an unexpected governess 3 (lotrips au, dom/elijah)

[almostnever]

Title: An Unexpected Governess
Fandom: Lotrips AU
Pairing: Dominic/Elijah
Ratings/Warnings: Crossdressing. Also, a warning that there's still no Dom yet. Lots of other people to introduce first, it turns out!
Notes: Concocted by oneangrykate, here. Technically, Lord Bernard should instead be addressed as Lord Monaghan, but I found that confusing, so I'm

Comments

[lisabellex]

I'm enjoying this so very much. It honestly came as quite a shock when the chapter ended... I was so swept up in the story and the manner of its telling. This really does read like a classic, yet with the added bonus of dear Elijah's fair visage, and all those other familiar faces, too.

Ten out of ten, my dear.

:D

[almostnever]

Thank you! Very pleased that you like it, especially that you find it authentic.

Some of the narrative conventions of that era would be regarded as plain old bad writing nowadays-- resorting to the passive voice so often was making me kind of crazy! But that was the voice of refined discretion, back in the day. So, I'm glad if you think it works! :-)

[anatsuno]

Lord Sean is a skank!

[almostnever]

He is! You almost can't blame Cate for kicking him to the curb!

I just realized that Liv should totally be Cate's lady's-maid (and more?)

[kissing_athelas]

Oh boo. It ended. Will there be more? Now? Tomorrow? Soon? Pleeeease?

This passage is my absolute favourite:

Lord Sean, that golden first son, proved a dissolute and ungentlemanly fellow whenever he encountered-- or truth be told, accosted-- me in the corridors or the library. A lady would never speak of it, but I was and remain no lady; and so I reveal without compunction that on nearly every such occasion, and indeed on almost every occasion that I ever witnessed him, Lord Sean was in his cups.

I can totally hear the well-spoken, hushed-whisper disgust of it. Bravo!

[almostnever]

Hurrah! Thank you very much.

I hope there will be more before too long. Dominic's first appearance was meant to be in this part, it was just running too long. But I have most of it written, so I hope I can put it up soon!

[kissing_athelas]

Oh yay... Please tell me he's going to be this louche, shame-of-the-family type who swans in and slaps the maid on the arse but gets away with it because he's so charming... I've already set my heart on that.

Wow. Don't I look like a nutjob?!

[almostnever]

But of course! He's Dom! How else would he be? :D

[bunniewabbit]

I am not familiar with writing of this period, but I'm guessing that you've done your research quite well. The use of passive voice, as you mentioned above, plus that really awkwardly stated conversation with Lord Bernard sound very authentic!

I didn't expect to love this, for some reason, but here I am, hooked like a fish and flailing for more. It's really wonderful!

[almostnever]

Thanks! It's nice to win over a skeptic ;-)

I read Jane Austen for this (and didn't much like her) as well as Jane Eyre and several Louisa May Alcott novels. Poor anatsuno has been pelted with so many goofy quotes from these things! Right now my favorite bit is a passage about how shocking and shameful it was for a young gentleman to drink to excess on New Year's Eve! How could he!? :D

[chaya]

Yeeeeeee.

I am sold.

[almostnever]

Yay!