not as fun as they might seem now.” Heidi gave the girl a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

Before she could say anything else, it was Rose that changed the topic.

“Is your leg feeling better?”

“I think I could use some help lifting this splint onto the bed. If you wouldn’t mind.”

Rose slipped off the bed and helped Heidi get comfortable. The girl giggled as Heidi’s pants slid down her hips as she readjusted.

“Is it strange wearing those loose trousers?”

“I supposed they do look a little strange,” Heidi agreed, regarding her cut pants.

“They are not like anything mother would ever allow me to wear.”

“And she shouldn’t.” The lie came easily to her lips now. “I dressed as a man to keep anyone from growing suspicious about a woman out alone in her own carriage in the middle of the night. It was dangerous and silly of me.”

Rose appeared completely enthralled. “How did you ever devise such a scheme?”

“I ran from London so quickly my memory is a blur. If I had taken the time to think on it, I certainly would have acted with more poise and propriety.” She hoped she was using the right words for the time, but anything to keep herself from upsetting her hosts.

“Mother says that Mrs. James will lend you some gowns, since you do not have your own.”

Heidi cringed. Being larger than both of the women in this house was no pleasant thought. She only hoped that Mrs. James wasn’t overly large and that she’d be able to clean the gown before she was forced to put it on. She did not want to run the risk of lice.

She shuddered, glancing at her sleeping situation. She really hoped there were no fleas. Or, dear God, bed bugs in the house.

“I am sorry to prey on the kindness of your neighbors.”

“Oh, but no!” Rose cried with delight. “This is the most exciting thing that has happened all winter! Except that our rector came back after Christmas with a wife.”

Her eyes were wide, almost as if the wedding had been a scandal.

“He did?”

“She is a quiet thing, but nice. The two have only been married for a month, so we are not yet properly acquainted, though she sits at the front of the chapel every Sunday for services.”

“I’m sure she’s a lovely woman.”

“If you are feeling well enough, perhaps you will join us for services tomorrow and you will get to meet her.”

Heidi started. She hadn’t actually considered that yet, going to church with them. Did they intend on letting her out in public?

Privately, Heidi wanted to avoid church as much as possible. She’d been raised Catholic, but hadn’t exactly been religious about going to mass since she’d started living on her own. It could be interesting to observe other services; but she wasn’t sure how much she was going to have to fake her way through responses.

“I daresay you are right.”

The words sounded wrong in her mouth, the language too archaic, like when her mother had been binging on period movies all weekend; but her chat with Rose had made Heidi feel a little better. No matter what else was going on, Rose was a real girl with real insecurities. Someone she could help, no matter what time she’d come from.

[ao3feed-prideandprejudice-book]

A Hunsford Tale

by HeidiMeldrum

Heidi, after the shittiest day of her life thusfar, finds herself transported to Jane Austen’s fictional world. With nothing but her cleaning kit and a vague sense of familiarity, she’ll be pitted against the trials and tribulations of 19th century England and learns that the Bennets and de Bourghs are very real.

Words: 2082, Chapters: 1/90, Language: English

Fandoms: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Original Female Character(s), Anne de Bourgh, Charlotte Lucas, Mr. Collins, Elizabeth Bennet, George Wickham, Fitzwilliam Darcy, Colonel Fitzwilliam (Pride and Prejudice), Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: pride and prejudice au, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Slow Burn, Like... REALLY slow burn, 200K words and counting, FOC has germaphobia

from AO3 works tagged 'Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen' http://bit.ly/2ShL9VH via IFTTT

[ao3feed-janeausten]

The Gem of Wych Elm

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2zMy2jx

by Europolarist

Completely self-serving, smutty AU of “Hunsford Tale”.

What if a slightly different Heidi had ended up in the Pride and Prejudice universe, but under completely different circumstances and two years ahead of time. This Heidi is a little more… fluid than the original Heidi, as I remain vague about her background and might have (for the story) changed a bit of her past for flavor (i.e. she didn’t suffer the tragedy of a cheating fiancé, a lost job, rather than her mother being the obsessed one Heidi knows all the things about PnP) and the gentlemen cousins are not quite so gentlemanly as they are normally portrayed. They will be, for the most part, completely out of character.

Words: 10595, Chapters: 1/58, Language: English

Fandoms: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Multi

Characters: Colonel Fitzwilliam (Pride and Prejudice), Fitzwilliam Darcy

Relationships: Heidi Meldrum/Percival Fitzwilliam, Heidi Meldrum/Colonel Fitzwilliam, Heidi Meldrum/Mr. Darcy, OC/OC, Heidi/Percy/Colonel, Heidi/Percy/Colonel/Mr. Darcy

Additional Tags: Threesome - F/M/M, Foursome - F/M/M/M, No Incest, Alternate Universe, BDSM, Double Penetration, Out of Character, PWP, Maybe A Little Plot, Light Dom/sub, Dom/sub, so much sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Modern Girl in Pride and Prejudice, Kink Negotiation, Praise Kink, some purple prose, I use the C word rather than the P word, Please let me know if anything needs a warning, F/F later, F/F/M later, F/F/M/M later too, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Smut, Shameless Smut

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2zMy2jx

[celestica-1988]

"Ecco quali sono le ragioni che mi inducono al matrimonio: primo, ritengo giusto che un ecclesiastico in agiate condizioni come me dia il buon esempio ai suoi parrocchiani; secondo, sono convinto che ciò contribuirà grandemente alla mia felicità; terzo (ma avrei fatto bene a parlarne prima), mi è stato suggerito e raccomandato in particolar modo dalla nobilissima dama che mi onoro di chiamare patronessa. Ben due volte si è degnata di farmi conoscere il suo parere in proposito; e senza che le venisse richesto! E' accaduto precisamente la sera del sabato precedente la mia partenza da Hunsford; si stava puntando al quadriglio, mentre Mr Jenkinson sistemava lo sgabello di Miss De Bourgh: 'Mr Collins', mi disse, ' voi dovete prender moglie. Un ecclesiastico come voi deve sposarsi. Fate una buona scelta: scegliete una gentildonna per fare piacere a me; e per fare piacere a voi una donna attiva, che sappia rendersi utile; senza grandi pretese, ma capace di far fruttare una piccola rendita. Questo è il consiglio che vi do. Trovate al più presto una donna così, portatela ad Hunsford, ed io verrò a farle visita.' A tale proposito, cara cugina, mi permetto di farvi notare come le gentili attenzioni di Lady Catherine non siano, a mio avviso, gli ultimi dei vantaggi che io possa offrirvi. Troverete i suoi modi superiori ad ogni mia descrizione, così come il vostro ingegno vivace dovrebbe riuscire gradito a lei, specie se temperato dal silenzio e dal rispetto che il suo rango non potrà non provocare. Questo è tutto per ciò che riguarda le mie generali inclinazioni al matrimonio; resta da spiegare come mai io mi sia rivolto a Longbourn e non invece al mio circondario, dove a dire il vero si trovano molte amabili signorine. Il fatto è che, dovendo io ereditare questa proprietà alla morte del vostro egregio padre (al quale auguro peraltro lunga vita), non mi riterrei soddisfatto se non risolvessi di prendere in moglie una delle sue figlie, così che quando il triste evento si avvererà (ma, come ripeto, il cielo non lo voglia per molti anni ancora), la perdita sia per loro la più lieve possibile. Questa è stata la mia intenzione, cara cugina, e tale, mi lusingo da non farvi scadere nella vostra stima. Ed ora non mi resta che dichiararvi, con gli accenti della  più viva commozione, la violenza dei miei sentimenti. Alle ricchezze sono del tutto indifferente e non farò richieste del genere a vostro padre, nella convinzione che non potrebbero venire soddisfatte, visto che mille sterline al quattro per cento, che non saranno vostre che alla morte di vostra madre, sono tutto ciò di cui potrete mai disporre. Su questo punto mi atterrò dunque ad un rigoroso silenzio, mentre vi posso assicurare che non avrete mai a sentire da me nessun rimprovero ingeneroso quando saremo sposati."

Orgoglio e pregiudizio, Jane Austen

[musicislife1396]

I was tagged by Angelica @ The Book Cover Girls to do this. Thank you Angelica! I love P&P. This should be fun.

How it works

Link back to Laura and Emma’s original posts so we can see all of your answers! (Just copy and paste these instructions)

Thank the person who tagged you

Answer the questions

Tag a maximum of 10 people

While Mr. Bennet silently reads in the study, and Mrs. Bennet’s tales of woe can be heard from miles away, you spend a lovely afternoon in the garden with your dramatic and doting sisters. What is a favourite novel of yours that features a strong sibling relationship?

Here I’m gonna go with Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter series. I just love their relationship.

You and Mary have decided to walk to the bookshop in Meryton to search for the newest releases. Which book or books are you likely to purchase?

I still haven’t got this, for some reason.

Netherfield Park has been let at last, and the owner, a Mr. Charles Bingley, hosts a magnificent ball at his new estate. What fictional ball gown would you wear?

Hmmm… maybe Feyre’s Starfall dress? (image credit)

Or Tessa’s Dress.

It is the Christmas Ball and Maria has asked you to join her at the piano. What music or song would you choose as an accompaniment to your current book?

Well, I just started reading The School for Good and Evil, but I’ve only read one chapter so far, so I don’t really know what song would fit it.

You’re helping Jane to take care of her younger cousins whilst staying with the Gardiners. Which fictional children would you include in your own family?

 ARTEMIS FOWL!

It’s a sombre evening at Hunsford Parsonage, and after dinner, Mr. Collins stands by the fireplace and quotes from the Good Book, while the party tries not to yawn too obviously. What is a memorable quote from a novel that has always stuck with you?

There are many. In fact, I have a whole series of posts dedicated to quotes, because I am a quotes aficionado (you can check that out here). But I’ll go with the first line of what is probably my favourite non-fiction.

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." -C.S. Lewis (A Grief Observed)

You’ve been invited to dine at Rosings Park by none other than the infamous Lady Catherine de Bourgh, but the evening ends in disaster as the pompous Lady insults you and your family. Who’s your favourite fictional villain?

Hmm… this is hard. I tend to love a lot of villains. Sebastain Morgenstern from The Mortal Instruments maybe? Oh… Light from Death Note. Or Johan Liebert from Monster. Also, I’ve recently read Illuminae and I really loved AIDAN.

As Lydia has gone down to Brighton with the Forsters, and Elizabeth is off on her jaunt to Derbyshire with the Gardiners, you also want to go away for a quick break. Which fictional location would be your perfect holiday destination?

Um… not many of the books I read, that’s for sure. People tend to die a lot in those places. I’m gonna go with Le Cirque des Reves from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I feel like from all the places, my life would be least threatened there and it would be so freaking awesome.

You’re running to the fine horse chestnut tree on the green to relive some of your favourite childhood reading memories. What is one that you remember most fondly?

My grandfather used to have this giant collection of stories and fairytales. It was yellow and very old and every time I would go there, he would read to me from it for hours and hours. I know that’s not really me reading, but it’s a very fond memory. And I’ve read the book by myself as well. I’m pretty sure I now have the book at home (I stole it from him muahahah)

You’re on a tour at Pemberley and you come across Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy emerging from the pond, scandalously clad in only his wet underdrawers and shirt. You can’t help but swoon at the sight. Aside from Mr. Darcy, who is your favourite romantic interest?

Rhysand from ACOTAR, Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows, Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices and more recently, Elend Venture from the Mistborn series. There are others, of course, but these are my top ones.

Rhys credit Kaz credit Elend credit

I tag all P&P lovers to do this!

The Pride and Prejudice Book Tag I was tagged by Angelica @ The Book Cover Girls to do this. Thank you Angelica! I love P&P.

[heidimeldrum]

Hunsford Map

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Hunsford Village Location Claims

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Main Character Face Claims

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Rosings Park Location Claim

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Parsonage Location Claim

[heidimeldrum]

Carter Cottage Location Claim