Short Fic: The Governess

[erinya]

Title: The Governess
Rating: PG
Pairings: Pre-Will/Elizabeth.
Disclaimer: Use does not imply ownership.
Summary: Young Elizabeth, the terror of Port Royal, meets her match. Inspired by BPS drabble challenge "Blossom," but not a drabble by any definition, as it weighs in around 2000 words. Oops. This is what happens when one reads too much Austen

Comments

[swell]

Ohh, quite nice. Poor Elizabeth though. Should have snuck my Jack in there somehow. No one writes him as well as you do.

[erinya]

Aww, thanks! My Jack-muse seems to be missing in action lately. No worries, though, as I'm sure he'll be back and demanding to be written soon enough.

[geekmama]

This was beautifully written, the pacing, touches of humor, period references all adding to a delightful plot. Particularly love the fairy tale ending for the governess! Wonderful work, Erin.

[erinya]

Thanks so much for reading and commenting! Glad you enjoyed it--I found it extremely amusing to write, but wasn't sure if it would be amusing to read.

At first I was going to have Miss Thorne be your typical severe enemy-of-youth governess, but then I realized that Elizabeth would probably drive off such a person within weeks. And since she does seem to have had proper training when we see her in the movie, I figured she would have to be faced with someone smarter and more personable.

[geekmama]

Elizabeth would probably drive off such a person within weeks.

Exactly! And that was what I was expecting, so the whole ending was a delightful surprise. Very smart of you to do it that way.

[honorat]

How absolutely lovely. Poor Governor Swann. He does seem to have found himself in the suds! Funny how a man who can run a colony is routed by one small brown replica of his wife.

I had to make Will walk the plank

Hahahahahah! I love this whole passage. This is just so her. And then papa wondering if this is quite normal. LOL.

when it came time to enact the most daring rescues, the damsel in question was more often than not the hero of the day,

Of course, she would be. Elizabeth doesn’t do “Damsel in Distress.” You’ve written a perfect picture of the engaging little tomboy she must have been. It is to her governess’s credit that she kept all that spirit, while adding social grace to her arsenal.

Elizabeth was currently indulging in the kind of angry tantrum that only thirteen and spoiled can muster

Really Miss Swann. You need a change in tactics!

his best friend was a girl, it suddenly seemed a much more important difference than it ever had been before. Wonderful little moment of revelation for Will. Yay for differences

[erinya]

What a nice long comment! Thank you Honorat!

I really liked the image of the two "kids" reading together, too--I'd had it in my head for awhile and this story gave me a chance to explore it. And I don't think Miss Thorne will be at all surprised when Elizabeth marries her blacksmith--I see her as a Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston type character to Elizabeth's Emma, and probably knows where Elizabeth's affections lie better than the lass does herself.

Mmm, chocolate. The muse is made happy. :-)

[pinkdormouse]

Lovely indeed.

[erinya]

Thank you! :-)

[felaine]

Beautifully written and without making the governess a patsy or a witch.
And a happy ending for her, and Elizabeth liking her, great work.
Felaine

[erinya]

Thank you! I originally conceived her as the scary type, but then I wrote her and started to like her, thus the ending. :-)