literature

Story Chapter One...

Deviation Actions

ScarlettRandomQueen

Published: Aug 30, 2010

332 Views

Literature Text

The Scandalous Misadventures of Ivy Harrington and Lily Blakewood

Chapter One

_{The coach turned the corner and pulled up to the four storey town house my family occupied in London, and Mother gave me her signature perturbed sigh, followed by a glare, and if this weren't such a recurring means of conversation between the two of us, I would have been worried. I swear that woman could give the Judge a run for his money, and I should know – he was my father. In return, I gave her my best cocky grin, feigning innocence when she glared even more and gave another of her signature behaviours. Lectures.

"This isn't funny Ivy! Abandoning your Governess? Borrowing my sedan chair without permission? Wandering about the town without supervision? Going to boxing matches and bull baiting? Socialising with unattached wayward men? Imagine if someone we knew saw you! It could ruin your prospects and your reputation. And not just you, it would reflect badly on all of us, particularly your father. You're a young lady Ivy. I do wish you would start acting like it. If only you were more like your sisters. And this type of behaviour is bad enough on your own, but influencing poor Lily too…"

I turned to the "poor Lily" in question, and we both tried to suppress a smirk. Me influence Lily? Ha! Trying to get Lily do something she doesn't want tends to have a very predictable outcome – she won't do it. And besides, this time running off was her idea, but I wasn't going to try and tell Mother this. I knew Lily and I would be punished together anyway, as we always had, so there seemed little point in blaming her. And what's more, as far as Mother were concerned I would always be the bad egg. The black sheep of the family. Always.

"Are you even listening to me Ivy?! You girls…honestly! Ivy I have your sisters and your brother to think about as well as you, my nerves cannot take any more of this type of behaviour! And I haven't even mentioned your father. Both your fathers."

Wait. Our FATHERS were getting involved? Oh dear. This was very, very bad. Our fathers have been friends since before we'd been born, before either of them were married even. Thomas Blakewood was an aspiring medical student who was accused of a crime he didn't commit, and faced not just prison, but the gallows. No one would take on his case, believing it was a lost cause and would ruin their chances at future cases. No one that is, except William Harrington, who not only believed Thomas was innocent, but took on his case and proved his innocence in court. Thomas Blakewood became Dr Blakewood, further down the line William Harrington became Judge Harrington, and the Blakewood's and the Harrington's family history have been intertwined ever since. They were best man at each other's weddings, Dr Blakewood delivered both me and all my siblings, my father was there to console Thomas when he lost Lily's mother during childbirth, and my mother Enid brought her up as one of her own when her father was busy at the surgery. Which was often. So when both our fathers were distracted from their work by not just anything, but our behaviour nonetheless, and thus had something to say about it, it usually meant something Lily and myself were exceedingly well versed in. Trouble.}