Author's Note: This story will be very different from others I've written and I'm not sure it will work out, but I'm going to give it a try. Please let me know if you enjoy it and would like to see it continue.
The setting is Regency England, the year 1818, although I will deviate from history on some points. It may be better to think of it as an alternate world. This first chapter is heavily inspired by Jane Austen's Emma. Future chapters will be a mash-up of Glee plots and Jane Austen's other novels.
Kurt Hummel, handsome, clever, and stylish, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence. He had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex him other than the petty inconveniences of country life. The Hummels had lived for generations at Hartfield House in Lima, a village in Hampshire on the Lymington River. Kurt was fond of saying that if a man in Lima wanted a tolerable haircut he'd have to ride all the way to London to get one. Kurt himself had never actually been farther than Portsmouth; he cut his own hair.
Despite the distance to London, Kurt's situation was a comfortable one. He was the only son of a most affectionate, indulgent father. His mother had died too long ago for him to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her. Kurt had taken over the running of the household at a very young age, and had seen to it that Hartfield House was both well maintained and elegantly appointed.
Kurt had been educated at home. His governess, Miss Holiday, had instilled in him a love of music, history, and modern languages. As he grew past childhood and no longer required the care of a governess, Kurt continued his studies with private tutors. This including regular lessons with Herr Schuster, the local singing master. Under the guidance of Herr Schuster, Kurt and several of the young ladies of Lima formed a music appreciation society. It was through this society that Kurt formed a close friendship with Miss Mercedes Jones, a high-spirited girl with a strong singing voice. Another special friend was Miss Christina Cohen-Chang, a sweet and modest girl with a passion for the most horrid Gothic novels.
The recitals of the Lima Music Society were a source of great joy to Kurt. He loved to hear his friends sing, and his own performances of Cherubino's arias from Le nozze di Figaro were always much admired. Unlike Cherubino, Kurt did not suffer from infatuation with all women, or indeed any women. There are some men whose interests and disposition incline them towards friendship with ladies rather than romance. Kurt was such a man. He took great interest in dress and deportment, and even before reaching his majority he was considered quite the dandy of Lima. Kurt was no less interested in ladies' fashion. He spent many happy hours with Miss Jones pouring over the pages of La Belle Assemblée and advising her as to which gowns and headdresses would best suit her.
When Kurt was seventeen, his father remarried to an excellent woman who fell little short of a mother in affection for Kurt. The second Mrs. Hummel had herself been widowed for many years. Her first husband, Captain Hudson, had fallen at the Battle of Abukir. She had a son named Finley who was of an age with Kurt.
Finley was a tall, well-formed young man of cheerful disposition if no great quickness of mind. Like his father Finley had chosen a career in His Majesty's Army. He served in France during the Hundred Days, but Napoleon's defeat came too soon for Finley's regiment to win any great distinction. He was home in time to attend his mother's wedding. Finley cut a fine figure at the ceremony in his dress uniform. This did not go unnoticed by the young ladies of the village. As Kurt remarked to Miss Cohen-Chang at the wedding breakfast, "There's something very dashing about a man in a red jacket."
Burton Hummel regarded Finley as a second son, and Finley adopted the surname Hudson-Hummel in his honor. When not with his regiment Finley resided at Hartfield House, although he maintained ownership of his childhood home and planned to return there upon his marriage. For his part Kurt was pleased to welcome his new stepmother and brother to Hartfield, although the joining of the two families was not entirely without conflict. A quarrel over Kurt's decision to decorate Finley's room in the Oriental style nearly led to the latter returning to his former residence. Yet before long such arguments had turned into jokes and teasing, and the two young men became as close as any brothers by blood.
"What are you looking at?" Finley asked one day, having found his stepbrother at the window in the morning room.
"Our parents are walking in the garden," Kurt replied. "It touches my heart to see them so, arm in arm like young lovers. I did well when I arranged the match."
"You? Are your father and my mother unable to manage their own concerns? They arranged the match themselves."
"So you think, but you did not observe the many little encouragements I made," Kurt protested. "For instance, I recommended to your mother a manner of dressing her hair that I knew would be pleasing to my father."
"Would your father marry a woman for her hairstyle? I have always considered him a man of better sense."
"That was but one of the many ways I promoted the match! My father could not help but admire the kind nature and good sense of a woman such as your mother, but without me to encourage him to seek her society and smooth over such little difficulties as might arise then it all could have come to nothing. Yet we stand here now as brothers, and our parents husband and wife. I am quite pleased with the results of my efforts."
Finley laughed. "No doubt you also take credit for bringing me and Miss Fabray together!"
"No, I cannot claim to have had any hand in that," Kurt replied.
Miss Quinn Fabray was the younger daughter of one of Lima's most prominent families. In addition to her not inconsiderable fortune, she was regarded as a great beauty. After a long courtship her parents had finally consented to her engagement to Finley, earning him the envy of most of the other young men of Lima. Kurt, however, found himself immune to Miss Fabray's charms. In truth he did not approve of the match, although he kept this opinion to himself. He had no grounds to criticize Miss Fabray. Her manners were sophisticated, her dress elegant, and her fortune and family connections would be of advantage to Finley and their future children. She did not have the warm, open nature Kurt would have hoped for in a sister-in-law, but this alone was no reason to oppose the union.
Perhaps it was simply that Kurt did not wish to lose his brother to marriage so soon. For a long time Kurt had been the only young person at Hartfield, but over the past few years he'd grown accustomed to hearing Finley tromping through the halls whenever he was home on leave. He was sometimes joined by companions from his regiment. Although Kurt had always preferred the society of ladies, he came to enjoy the company of these young men as well. First among Finley's friends was Noah Puckerman, a handsome man with a loud laugh and rakish manner. Other frequent visitors were Michael Chang, a lively fellow with a great love of dancing, and Matthew Rutherford, a man of such quiet disposition that one might almost forget his presence.
These friends were all invited to Hartfield for a ball in celebration of Finley's engagement. Miss Fabray was of course to be there, along with her parents. Herr Schuster and his wife would also attend, as well as Kurt's friends Miss Jones and Miss Cohen-Chang. Miss Fabray's godmother, Lady Susan Sylvester, must also be invited, although she was a haughty woman of sour disposition.
"We have too few ladies for dancing," Finley pointed out after looking over the guest list Kurt had prepared. "You should invite one of your other friends from the music society. Why not Miss Berry?"
"Miss Rachel Berry?"
"Is there any other woman of that name in Lima? She dances well and I am sure she will be pleased to entertain us with her singing."
"Indeed," said Kurt drily.
Unlike Miss Fabray, Kurt felt he did have clear grounds upon which to object to Miss Berry: she thought too well of herself, she was excessively fond of demonstrating her own accomplishments, and her taste in dress was shockingly bad. Any gown selected by Miss Berry was sure to be outmoded, an unflattering color, garishly trimmed, or often all three. Kurt's father had always encouraged him to pity Miss Berry, she was an orphan who had been left to the dual guardianship of her bachelor uncle and the family solicitor, but he had never considered her a friend. Still, it was Finley's party. If he wanted Miss Berry to attend then Kurt would not make a fuss.
On the night of the ball Kurt took even more care than usual with his appearance. Finley and his friends would all be wearing their dress uniforms. Kurt wanted to look elegant and stand out from the other men while at the same time not seeming to overshadow his stepbrother. He selected a well-cut black tailcoat with a velvet collar, a grey and black striped waistcoat, a black cravat, and fashionably tight black trousers. He admired himself in the looking glass before making his way to the ballroom.
Mrs. Hummel and Mr. Fabray began the dancing. As Mr. Hummel was partnered with Mrs. Fabray for the opening dance and Finley with Miss Fabray, Kurt found himself obligated to stand up with the fearsome Lady Susan. She was a tall woman of middle years, with a harsh voice and hard eyes that seemed to disapprove of all they saw. It was rumored that in her youth she had been spurned by Lord Remington and in consequence developed a hatred of all men. Perhaps it was Lord Remington's subsequent marriage that had incited in Lady Susan a hatred of all women. She seemed to have no affection for anyone, with the possible exception of her goddaughter.
Kurt was forced to listen to a litany of complaints from Lady Susan about everything from the behavior of the Prince Regent to the low morals of young people today to the manner in which Herr Schuster wore his hair. Then, much to his surprise, she said "You have a very fine complexion."
"Thank you, my lady. I consider this a compliment indeed, as it comes from one of such high standards."
"My standards only seem high because the rest of society is in such decline," she snapped. "Still, even in better times your fair skin would have been the envy of any maiden. Your voice is very delicate as well. If not for your trousers I would hardly know you for a man at all."
"And yet that is what I am," Kurt replied. "A man may possess certain virtues more typically associated with womankind, or indeed vice versa. You, my lady, surely possess such strength of will as would be the envy of any man."
Lady Susan laughed. "You speak well, and boldly! You may look like a porcelain figure, but you do not crack easily."
Kurt bowed. "You do me honor, my lady."
At Finley's request Kurt danced the next set with Miss Fabray. "I must not neglect our other guests, but if you will stand beside me I may enjoy her company even when we are not partnered."
Finley stood up with Miss Berry for the set, and it was not long before Kurt became aware that his stepbrother's attentions were not entirely devoted to his fiancée. Miss Berry appeared to be doing her best to hold Finley's interest, smiling up at him and chattering away rapidly.
This was not lost on Miss Fabray either. She raised an eyebrow at Kurt. "I know you have a great interest in fashion," she said, a trifle more loudly than necessary. "Are long sleeves for evening back in style? I haven't seen such a thing in years."
Kurt glanced at Miss Berry, who was wearing a long-sleeved gown. "No Miss Fabray, you are quite correct," he said. "Long sleeves are completely passé. The current fashion is for short, full sleeves, just as you are wearing."
"Still, I suppose one should not be too much a slave to fashion," Miss Fabray said. "A girl with thick, mannish arms might wish to conceal them, regardless of the current style."
"Speaking of gowns, might I say that shade of blue is especially becoming on you?"
"Thank you. Your brother did not notice."
Observing that the necessity of breathing had forced Miss Berry to pause in her chatter, Kurt said "Finley! Do you not think that Miss Fabray's gown is a particularly lovely color?"
"Yes, of course!" Finley replied. "All of Quinn's gowns are lovely, even if I cannot tell one from the next." Kurt did not think this was the most gallant answer, but Miss Fabray seemed pacified. Miss Berry was quiet for the remainder of the set.
For the next set Kurt danced with Miss Cohen-Chang, and then with Miss Jones. By this time all of the older people had withdrawn to the card room. Mr. Rutherford was prevailed upon to join them so there would be enough players for two tables of whist. With eight young people left in the ballroom, they had the perfect number for a quadrille. Finley naturally partnered with Miss Fabray. Kurt asked Miss Jones to do him the honor. Mr. Chang and Miss Cohen-Chang formed another pair, and Mr. Puckerman and Miss Berry the fourth.
As the dancing ended, Kurt thought to himself that a private ball such as this must be one of life's great pleasures. To be surrounded by all the handsome gentlemen and amiable ladies of one's acquaintance, to be dressed well, to dance to lively music, and to follow it all with an excellent meal – for a young person there could hardly be a more enjoyable way to spend an evening.
Only one thing was lacking, one thing that would have made Kurt's happiness complete. After all the guests had departed, after he had withdrawn to his room and dressed for bed, he stood by his window for a long time looking out at the night sky. As a child Kurt had wished upon the stars, hoping that some magic would bring him a pair of dancing shoes or ensure fine weather for a picnic with Miss Holiday. He was long past believing that the stars had any power to grant him his desires, but it could do no harm to ask them. Kurt made a wish upon every star that he could see, and the moon as well for good measure, for the one thing he wanted more than anything else. He wished that he would find somebody to love.