Ciara & Court | Upstairs, overlooking the play
Nothing good tended to follow deep, steadying breaths or disclaimers like before I start. Ciara inwardly steeled herself against what was to come, and when it did, she accepted it with something close to relief. It wasn’t particularly nice to hear, especially in light of everything that had happened that week, but she had readied herself for something unpleasant and unexpected. This was… Well. Stating the obvious sounded too harsh when she had grown fond of Courtenay too, but she hadn’t thought for even a moment that their arrangement would last. Clovennian Lords didn’t end up with Aurellian bedmates, no matter how much they enjoyed each others’ company. Theirs would be a good time, not a long time, and she could only pray that their parting wasn’t imminent. “We will leave each other with a night to remember,” Ciara gently corrected, her smile undimmed as she let Courtenay know she hadn’t been hurt by his honesty.
With that out of the way, Ciara felt freer to listen to what was on Courtenay’s mind. Or rather, who was on his mind. His feelings for the doctor hardly came as a surprise. Ciara didn’t know the woman well but could easily see why there would be a physical attraction at the very least, and Viola Rosier certainly seemed clever enough to have captured Courtenay’s attentions. “I don’t know her well,” Ciara warned, although that wasn’t strictly true. But she doubted her bit of gossip about the other woman would be as well received by Courtenay as it had been by Tucker. No woman ought to be neglected in the way that the doctor had been, and while Ciara didn’t want to think about losing such a good client, she was at least glad at the thought that Viola might finally get the competent lover that she deserved. “She strikes me as very clever though. I trusted her with a dear friend when they needed medical attention. Given how little respect Clovennian men can pay to their women, I sense it would likely go a long way if you recognise that she is more than just a pretty face, and very likely knows best if she offers up her thoughts on how to handle a situation.”
The answer to Courtenay’s second question came less easily, and one corner of her lips tugged outward at the suggestion of a duel if Blair had been born a man. “Come now, the suffragettes are rightfully fighting for equality. You would be doing everyone a favour if you put Adler in her place, what does it matter that she is a woman?” The answer was more flippant than the subject deserved, but Ciara really did think the world would be a better place without Adler in it. She offered up an apologetic glance before shrugging slightly. As much as she wanted to say that Courtenay was right to be wary of the other woman, she didn’t feel right explaining why. There was enough gossip going on about Luke without her contributing to it too. “You have good instincts. If she frightens you, then there is reason to be frightened. You can’t beat her and you have too many morals to join her, so is there anything you can do aside from avoiding her presence where possible?”