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intheheartTitle: Marks
Rating: PG.
Summary: Gina has a word with her husband.
Warnings: Not really?
Notes: I'm... not really sure what this is.
Joseph paused in tying his cravat. David had left a mark on his throat.
It wasn't particularly obvious, just a small red bruise that could have been caused by anything, but looking at himself now in the mirror, he knew what it was. He raised a hand to the mark, pressed it gently, and reveled in the sting.
"David?"
Joseph did not jump, but he did turn slowly and give his wife a reproachful look. "Have you never heard of knocking, Gina?"
Gina merely smiled serenely, and glided up to his side. "I couldn't help noticing," she said, and gestured at the mark. "Was it David?"
"Yes." He turned back to the mirror and his cravat. "Do you care?"
"Not particularly." Gina's smile broadened, and he knew she was thinking of her own lover. Then it slipped away, and he wondered what she was thinking now. "As long as you are happy."
He turned again and gave her a sharp look. She looked back, grave and concerned. "I am happy," he said, and did not try to hide the edge in his voice.
She only tilted her head. "Are you?"
Joseph sighed. "You obviously have something to say. I would appreciate it if you would just say it and not hedge this way."
Gina looked at him steadily for a moment, then nodded, thoughtfully. "All right. I do not like David."
He snorted. It was inelegant, and Gina's eyebrows rose, but it hardly mattered. "Oh, really?"
"Are you so surprised?" She tilted her head again. She really was extraordinarily beautiful, he noted with an absent corner of his mind. It was oddly soothing to know it.
"Yes," he said. "I find David very congenial. I suppose he does not welcome the company of women."
She laughed. "No, he would not. It isn't that, though, it's..." She hesitated. "He seems... eager to be with you, when it suits him. He barely acknowledges me; he will not speak to Ivy at all, much less the servants."
"Much like Vanessa Churchill," he said, and immediately regretted it.
A long silence, then Gina said, gently, "That was unkind."
"Yes," he said, and cleared his throat. "I am sorry. It is only that I do not like feeling as if you must approve my lovers. I do not approve yours."
She shrugged one shoulder. "I will not bring it up again. You were kind enough to let me go my own way with Mrs. Churchill, and I certainly do not wish to interfere in your life. I only wished to tell you." She patted his back. "You look very smart, dear. Enjoy your night."
"I will," he said, uneasy, and put her words out of his mind.
For the moment, at any rate.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Gina has a word with her husband.
Warnings: Not really?
Notes: I'm... not really sure what this is.
Joseph paused in tying his cravat. David had left a mark on his throat.
It wasn't particularly obvious, just a small red bruise that could have been caused by anything, but looking at himself now in the mirror, he knew what it was. He raised a hand to the mark, pressed it gently, and reveled in the sting.
"David?"
Joseph did not jump, but he did turn slowly and give his wife a reproachful look. "Have you never heard of knocking, Gina?"
Gina merely smiled serenely, and glided up to his side. "I couldn't help noticing," she said, and gestured at the mark. "Was it David?"
"Yes." He turned back to the mirror and his cravat. "Do you care?"
"Not particularly." Gina's smile broadened, and he knew she was thinking of her own lover. Then it slipped away, and he wondered what she was thinking now. "As long as you are happy."
He turned again and gave her a sharp look. She looked back, grave and concerned. "I am happy," he said, and did not try to hide the edge in his voice.
She only tilted her head. "Are you?"
Joseph sighed. "You obviously have something to say. I would appreciate it if you would just say it and not hedge this way."
Gina looked at him steadily for a moment, then nodded, thoughtfully. "All right. I do not like David."
He snorted. It was inelegant, and Gina's eyebrows rose, but it hardly mattered. "Oh, really?"
"Are you so surprised?" She tilted her head again. She really was extraordinarily beautiful, he noted with an absent corner of his mind. It was oddly soothing to know it.
"Yes," he said. "I find David very congenial. I suppose he does not welcome the company of women."
She laughed. "No, he would not. It isn't that, though, it's..." She hesitated. "He seems... eager to be with you, when it suits him. He barely acknowledges me; he will not speak to Ivy at all, much less the servants."
"Much like Vanessa Churchill," he said, and immediately regretted it.
A long silence, then Gina said, gently, "That was unkind."
"Yes," he said, and cleared his throat. "I am sorry. It is only that I do not like feeling as if you must approve my lovers. I do not approve yours."
She shrugged one shoulder. "I will not bring it up again. You were kind enough to let me go my own way with Mrs. Churchill, and I certainly do not wish to interfere in your life. I only wished to tell you." She patted his back. "You look very smart, dear. Enjoy your night."
"I will," he said, uneasy, and put her words out of his mind.
For the moment, at any rate.
