Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl, nor the characters that come with it. I also do not own the rights to the novel that this story is based on.
A/N: This story is not based on an actual historical event; however, the story does take place in the mid to late 1800s. This fanfic is based off the romance novel Scandal Becomes Her by Shirlee Busbee.
Blair Waldorf had everything once upon a time. Five years ago, she had a fiancé and she was in perfect health. Then the accident occurred. It was a simple accident, though one she had very little memory of. All Blair knew was that her horse had somehow run off the side of a cliff, falling to its death and Blair landing on a ledge. When she was found, nearly a day later, the doctor reported that she had a broken arm, a nasty bump to the head, and a broken leg.
Blair slept for days following her accident. So much so that her family believed that she had fallen into a comatose state, fearing she would never wake up. While Blair slept, her body seemed peaceful, though her head was plagued with a terrible nightmare…one a proper lady should never have. While Blair slept her terrible slumber things in her life began to unravel around her.
Sir Marcus of Kent was a respectable man, rich and carrying a title, he was the perfect match for Blair Waldorf, the only daughter of Harold Waldorf. Beyond Blair's beauty there was an intelligent woman, cynical but intelligent. Any man would be happy to have her as his bride. But the accident changed everything. Marcus did not want a wife who was "crippled" as he put it, since he did not believe Blair could ever fully recover from her injuries. The moment Harold had offered to allow the engagement to be broken, Sir Marcus all but jumped at the chance to be rid of his damaged fiancé.
Five years later, Sir Marcus had remarried and had a nursery with three children. Blair was still recovering from her injuries. Her arm had healed just fine, only two injuries seemed to last: she was now cursed to walk with a limp and she had terrible, unnatural nightmares.
Blair tossed in her bed, her nightgown becoming drenched in sweat. The visions behind her eyes, driving her insane. So insane that she was crying out whilst she slept. Her family had become accustomed to it and knew that soon enough the nightmare would stop, though they never dared to ask her about them. As of lately, the nightmares had become less frequent, but tonight was something terrible.
A man stood in the darkness, his back always to Blair, with a knife (such a cruel looking knife too) in his hand. The stone room in which he did his darkly deed was bloodstained, so much so that the smell filled Blair's nostrils. The man advanced towards the young maiden tied to the slab in the middle of the room. She was screaming for help, begging him not to hurt her…not to kill her.
Blair cringed as she saw the knife lunged into the woman's belly. She tried to look away, tried to ignore the scene before. The man cut the woman from her belly to her breasts, blood pouring out the poor woman. She heard a terrible laugh escape the man's lips. "Oh little whore," he said, as he lunged the knife once more inside of her.
When Blair awoke, she lit her candle and pulled her knees to her chest. "It was only a dream, Blair," she told herself, "only a dream." She stifled a sob as she reached the cup of water her hand maid had left for her. After a nightmare it took some time for her to lose the feeling of inkiness that came with the horrific visions. Blair groaned as she saw the light of morning before her. She had lost much sleep with these visions much to her chagrin.
Blair quickly dressed and arrived in the dinning hall for breakfast, since her mother's death, Blair had become lady of the house and the hostess. She was completely devoted to her father and the only man she felt she could ever trust. Blair had been completely in love with Sir Marcus and nursed a broken heart for some time following the ending of their engagement. And his quick marriage afterwards did not help, but Blair had learned not to fret.
Harold Waldorf adored his daughter, having been his only child, she was the one he left most of his fortune too. Unfortunately, if she did not marry or have a child, his land and title would go to his nephew. Though he liked his nephew, he wanted his daughter to have all the things she deserved including the land she had been raised on…the land where her mother and the rest of their family had been buried on…the land that she was so attached to.
Charles "Chuck" Bass was an unhappy man and had been for sometime. Married only five years before, his marriage had been unhappy and ended in tragedy. His wedding to a young heiress named Vanessa seemed like a perfect match. His father Bartholomew was happy that his son had found love so soon after he had found love with a Miss Lily Van Der Woodsen. With Lily came her daughter Serena. Bartholomew (called Bart by those who were close to him) adored the young woman the moment he met her. Having always wanted a daughter, Bart devoted upon her with love and affection.
In all reality, Bart had pressured Chuck into marriage. Bart wanted grandchildren and most of all he wanted to know that his son was happy.
Vanessa was headstrong in a way that Chuck could not understand. Yes, she challenged him quite often, but there was no fun in the challenge…just her complaints. The only joy Chuck had in the marriage was the fact that shortly after being married, Vanessa fell pregnant much to her distaste and much to Chuck's joy. The idea of being a father mended the dislike he had of his wife. Then tragedy struck, during Vanessa's fifth month of carrying their child an accident occurred. As Vanessa was riding in the country side in her carriage, a wheel had come off and the carriage overturned, killing Vanessa (and their unborn child) instantly. Chuck was a broken man and his spiral of depression only worsened upon his father's death. Though, Chuck did the noble thing, taking over his father's holdings and holding the title of Earl of Whyndam. He took care of his step-mother and step-sister. They were the only immediate family he had besides his cousin, Nathaniel (who was more like a brother), Erik, and Carter.
After the death of his wife, Chuck vowed never to remarry and he planned to keep that vow no matter how much Lily tried to convince Chuck to marry her niece Georgina. Lily feared that Chuck would never marry nor have an heir and his cousin Erik would throw her and Serena out on the streets.
Tonight was supposed to be special. There was a ball at a neighboring estate which Harold and Blair had been invited too. Blair was not exactly thrilled since she had left the social seen nearly five years prior. After her accident and the abrupt end of her engagement, rumors had spread like wild fire and some people even had the gall to suggest she belonged in Bedlam Hospital. But she was going to the ball to appease her father who still had hopes she would marry.
"You do know you must keep an eye out for that Jack of Tynedale. The rumors of his near kidnap of Alexandria Rose was a shock to use all, but he would have no problem taking a woman for his wife with force," Harold warned his daughter. Jack had a terrible reputation of gambling and debauchery. Only a year prior he had attempted to kidnap a young noble woman in an attempt to force her into marriage so that he could repay his debt.
"Father, trust me when I tell you I am not some stupid little girl. Jack of Tynedale will not woo me, nor will I ever marry him," she told her father reassuringly. She connected her arm with his. "Now, I believe if we do not leave at this moment we shall be more than fashionably late."
Harold kissed his daughter on the cheek, a smile on his lips. He loved his daughter as much as any father could love a daughter if not more. "You are right my dear. I have made sure that you have a good head on your shoulders. I just…" he paused for a moment. "Blair, I just want you to be happy."
Blair smiled. "Father, I am very happy. You do not need to worry so much over your little girl, she is growing up."
"Ah, but like you said, you are my little girl."
The ball went extremely well, only once did Blair have to ward off the wandering looks of Jack. Of course he tried to convince her to dance with him, but one good part of having a leg that often ached and caused her to limp was that she had an excuse not to dance with someone so undesirable as Jack of Tynedale.
After the ball, Blair happily changed into her nightgown and fell into bed. She was exhausted, never in her life had she met someone she disliked as much as she disliked Jack. When he had asked her to dance, he had this smug sense over him that she would do just that. But Blair refused to be controlled by someone, especially someone as pathetic as Jack of Tynedale.
As Blair drifted off into a night of slumber, she felt a hand suddenly placed over her mouth. She tried to shriek, but nothing. Blair believed it to be one of her nightmares, until she opened her eyes and saw the twisted face of the man, who not even two hours ago, had begged her to dance.
So, I would love some people's opinion on this since it is my first historically (time wise) fanfic. So please review and tell me what you think.