(OP, I hope you meant it about Heyer, because we're doing a massive Heyer crossover universe here!)
“Frederica!” Charis exclaimed, having barely taken her gloves off. “Frederica, I have heard the most astonishing news.”
“Can it wait until the tea has been served, dearest?” Frederica responded. “Then you can tell me comfortably, without interruption.”
“I suppose so,” Charis sighed. “I own I am still very surprised that you have decided to come down for the Season, in your condition, as convenient as it is for me –”
“There is Jessamy to see about, and with any luck that will all be sorted before I am quite laid up.” Frederica put a hand on her stomach. “I am barely loosening my stays at this stage, I promise you, there is nothing to fret about.”
“If you say so,” Charis said, blinking doubtfully; Frederica knew she had had a very hard time of it with her son last year, and was duly concerned about Frederica, even though she had had the easiest of births with her first two. She waited until the tea was brought in, clearly quivering with excitement, and started speaking as soon as Frederica began to pour.
“It is the Duke of Tunis!” she exclaimed. “He has married! And there is more!”
“Clearly, or you would not be so excited about it,” Frederica said, smiling at her. “Do go on!”
Charis cleared her throat. “He has married the Sardinian ambassador’s brother –”
“Not all that surprising, surely? The ambassadorial set are all very social among each other, and of course Tunis is not so far from Sardinia.”
“The Sardinian ambassador is actually from Genoa, which is part of the Kingdom now,” Charis said, a degree of insight into international affairs which frankly astonished her sister, “which I only know because Lady Ombersley very kindly instructed me, she having spent so much time abroad, you know – anyway, what was I saying?”
“Why it was surprising that the Duke of Tunis had married the Sardinian ambassador’s brother,” Frederica prompted her.
“Yes! Well, they are Catholic, you see, which is one thing, and what is more, I understand the ambassador’s brother was meant for the church, that is, the Roman one,” Charis said. “And you know they do not let priests marry, and instead he has got married to the Duke of Tunis, and besides which Lady Ombersley confided in me – or I cannot say she confided because there were a group of us there, but she did say it in a lowered tone – that is, I believe the ambassador is not personally very well-to-do, it being an appointed position, and something about a Republic and the war, but they are not French, so I did not follow her logic. The point is, the brother does not have any sort of portion, it is believed, and one would think that would be necessary when there are so many other obvious barriers to the match – so the only conclusion can be that it is for love!” Charis clasped her hands together. “Don’t you think that’s romantic?”
“Yes, of course, dearest,” Frederica said. “And terribly useful.”
“Useful?” Charis blinked at her.
“You know that Jessamy has – an interest, which he hopes to bring to a marriage, with Alverstoke’s permission,” Frederica said.
“Oh yes, his Cambridge friend. What was his name? Aubrey?”
“That is correct. Anyway, I will not burden your ears with it, darling Charis, but there is some small scandal around the rest of the family, which is difficult for Jessamy’s career, and I do think it will be much easier to win Alverstoke over if everybody is busy talking about this match instead.”
“I think they will be,” Charis said sagely. She did not prefer to spend most of the Season in London, being a creature of simple habits and too attached to her child and husband besides, but she did enjoy visiting with Frederica for a few weeks to catch up with old friends, from her one Season. “I have already heard the news from a dozen people, and that is more than when the Baroness Scythia returned last year with an American bride.”
“Well, excellent for us, then,” Frederica said, “and I will look forward to meeting this mysterious new Genoan groom. Lord Yusuf is such delightful company; I hope he has found an equally delightful husband. Now, will you have more tea?”
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timeasmymeasure
Fill: Joe/Nicky, regency AU, nobleman!Joe, unexpected marriage, gossip (1/?)
Date: 2020-11-12 07:54 am (UTC)(OP, I hope you meant it about Heyer, because we're doing a massive Heyer crossover universe here!)
“Frederica!” Charis exclaimed, having barely taken her gloves off. “Frederica, I have heard the most astonishing news.”
“Can it wait until the tea has been served, dearest?” Frederica responded. “Then you can tell me comfortably, without interruption.”
“I suppose so,” Charis sighed. “I own I am still very surprised that you have decided to come down for the Season, in your condition, as convenient as it is for me –”
“There is Jessamy to see about, and with any luck that will all be sorted before I am quite laid up.” Frederica put a hand on her stomach. “I am barely loosening my stays at this stage, I promise you, there is nothing to fret about.”
“If you say so,” Charis said, blinking doubtfully; Frederica knew she had had a very hard time of it with her son last year, and was duly concerned about Frederica, even though she had had the easiest of births with her first two. She waited until the tea was brought in, clearly quivering with excitement, and started speaking as soon as Frederica began to pour.
“It is the Duke of Tunis!” she exclaimed. “He has married! And there is more!”
“Clearly, or you would not be so excited about it,” Frederica said, smiling at her. “Do go on!”
Charis cleared her throat. “He has married the Sardinian ambassador’s brother –”
“Not all that surprising, surely? The ambassadorial set are all very social among each other, and of course Tunis is not so far from Sardinia.”
“The Sardinian ambassador is actually from Genoa, which is part of the Kingdom now,” Charis said, a degree of insight into international affairs which frankly astonished her sister, “which I only know because Lady Ombersley very kindly instructed me, she having spent so much time abroad, you know – anyway, what was I saying?”
“Why it was surprising that the Duke of Tunis had married the Sardinian ambassador’s brother,” Frederica prompted her.
“Yes! Well, they are Catholic, you see, which is one thing, and what is more, I understand the ambassador’s brother was meant for the church, that is, the Roman one,” Charis said.
“And you know they do not let priests marry, and instead he has got married to the Duke of Tunis, and besides which Lady Ombersley confided in me – or I cannot say she confided because there were a group of us there, but she did say it in a lowered tone – that is, I believe the ambassador is not personally very well-to-do, it being an appointed position, and something about a Republic and the war, but they are not French, so I did not follow her logic. The point is, the brother does not have any sort of portion, it is believed, and one would think that would be necessary when there are so many other obvious barriers to the match – so the only conclusion can be that it is for love!” Charis clasped her hands together. “Don’t you think that’s romantic?”
“Yes, of course, dearest,” Frederica said. “And terribly useful.”
“Useful?” Charis blinked at her.
“You know that Jessamy has – an interest, which he hopes to bring to a marriage, with Alverstoke’s permission,” Frederica said.
“Oh yes, his Cambridge friend. What was his name? Aubrey?”
“That is correct. Anyway, I will not burden your ears with it, darling Charis, but there is some small scandal around the rest of the family, which is difficult for Jessamy’s career, and I do think it will be much easier to win Alverstoke over if everybody is busy talking about this match instead.”
“I think they will be,” Charis said sagely. She did not prefer to spend most of the Season in London, being a creature of simple habits and too attached to her child and husband besides, but she did enjoy visiting with Frederica for a few weeks to catch up with old friends, from her one Season. “I have already heard the news from a dozen people, and that is more than when the Baroness Scythia returned last year with an American bride.”
“Well, excellent for us, then,” Frederica said, “and I will look forward to meeting this mysterious new Genoan groom. Lord Yusuf is such delightful company; I hope he has found an equally delightful husband. Now, will you have more tea?”