This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to SHIELD, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This is a Regency Era based AU and I will be pulling characters from all over the MCU. Fair warning. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.
Author's note: This isn't going to be historically accurate, FYI. I will keep to the traditions of early 1800s England but when it comes to the nobility of the time or naval vessels or the who segregation of races and racism don't count on it, I am too big a fan of Trip, Mack and Fury to not include them simply because their skin tone wasn't acceptable for the time period involved. So no racism people. Also, I don't believe in finding translations for different languages for the purpose of confusing my readers and forcing them to reference the meanings in the bottom of the chapter so all Mandarin Chinese will be bold italics like this.
Chapter 1: The Return to England: 1812
A young woman rushed onto the deck of the ship she was on when she heard a sailor yell out 'Land Ho'. She was quickly followed by a much paler and slightly older woman. The younger of the two went directly to the stern of the ship, avoiding the sailors that moved around on the deck. None of the sailors paid any attention to the two women that had been traveling on the ship for the past two months. While the younger of the two looked at the distant speck of land the elder looked to the captain who limped onto the deck shortly after them.
The older lady immediately went to the man and curtsied, "Please forgive my charge, Captain Barnes. Hasn't seen England since she was 13. I suspect she is also eager to see her elder brother. How long do you think it will be before we reach Weymouth?"
"It is perfectly understandable, Miss Morse. I can understand why Miss Coulson would be eager to return after so long. Though, I suppose she might be a little worried as well. From what I understand she has spent more time in China with her parents than in England," Captain James Barnes smiled before adjusting his arm in the sling it had been in for the past week.
"It is probable, I dare say. I haven't seen England six years as well, so I suppose we will both feel a bit like fish out of water. It doesn't help that I know so little of Sir Phillip's son, Mr. Leopold Coulson and even less of his wife Mrs. Jemma Coulson. I almost wish Sir Phillip and Lady Melinda had come back with us. I know they have ambassadorial duties though so I can't blame them for not doing so," Miss Morse smiled indulgently as Miss Daisy Coulson looked over to the other two ships they had traveled with.
The convoy of three ships had made the trip from China to England carrying the daughter of the English Ambassador to China, her governess turned companion and the new Chinese Ambassador to England who also happened to be the brother to the wife of the English Ambassador. Miss Daisy Coulson had spent only a few years of her life in her father's homeland of England compared to her mother's homeland of China. She had an older half-brother from her father's first marriage whom she would now be living with. The last time she had seen her elder brother was at the tender age of 13 compared to her brother's then 19 years of age. Her brother had stayed in England to attend Cambridge and was now 25 and married to a lady of good breeding, or so her father said. Daisy was a child of two worlds and for the first time in her life since she was 13 she was feeling a great deal of freedom from the far more restricting rules of Chinese etiquette.
The daughter of a baronet, Miss Coulson was born with a great deal of connections and the advantages of a wealthy family and thus was expected to make a great marriage after she was presented to court. In contrast, Miss Morse was a woman of 25 whose father had been a spendthrift and had died early, leaving her, his only child, penniless and forced to enter service. As a result, she had been exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to work as the governess/companion to the Ambassador's daughter, even if it meant leaving England for a long while. In the end, Miss Morse had found that she had quite enjoyed her time abroad but she was happy to see England once more. The only reason it was coming to pass was that Sir Phillip had decided it was time for his daughter to enter society and find a suitable English husband. Lady Coulson, a woman of a Chinese noble family hadn't been as enthusiastic about the idea but knew that it was to be expected.
"I expect it will be this afternoon that we arrive, we have a good wind and as you can see, the land is coming closer into view, we are closer already. Thank Heaven for that. I still can't believe we encountered pirates last week. I will be happy for a good rest and I pray that our ship's physician is wrong and I will be able to regain full use of my arm. I may have the funds to retire and buy an estate but I enjoy a life serving the crown," Captain Barnes smiled at the last as he rubbed his injured arm after pulling the woman from her musings.
"I pray shall for your ability to use your arm as well then. If you will excuse me, I should encourage Miss Coulson to begin our preparations for our arrival. I suspect that Mr. and Mrs. Coulson will be eagerly awaiting our arrival. We were delayed by first that storm and then the pirates," Miss Morse smiled again before going to Daisy and persuading her to follow her back below deck.
Later that day, as the tide brought the ship into port, a footman who had spent over a week lingering around the docks on orders of his master finally sighed in relief. He then quickly set off down the city streets to reach his master's rented house quickly. The moment he arrived and told the housekeeper that the HMS Persephone was arriving in port the entire household was in an uproar.
Mrs. Coulson ordered for the staff to be prepared to draw baths for both Miss Coulson and her companion when they arrived and to anticipate the need to do the same for Ambassador Fang Zhang Wei and his aids. Mrs. Coulson also ordered cook to prepare the meal plan they had preselected when preparing for the arrival of both the Chinese Ambassador and Miss Coulson. It was a meal that carefully transitioned Chinese to English foods and Miss Coulson was expected to bring a cook to help with fulfilling their culinary needs.
Mr. Coulson ordered the three carriages in the carriage house be made ready immediately so that they could meet and accommodate the needs of the Ambassador and his sister. He then quickly wrote a brief note to Lord Hubert, the Earl of Pembroke who was also waiting in Weymouth for the arrival of the Chinese Ambassador.
A footman was sent off to deliver the message just before Mr. and Mrs. Coulson climbed into one of the carriages. Another footman was sent off with a cart for all the anticipated luggage and a third was sent to a clothing shop that Mrs. Coulson had already engaged to prepare a few gowns in advance for the arrival of Miss Coulson. A larger wardrobe could be arranged when they went to London the next week but the young lady would need fashionable clothing in the meantime.
It was a short trip to the docks and Mr. and Mrs. Coulson noticed when they arrived that the ship was still docking. They climbed out of the carriage and waited patiently while the large ship was to the docks along with the other two ships that had been a part of the envoy group. A fourth and fifth much smaller ships were also being docked but the Coulsons ignored them in favor of the HMS Persephone.
Jemma Coulson noticed her husband Leo was practically vibrating with excitement and smiled. He had often spoken of his far away, much younger sister. The six-year age difference between the siblings didn't mean anything to him and they had corresponded as much as the distance had made possible. She could also tell that he was a bit nervous about seeing his step-mother's brother again. While he had spoken well of the man, it was obvious that the importance of his presence wasn't lost. In Jemma's case she was a complete bundle of nerves.
She had only heard stories of her husband's sister and uncle and as such could only pray that they liked her. She had even forced her husband to teach her some Mandarin so that she wouldn't look like a 'complete country miss'. Now, Jemma could only hope that she didn't butcher the greeting that she had made a great deal of effort to memorize.
Leopold in comparison was doing his best to contain his excitement. When the gangplank came down and the first few people disembarked he had to physically hold himself back so as to not make a complete fool of himself. The couple did move closer to the ships in question but not so close that the got lost in the chaos of the sailors working to unload the passengers'' luggage from the ships. Eventually, two woman walked carefully down the gangplank and Leo couldn't contain himself any more. He rushed over to meet his half Chinese sister at the bottom of the gangplank and sweep her into a hug. The girl in question froze until he released her and set her back on the ground.
By this point Jemma had joined them at a much more sedate pace. She noted an older lady roughly her husband's age standing close by as well as a Chinese maid who was clearly dressed a Chinese dress rather than English clothing and two large men who were body guards with the same issue. Jemma made a mental note to arrange to have livery made for the three servants quickly. As it was, they would stand out based on their appearances. As for Daisy and her companion, their clothing was at least distinctly English, even if they were made in the last season's fashion. She decided that the clothing would be adequate for the next few weeks while new, more fashionable clothing was made for them.
While Jemma was appraising her sister-in-law and her companion, Ambassador Fang Zhang Wei joined the group. Jemma noted that the man wore English clothing but his aids all wore Chinese. She dismissed it as unimportant as she knew they would only be staying a night in her home before immediately moving on to the embassy in London. Lord Hubert arrived just then and Jemma watched as her husband introduced the Earl of Pembroke to the Ambassador and his sister before stepping forward for her introduction.
"Uncle, Daisy, this is my wife Mrs. Jemma Coulson," Leo spoke in Chinese to both of them as a sign of respect.
Jemma took a deep breath before speaking, "I-I am honored to make your a-acquaintance." Jemma only stumbled a little as she spoke and curtseyed to the noble and young woman.
"Thank you. It is good to see your wife has been taught a proper level of respect, Leopold. However, you need not speak to myself in Chinese while we are in England," Zhang Wei spoke in perfect English and some of Leo's tension drained from his body with the praise he received. Jemma felt a sense of relief that she hadn't offended the dignitary.
"Yes. It is a great pleasure to meet you. Leo has written quite a bit about you. I am greatly honored to make your acquaintance," Daisy spoke with great formality as she curtseyed before glancing to her uncle who gave a subtle nod in approval.
Jemma didn't miss this exchange but remained silent, letting Leo talk. Her husband had explained to her very carefully the views of a woman's role in a family in Chinese culture and Jemma was determined to not offend. Thus, it was Leo who suggested that they remove to the carriages while the sailors and footmen finished loading their luggage into the cart. It was also Leo and Zhang Wei who carried the conversation in the carriage on the way to the rented house. When they arrived at the house, the housekeeper immediately opened the doors for them. Leopold and Zhang Wei led the way into the building with the women following and the bodyguards bringing up the rear. Jemma was surprised to hear that it was Zhang Wei who had insisted that Daisy return to England so that she might 'bring honor to her father's family'.
Daisy listened silently, as she followed. Once in the house, Jemma immediately called for the 'special tea' and Daisy smiled ever so slightly but didn't comment. When it arrived, Daisy moved immediately to pour, as Leo had told her was likely to occur. Instead of protesting, Jemma simply asked the Ambassador how he would like his tea and helped prepare it for him and the rest of those present. Eventually, the housekeeper came in to inform them that the bathes were ready and Daisy, Miss Morse and the Ambassador left to clean up. The Ambassador's aids were being housed by Lord Hubert, much to Jemma's relief, but the servants that Sir Phillip had provided specifically for Daisy had been shown to their temporary quarters by the housekeeper and the Chinese cook had immediately gone to the kitchen to 'ensure the best for her mistress'.
Jemma hoped that when they removed to London there wouldn't be a great war between Cook Fanny and Cook Li Min, the Chinese cook. Jemma had noticed that the cook Li Min had western clothing and hoped this meant that she would be more adaptable. As it was, it was clear that the woman in question could speak English if only brokenly.
By the time for Supper, Daisy was absolutely exhausted but she didn't dare ask for a tray to be brought to her rooms while her uncle was in residence. She felt fortunate that he would only be resting there for the night before leaving at dawn with the Lord of Pembroke for London. Daisy knew that she would see him occasionally in London as that is where they would go eventually, but he wouldn't have any governance over her by then. She would be expected to follow the strictures of an English lady, not a Chinese one and he would expect her to fill that role precisely, just as her mother had as soon as she married her father.
The brief thought of her parents made her miss them and the elaborate home they held in China but she also knew that the feeling would pass once she adjusted to life in England. Her maid silently aided her in dressing in a fine silk dress with a high waist line. Daisy found the lack of restricting fabric to be a little disorienting but knew that feeling would too pass. The evening gown was the latest fashion among the English who were in China but Daisy's father had only had a few gowns made because he knew that it would be out of fashion here and the dresses that were made were made simply so that they could be easily remade in a more fashionable manner.
Daisy then groaned at the fact that she was obsessing over her dress when she would have far more to worry about. Her father had ensured she had a sufficient education while in China but she also knew that in letters that her Uncle held to give to Leo and Jemma were strict orders from both her parents to arrange for masters to 'fine tune' her education before she is presented at court for her first 'season'.
As she descended the stairs, Daisy noted that the others were all waiting for her which made her duck her head a little in embarrassment. This was short lived when Lord Hubert was announced and then supper was announced shortly thereafter. Daisy made an effort to eat the food before her and after the 'separation of the sexes' she felt a little tension leave her when she was left with just Jemma in the sitting room.
"I suspect you must be feeling a little over whelmed. I do believe that the only time I have seen Leo this excited before was when he purposed. I suppose that is to be expected though," Jemma said as she prepared tea for the clearly exhausted girl.
"It is a bit much to take in. I think Papa must have anticipated that. That is why he insisted on Cook and Wang Xui Ying to come with me, even if it is a little strange to have Chinese servants. Li Liang and Wang Lei were mother's insistence though; they are the bodyguards. Mother feared there would be some small risk of hostility when I went out if they weren't with us. It is a little over the top but I know it is because they worry about me being so far from them where they can do nothing to care for and protect me, even if Leo is here to do so," Daisy paused and then blushed lightly. "Sorry, here I am going on and on. You must think me quite selfish."
"Not at all. Leo explained how overly protective your parents have always been, especially with you. I expect that being the child of an ambassador to such an important trade country like China could bring some risks, especially to a gentlewoman," Jemma offer kindly. "Why don't you go to bed for the night. Leo told me that you are an early bird like himself and it has been quite an exciting day."
Daisy agreed reluctantly and left. Jemma informed the men when they rejoined her that Daisy had been tired and so she had sent her to bed. This resulted in Leo and Zhang Wei agreeing that it had been an exhausting day and them all retiring for the evening.
Author's Note: This story may be updated sporadically. It is dependent on when I can find time to work on it. I work full time and Pokémon Go came out so I have been a bit more active lately (aka hunting Pokémon while walking my dog and thus taking much longer walks). I will however make an effort to post at least once a week, hopefully.