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archiveofarethusa) wrote2012-01-20 12:52 am
archiveofarethusa) wrote2012-01-20 12:52 am
Black Coffee
Carrie had known Lysander for years before she became one of his few trusted maids, and knew for most of those years that Lysander was goofy for some dame who'd attended the girls' Catholic school adjacent his boys' school. She'd resisted, but Lysander wasn't known for accepting no's just like that, and as fine as his smile was it could only melt ice half so well as his voice. Holly didn't have much in the way of chances, and Carrie couldn't really blame her. She'd never had the pleasure of meeting Lysander's wife until now, though. She had a keen enough face and big green doll eyes that managed an impressively level stare considering Carrie had a fine smattering of some stiff's blood on her.
"Come out of the shadows, miss, you look like a child caught red-handed," Holly said, and Carrie complied. "Oh. One out of two's not bad for a first try, hm?"
"No indeed," Carrie said. "I apologize for skulking. I have some business to discuss with Mr. Melman, but he has been otherwise occupied for some time."
"I'm not surprised, and if you are who you seem to be I doubt you are, as well," Holly said. "If the blood is still fresh, you're more than welcome to use the kitchen sink. I just bought that rug last week, and I'm in no rush to find out how hard it is to clean."
"Of course," Carrie said. "You wouldn't mind helping me find my way, would you, ma'am? Mr. Melman has found a use for me in many places, but the kitchen will never have been one of them, I'm afraid."
Holly narrowed her eyes, unsure of the exact nature of the subtext, but motioned for Carrie to follow her.
"The cold water runs where the hot should, and vice versa," Holly said. "I've considered calling in a plumber, but it's one of those little defects that's just too perfect to fix. Lysander and Mr. Merridan shouldn't be but a moment more, but would you like a coffee anyway? I'd like to get the chance to talk to the woman my husband calls sister."
If it smelled, felt, and tasted like a demand, as they said. Carrie wondered if there was some sort of social etiquette she'd failed to learn before taking her job. "How to address your boss's civilian wife in her home while covered in someone else's blood." She smiled, involuntarily. If only she'd paid more attention to finishing school. "I'd like that very much, Mrs. Melman. Thank you."
"Wonderful! I'm sure we'll be very cozy in no time at all," Holly said. "Do you take it black?"
The coffee, as it turned out, was stronger with three spoonfuls of sugar than Carrie was used to with none at all, and the ghostly frost of the tap water on her blouse clung to her skin long after she dried herself. Holly remained curiously blase about the presence of a murderer in her home, talking pleasantly about nothing much at all. She knew what nature of business her husband was in, Carrie realized. She'd probably talked like this with Lysander's other associates - Carrie remembered Lenore commenting casually on Holly having brassier balls than Yuuki, but she'd just assumed it had been for the sake of sensationalism. Had she known what Lysander was going into their marriage? Holly had just always seemed like a shadow that hadn't yet been nailed down to a corner, only less likely to protest than one. Now that Carrie had heard her speak, she noticed little things about her explained themselves away. She did not interject when listening, preferring to speak only when her words would have meaning. She spoke vivaciously, but her tone occasionally seemed to mock her energy. If asked, she clearly would have little good to say of those who considered sarcasm the lowest form of wit. Carrie wondered if Holly felt a sisterhood to her stingingly bitter coffee.
"Pardon my asking, but why did you marry Lysander?" Carrie said. "I understand that you were raised in the proper Christian way."
"I was raised in that manner, yes," Holly said, after consideration. "I don't think I ever held any stock in it, on the other hand. It's one thing to renounce any theoretical sins in the pure sterility of a church and another entirely to say no while gazing into its eyes in a dark, smoky room. I find Lysander is a much more agreeable companion than God on his good days. He listens and considers. God...does not." Holly smiled, amused. "When you look at me now is it a quiff you see? Will you call me a heathen? So many of your associates have. It's fascinating how easily criminals can pass judgments like that."
"It's fascinating also how you disdain them but love your husband," Carrie said.
"Disdain them? I saw something I desired, and I took it without thinking twice about the consequences. I know I'm no better than them, or could be at the drop of a pretty hat. I disdain not just them but the world, Miss Verdi, and the world disdains me. It's a mutually passive aggressive relationship, but it works rather well indeed," Holly said. Carrie realized Merridan had left Lysander's study while Holly and she were talking, speaking with Yuuki standing guard in the hall. Holly seemed to have realized it as well, and gave her a genuinely fond smile. "Please, Miss Verdi, give my love to Lysander. I would do it myself, only I fear the next time we see each other long enough to exchange greetings one of us might have changed our minds in the interim."
"Thank you for the coffee. It was lovely," Carrie returned, smiling through the odd feeling that it was notable she'd escaped undamaged.
"What do you make of Mrs. Melman?" Carrie asked Lenore, later. Lenore smiled and huffed as if reminded of some old joke. "I think she's wasted as a housewife. She's got so many jagged, bitter edges in her she could probably slice open a man without a knife, and I think she's begging for an excuse to find out. Thank god she's not a man, or I might spontaneously start seeing sense in the argument for soul mates."
And truly, Carrie couldn't have asked for a better reason to stay clear of Holly.
"Come out of the shadows, miss, you look like a child caught red-handed," Holly said, and Carrie complied. "Oh. One out of two's not bad for a first try, hm?"
"No indeed," Carrie said. "I apologize for skulking. I have some business to discuss with Mr. Melman, but he has been otherwise occupied for some time."
"I'm not surprised, and if you are who you seem to be I doubt you are, as well," Holly said. "If the blood is still fresh, you're more than welcome to use the kitchen sink. I just bought that rug last week, and I'm in no rush to find out how hard it is to clean."
"Of course," Carrie said. "You wouldn't mind helping me find my way, would you, ma'am? Mr. Melman has found a use for me in many places, but the kitchen will never have been one of them, I'm afraid."
Holly narrowed her eyes, unsure of the exact nature of the subtext, but motioned for Carrie to follow her.
"The cold water runs where the hot should, and vice versa," Holly said. "I've considered calling in a plumber, but it's one of those little defects that's just too perfect to fix. Lysander and Mr. Merridan shouldn't be but a moment more, but would you like a coffee anyway? I'd like to get the chance to talk to the woman my husband calls sister."
If it smelled, felt, and tasted like a demand, as they said. Carrie wondered if there was some sort of social etiquette she'd failed to learn before taking her job. "How to address your boss's civilian wife in her home while covered in someone else's blood." She smiled, involuntarily. If only she'd paid more attention to finishing school. "I'd like that very much, Mrs. Melman. Thank you."
"Wonderful! I'm sure we'll be very cozy in no time at all," Holly said. "Do you take it black?"
The coffee, as it turned out, was stronger with three spoonfuls of sugar than Carrie was used to with none at all, and the ghostly frost of the tap water on her blouse clung to her skin long after she dried herself. Holly remained curiously blase about the presence of a murderer in her home, talking pleasantly about nothing much at all. She knew what nature of business her husband was in, Carrie realized. She'd probably talked like this with Lysander's other associates - Carrie remembered Lenore commenting casually on Holly having brassier balls than Yuuki, but she'd just assumed it had been for the sake of sensationalism. Had she known what Lysander was going into their marriage? Holly had just always seemed like a shadow that hadn't yet been nailed down to a corner, only less likely to protest than one. Now that Carrie had heard her speak, she noticed little things about her explained themselves away. She did not interject when listening, preferring to speak only when her words would have meaning. She spoke vivaciously, but her tone occasionally seemed to mock her energy. If asked, she clearly would have little good to say of those who considered sarcasm the lowest form of wit. Carrie wondered if Holly felt a sisterhood to her stingingly bitter coffee.
"Pardon my asking, but why did you marry Lysander?" Carrie said. "I understand that you were raised in the proper Christian way."
"I was raised in that manner, yes," Holly said, after consideration. "I don't think I ever held any stock in it, on the other hand. It's one thing to renounce any theoretical sins in the pure sterility of a church and another entirely to say no while gazing into its eyes in a dark, smoky room. I find Lysander is a much more agreeable companion than God on his good days. He listens and considers. God...does not." Holly smiled, amused. "When you look at me now is it a quiff you see? Will you call me a heathen? So many of your associates have. It's fascinating how easily criminals can pass judgments like that."
"It's fascinating also how you disdain them but love your husband," Carrie said.
"Disdain them? I saw something I desired, and I took it without thinking twice about the consequences. I know I'm no better than them, or could be at the drop of a pretty hat. I disdain not just them but the world, Miss Verdi, and the world disdains me. It's a mutually passive aggressive relationship, but it works rather well indeed," Holly said. Carrie realized Merridan had left Lysander's study while Holly and she were talking, speaking with Yuuki standing guard in the hall. Holly seemed to have realized it as well, and gave her a genuinely fond smile. "Please, Miss Verdi, give my love to Lysander. I would do it myself, only I fear the next time we see each other long enough to exchange greetings one of us might have changed our minds in the interim."
"Thank you for the coffee. It was lovely," Carrie returned, smiling through the odd feeling that it was notable she'd escaped undamaged.
"What do you make of Mrs. Melman?" Carrie asked Lenore, later. Lenore smiled and huffed as if reminded of some old joke. "I think she's wasted as a housewife. She's got so many jagged, bitter edges in her she could probably slice open a man without a knife, and I think she's begging for an excuse to find out. Thank god she's not a man, or I might spontaneously start seeing sense in the argument for soul mates."
And truly, Carrie couldn't have asked for a better reason to stay clear of Holly.