Could Have Been
Mar. 30th, 2012 03:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
intheheartTitle: Could Have Been
Rating: PG
Summary: They are happy as they are.
AU: Regency
Notes: I may have been reading too much Georgette Heyer. Also, I am fond of Sir Timothy already.
They met for the first time at Miss Thorton's Academy for Young Ladies-- at dancing lessons, to be precise. Miss Lily Martin had only arrived the day before, and had not yet had time to make the sort of friends who would partner her in a dance, so Gina had taken pity on the lovely wallflower with her raven-wing hair and burnished complexion.
She knew her mistake as soon as she took Miss Martin's hand, and felt the shiver that passed between them.
She knew from the way Miss Martin's great dark eyes opened wide that she felt it, too.
--
Lily was being ridiculous. Miss Carew had only meant to be kind to her, surely, and she was not such a great fool as to read too far into such gestures.
Such a beautiful girl, though, with white skin and sky-blue eyes and hair of golden blonde, almost indistinguishable from the true metal. In her gown of palest pink she looked like a flower, like the English rose they would surely name her.
She had never been able to waltz before, or not well, but in Miss Carew's arms, it felt less like a too-daring dance, and more like gliding.
--
"I should like us to be friends," Gina said, greatly daring, and was rewarded by Miss Martin's heartcatching smile.
"I should like that also," she confided, that lovely, lyrical accent of hers lending the words more countenance than Gina would have expected. "But if we are to be friends, you must call me Lily."
"And you must call me Gina," Gina exclaimed, catching up her hand and dropping a kiss on the back of it. Her skin was so soft that Gina could not bring herself to let go.
Miss Martin-- Lily-- blushed, but did not take her hand away.
--
"My mama was Spanish," Lily confided, one night after they were all supposed to be asleep. "It is why I talk so, why..." She gestured at her face, and Gina nodded, an understanding look on her face. "I understand why my papa has sent me here-- I must learn to be English, but..."
Gina reached out and cupped her cheek, her hand soft and warm like silk. Lily leaned into it, and the offered comfort. "You miss her," Gina said, softly.
Lily nodded, and inhaled softly when Gina's thumb slid across her skin to wipe a tear from her cheek.
--
The letter came on an otherwise lovely spring day-- it seemed as if the sun itself was dimmed, after Gina read it.
"What is it?" Lily asked, sitting beside her on their bench beneath the apple tree.
"My father," Gina said, and crumpled the letter in her fist. "He summons me home. My mother is not well, and..." Words failed her, and she looked down at her lap.
"Of course, you must go to your mother," Lily said, and covered Gina's fists with her soft hands. "But I will miss you."
Gina managed a smile at that. "And I you."
--
Lily crept out of her bed for the last time, padded to Gina's bed, slid in beneath the covers. She had heard the hitched breathing, and knew her friend was crying-- she put her arms around Gina now, and drew her close.
"We will meet again," she whispered, into that soft blonde hair. "We will. I swear to you."
Gina lifted her head, her eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "I fear we won't," she whispered.
"We will," Lily said, positively, and to seal her words dipped her head and kissed Gina's soft, trembling mouth.
The morning found them still entwined.
--
Gina's mother recovered soon, but they kept her at home-- to better prepare for her Season, Mother said. She must be polished to catch a husband.
But all the husbands to be had in London were revolting, fortune hunters or creaking old men. Besides that, it was no man in her night visions, the ones that woke her panting and yearning for something she did not understand-- it was Lily, with her big dark eyes and lush Spanish mouth.
When her cousin Joseph proposed, and explained in delicate terms his handsome valet, Gina knew a relief that took her breath.
--
Sir Timothy was old enough to be her father, even grandfather-- but he was kind, and his eyes were so warm when he asked Lily to wed him.
"I should like to," Lily said, honestly, "but I fear I cannot love you."
"No?" Sir Timothy tilted his head. "Do you think you could be fond of me?"
She clasped his hands. "I am very fond of you!"
He smiled. "I do not need an heir, Miss Martin, and I think we will rub on well together. Shall we make a go of it?"
She thought of Gina when she accepted.
--
They did meet again, so many years later, in a bustling coaching inn not far from London. Lily cried out and raced across the muddy yard-- Gina abandoned her footman's side and rushed to her, catching her up in her arms
"I missed you," Lily whispered.
"And I you," Gina said, and then, "Oh, let's get a parlor, come, now."
The landlord was only too happy to lead them to a private room, when Gina dropped gold into his hand. When the door shut behind him they were in each other's arms again, embracing as if no time had passed.
--
But time had passed, and they separated at last.
"I love my husband," Gina said.
"I love mine," Lily said, and so she did-- Sir Timothy was all that was kind.
Gina hesitated, looking at her hands, then said, "I have a companion. Ivy. She is... very dear to me."
Lily thought of Bridget, her abigail who was much more, and smiled. "I have my Bridget."
"I do not regret my life," Gina said, "but... I wonder."
Lily reached out, squeezed her hands. "Don't," she said, tenderly. "We are happy as we are. Don't wonder."
"No," Gina said, and smiled.
Rating: PG
Summary: They are happy as they are.
AU: Regency
Notes: I may have been reading too much Georgette Heyer. Also, I am fond of Sir Timothy already.
They met for the first time at Miss Thorton's Academy for Young Ladies-- at dancing lessons, to be precise. Miss Lily Martin had only arrived the day before, and had not yet had time to make the sort of friends who would partner her in a dance, so Gina had taken pity on the lovely wallflower with her raven-wing hair and burnished complexion.
She knew her mistake as soon as she took Miss Martin's hand, and felt the shiver that passed between them.
She knew from the way Miss Martin's great dark eyes opened wide that she felt it, too.
--
Lily was being ridiculous. Miss Carew had only meant to be kind to her, surely, and she was not such a great fool as to read too far into such gestures.
Such a beautiful girl, though, with white skin and sky-blue eyes and hair of golden blonde, almost indistinguishable from the true metal. In her gown of palest pink she looked like a flower, like the English rose they would surely name her.
She had never been able to waltz before, or not well, but in Miss Carew's arms, it felt less like a too-daring dance, and more like gliding.
--
"I should like us to be friends," Gina said, greatly daring, and was rewarded by Miss Martin's heartcatching smile.
"I should like that also," she confided, that lovely, lyrical accent of hers lending the words more countenance than Gina would have expected. "But if we are to be friends, you must call me Lily."
"And you must call me Gina," Gina exclaimed, catching up her hand and dropping a kiss on the back of it. Her skin was so soft that Gina could not bring herself to let go.
Miss Martin-- Lily-- blushed, but did not take her hand away.
--
"My mama was Spanish," Lily confided, one night after they were all supposed to be asleep. "It is why I talk so, why..." She gestured at her face, and Gina nodded, an understanding look on her face. "I understand why my papa has sent me here-- I must learn to be English, but..."
Gina reached out and cupped her cheek, her hand soft and warm like silk. Lily leaned into it, and the offered comfort. "You miss her," Gina said, softly.
Lily nodded, and inhaled softly when Gina's thumb slid across her skin to wipe a tear from her cheek.
--
The letter came on an otherwise lovely spring day-- it seemed as if the sun itself was dimmed, after Gina read it.
"What is it?" Lily asked, sitting beside her on their bench beneath the apple tree.
"My father," Gina said, and crumpled the letter in her fist. "He summons me home. My mother is not well, and..." Words failed her, and she looked down at her lap.
"Of course, you must go to your mother," Lily said, and covered Gina's fists with her soft hands. "But I will miss you."
Gina managed a smile at that. "And I you."
--
Lily crept out of her bed for the last time, padded to Gina's bed, slid in beneath the covers. She had heard the hitched breathing, and knew her friend was crying-- she put her arms around Gina now, and drew her close.
"We will meet again," she whispered, into that soft blonde hair. "We will. I swear to you."
Gina lifted her head, her eyes shimmering in the moonlight. "I fear we won't," she whispered.
"We will," Lily said, positively, and to seal her words dipped her head and kissed Gina's soft, trembling mouth.
The morning found them still entwined.
--
Gina's mother recovered soon, but they kept her at home-- to better prepare for her Season, Mother said. She must be polished to catch a husband.
But all the husbands to be had in London were revolting, fortune hunters or creaking old men. Besides that, it was no man in her night visions, the ones that woke her panting and yearning for something she did not understand-- it was Lily, with her big dark eyes and lush Spanish mouth.
When her cousin Joseph proposed, and explained in delicate terms his handsome valet, Gina knew a relief that took her breath.
--
Sir Timothy was old enough to be her father, even grandfather-- but he was kind, and his eyes were so warm when he asked Lily to wed him.
"I should like to," Lily said, honestly, "but I fear I cannot love you."
"No?" Sir Timothy tilted his head. "Do you think you could be fond of me?"
She clasped his hands. "I am very fond of you!"
He smiled. "I do not need an heir, Miss Martin, and I think we will rub on well together. Shall we make a go of it?"
She thought of Gina when she accepted.
--
They did meet again, so many years later, in a bustling coaching inn not far from London. Lily cried out and raced across the muddy yard-- Gina abandoned her footman's side and rushed to her, catching her up in her arms
"I missed you," Lily whispered.
"And I you," Gina said, and then, "Oh, let's get a parlor, come, now."
The landlord was only too happy to lead them to a private room, when Gina dropped gold into his hand. When the door shut behind him they were in each other's arms again, embracing as if no time had passed.
--
But time had passed, and they separated at last.
"I love my husband," Gina said.
"I love mine," Lily said, and so she did-- Sir Timothy was all that was kind.
Gina hesitated, looking at her hands, then said, "I have a companion. Ivy. She is... very dear to me."
Lily thought of Bridget, her abigail who was much more, and smiled. "I have my Bridget."
"I do not regret my life," Gina said, "but... I wonder."
Lily reached out, squeezed her hands. "Don't," she said, tenderly. "We are happy as we are. Don't wonder."
"No," Gina said, and smiled.
