Challenge #17 - It's All In a Name... or a Title, Part II
Title: Fast Street In Moonlight
Word Count: 619
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Georgette Heyer: The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer: Frederica
Pairings (if any): Sophy/Felix
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): None
Summary: Sophy takes over the reins. Felix doesn't know what's coming.
Dusk was just rolling over the hills, and a chill was setting in the air when Felix Merriville slowed his greys to a trot that fine evening. He was thinking about what a perfect day it had been in the park. He had driven to a T and then taken them around town. Right then, he was just heading back to his house when he saw the glare of a white bonnet beside him and looked down.
"Is that you, Felix Merriville?" The girl in the white bonnet looked up at him, and without a doubt, she couldn't be mistaken for anyone other than Sophy Stanton-Lacy.
After he slowed the greys to a stop, he swallowed the lump in his throat and loosened his neck cloth with his free hand. "Good day, Miss Stanton-Lacy, but... what, may I ask, are you doing out here alone in the dark?"
She smiled up sweetly at him. "I was hoping you would take me up for a ride in your phaeton."
What was he to do? This was Charis' best friend, after all, and there was no way he could leave a lady out alone in the dark. The only proper thing to do would be to take her home. So, feeling just a little chivalrous and a bit more grown up than his years, he nodded and leaned over to hold out his hand so she could alight into the phaeton.
He waited while Sophy became comfortable beside him on the bench and then put the carpet over her legs before urging the greys on once more.
"Oh, Felix," Sophy said.
He glanced at her briefly. "Yes?"
"Would you mind if I took the reins for just a little while?"
This time he turned to stare at her. "What? You, driving the greys? Are you serious? Have you ever driven a phaeton?"
She bit her lip and looked to be in some thought. "Well, not a phaeton, exactly, but my father lets me drive his carriage all the time, and I can't imagine this is much different." She paused, watching his face. "Please, Felix? I promise we'll go at a slow pace."
He drove the greys on for several more long seconds, thinking hard. If anything happened to Alverstoke's greys, he would be in serious trouble. On the other hand, if he upset Sophy, Charis would hear about it, and then his life would be made a complete and utter misery. How bad could she really be, anyway? This road was completely straight.
With a sigh, he handed her the reins. "Fine, but if anything goes wrong--"
Sophy squealed with delight and took the reins from him. The next thing he knew, the greys were going at a smart pace through town and he was holding onto his seat. Yes, Sophy knew how to drive a phaeton alright, and she was using her skill to maneuver it around other carriages on the road.
"Sorry! Coming through!" she yelled at an old man who was sitting low in a carriage they had just passed.
"Sophy, slow down!" Felix yelled, but she had a deaf ear to him.
She pulled on the reins when they finally reached the fork in the road, and with a smile, handed them back to him. "It's been a pleasure."
To Felix's horror, she was beginning to get down from the phaeton. "Wait, I'm supposed to take you home!"
Sophy, already on the ground looked up at him and shrugged. "What for? I know the way." She was moving away from him at a fast pace. "Thanks for the ride!"
He sat there staring after her with his mouth half open. Why did Charis like this girl, anyway?
Word Count: 619
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Georgette Heyer: The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer: Frederica
Pairings (if any): Sophy/Felix
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con/etc): None
Summary: Sophy takes over the reins. Felix doesn't know what's coming.
Dusk was just rolling over the hills, and a chill was setting in the air when Felix Merriville slowed his greys to a trot that fine evening. He was thinking about what a perfect day it had been in the park. He had driven to a T and then taken them around town. Right then, he was just heading back to his house when he saw the glare of a white bonnet beside him and looked down.
"Is that you, Felix Merriville?" The girl in the white bonnet looked up at him, and without a doubt, she couldn't be mistaken for anyone other than Sophy Stanton-Lacy.
After he slowed the greys to a stop, he swallowed the lump in his throat and loosened his neck cloth with his free hand. "Good day, Miss Stanton-Lacy, but... what, may I ask, are you doing out here alone in the dark?"
She smiled up sweetly at him. "I was hoping you would take me up for a ride in your phaeton."
What was he to do? This was Charis' best friend, after all, and there was no way he could leave a lady out alone in the dark. The only proper thing to do would be to take her home. So, feeling just a little chivalrous and a bit more grown up than his years, he nodded and leaned over to hold out his hand so she could alight into the phaeton.
He waited while Sophy became comfortable beside him on the bench and then put the carpet over her legs before urging the greys on once more.
"Oh, Felix," Sophy said.
He glanced at her briefly. "Yes?"
"Would you mind if I took the reins for just a little while?"
This time he turned to stare at her. "What? You, driving the greys? Are you serious? Have you ever driven a phaeton?"
She bit her lip and looked to be in some thought. "Well, not a phaeton, exactly, but my father lets me drive his carriage all the time, and I can't imagine this is much different." She paused, watching his face. "Please, Felix? I promise we'll go at a slow pace."
He drove the greys on for several more long seconds, thinking hard. If anything happened to Alverstoke's greys, he would be in serious trouble. On the other hand, if he upset Sophy, Charis would hear about it, and then his life would be made a complete and utter misery. How bad could she really be, anyway? This road was completely straight.
With a sigh, he handed her the reins. "Fine, but if anything goes wrong--"
Sophy squealed with delight and took the reins from him. The next thing he knew, the greys were going at a smart pace through town and he was holding onto his seat. Yes, Sophy knew how to drive a phaeton alright, and she was using her skill to maneuver it around other carriages on the road.
"Sorry! Coming through!" she yelled at an old man who was sitting low in a carriage they had just passed.
"Sophy, slow down!" Felix yelled, but she had a deaf ear to him.
She pulled on the reins when they finally reached the fork in the road, and with a smile, handed them back to him. "It's been a pleasure."
To Felix's horror, she was beginning to get down from the phaeton. "Wait, I'm supposed to take you home!"
Sophy, already on the ground looked up at him and shrugged. "What for? I know the way." She was moving away from him at a fast pace. "Thanks for the ride!"
He sat there staring after her with his mouth half open. Why did Charis like this girl, anyway?