Charles Edwin Perkins (wilde_man) wrote in athensrising, @ 2008-10-27 00:50:00 |
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Entry tags: | charles perkins, sophia elliott |
A Small Conspiracy (Sophy Elliot and Charlie Perkins)
Who: Sophy Elliot and Charlie Perkins
What: Sophy and Charlie share their love of theatre
Where: No 4 Marlborough Street (The Elliot residence)
When: Thurs, August 19 around 2pm
Warnings: None!
Summary: Charlie and Sophy make wicked plans
The new maid poured the tea into the delicate cups, the dark liquid steaming pleasantly. Sophia Elliot balanced herself at the edge of her chair and watched the young woman, a small hint of a smile playing at her mouth. Across from her sat her mother, hands folded in her lap, who stared at the maid as well. On the settee beside her was her older sister Elisabeth and her new husband Thomas Perkins. Both Mr and Mrs Perkins look bored, which further amused Sophy. But the player of interest for her was the man seated on her right, Thomas' younger brother, Charlie.
It was Charlie that distracted the new maid; the woman couldn't stop glancing over at the young man. And while Sophy could appreciate what Annie saw in Charlie, it was, of course, completely inappropriate for her to stare. Sophy's mother caught it, too, and snapped: "Miss Scanlon!"
The maid jumped with a start and Sophy tittered while her sister Elisabeth sighed. Both Thomas and Charlie looked eminently bored and while her mother scolded the maid, Sophy leaned toward Charlie and murmured: "Surely you have better things to do that tease our maid into making a mess?"
Charlie could cheerfully murder Thomas for insisting they accept the invitation from Mrs. Elliot. Though Charlie does not dislike or despise his brother's new bride, he certainly did not plan to spend time sitting down to tea when there were other vastly more exciting things to see. Tea and tea-parties were for widows, spinsters, or married ladies -- certainly not for dashing artistic types.
Charlie glanced over at his brother, feeling mildly pleased that his brother was as bored as he. If he had to accompany Thomas, the least he could have done was forced Carrie and Lizzy to come along as well. Charlie would be much more entertained if his sisters were here to poke fun at the stuffily dressed Mrs. Elliot or titter at the nervous movements of the maid.
Charlie would like his tea, but Mrs. Elliot worried at the maid and Charlie was certain that the afternoon would never end. The young girl who spoke to him looked mildly amused and Charlie returned her smile. "I assure you, Miss Elliot, that there is no place I would rather be. This is of course what my brother has instructed me to say when asked."
The young man's voice was measured and smooth, polished, dripping with polite deference and Sophy can't decide if she's amused or irritated. "Your brother has to coach you on what to say?" Without turning her head, Sophy accepted the proffered cup of tea from the maid, her smile pasted on, as if Charlie were the most charming person in the room. "Perhaps I should engage him in conversation then, if he is the word smith of the family..."
Charlie smiled at Miss Elliot's soft reply. Her voice disguised a real sense of humor and possibly even good sense. Though his smile was polite and unforced, he was uncertain as to how to respond to the young woman. While he had known Miss Sophia Elliot for most of his life they have never spent any extended length of time together. He smiled at the pretty young maid, accepting the offered cup of tea and he sipped it thoughtfully. "Miss Elliot, I would never suggest that I am more clever than my brother," he murmured. "I will leave your very good sense to make that decision." Charlie's smile was all types of flirting and flattering.
"Oh, Mr Perkins," Sophy purred, watching the young man over the rim of her tea cup. Her sister looked bored, politely stifling a yawn behind a gloved hand while her husband listened politely to his mother-in-law. Swallowing a smile, Sophy angled herself more closely to the sly young man. "And what do the lesser clever brothers do?" She canted her head toward her sister and lifted an eyebrow. "Hope for fortuitious matches?"
Charlie felt her gaze on him and he decided he needed to rethink his initial assessment of Miss Elliot. She was less stiff or boring than he expected and certainly more entertaining than her elder sister. Still, there was no reason to give one young woman too much credit for a small bon mot. "Younger brothers are supposed to hope for advantageous marriages; however I continually despair of ever meeting such a person." He sipped his tea, an action meant to ward off the boredom of such an afternoon. "Younger brothers are notorious. Have you not been warned? I seek notoriety within the arts."
Sophy affected a dramatic gasp, loud enough to garner a dark look of warning from her mother. "Pardon me," she murmured, and she leaned toward Charlie. "Mr Perkins, you shock me." She allowed herself a stage whisper, hoping to disguise the very real stab of interest his words inspired. Taking another sip of her tea, she stilled herself, feigning a kind of bored interest, and drawled, lazily: "Surely you fear the New England Society for the Suppression of Vice?" She shivered, allowing Charlie to see the hint of a smile on her lips. It seems Elisabeth ensnared the boring Mr Perkins.
Charlie was pleased with the Miss Elliot's response. Most women of his acquaintance were dreadfully dull; the notable exception were his sisters who were as cheeky and mischievous as Charlie himself. He wondered if it were possible to have a true friendship with a woman. We all must start somewhere. "I do apologize for shocking you, Miss Elliot. I never meant to offend." Charlie's voice was low and contained a hint of humor. "Truly, I fear no one," he declared boldly. "None except the Lord and not even always him." He sipped his tea, his gaze never leaving her face. "Have I shocked you, Miss Elliot?"
"Very," Sophy replied, voice serious, but she allowed another hint of a smile. "I don't believe Mother knew she was going to be hosting such a radical this afternoon."
"Shall I apologize to Mrs. Elliot?" Charlie asked with a large smile on his face. "Or would that shock her more?"
Sophy tried to swallow her giggle and she feigned a frown. "Mr Perkins, you shouldn't tease," she murmured and she shifted a hint on her seat, angling her body away from her mother and sister. "Now," and she paused, her teacup frozen midway to her mouth. "Confess everything so I may be shocked all at once." She lowered her voice a hint. "Mother has sal volatile at the ready, so worry not about me."
Charlie decided that he liked the youngest Miss Elliot. She seemed the type of girl who might push the accepted bounds of society. He shook his head at her admonishment. "I do apologize, Miss Elliot. I shall strive to be the model of civility." He watched her shift towards him and he leaned over, the two of them looked as if conspiring. "Oh, Miss Elliot, you will cause me to blush or faint," he teased. "And then you should have to fan me, which will shame me greatly." He sipped his tea for a moment. "I shall require a large whiskey and a cigar in order to confess all my sins." He appeared thoughtful for a moment before he spoke again. "Perhaps you would come to supper one evening."
"Oh, Mr Perkins," and Sophy's voice sounded pitying, "I've already been assured that your brother is the model of civility." She sighed and rested her teacup in the saucer. "My sister promised me that you would be diverting," and Sophy offered Charlie a small smile. Her smile hardened at his invitation, however, and she cast a quick glance at her mother to see if he was overheard.
"Mr Perkins, I hardly need tell you how inappropriate that would be." Her voice was prim but her eyes narrowed as she considered carefully her next words. The man across from her risked nothing by his offer, but how she countered him would say volumes about the kind of woman she was. "I am seeing my cousin Sunday after church," she started, taking another sip of tea. "John Saville. Do you know him?"
Charlie nodded at her assessment of his older brother. Thomas was, in Charlie's opinion, one of the most boring humans on the continent and possibly in the world. "I do try to be diverting," he admitted. "Someone must maintain our family's good name and since Thomas does that amply, it is my task to amuse."
Charlie smiled broadly at her assumption. He moved back slightly, trying to look aghast. "Miss Elliot, I do apologize. I did not think there would be anything unseemly about joining my mother and sisters as well as myself for dinner one evening." He continued to look shocked. "If I have given offense, then I beg you to forget my invitation." He smiled again, sure that a look of amusement would cross her face. He nodded at her question. "Only a little," he replied. "From school." Charlie wondered what Saville might say about his cousin.
Sophy sniffed but looked pleased. "I shall forget your invite then, but wait for one from your mother." It's a bold gamble: it would seem like match making, an invitation from the family of a single man to the family of a single woman; so Sophy added carefully: "Invite John."
Charlie nodded. "It might be best," he teased her. "Though I should warn you that my mother is very forgetful." He smiled charmingly at her. Charlie loved to tease his sisters and though he did not mean to, he slipped quickly into that with Sophy. "Shall I invite John to supper on Sunday? Perhaps he would like to come to the theater with me." Charlie waved his hand casually. "And I suppose he could bring you as well."
"Theater?" Sophy didn't mean to exclaim so loud; her mother frowned in response while her sister gave her a dark look of warning. "I love the theater," she said, more softly, and she took a dainty sip of tea. "John and I perform our charity work on Sunday," she continued, a little mournful, and she allowed herself a small sigh. "He takes it quite seriously."
Charlie almost laughed at Sophy's loud exclamation and her family's dark glances. What a bore. He disguised his laughter by taking a drink of tea. He smiled and nodded at Sophy's assessment of the theater. "It is the only thing," he agreed. He frowned and made a face at her description of a Sunday. "That sounds dreadful," he replied. "Why do you force such wretched work on yourself?" He shook his head, trying to appear chagrined and he smiled at her. "I'm sure Saville is a sport and you could convince him to be charitable to both himself and you."
"Oh, John is always a dear," Sophy agreed and she lifted her hand, signaling the maid to refill her teacup. "I'll write him today," she announced, arching an eyebrow at Charlie as if daring him to contradict her. "Perhaps you can as well?" She waited until the maid finished, then whispered: "He can hardly refuse two invitations."
Charlie held his own teacup up to the maid, bestowing a charming smile on her. He turned back to Sophy and nodded his head. "Yes, I have heard that John is a dear." He smiled at her agreement. "I should write him as soon as I return home." He leaned forward and smiled. "There is no other hope for the afternoon." Though Charlie does not know John Saville very well, he assumed that anyone that Miss Elliot chose to associate with would be entertaining. "Does John appreciate the theater?"
Sophy shrugged, a quick, elegant gesture, and smiled at Charlie. "I appreciate the theatre, and that is all that matters," she murmured, giving Charlie a significant look, and she leaned back in her seat. Her sister was watching her and Sophy graced her with a wide smile, sipping her tea demurely until the other girl looked away. Then she turned her attention back to Charlie. "What is playing?"
Charlie could not contain the laugh and he threw his head back. The entire room glanced over but Charlie did not care. Miss Elliot was highly amusing and Charlie would be a fool if he did not peruse this acquaintance. "That is the correct spirit, Miss Elliot," he encouraged. "I approve heartily." He glanced over, making sure that the rest of the party was focused on their own conversation and then looked back at Sophy. He winked at her and smiled, assured that she would at least pretend to be scandalized. "The Boston Museum is playing the H.M.S. Pinafore but," he looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one else was listening. "But the Bijou is producing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, if you think Saville would permit."
"The Bijou?" Sophy echoed, feigning a look of shock, and she set down her tea cup as if faint. "How delightful." She leaned close, folding her hands in her lap, trying to look demure. "I'm sure John would permit it." She waited a moment as her sister passed a plate of tea biscuits, which she proffered to Charlie. "And Mr Perkins, will you be attending Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"
Charlie grinned at her shock, though he was not surprised. It was his experienced that women led rather dull lives, deprived of the liberty of such things as the theater and gaming halls. How glad he was to be a man. He nodded, certain that she knew her own cousin. "Then you shall surely have to convince him that the Bijou is much more entertaining than charity work." He took a biscuit and chewed as she thought. "I shall attend," he responded. "But I shall not be at leisure to sit with you," he teased.
"Oh, how disappointing." Sophy was more than a little put out: Charlie seemed diverting and amusing; it would be a delightful afternoon to have him at her side. But she schooled herself to keep her expression neutral and asked: "Why is that?"
Charlie grinned at Miss Elliot's disappointment. It was quite gratifying to be missed. "Miss Elliot, I shall be on the stage in a small role." He shook his head as if chagrined. "It is not a very important role but it pleases me to be a part of this first performance." He smiled and leaned closer. "I imagine it should be suitable if your cousin were to accompany you to my mother's home for a light supper following my debut?" He smiled charmingly.
"How brave of you to act in front of an audience," Sophy murmured, and she leaned close as well. Her sister clucked with disapproval but Sophy ignored her; instead, she gave Charlie an encouraging smile. "Have you been in other theatricals before?" She wondered if his brother new about Charlie's role; it was hardly seeming for a young man of a good name to publically perform for money. Perhaps Mr Perkins was volunteering his time?
Charlie grinned at her praise and admiration. "I find it most rewarding," he murmured in response and also leaned forward. He was certain that his mother would cluck over him and his manners that evening, but she never really scolded him. She was simply pleased that he was spending his afternoon with polite society and not at the Irish saloons in the North End. He found her smile to be charming and he imagined that he would soon be reading an announcement of Miss Sophia Eliot's engagement to some eligible young man.
He nodded at her question. "I have, Miss Eliot. Much to my mother's chagrin." He smiled as if he recognized how impertinent he was. "Though not with such an illustrious ensemble and certainly not in such a renowned theater."
Sophy managed to keep from rolling her eyes, but just barely. "Oh, Mr Perkins, modesty doesn't suit you," she teased gently; and she lifted her tea cup in a mock salute. "To future success in your artistic endeavors, then."