Erato's Edge Chapter 4
Title: Erato's Edge Chapter 4
Pairing: Kara/Laura, ultimately, but If I list all pairings your brains would go splode.
Characters: Just about everyone.
Rating: MA
Summary: Kara is a lowly painter and Laura Roslin is a distinguished noble. Their relationship forms when Laura buys one of Kara's paintings at auction and Lady Roslin invites Kara to a ball. It's love in first sight for Laura but unfortunately for her, it appears Kara's heart is already taken by a young man named Sam.
This Chapter: Gaius arrives with his new wife, and discovering her identity devastates Laura. Kara confronts the spoons.
Helena propped her arm on the armrest of the chair and curled fingers into the gentle waves of her hair. Margaret appreciated that this was a woman not used to sharing her feelings, no less her private life. The demure smile rarely visited the Admiral’s lips and Margaret was prepared to have her request dismissed. The moment she looked down, she heard Helena’s voice.
“The Pegasus was commissioned to escort a small civilian fleet making the pilgrimage to Gemenon. We were traveling from Tauron, through Caprica and Virgon.”
Hesitance textured her voice, but there was relief in the sharing of such fond memories, those most cherished.
Margaret understood that Gemenese natives living on other Colonies made a pilgrimage to their home Colony every year. If traveling by ship they were expected to travel at sub light speed. Use of FTL was permitted only in case of emergency so the journey could take as long as several weeks.
“The war against the Cylons was in its third year. Gemenon was to host a number of seminars with particular focus on the Cylon Movement and how to prevent what happened to Sagittaron happening to other Colonies.” She dipped her hand and flexed her fingers. To Margaret she appeared mesmerized by their movements.
Helena’s voice developed a texture of disdain. “The President would be making speeches, and this meant the Pegasus would have the honor of escorting Colonial One.” She gave a contemptuous chuckle that made her face look weary. “And all the Lords and Ladies she carried.”
Margaret smirked eagerly but didn’t want to interrupt the Admiral’s story. Helena shifted slowly in her chair, picking at the folds in her silk gown and laying them smooth.
“The President invited me and my XO to dinner. I wouldn’t leave the Battlestar so I made the suggestion the dinner be held on Pegasus. Of course, he had invited a number of his cabinet, and some of the ambassadors to be speaking at the seminars.”
“Was Lady Roslin among them?” Margaret was asking the question before she had even thought to ask it. Helena smiled.
“She was. I’d like to say that I remember thinking she was even more beautiful in person, but I regret that was not the case. Holding the dinner on Pegasus meant that my guests, hindered by a collective lack of imagination, could talk of nothing but the faults and failings of the military and its supposed role in inviting the Cylon movement upon the Colonies.”
Helena looked across at the young girl. “I hated her before I met her and couldn’t have cared less that she was present or not.”
Margaret understood so she smiled. She decided that they were very much alike; she and this soldier, and thought how easy a friendship would blossom. If Helena was her employer’s secret lover then she would surely spend a lot of time at the Estate, reasonable time to nurture a dedicated bond over their cynical views on life.
“In patience I have never since been able to display,” Helena said, and her eyes gleamed at Laura’s sleeping form, for she must have thought then of the love she had for her despite the various shortcomings of her character, perhaps even looking fondly upon them and wishing her never to change, “I tried to answer all their questions, provide every explanation to satisfy their reproach, and just when I was at my limit…” Her head tilted as one who hears some beautiful far off melody. “She spoke.”
“What did she say?” Margaret asked. Helena chuckled and a grin split across her face.
“In subtlety I could never achieve and in more graceful words, she told them all to go frak themselves.”
Margaret grinned and then thought how delicious such words would sound from Roslin’s mouth. “And you fell in love with her?”
“Hardly,” Helena said, confusing her. The woman stood from her chair and walked over to the bed, gown flipping and waving around her strong legs. “It made me even more wary of her. And I am horrendously stubborn, so my men have told me, and I was determined still to hate her.”
“Then how did she win your heart?” Margaret asked as Helena leaned over the bed and gazed lovingly at the sleeping noble.
Her fingers extended and touched lightly at Laura’s cheek. “Let us say, Lady Roslin is quite the huntress.”
The Admiral then stood briskly. “You must dress. You will need to escort Laura back to your room.”
Margaret looked up nervously. Helena was already gathering clothing from the floor and laying them out at the end of the bed.
Margaret cleaned up as well as she could and dressed quickly. Helena woke Laura and they soon had her dressed as well. Laura was still groggy and needed Margaret for support.
“You can tell Adar we drank,” Helena instructed. She tenderly discouraged Laura from clinging to her arms and kissed her sweetly.
Margaret shuffled out into the hall and turned at the call of her name. Helena stood in the doorway, and her lips tensed briefly, eyes longing and regretful.
“You’re a strong girl. You have spirit. And after tonight I know you’re willing to take enormous risks.”
Laura responded dreamily to Helena’s voice. Her head found rest against Margaret’s shoulder and her arms hugged around her, either in agreement or because, in her state of half sleep, she thought her Helena.
Margaret then saw the anxiety melt from Helena’s eyes as she was overcome by adoration. She smiled and said, “I know you’ll do whatever it takes to look after her. While I’m not able, take care of her.”
Laura chuckled sleepily, the noise pulsing gently in Margaret’s ear.
“I will.”
In so simple a request, she had already failed. Though Diana and the others frequently told her it had not been her fault, Margaret felt she should have known, should have seen what was going on and done something to prevent the suffering her Lady endured those short years ago.
She had done her best to care for her through the ordeal, but she could still see the ache in her eyes. It was a pain she did not display so clearly as the discomfort of a servant biting at her ear. Laura could believe the weekend was meant for her to pursue the young painter, but in truth, it was for her servants to assess Miss Thrace’s character, and decide her worthy or not of their Lady’s heart.
Engaged as Thrace was to a man, Laura was more likely to have her heart broken and be devastated by rejection. She sometimes cursed Diana’s reckless nature, but her romantic ideals were inspiring and Margaret found herself more frequently moved to see things her way than in the darker hues she would have the world.
“Please…”
Margaret stepped closer and smiled. Her hand brushed Alex’s head, urging him to let go, and as Laura winced, Margaret gently took her earlobe between her fingers. Laura scowled in a gesture that was supposed to remind the girl that she was quite capable of getting her revenge, so Margaret squeezed.
“Ahn!”
Chuckling, Margaret hooked her hands around the back of Laura’s neck and pulled her lips to her own. The woman soothed instantly, desperate to exhaust tension built watching Kara in her drawing room. But Alex still held her arms and Margaret could easily pull away.
The whine Laura released was childish and perfectly expressed how limited her patience was. Margaret reached for Laura’s wrists and smirked.
“Alex, please relieve Laura of her dress.”
The flash of panic in Laura’s eyes amused her greatly. She had never expected them to go that far, not while her guests waited down the hall. Alex pulled at the string at her back and Laura tried to wriggle away. His strong hands grasped her shoulders, and his finger flicked at her tender earlobe.
“Aww. Not so eager to play anymore?” he snorted.
Margaret was feeling more sympathetic. “Relax, m’Lady. Billy has told your guests to take a walk in the gardens.” As Laura ceased her struggling, Margaret slipped a hand down her thigh, a movement the woman regarded with endearing diffidence. Alex slipped the dress from her body and Margaret caressed her lips with the tip of a finger. “Imagine your painter.”
Laura closed her eyes.
The gardens were not what Kara expected. She had seen photos of mansions with mazes made of roses and tall, sparkling fountains spraying water that glittered like crystals against the sky. The gardens at Erato’s Edge were wild. The trees grew scattered and a mist made everything seem like a watercolor painting.
The crisp air was invigorating and tasted unlike anything Kara had known. She had not been here more than an hour and already knew she would never be anywhere more magical.
Sam had been stolen by the enthusiasm of Lady Tigh and the Colonel, and Kara watched him try to keep up with their abrasive characters. Ellen’s arm was linked with his, and if the Colonel disapproved his manner was highly contrary.
Kara had been inclined to walk with Admiral Bill Adama, hoping to gleam some stories of Lady Roslin that would confirm her the woman of warmth and exceptional intelligence she so admired.
“How long have you known Laura?” Kara asked with some effort. It still felt wrong to be so informal.
“I have known her most of my life.” It was Adar who replied. He walked on her other side, and Kara realized she had not properly addressed the question. Fortunately, as she had not made it clear, Bill was also obliged to answer. He smiled humbly and said,
“Six years now.”
“And how did you meet?”
“A mutual friend introduced us.” His voice seemed fashioned from the earth and Kara felt she could do nothing but listen to him speak all day long.
“You mean Helena Cain,” said Adar, spitting in revulsion. Kara looked up at him curiously. The man sneered and added, “Insufferable creature.”
Kara was shocked. Bill Adama had called her a mutual friend of his and Lady Roslin, and yet Adar could have such a low opinion of her. She was sure Laura would never associate with someone worthy of such slander.
“Helena can be intimidating,” Bill smiled. There was something private and pleasing in his eyes as though he were used to this reaction. It confused Kara even more.
“She can be a vulgar and wretched woman. I thank the gods she and Laura are no longer friends.” Adar clipped his hands behind his back and stuck his nose in the air.
Kara looked between the two men. “They are not?”
Adar laughed venomously. “A few years ago they came to some disagreement or other. For months Laura was inconsolable. I have been her close friend since we were children and yet she would not even talk to me.”
Kara was horrified. There had to be some mistake. She could not believe anyone could want to hurt Lady Roslin in any way. Adar turned to look down at her, eyes flickering like a shuddering flame in the cold. “It is surely a demon who would ever mean that woman harm.”
Kara looked imploringly to Adama. His brow was furrowed and his eyes cast at the ground. Clearly he could not defend his so called friend.
Billy gently rapped his Mistress’s door. “M’Lady. Are you dressed?”
“Has that ever mattered?” he heard her reply. He coughed in amusement and wondered what he would find if he opened the door. He turned the handle and pushed. Laura’s arms were together in front of her, dress loose around her shoulders, and her lips sculpted in impish delight.
Billy snickered and came slowly towards her. “Trouble with the lace?”
Laura pouted. “You know I cannot reach.”
He came to help her and she turned her back into him, drawing her hair around her neck.
“I thought Margaret might have helped you,” he said.
“I had to send her to prepare a larger room for Gaius and his new wife, and the others are occupied in the kitchens.”
His fingers worked dexterously at her back and he felt the subtle lean into his touch. “His car has arrived,” he said, as he tied off the ends. He backed away and she turned around, a look of disappointment on her face that made him laugh.
“Why did I invite him?” she asked, adopting the manner of a petulant teenager.
He smiled and tenderly adjusted wayward locks of her hair. “To make the real purpose of this absurd soirée less obvious.”
“Oh.” She pouted and scrunched her nose and he kissed her forehead.
“Time to greet your final guests.” Billy let his hand linger on her arm before heading for the door.
“Billy.”
He turned. Laura fidgeted and smiled with unease.
“What is it, m’Lady?”
Her gaze dropped to the floor and her nails clipped together in nervous beats. He smiled gently and waited for her to speak and when she did it was with affected voice.
“Kara is in love with that man. And he is in love with her.”
Her smile pained him and she would not meet his eyes as he approached. His hands took her shoulders. “Miss Thrace should decide for herself to whom her heart belongs, should she not?”
Laura winced. “But…”
He knew it mattered to her. It troubled her that she should be influencing the painter’s feelings, and was uneasy about the manipulation this construct could affect.
“You are being no more or less honest than any person who pursues the heart of another. You are playing no trick. I suggest, m’Lady, that you be your naturally charming self and enjoy the company of your guests.”
She walked up to him, the anxiety in her eyes gone in place of admiration. She looked up at him in wonderment, a look she had given him many times and was no less a surprise to him.
“How is it that you always know the right things to say?”
Billy puffed air. “I cannot say.”
Laura laughed at his joke and took strides to the door. He turned and met her gaze when she opened it. She smiled lovingly at him before leaving the room.
She could hear Dr Baltar’s voice as she approached the stairs and somehow felt a dread above what the man could usually inspire. Glancing over the banister there was something unsettling about the picture of the heads she could see. Until she was making her descent did she see that unease reflected in the face of Brendan who had been there to greet the couple at the door.
And from there her eyes progressed easily to the tall ethereal woman at Baltar’s side. A shock like electricity cracked against her chest from brilliant blue eyes, and at her alarm appeared a smile she had not seen in years.
She was so bitterly and despairingly familiar. Her every feature as arresting as they were the day she had first met the woman. The locks of hair both gold and earth under changing lights framed an offer of warmth Laura felt scolding her, and the pain she had battled so long to overcome returned more vicious than before.
Gaius elated at her arrival. “Laura! Wonderful to see you!” He took the hand of his wife and Laura felt the air thicken and tighten around her. “Allow me the pleasure of introducing my wife.” His smile threatened to break his face apart and leave some disgusting mess at their feet.
“Gina.” Laura had not even intended to speak. Blue eyes twinkled with more intensity at the obvious affect her presence had on her.
“Laura.”
Gina’s voice pressed against her chest, expelling the air from her lungs and making her eyes water. Gaius only noticed the way the two women were smiling in recognition and was quite delighted at this unexpected revelation. His finger pointed in a flurry between them.
“You are acquainted. Well isn’t this marvelous! I shall love to hear the story of how you two know each other.” And he rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Brendan,” Laura said suddenly, and he was quickly at her side. “Kindly show Dr Baltar and his lovely wife to their room.”
“Yes, m’Lady. Right this way,” he said, picking up their luggage. Laura watched them follow Brendan and quaked slightly at the lingering look Gina gave her as she rounded the landing, fingers stroking lasciviously along the banister.
Margaret was returning from preparing their room, and as her path crossed Gina’s Laura could see the look of outrage barely contained on her face. She took the stairs briskly and came up to her with concern.
“Tell me she is not his wife.”
Laura’s eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips. “Then what shall I tell you?”
The girl gasped and looked up the stairwell. The woman was long gone but Margaret contented to glare at a space she had been. “How dare she show her face here? And wed to a man!”
“Let us be under no illusion that she was ever one thing over another. Perhaps her affections for a woman are greater cause for alarm than her attachment to a man,” Laura spat.
“Shall I mix something horrid in her soup?” Margaret asked.
Laura turned on her, eyes stern. “You will do no such thing.” Margaret coiled at the viciousness of her voice. “If any of you treat her with anything less than the dutifulness you should show any who stays here, I will have you removed from this house. Understood?”
Margaret stared, and for too long her lips moved without uttering a sound. The fierceness of Laura’s eyes was chilling and the girl would feel it bite against her skin but for the slightest twitch of the woman’s finger she would not have seen if she had not so wanted to avoid her stare.
That Laura did not recognize that she merely teased was proof enough of the damage Gina’s presence had caused already. Margaret understood her concern, and was wary of bringing their history to light in front of company, most of all Lord Adar.
“You’d best warn the others,” Laura said, more gently, “Before Diana tries anything foolish.” She squared her shoulders and began down the corridor to the drawing room. Margaret let out a sigh as she disappeared. Looking up once more she spotted Billy at the base of the stairs. He walked over to her, face grave.
“I have never seen her like this,” Margaret told him, hoping for the reassurance of his years living with Laura. “Engaged in politics, certainly. Not here.”
“She refuses to suffer as she did before. She will not have us burdened with her pain again,” Billy said sadly.
Margaret spat. “We’re her servants. She’s supposed to be a burden on us.”
Billy snorted and grinned in agreement, but they decided to respect the wishes of their Mistress and inform the others that Gina was to have a most pleasant stay.
Kara shifted on her seat and counted the cutlery. She wondered at the flippant nature of the aristocracy that the same set could not be used for each meal. She could not see what difference it made. She squinted at the flares of light off the spoons that pricked her eyes.
Sam leaned over to her. “Relax and do what I do.”
Kara smiled gratefully and felt a little calmer. But when she looked up the new wife of Dr Baltar was eyeing her with a smirk that reignited her nerves. At their introduction the woman had been very honored to meet her. Kara supposed she was just unused to being so admired.
When their first course arrived Kara was determined not to let her true heritage show and she watched determinedly for which spoon to use for her soup. Sam kept his movement slow enough for her to follow and when Kara was confident she had picked the same utensil as he, she felt her heart beat started to slow. She still did not dare take a sip unless Sam did so first.
“I must say,” said Adar, smiling charmingly from one end of the table, “It is a great pleasure to see you again, Gina. I can hardly remember the last time you were here.”
Gina gracefully dipped her spoon into her soup, “That would be almost two years ago. And it is a pleasure seeing you again, too, Richard.” She smiled at him and Kara noticed the man sit taller. Gaius edged forward in his seat and glanced where Laura sat at the other end of the table.
“And how is it exactly that you three know each other?”
“We met on Pegasus, actually,” Gina announced, just as it seemed Laura would respond. The blonde woman turned to face her, face alight with joy. Laura smiled and Kara imagined being on a Battlestar.
“You’re a soldier?” Kara asked, unable to hide her astonishment.
Laura, Richard and Gaius all laughed at once. Gina smiled humbly. “No. I’m a systems analyst. I was installing upgrades to the CNP.”
“Which I developed,” Gaius grinned at her.
“Oh,” said Kara, and bit her lip before she could ask what a CNP was.
“Do not dare ask him what that is,” warned the Colonel, “Or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I don’t see why the idea of Gina being a soldier is so funny,” Ellen said, glaring at the assembly.
“I’ll say,” said Saul, sipping from his spoon, “Looks can be deceiving. She’d be ideal for espionage. Don’t you think so, Bill?”
Gina chuckled and looked down modestly. “It’s quite alright. I must admit the idea of being a soldier amuses even myself.”
The Admiral sat next to Laura and spoke to her. If there was something in his eyes Kara could not see his face to be sure, but she heard some strain to his voice that made her curious. “Anyone is capable of anything. We should never underestimate people,” he then looked across at Gina and smiled, “Least of all ourselves.”
“But wait a minute. What was our lovely Laura doing on a Battlestar?” Gaius gleamed with the mischief he was sure to be stirring.
Richard looked suddenly irritated and consoled himself with his dinner.
“Perhaps she is a soldier,” Sam teased. Kara was surprised at the laughter that bubbled over the table.
Laura smiled and drew her hand close to her chest. “Now I cannot tell if that is supposed to be a compliment.”
“A most sincere one,” Sam replied, nodding like a gentlemen. It fascinated Kara that he could converse so casually with her.
“Laura can certainly be as dangerous as a soldier,” Ellen agreed.
“Yes she can,” Bill said, chuckling. Laura turned her head slowly upon him with eyebrows raised.
The party exchanged stories about various political figures and prominent personalities in the Colonies who, after suffering traumatic encounters with Lady Roslin, promptly wet themselves at the sight of her.
“Really, now,” she said, “You all exaggerate. You will have my new friends believe I am a monster.”
Kara felt something flutter like wings in her chest at the cheeky smile Laura gave her. She did not notice the subtle shift of her focus, and the accusing glare she cast at Gina.
“And we’re evading the real issue,” said Gaius. “Which is how Laura came to be on Pegasus.”
“Is it really such a mystery to you, Gaius?” Laura asked. She curled her fingers around her ambrosia and lifted it regally, “You call yourself a genius and you cannot fathom my duties as an ambassador would have me in such company from time to time.”
“You did not have your own ship?” Richard scoffed. Kara was surprised at his sudden rudeness but Laura seemed to expect it.
“It surprises you Helena Cain can be a charming host. She does despise the company of nobles but for the President she often makes an exception.”
Gina chuckled and Kara thought Laura smiled too tightly.
“Naturally that means she must also suffer the Quorum and other dignitaries like Laura,” Gina said, earning deep chuckles around the table.
“Oh the Admiral didn’t suffer Laura’s company,” Ellen said, a whimsical shine to her eyes as the ambrosia swayed in her glass. “Not back then in any case,” she added when Laura focused on her with disapproval. Ellen returned her frown with a smirk and sipped her drink.
“Ah, yes. Perhaps the only battle from which the decorated Admiral ever retreated.” Gaius was all teeth. He cast a devilish smirk to Kara and Sam. “We told you Ms Roslin was dangerous.”
“Pray then,” said Sam, “We are never acquainted with this monstrous incarnation of her character while we are here. I brought with me only one pair of pants.”
The whole table shook with laughter. The Tighs were so overcome their eyes glittered with tears and needed the support each other not to fall from their chairs. As Gaius lifted his glass and toasted the noble’s name, Kara received a private smile from Laura that made her every breath fail.
They progressed naturally from the dining room to the living room. Colonel Tigh already sat at a table shuffling cards and looked up at Sam and Kara who had just entered the room.
“You play, Mr Anders?”
“Not if I want to keep my cubits,” he smiled.
“We’ll play,” Kara said eagerly. Sam grinned at her.
The world of Triad was something she was very familiar with. In it she felt powerful, in control, and there she might be able to show these people what she was made of. She promptly forgot her nerves, and the veil of class she was supposed to keep, and hurried over to the table.
“Anyone else?” Saul looked around the room. “Bill?”
“Sure. Why not?” The Admiral sat down next to Kara and smiled at her. He was not at all what Kara expected from a Military leader. She expected someone brash and grating, but this man was gentle and the fondness in his eyes was unmistakable. It made Kara feel that she had at least one ally in the party who was not Sam. Not that she felt threatened by Dr Baltar and his wife or the Tighs, but Bill’s genuine interest in her made her swell with self worth.
“Ellen?”
The woman sat with Laura at the other end of the room in elegant armchairs. Behind them James was putting on a gramophone and Ellen was taking another glass from a tray of ambrosia offered by another tall servant with floppy brown hair.
“That’s alright, dear. Quite comfortable over here.”
“Laura?” Saul continued.
Kara ignored a small thrill at the thought of mindgames with Lady Roslin, but Laura declined the offer. Saul grunted in disappointment until he turned to Gina.
“What about your new wife, Gaius. Does she have what it takes?” he asked.
Gaius turned in the seat he had just claimed, as interested in her response as everyone else. Gina hummed thoughtfully, glancing across the room and back again before deciding to play.
“You’ll find out, won’t you, Colonel?” She stood gracefully and slinked around behind him, running her hands through her husband’s hair, making him giggle, and then sat beside him.
Gina may have arrested the attention of everyone in the room, but Ellen was more interested in the look on Laura’s face. She scoffed smugly into her glass and then set it aside on the small round table between their armrests.
“Bit of a shock?” she pressed.
“Hm?” Laura said, distractedly. When she turned to look at Ellen she had an eyebrow raised. Laura cringed slightly. “Please, not now.”
There was healthy laughter from the other end of the room.
“Your guests are adequately distracted. And besides, you chose to stay in my company and I refuse to sit with you if all you’re going to do is glare.”
“You’re free to move, Ellen,” Laura said, looking back at the card game. Ellen scoffed and took her ambrosia again, consenting to watch the game as well. Already nearly all had folded but for her husband and Miss Thrace. She watched the girl gaze at him over the tops of her cards with a sly confidence she knew Saul would appreciate, and, upon observation, Laura found endearing.
She dipped her gaze and discovered Laura’s fingers gripping the folds of her gown. A smirk tugged the corner of her lips.
“When will you talk to Miss Thrace?” she asked.
Laura jumped. “What?”
“About the painting,” Ellen said, amused at her reaction.
“Oh. I’m not sure. There may not be time tonight,” she said. She sighed in resignation and reached for her own glass of ambrosia. Ellen waited until she had swallowed.
“She’s very pretty.”
Laura coughed in alarm and struck Ellen a look with eyes blazing, a look the wizened woman returned with a sympathetic smile.
It was a mistake at all that Ellen Tigh knew so much about the private life of Lady Roslin. Their relationship had at best been pleasant, if an exhausting excursion in politeness, but since learning such sensitive truths about Laura, Ellen had proven herself an invaluable confidant and shown her support above and beyond what Laura could have ever expected, but that was only because Ellen made no habit of revealing such facets of her character so anything was more than Laura expected.
She knew Laura’s concern was that they would be overheard. The music that crackled from the gramophone behind them masked their voices well enough. Laura assumed she talked about Gina and that Ellen would choose to tease her about something so painful.
“The painter, Laura,” she said gently.
“Oh,” Laura grimaced. Earlier pain lingered in her expression, making her look more pitiful than Ellen could stand.
“You have to let it go, Laura,” she said. She almost missed the desperate, whispered reply.
“I cannot.”
Ellen could curse how heartbreaking Laura looked in that moment, lines drawn sadly around her eyes, lips curved in a dismal cringe and eyes quivering to hold back tears that took months to restrain.
“You have to.” Ellen turned more towards her in her chair. It was urgent, now, that she calm the woman before she burst into tears in front of everyone, because these were tears that would never stop.
“You like this girl. You like Miss Thrace. What life can you possibly have together if you are still holding on to what you have lost?” She kept her voice low and Laura sealed her mouth, biting her lips and she considered Ellen’s words. “What life can you have with anyone?”
The quiver to Laura’s eyes suddenly had light. “You think she would have a life with me?”
Ellen scoffed and shook her head. Sometimes she could forget the childlike innocence that persisted at the core of her soul.
“Not if you don’t let go of the past.”
She calmed and Ellen sighed in relief. They watched the card game. Miss Thrace seemed to be winning most of the hands and there was much celebration from the table across the room.
“Ellen.”
“Mm?”
There was a small stretch of time before she heard Laura’s voice.
“How is Helena?”
She turned sadly. “Laura…”
The noble smiled bravely. “Of what happened I can let go. But do not ask me to forget her.”
Ellen’s head sank slightly over, pulled by her breaking heart. Laura smiled more sorrowfully.
“Please, Ellen. Tell me something.”
A deep sigh fell between them as Ellen resigned to indulge her piteous display. “You will have to ask Bill. He will know more than I. But I would advise against it. Think of what you’ve already gone through. Think of what your servants have…”
It is only at this that Laura begged with but a look for her to stop.
Ellen was prepared to bear the resentment if it meant she could spare her dear friend further misery. “They all loved her too. It will do none of you any good to learn of her.”
Laura looked defeated and would look only at her lap. Ellen made her tone brighter.
“Go. Talk to your painter. Request her company and talk of Artemis.”
“Oh. I…” Laura shook her head.
“If you do not, I shall,” Ellen smirked.
Laura glared at her incredulously.
Ellen nudged her arm. “Go on. Ask Bill along and I will take his place if I must.”
Laura looked so grateful it was beginning to make Ellen feel sick. Graciously, they were suddenly interrupted and when they looked up to see Bill standing there with Kara Thrace, Ellen could almost feel how Laura’s heart swelled.
“I have asked Kara to talk to me about her painting. We wondered if you would join us.” There was more understanding in the old Admiral’s eyes than could explain this timely invitation. Ellen wondered if the man did not sense how close Laura came to falling apart this evening.
Before Laura could answer, Saul called out to Ellen from the table. “We need you to fill a spot.”
On her word, Ellen rose elegantly from her chair. “Glad to.”
She sat down beside Mr Anders and watched Laura leave the room with Bill and her painter and smiled with private delight.
She glanced down at her cards and then beyond them at the new Mrs Baltar, relishing the thought of employing all her wickedness to scouring the smile from her pretty face.
Chapter 5
Pairing: Kara/Laura, ultimately, but If I list all pairings your brains would go splode.
Characters: Just about everyone.
Rating: MA
Summary: Kara is a lowly painter and Laura Roslin is a distinguished noble. Their relationship forms when Laura buys one of Kara's paintings at auction and Lady Roslin invites Kara to a ball. It's love in first sight for Laura but unfortunately for her, it appears Kara's heart is already taken by a young man named Sam.
This Chapter: Gaius arrives with his new wife, and discovering her identity devastates Laura. Kara confronts the spoons.
Helena propped her arm on the armrest of the chair and curled fingers into the gentle waves of her hair. Margaret appreciated that this was a woman not used to sharing her feelings, no less her private life. The demure smile rarely visited the Admiral’s lips and Margaret was prepared to have her request dismissed. The moment she looked down, she heard Helena’s voice.
“The Pegasus was commissioned to escort a small civilian fleet making the pilgrimage to Gemenon. We were traveling from Tauron, through Caprica and Virgon.”
Hesitance textured her voice, but there was relief in the sharing of such fond memories, those most cherished.
Margaret understood that Gemenese natives living on other Colonies made a pilgrimage to their home Colony every year. If traveling by ship they were expected to travel at sub light speed. Use of FTL was permitted only in case of emergency so the journey could take as long as several weeks.
“The war against the Cylons was in its third year. Gemenon was to host a number of seminars with particular focus on the Cylon Movement and how to prevent what happened to Sagittaron happening to other Colonies.” She dipped her hand and flexed her fingers. To Margaret she appeared mesmerized by their movements.
Helena’s voice developed a texture of disdain. “The President would be making speeches, and this meant the Pegasus would have the honor of escorting Colonial One.” She gave a contemptuous chuckle that made her face look weary. “And all the Lords and Ladies she carried.”
Margaret smirked eagerly but didn’t want to interrupt the Admiral’s story. Helena shifted slowly in her chair, picking at the folds in her silk gown and laying them smooth.
“The President invited me and my XO to dinner. I wouldn’t leave the Battlestar so I made the suggestion the dinner be held on Pegasus. Of course, he had invited a number of his cabinet, and some of the ambassadors to be speaking at the seminars.”
“Was Lady Roslin among them?” Margaret was asking the question before she had even thought to ask it. Helena smiled.
“She was. I’d like to say that I remember thinking she was even more beautiful in person, but I regret that was not the case. Holding the dinner on Pegasus meant that my guests, hindered by a collective lack of imagination, could talk of nothing but the faults and failings of the military and its supposed role in inviting the Cylon movement upon the Colonies.”
Helena looked across at the young girl. “I hated her before I met her and couldn’t have cared less that she was present or not.”
Margaret understood so she smiled. She decided that they were very much alike; she and this soldier, and thought how easy a friendship would blossom. If Helena was her employer’s secret lover then she would surely spend a lot of time at the Estate, reasonable time to nurture a dedicated bond over their cynical views on life.
“In patience I have never since been able to display,” Helena said, and her eyes gleamed at Laura’s sleeping form, for she must have thought then of the love she had for her despite the various shortcomings of her character, perhaps even looking fondly upon them and wishing her never to change, “I tried to answer all their questions, provide every explanation to satisfy their reproach, and just when I was at my limit…” Her head tilted as one who hears some beautiful far off melody. “She spoke.”
“What did she say?” Margaret asked. Helena chuckled and a grin split across her face.
“In subtlety I could never achieve and in more graceful words, she told them all to go frak themselves.”
Margaret grinned and then thought how delicious such words would sound from Roslin’s mouth. “And you fell in love with her?”
“Hardly,” Helena said, confusing her. The woman stood from her chair and walked over to the bed, gown flipping and waving around her strong legs. “It made me even more wary of her. And I am horrendously stubborn, so my men have told me, and I was determined still to hate her.”
“Then how did she win your heart?” Margaret asked as Helena leaned over the bed and gazed lovingly at the sleeping noble.
Her fingers extended and touched lightly at Laura’s cheek. “Let us say, Lady Roslin is quite the huntress.”
The Admiral then stood briskly. “You must dress. You will need to escort Laura back to your room.”
Margaret looked up nervously. Helena was already gathering clothing from the floor and laying them out at the end of the bed.
Margaret cleaned up as well as she could and dressed quickly. Helena woke Laura and they soon had her dressed as well. Laura was still groggy and needed Margaret for support.
“You can tell Adar we drank,” Helena instructed. She tenderly discouraged Laura from clinging to her arms and kissed her sweetly.
Margaret shuffled out into the hall and turned at the call of her name. Helena stood in the doorway, and her lips tensed briefly, eyes longing and regretful.
“You’re a strong girl. You have spirit. And after tonight I know you’re willing to take enormous risks.”
Laura responded dreamily to Helena’s voice. Her head found rest against Margaret’s shoulder and her arms hugged around her, either in agreement or because, in her state of half sleep, she thought her Helena.
Margaret then saw the anxiety melt from Helena’s eyes as she was overcome by adoration. She smiled and said, “I know you’ll do whatever it takes to look after her. While I’m not able, take care of her.”
Laura chuckled sleepily, the noise pulsing gently in Margaret’s ear.
“I will.”
In so simple a request, she had already failed. Though Diana and the others frequently told her it had not been her fault, Margaret felt she should have known, should have seen what was going on and done something to prevent the suffering her Lady endured those short years ago.
She had done her best to care for her through the ordeal, but she could still see the ache in her eyes. It was a pain she did not display so clearly as the discomfort of a servant biting at her ear. Laura could believe the weekend was meant for her to pursue the young painter, but in truth, it was for her servants to assess Miss Thrace’s character, and decide her worthy or not of their Lady’s heart.
Engaged as Thrace was to a man, Laura was more likely to have her heart broken and be devastated by rejection. She sometimes cursed Diana’s reckless nature, but her romantic ideals were inspiring and Margaret found herself more frequently moved to see things her way than in the darker hues she would have the world.
“Please…”
Margaret stepped closer and smiled. Her hand brushed Alex’s head, urging him to let go, and as Laura winced, Margaret gently took her earlobe between her fingers. Laura scowled in a gesture that was supposed to remind the girl that she was quite capable of getting her revenge, so Margaret squeezed.
“Ahn!”
Chuckling, Margaret hooked her hands around the back of Laura’s neck and pulled her lips to her own. The woman soothed instantly, desperate to exhaust tension built watching Kara in her drawing room. But Alex still held her arms and Margaret could easily pull away.
The whine Laura released was childish and perfectly expressed how limited her patience was. Margaret reached for Laura’s wrists and smirked.
“Alex, please relieve Laura of her dress.”
The flash of panic in Laura’s eyes amused her greatly. She had never expected them to go that far, not while her guests waited down the hall. Alex pulled at the string at her back and Laura tried to wriggle away. His strong hands grasped her shoulders, and his finger flicked at her tender earlobe.
“Aww. Not so eager to play anymore?” he snorted.
Margaret was feeling more sympathetic. “Relax, m’Lady. Billy has told your guests to take a walk in the gardens.” As Laura ceased her struggling, Margaret slipped a hand down her thigh, a movement the woman regarded with endearing diffidence. Alex slipped the dress from her body and Margaret caressed her lips with the tip of a finger. “Imagine your painter.”
Laura closed her eyes.
The gardens were not what Kara expected. She had seen photos of mansions with mazes made of roses and tall, sparkling fountains spraying water that glittered like crystals against the sky. The gardens at Erato’s Edge were wild. The trees grew scattered and a mist made everything seem like a watercolor painting.
The crisp air was invigorating and tasted unlike anything Kara had known. She had not been here more than an hour and already knew she would never be anywhere more magical.
Sam had been stolen by the enthusiasm of Lady Tigh and the Colonel, and Kara watched him try to keep up with their abrasive characters. Ellen’s arm was linked with his, and if the Colonel disapproved his manner was highly contrary.
Kara had been inclined to walk with Admiral Bill Adama, hoping to gleam some stories of Lady Roslin that would confirm her the woman of warmth and exceptional intelligence she so admired.
“How long have you known Laura?” Kara asked with some effort. It still felt wrong to be so informal.
“I have known her most of my life.” It was Adar who replied. He walked on her other side, and Kara realized she had not properly addressed the question. Fortunately, as she had not made it clear, Bill was also obliged to answer. He smiled humbly and said,
“Six years now.”
“And how did you meet?”
“A mutual friend introduced us.” His voice seemed fashioned from the earth and Kara felt she could do nothing but listen to him speak all day long.
“You mean Helena Cain,” said Adar, spitting in revulsion. Kara looked up at him curiously. The man sneered and added, “Insufferable creature.”
Kara was shocked. Bill Adama had called her a mutual friend of his and Lady Roslin, and yet Adar could have such a low opinion of her. She was sure Laura would never associate with someone worthy of such slander.
“Helena can be intimidating,” Bill smiled. There was something private and pleasing in his eyes as though he were used to this reaction. It confused Kara even more.
“She can be a vulgar and wretched woman. I thank the gods she and Laura are no longer friends.” Adar clipped his hands behind his back and stuck his nose in the air.
Kara looked between the two men. “They are not?”
Adar laughed venomously. “A few years ago they came to some disagreement or other. For months Laura was inconsolable. I have been her close friend since we were children and yet she would not even talk to me.”
Kara was horrified. There had to be some mistake. She could not believe anyone could want to hurt Lady Roslin in any way. Adar turned to look down at her, eyes flickering like a shuddering flame in the cold. “It is surely a demon who would ever mean that woman harm.”
Kara looked imploringly to Adama. His brow was furrowed and his eyes cast at the ground. Clearly he could not defend his so called friend.
Billy gently rapped his Mistress’s door. “M’Lady. Are you dressed?”
“Has that ever mattered?” he heard her reply. He coughed in amusement and wondered what he would find if he opened the door. He turned the handle and pushed. Laura’s arms were together in front of her, dress loose around her shoulders, and her lips sculpted in impish delight.
Billy snickered and came slowly towards her. “Trouble with the lace?”
Laura pouted. “You know I cannot reach.”
He came to help her and she turned her back into him, drawing her hair around her neck.
“I thought Margaret might have helped you,” he said.
“I had to send her to prepare a larger room for Gaius and his new wife, and the others are occupied in the kitchens.”
His fingers worked dexterously at her back and he felt the subtle lean into his touch. “His car has arrived,” he said, as he tied off the ends. He backed away and she turned around, a look of disappointment on her face that made him laugh.
“Why did I invite him?” she asked, adopting the manner of a petulant teenager.
He smiled and tenderly adjusted wayward locks of her hair. “To make the real purpose of this absurd soirée less obvious.”
“Oh.” She pouted and scrunched her nose and he kissed her forehead.
“Time to greet your final guests.” Billy let his hand linger on her arm before heading for the door.
“Billy.”
He turned. Laura fidgeted and smiled with unease.
“What is it, m’Lady?”
Her gaze dropped to the floor and her nails clipped together in nervous beats. He smiled gently and waited for her to speak and when she did it was with affected voice.
“Kara is in love with that man. And he is in love with her.”
Her smile pained him and she would not meet his eyes as he approached. His hands took her shoulders. “Miss Thrace should decide for herself to whom her heart belongs, should she not?”
Laura winced. “But…”
He knew it mattered to her. It troubled her that she should be influencing the painter’s feelings, and was uneasy about the manipulation this construct could affect.
“You are being no more or less honest than any person who pursues the heart of another. You are playing no trick. I suggest, m’Lady, that you be your naturally charming self and enjoy the company of your guests.”
She walked up to him, the anxiety in her eyes gone in place of admiration. She looked up at him in wonderment, a look she had given him many times and was no less a surprise to him.
“How is it that you always know the right things to say?”
Billy puffed air. “I cannot say.”
Laura laughed at his joke and took strides to the door. He turned and met her gaze when she opened it. She smiled lovingly at him before leaving the room.
She could hear Dr Baltar’s voice as she approached the stairs and somehow felt a dread above what the man could usually inspire. Glancing over the banister there was something unsettling about the picture of the heads she could see. Until she was making her descent did she see that unease reflected in the face of Brendan who had been there to greet the couple at the door.
And from there her eyes progressed easily to the tall ethereal woman at Baltar’s side. A shock like electricity cracked against her chest from brilliant blue eyes, and at her alarm appeared a smile she had not seen in years.
She was so bitterly and despairingly familiar. Her every feature as arresting as they were the day she had first met the woman. The locks of hair both gold and earth under changing lights framed an offer of warmth Laura felt scolding her, and the pain she had battled so long to overcome returned more vicious than before.
Gaius elated at her arrival. “Laura! Wonderful to see you!” He took the hand of his wife and Laura felt the air thicken and tighten around her. “Allow me the pleasure of introducing my wife.” His smile threatened to break his face apart and leave some disgusting mess at their feet.
“Gina.” Laura had not even intended to speak. Blue eyes twinkled with more intensity at the obvious affect her presence had on her.
“Laura.”
Gina’s voice pressed against her chest, expelling the air from her lungs and making her eyes water. Gaius only noticed the way the two women were smiling in recognition and was quite delighted at this unexpected revelation. His finger pointed in a flurry between them.
“You are acquainted. Well isn’t this marvelous! I shall love to hear the story of how you two know each other.” And he rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Brendan,” Laura said suddenly, and he was quickly at her side. “Kindly show Dr Baltar and his lovely wife to their room.”
“Yes, m’Lady. Right this way,” he said, picking up their luggage. Laura watched them follow Brendan and quaked slightly at the lingering look Gina gave her as she rounded the landing, fingers stroking lasciviously along the banister.
Margaret was returning from preparing their room, and as her path crossed Gina’s Laura could see the look of outrage barely contained on her face. She took the stairs briskly and came up to her with concern.
“Tell me she is not his wife.”
Laura’s eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips. “Then what shall I tell you?”
The girl gasped and looked up the stairwell. The woman was long gone but Margaret contented to glare at a space she had been. “How dare she show her face here? And wed to a man!”
“Let us be under no illusion that she was ever one thing over another. Perhaps her affections for a woman are greater cause for alarm than her attachment to a man,” Laura spat.
“Shall I mix something horrid in her soup?” Margaret asked.
Laura turned on her, eyes stern. “You will do no such thing.” Margaret coiled at the viciousness of her voice. “If any of you treat her with anything less than the dutifulness you should show any who stays here, I will have you removed from this house. Understood?”
Margaret stared, and for too long her lips moved without uttering a sound. The fierceness of Laura’s eyes was chilling and the girl would feel it bite against her skin but for the slightest twitch of the woman’s finger she would not have seen if she had not so wanted to avoid her stare.
That Laura did not recognize that she merely teased was proof enough of the damage Gina’s presence had caused already. Margaret understood her concern, and was wary of bringing their history to light in front of company, most of all Lord Adar.
“You’d best warn the others,” Laura said, more gently, “Before Diana tries anything foolish.” She squared her shoulders and began down the corridor to the drawing room. Margaret let out a sigh as she disappeared. Looking up once more she spotted Billy at the base of the stairs. He walked over to her, face grave.
“I have never seen her like this,” Margaret told him, hoping for the reassurance of his years living with Laura. “Engaged in politics, certainly. Not here.”
“She refuses to suffer as she did before. She will not have us burdened with her pain again,” Billy said sadly.
Margaret spat. “We’re her servants. She’s supposed to be a burden on us.”
Billy snorted and grinned in agreement, but they decided to respect the wishes of their Mistress and inform the others that Gina was to have a most pleasant stay.
Kara shifted on her seat and counted the cutlery. She wondered at the flippant nature of the aristocracy that the same set could not be used for each meal. She could not see what difference it made. She squinted at the flares of light off the spoons that pricked her eyes.
Sam leaned over to her. “Relax and do what I do.”
Kara smiled gratefully and felt a little calmer. But when she looked up the new wife of Dr Baltar was eyeing her with a smirk that reignited her nerves. At their introduction the woman had been very honored to meet her. Kara supposed she was just unused to being so admired.
When their first course arrived Kara was determined not to let her true heritage show and she watched determinedly for which spoon to use for her soup. Sam kept his movement slow enough for her to follow and when Kara was confident she had picked the same utensil as he, she felt her heart beat started to slow. She still did not dare take a sip unless Sam did so first.
“I must say,” said Adar, smiling charmingly from one end of the table, “It is a great pleasure to see you again, Gina. I can hardly remember the last time you were here.”
Gina gracefully dipped her spoon into her soup, “That would be almost two years ago. And it is a pleasure seeing you again, too, Richard.” She smiled at him and Kara noticed the man sit taller. Gaius edged forward in his seat and glanced where Laura sat at the other end of the table.
“And how is it exactly that you three know each other?”
“We met on Pegasus, actually,” Gina announced, just as it seemed Laura would respond. The blonde woman turned to face her, face alight with joy. Laura smiled and Kara imagined being on a Battlestar.
“You’re a soldier?” Kara asked, unable to hide her astonishment.
Laura, Richard and Gaius all laughed at once. Gina smiled humbly. “No. I’m a systems analyst. I was installing upgrades to the CNP.”
“Which I developed,” Gaius grinned at her.
“Oh,” said Kara, and bit her lip before she could ask what a CNP was.
“Do not dare ask him what that is,” warned the Colonel, “Or we’ll never hear the end of it.”
“I don’t see why the idea of Gina being a soldier is so funny,” Ellen said, glaring at the assembly.
“I’ll say,” said Saul, sipping from his spoon, “Looks can be deceiving. She’d be ideal for espionage. Don’t you think so, Bill?”
Gina chuckled and looked down modestly. “It’s quite alright. I must admit the idea of being a soldier amuses even myself.”
The Admiral sat next to Laura and spoke to her. If there was something in his eyes Kara could not see his face to be sure, but she heard some strain to his voice that made her curious. “Anyone is capable of anything. We should never underestimate people,” he then looked across at Gina and smiled, “Least of all ourselves.”
“But wait a minute. What was our lovely Laura doing on a Battlestar?” Gaius gleamed with the mischief he was sure to be stirring.
Richard looked suddenly irritated and consoled himself with his dinner.
“Perhaps she is a soldier,” Sam teased. Kara was surprised at the laughter that bubbled over the table.
Laura smiled and drew her hand close to her chest. “Now I cannot tell if that is supposed to be a compliment.”
“A most sincere one,” Sam replied, nodding like a gentlemen. It fascinated Kara that he could converse so casually with her.
“Laura can certainly be as dangerous as a soldier,” Ellen agreed.
“Yes she can,” Bill said, chuckling. Laura turned her head slowly upon him with eyebrows raised.
The party exchanged stories about various political figures and prominent personalities in the Colonies who, after suffering traumatic encounters with Lady Roslin, promptly wet themselves at the sight of her.
“Really, now,” she said, “You all exaggerate. You will have my new friends believe I am a monster.”
Kara felt something flutter like wings in her chest at the cheeky smile Laura gave her. She did not notice the subtle shift of her focus, and the accusing glare she cast at Gina.
“And we’re evading the real issue,” said Gaius. “Which is how Laura came to be on Pegasus.”
“Is it really such a mystery to you, Gaius?” Laura asked. She curled her fingers around her ambrosia and lifted it regally, “You call yourself a genius and you cannot fathom my duties as an ambassador would have me in such company from time to time.”
“You did not have your own ship?” Richard scoffed. Kara was surprised at his sudden rudeness but Laura seemed to expect it.
“It surprises you Helena Cain can be a charming host. She does despise the company of nobles but for the President she often makes an exception.”
Gina chuckled and Kara thought Laura smiled too tightly.
“Naturally that means she must also suffer the Quorum and other dignitaries like Laura,” Gina said, earning deep chuckles around the table.
“Oh the Admiral didn’t suffer Laura’s company,” Ellen said, a whimsical shine to her eyes as the ambrosia swayed in her glass. “Not back then in any case,” she added when Laura focused on her with disapproval. Ellen returned her frown with a smirk and sipped her drink.
“Ah, yes. Perhaps the only battle from which the decorated Admiral ever retreated.” Gaius was all teeth. He cast a devilish smirk to Kara and Sam. “We told you Ms Roslin was dangerous.”
“Pray then,” said Sam, “We are never acquainted with this monstrous incarnation of her character while we are here. I brought with me only one pair of pants.”
The whole table shook with laughter. The Tighs were so overcome their eyes glittered with tears and needed the support each other not to fall from their chairs. As Gaius lifted his glass and toasted the noble’s name, Kara received a private smile from Laura that made her every breath fail.
They progressed naturally from the dining room to the living room. Colonel Tigh already sat at a table shuffling cards and looked up at Sam and Kara who had just entered the room.
“You play, Mr Anders?”
“Not if I want to keep my cubits,” he smiled.
“We’ll play,” Kara said eagerly. Sam grinned at her.
The world of Triad was something she was very familiar with. In it she felt powerful, in control, and there she might be able to show these people what she was made of. She promptly forgot her nerves, and the veil of class she was supposed to keep, and hurried over to the table.
“Anyone else?” Saul looked around the room. “Bill?”
“Sure. Why not?” The Admiral sat down next to Kara and smiled at her. He was not at all what Kara expected from a Military leader. She expected someone brash and grating, but this man was gentle and the fondness in his eyes was unmistakable. It made Kara feel that she had at least one ally in the party who was not Sam. Not that she felt threatened by Dr Baltar and his wife or the Tighs, but Bill’s genuine interest in her made her swell with self worth.
“Ellen?”
The woman sat with Laura at the other end of the room in elegant armchairs. Behind them James was putting on a gramophone and Ellen was taking another glass from a tray of ambrosia offered by another tall servant with floppy brown hair.
“That’s alright, dear. Quite comfortable over here.”
“Laura?” Saul continued.
Kara ignored a small thrill at the thought of mindgames with Lady Roslin, but Laura declined the offer. Saul grunted in disappointment until he turned to Gina.
“What about your new wife, Gaius. Does she have what it takes?” he asked.
Gaius turned in the seat he had just claimed, as interested in her response as everyone else. Gina hummed thoughtfully, glancing across the room and back again before deciding to play.
“You’ll find out, won’t you, Colonel?” She stood gracefully and slinked around behind him, running her hands through her husband’s hair, making him giggle, and then sat beside him.
Gina may have arrested the attention of everyone in the room, but Ellen was more interested in the look on Laura’s face. She scoffed smugly into her glass and then set it aside on the small round table between their armrests.
“Bit of a shock?” she pressed.
“Hm?” Laura said, distractedly. When she turned to look at Ellen she had an eyebrow raised. Laura cringed slightly. “Please, not now.”
There was healthy laughter from the other end of the room.
“Your guests are adequately distracted. And besides, you chose to stay in my company and I refuse to sit with you if all you’re going to do is glare.”
“You’re free to move, Ellen,” Laura said, looking back at the card game. Ellen scoffed and took her ambrosia again, consenting to watch the game as well. Already nearly all had folded but for her husband and Miss Thrace. She watched the girl gaze at him over the tops of her cards with a sly confidence she knew Saul would appreciate, and, upon observation, Laura found endearing.
She dipped her gaze and discovered Laura’s fingers gripping the folds of her gown. A smirk tugged the corner of her lips.
“When will you talk to Miss Thrace?” she asked.
Laura jumped. “What?”
“About the painting,” Ellen said, amused at her reaction.
“Oh. I’m not sure. There may not be time tonight,” she said. She sighed in resignation and reached for her own glass of ambrosia. Ellen waited until she had swallowed.
“She’s very pretty.”
Laura coughed in alarm and struck Ellen a look with eyes blazing, a look the wizened woman returned with a sympathetic smile.
It was a mistake at all that Ellen Tigh knew so much about the private life of Lady Roslin. Their relationship had at best been pleasant, if an exhausting excursion in politeness, but since learning such sensitive truths about Laura, Ellen had proven herself an invaluable confidant and shown her support above and beyond what Laura could have ever expected, but that was only because Ellen made no habit of revealing such facets of her character so anything was more than Laura expected.
She knew Laura’s concern was that they would be overheard. The music that crackled from the gramophone behind them masked their voices well enough. Laura assumed she talked about Gina and that Ellen would choose to tease her about something so painful.
“The painter, Laura,” she said gently.
“Oh,” Laura grimaced. Earlier pain lingered in her expression, making her look more pitiful than Ellen could stand.
“You have to let it go, Laura,” she said. She almost missed the desperate, whispered reply.
“I cannot.”
Ellen could curse how heartbreaking Laura looked in that moment, lines drawn sadly around her eyes, lips curved in a dismal cringe and eyes quivering to hold back tears that took months to restrain.
“You have to.” Ellen turned more towards her in her chair. It was urgent, now, that she calm the woman before she burst into tears in front of everyone, because these were tears that would never stop.
“You like this girl. You like Miss Thrace. What life can you possibly have together if you are still holding on to what you have lost?” She kept her voice low and Laura sealed her mouth, biting her lips and she considered Ellen’s words. “What life can you have with anyone?”
The quiver to Laura’s eyes suddenly had light. “You think she would have a life with me?”
Ellen scoffed and shook her head. Sometimes she could forget the childlike innocence that persisted at the core of her soul.
“Not if you don’t let go of the past.”
She calmed and Ellen sighed in relief. They watched the card game. Miss Thrace seemed to be winning most of the hands and there was much celebration from the table across the room.
“Ellen.”
“Mm?”
There was a small stretch of time before she heard Laura’s voice.
“How is Helena?”
She turned sadly. “Laura…”
The noble smiled bravely. “Of what happened I can let go. But do not ask me to forget her.”
Ellen’s head sank slightly over, pulled by her breaking heart. Laura smiled more sorrowfully.
“Please, Ellen. Tell me something.”
A deep sigh fell between them as Ellen resigned to indulge her piteous display. “You will have to ask Bill. He will know more than I. But I would advise against it. Think of what you’ve already gone through. Think of what your servants have…”
It is only at this that Laura begged with but a look for her to stop.
Ellen was prepared to bear the resentment if it meant she could spare her dear friend further misery. “They all loved her too. It will do none of you any good to learn of her.”
Laura looked defeated and would look only at her lap. Ellen made her tone brighter.
“Go. Talk to your painter. Request her company and talk of Artemis.”
“Oh. I…” Laura shook her head.
“If you do not, I shall,” Ellen smirked.
Laura glared at her incredulously.
Ellen nudged her arm. “Go on. Ask Bill along and I will take his place if I must.”
Laura looked so grateful it was beginning to make Ellen feel sick. Graciously, they were suddenly interrupted and when they looked up to see Bill standing there with Kara Thrace, Ellen could almost feel how Laura’s heart swelled.
“I have asked Kara to talk to me about her painting. We wondered if you would join us.” There was more understanding in the old Admiral’s eyes than could explain this timely invitation. Ellen wondered if the man did not sense how close Laura came to falling apart this evening.
Before Laura could answer, Saul called out to Ellen from the table. “We need you to fill a spot.”
On her word, Ellen rose elegantly from her chair. “Glad to.”
She sat down beside Mr Anders and watched Laura leave the room with Bill and her painter and smiled with private delight.
She glanced down at her cards and then beyond them at the new Mrs Baltar, relishing the thought of employing all her wickedness to scouring the smile from her pretty face.
Chapter 5