Fic: Loyalty for Felicity
You might have thought that the first 8,000 fic would have relieved all of my ~feelings~ about Felicity, but HAHAHA no. I was a little unhappy with how the Felicity & Elizabeth sections came out, because they're clearly overshadowed by Felicity and Ben's political arguments.
Well, of course Felicity and Elizabeth never discuss politics. Felicity's a Patriot and Elizabeth a Loyalist, and probably they agreed never to discuss it after having a big fight one time -
Fic: Loyalty for Felicity
Rating: G
Characters: Felicity & Elizabeth
Summary: When Felicity and Elizabeth were children, their family's political differences never seemed to matter to their friendship. But now that they're getting older, their beliefs create a rift between them. Can Felicity remain loyal to her friend and her ideals at the same time?
On a crisp day in mid-May, Felicity arrived at Elizabeth’s house, her red cloak flapping behind her as she rode Penny to the door. She hitched Penny to the post herself - the Coles’ footman had run off to join the Revolutionary Army, to win his freedom - and dashed up the steps. “Elizabeth!” she called. “Elizabeth!”
“Lissie!” Elizabeth darted out of the parlor, flinging her arms around Felicity as if they had not seen each other in weeks, though in fact they had giggled over As You Like It together only the day before. She kissed Felicity’s wind-reddened cheeks. “Aren’t you early for our ride?”
“A little,” Felicity said breathlessly. “But I had to talk to you. Today a man came to our store with a letter from - ” She caught herself and looked around for Annabelle. She did not want to talk about Ben’s letter in front of Elizabeth’s sister!
“Annabelle’s at the Wilcoxes,” Elizabeth said. She clasped her hands together, swaying with anticipation. “Is it from…?”
“Yes!” Felicity squealed, and covered her mouth with one hand.
“Come along,” Elizabeth whispered conspiratorially. They dashed down the hall to the Cole’s garden and settled themselves in the pergola, under the climbing roses. Elizabeth leaned over Felicity’s shoulder as Felicity drew the letter from her pocket. Her hair smelled of chamomile: a wash meant to bring out the light in her blonde locks. Not that Elizabeth’s hair needed any help being lovely!
“You’re distracting me,” Felicity complained, giving Elizabeth a friendly push away. Elizabeth obediently scooted over a little, and Felicity was sorry: she liked Elizabeth close.
But Felicity had other things to think about, like the creased and travel-stained letter in her hands. “It’s from Ben,” she said, just for the pleasure of saying his name. “It’s taken ages to get here, it must have gotten lost. Poor Ben, he probably thought I was so horrified by his news I couldn’t even write…”
“Horrified!” cried Elizabeth. “Why, Felicity, Ben’s never gone and got himself engaged to someone else!”
“No, no,” Felicity said hastily. “He’d never! I mean…”
He very well might, of course. In his mind she was probably still just the gangly, headstrong child who stole his best trousers so she could ride a horse that wasn’t even her own.
“Of course he won’t get engaged to anyone else,” Elizabeth said stoutly. “But then what did happen, Felicity?”
Felicity suddenly felt shy explaining. She ran her fingers along the crease of the letter. “You remember he was at Valley Forge?”
“Of course!”
“He’s serving under General Washington, you know,” said Felicity, her voice full with pride. “He says he’s never met a braver or more dignified man, and - ”
“Felicity,” Elizabeth interrupted. “What happened to Ben?”
“He got frostbite,” Felicity said. “He lost some toes, and…and two fingers…”
Elizabeth gasped. She placed a hand on Felicity’s shoulder. “Oh, poor Ben!”
“If only I’d knit him a pair of socks, as I’d meant to,” Felicity said. “Instead of spending so much time riding Penny.”
“You are not allowed to blame yourself, Felicity Merriman! Ben should have stocked up on warm socks, and that’s that!”
A shadow lifted from Felicity’s heart. “You’re right,” she said. “Of course, I don’t really blame myself. If only that ridiculous King George would admit he’s got no right to rule us now that we want to rule ourselves, and pull out his wicked soldiers, then - ”
“Wicked?” Elizabeth said. “They’re only loyal men fighting as their king tells them to, and - and King George is not ridiculous!”
Felicity was mortified. “Oh, I am so sorry. I forgot that you’re a Loyalist - I mean, of course I forget, as you’re not really a Loyalist - ”
“Not really a Loyalist?” said Elizabeth. Her lips were so tight they trembled.
“I mean - I mean, your family is, of course, but I don’t think of you as - I mean, you can’t be, Elizabeth, you’re my friend, and Loyalists are…are…”
Wicked, she wanted to say, or ridiculous. But Elizabeth was very pale, and Felicity felt suddenly that she had stepped over the edge of an abyss. “Is that what you think of my family?” Elizabeth demanded. She stood up, hands on her hips. “Is that what you think of me?
“No, of course not,” Felicity said, studying her lap.
“Yes, it is! Don’t take it back now, Lissie, you just said so. Well, I am proud to be loyal to King George and his majesty’s government in London!”
“But how can you be?” Felicity burst out. “How can you be loyal to the king after all that he’s done to us? Quartering soldiers among us, and, and…” She scrambled to remember what other iniquities the king had committed. The Merrimans were so firmly revolutionary that it rarely seemed necessary to discuss why. “And raising taxes!” Felicity cried triumphantly.
“Taxes!” Elizabeth said. “We paid higher taxes in London. And where do you think those taxes go? It’s not like there are Picts marauding through Devonshire. No, it goes to the colonies to protect you against the French. And when we asked for you to contribute some of the money for your own protection, you all squalled like a spoiled child!”
Felicity’s temper flared. “Well, we can protect ourselves now!” she shouted, and she was on her feet too now, glaring at Elizabeth. “General Washington will - ”
“Your brave and dignified General Washington started out in the king’s army! And he got defeated by the French!”
Felicity barely restrained herself from punching Elizabeth. “He’s a good soldier,” Felicity said. He had to be: Ben was marching after him into battle, and how could Felicity live with it if Ben died following a fool? “You’ll see, he’ll whip your stupid Cornwallis. And - and - and even if he doesn’t, at least he’s fighting for freedom! I’d rather fight for freedom and lose, than win while fighting for tyranny!”
The two girls stared at each other, breathing hard. “If you don’t understand that,” Felicity said, her voice trembling, “I don’t see how we can be friends anymore.”
Elizabeth was pale but determined. “And I don’t see how I can be friends with someone who know the first thing about loyalty. I think…I think you had better leave.”
A lock of blonde hair fell in Elizabeth’s eyes. She blew it away. It would have looked comical, but now the sight just made Felicity want to cry.
“Fine!” Felicity cried. She stormed out of the garden, pulling her red cloak tight about her. Her hands shook as she unhitched Penny. She would not cry. It took two tries to settle herself securely in the sidesaddle. She didn’t care if she never talked to Elizabeth again! “I don’t want to be friends with traitors, anyway!” she told Elizabeth, nudging Penny to walk.
“You’re the traitor!” Elizabeth shouted.
Felicity kicked Penny to canter. She was far out of Elizabeth’s sight before she started to cry.
Well, of course Felicity and Elizabeth never discuss politics. Felicity's a Patriot and Elizabeth a Loyalist, and probably they agreed never to discuss it after having a big fight one time -
Fic: Loyalty for Felicity
Rating: G
Characters: Felicity & Elizabeth
Summary: When Felicity and Elizabeth were children, their family's political differences never seemed to matter to their friendship. But now that they're getting older, their beliefs create a rift between them. Can Felicity remain loyal to her friend and her ideals at the same time?
On a crisp day in mid-May, Felicity arrived at Elizabeth’s house, her red cloak flapping behind her as she rode Penny to the door. She hitched Penny to the post herself - the Coles’ footman had run off to join the Revolutionary Army, to win his freedom - and dashed up the steps. “Elizabeth!” she called. “Elizabeth!”
“Lissie!” Elizabeth darted out of the parlor, flinging her arms around Felicity as if they had not seen each other in weeks, though in fact they had giggled over As You Like It together only the day before. She kissed Felicity’s wind-reddened cheeks. “Aren’t you early for our ride?”
“A little,” Felicity said breathlessly. “But I had to talk to you. Today a man came to our store with a letter from - ” She caught herself and looked around for Annabelle. She did not want to talk about Ben’s letter in front of Elizabeth’s sister!
“Annabelle’s at the Wilcoxes,” Elizabeth said. She clasped her hands together, swaying with anticipation. “Is it from…?”
“Yes!” Felicity squealed, and covered her mouth with one hand.
“Come along,” Elizabeth whispered conspiratorially. They dashed down the hall to the Cole’s garden and settled themselves in the pergola, under the climbing roses. Elizabeth leaned over Felicity’s shoulder as Felicity drew the letter from her pocket. Her hair smelled of chamomile: a wash meant to bring out the light in her blonde locks. Not that Elizabeth’s hair needed any help being lovely!
“You’re distracting me,” Felicity complained, giving Elizabeth a friendly push away. Elizabeth obediently scooted over a little, and Felicity was sorry: she liked Elizabeth close.
But Felicity had other things to think about, like the creased and travel-stained letter in her hands. “It’s from Ben,” she said, just for the pleasure of saying his name. “It’s taken ages to get here, it must have gotten lost. Poor Ben, he probably thought I was so horrified by his news I couldn’t even write…”
“Horrified!” cried Elizabeth. “Why, Felicity, Ben’s never gone and got himself engaged to someone else!”
“No, no,” Felicity said hastily. “He’d never! I mean…”
He very well might, of course. In his mind she was probably still just the gangly, headstrong child who stole his best trousers so she could ride a horse that wasn’t even her own.
“Of course he won’t get engaged to anyone else,” Elizabeth said stoutly. “But then what did happen, Felicity?”
Felicity suddenly felt shy explaining. She ran her fingers along the crease of the letter. “You remember he was at Valley Forge?”
“Of course!”
“He’s serving under General Washington, you know,” said Felicity, her voice full with pride. “He says he’s never met a braver or more dignified man, and - ”
“Felicity,” Elizabeth interrupted. “What happened to Ben?”
“He got frostbite,” Felicity said. “He lost some toes, and…and two fingers…”
Elizabeth gasped. She placed a hand on Felicity’s shoulder. “Oh, poor Ben!”
“If only I’d knit him a pair of socks, as I’d meant to,” Felicity said. “Instead of spending so much time riding Penny.”
“You are not allowed to blame yourself, Felicity Merriman! Ben should have stocked up on warm socks, and that’s that!”
A shadow lifted from Felicity’s heart. “You’re right,” she said. “Of course, I don’t really blame myself. If only that ridiculous King George would admit he’s got no right to rule us now that we want to rule ourselves, and pull out his wicked soldiers, then - ”
“Wicked?” Elizabeth said. “They’re only loyal men fighting as their king tells them to, and - and King George is not ridiculous!”
Felicity was mortified. “Oh, I am so sorry. I forgot that you’re a Loyalist - I mean, of course I forget, as you’re not really a Loyalist - ”
“Not really a Loyalist?” said Elizabeth. Her lips were so tight they trembled.
“I mean - I mean, your family is, of course, but I don’t think of you as - I mean, you can’t be, Elizabeth, you’re my friend, and Loyalists are…are…”
Wicked, she wanted to say, or ridiculous. But Elizabeth was very pale, and Felicity felt suddenly that she had stepped over the edge of an abyss. “Is that what you think of my family?” Elizabeth demanded. She stood up, hands on her hips. “Is that what you think of me?
“No, of course not,” Felicity said, studying her lap.
“Yes, it is! Don’t take it back now, Lissie, you just said so. Well, I am proud to be loyal to King George and his majesty’s government in London!”
“But how can you be?” Felicity burst out. “How can you be loyal to the king after all that he’s done to us? Quartering soldiers among us, and, and…” She scrambled to remember what other iniquities the king had committed. The Merrimans were so firmly revolutionary that it rarely seemed necessary to discuss why. “And raising taxes!” Felicity cried triumphantly.
“Taxes!” Elizabeth said. “We paid higher taxes in London. And where do you think those taxes go? It’s not like there are Picts marauding through Devonshire. No, it goes to the colonies to protect you against the French. And when we asked for you to contribute some of the money for your own protection, you all squalled like a spoiled child!”
Felicity’s temper flared. “Well, we can protect ourselves now!” she shouted, and she was on her feet too now, glaring at Elizabeth. “General Washington will - ”
“Your brave and dignified General Washington started out in the king’s army! And he got defeated by the French!”
Felicity barely restrained herself from punching Elizabeth. “He’s a good soldier,” Felicity said. He had to be: Ben was marching after him into battle, and how could Felicity live with it if Ben died following a fool? “You’ll see, he’ll whip your stupid Cornwallis. And - and - and even if he doesn’t, at least he’s fighting for freedom! I’d rather fight for freedom and lose, than win while fighting for tyranny!”
The two girls stared at each other, breathing hard. “If you don’t understand that,” Felicity said, her voice trembling, “I don’t see how we can be friends anymore.”
Elizabeth was pale but determined. “And I don’t see how I can be friends with someone who know the first thing about loyalty. I think…I think you had better leave.”
A lock of blonde hair fell in Elizabeth’s eyes. She blew it away. It would have looked comical, but now the sight just made Felicity want to cry.
“Fine!” Felicity cried. She stormed out of the garden, pulling her red cloak tight about her. Her hands shook as she unhitched Penny. She would not cry. It took two tries to settle herself securely in the sidesaddle. She didn’t care if she never talked to Elizabeth again! “I don’t want to be friends with traitors, anyway!” she told Elizabeth, nudging Penny to walk.
“You’re the traitor!” Elizabeth shouted.
Felicity kicked Penny to canter. She was far out of Elizabeth’s sight before she started to cry.