~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 get wacky from there.
~Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Xander/Anya
~Category: Romance/Drama
~Rating: PG-13
~A/N: No more background info because it’s discussed in this chappy.
Just wanted to clear up that I do know back then men didn’t bring their mistresses to the dinner table and whatnot, but I thought it would be more fun to have William’s there so she can have all sorts of fun s with Buffy!
And of course, thank you all for the wonderful reviews you’ve been sending me! Can’t stress enough how important they are to me! You guys are the best! :)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
~Chapter Three: Day One (New Friends and New Enemies)~
Buffy sat at the huge mahogany table the next day, staring blankly down at its shiny surface. She had just been informed that her mother would not be staying in the manor with her and William. Joyce would instead be living with Rebecca in the guest house, leaving Buffy all alone with a man she had known since she was born, yet remembered nothing of.
The worst part, however, was that she only had three days before the wedding. That was barely enough time to get settled in, let alone reacquaint herself with her fiancé. Everything was just moving too fast.
Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she held them in check. She was an adult now, as her mother had firmly stated earlier, and she had to handle this situation like an adult.
Pushing away from the table, Buffy slowly stood and turned around. Her hand flew to her heart, and she gasped at the sight of a dark figure leaning against the door frame. As he stepped further into the room, she glared and tried to steady her erratic heartbeat. “Don’t do that!” she screeched.
William grinned broadly. “Sorry, luv. Couldn’t help myself.”
She dropped her hand to her side and smoothed her dress. “What do you want?”
“Came by to see if you wanted that tour,” he replied casually.
Eyeing him skeptically, Buffy said curtly, “I suppose.”
He nodded and held out his arm to her. “Right then, off we go.”
Buffy snorted at his offered arm and brushed past him.
Chuckling softly to himself, William followed her into the foyer and proceeded to guide her through his home. They walked in silence, giving each other occasional sidelong glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking.
Buffy was surprised to find that William was quite striking. He stood a couple inches taller than her with short, white-blonde hair like his mother’s, razor-sharp cheekbones, full, sensuous lips, and startling bright blue eyes. His body, encased in tight black pants, a white collared shirt, and a black overcoat, seemed completely made of muscle. She watched the muscles of his back and shoulders stretch the fabric of the coat as he walked and absently wondered what he would look like without the coat. Then, while heat filled her cheeks, she chided herself for such inappropriate thoughts.
William was equally surprised as he stole quick glimpses of his bride. Her hair was long and golden, twirled up on her head in a delicate fashion, with curly tendrils framing her face. Hazel eyes that flickered from green to gold stared at him with a mix of indifference and wonder. Her mouth was pressed in a thin line, her cheeks slightly stained pink. The dress she wore was modest, clinging to her tiny waist, yet not showing very much skin. She looked very petite, even through the layers of petticoats. He was somewhat pleased, though the prospect of marrying her still angered him.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
They stopped outside William’s room, the last destination on the tour. He had decided to save this for last, since it would come to be the most intimate of all. In three days, they would consummate their marriage in this room, producing the male heir that he needed to inherit his father’s fortune. Afterward, there would be no reason for her to come in again.
‘Unless....’ he thought with a fleeting smile.
“This must be your room,” Buffy said as she stepped inside.
The room was spacious and dark, the black curtains keeping out most of the sun. The walls were painted blood red, contrasting beautifully with the rest of the black decor. A large, comfortable looking armchair lounged in the corner of the room. Two ebony dressers rested against the walls, and a small ebony table sat beside the huge four-poster bed. Across from the bed was a door, which Buffy found led straight into her own room.
‘Well, at least I can escape easily,’ she thought.
William watched her for a while as she moved about the room before pulling out his pocket watch and glancing at the time. He cleared his throat and stuck it back in his pocket. “Well, this concludes our tour, and I’m afraid I’m late. I’ll see you at dinner.” He gave a slight bow and left the room.
Buffy sighed and opened the door to her room. Shutting it softly behind her, she flopped down on the bed. She was suddenly feeling very tired and decided a good rest would do her a world of good.
Just as she was drifting to sleep, a soft knock sounded on her door. She groaned loudly and rolled off the bed, smoothing her dress as she walked to the door. When she opened it, a small girl about her age smiled at her brightly.
“Hello, Ms. Summers,” the girl said cheerily. “I’m Willow.”
“Um, hi, Willow,” Buffy said, a bit confused.
Willow looked disappointed for a second as she asked, “Didn’t Count William tell you about me?”
Buffy shook her head. “No, I’m afraid he didn’t.”
“Well, no matter,” Willow said happily. “I’m going to be your personal servant.” Seeing Buffy’s blank look, she elaborated, “Basically I’ll be helping you adjust. My job is to do whatever you ask me to. I can draw your bath, help you get ready for special events, clean the room, stuff like that.”
A relieved smile formed on Buffy’s lips. “Well, in that case,” she said, waving Willow inside, “I’m *very* happy to see you, and please, call me Buffy.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“So, this bride-to-be, when do we get to meet her?”
“Tonight,” William replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “You are coming to dinner, aren’t you, Harris?”
Alexander Harris smiled. “Yes, don’t worry. Anya and I wouldn’t leave you all alone at the dinner table with a beautiful woman.”
“How do you know she’s beautiful?”
Xander raised an eyebrow at his friend.
William ducked his head sheepishly and mumbled, “Mentioned that, did I?”
Clearing his throat to cover his laughter, Xander motioned toward the table of papers. “What’s this mess?”
“This ‘mess’ is all the papers concerning my land,” William replied, grinding out the cigarette.
Xander waited for a further explanation but got none as William was too engrossed in the papers before him. “So, what’s the what? Why is this big mess of papers so important?”
“As you know, my land overlaps with Angel’s. These papers are the details of boundaries between the two properties. Angel wants to make me an offer for the land.”
“Never did like that guy,” Xander griped. “Hey, wait a second! You’re not thinking of selling your father’s land, are you? Your mother would kill you!”
“I know,” William mumbled.
Visibly relaxing, Xander said, “So, again I ask, what’s with the mess? If you’re not thinking of selling...”
“I don’t think he’ll take no for an answer,” William said quickly. “From what he’s told me, he’s been wanting this land for years now. He tried making negotiations with my father but couldn’t get him to budge. Pretty soon I think he’ll be tired of the peaceful offerings.”
“What do you think he’ll do?” Xander asked nervously.
William shook his head. “Not sure. Wouldn’t put anything past him, though.” He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Can you keep an eye on him? Got a feeling he’ll do just ‘bout anything to get my land.”
“Can do,” Xander replied, moving toward the door. “I’ll see you in an hour for dinner.” He turned back around, a tiny bit of worry etched on his face. “You’re not inviting Drusilla, are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” William asked, not looking up from his papers. “She’s attended dinner with us before.”
“Yeah, but...your wife...” Xander said, trying to make his point clear, but failing.
William waved a dismissive hand. “She’ll have to meet Drusilla sooner or later. I’d rather it be *before* the wedding, thank you very much. And she’s not my wife yet.”
Xander shook his head as he headed out the door. “You’re a brave man, Will.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“So you and your mother just picked up and left?” Willow asked, her emerald eyes wide.
“Yeah. I didn’t want to,” Buffy said sadly. “I mean, London’s okay. It’s just...lonely, you know?”
Willow nodded. “I guess it would be, although I wouldn’t know first hand. I was born here. My father was from America, but my mother hailed from London. They didn’t actually mean to have me.” She forced a smile to cover the obvious hurt in her tone. “I was the product of a one-night stand. My mother said she never regretted it though.”
“I was born here, too,” Buffy said. “My father and William’s were very good friends. They decided to have us betrothed, I guess so they could somehow keep their friendship alive through us or something like that. When my father died, I was just five years old. My mother decided to move to America because life here in England was too painful for her. I don’t really remember anything about it.”
“Wow. It must have been scary coming here not knowing anything or anybody,” Willow remarked sympathetically.
“Kinda funny how fourteen years in the States completely rid my mother of her British accent though,” Buffy said, giggling.
Willow laughed along with her but abruptly stopped and grabbed her hand. “Oh my gosh! I almost completely forgot about dinner tonight! We have to get you ready or you’ll be late!”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Half an hour later, Buffy and Willow came down the stairs. Willow was flushed and nervous, not wanting to make William angry at their tardiness. Buffy was just a bundle of nerves, having never attended a formal dinner in her entire life. Willow had coached her on what to do, but she was afraid that as soon as she sat down, all that preparation would just go poof!
As they entered the dining area, Willow scurried to William’s chair and apologized. Buffy stood at the entryway, staring at the three new faces seated at the table. She smiled shyly at them, unsure what to do now that Willow wasn’t there *telling* her what to do.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Red,” William said softly, using the nickname he had given the girl.
Hearing him call her “Red” immediately set Willow’s mind at ease. She knew he would never punish her for anything, but she still didn’t want that scolding she sometimes got when she did things she wasn’t supposed to. Fortunately, William’s idea of scolding was very mild, usually followed by a sigh and a quick smile. With a nod and a swift glance at Buffy, she disappeared into the kitchen.
William stood and strode to where Buffy stood frozen in the doorway. He could see the look of panic in her eyes and smiled down at her. “Nervous, pet?”
She nodded frantically. “Do I have to do this?” she whispered.
He chuckled. “‘M afraid so, luv. No way you’ll be able to get out of this one.” He gave her a wink and nudged her toward the table, announcing, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Elizabeth Summers, my fiancé. Elizabeth, this is Alexander Harris and his wife Anya,” William said, pointing toward the couple across from her. “They’re good friends of mine, plus Harris works for me.”
“Call me Xander,” Xander said, extending his hand across the table to take hers. He kissed her knuckles lightly. “Pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth.”
Blushing, Buffy nodded. “You can call me Buffy.”
Anya slapped at his hand. “My husband has a problem with flirting,” she said in apology.
Not knowing exactly how to respond to that, Buffy kept her eyes averted from them.
Noticing her discomfort, William went on, smiling at the woman seated on his left. “And this is Drusilla.”
Buffy looked up to see a dark-haired woman scowling at her. She stared back, confused as to why Drusilla seemed so hostile towards her. Finally she said, “Are you also a friend of William’s?” She saw both Xander and Anya stiffen in their chairs and worried that she had made a terrible mistake.
Drusilla sneered at her, reaching out to grasp William’s arm. Squeezing onto it tightly, she said scathingly, “No, dearie. ‘M his mistress.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
TBC....
~Hey guys! Just wanted to wish you all a happy Fourth of July!!! Hope you enjoyed this next chappy! I’ll get chapter four out ASAP, but bear with me because I’ve got some things to do this upcoming weekend. It may take a little longer than planned, but I promise I’ll do my best to finish it quick!! If you leave some reviews I’ll feel compelled to work faster!! ::wink, wink::
Hugs and puppies!!
LuckyStarz~
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