Papaya 13 [Divide and Rule]
Title: I Don’t Want To See Caroline
Author: lost_spook
Story: Heroes of the Revolution (Divide & Rule)
Flavor(s): Papaya #13 (take that!)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 845
Notes: New Year 1949/50; Julia Graves, Edward Iveson. (The title is from a song, and I couldn’t help myself, sorry.)
Summary: Julia is fully capable of being unreasonable enough for two when needed.
***
Edward looked into the full length mirror in the wardrobe as he adjusted his bow tie, and then, that done, he cast a glance over at Julia, who was sitting at the dressing table, putting in her earrings.
He coughed, working himself up to an announcement he’d put off until this moment. “I suppose,” he said, “I should warn you that there is a very good chance that Caroline will also be there tonight.”
Julia turned, and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” she said.
“Yes,” he said, unable to interpret her expression and feeling even more uncomfortable. “She and Diana are friends, you understand.”
Julia stared back at him still, and then she laughed suddenly, and helplessly. He could only watch, bemused, until she pulled herself together and said, “And you only thought to mention this now? You didn’t think to warn me sooner that I might run into Caroline at any moment? Which I have, you know. Three times!”
“Oh,” said Edward, and shot her a wary look, shifting his position slightly in his guilt. “I hadn’t thought. Our paths don’t really cross all that often. I did wonder about that evening that Diana invited us over, but then I was sure she wouldn’t deliberately create such an awkward situation.”
Julia laughed again, and then looked at him, and leant forward, on the point of speaking before drawing back.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well, I only wanted to know - purely out of interest - when you see her is she oppressively nice to you as well?”
Edward wasn’t sure how to respond, so he merely said, “Oh?”
“She was so pleased to see me the first time - and then the second time she talked to me earnestly for nearly half an hour. I think she even held my hand at one point. She was being kind - I suppose she didn’t want any of the gossips to think there was any bad feeling between us - and, of course, she so clearly meant every word.” Julia sighed. “I must be an awful person, because I immediately wanted to throw things at her.”
Edward knew exactly what Julia meant, but he’d spent too many years avoiding being critical of Caroline aloud to say so readily. “Oh, dear,” he said.
“After that,” Julia continued, “I felt that you had had a lucky escape - really, I don’t know how you survived three months. Or perhaps you did throw things at her? Did she forgive you, like a saint?”
“Julia!”
She got up from the chair and crossed to the bed to sit beside him on the end of it. “And I do wonder how her current husband copes. I suppose, as a policeman, he’d be in a good position to get away with murder if he needed to it and that thought carries him through.”
Edward refused to look at her; even so, he had to maintain a straight face or the mirror would betray him. “Julia, I don’t think you should -”
“The first time, of course, I thought it was just me being horribly unfair, because of - well - you - everything. But after the first ten minutes of the second meeting, I wanted to rush straight out and do something dreadful. I didn’t, of course, but don’t tell me you didn’t ever feel like that.” Julia leant against him momentarily; a teasing movement to match her mood. “And I expect the whole divorce involved everybody being painfully polite and Caroline being so very sorry about it all - quite genuinely, of course, which is the most unfair thing, because then it makes one feel obliged not to complain.”
Edward risked a glance at Julia, and found her watching him, one eyebrow slightly raised, and with a smile lurking under the surface of her face. “It was - rather like that,” he said, and then he thought about everything that had happened back then, especially the fact that it wouldn’t be untrue to say that he had rushed out and done something dreadful, and he had to laugh.
“Well,” said Julia, her smile overt now, “let me be unreasonable for you.”
He put his hand on her arm. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Oh, this is all I mean,” she said. “I’ll never make a scene in public, or be rude to Caroline, don’t worry. Well, I might if she tries to talk to you for half an hour and hold your hand.”
“She won’t,” said Edward, and then couldn’t help adding, “thank God.”
Julia shot him an amused, triumphant glance. “You do feel the same about it, don’t you?”
“Oppressively nice,” said Edward, looking into the mirror again. He didn’t want to start being unfair to Caroline, but it was such an accurate way of putting it that it was a huge relief to say the words. “Oh, God, yes.”
Julia got to her feet, and held out her hand to him. “At least with me, you know I’ll just come straight out and be unreasonable at you. I might even throw things.”
“It is a considerable comfort,” Edward said.
***
Author: lost_spook
Story: Heroes of the Revolution (Divide & Rule)
Flavor(s): Papaya #13 (take that!)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: All ages
Word Count: 845
Notes: New Year 1949/50; Julia Graves, Edward Iveson. (The title is from a song, and I couldn’t help myself, sorry.)
Summary: Julia is fully capable of being unreasonable enough for two when needed.
***
Edward looked into the full length mirror in the wardrobe as he adjusted his bow tie, and then, that done, he cast a glance over at Julia, who was sitting at the dressing table, putting in her earrings.
He coughed, working himself up to an announcement he’d put off until this moment. “I suppose,” he said, “I should warn you that there is a very good chance that Caroline will also be there tonight.”
Julia turned, and raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” she said.
“Yes,” he said, unable to interpret her expression and feeling even more uncomfortable. “She and Diana are friends, you understand.”
Julia stared back at him still, and then she laughed suddenly, and helplessly. He could only watch, bemused, until she pulled herself together and said, “And you only thought to mention this now? You didn’t think to warn me sooner that I might run into Caroline at any moment? Which I have, you know. Three times!”
“Oh,” said Edward, and shot her a wary look, shifting his position slightly in his guilt. “I hadn’t thought. Our paths don’t really cross all that often. I did wonder about that evening that Diana invited us over, but then I was sure she wouldn’t deliberately create such an awkward situation.”
Julia laughed again, and then looked at him, and leant forward, on the point of speaking before drawing back.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well, I only wanted to know - purely out of interest - when you see her is she oppressively nice to you as well?”
Edward wasn’t sure how to respond, so he merely said, “Oh?”
“She was so pleased to see me the first time - and then the second time she talked to me earnestly for nearly half an hour. I think she even held my hand at one point. She was being kind - I suppose she didn’t want any of the gossips to think there was any bad feeling between us - and, of course, she so clearly meant every word.” Julia sighed. “I must be an awful person, because I immediately wanted to throw things at her.”
Edward knew exactly what Julia meant, but he’d spent too many years avoiding being critical of Caroline aloud to say so readily. “Oh, dear,” he said.
“After that,” Julia continued, “I felt that you had had a lucky escape - really, I don’t know how you survived three months. Or perhaps you did throw things at her? Did she forgive you, like a saint?”
“Julia!”
She got up from the chair and crossed to the bed to sit beside him on the end of it. “And I do wonder how her current husband copes. I suppose, as a policeman, he’d be in a good position to get away with murder if he needed to it and that thought carries him through.”
Edward refused to look at her; even so, he had to maintain a straight face or the mirror would betray him. “Julia, I don’t think you should -”
“The first time, of course, I thought it was just me being horribly unfair, because of - well - you - everything. But after the first ten minutes of the second meeting, I wanted to rush straight out and do something dreadful. I didn’t, of course, but don’t tell me you didn’t ever feel like that.” Julia leant against him momentarily; a teasing movement to match her mood. “And I expect the whole divorce involved everybody being painfully polite and Caroline being so very sorry about it all - quite genuinely, of course, which is the most unfair thing, because then it makes one feel obliged not to complain.”
Edward risked a glance at Julia, and found her watching him, one eyebrow slightly raised, and with a smile lurking under the surface of her face. “It was - rather like that,” he said, and then he thought about everything that had happened back then, especially the fact that it wouldn’t be untrue to say that he had rushed out and done something dreadful, and he had to laugh.
“Well,” said Julia, her smile overt now, “let me be unreasonable for you.”
He put his hand on her arm. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
“Oh, this is all I mean,” she said. “I’ll never make a scene in public, or be rude to Caroline, don’t worry. Well, I might if she tries to talk to you for half an hour and hold your hand.”
“She won’t,” said Edward, and then couldn’t help adding, “thank God.”
Julia shot him an amused, triumphant glance. “You do feel the same about it, don’t you?”
“Oppressively nice,” said Edward, looking into the mirror again. He didn’t want to start being unfair to Caroline, but it was such an accurate way of putting it that it was a huge relief to say the words. “Oh, God, yes.”
Julia got to her feet, and held out her hand to him. “At least with me, you know I’ll just come straight out and be unreasonable at you. I might even throw things.”
“It is a considerable comfort,” Edward said.
***