xlovebecomesher: (Bats)
[personal profile] xlovebecomesher
Regency London
1810


Beatrix was raised to by her mother to be afraid of "The Garden."

Not the fancy one in the back of their country home (that would be silly) but "The Garden."

The Garden of ruined reputations, lost futures, and horrific marriages (Or so her mother proclaimed in whispered horror).

All of her life, her mother would tell her stories of girls who would be lured into the gardens at various balls with false promises by men who simply wanted to take advantage of them. If they were caught (and her mother pointed out haughtily that 92.8% of girls were caught...where her mother got that number, she'd never know), they were RUINED just simply RUINED! For the unlucky girls who the men would refuse to marry, they were deemed to a life of spinsterhood and living at home for the rest of their lives. If they were "lucky" enough to get married (her mother would make a face here and use air quotes around lucky), her mother then told her stories of women who had to marry beneath their station (oh, the horror) and lead miserable lives where everyone whispered about them behind their backs.

Never mind that her older sister, Arabella, who wandered into "The Garden" with a Duke was now happily married and a Duchess to boot. The ton whispered about her behind her back, falsely kind to her face, but to Arabella, the experience was worth it.

Or her best friend, Eugenie, who followed an Earl into "The Garden", and was now a Countess. Sure, everyone whispered for months about how scandelous it was that she was found in The Garden with her dress to her waist and how exactly 9 months later to the date, little Andrew came into the world. Eugenie didn't care what the rest of ton had to say - she found her happily ever after.

Beatrix's mother didn't care about that. Her mother liked to scoff and remind her that was the exception when Beatrix dared to bring them up. Beatrix was to have a proper marriage - one that involved her not going into "The Garden." She was to be a proper lady at all times, quiet, submissive, and kind, a lady with an impeccable reputation. The kind of lady that would never dream to go There.

But oh, how she dreamed of being one of those girls and to be brave enough to simply go after what she wanted. She would gracefully wrap her arm around the man's proferred arm and the two of them would sneak out into the gardens where he would stare into her eyes and kiss her under the moonlight, reputation be damned.

However, with every dream, came the fear and her mother's voice bursting her bubble. So Beatrix went to the balls and stood against the walls watching the other girls flirt and dance and make their way out into "The Garden." To her mother's dismay, she never danced with any of the men, despite the numerous offers, in fear of being led astray (even though her mother would remind her not so gently that she'd never meet her future husband this way). She would demur and point them towards other girls; the girls more willing to take a chance on life and men.  She preferred to stay in the corner with the other wallflowers, watching and daydreaming. This way she was safe, beyond reproach.

And if she was never to find her husband and live at home as a spinster (which she feared could easily be the case)... well that was the price to pay to not be ruined and keep her spotless reputation.

Date: 2014-10-01 11:29 am (UTC)
meridian_rose: pen on letter background  with text  saying 'writer' (writer)
From: [personal profile] meridian_rose
I love Regency fic, so I really enjoyed this. Poor Beatrix. I hope she either found someone special or a way to revel in her singledom :)

Date: 2014-10-05 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
Regency fic is awesome :)

Glad you liked!

Date: 2014-10-01 12:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] eternal-ot.livejournal.com
Oh Well...:/ I felt bad for Beatrix...I hope she realizes that taking chances is way of life before it's too late...

Date: 2014-10-05 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
I think she will:)

Date: 2014-10-01 05:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] adoptedwriter.livejournal.com
Damned if ya do....damned if ya don't. I enjoyed this. AW

Date: 2014-10-05 04:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
Glad you enjoyed!

Date: 2014-10-01 06:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kehlen-crow.livejournal.com
Nice and not quite expected "other sides" of the reputation coin :)

Date: 2014-10-05 04:54 pm (UTC)

Date: 2014-10-01 07:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mac-arthur-park.livejournal.com
I really liked this.

Date: 2014-10-05 04:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
Glad you liked!

Date: 2014-10-01 07:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sarcasmoqueen.livejournal.com
Liked this take on "the garden". I read stuff like this and I'm happy I'm a woman in the 21st century and not the 19th!

Date: 2014-10-05 04:53 pm (UTC)

Date: 2014-10-02 09:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] uncawes.livejournal.com
Control freak parents will ruin you every time. And never realise it was their total control that was the real problem.

Nice work

Date: 2014-10-02 10:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] n3m3sis43.livejournal.com
Yeah, what he said. I had those parents. Blargh.

Date: 2014-10-05 04:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
True story. I have a friend whose parents were extremely controlling - when she turned 18, she basically went wild and to this day, they can't understand why she is the way she is even though it has been pointed out to them that it's basically their fault.

Date: 2014-10-02 10:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] n3m3sis43.livejournal.com
All too often, the things our parents drill into us in order to "protect" us keep us from living our lives. Sad.

Date: 2014-10-05 04:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
It is really sad :( I have a friend who had parents like that - as soon as she turned 18 she basically went wild because all of a sudden she had freedom and had no idea how to handle it.

Date: 2014-10-03 12:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] itsjustc.livejournal.com
lol you are my spinster/sex metaphor twin!

I really loved reading this.

Date: 2014-10-05 04:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
*high five!*

Glad you liked and thank you for reccing me!

Date: 2014-10-04 05:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alycewilson.livejournal.com
Your explanation of this time period and these attitudes was both entertaining and wholly believable.

Date: 2014-10-05 04:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] xlovebecomesher.livejournal.com
Thank you - I've spent a lot of time reading Regency romance novels so I was hoping my idea would work out!

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