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intheheartTitle: Graceless
Rating: PG.
Summary: Olivia attempts to make a friend.
Warnings: implied neglect, implied adultery, poisonous friends.
Notes: I have got to write something happy for this kid.
Olivia's first friend was named Juliet, and she was very beautiful.
"Of course I am," Juliet said, when Olivia said so. She patted her hair, which she wore up like a grown lady, instead of Olivia's childish braids. "My mama was the most beautiful woman in London, the year she came out."
Juliet's mama had come out the same year as Olivia's mama, so Olivia knew that couldn't be true. Still, her mama had told her to be good, before whisking off with Juliet's papa. "My mama's very beautiful too," she ventured.
"Mm," Juliet said. "It's a shame you aren't."
--
Juliet was kind, in her own way.
"You should wear your hair up," she told Olivia, on their second visit together. This time, Olivia's mama had said nothing to her, only shoved her in the room with Juliet and disappeared upstairs. "You look like a baby in braids."
Olivia tugged on the end of one of her braids. "Nurse doesn't know how to put my hair up," she said, shyly. "If she did..."
Juliet's mouth dropped open. Even that looked attractive. "Gracious, don't you have a lady's maid yet? What is your papa thinking?"
Olivia bit back a sharp response.
--
On her third visit, Juliet took her upstairs and instructed her own maid to do Olivia's hair, and even apply cosmetics. "Then you'll look like a lady at least," Juliet said. "You'll never be as beautiful as me but you may as well look grown up."
Olivia sat obedient on the stool and let Juliet's maid work. "Did your mama teach you these things?" she asked.
"No." Juliet rolled her eyes. "My mama died when I was born. Don't you know anything?"
"Oh," Olivia said. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Juliet said, tossing her head. "Papa gave me all her things."
--
"What are they doing?" Olivia ventured, one afternoon while they had tea. Olivia's mama and Juliet's papa were still upstairs.
Juliet gave Olivia a pitying look. "They're doing what men and women do together. Your mama had better be careful or everyone will know, too." She sipped her tea, and added, with relish, "They'll call her a trollop."
"My mama is not a trollop!" Olivia said, hotly. "Nobody has any business calling her that."
"Of course she's a trollop," Juliet said, unruffled. "And you should hope no one finds out. You'll be ruined too."
Olivia did not hear the threat.
--
After the neighborhood found out, after everyone froze her mother out of rooms and talked behind her back and refused to let Olivia near their daughters, Olivia sat with her unrepentant mother in church and tried not to hear the whispers.
"...surprised she even came to church, the whore."
"Look at her husband. How can he not know?"
"None so blind as will not see, my dear."
"Of course I never talked with her!" That was Juliet's voice, high and clear, and Olivia tried not to flinch. "You know she's just like her mother."
Of course. Olivia should have known.
--
"You'll have to find another position," Olivia's mother told her father, that evening.
"Why?" Her father barely lowered his newspaper. He sounded tired, and Olivia's heart hurt for him.
Her mother tossed her head. "Jealous old tarts, telling lies about me again. They can't stand it." She paused, then added, in sly tones, "They're being cruel to Olivia, too, and encouraging their daughters to snub her. The nerve!"
Olivia's father sighed. "Very well."
"Gossiping hens." Her mother sat beside her father and took his hand, cooing, "You don't believe them, do you?"
If he responded, Olivia did not hear it.
--
She never saw Juliet again.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Olivia attempts to make a friend.
Warnings: implied neglect, implied adultery, poisonous friends.
Notes: I have got to write something happy for this kid.
Olivia's first friend was named Juliet, and she was very beautiful.
"Of course I am," Juliet said, when Olivia said so. She patted her hair, which she wore up like a grown lady, instead of Olivia's childish braids. "My mama was the most beautiful woman in London, the year she came out."
Juliet's mama had come out the same year as Olivia's mama, so Olivia knew that couldn't be true. Still, her mama had told her to be good, before whisking off with Juliet's papa. "My mama's very beautiful too," she ventured.
"Mm," Juliet said. "It's a shame you aren't."
--
Juliet was kind, in her own way.
"You should wear your hair up," she told Olivia, on their second visit together. This time, Olivia's mama had said nothing to her, only shoved her in the room with Juliet and disappeared upstairs. "You look like a baby in braids."
Olivia tugged on the end of one of her braids. "Nurse doesn't know how to put my hair up," she said, shyly. "If she did..."
Juliet's mouth dropped open. Even that looked attractive. "Gracious, don't you have a lady's maid yet? What is your papa thinking?"
Olivia bit back a sharp response.
--
On her third visit, Juliet took her upstairs and instructed her own maid to do Olivia's hair, and even apply cosmetics. "Then you'll look like a lady at least," Juliet said. "You'll never be as beautiful as me but you may as well look grown up."
Olivia sat obedient on the stool and let Juliet's maid work. "Did your mama teach you these things?" she asked.
"No." Juliet rolled her eyes. "My mama died when I was born. Don't you know anything?"
"Oh," Olivia said. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not," Juliet said, tossing her head. "Papa gave me all her things."
--
"What are they doing?" Olivia ventured, one afternoon while they had tea. Olivia's mama and Juliet's papa were still upstairs.
Juliet gave Olivia a pitying look. "They're doing what men and women do together. Your mama had better be careful or everyone will know, too." She sipped her tea, and added, with relish, "They'll call her a trollop."
"My mama is not a trollop!" Olivia said, hotly. "Nobody has any business calling her that."
"Of course she's a trollop," Juliet said, unruffled. "And you should hope no one finds out. You'll be ruined too."
Olivia did not hear the threat.
--
After the neighborhood found out, after everyone froze her mother out of rooms and talked behind her back and refused to let Olivia near their daughters, Olivia sat with her unrepentant mother in church and tried not to hear the whispers.
"...surprised she even came to church, the whore."
"Look at her husband. How can he not know?"
"None so blind as will not see, my dear."
"Of course I never talked with her!" That was Juliet's voice, high and clear, and Olivia tried not to flinch. "You know she's just like her mother."
Of course. Olivia should have known.
--
"You'll have to find another position," Olivia's mother told her father, that evening.
"Why?" Her father barely lowered his newspaper. He sounded tired, and Olivia's heart hurt for him.
Her mother tossed her head. "Jealous old tarts, telling lies about me again. They can't stand it." She paused, then added, in sly tones, "They're being cruel to Olivia, too, and encouraging their daughters to snub her. The nerve!"
Olivia's father sighed. "Very well."
"Gossiping hens." Her mother sat beside her father and took his hand, cooing, "You don't believe them, do you?"
If he responded, Olivia did not hear it.
--
She never saw Juliet again.
