A/N: I recently had a mini-Jane Austen movie marathon and as usual I was left floating in romantic bliss. I have a great love for Romantic Historicals/Regency novels and this fic is dedicated to my many friends who love them too. If you missed my very first Olicity Historical AU that I wrote over Christmas, you can find it here on FF. It is called "Under A Winter Sky."

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1809 Derbyshire countryside, England

The first glimpse of Nocking Point vanquished Felicity's fears and bone-weary exhaustion, for just a brief moment, as the sunrise revealed the face of the great manor through the window of the traveling coach. The house was beautiful in its white stone splendor and size. Would she be accepted there?

Felicity had lost everything to a sudden and rampant wave of illness. Her journey had been long and full of the unknown. She was only a child of eleven years, but one who had felt the loss of many. After losing her mother when she was but six and then both parents to a desolating sickness not two months past; she was now being sent to live with people she had never met. Complete strangers, the family of her stepmother. She was to live off the charity of others. To live as the ward of the Earl and Countess of Starling.

She clasped her hands tightly in front of her as she was led into the family room by a servant to meet the people she would hopefully call her own.

She had only lived with her stepmother for one year, when her father had decided to remarry, and as she looked at the woman, who smiled gently at her from her chair by the fire, she could see the family resemblance. She owed this woman, with light blue eyes and honey, brown hair with strands of white, everything.

Felicity curtsied not knowing what was expected of her.

"Come here, child. I am Lady Starling and I have heard a great deal about you through my sister's letters. I miss her terribly and I am so pleased to have you here,"

Lady Starling took hold of her hands and her warmth spread all the way to Felicity's heart. She had to fight back the tears that formed from the relief of her welcome.

"Now, now, no tears. Let me introduce you to your new family. My husband, the Earl of Starling,"

"Welcome, child," said the tall, austere man whose no-nonsense voice befit the severity of his person. He was stern where his wife was genial.

"My sons, Oliver and Thomas," Lady Starling continued as she introduced the two boys standing quietly by their father. Oliver, whose intense and serious gaze made Felicity feel...disconcerted, was the oldest at the age of fourteen and the heir. Then there was Thomas, the youngest son, age twelve, with a smile that matched his mother's. Felicity could not help but smile back at him.

And so begun Felicity's life at Nocking Point. Lady Starling had welcomed her with open arms after only having been blessed with sons.

Over the years Felicity became a shadow that followed at the heels of the boys. Especially Thomas, Tommy to Felicity, in particular had become a fast friend. They were inseparable. He taught her to laugh again, climb trees and forgive the many slights Oliver made towards her over the years. The last of that list being the most difficult.

Oliver just did not like Felicity. Almost from the beginning there was just something about her...that did not suit him. It confused the heck out of an eleven year old girl and it continued to confuse the young woman she was growing into.

Oliver's company made her, uneasy. She never feared him, but every word or look he gave her made her feel inadequate and frustrated. What was wrong with laughing and enjoying life? When compared to Tommy's light and joy, Oliver's seriousness and constant corrections was a spray of salt over wounds. She never seemed to do anything right in his eyes. She didn't dress or act the way a young woman of society was supposed to. She giggled too loud or said the wrong thing. Felicity felt sorry for Oliver. He rarely smiled and even though he was always fair and kind to his family, Felicity just wasn't given that consideration. What had she ever done to him to cause such distance?

She knew she irritated him, but she just couldn't help it. With everyone else she was fine and sure footed, but with him...she was all limbs and a mess. One example, that she wished she could forget, was the day she had tagged along with Tommy to his favorite fishing spot. What she hadn't realized was that Oliver would be there too. He rarely joined Tommy in such pursuits and his grim look at first seeing her, did not help Felicity's discomfort.

"Must you always follow Thomas?" was all he had said to her for the first hour. As he and Tommy talked about mutual friends and the happenings of the neighboring village, Felicity tried to concentrate on catching something and ignoring being ignored. She would show him. And at that precise moment something pulled on her fishing rod.

She stood up and in her excitement exclaimed, "Look, Tommy! I have a fish,"

The fish tugged on her rod so furiously that she was pulled along the small wooden dock shoving Tommy out of the way, but knocking directly into Oliver causing him to fall into the pond.

"Oh, no," she moaned under her breath, as he surfaced sputtering and looking like he could kill her. She was so embarrassed, but ended up giggling as Tommy's laughter filled the air.

"You really should know better than to get in her way, Oliver," Tommy teased good naturedly as he and Felicity watched Oliver stomp out of the pond soaking wet and angry.

Years passed with similarly embarrassing moments with Oliver Jonas Queen until he was sent off to school in London. The day he departed was a complete relief to Felicity. She now had Tommy all to herself and she felt, free. Tommy had even given her a beautiful gray puppy from the litter they had watched born the night before Oliver had left for school. It was the only gray of the litter and Felicity called her, Artemis.

Artemis grew to be just as special to Felicity as Tommy had and her life was full of love and joy until…."he" came home.