I have NO idea what possessed me to write this, other than that I was looking at Victorian attitudes to women online today, and just felt like writing this. Initially, it wasn't going to be a Dasey but it just went that way. Please be kind in your reviews, I've never done anything this quickly before so it might be absolute rubbish.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
"Derek you are behaving like...like...like a MAN" Casey yelled at her step brother's retreating back. It didn't help that her feminist principles were on high alert at the moment due to the module on women's rights in the nineteenth century and how British Victorian literature reflected this that she was studying in English Literature at the moment. Casey had just spent the last three hours in her room, skim reading the sources for the essay she'd have to write later that term. After she'd spent the first half an hour running up and down the stairs to talk to Nora about what she'd just read, George had suggested that maybe she take notes on what she was reading and then she and Nora could discuss it all in one go.
So Casey had started off jotting down thoughts on a piece of paper, but by the time she'd finished, she'd half filled a jotter. She was already planning her follow up reading – starting with Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and then going through some of Dickens' works before ending up with Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. But while she'd made a promising start on her English assignment, she wasn't in the best mood for dealing with her step brother's antics, so when he'd suggested, at the dinner table, that she put all her research to good use and start acting like a woman should act, and get on with clearing the table, doing the dishes and by the way he'd love a nice pudding if she could make one, she hadn't responded in a particularly favourable manner.
George and Nora knew that sparks were going to fly but even they couldn't have predicted that Casey would unleash a torrent of polite abuse, calling Derek names that made him snort with laughter, but thankfully which the younger ones didn't understand at all. When Derek just shrugged and walked away, that only fuelled Casey's rage. Determined not to let him have the last word, she ran after him up the stairs and grabbed onto his hockey shirt sleeves, forcing him to turn.
"Derek, don't just walk off in the middle of an argument. This is not the 19th century; you can't just ignore the 'little woman' or beat her into submission. Women have rights now, and one of those rights is the right to free speech. So you will damn well stand here and listen until I've fini..."
Casey didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, let alone her argument, before Derek cut her off with a kiss. She melted into it for a brief moment before pulling away, fully intent on resuming what she was saying.
Downstairs, George and Nora speculated on what was going on.
"Do you think he's fainted out of sheer boredom?" George said, chuckling, as he handed Nora a plate to dry.
"No, I think he's probably found an effective way of shutting her up" she said absent mindedly, drying the plate and putting it in the cupboard.
"Oh, what's that then?" George asked. Much as he loved his step daughter, he sometimes found her tirades on the rights of women a little tedious.
"I imagine he's probably kissing her to keep her quiet" Nora mused.
George nearly dropped the plate he was holding, as Nora's words sunk in.
"What...but she's...and he's...my...yours...what?" he spluttered. Nora laughed at the expression on his face.
"Come on Georgie, you didn't expect this? They've been fighting like tooth and claw for almost two years now; you didn't think there was something more to it?" Nora said. George was stopped from replying by a yell from upstairs that no one could ignore.
"DE-REK!!!! What the HELL do you think you're doing? I'm trying to lecture you on the inequality of the women's rights in the 19th century and you go and..." Casey's voice was again cut off but this time George and Nora decided they should go and see if the warring teens were ok.
Derek broke off from kissing Casey. She was bright red and her eyes were shining and full of life. "Casey, quit nagging me and listen to yourself. Or better yet, think about what I said to you earlier that sparked all...this off. I basically told you what was expected of a woman in the 19th century, and you didn't question how I knew that"
"It was probably in some ridiculous teen movie where the girl's IQ is the only thing smaller than her clothes" Casey said in a tone dripping with disdain. Derek glared at her before continuing.
"I studied up on the subject, just like you did. And I did that so I'd have something to discuss with you, something we could debate. I know how much you love to debate things, especially things you can really get passionate about. I learnt something, and studied something, myself, for you. So how about you get off my case, and you go and get changed" Derek said authoritatively.
"Why am I getting changed?" Casey asked. With all the questions that needed asking, that one seemed most likely to get an answer.
"Because we're going out for a coffee so we can discuss the rights of women as depicted by Thomas Hardy, how much Tess is a woman before her time, and why Hardy reverts to calling Angel Clare merely 'Clare' after he hypocritically rejects Tess" Derek said fluidly, managing - just – to say it all before dissolving into helpless laughter at the expressions on Casey, George and Nora's faces. In unison, their mouths fell open and they found themselves without speech.
"Ok, I'll be downstairs in about 15 minutes" said Casey, feeling like she'd entered a parallel universe.
Derek turned to George and Nora. "Is it ok if we go out? I know it's already after seven, but we won't be back too late, and it's not a school night, and..." Derek was cut off by George.
"Don't make us regret trusting you. Nora and I aren't divorcing just because the two of you might start hating each other again, so don't do anything stupid"
Derek grinned at his father.
"Dad, would I do anything stupid?" George and Nora looked at each other for a brief moment.
"Yes" they said in unison.
Casey walked down the stairs in a simple pair of jeans and a jumper, carrying her notes and a fresh notepad to jot down new thoughts and arguments. Derek smiled at her before holding her coat for her to put on and then opening the door open for her.
"Oh yeah, I may have read up on Victorian etiquette as well" he said in answer to Casey's questioning look.
Well I hope you all enjoyed that. A lot of what Derek wants to discuss and debate with Casey was what I had to study for English Literature A Level (and I hated Tess of the D'Urbervilles with a passion). Please review