Terminators of Endearment

Courtesy of several denizens of rec.arts.sf.written, Jane Austen meets James Cameron in Terminators of Endearment, a "comedy-of-manners with an undercover shapeshifting robotic assassin from the future who's trying to stop someone else from making an unfortunate marriage":

Patience found this unexpected confrontation most distressing. Mr. Connor's wonted pleasant manner and courtesy were most shockingly lacking in this most recent speech. "Mr. Connor, I beg you, do not further ruin my heretofore pleasant impression of you by insulting my friend. Whatever lies between you and Mr. Terminus — for clearly there must be some further history than that of which I am aware — is not something which should be permitted to render impossible the simple courtesies of speech in front of a lady to which you but recently expressed several flattering pleasantries."

Mr. Connor had smiled, in a way Patience did not find at all comforting, when in her speech she had mentioned "further history". He rose, throwing back the unruly lock of wheat-colored hair which she had found so endearing, and turned his regard upon Mr. Terminus, whose expression was, if possible, more woodenly controlled than usual. "She knows something of what you are," he began, almost entirely ignoring Patience in a manner which she found, if anything, even more annoying than his prior manner of address, "but it would seem, Mr. Terminus, that you have neglected at least some important aspects of… history in your admissions. I confess to being somewhat at a loss to comprehend the precise reasoning behind your current course of action, yet even so you cannot deny the truth — that you were sent here to find Patience and to kill her."

There's more – much, much more, all of it well worth a read – if you follow the link.

[Via Amit, posting to a comment thread at Making Light]