This Blessed House [1e/?]
anonymous
March 5 2011, 15:41:47 UTC
It was traditional white, with a scoop neck and a corset back which made Victoria glad she had someone around who knew how clothes worked; it came with a pair of matching white gloves that seemed to stretch on for miles, and which Dylan had reminded her right before she’d left had to be kept from wrinkling. The entire thing was covered in delicate, hand-made lace, and must have cost about a quarter of her dowry. Well, never let it be said that the Kirkland family didn’t know how to appreciate an occasion.
Victoria was hoping that Lucia would be talkative, so that she wouldn’t have to try to make conversation, but the older girl was recalcitrant and entirely focused on the serious business of Victoria’s stays. Well, if it was going to be that way, Victoria would have to take a more active stance. For a certain definition of active.
“So… Have you worked for Lord Williams long?” she asked, a little awkwardly. Lucia looked up at her with a little roll-of-the-eyes that suggested she wasn’t impressed by Victoria’s attempt at conversation.
She replied anyway. “…Nah, not too long. Me and my brother came here a few months ago.”
“Oh, your brother works here too,” said Victoria, eagerly jumping on the opportunity to continue the conversation.
“Yeah. He’s the chef.” And then there was another little mumbled thing, that sounded something like ‘hope you like pasta’ but which Victoria couldn’t quite make out. Lucia quickly continued, “Up until you came I just cleaned stuff, though. Wait, hold still-” Lucia yanked on the cords that would pull her dress into place and Victoria let out a desperate wheeze as all the air was forced out of her lungs. God’s blood, it had been a long time since she’d had a corset on, even if it was sort of a fake one with the panels built into the dress- damn Dylan for getting her such an uncomfortable piece of clothing, it wasn’t like he’d ever have to wear it! She teetered back and forth a bit, gulping for air, until she caught Lucia giving her a weird look in the mirror.
“I’m- sorry,” she choked out, once she’d regained her balance. “It’s- been a long time since I’ve worn a corset.”
Lucia sighed, a little irritated noise that grated on Victoria’s nerves. “Whatever, don’t apologize to me,” she said while she was neatly tying the cords at the small of Victoria’s back. And then it sounded like she muttered something- and as soon as Victoria deciphered it her heart turned to ice.
“Exactly what you’d expect, from a Kirkland-”
“Say that again,” Victoria snapped. Lucia didn’t respond, and Victoria growled, “Say. That. Again.”
Lucia rolled her eyes. “Well, everyone knows that the Kirklands are all roaring drunks-”
“How DARE you talk about my parents like that!” Victoria made to jerk out of the chair, but halfway through she remembered that she was wearing a dress and was basically incapable of unassisted movement, and ended up toppling over the small stool. Still sputtering with rage and once again gasping for breath, Victoria dragged herself up on the stool and gave the chambermaid her best incendiary glare. “If… You… Are trying to imply…”
“Tch. Whatever. You’ll mess up your dress on the floor like that.” Lucia’s greenish-brown eyes were glinting with vindictive satisfaction. “Get up, I still haven’t finished with your hair.”
Victoria recovered her composure and struggled to stand without rumpling her long white skirt. “If you think I’m going to let a filthy commoner with no respect for their betters-”
“Geez, calm down. I never said I didn’t like you.” Once Victoria had made it to the stool Lucia grabbed a rough wooden brush and began to pull out the other girl’s braided bun, now hopelessly mussed and tangled. “But everyone knows that Will Kirkland spent all his money on drink. Nothing wrong with it or anything.”
There was a brief but fierce internal struggle where Victoria wondered whether to press the issue or just to get on with the whole affair, and settled for seething quietly on her seat. “House Kirkland,” she said tensely, “has been a noble family for well over four hundred years.”
“Point being? Being noble doesn‘t stop you from being an idiot,” Lucia said with an offensive amount of satisfaction as she tugged her way through the tangled mass of Victoria’s hair.
Victoria was hoping that Lucia would be talkative, so that she wouldn’t have to try to make conversation, but the older girl was recalcitrant and entirely focused on the serious business of Victoria’s stays. Well, if it was going to be that way, Victoria would have to take a more active stance. For a certain definition of active.
“So… Have you worked for Lord Williams long?” she asked, a little awkwardly. Lucia looked up at her with a little roll-of-the-eyes that suggested she wasn’t impressed by Victoria’s attempt at conversation.
She replied anyway. “…Nah, not too long. Me and my brother came here a few months ago.”
“Oh, your brother works here too,” said Victoria, eagerly jumping on the opportunity to continue the conversation.
“Yeah. He’s the chef.” And then there was another little mumbled thing, that sounded something like ‘hope you like pasta’ but which Victoria couldn’t quite make out. Lucia quickly continued, “Up until you came I just cleaned stuff, though. Wait, hold still-” Lucia yanked on the cords that would pull her dress into place and Victoria let out a desperate wheeze as all the air was forced out of her lungs. God’s blood, it had been a long time since she’d had a corset on, even if it was sort of a fake one with the panels built into the dress- damn Dylan for getting her such an uncomfortable piece of clothing, it wasn’t like he’d ever have to wear it! She teetered back and forth a bit, gulping for air, until she caught Lucia giving her a weird look in the mirror.
“I’m- sorry,” she choked out, once she’d regained her balance. “It’s- been a long time since I’ve worn a corset.”
Lucia sighed, a little irritated noise that grated on Victoria’s nerves. “Whatever, don’t apologize to me,” she said while she was neatly tying the cords at the small of Victoria’s back. And then it sounded like she muttered something- and as soon as Victoria deciphered it her heart turned to ice.
“Exactly what you’d expect, from a Kirkland-”
“Say that again,” Victoria snapped. Lucia didn’t respond, and Victoria growled, “Say. That. Again.”
Lucia rolled her eyes. “Well, everyone knows that the Kirklands are all roaring drunks-”
“How DARE you talk about my parents like that!” Victoria made to jerk out of the chair, but halfway through she remembered that she was wearing a dress and was basically incapable of unassisted movement, and ended up toppling over the small stool. Still sputtering with rage and once again gasping for breath, Victoria dragged herself up on the stool and gave the chambermaid her best incendiary glare. “If… You… Are trying to imply…”
“Tch. Whatever. You’ll mess up your dress on the floor like that.” Lucia’s greenish-brown eyes were glinting with vindictive satisfaction. “Get up, I still haven’t finished with your hair.”
Victoria recovered her composure and struggled to stand without rumpling her long white skirt. “If you think I’m going to let a filthy commoner with no respect for their betters-”
“Geez, calm down. I never said I didn’t like you.” Once Victoria had made it to the stool Lucia grabbed a rough wooden brush and began to pull out the other girl’s braided bun, now hopelessly mussed and tangled. “But everyone knows that Will Kirkland spent all his money on drink. Nothing wrong with it or anything.”
There was a brief but fierce internal struggle where Victoria wondered whether to press the issue or just to get on with the whole affair, and settled for seething quietly on her seat. “House Kirkland,” she said tensely, “has been a noble family for well over four hundred years.”
“Point being? Being noble doesn‘t stop you from being an idiot,” Lucia said with an offensive amount of satisfaction as she tugged her way through the tangled mass of Victoria’s hair.
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