Thus let me live, unseen, unknown
[Wednesday, early evening, August 5th (day 66)]
[Kate's apartment]
It was a fine day, clear warm afternoon and I took a stroll down Silk Road, meaning to stop by and see Kate. Ran into Jenna at the corner of Main and Silk, and she said "Glass! I heard! When's the wedding?" and all I could do for a moment was stop and blink.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I think you--someone must've been mistaken. We're already married." It sounds like a shield and I never meant it for that, only wanted it to be ours. It's not something that's any business of anyone else. My promise to him and his to me and where do folk take upon themselves the right of picking it up and prying into it?
"Guess your father wasn't listening to Miss von SacherMosch, then," and then the whole world went white for a moment, pale shock slapping away all the colour and warmth. "I didn't know he was in town." Sharp blue eyes, and somewhere in back of them I suspect she's thinking Didn't you say you had no family, Glass? and I'm glad she's not paid much attention. "It's a shame he missed the wedding. Where's he staying?"
"Found a place down in the south-west of town," I said faintly. "I'm sorry, what was that about him not listening to Miss von SacherMosch?" and the words come spilling out of her like pebbles underfoot in a stream, round slick clattering, tiny batterings and twisting underfoot and--
Friends of hers (Robert? I swear, if the whole Reaves family up and vanished one night...) saw Wanda and the Shuck drinking in the Tavern Monday night. When he was buying a round for the whole Tavern. And announcing my wedding--his little girl's wedding--to Iago at the top of his lungs. So generous. So polite. Didn't even stay to have drinks bought for him and walked Miss von SacherMosch home when she was getting tired.
--my mother's bones, does no-one in this town have the sense to see what the hell he is?
I can't decide who I'm angrier at right now. Jenna's not telling me about Wanda missing or beaten or dead, and I can see someone leaving the Dormouse from here, so I'm guessing whatever happened she's aright. Good. Angriest at her, then.
Come back to myself and Jenna's going on about something else. "You two were so quiet about it. Not like Brother Laurence and Kate." Her voice lowers and her eyes shine. "I heard he proposed to her in the street. Got down on his knees and everything. Is it true?" and I pressed my ring casually against my thumb. There was a low sting as it worked into the bruise, but I'd not woken up. Jenna laughed a little, almost an apology, and waved her hand at mine. "With the time off, and the ring... I thought you were seeing Bluebeard," she said, whispering his nickname like a secret between us.
"Oh spit and staunchweed, no," I managed. "I'd rather dig ditches. I--hadn't heard that about Laurence, no. When'd he--when's he supposed to've done that?" Oh, Kate. Let that be a mad exaggeration at the very least, I can't imagine you having taken that well...
"Monday night, as well. It's sweet, I think. What was it like, when Iago proposed to you?" and right then I'm of a mind that I need to get out of this talk or I'm going to... I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Let's see, he was lying there with no pants on and we'd just finished discussing having his grandmother do something illegal to his betrothed...
"Oh," I said, "very quiet, you know. It's... rather private. Honestly, Jenna, I'd love to stay and talk but I--" dammit, what?-- "need to go pick up some things from my apartment. I'll have to see you later?"
I didn't run. I'm rather glad of that. On the other hand, I saw Amanda Wilson through the window of the General Store and I didn't go in there, either. Decided that perhaps it could wait a few hours.
And now the sun's easing down and the air's cooling a touch, and without clouds the gold of the sky in the west is drifting in a long smooth sweep up the sky afore fading to a dimming dark blue. Standing at Kate's door with a bottle of white wine from Verdi and raspberries and something from Edmund's--just explained that I was going by to see Kate, and trusted his judgement--and I've no mind for if I'm wanting to talk or worried for how she's doing or just hoping to see her and talk to her again. And worrying, suddenly, if she's in at all or out with Laurence. Not that I'd take it for bad if she was, but... Kate's always been there, and I wonder if this was how she began feeling, at all, when I took up with Iago.
Knock on the door and wait.
[Open to Kate]
[Closed]
[Kate's apartment]
It was a fine day, clear warm afternoon and I took a stroll down Silk Road, meaning to stop by and see Kate. Ran into Jenna at the corner of Main and Silk, and she said "Glass! I heard! When's the wedding?" and all I could do for a moment was stop and blink.
"I'm sorry," I say, "I think you--someone must've been mistaken. We're already married." It sounds like a shield and I never meant it for that, only wanted it to be ours. It's not something that's any business of anyone else. My promise to him and his to me and where do folk take upon themselves the right of picking it up and prying into it?
"Guess your father wasn't listening to Miss von SacherMosch, then," and then the whole world went white for a moment, pale shock slapping away all the colour and warmth. "I didn't know he was in town." Sharp blue eyes, and somewhere in back of them I suspect she's thinking Didn't you say you had no family, Glass? and I'm glad she's not paid much attention. "It's a shame he missed the wedding. Where's he staying?"
"Found a place down in the south-west of town," I said faintly. "I'm sorry, what was that about him not listening to Miss von SacherMosch?" and the words come spilling out of her like pebbles underfoot in a stream, round slick clattering, tiny batterings and twisting underfoot and--
Friends of hers (Robert? I swear, if the whole Reaves family up and vanished one night...) saw Wanda and the Shuck drinking in the Tavern Monday night. When he was buying a round for the whole Tavern. And announcing my wedding--his little girl's wedding--to Iago at the top of his lungs. So generous. So polite. Didn't even stay to have drinks bought for him and walked Miss von SacherMosch home when she was getting tired.
--my mother's bones, does no-one in this town have the sense to see what the hell he is?
I can't decide who I'm angrier at right now. Jenna's not telling me about Wanda missing or beaten or dead, and I can see someone leaving the Dormouse from here, so I'm guessing whatever happened she's aright. Good. Angriest at her, then.
Come back to myself and Jenna's going on about something else. "You two were so quiet about it. Not like Brother Laurence and Kate." Her voice lowers and her eyes shine. "I heard he proposed to her in the street. Got down on his knees and everything. Is it true?" and I pressed my ring casually against my thumb. There was a low sting as it worked into the bruise, but I'd not woken up. Jenna laughed a little, almost an apology, and waved her hand at mine. "With the time off, and the ring... I thought you were seeing Bluebeard," she said, whispering his nickname like a secret between us.
"Oh spit and staunchweed, no," I managed. "I'd rather dig ditches. I--hadn't heard that about Laurence, no. When'd he--when's he supposed to've done that?" Oh, Kate. Let that be a mad exaggeration at the very least, I can't imagine you having taken that well...
"Monday night, as well. It's sweet, I think. What was it like, when Iago proposed to you?" and right then I'm of a mind that I need to get out of this talk or I'm going to... I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Let's see, he was lying there with no pants on and we'd just finished discussing having his grandmother do something illegal to his betrothed...
"Oh," I said, "very quiet, you know. It's... rather private. Honestly, Jenna, I'd love to stay and talk but I--" dammit, what?-- "need to go pick up some things from my apartment. I'll have to see you later?"
I didn't run. I'm rather glad of that. On the other hand, I saw Amanda Wilson through the window of the General Store and I didn't go in there, either. Decided that perhaps it could wait a few hours.
And now the sun's easing down and the air's cooling a touch, and without clouds the gold of the sky in the west is drifting in a long smooth sweep up the sky afore fading to a dimming dark blue. Standing at Kate's door with a bottle of white wine from Verdi and raspberries and something from Edmund's--just explained that I was going by to see Kate, and trusted his judgement--and I've no mind for if I'm wanting to talk or worried for how she's doing or just hoping to see her and talk to her again. And worrying, suddenly, if she's in at all or out with Laurence. Not that I'd take it for bad if she was, but... Kate's always been there, and I wonder if this was how she began feeling, at all, when I took up with Iago.
Knock on the door and wait.
[Open to Kate]
[Closed]