Tonight was New Year's Eve. I was accompanying my best friend, Theodore Laurence to the Gardiner's New Year's Eve party since we had both been invited. I call Theodore "Teddy". I'm the only one he lets call him that. He wants everyone else to call him Laurie. His grandfather is the only one who still calls him Theodore. I had moved in with Teddy and his grandfather last year when I was fourteen after my parents and grandparents had died. The Laurence's have been friends of my family for years, so it made sense for me to move in with them after my parents and grandparents had died instead of moving all the way to London, England, to live with my crabby old aunt, Winifred. I smoothed out my green silk gown and looked out the carriage window. I was dreading this party since I don't like being shown off or talking to strangers. I felt Teddy squeeze my hand. My cheeks turned slightly pink. If you couldn't tell, I fancy Teddy. It started as a schoolgirl crush when we first met and had begun to develop into a feeling of love once I got to know him.
"Emmy? Did you hear me," Teddy asked, which cast me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry," I told him.
"Is something wrong, ma chérie," Teddy asked.
Teddy always called me "ma chérie". It was his nickname for me since everyone calls me "Emmy". I rather like his nickname for me, especially since he says it so naturally in French. I only ever get called Emmeline whenever someone is upset with me or whenever I'm being introduced to someone.
"Did I do something to upset you today, Emmy? Is that why you aren't talking to me," Teddy asked.
"No, you did nothing wrong. I'm just nervous about the party. You know how I feel about talking to strangers, taking a wrong step while dancing, and possibly saying the wrong thing," I answered.
"You won't have to worry about any of those things because I will be by your side the entire time," Teddy said.
"Oh, thank you, Teddy," I said with a smile.
"Let's run away together one day," he said.
"Where shall we go," I asked.
"Europe. Just the two of us, Emmy. Not having a care in the world," Teddy replied.
"Europe sounds divine, Teddy," I said.
"With you, it will be," he said.
Soon, we were at the party. We had finished dinner. Sallie Gardiner's friend, Annie Moffat took a liking to me and invited me to stay with her for a week when Sallie does in the spring. I gladly said yes, much to Teddy's disapproval. As people began dancing, Teddy and I went into a study to avoid crowds. After being in the study for a while, a girl who looked fifteen bumped into Teddy, who was watching people dance.
"Jehoshaphat! I'm sorry," the girl said.
"No, no, stay. It's not a bad hiding place, is it? You see, my friend and I don't know anyone...so we felt awkward just standing and staring at people. Should I put on my jacket? I never know the rules," Teddy said.
"I think I've had the pleasure of seeing you both before. You live near us, don't you," the girl asked.
"Next door," Teddy answered.
"We did have such a good time over your nice Christmas present," the girl said.
"Grandfather sent it," Teddy said.
"But the both of you put it into his head, didn't you, now," the girl asked.
"I'm not telling," Teddy replied.
"I'm Jo March," the girl said.
"Emmeline Rogers, but please call me Emmy," I said.
"Don't you have a name? Or are you just Mr. Laurence," the girl that was now known as Jo asked.
"I'm not Mr. Laurence. I'm only Laurie," he answered.
"Laurie Laurence. What an odd name," Jo said.
"My first name is Theodore, but I don't like it, for the fellows called me Dora, so I made them say Laurie instead," Teddy said.
"I hate my name too- so sentimental! I wish everyone would say Jo instead of Josephine. How did you make the boys stop calling you Dora," Jo asked.
"I thrashed 'em," Teddy replied.
"I can't thrash Aunt March, so I suppose I shall have to bear it. So who were you staring at," Jo asked.
"You, actually. What game were you playing," Teddy asked.
"I don't know, but I think I won," Jo answered. "Who else?"
"Well, I was...I was quite taken with that one," Teddy replied.
"That's Meg. That's my sister. She's completely bald in front," Jo said bluntly. "Is it true that you lived in Italy among artists and vagrants?"
"Well, my mother was Italian. A pianist. Grandfather disapproved of her," Teddy answered as we all sat down on a table.
YOU ARE READING
Ma Chérie (Theodore Laurence x OC)
FanfictionMa chérie: French for my darling. In the 1860s as the Civil War was being fought, fifteen year old Emmeline Rogers moved in with the Laurence's, family friends of her grandparents, after her parents and grandparents had died. She quickly became clo...
