~Title: When William Met Elizabeth
~Author: LuckyStarz
~Email: PunkPrincess41@insightbb.com
~Disclaimer: Nothing from the Buffyverse belongs to me. I’m just a poor high school student with a lot of free time and a very creative imagination! :)
~Summary: AU. Set sometime in the 1800’s. Buffy wakes up on her 19th birthday to find that she is betrothed to a Count in England, who only wants to marry her to inherit his father’s fortune. And of course, things don't go smoothly from there.
~Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Xander/Anya
~Category: Romance/Drama
~Spoilers: None
~Rating: PG-13
~A/N: Background info: Buffy and her parents used to live in London (although in my story they aren’t British for some reason). They weren’t royalty, but they were upper-class. Buffy’s father, Hank, was good friends with Count Charles Edmonton, father of William Edmonton. When Hank died (Buffy was five) Joyce decided to move Buffy to America because life in England was too painful for her.
Also, a BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed! Keep ‘em coming! And another great big thanks to my lovely beta, Eva!
P.S. This chappy has a lot of descriptions, so bare with me. I promise there will be lots more interactions between the characters in the next one, so stay tuned!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
~Chapter Two: Home Sweet Home~
Land was in sight, and Buffy heaved a sigh of relief. She had never thought she’d be so happy to see England, yet here she was, thanking the Lord silently that she was here. Of course, that was mainly due to the fact that she had gotten seasick on the way over.
As the ship sailed into the harbor, she gripped the railing tighter and looked out at her new home. Well, technically it was her old home, but she had been too young to remember much about it.
There was a thick fog lying heavily over everything, giving the city a gloomy and destitute appearance. Pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages crowded the cobbled streets. Large mansions loomed overhead, and Buffy shrank backward a bit, feeling somewhat inferior.
“It’s big, isn’t it?” Joyce said from behind her.
Buffy could only nod as words somehow failed her.
Joyce looked down at her and caught the terror in Buffy’s eyes. She placed a hand comfortingly on her daughter’s shoulder. “You’ll get used to it soon, honey. It’s not so bad.”
Remembering the promise she’d made to give London a chance, Buffy forced herself to smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Once the ship was docked, she and Joyce headed down into the mass of people on the street. They stood amid happy families and tear-filled reunions, completely overwhelmed by it all. There were more people scrunched together on the tiny dock than Buffy had ever seen in her entire life! She felt the dread in the pit of her stomach grow rapidly into panic, and instinctively, she scooted closer to her mother.
“She told me she’d be here,” Joyce mumbled, craning her neck to see over the crowd.
As the last word fell from her lips, a tall woman with white-blonde hair made her way through the mob toward them. She wore a long, pale yellow dress that fit snug around her tiny waist and fell in a large bell over her hips. Around her shoulders was a lace shawl, matching the strip of lace circling the waist of the gown. On top of her head was a yellow bonnet with a single daisy in the center. She carried herself with an air of importance and class, and Buffy could only guess that this was the infamous Rebecca Edmonton.
“Joyce!” the woman cried, rushing forward with arms outstretched.
“Rebecca! Oh, it’s been so long!” Joyce replied, throwing her arms around the other woman.
Buffy watched the two old friends embrace with a certain measure of distaste. She found herself feeling oddly hostile toward this woman for bringing her and her mother here to London. She did not want to play the dutiful daughter and smile and be polite. But a promise was a promise, so she gritted her teeth and pasted a smile on her face as the two pulled apart.
“This must be Elizabeth,” Rebecca said, turning to face Buffy. “My, how you’ve grown! The last time I saw you, you were barely up to my waist!”
“Well, she’s grown into quite the young lady,” Joyce stated proudly.
“I see that,” Rebecca replied approvingly, looking Buffy up and down. She smiled kindly. “It’s good to see you, Elizabeth.”
Buffy nodded. “Likewise, I’m sure.” She almost felt guilty for hating Rebecca. The woman seemed very friendly and genuine, but she *was* the reason Buffy and her mother had packed up and left their old lives behind. If it wasn’t for her, none of this would have happened.
Rebecca linked her arm through Joyce’s. “We should really be heading back. So much to see, so little time. Don’t worry about those, dear,” she said as Buffy bent to pick up her bag. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t come without an escort. These silly men think women aren’t capable of taking care of themselves. They send someone with me wherever I go; it’s a terrible hassle.” Her voice brightened. “Luckily, they are a bit handy with the carrying of heavy luggage. Rupert should be waiting at the end of the docks. I’ll just tell him to pick up your things and bring them to the estate.”
Before she could reply, Rebecca latched onto Buffy’s arm and began to pull her through the throng of people. Struggling to keep up, Buffy wove through the mass, bumping into people and marveling at how anyone in the world could stand to live in such a crowded place. She hadn’t even been there a day and already she was sick of it!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
By the time they reached the end of the docks, the crowd had thankfully dispersed. Looking around, Buffy spotted a tall man dressed completely in tweed leaning idly against a post. He looked only slightly older than her mother, with thinning brown hair and kind gray eyes hidden behind a small pair of spectacles. As they approached, he straightened and smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling upward.
“Hello, all,” he greeted.
“Rupert, this is Joyce Summers and her daughter, Elizabeth,” Rebecca introduced. “Joyce, Elizabeth, this is Rupert Giles.”
Rupert extended his hand in welcome. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Rupert is a close friend of ours. He used to be the curator at the British Museum, but now he mostly does odd jobs around the manor for me. As he put it, I pay better than the stuffy old men who run the museum.” She smiled affectionately at him. “By the way, would you mind grabbing our guests’ luggage?”
“Not at all.” He tipped his head at them and headed back to grab their bags. “Lovely to have met you both,” he said over his shoulder.
“Come now,” Rebecca urged as she again pulled them along, “it isn’t far to the manor. Oh, you’ll just love it, Elizabeth!”
Buffy was only half listening to Rebecca’s prattle. Most of her attention was fixed on the great stone castles they passed as they walked along the street. She wondered what this manor Rebecca kept talking about looked like, and if it was anything like the ones she was seeing, she was sure to get lost inside.
Suddenly, Rebecca stopped. “Elizabeth,” she said, barely able to contain her excitement, “welcome to your new home!” She stepped aside and waved an arm in front of her, indicating the large, white stone manor ahead.
Buffy’s jaw dropped. The estate before her was easily one of the biggest she had seen while passing through London. Four white marble pillars held up the roof, giving the mansion a classic, elegant look. Twirling around the pillars were long vines of ivy. Several large French windows were open, the curtains on the inside softly flowing in the breeze. Huge trees dotted the landscape here and there, and in the back she could just make out a lavish garden. A cobblestone walkway led up to the marble steps of the manor and circled back around the entire building.
It was the most beautiful house she had ever seen!
“Do you like it?” Joyce asked.
“It-it’s gorgeous!” Buffy breathed in awe.
“Marvelous!” Rebecca cried, clapping her hands happily. “Let’s go in, shall we? There’s much more to see on the inside.”
“More?” Buffy murmured as she allowed herself to be dragged up the stairs and into the estate.
Rebecca was quite right. Inside the manor was even more beautiful. The walls were bright white stone, covered with colorful paintings and murals. Oriental rugs lay sprawled beneath large mahogany tables, partially hiding the smooth gray marble of the floor. Potted plants sat everywhere, some on the tables, others in big limestone urns. A few ivory statues (mostly Greek gods and goddesses) rested in the corners. Gray velvet drapes hung from the pair of French windows which looked out into the front of the estate. A marble fountain sat in the center of the room, spurting streams of water into the air. Above them, a crystal chandelier with ten candles dangled from the ceiling. The light from the candles reflected off the crystal and made the room sparkle. Finally, at the end of the room, a long marble staircase led to the second story.
“Would you like to see your room?” Rebecca asked.
Buffy nodded, not really hearing what Rebecca had said. Her mouth hung open in shock and amazement, and it was all she could do to pull herself away and follow her mother and Rebecca up the stairs.
“We decided to give you the gold room,” Rebecca told them as they walked down the hallway. “It’s right next to William’s, and there’s an adjoining door that separates the two. Your room is the second biggest bedroom in the manor, William’s of course being the first.” She opened the door and stepped aside for Buffy and Joyce to go in.
For the millionth time that day, Buffy found herself amazed. The room was done entirely in shades of gold. Candles were scattered everywhere, their light making the room appear to shimmer. The large four-poster bed had sheer drapes, a velvet comforter, and silk sheets beneath. Long satin curtains covering the French windows hung all the way to the floor. There were two mahogany dressers as well, one against the wall opposite the bed, the other next to the window. The adjoining bathroom had an ivory bathtub and sink and also a marble floor. There were other things strewn about the room as well: a small settee, a desk, and a mirror, which hung over the dresser opposite the bed.
Buffy looked around her, mesmerized. She started suddenly as the sound of a dinner bell was heard from downstairs.
“It appears William will have to continue this tour some other time. Dinner is ready,” Rebecca said as she headed out the door.
“William?” Buffy repeated, a slight waver of panic in her voice. “Why can’t *you* show me the rest?”
Rebecca smiled kindly at her. “I’m afraid I won’t be here. You see, this was only my manor until my son found a bride. It belongs to the Count and his family, and as my husband has passed that title to William, I’m moving out into the guest house.” She noticed the fear in Buffy’s eyes and said reassuringly, “You can come visit if you’d like. It’s less than a block away and only slightly less extravagant.”
Joyce giggled. “Your husband sure knew how to spoil you.”
“But...” Buffy started to protest, but neither of them were listening to her. They had linked arms again and were skipping merrily down the hall toward the stairs. Sighing heavily, Buffy started to follow them, casting a wary eye on the door that joined her bedroom with William’s.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“A tour is it?” William asked as he stepped out of the dining area.
“Yes. She’s very nervous. I think if you took her on a tour, got to know her a bit, she’d feel more comfortable around you,” Rebecca answered.
William crossed his arms over his chest. “Why’s she so nervous? We know each other.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes at him. “She hasn’t seen you in fourteen years, William! That’s bound to make anyone a little apprehensive. Not to mention she’s being thrown into this relationship against her will...”
“And I’m not?” William asked incredulously. “You know, ‘s not like I wanted any of this.”
“I know,” his mother said softly. “But your father was a good man, and I really think Elizabeth will be good for you.”
He snorted. “We’ll see ‘bout that.”
“Look, I know you don’t want to marry her, but if you want what’s coming to you, there’s no other way. Get to know her. Maybe you’ll find this whole marriage deal isn’t as bad as you think,” Rebecca said with a smirk.
“Fine,” William finally grumbled, tired of arguing with his mother. “I’ll take the bint for a lovely stroll round the manor. Will that make you happy?”
She thought for a moment. “It’s a start,” she said and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Joyce poked her head out from the kitchen. “Are we ready?”
“Yes, I do believe we are,” Rebecca replied.
The two old friends headed toward the door, leaving William to face his bride-to-be.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
TBC....
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