This is a story I thought about when watching Season 1 and after reading the first Gossip Girl book. Of course, in the book, Blair has a younger brother, but in the TV series, she has no siblings. What if she did have a sister?
Mystery, romance, intrigue and plenty of plotting!
Relationships: Chair, Serenate and Derena.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, in London, England, a girl was debating what to do.
Her guardian, Imogen, had died a week ago, and after the funeral, the house was empty and lonely. Lucy had started wondering about her family. Imogen had always told her to stay away, and had never given her enough money to go. Until now, that was.
Imogen had left everything to her in the will, enough to buy hundreds of millions of plane tickets.
She would go and find her family.
Months before she died, Imogen had bought Lucy a passport, on which she had dual nationality: British and American. That was her first clue. Her second was all the things Imogen had told her about her mother.
"She was so talented, and her fashions have gone worldwide!"
"Beautiful dark hair, just like yours, Lucy."
"She married a lawyer after your father left her."
"A Park Avenue address - I remember when I used to live on the Upper East Side."
"Your mother was an Astor, you know. Her mother was my sister. You do know I'm your great-aunt, don't you?"
"Your grandmother still lives on Fifth Avenue."
Imogen, in her old age, had given Lucy several clues. Her mother was an Astor, on her mother's side, and her grandmother was Imogen's sister. Searching through Imogen's possessions, she found several letters from a Josephine Astor, who spoke about her young daughter, Eleanor and later, about a granddaughter, Blair. Josephine had signed the letters 'from your dear sister'.
A quick Google search of Blair, New York, fashion and Eleanor, New York, fashion, returned Waldorf Designs and the address of the atelier. She would start there.
Lucy started to pack, neatly, as usual, but impatient. She wanted to meet them, find out why she was exiled here, and they, oblivious in New York. Did Blair know of her existence? Blair was 15 now, just finishing Freshman Year in high school. Lucy looked around her bare room, hers since she was a baby. The narrow single bed was where she had slept nearly every night of her life. Imogen had lived frugally, doling out pocket money in small quantities, enough for a pair of Topshop jeans every month and a Starbucks on a Saturday morning, but not what Blair would have been used to all her life.
Sighing, she closed her suitcase and called a taxi. She left the large house in Chelsea at 1pm, looking back at the large, empty windows. She had always hated it.
Arriving at Heathrow Airport, she booked a ticket on the next flight to New York, leaving in two hours, and checked in her bag.
The flight was long, but her first class ticket meant she travelled in comfort. She arrived in New York at 7pm in the evening, remembering to change the time on her watch to five hours earlier. She was exhausted, and decided to check into a hotel at the airport.
She would find her family tomorrow.
The next day, Lucy rose early and checked out, then headed for the bus. She would get the bus to Grand Central, then find a hotel before heading to the atelier. The plan went well, but doubts plagued her. What if her family didn't want her? What if Eleanor took one look at her and dismissed her. What if Blair thought she was a tramp?
Lucy checked herself in the mirror at the hotel. Her mascara, as usual, was amateurly applied, and her eyeliner had already smudged. Her dress was crumpled and her shoes scuffed with dirt. She imagined turning up at their penthouse with Eleanor and Blair looking immaculate, dressed impeccably in designer clothes and hair shining and neat, make up professionally applied. Lucy felt like crying. Of course she would be turned away. She changed into a white blouse and black skinny jeans, and put on her Topshop black blazer and a pair of emerald green flats. She brushed her hair, letting it frame her oval face and reapplied her make up, trying to keep her hand steady. Now she just had to stay neat until she saw her mother and sister.
She left, remembering to grab her handbag and hailed a taxi. The atelier was a large building and Lucy took a deep breath before walking up to the front desk.
"Hello, I'm here to see Eleanor Waldorf" she said pleasantly, in her well spoken English accent.
"Do you have an appointment?" the girl said, looking askance at Lucy's clothes. Lucy looked down. She already had a smudge of dirt on her blouse. Where had that come from?
"No, but I'm her daughter, she'll see me." Lucy said confidently.
The girl looked at Lucy's features, at her large brown eyes and pale skin and rosebud mouth.
"You aren't Blair" the girl said, but she looked uncertain. "I didn't know Eleanor had another daughter."
"I've been in London. If she's busy, I'll just wait at home. Could you check the address for me, for the taxi? I haven't been home in years!"
The girl looked suspicious now.
"I'll ring up, wait here."
She held a whispered conversation while Lucy waited.
"What's your name?"
"Lucy Eleanor" Lucy replied, and the girl turned back to her conversation. She hung up a moment later.
"Follow me" she said, walking towards the elevator. Lucy got in, and they went to the third floor. The doors opened onto an open plan floor, full of desks, the hum of hundreds of sewing machines and models half draped in material. Orders were barked, she could hear someone sobbing furiously and the scatter of buttons falling on the floor. The girl led Lucy across the floor to a door at the far end. She knocked.
"Come in" a regal voice commanded. The girl nodded to Lucy, who turned the handle and went in.
Eleanor Waldorf was sitting at a desk, surrounded by papers, a sewing machine and a dummy, on which a dress was forming. She looked up at Lucy, her face pale, her hands clasped in front of her.
"Sit down, please" she said, and Lucy took the only available chair, in front of the desk.
Eleanor looked lost, uncertain. Her eyes travelled over her daughter, from her face to her feet, noting her clothes and handbag.
"Lucy, is it? How can I help?"
Lucy felt like hitting her.
"I'm your daughter" she said coldly. "You must know about me. You bore me, you carried me for 9 months and gave me to your aunt. You gave me this name."
Eleanor sighed. "I was just wondering why you came. You never got in touch before, I thought you didn't want me, and were happy with Imogen."
"I didn't know you existed" Lucy said, watching Eleanor's face. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"You - but I sent you money, each month, and birthday presents, and Christmas presents. I never got anything back, not even a note."
"I didn't get any of that" Lucy said, growing more confused. "Imogen died a week ago. We just had the funeral and she left me her money. I was finally able to afford a plane ticket."
"She kept your money from you?" Eleanor said, voice rising in anger. "How dare she?"
"Look, that doesn't matter now" Lucy said, "she's dead, and she had her reasons. The important thing is that I found you. I just want to get to know you and Blair, and to find some answers."
"I'd like that too" Eleanor said, "I've wanted you to come since I married Harold and had Blair, when I was settled. I hated leaving you, even for a little while. But Imogen rang me and said you didn't want to come, that you wanted to stay, so I contented myself with pictures and presents."
"But if Imogen didn't want me to leave, why did she leave me her money?"
A phone ringing interrupted Eleanor before she could answer Lucy.
"Blair? What is it? No, I'm busy. I'll be home at 6, be there. We need to talk. Goodbye."
"Sorry about that" Eleanor said, "my daughter Blair is a demanding madam, as you will find out."
She paused, to gather her thoughts.
"I'm all in a muddle. This is a huge shock, to see you sitting there, so real. Everything has gone so differently from how I imagined. I wanted you here, growing up with Blair.
"I would like you to come and live with me. Go to Blair's school, go to college here, make a life here."
Lucy smiled, for the first time since she had entered the room. Her smile lit up her pale face and Eleanor smiled too.
"Your smile is just like Blair's" she said softly.
"I would love that. I've only ever wanted a real family" she said. Eleanor coughed and turned away, but Lucy caught the tears forming in her eyes.
"Now, let's go. The atelier can run itself for an afternoon. You need to meet your sister."
A short chapter to start with, just to set the scene. Are you interested in this story? I have the whole thing in my head, just waiting to be written! Chair will feature heavily, but some events may change with Lucy's involvement. Will Blair scheme less? Will Chuck be less damaged?
And the big question: who is Lucy's father?