InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "we're as good as dead now."

Miles Rochester (milesaminute) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-06-10 20:59:00

Entry tags:

katherine_rochester, miles_rochester, plot

Nothing to Wear
Subject: Katherine packs up
Where: the Rochester house
Who: Miles Rochester
Warnings: none, save scandalous packing
Open to: Katherine Rochester

The last time they had talked, Miles had discovered nothing save for the rather obvious facts that a. Katherine was upset, b. the Mountford-Mileses had something to do with it, c. Katherine wasn't going to tell him what the problem was, and d. he had all the tact and sublety of a large fishing boat encrusted with barnacles.

Goodbye political career! Miles was not quite so ready to admit he had all the resistance of a sheet of rice paper, however, and so decided to weasel the truth out of Katherine while she was otherwise occupied, packing. He nudged the door to her room open and feigned a look of surprise. "Oh, hallo Kat. Need any help packing?"

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krochester
2008-06-11 01:18 am UTC (link)

Katherine had adamantly refused her mother's offer of help packing to go away for the evening to the country with Daphne. She had also demanded that no, they did not need a chaperone, they were grown women in safe lodgings. Had that not expended her energy enough, Georgina had then sent Marie the maid to help Katherine, and she had refused her, though not before whispering in her ear that it had to do with what the maid had witnessed only a week before in the house. Marie had nodded and left, leaving Katherine a decently-sized traveling trunk for her belongings. She had closed the door to her room, affording her some privacy.

Earlier in the day while Georgina had been out, Katherine had gone into her mother's room and rummaged through her wardrobes and closets and drawers, finding anything that might fit on her own body. She had come away only with an old dove gray lace corset of her mother's, and a rather lovely cream silk nightgown, but both were in good shape and had a sexiness to them that Katherine appreciated. And so began her packing. Following the items of her mother's came the plum silk Indian robe from her father, her nicest embroidered black corset, sheer stockings, a revealing navy gown with white and silver accents, two white eyelet lace chemises, and a shapely burgundy day dress that was jut a bit too small on her but was in the best of shape and would go on if she pulled her corset tight enough.

Just as she was returning to her bureau, pulling forth a shapely ivory lace corset she'd received as a gift from Daphne (perhaps as a scandalous joke), Katherine heard the door open and she immediately threw the undergarment unceremoniously into the trunk. Hurrying to the door, Katherine nearly ran right into her brother, reaching out a hand to stop herself lest she barrel directly into his chest. "Miles! I...I'm..." she stammered, before quickly responding, "No!" hoping he would not pressure her.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	milesaminute 2008-06-11 01:28 am UTC (link)
	"You are now an exclamation?" Miles asked, deliberately misunderstanding her. He assumed a very innocent expression. "Oh dear, Kat. You ought to at least be something interesting, like 'gadzooks' or 'odd's fish'." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	krochester 2008-06-11 01:31 am UTC (link)
	"No, Miles, I'm not a...oh, never mind!" Katherine sighed, making sure to stay well between him and the trunk. "I'm...I'm trying to pack and, I already told Mother I don't need any help." Hopefully that would stave him off; she knew it wouldn't, but it was worth a try anyway. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

milesaminute
2008-06-11 01:35 am UTC (link)

"Very clever!" Miles exclaimed approvingly. "You got out of a half-hour tete-a-tete with mother about how Daphne's loose ways will erode away your morals and make us social outcasts."

He slumped onto Katherine's bed, in a fit of histronic relief. "God, mother's been particularly unbearable recently, hasn't she? I'm trying to avoid another repeat of the if-you-applied-yourself-you-would-already-be-in-Parliment speech. Can I hide here?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

krochester
2008-06-11 01:38 am UTC (link)

"Miles!" Katherine exclaimed in his comments of Daphne. "Really, and all your ladyfriends are any better than she?" Perhaps it was harsh.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Miles, sure to remain between her brother's line of sight and the rather questionable contents of the trunk, Katherine sighed. "You're more than welcome, though I doubt it'll save you. She still manages to find me even when I lock myself up in here."

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milesaminute
2008-06-11 01:45 am UTC (link)

"I never said I thought she was a loose woman," Robert protested, crossing his arms behind his head. "I think she's charming. Besides, my ladyfriends all swear they are as pure as driven snow, and I haven't the heart to ruin their self-images when they look so pretty when they say things like that."

He did, however, lift a finger in protest. "Come, come, Kat! You've been in such a temper recently, mother would rather sleep in the House of Commons than face your wrath. Well, not that she hasn't already...."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

krochester
2008-06-11 01:49 am UTC (link)

Katherine rolled her eyes, leaning back on the bed with her weight on her elbow. "You're such a typical man, Miles. Not at all like the virtuous, progressive novelist you pretend to be."

Swatting at his arm, Katherine retorted, "I have not! And besides, her sleeping in the House of Commons has absolutely nothing to do with me. It's all for you, her precious baby boy who refuses to get into politics. Just have a run at Parliament to shut her up, won't you?" But Katherine's tone emphasized that she was jesting.

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milesaminute
2008-06-11 02:49 am UTC (link)

Miles sat up to get away from Katherine's swat. "Oh, come of it, Kat! Do you think anyone with a temper as amenable as mine would last in Parli...." Miles frowned. What was at the foot of the bed?

He stood suddenly, and studied the contents of Katherine's trunk with utmost shock. "Kat, since when do you wear mother's clothes? And where did you get a corset like that?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

krochester
2008-06-11 02:52 am UTC (link)

"Not for a second, Miles, I..." Katherine started, but stopped immediately at the look on his face. Damn her for not stopping him in moving around the bed!

Sliding off of the mattress, Katherine hurried over to the trunk, standing between it and her brother. "I don't," she snapped of her mother's clothes, "and a corset like what?" When he did not answer immediately, Katherine rested her hand on the lid of the trunk, slamming it shut behind her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	milesaminute 2008-06-11 03:03 am UTC (link)
	"Like the one in the trunk," Miles pointed out. "Or the two, I suppose. The ones favored by the London beauties of negotiable virtue. Look, Kat, I know what those look like- no not like that!" He waved his previous statement away. "Kat, don't you think I recognize mother's clothes when I see them? Who do you think is up when she returns home?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

krochester
2008-06-11 03:08 am UTC (link)

"Oh?" Katherine said, raising her voice just a bit. "Oh, are you calling me a whore now, Miles? Over what? You must've seen wrong," Katherine spat, sitting down on the closed trunk and looking up at her brother.

Rolling her eyes she stared up at Miles. "And you're telling me I wear Mother's scandalous clothing too? Come now, why don't you just say it right out! Tell me I'm a harlot sleeping her way through Parliament!" Her dark eyes flashed, matching her brother's that they so mirrored. Perhaps she was overreacting, but so was he. She might convince him he'd mistook something traditional of hers for something...well, far less typical of her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	milesaminute 2008-06-11 03:14 am UTC (link)
	"I'm not calling you a whore, Kat!" Miles nearly snapped. "You keep willfully misunderstanding me. All I'm saying is that you're dressing like one. Kat, you're getting extremely defensive. What's going on? What are you hiding from me?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

krochester
2008-06-11 03:16 am UTC (link)

Katherine set her jaw, narrowing her eyes at Miles. "I don't know what you're talking about, Miles. Tomorrow I'll be going away for the night with Daphne. Why, are you afraid she's making me dress like a whore now?" Sighing, Katherine gripped the top edge of the trunk and pushed herself up to stand. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared right up at Miles. "I'm not hiding anything. I don't know what gave you that idea."