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: My apologies for the delay in the posting of this chapter. I have been busy with work, friends, family and Halloween prep. This will probably continue because the heavier activity during the holiday season at work so this is also an apology in advance.
Chapter 10: Misery of Circumstances
Although Daisy's Aunt Vicky and cousins were understanding and even tolerant of the cancelled dinner, others, Leo knew, would not be. When the next morning, Daisy sent word via Natasha that she wasn't feeling well, Leo sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since Mr. William Koenig had arrived in his drawing room the day prior. After some internal debate, he decided that he and Jemma would attend General Garret's dinner that night and give his sister's apologies for not attending. Simply saying she wasn't well seemed like the easiest course and would give her a few days' respite from the Ton.
After that, however, he would have to insist on her rejoining society, even if she wouldn't be in the highest of spirits. Jemma agreed with his decision and informed Natasha of it. The young lady looked at Daisy's brother with respect. Many people won't have taken their sibling's feelings into consideration at all. She also knew that even such a brief respite could raise eyebrows without given plausible explanation.
As such, it would hardly be seen as proper for Peggy and Stephanie to remain if Daisy was ill and so they reluctantly left after breakfast. Natasha assured them that she would care for the distraught woman and pressed them to continue with planning Stephanie's wedding. Dinner was taken in Daisy's rooms as was supper while Leo and Jemma went about ensuring none took Daisy and Natasha's absence as a slight. Daisy was said to be ill and Natasha was such a close friend that she had agreed to care for her.
However, the next day, Daisy herself discarded the suggestion. She assured her brother and his wife that what she needed was distraction rather than indulgence in morose behavior. She had cared for Mr. Koenig and had seriously considered the man for a husband, but she wasn't in love with him. She would certainly mourn his death but she also pointed out that to fail to move forward would actually an insult to his memory. He was a witty and intelligent man and had he known the circumstances that would take his life, he likely would have preferred she not suffer for his loss.
She did insist that it would be entirely appropriate for them to attend his funeral however. The affair was small and in at least Daisy's opinion under attended. It was however both proper and tasteful. Daisy took this as a sign that she would have to resign herself to dealing with the attentions of more men now that her primary suitor had met an untimely demise.
Thus, a much more somber Daisy fully engaged her efforts in ensuring Miss Rogers's wedding would go off without a hitch as well as throwing herself into preparations for a ball her uncle, Ambassador Zhang Wei, announced he would hold in her honor. Since he had left his wife and daughters back in China, it was decided that Jemma and Daisy organized the event. As such, Daisy was in the position of hosting her first major event in society.
Natasha, Stephanie and Peggy all dedicated themselves to helping their friend regain her good spirits over the next few weeks. Daisy found herself surprised by how quickly Stephanie's engagement ball approached and passed. She had to endure more suitors now but found most to be far too insipid to actually entertain. Col. Ward was a persistent fellow and made a great deal of effort to garner her attentions but to no avail. Daisy was finding herself increasingly frustrated with the man. Her friends were in agreement with her, that given his lack of consideration for her actual personality, he was mostly interested in her in a mercenary sense.
Equally disturbing, Daisy found that while she felt the absence of Mr. Koenig keenly, she was also fairly certain she wasn't heartbroken. She ended up spending a full day being absent minded about preparations for her friends' weddings due to this realization and found she ended up frequently pricking her finger with a needle she was using to monogram the initials of her friends and their intended on handkerchiefs.
She realized that her darker feelings were over the loss of a man who had become a dear friend rather than one she was in love with. She did swear to herself one thing though. He may have never been more than a friend, but she had considered him seriously for a husband. As such, she vowed that if she ever learnt who had brought about his demise would suffer for their actions. While the investigators had initially thought the incident a robbery gone wrong, a chance capture of one of the men who was involved revealed otherwise.
The man, in trade for his life, admitted he and others, none of whom he would name, had been hired by an unknown third party to bring about Mr. Koenig's death. Daisy had only been kept informed because, Mr. William Koenig had insisted upon it. He had actually formed a comradery of sorts with Leo as a result of the incident.
"Daisy, dearest, why do you appear quite enraged?" Peggy asked, finally disturbing her darker thoughts. "Is it Mr. Koenig?"
Daisy hesitated before responding. This new information had come to light only the day before, "They caught one of the men who were involved in Mr. Koenig's murder. He claims that he and the other men were hired to do so."
Peggy looked to Natasha who confirmed what Daisy had said with a nod. Her expression was grim now, "Do they know why he was murdered than?"
Daisy refused to look up, instead glaring at her embroidery. Natasha sighed and responded, "Apparently the man traded that information for his life. He and whoever else it was that was hired, were hired to do so because he was interfering in another gentleman's endeavors over a young lady. I suppose it can only be presumed to be that the young lady is Daisy." Natasha's expression was thunderous at this last part.
"Surely you jest. No offence Daisy but couldn't it be possible the man is merely lying to save his own neck? What kind of man could possibly be willing to kill for a woman who has clearly shown no affection for him? Daisy only encouraged Mr. Koenig," Peggy looked like she perhaps didn't believe her own words.
"The kind of man who is interested in raising himself up in society. To be nephew by marriage to an emperor, even a Chinese Emperor, would open doors that would otherwise be impossible to them. I am surprised that they would actually tell Daisy of it though. Surely they could have taken her sensibilities into consideration on the matter," Stephanie put in as she stitched lace to a petticoat.
"They needed to inquire from her all those who sought to be her suitors. Jemma wasn't certain about who were the more persistent ones. It was certainly a trying afternoon yesterday. I am actually now relieved that my greatest connections are to Daisy and you two. My estate is comfortable but it is hardly something that will bring about murder over," Natasha stated the last a little too fiercely. They all knew that Dr. Banner, while guarded by a natural reserved nature, had clearly captured their friend's attentions and perhaps more.
Daisy resisted the urge to respond to her friends talking around her. She knew that they were more just concerned for her rather than treating her like a child. Eventually, she did speak up however, "It is fine. I will simply need to show more caution in the future for whomever I am interested in. It is a tragedy that I will learn from. I can only hope that it doesn't get spread too far though," Daisy stated while she finished the embroidery she was working on and moved on to a bonnet.
Although most of the dresses for Stephanie were being made by professional seamstresses, Stephanie insisted that they make her wedding clothes personally. The dress itself was being made of pale blue silk that had come from China with Daisy. Fortunately, despite the wedding day being only two days away, they were almost finished. The Wedding dress, as per tradition, needed only the final stitch which would be done on the day of the wedding for good luck. The majority of accessories had already been finished, only a few final details remained to be finished, much to the surprise of all.
After Daisy's comments, the others changed the conversation to other topics, the upcoming weddings of Stephanie and Peggy being prevalent among them. It had been arranged by the Earl for Natasha and Daisy to spend the next two nights with his daughter and niece so that they could enjoy the celebrations.
"Bucky just purchased a house in Town for now. He rightly pointed out that we have plenty of time to look at estates for purchase during the warmer months," Stephanie smiled. "He said he doesn't want me to miss the rest of the season just so we could on a frivolous wedding tour. I expect that our wedding tour will actually be a tour of visits to estates up for purchase."
"And doubtless he will insist that you pick which will be bought in the end. He always did say you were better at estate management than himself, regardless of his father being a steward. I can only imagine how the steward you two hire will react when he realizes he is answering to you rather than James," Peggy added.
"In a way, you must admit that it is kind of refreshing to know that he has that much trust in you. That being said, what will he be doing if he isn't running the estate?" Natasha asked.
"Oh, doubtless he will help run it. I just suspect he won't dare suggest doing anything Stephanie didn't approve of first. He has a healthy level of respect for her opinion," Peggy smiled teasingly at her blushing cousin.
"Any man who wishes to be worthy of any of the ladies in this room would have to be. Miss Romanoff, Miss Coulson, Peggy, Steph," Mr. Barnes bowed to them as he entered without being announced. He had already been given free rein to come and go as he pleased by the Earl.
"Bucky," Stephanie stood immediately, setting aside the nearly completed petty coat. "You know better than to eavesdrop on a lady's conversation."
Daisy smirked when he completely ignored the comment as she approached him and opted to kiss her cheek in an overt display of affection for her. He then guided her to a couch rather than the chair she had been sitting in before. Mr. Barnes than turned slightly serious, "You don't mind forgoing a wedding trip do you? I only thought that you might prefer to spend time with your friends while you can and such trips can be tremendously expensive. This summer will doubtless be extremely busy and expensive for us as it is."
"It is absolutely fine. Neither of us are so wealthy that we can afford to ignore common sense. Besides, you have already made the costly expenditure of purchasing a house in Town. I expect it also needs some updating too," Stephanie's comments made her betrothed smile indulgently.
"Ever the frugal one. I am of half a mind to leave the managing of all expenses to you. Lord Chester did well by ensuring you and Lady Peggy knew exactly how to handle money," His expression had Daisy and Natasha roll their eyes.
"And to think, there are so many men in the Ton right now who look at their wives as mere broad mares only useful for entertaining guests and making pretty things to display as accomplishments," Peggy stated as she pulled a bell to call for some tea. The others set aside what little was left to finish for the wedding in favor of the entertainment provided by the quite smitten couple.
Daisy felt a pang of jealousy but pushed it aside in favor of being happy for her friend. As she observed the happy couple she realized something. The love before her was what she wanted. The kind of love that meant a young lady having no interest in even the favor of a Duke's nephew and heir because her heart was held by the son of a steward. The kind of love that made a Naval Captain not once even waver towards the opportunity at a much wealthier heiress because he couldn't imagine a marriage without the daughter of a parson.
A love that meant Mr. Barnes accepted Stephanie despite her unladylike skills in both the fighting arts and understanding the management of estates. Daisy had, briefly, considered what Col. Ward, who was so persistent, would be like as a husband. He had no respect for her efforts to care for her own estate, he seemed to think that women had only value in their expectations and appearances. It was a depressing thought to know that he was far from the only one. Most of society followed this mode of thought and Daisy refused to bow to these expectations. Mr. Barnes and Mr. Koenig were men capable of accepting that women were more than pretty objects to warm their beds and to hang on their arms and Daisy was determined to find such a man to marry as well. She also acknowledged that love likely had a large part in the matter.