Edith/Lavinia, watch the green faerie dance
for the http://dakinkmeme.livejournal.com
Edith’s eyes widened as she watched the green liquid slide down pale skin and she followed it with her fingertips down Lavinia’s chin before she could consider the implications of doing so. It had all seemed like such a good idea at the time: poor Lavinia was to be sent away by Matthew and Mary’s compassion for their crying guest had evaporated almost as quickly as it had arrived, so Edith had thought it prudent to break into the strange bottle Thomas had bought her back from France. She’d read all about the mythical qualities of absinth of course and had wanted so desperately to take her mind off things and make her smile, but she hadn’t imagined for a second that one’s mind would actually be expanded by something as silly as a drink. Nevertheless she’d poured them liberal measures and mixed it with sugar and water and everything she’d read and now her head was swimming. But perhaps it wasn’t the drink at all?
She blushed when blue eyes turned on her and with parted lips caught the end of her finger. Edith stared, quite unable to move until Lavinia released her and laughed. Edith joined her and marvelled that she’d at least managed to achieve her first intention - she’d taken Lavinia’s mind of things enough to make her laugh and it was as though all the tears had evaporated. She was different than Edith had ever seen her before, freer and prettier and Edith felt suddenly as though she was being weighed down by the canker of her family. Lavinia was modern and before she could stop herself Edith blurted out.
“I think you’re better without him.” Lavinia didn’t smile brightly as she had hoped but she didn’t cry either and Edith carried on, fairly sure that the drink had made her louder, it had certainly made her bolder. “No, I mean it. I think you should go back to London-”
“And find someone new to love? That’s what Matthew wants.”
“No. You don’t need anyone. You could get a flat with another girl or, or, or, get a job like Sybil did.”
“Matthew doesn’t seem to think I’d be a very good nurse.”
“Well bully to him!” Edith laughed and shook her head at the sound of her cousin’s name. “You don’t need him.”
She poured straight from the bottle to the glass this time, bypassing the paraphernalia that had made her feel so provincial for even bothering; her absinth would be neat because god she hated sugar.
“I don’t think I’d like to live with a girl I don’t know….would you come with me?”
“Me?” Edith settled on her side, propping herself up with her elbow and remaining ignorant when the shoulder of her dressing gown slipped. She tilted her head and her hair hung away from her face - she looked to Lavinia rather magnificently bohemian, even if Edith didn’t have the slightest notion. “Really?”
“Who else?” Lavinia grinned and mirrored her position. “I don’t really know any other girls and none that are so nice. We could both get jobs and you can teach me how to drive and I’ll ask Daddy to find us a house somewhere nice and…erm…” She took the glass from Edith’s hand. “What else?”
“We’ll…take up smoking!”
Lavinia giggled and tilted her head to the side. “And what else?”
“Go to the clubs and dance with soldiers all night!”
“I’ve never been to a club.”
“Neither have I. My aunt Rosamund knows the best ones though.”
Lavinia laughed and rolled onto her back, looking up at her with amusement in her eyes as she handed back the glass.
“Will we be safe?”
“We can look after each other. If we go together I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
“We’ll have marvellous fun won’t we?”
Edith grinned and could contain it no longer. She leaned down and brushed her lips clumsily over Lavinia’s and tasting the lingering wormwood that must stain hers too. Her heart beat faster in panic but when she pulled back Lavinia was smiling up at her, blushing in a way Edith was sure she was emulating, but not preparing to run away. Which was a pleasant change from her last kiss.
“I think we both deserve some fun.”