[Open Post] On To Business

[winter_came]

Lord Eddard Stark is walking in the Mansion with a purpose - he's put off that talk he has to have for a bit longer than he expected to, trying to devise a way to handle Oberyn Martell. Eventually, his decision has been to simply go on with what he does best - calm and patience, alas. Even if Oberyn wears both quite thin.

He can be interrupted on

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[cleverest_woman]

Marguerite is herding a pile of teacups from her room back to the kitchen where she means to wash them. She's dressed simply in a morning dress and her hair is only brushed back over her shoulders, very informal for her. After all, she's not expecting to run into anyone.

But she sees Ned and immediately worries at the grim expression on his face. "My lord, has something happened?" she asks. She cannot really curtsy properly balancing the pile of cups.

[winter_came]

"My Lady." He inclines his head, rushes to her. "Do you need help?" He's already offering to take some of the cups, and not answering her question, though he'll be up for asking her for advice soon enough.

[cleverest_woman]

She lets him take a few, coloring just a little to have him so close. She's a married lady, and takes liberties herself, especially with the handsome young men who used to be on the ship with her, but there's something about Ned.

"I-I was only going to do the washing up," she says. "You needn't bother with it..."

[winter_came]

"Certainly, helping you transport them is not too much, I was on my way there myself," that's not true, it's probably visible.

Ned is happy to have an excuse to procrastinate - and well, he certainly appreciates Margot's company.

[cleverest_woman]

"Well, if you were going there anyway," she concedes. If she knows he's lying, she doesn't show it. "You're a perfect gentleman," she adds.

[winter_came]

"Any other behavior would be unsightly, Madame." He inclines his head. "Shall we?"

[cleverest_woman]

She nods and hurries on toward the kitchen. "Unsightly or not, it is often rude behavior one sees." She wishes, briefly, she sounded a little less the stiff matron. She'd been married barely a year before her enforced separation and not born to the aristocracy. But time had passed

[winter_came]

"I hope no-one has disgraced your honor, Lady?" And there's a slight tension that suggests that it would not go over well with Ned.

[cleverest_woman]

"Nothing like that." Or she'd be far from calm. "In general."

[winter_came]

"Fair and well." He relaxes. "Would you tell me, if they did?"

[cleverest_woman]

Her eyes sparkle as they finally reach the kitchen. "If I'm not cross with you as well, my lord." She deposits her cups in the sink and looks for dish soap.

[winter_came]

"I should hope that you would tell me if you were," he replies quietly. And a beat later, a bit stiffly he blurts out, "My son is to be married."

[cleverest_woman]

She looks up from her search. "Oh how delightful! A wedding!"

[winter_came]

Hmmph, a wedding. "He is quite young," Ned replies thoughtfully.

[cleverest_woman]

She stops entirely and looks up into his face searchingly. "Are you against his marriage?"

[winter_came]

"I am... concerned by the turn of events," he says thoughtfully after a moment.