InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "DETENTION, Potter!"

Miss Delia Slater (mizslater) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-07-03 15:05:00

Entry tags:

character development, cordelia_slater, slater

Subject: Delia finally comes home after a month away.
Who: Delia Slater.
Where: Their home.
Warnings: None.
Open to: Slater.

It was a safe thing to say that Delia was a city girl, and there was nothing like returning to London after being gone for what felt like forever. The country had been dull, or at least it held few charms for a girl like her. The novelty of bedding the Major, mainly him telling her how much he loved her every time they were together, had worn off rather quickly. The unfortunate thing was he did not have much of a intellect, so the only thing she was able to do with him to stave off boredom was to go to bed with him. In truth she could not have been happier that his father refused him permission, she could not imagine herself married to such a man who wished to spend his days always in the country. But she had gone though a lot of trouble to convince her father to let her go, she promised him she would return home an engaged woman and swore no man could resist her if she put her mind to it.

She would have a lot of explaining to do, she knew that, in fact that was why she did not write him that she was coming home, but she could distract him with a few things. The Major's sister was the sort to buy affection and had showered Delia with gifts the moment she arrived, mostly jewelry and other expensive items. He may be unhappy that she was not engaged, she reasoned, but the selling of many of the gifts would bring him a pretty penny, and that would please him.

Returning home, she immediately got into a warm bath, one of her many habits when returning home, and changed into something that suited her home more. Combing out her long dark hair before the fire in her room, she shut her eyes and let out a relaxed sigh, she was happy to be home, this was where she belonged. Even though her father wanted her to be well marred and taken care of, she knew she could not be happy anywhere else but in their home. The sounds of movement in the hall caught her attention and she opened her eyes, calling out because something in her knew that it was her father. "Papa? If that's you out there you can come in, it isn't like you to lurk in doorways."

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mrslater
2008-07-03 11:01 pm UTC (link)

Since Slater had had an interesting visit from Mountford-Miles, as well as a quite unique experience with Ann Wayland, he was now back in the thick of his usual business with the added flair of checking up on his associates' progress. The Lord M-M had requested something rather interesting and he was also keeping an eye on Fisher's sister's activities to see if his message had got across yet. When he came home from the hive of his activity on South Bank Slater threw his hat to the side and continued discussing his day's work with his right-hand boys who had escorted him home.

"Just let me know if she spills... I want to prepared for the fall-out," he smirked at them, flexing his jacket as he strolled through the hall with his voice tending to carry. "Can't have Fisher catching me unawares now..." He began to walk upstairs but when a familiar smell caught his nostrils he paused. It might have been the scent wafting on the draft from the door but the voice coming from the room to his right seemed to confirm his suspicions.

Walking into Delia's room his eyes lit up at the sight of her. "My darling girl! What are you doing home?"

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mizslater
2008-07-03 11:22 pm UTC (link)

She rose to her feet when her father came in, putting the brush down on the little bench she had been sitting on, and she went to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed his cheek. "Hello, Papa, I've missed you. Do you have any idea how dull the country is? Honestly, I have no idea how anyone doesn't go mad out there."

She beamed up at him, hoping her smile would ease what she had to tell him. "His regiment called up, he's probably half way to India by now. His sister and father were very kind, but I hardly thought it fair to hang about longer than I needed you. Besides, I wanted to be back with you as soon as I could." So she was not being completely honest with him, but telling him she was not engaged, most likely because of him was not something she would ever tell him. It would get him angry, and she was too happy to be home to let him be angry.

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mrslater
2008-07-04 08:34 am UTC (link)

"His regiment?" Slater repeated. It wasn't often he heard about the military: he was so far removed from those typical 'honorable' men that he had to get his social head on instead of his work one. It was hard - with Delia being gone he'd been allowed to spread his wings and think of everything to do with his business. "Oh... that's a shame, my darling - but do you have any good news to tell me?" he prompted, a smile on his face. "Is my girl at least promised to the lad?"

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mizslater
2008-07-04 01:17 pm UTC (link)

That smile would dissapear as soon as she told him the truth, so she decided to do her best to delay. Giving a kiss to his other cheek she let go of him and moved to the trunk at the foot of her bed, throwing it open. "His sister is a dear woman, while he was picking me flowers and telling me 'how my eyes sparkle like sapphires', and you know how tired I get of my eyes being commented on; she was actually buying me things worth while." after searching about for a moment in the bottom of the trunk, she pulled out one of many jewelry boxes. She opened it and held it out for her father to see the necklace.

"She bought me a whole set, Papa. The necklace, a bracelet, rings and earrings, even a gown as well. It will fetch such a nice price, probably double what they paid, except for the gown of course, I intend to keep that as I do not have a gown in such a shade." not that she was a religious person, it was a little difficult to be when your father was Mr. Slater, but in that moment she prayed to God, Jesus, Mary and anyone else she thought could help her father forget his question.

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mrslater
2008-07-06 08:51 am UTC (link)

Slater eyed the necklace, nodding in agreement; it was very expensive, it would sell well, but he was not thinking of business right then. He was experienced enough to notice when people were witholding the truth but for now he entertained her hopes. "It is very nice, Delia," he agreed, smiling brighter at her, "I am sure you will wear it well - you do not have to sell it, if you don't wish to. It is not like we are going short..."

But then Slater loved a way to get more cash and quickly and so he passed it back to her before he could snatch it. "I cannot help but notice that no ring decorates your finger, though, Delia - and the fact you chose to dazzle me with such pretty gifts only leads me to one thing...." With a sigh he looked into his daughter's eyes as if to ease the truth out of her. It wouldn't be nice for her, but whatever reason she had, he would listen.

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mizslater
2008-07-06 01:48 pm UTC (link)

She should have known better, she could fool anyone except for her father. She learned just about everything she knew from him, it made sense that he was able to see right through her; a good parent knew their child and despite what everyone seemed to think, Slater was an excellent father. "Misadventure, I'm afraid, Papa." Misadventure was Delia's term for a failed relationship, here lately it seemed as if she had to use it an awful lot. It made her wonder if she was losing her touch.

"It was all going so well." she found herself looking at the floor. She was usually brave in all things, but with her father, and remembering how much convincing it took for him to let her go, she was a great deal less bold about the whole thing. "They adored me, and could not stand a moment apart from me, especially him, but that was the plan. When he asked his father for permission to seek an engagement, I had thought the lord would quickly agree, but he refused then and every other time his son asked. He did a little digging, you see, he found out about me. About my 'inferior and disastrous' connections. About..." she could not bring herself to say it, even if her posture and eyes, once they ventured up to find his, did. How anyone could not want her on account of him she could not understand, her father was a good man, perhaps not the sort of man the lord had been looking for, but a good man none the less. She put it down to ignorance, if he had met her father instead of just hearing of him, he would have agreed right away. "And Jimmy, oh I could have murdered him for what he said about Jimmy, I think I would have too if the man had been about at the time. He told his son all of this, and he was only brave enough to tell me when his father went off to Edinburgh on business. And, you know, he begged me to run away with him, asked me to find a ship headed for India and meet him there, he wanted me even without his father's blessing." but she knew better, if he went against his father he would lose his inheritance. Delia didn't love him, and if there was not to be any money or title, she saw no reason to marry him. "As soon as he shipped out, his father sent me back here to you."

Her eyes fell back to the floor, "I'm sorry. I know I should have pushed the father more, I had thought his son's happiness would be enough to convince him, but I was wrong."

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mrslater
2008-07-16 10:17 am UTC (link)

Slater was disappointed - very disappointed - and yet not wholelly because of her missing the boat, so to speak. He was more sad that his reputation had cost her a good pairing. Things would have been so easier if she had been engaged now: so much had changed in her absence, Slater having the assurance of a good marriage long before she returned. He'd thought she'd have a husband, a new life, and so things could be allowed to alter at home without her having to worry. Now Delia had come home to a house filled with Slater's dark business, late callers, protége's and biggest of all, Vivian. Oh he'd know idea how she'd take that...

"Delia..." he sighed, placing his hands on his daughter's cheeks and smiling sadly at her. "I am so sorry your old lug of a father cost you a good future. If I could change that man's opinion I would in a heartbeat, but then there are just some people who have a grudge against us Slaters. Nothin to cry yourself to sleep over, though - you'll get a nice handsome man to sweep you off your feet eventually. A rich one. With investments. Nothing's too good for my girl..." And with that he gave her a kiss on the forehead, hoping she wouldn't ask questions as to why the man's father had been so hostile about the Slater name.

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mizslater
2008-07-16 10:35 am UTC (link)

Delia felt completely blindsided. While he was usually very sweet and loving towards his daughter, in situations like this he would grumble, or yell, or at least be a little sore that all her pestering of him had come to nothing. But kisses, smiles and a reassuring tone, never! She seemed so stunned that she had to take a moment and sort out her head, and to make sure this was not some strange dream, before she would say a word.

"I'm not upset about the idiot major and his stuffy father, Papa. Honestly, if I had to spend any more time with that man I would have put a pistol to my temple to save myself from sheer boredom. I can do so much better, and I intend to, I was just worried about upsetting you. I overestimated my charm without my usual thorough follow through, and it won't happen again, I promise." she didn't address his words on her being swept off her feet, mainly because she did not want to discuss that with him. She didn't want to fall in love, did not want to be so charmed that she forgot herself. Women who were swept off their feet usually ended up with a bun in the oven and not a penny to their names. She did not allow herself to feel any sort of genuine affection for the men that courted her, she hadn't been able to since Jack, and even then it was hard for her. She had loved her mother and she had broken her heart, she would not let that happen again.

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mrslater
2008-07-16 10:41 am UTC (link)

The only time Slater said I love You was to his children. Never, at any other time, did he utter those three little words to anyone else. Not even Vivian, despite his feelings, had managed to be bestowed with such a sentiment from him and it all stemmed from the stupid witch who'd left him to bring up their children. It had effected them all, in some way or another. Mostly for worse.

"Well. If I saved you from a life of boredom then good for me," he chuckled and gestured for her to sit down so they could continue talking. "I know you can do better but you had your sights so set on him that I didn't like to make a larger show than I already did. Still - with the Slate wiped clean, har har, we can begin again."

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mizslater
2008-07-16 11:02 am UTC (link)

She moved to sit but kept her eyes on him. "It's just so hard these days, harder than it ever has been before. The best of them are either engaged before they lose their first tooth, or they fancy boys or worse they've got some kind of disease, and I'm not going to risk myself like that. I may have to take more drastic measures, but I don't like that I would have to resort to that. But perhaps I am asking too much to find a rich man that I like, though they cannot all be so repulsive, can they?"

With a soft sigh she brought a hand up to the back of her neck, rubbing gently. "I would be perfectly happy to marry a man like you, Papa, but there don't seem to be any. It figures the perfect man would be my father and that he would be one of a kind."

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mrslater
2008-07-16 11:19 am UTC (link)

Slater raised a surprised eyebrow and looked at Delia like she was suddenly speaking a different language. "...Me? I'm your perfect man?... my girl, you have some issues there. Whoever would want an old crone like me needs their bumps feelin'..." he chuckled, trying to shrug away the hopes that she didn't end up with someone exact: an Underworld gang leader was not his ideal choice for his pride and joy. "There are bound to be some healthy rich types with large chests who flaunt their cash in people's faces. Mainly yours. You'll be right."

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mizslater
2008-07-16 11:30 am UTC (link)

"You know what I mean," but he did make her smile, he always managed to with his colorful talk. She had missed him a great deal while she was away, and was happy to be home with him again. Life with papa was never dull. "I hope so, or else I might have to settle for someone lower and you know how it would pain me to have to do that." In all honesty, if she could not find herself a wealthy man she wouldn't marry at all. But then she may have to work and find her own place to live as she was sure she couldn't live off her father forever.

"Anyway, what about you? How have you and Jimmy been?" anything that would get her mind off her marriage woes was welcome, and she enjoyed hearing what he had been up to.

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mrslater
2008-07-16 11:34 am UTC (link)

"Jimmy's his usual self," Slater smiled, happy at mention of his son and reclining in the chair. He crossed his feet, one over the other, and he sighed as his muscles relaxed. "He's wooing Fisher's sister, Ann, actually. Very hush hush as it's on account of me. I wanna know what Fisher's got against my business, so he's working his way to the inside. If anyone asks, we aint speaking, him an I..." It was good to warn her in case Jimmy's cover was blown and if he didn't embellish Delia wouldn't be at risk from anyone.

"You won't get anyone lower. They might want you, but they won't getcha. I have a strict screening process..." he winked, wanting a drink but not getting one infront of his daughter.

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mizslater
2008-07-16 11:45 am UTC (link)

She almost sighed. Jimmy and his older women, it was something she could never understand, but at least now it was going to be good for something. "Harry Fisher..." she shook her head. After years of listening to her father complain about the man it was no wonder she hated him with a passion. "Honestly, if I didn't think he had all the judges in his pocket, I'd have somebody tell the authorities about him and his little catamites." The man would hang, which would please her papa and would please her by association.

Delia smiled at him. "I am so fortunate to have such an excellent and watchful father."

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