Summary: Set in England in the early 1800s, this story is inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Emma and Mary Margaret Blanchard are the lovely and beloved daughters of Leopold and Eva Blanchard. When unexpected tragedy strikes, orphaning them, the young sisters find themselves dependent on their half brother, Robin, and reluctant hostess of a sister-in-law, Regina. A burgeoning romance between Mary Margaret and Regina’s stepbrother, David Spencer, is interrupted when the sisters decide to take up the offer of a distant cousin, Ingrid White, to make their home with her. There, the sisters meet a host of new acquaintances including the enigmatic landowner Captain Killian Jones and young charmer Neal Cassidy. The sisters hope to find their Happy Endings while navigating polite society on the fringes of genteel poverty.
A/N: I can’t thank my betas @thegladelf and @mryddinwilt enough for all the time and effort they put into the fic. They helped make the story fifty times better than it was. Huge shout-out to @onceuponawesteros for the hours we spent bouncing ideas on chat when I first planned out this fic more than two years ago. Thank you, @emmaswanchoosesyou for digitally holding my hand whenever I felt discouraged about completing the story! @captainswanandclintasha created the lovely banner and a number of gorgeous pic-sets and art for the story. Thank you for your patience thorough all the edits I made to the fic! Last but not least, a big shout-out to the Big Bang mods who have done an excellent job organizing and running this event and to the Discord chat crew for all the writing sprints and writing help. Fair warning: This fic is not very flattering to Regina or Neal.
And now, to the story…
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A Dream and a Dance: Chapter 1
It was a pleasant English July afternoon. Not a cloud was in sight. A gentle breeze ruffled the leaves on green trees and caused delicate ripples to form on the surface of the ornamental pond at Locksley, the family estate of the Blanchard family. The young people staying at the house were taking full advantage of the mild weather and were out of doors. Emma Blanchard, one of the aforementioned young inhabitants, was reading a novel seated in the shade of an elm tree, lazily scratching the ear of a terrier that was resting beside her. As she turned a page, she covertly observed her sister, Mary Margaret, and her companion, David Spencer, who were shooting arrows at a target a little further away on the lawn.
Thwack!
The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the bullseye.
“Well done, Miss Blanchard!” said David, throwing Mary Margaret an appreciative look.
A tiny smile of amusement bubbled up on Emma’s face on seeing the obvious admiration on David’s countenance. The sparkling eyes that accompanied Mary Margaret’s answering smile caused Emma to temporarily forget the discomfiture of her and her sister’s present living situation.
Buckle up people. aloha-4-ever is taking Emma and Mary Margaret on quite an adventure, both emotionally and physically and we’re going with them! With a Jane Austen style, Aloha has managed to make this story her own. And we’re sensing some Pride from Emma and quite a bit of Prejudice from Regina!
It All Starts With a Dance 