Chapter Text
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a partner.
***
In Kurain Manor, a modest but well tended to house in the rural country of Hertfordshire, resided the Fey family; a household of little fortune, but a wealth of beauty, for the daughters were rumoured to be the handsomest girls in all the land. There was also an adopted son, but he was rumoured to be very plain - though it was also a well-known fact that he’d received his attorney’s badge a few months ago. The whole family was assembled together in the drawing room when a particularly excited Morgan Fey came flouncing into the room with particularly exciting news for her family.
”Girls,” she said to her four daughters, ignoring Phoenix, “I have just heard the most wonderful news. Netherfield Park has been let at last!”
"By who?" Asked Pearl, who was only nine and hadn't learned to avoid questioning her mother on such matters yet.
"The Von Karmas, my dear Pearl. They're arriving from Germany tomorrow, and will be attending the ball next week!"
Pearl was the only one who seemed very interested in her mother’s news; Mia and Iris, who had been reading respectively on the couch together, had nothing to say, and Maya, who was playing cards with Phoenix, did not even look up from her game. Morgan, irritated at being ignored, turned to her adopted son. “I’m sure you know the Von Karmas,” she said to Phoenix with a slight incline of the head. “They’re a family of gifted prosecutors. Mr. Payne told me any lawyer worth their salt would have heard of them.”
”I haven’t,” said Phoenix.
“Oh! Well. I suppose you did just graduate law school.”
Morgan was usually less than civil to Phoenix; while he was technically her adopted son, she didn’t consider him to be one of her children. She allowed him to live at Kurain Manor conditionally, as he had been studying law, which promised to eventually become a wealthy profession, and she cherished a hope that Phoenix would one day become the family’s patron.
Morgan Fey was equal parts greedy, jealous, cunning, and ridiculous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married and secure the Fey family name; she cared very little about anything else.
“Why should Nick care about some stuffy family from Germany?” Asked Maya, picking the second to last card in Phoenix’s hand and laying down two sevens. “I don’t.”
”I’d credit that to your general disinterest in the subject, Maya,” her mother replied coldly. “Mr. Von Karma’s an old bat, to be sure, but I’ve heard he’s got a young and handsome adopted son with six or seven thousand pounds a year. And single too. What a wonderful thing for our family! I’m certain one of my girls can find a husband out of him. After all, there isn’t a single woman on this side of the country as handsome as my daughters.”
Mia and Iris, who had been silent until that moment, looked at their mother with indignation. "Is that his aim in moving here?" Iris asked after a moment. "To marry?"
Her mother only laughed.
“Well,” said Iris shyly, “I suppose I’d be willing to meet him. If he’s agreeable.”
”That’s the proper spirit, my dear. One of you is sure to win him with your charms.”
”Not me,” said Mia. “I’m engaged.”
”Yes, well, I think you could do much better than that stuffy defence attorney. You should look for wealthier gentlemen at the ball. And Maya, well, I'm sure there will be plenty of fair young ladies for you to dance with as well."
"I hope so," said Maya, who was far beyond used to these little comments.
Morgan had given up all pretense of affection towards Maya after learning that she favored women; after all, there was surely no way to make a fortune by marrying a lady. Maya, to Morgan, was a lost cause. So she resolved to flatter and encourage her other three daughters in that regard that they might make up for the folly of her second youngest.
While Morgan continued to talk with Mia and Iris about the numerous familial advantages to a union between the Von Karmas and the Feys, Maya leaned over and said quietly, “you’ll be coming with us to the ball, won’t you Nick?”
”Of course. I’m always up for a little dancing.”
“You won’t be going after Mr. Von Karma’s son yourself, then?”
Phoenix laughed. “If he’s truly as gifted a lawyer as your mother says, he’ll certainly be a dreadful thing to behold.”
At that very moment, Phoenix picked the last Queen from Maya's hand, resulting in a devastating loss for him and an onslaught of jeers and celebration from his companion. They all went away to get ready with orders from Morgan to look their very best, and it did not occur to Phoenix that he had never received the man in question's name.