Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl.
Author's Note: This is what happens when one reads far too many (classic whodunnit Agatha Christie) murder mysteries and watches 4 seasons of Gossip Girl in one summer! Murder-Mystery-Meets-Gossip Girl! The scene is a party in Celia Rhodes' country home, where she invites her daughter, her granddaughter and guests and somebody turns out to be a murderer! Find out who as well as the when, where, why, what and how. Will feature several of the canon pairings, including Chuck-and-Blair.
Friday, June 18 1926
Celia Rhodes was indisputably upper class and she revelled in this fact. Everything she wore, every action she took, everything she did was done with the knowledge that she was from the upper class and she disdained any action that would lead one to suspect otherwise. This was the only reason why she had waited until the London Season was nearing its end before organising the upcoming gathering in her country home, despite how desperately she had wished to take a more active hand in preventing what she considered to be her granddaughter's approaching ruin.
Her daughter, Lillian van der Woodsen was equally upper class in her actions now, despite her little rebellions in her youth, but it failed to compare to the unseemly lengths her granddaughter, Serena, went to. Beautiful Serena had been quick to join the disgusting Flapper-sets under the disapproving eyes of Society, although it was a small consolation to Celia that she hadn't chopped her hair, choosing to keep her golden locks long. After overcoming her passion for skirts too short to be polite and being caught in the tabloids with cigarettes in her lips as often as in her hands, she had left that vulgar set and instead taken up with a very ordinary American family, which wouldn't be a problem except that Serena was acting, for all purposes, as if she had formed a lasting passion for a most ineligible man.
Of course, Celia was quick to accept that Americans were not the worst of foreigners to form a connection with. Her granddaughter was so ready to flaunt conventions that Celia was sure she would have had little problem with marrying a Frenchman, maybe even a German, never mind the outrage that would occur, with the bitterness of The Great War still so prominent in most memories. So yes, being American itself was not the problem; what was the problem was the lack of connections these Americans had, the utter lack of class and etiquette (and their ability to alienate anyone noteworthy), their lack of fortune and equal lack of aspirations, not to mention the sordid flirtation that Serena's mother had been involved in with Daniel's father years earlier. (This whole situation radiated scandal and Celia couldn't understand why Lillian allowed this to continue!) The Humphreys were hardly the crème de la crème of American Society and, as misfortune would have it, Serena appeared determined to destroy her reputation and the prospects of her family by marrying Daniel Humphrey. And this was why it had required much self-control on Celia's part to not involve herself in this matter earlier, biding her time till the London Season was coming to a close before putting forth her best efforts to nip this passion in the bud.
On this sultry Friday, Celia was focussed on the invitation list. Thus far, she had Lillian van der Woodsen, Eric van der Woodsen and Serena van der Woodsen selected; it was unfortunate that dear Lillian's husband was dead because, if her sources were accurate (and they usually were), a discrete flirtation was being pursued by Daniel's father and Lillian once again (and really, couldn't Lillian try and be a little original with her flirts?) and that was unsightly as well, though not the travesty that Serena's marriage to Daniel would be.
And on that note, Celia felt obliged to add Rufus Humphrey, Daniel Humphrey and Jennifer Humphrey to the list too, with no mother in sight. If the rumours were correct, the mother was said to have ran away with a lover – such vulgarity!
Celia would have dearly loved to have excluded the Humphreys from the party but she was far too astute to do so. Serena was her daughter's daughter and nothing had pushed Lillian to pursue a course of action as much as parental opposition had. The plot would have to be subtle; pushing Serena into her hostess role would certainly make Daniel feel uncomfortable but there would have to be more. Some additional pressure would have to be added, to force Daniel into the social faux pas that would horrify anyone of the Upper Class. Hunting would certainly have to be in order to emphasise Daniel's inadequacies, which would mean that the party would take place in August, maybe a little early to see how Daniel would fare under the boredom and tedium of living in the country without hunting too. Unfortunately, Celia could think of now appropriate way in which the additional pressure could come from, to provide the proverbial straw to break Young Daniel's back. Ah well. Celia could but hope that a socially dire situation would arise, enabling Daniel to look like a fool. (Fortunately for her piece of mind, Celia did not realise that there would be a murder at her party. Even she would have balked at such a notion!)
She must invite Eleanor Waldorf, the arbiter of fashion in the London circles, and her delightful daughter, Blair. If Celia was honest with herself, which she never was, she loved Blair far more than she loved her own granddaughter. Blair had not only the kind of wonderful beauty that survived old age but she had manners, propriety and, most admirably, an intelligence that was matched with a cunning and astute mind that Celia was sure plotted plans as much as she did herself. She loved her granddaughter and she recognised the good in her, such as the charm that would continue to work its magic in her old-age and the kind of natural grace a lady is born with but cannot aspire to, but Serena, for all of her good qualities, was foolhardy as much as foolish and failed miserably in the intelligence department.
She next decided to add Bartholomew Bass, a slightly risqué addition to her list of guests. He was neither new money, nor old money, falling into that grey area as his grandfather had been an East India merchant. The Basses had married into the gentry but until his grandfather could be forgotten, he could not, in good conscience, be considered old money. Regardless, Celia was very fond of him and his frequently acerbic comments and she added him for no reason other than a partiality for such comments. Her pen remained indecisive over Charles Bass, the son that was infamous for his debauchery and impropriety and she left the decision for another day.
Who else should she invite? There was a current lack of suitable suitors for Serena (there were far too many unsuitable one), which needed to be rectified and with this in mind, she decided to add Nathaniel Archibald and his parents, Captain Archibald and Anne Archibald to the list. She did not have a great liking for them but it was very true that Serena was friendly with Nathaniel and the poor boy was a little stupid. Celia wasn't sure whether this meant that he would be a good match for Serena or a bad match, but he could certainly prove to be a distraction, if nothing else.
She sat back and read through the list with great dissatisfaction. She had spent over half an hour on this list and it looked pathetically meagre; if she was to succeed in separating Serena from Daniel, she would have to invite a greater number of appropriate gentlemen and additional ladies, to make her purpose less obvious. Frustrated, she gave up, choosing to leave the task for another day. Instead, she went to change for the dinner she was going to have with a charming (married) Count, who flirted outrageously (but who could blame him, when he had such a bland wife?). Her granddaughter was far too much trouble but she was quite decided on not having Daniel for a grandson-in-law and she was prepared to go to great lengths to prevent it (although her strict sense of propriety would have stopped at the kind of sordid crime that was due to take place at her party).