"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing"

[tommi-esterly.livejournal.com]

Tuesday, February 23rd
The Dormouse, mid afternoon

I sip my tea and listen to the conversations swirling about me.

"Did you go this morning?"
"No!  Did you?"

"Do you think he did it?"

"I heard his neck did not snap, and that he jerked around on the--"
"I do NOT wish to hear about that!  If you want to talk about that, you may kindly get out of my shoppe."

I arch an eyebrow at Wanda, but say nothing.  Granted, it is her shoppe and a hanging of a murderer is hardly light conversation, but her mood has become increasingly surly as she progresses.  Poor dear looks like she is uncomfortable and has not slept well in a week, and her normally sweet disposition has all but disappeared.  

As Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Clark get up in a huff and leave, I pat Wanda's hand in a comforting manner as she drags herself over to refill my cup.   "Not much longer till the baby's here, right?  Another month?  Just gotta hold on a bit longer."  I try to say kindly, still wildly curious to know who the father really is.  She has assured us that the baby is indeed Mr. Whitman's, but he's only been in town since later summer, and I DO know how to do math, thank you very much.  "I hired a new girl, she starts Thursday.  She'll be here two days, and taking over for a bit when I get closer and for a few weeks after."  Wanda sighs, giving me a smile before heading back to the kitchen.

Due in a month?   Like HELL that baby's her husbands.   Wonder if it'll have blonde hair instead of red or black...

(Open)

Comments

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

I listen to all the things Valmont is telling me. It's all well, but there's try to be a good man and then... then there's me.

"You say that now but... if what I've done is enought to get Miao to swear and dash tea in my face, and drive all but Jaime and Lucien away, pardon me if I have my reservations." My mouth twitches up, just slightly at the corner, but it falls again and I start at the floor, his hand a uncomfortable weight on mine.

"Okay, I'll ask you the same thing I asked Jaime." I sigh and take a deep breath. "What would you do if you found out the person you were in love with were the worst person in the world?"

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

"You say that now but... if what I've done is enought to get Miao to swear and dash tea in my face, and drive all but Jaime and Lucien away, pardon me if I have my reservations."

"Well, Jamie's a sweeter natured chap than me by far," I say cheerfully. "So I doubt he can stand something I cannot. Excepting bee stings."

"What would you do if you found out the person you were in love with were the worst person in the world?"

I feel my eyebrows go up.

"That," I say, "is a rather alarming question. "If I found out after falling in love with them, that would suggest they'd kept themselves hidden, and so maybe I wouldn't have been in love with the real them at all..." I tilt my head. "Just tell me, dear, what this is about."

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

"If I found out after falling in love with them, that would suggest they'd kept themselves hidden, and so maybe I wouldn't have been in love with the real them at all..."

A ghost of a smile flickers over my face. "Oh, he's so good at hiding. He can be in the middle of a crowd, and you would never know that he was..." I breathe, passing a hand over my head, for it is starting to ache. "But in that facade, there was truth. There is, I have to believe that." Oh hell, I am babbling. I sigh and drop my head into my hands. 'M sorry Valmont, I'm just..." Just what? Tired? Selfish? Insane? A little of each, I suppose.

"Just tell me, dear, what this is about."

"I want to, I do. I want to be a good friend, so I should tell you, try to keep you safe..." Laugh a little as a few tears slip out. "but I want what I want too, and I'm not going to change, and that's why Miao is so upset with me, for I should know better and..."

Groan a little and wipe at the tears with the handkerchief. "Okay, fine, remember that you insisted." I take a deep breath and keep my gaze fixed on a point somewhere on the back wall. "This wonderful guy I met? The one who seemed a perfect match for me in every aspect? He's the one in the water tower. And I wed him anyway, knowing what I know."

There. He'll either hate me or think I am mad, I am sure.

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

The way Wanda is talking is making me nervous, but I keep nodding calmly until she comes to the point. Is she going to say that Kent is a murderer? I've known a lot of those, although if he's lifted a hand to Wanda -

"This wonderful guy I met? The one who seemed a perfect match for me in every aspect? He's the one in the water tower. And I wed him anyway, knowing what I know."

...

I put my tea cup down quite gently on its saucer. There are a great many things I could say, but for the moment I can't think of any of them.

"Why on earth," is what comes out at last, "would the Devil want to get married?" And then I look at Wanda again, Wanda who has been bigger each time I've seen her lately. "Oh," I say quite thinly. "Oh, my dear."

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

It's almost unbearable, this wait for his reaction. The cup makes it way back to the saucer, not to my face, so there are small miracles still left.

"Why on earth, would the Devil want to get married?" I have to clamp my hand over my mouth hard, for it is within me to burst into laughter. Or screaming, not sure which. Then he's looking at me, as if seeing me for the first time.

"Oh, my dear."

"Here I thought it was my sparkling personality, turns out I merely have good child bearing hips." I try to joke,even laughing a little...

but it dissolves into tears.

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

"Here I thought it was my sparkling personality, turns out I merely have good child bearing hips."

Wanda is crying again, and I -

My mouth feels strangely numb. But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. I look at the curve of Wanda's belly, and there is a sour taste on my tongue.

But Wanda is crying, and after a moment I reach out and take her hand. Her fingers are cold.

"What are you going to do?"

[mistresswanda.livejournal.com]

Continued here:

http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/388025.html