Forums » General Roleplay » Across a Crowded Room [Victorian Era 1x1/Group RP]

"Miss Vanderson. There is a Viscount Delagney here for you," a butler stated as he set the tea tray down between her and her aunt. The older woman blinked in surprise and then looked to her niece.
"Looks like you've caught his eye."

In the foyer, Thomas was stood without Arthur for a change, dressed a little more casually than he might normally but wanting to be simple for only a moment. He had had the sudden urge to invite Beatrice riding and so, here he was. The butler who had let him in was eyeing him suspiciously as he turned to hear Arthur finally riding up, his horse huffing. He chuckled to himself.

He'd left him behind on the ride, hoping he wouldn't work out where he had been going. But of course, he had. At least he had the decency to stand outside and wait for him. Now Thomas just stood waiting for Beatrice.

Emily repeated the piece, slower this time, but she fumbled in the end. Patiently, Katherine indicated she should repeat it.

Standing outside the room for the past ten minutes, Edward was forced to admit that whatever barriers he had erected around his heart had crumbled to dust. The last residue of them disintegrating at the way she handled his beloved daughter.

It has only been two weeks, which meant this was the third time she came over and Emily’s fifth lesson overall. Despite his desire to be in her company, and perhaps because of it, Edward had barely spent any time with her, and none alone. He had to deal with an unexpected telegram on her last visit, and of the two times he’s taken Emily to the Wytherine home – one the grandmother had gotten a hold of him, and the other they had guests. Today, he was determined not to let another opportunity slip by. And so, a little guiltily, he lurked outside the room, waiting for the lesson to be over.

Emily played the piece perfectly this time. She beamed up at Katherine, hoping for praise.

"Here," Katherine said to her, gently playing the phrasing on the piano, just a little bit higher, the softness of the notes floating a bit as she smiled at her, "you want to stretch your hand like this to reach this note easier. And then it'll be easier to reach the next phrasing."

Katherine continued to stand, moving around the room to go and open the window, letting some air in so that the room would be cooler. She looked out onto the small garden, smiling and then she went back to piano to study the music again. She did wonder about Edward again. She had thought he might appear. He had seemed so interested in Emily's lesson she was concerned he wasn't coming. She was not certain she had done something wrong.

"Why don't we take a break for now and then we'll move onto the next few phrases of this piece," Katherine suggested to Emily.

Beatrice let out a gasp "ME!" she caught that her Aunt's eyes were boring into her but she paid it no mind as she stood up knocking the poor Buttler and spilling the tea on her aunt, as she made her way out of the drawing-room and down the long hallway like a tornado. A few staff narrowly dodged her as she came sliding to a stop in front of Thomas. She quickly patted her dress and tucked several fallen strands of hair behind her ear before smiling at him. "Hello, Viscount," She stood straighter and rolled her shoulders back to show confidence "What do I owe the pleasure of your visit today" She heard a bit of banging and yelling coming from the direction of the staff and her aunt but she couldn't even focus on that when the viscount looked so handsome standing waiting for her. She wanted to reach out and touch him and maybe even more. But she gave her head a quick shake and reminded herself to stop reading all those scandalous romantic books she kept steeling from the maids.

Emily nodded and slipped off the stool, shaking her hands slightly. Her small fingers till struggled reaching. Edward thought that was a good moment to make his entrance.

“Hello there,” he said pleasantly. Emily raised her head and beamed at him. She knew better than to rush and hug him when there was company, which he appreciated. Though in truth he would have welcomed her arms around him. “How’s the lesson faring?”

“I’m getting better, papa. Lady Katherine said so. She’s teaching me ever so much”.

“I’m glad to hear that. Should I send for some refreshments, if you two are taking a short break? Or would you…” he hesitated, then forged ahead. “would you care for a walk in the garden?”

"She still needs to work on her phrasing. She keeps rushing it because she knows her fingers can't reach properly yet, Katherine said to Edward, moving to curtsey politely was was custom as she smoothed down the green of her dress - "but I think some fresh air would do us good. Thank you," the woman explained, crossing the room with him to head through the house and out into the garden.

It was a clear and warm day. A few whisps of clouds. Spring was ending soon. Summer and it's heat would soon be upon them. She dreaded it. Katherine still wished she might escape the season in Paris and head to the country. But she doubted that she would be afforded such a luxury.

Emily ran ahead of them, happy to be outside. That, to Edward, seemed sufficient as a chaperone. He offered Katherine his arm as they headed out.

The garden on his estate paled in comparison with hers. He had kept them minimal, preferring open fields on which he could ride. Now he wished they were bigger, so that a visit to them would be longer. “When do you leave for France?” he asked. His own trip, now with Emily included, would not be for a few more weeks. “Have Emily told you she’ll be coming with me? She was overjoyed when I told her of the change in plans. I made sure to give credit where credit is due, and told her you were the one who changed my mind”.

“I am certain she is glad to be going. Paris is an exciting place when you’re young and carefree like she is,” Katherine commented as they walked together, watching Emily ahead of them with a small smile.

“I might not leave for another few weeks. Grandmother is,” she paused, deciding if it was best to tell him - “she is trying to negotiate a match for my cousin. The Viscount Delagney has been showing a keen interest.”

“Is she?” Edward didn’t know the Viscount, but it would be no small miracle if she could make it happen. His family would probably oppose him marrying an American. To his knowledge, they didn’t need the money, which was usually the reason such matches were struck. He wondered if it bothered her, her younger, far more… flamboyant cousin to marry before her.

Emily bounced over, taking her father’s other hand. “What are you talking about?” she asked. It seemed to her that Lady Kathrine was there for her and therefore, her guest.

“Do you remember Lady Wytherine’s cousin? You met her when we visited her home the first time?”

Emily nodded. “She was pretty” she said.

“That’s who we were talking about” Edward said. He had no intention of sharing the actual details. Even if that was an appropriate topic of conversation for a child, which he was not at all sure that it was, Katherine had confided in him. He would keep her confidence.

Satisfied, for the time being, Emily continued walking with them until it was time to turn back and resume her lesson.

"Such an arrangement is complicated. On both sides. So we'll see how things go," Katherine said, not mentioning further who she was talking about so as to keep Emily somewhat out of the conversation before she smiled a bit at the both of them and went back to walking quietly, her arm on Edward's.

This felt nice. Being able to be relaxed and walk like this with him away from prying eyes. It was a welcome change. She smiled, mainly to herself before pressing an auburn curl behind her ear, her face quite content.
"I do hope you might find time to meet with my family whilst you are in Paris. Or come and see me play again. I have a performance at the Opera mid-season. I think you would enjoy it," she continued with a smile.

“I’d love to see you play again,” Edward said. Her family he could do without. He imagined quite a lot of people in any events they’ll be hosting in Paris. Frightening thought. At least traveling with Emily will provide him with an excuse to stick to the business he had to handle and avoid most of the social pressure.

He said his goodbyes as they entered the house again. His study was down the hall and sitting in it he was sometimes able to hear Emily play. Right now, though he shut the door, thinking he needed to concentrate. With it open, he kept looking over, trying to get glimpses of the woman teaching his daughter.

Emily took a little time to settle back from their short excursion. Her first two attempts were quite abysmal. She sighed, then made much better work of it on her third. “Do you think your cousin would like to marry my papa?” she asked all of the sudden. “My aunt says he needs a wife and she’s ever so pretty”.

Katherine was taken aback from the question, looking at Emily is shock a bit before she recovered and regained her composure - "I don't know, child. You don't need to worry about such matters. My cousin is just here to visit at the moment," she said simply. But internally, she felt anger and jealousy rise.

Emily didn't see her as an option for her father? Was she too old? Not beautiful enough to be married? Maybe her grandmother had been right. She should have been married young and been done with it instead of pursuing her music. She tried to force a smile but the disappointment was clearly written on her face.

"Let's focus on your playing, yes? You're too young to worry about things like that right now. Besides. That's your father's business."

Emily didn’t notice any affect her words might have had. “But I’m worried about papa” she said, in objection to lady Kathrine’s assertion that wasn’t her affair, but her father’s. “He’s ever so unhappy. I remember the way he was with maman and… I want that for him. Aunt Dorothea says I’m to help her find him a wife. I’m to be good and quiet when a woman visits, so that she doesn’t think me a challenge”. She raised big, innocent eyes to Katherine. “He was smiling when we went back from visiting you that first time, when he met your cousin. And then again, all the next day after the ball. She was there, wasn’t she?”

She's read her father all wrong. or maybe....maybe I have? Maybe it is my cousin he's interested in and he's just using me to keep his daughter occupied, Katherine said to herself, her heartbreaking a bit. Had she read it wrong? Was she just someone to keep Emily distracted? She had hoped he might think of her as more than that.
"I know that finding someone to spend your life with is difficult. It's not something we should interfere with," she said sadly.

Too young to know she was treading close to a sensitive topic, Emily nodded. “I’m going to marry a prince” she declared. “Papa said there are plenty of those around. He said I’ll get to choose which one”. She tried the phrase again and this time, it was prefect.

Not long after that the lesson ended. Edward, despite the closed door, heard exactly when that was and left his study to say goodbye to his guest. “Why don’t you go tell Mrs. Dunbee what you’d like for supper,” he suggested to his daughter. She turned to leave, then rushed back to hug Lady Wytherine. It was a breech of protocol, but one that warmed his heart. “Go on now,” he patted her a way. “Naughty little mouse”.

He turned to Katherine. “My apologies. She’s becoming quite attached to you” he said. “On the day before a lesson she speaks of little else. Next lesson shall be at your house then, shan’t it?”

Katherine merely nodded, still lost in her thoughts. In her mind, Emily and Edward saw her as no more than a tutor. Of course, that is exactly what she was but she had felt as though there might have been more. Something more. Instead, she felt embarrassed she had read the situation completely wrong.

”yes. Well. I do be sure to inform her that the attachment isn’t neither permanent nor mutual,” she said, a bitter twang adding to the unmistakable hurt in her voice - “I am a piano tutor. Nothing more,”

At this point, she was pulling on her gloves roughly over her thin fingers, getting frustrated by the fact that the fabric was catching on the ring she wore on her right hand.

“Are you, Lady Katherine?” Edward asked. He wished he only sounded surprised, but to his ears at least was a definite note of pain. What flared her anger? He wondered. Did I offend? “I thought perhaps…”. For a moment he saw himself move closer and take her hands in his. Slip a finger under the fabric of the glove knotted below the ring, smoothing it over so that she could pull them up. Then… not let go.

But of course, that would be terribly inappropriate.

Collecting himself, he cleared his throat. “My apologies. She’s a child, of course. Prone to sentimentality. I’ll be sure to remind her we’re to be thankful for your generosity with your time and talent”. The belated sting of neither permanent nor mutual flared up, and his voice and posture changed, defenses back up.

When he helped with her glove she stood still in shock, looking at him with her jade eyes, exhaling shakily for a moment before swallowing and pulling her hand away, finishing with her gloves and reaching for her hat, tugging it on and tying the ribbon around her chin.

"Would you be kind enough to call my carriage to the front of the house," Katherine asked Edward, looking at him a moment, her voice quivering a bit. What was happening? Why push him away so hurtfully? Simple. Katherine wanted to save herself from hurt as well. As she just stood there, she realised her mistake but didn't know what else to say - "I am sorry....if my childish actions have caused you trouble in securing yourself a suitable partner. I can cease my visitations here if that would be easiest," the noble woman said politely but sadly.

“Of course…” Edward began, and turned to call for a footman and ask him to alert Lady Wytherine’s coachman. Her next words stopped him in his tracks. “I have neither trouble nor the inclination to seek out a partner” he said with his back to her. His voice was cold. face, if she had seen them might have conveyed something else. “Your visitations have no bearing on the matter”.

The truth was that thought of Lenora have become so infrequent as to cause him great guilt. Since the ball at her grandmother’s house, he’s noticed that change in him. That had been the first social event since her passing in which she had not crossed his mind once.

Now, it seemed, that not only was that a betrayal of his dear wife’s memory, but one taken in vain.

****

When it was time for her next lesson, Edward sent Emily with her governess. He told her he was too busy to come along. His mood had been sour for days, and he thought she must have noticed, since she did not make much of a fuss. Perhaps she’s growing up, he thought and it was bitter sweet. He watched her mount the coach and it drive away. Scowling, he went back to his study.

Katherine had been in an equally sour mood since she had returned from the last lesson. And when she wasn't sour, she was pining almost. With their feelings made relatively clear, she didn't know what to do. Sat in the piano room, she was dabbling over the keys writing a piece of music, pausing on occasion to write the notes before she continued. The melody was sad and drifted through the home quietly. Each note was like a tear almost.

She didn't even hear the staff announce that Emily had arrived for her lesson, just continuing to play, her fingers stretching over the keys lightly and effortlessly as she rocked slightly through the melody of this piece. When Katherine did notice Emily, she stood, the governess curtsying politely.
"Get set up at the piano," she instructed the girl softly.