AN: I am currently going through such a stressful couple of weeks. I appreciate your patience. Keep safe and sane and happy * sigh * I have received a few requests for Footsteps, but I might do Mr and Mrs Bass next just because I need some happiness. Sorry for the delay on Footsteps. That story requires that I be somewhat happy or else I would get more depressed. * hugs * Oh and if you're reading this, do let me know what you think. This story is rather neglected…
Part 11
It had been years since he had last darkened her door. The last time he had come, he had been a young man nerve-wracked and insecure. Serena van der Woodsen had been glorious, perfect like she had always been in his dreams, like every time he had seen her from afar. He had worshipped her for too long before she even noticed him. Once he had her, it was too difficult to let her go.
In the nights when he thought of her the fondest, Daniel remembered that Serena had seemed sincere when she professed she loved him. At sixteen she had taken him to her home to proudly show him off to her family. It was at such a young age that Daniel truly understood how different she was from him.
She was way up in heaven, and he was merely from earth.
He still had nightmares of Cece Rhodes' look of dismay when Serena had told her and her mother that she wanted Daniel Humphrey for a husband.
He swore, after hearing the staggering words that were used to describe him, and Serena's muffled promise that she would not see him again, that he would never return to the van der Woodsens'. For two long years he had kept his promise. It was only for his friend, for the girl who had striven so hard for the movement, that he now sought to knock on Serena's door.
It was Serena who answered the door. She blinked rapidly at the sight of him, and she was still so gorgeous he could not help the lopsided grin that softened his demeanor. Serena's eyes grew wide, then she pulled him out the door.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, shutting the door behind her.
The smile vanished from his face, and he related, "I know I am not welcome here. I would rather not have come."
"Then why are you here, Daniel? I had thought we were not speaking."
"The past two years should have confirmed the thought," he said in a snide manner. Serena pursed her lips. "I have come for your best friend."
"Blair?" Serena bit her lip. "Does she need me? She had not spoken to me since—"
"Lord Jack," Daniel finished for her.
Serena's eyes narrowed. "Do you speak to Blair? I did not know that you were friends."
It struck Daniel as sad that Serena could have drifted so far away from the girl who used to be her constant companion, to realize that even he—a stranger to her world—had become more a friend to Blair. And it was Serena who had been left alone in the lush comfort of her wealth.
"Your best friend, whom you have known most your life, is marrying Carter Baizen today. The moment they are wed, she is leaving the Colonies." Serena gasped at the revelation. "I thought that she may appreciate your presence."
"Did she ask for me?" Serena inquired.
"Blair has many things on her mind of late," Daniel told her. "Will you come with me? Will you give her your best wishes?"
Serena nodded. She glanced back at the house, then nodded her head determinedly. Daniel felt her grab his arm. He turned his head slightly. Daniel asked, "Are you marrying Lord Jack?" She nodded. "Then let us maintain our distance, Miss van der Woodsen."
Daniel climbed atop his horse, then extended his hand down to Serena. Serena asked, "Is it because he is British?"
Daniel pulled her up, so she could sit behind him. "Do not be ridiculous," he told her.
She pressed up along his back. "Then," she asked, her voice falling, "is it because you love me?"
Daniel refused to answer her. Instead, he nudged his horse into a gallop.
~o~o~o~o~
The gentle rolling of the floor beneath them was comforting as the ship waved with the lolling sea.
"You may kiss your bride."
Carter smiled down at her, encouraging. He whispered, soft enough so that others may not hear, "This is not real. Do not be afraid."
"Thank you," she whispered back.
"I'll make it fast. It is not as if we have not kissed before."
Blair flushed at the words. "This will be the first that I remember," she returned. Yet gratefully, her eyes fluttered closed and her lips tingled half in anticipation and half in fear. Blair felt the gentle pressing of his lips on hers. When he lifted his head, she sighed in relief.
"Very good," she heard Abram exclaim. Blair opened her eyes and turned to the older man. "Miss Waldorf—Blair," Abram amended eagerly, "when you and Carter return to Boston, you would have the grandest wedding ever seen."
Blair nodded, and felt tears rise in her eyes. The older man seemed earnest, and with his arms around her, Blair felt tears rise in her throat. "There is no need," she protested softly.
"Of course there is. I will welcome you to my family in the greatest fashion, my dear," Abram assured her.
It was Carter who placed his hand on his father's shoulder. Blair turned to Carter and noted the guilt evident in his face. "Father—"
Abram released Blair, then wrapped Carter in a tight embrace. "I wish you did not need to leave again so soon." When Abram loosened his hold on his son, he looked into Carter's eyes. "I know you need to." Abram said into his son's ear, "If this is something you have chosen to do, I support you."
Carter froze, and so did Blair. It seemed, at least, that Abram knew that which Carter would not say out loud even to Blair. "Carter needs to speak in the House. It is only Carter who can speak of our plight so eloquently. We will come back," Blair forced herself to lie.
Still, Abram continued, "And if you should not return, then give the girl a better wedding than a rushed wedding on a ship."
"Father—"
"You are my son, Carter. Thus I know your loyalties will not shift so quickly, so abruptly. If this is what it shall be, then so be it."
~o~o~o~o~
Serena and Daniel arrived on horseback, and Daniel jumped off his horse with lightning speed. He spotted Abram hurrying off the ship and concluded, "It is done."
Serena slid off the horse, then picked up her skirt, hurried along after Daniel. "Is it? Did we miss it?" she called out frantically. "Daniel, wait—"
Daniel stopped in his tracks, then turned. "When is your wedding day?"
Serena stammered, then responded, "In two weeks."
Daniel frowned, then gave a small, bitter smile. "I am leaving for England as well. Take care of my horse, Miss van der Woodsen." Daniel strode towards where the ship started to raise anchor.
Serena hurried after him, but could not beat his quick pace. "Daniel!" she called out. On the ship, she thought she saw Blair with a man she had never met. "Blair!" she screamed. She stared after the ship as it sailed away. Serena furiously wiped away the tears on her cheeks, despising Daniel for taking her to the docks for nothing but abandonment.
When she could barely see the ship, she whirled around. It was the only time she spotted the dark figure of a man. Serena squinted, then recognized the mess of hair that fell over a familiar forehead. She approached him.
"Nathaniel?"
He seemed to have been focused as well on the diminishing vision of the ship. At the sound of her voice, he turned to her and seemed to be surprised. He glanced at the ship, then back at Serena. He reached for the track of her tear, then brushed away the moisture.
"This is not right," he told her.
"It's not," she agreed.
Nate sighed, then told Serena, "I do not believe that she loves Carter. She had only met Carter in Boston. I was there. 'Tis impossible."
"Carter Baizen," she tested the name again on her lips. But there was nothing. And she knew Blair Waldorf. She did not fall so easily, so quickly. Blair needed a dream; Blair built a life.
"Did you see them speak?"
"No."
"Then I do not believe it either," Serena said in agreement with Nate. "She seemed so happy with the prospect of you. Marrying you—"
It was a dream come true for Blair.
"There has to be something I'm missing. Blair would not leave her mother so hastily."
"It was that other Englishman," Nate admitted. "I should have shot him when I had the chance."
"What Englishman?" Serena demanded. The only Englishman who mattered was her fiancé, and she was certain she had left Jack in her home when Daniel all but dragged her just to miss Blair's wedding.
Nate's lips thinned. "A bloody lord we met in Boston. Lord Bass."
"That's ridiculous," Serena snapped. "Lord Jack is my fiancé."
"He was all over her. Shameless," Nathaniel recalled, "to think that I was only a few feet away and she was betrothed to me. There is treason here." He swallowed. "Baizen wedding my fiancé out of the blue. Blair had been involved with Lord Bass, I am certain. This is a ruse. This is subterfuge."
Serena shook her head. She stalked towards Daniel's horse.
"Where are you going?" Nathaniel demanded.
"To Lord Jack!" Serena yelled back. "I will demand some answers." Even as she formulated the question, the image of Lord Jack's secretary, always in the back, always in the corner, always with a small smirk when Blair had been in the room, teased her brain. "Chuck."
~o~o~o~o~o~
If there was anything that brought Big Bad Bart Bass together with Lord Sparks, it was the shared love of world politics. It was plainly the reason that Bart Bass wished so desperately for his son to be involved with Georgina. When Chuck thought of his father's desires, his usual reaction was to throw them out and follow his own.
Yet there was one thing he needed his father for. Even more, there was one thing he needed Georgina's father for.
"Charles, you may be interested to speak to Lord Sparks about your holdings in the Colonies," Bart had advised him. "The man is the prominent voice. Whatever comes out of the man's mouth is gold when it comes to this insurgence."
At his father's bidding, Chuck made his way to the Sparks house. "Chuck!" Georgie greeted him enthusiastically. "Come. Let me show you my dress."
"Georgie, let me speak to your father."
Georgina waved the request away. "He's in the House of Lords," she told him.
Chuck strode to his carriage, and informed the driver of the new destination. He was surprised when Georgina climbed in after him. Chuck moistened his lips, then turned to Georgina. They arrived at the House moments later. Before he alighted, Georgina clutched at his arm.
"Georgie, let me go," Chuck requested, pulling his arm out of her hands. "I need to speak to him about America."
Georgina sighed, then loosened her grip. "Chuck, my father is an old man."
"What do you mean?"
She pursed her lips. "I know why you are to marry me. It is ridiculous, truly. I am not unattractive."
At that, Chuck had to smile. "No. You are not unattractive, Georgina," he agreed. Chuck took a lock of her hair between his thumb and his forefinger. "Have I told you yet that I adored the color of your hair?"
Georgina shook her head. "You like blondes," she reminded him.
"You have known me awhile," Chuck said in fond memory.
"I know what you like. And I know why your father wants to be affiliated with the Sparks." Georgina leaned back in her carriage seat. "I overheard them."
"Overheard them," Chuck repeated slyly.
"Fine," Georgina said grumpily. "I eavesdropped. My father has agreed to hand you his title and his seat in the House should we get married. That is two votes for the Basses. I am not stupid, Chuck. I understand that is why you will marry me." And then she narrowed her eyes. "What I do not understand is you."
"Me," Chuck said softly.
"Why would you agree to this, Chuck? Since we were children you have despised this life. I cannot believe you would marry me for politics."
Chuck sighed, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Georgie, I have no wish to marry you for a seat in the House. I have no wish for your father's title."
She smiled tentatively. "That's what I thought." Georgina climbed down from the carriage, then waited for Chuck. "Come. Let us listen to the arguments of war."
Curiously, Chuck allowed her to pull him along as they wandered into the halls. Georgina looped her arm around his, and told him, "You will be pleasantly surprised. Our dear friend is here. It has been too long since we saw him."
"Our dear friend?"
"Why, Carter Baizen, of course!" Georgina trilled. "From what I hear, he is come to argue for the side of the Colonists. Can you believe it? He had been staunchly on our side until he sailed over the ocean and was warped into such Colonial mindset." She chuckled. "I had not thought the man would be so weak-willed."
From afar, he thought he saw his dear friend pass. But he had been too far, and he could not be certain. Carter escorted someone he could barely see, and Chuck thought he recognized Daniel Humphrey a step behind him.
"I am practically rubbing my palms together at the prospect of seeing him argue, crash and burn. This House will eat him alive."
Chuck cleared his throat. He entered the large room, and scanned the crowd until he spotted Carter standing at the corner. It was unmistakable in the distance. It was Danie Humphrey with him. Perhaps it would be Daniel who would speak.
"See him?" Georgina prompted. Chuck felt her hand run down his arm. "And he's brought his poor pregnant wife from so far away when women have no place in politics."
"Baizen is married?" Chuck repeated. He oddly felt such sadness at not being part of his dear friend's special day. He did not know why, but of a sudden he heard his heart thumping aloud, frantic, nervous, too disturbingly erratic. In the pause between the argument, Chuck stepped closer until he could make out the figure that was mostly hidden by Carter's form.
"And he had not invited us, nor did he write to us. We should take offense," Georgina suggested. And then she changed her mind, "But he is too dear. Come. Let us tell him he is our friend no matter his side in this war."
He saw Bart make his way towards his old friend. Chuck hurried down the aisle. Carter stepped forward to greet Bart with an embrace.
"Let us wish him the very best in life."
And then he stopped.
Chuck found himself staring back into the wide brown eyes of the girl he had left behind.
He could be mistaken, but it almost seemed like she held her breath.
"There they are," Bart's voice boomed. "Charles. Georgina. Come greet your friend and wish him well. It seems as if Mr Baizen has fallen in love in the Colonies and gotten himself a bride." Bart took Blair's hand. Chuck watched with his jaw set. "Mrs Baizen."
"Blair," she said softly.
Her voice whipped over him like a lash.
"How quickly the tides turn," Chuck said, his voice hard as flint.
"Blair, then" Bart said amenably. "Mr Baizen, you might remember Lady Georgina Sparks. Charles' fiancé." Bart turned to Chuck. "Blair is with child, Charles. Soon, I hope that you and Georgina will give me such happy news." To Blair, he said, "Carter's father must be overjoyed. There is nothing an old man wants more than to learn that he will be a grandfather soon."
Blair moistened her lips. "Chuck, how are you?"
Georgina cocked her head, then smiled at Blair. "You know my fiancé?"
"I—" And then Blair shook her head. "No. Carter speaks of him so much, I feel like I do."
Georgina laughed softly. "I know what you mean." She turned to Bart, then promised, "Lord Bass, very soon, after we are wed, we will give you the same happy news. We will have a child at once. Right, Chuck?"
Blair stepped backwards, then muttered quickly, "I beg your pardon." She rushed away from the small group.
Bart watched her leave, then asked Carter, "Is she often sick?"
Carter kept his eyes on Chuck, who glared after Blair. "Too often," he answered. "The three weeks from New York to here was difficult for her."
"Aye," Bart agreed. "I remember. Charles' mother was often sick as well carrying him."
"Chuck, are you listening?" Carter prompted.
Georgina patted Chuck's arm. "It will be well worth it, my lord, to have your babe."
"Where are you staying, Carter? Perhaps you and your wife can stay with us…"
tbc