Pomp and Circumstances
by Misty
August 2000 - Manor House
She looked at her watch. She sighed. She tapped her foot.
She looked at her watch. She sighed. She tapped her foot.
She looked at her watch. She sighed. She tapped her foot.
She looked at her watch. She sig . . .
"Trixie!" Helen Belden whispered.
Trixie looked up dumbly. "Huh?"
Helen Belden, her arms crossed over her protruding belly, gave her daughter a withering look. "Stop fidgeting. You are driving me crazy," she said, a harried look in her eye.
Trixie gave her mother a wry smile. "Sorry, Moms. I guess I'm just a little anxious," she said. She lifted her watch to look at it, but stopped herself at her mother's warning glance. "And a little uncomfortable," she added, tugging at the collar of her blouse.
Helen laughed quietly. "I know you are," she said, gently pulling Trixie's hand from her collar and holding it for a moment. "And it was very kind of you to come and congratulate Jim on his graduation," she said, squeezing Trixie's hand before letting it drop to her side.
Trixie shrugged, letting her mom believe that was the source of her discomfort. But she knew the truth when she looked through the room at all the people who were very deliberately ignoring her.
She could tell by the muffled conversations when she walked past and the heads that quickly turned when she looked their way. She supposed it was natural - after all, these were all the people in the world who loved Jim.
Or Jim's parents.
Or Jim's parents' money.
They would, of course, be loyal to the Wheeler family. After all, it was entirely her fault Jim had to finish his degree in summer school when he should have finished in May. She knew that and accepted the blame gracefully. But in her mind, she could hear them talking in hushed whispers. And those whispers are what made her twitch.
"That's the one, the little plain girl against the wall over there."
"Really, now. What's so special about her?"
"I can't believe he nearly derailed his entire future over her."
"If only she hadn't been so dramatic about the whole affair . . ."
"Mother, does this mean he's available?"
"And how are the two prettiest ladies at the party doing?" a deep voice asked from the other side of her mother.
Trixie looked up at her father and smiled. "We're fine," she answered.
He put his arm around Helen and started guiding her towards a table. "Why don't we sit down?" he asked.
Trixie muffled a snort and followed her parents to a table. Since finding out his wife was pregnant, Peter Belden had been fawning over her as if she were some kind of breakable object. For the first few months, the children gaped after him as they witnessed his transformation from working husband to domestic god. They watched him weed the garden while Helen supervised from a shaded chair, take over all the cooking and cleaning duties and, when she asked sweetly, paint his wife's toenails. This side of their father was entirely new and just a little creepy.
When they reached the table, Peter arranged the seat cushions and helped Helen sit down before going across the room to get her some water and snacks.
Watching her father loading plates at the buffet, Trixie asked her mother, "Isn't it annoying the way he fusses over you?"
Helen smiled at her daughter. She was still so young. "Not at all," she answered. Lowering her voice even further, she continued, "I find it rather endearing, actually."
"But it's like he's assuming you can't get your own food or you can't decide when you've been standing for too long and just sit down." Trixie scowled across the room.
Helen looked at Trixie pointedly. "Or, it can be that he's concerned and he wants me to be comfortable," she said firmly. "Besides, I like knowing I'm special," she added with a smile.
Seeing her father returning, Trixie stood up and pushed her chair in to the table. "You are special Moms." She kissed her on the cheek to take some of the sting out of her sudden departure. "I'm going to say hi to Dan, now."
Helen grabbed her hand before she could escape and pulled her close so she could whisper in her ear. "Trixie, I'm always here if you want to talk about anything, okay?"
Trixie smiled at her mother and nodded. She passed her father, looking a little frazzled as he juggled plates of food, and found Dan standing alone on the other side of the room, grimacing. She took long strides and walked with her head high, intent on ignoring the rich and snooty. If they wanted to watch her talk to another guy, they were more than welcome to do just that. When they were done with the show, they were invited to kiss her square on the ass.
"How's it going, Mangan?" she asked, relieved. If she wasn't out of the lion's den, at least with Dan she had company.
Dan smiled. "Not too bad," he said, taking a sip of his water. "How's it going with you?" He looked over her shoulder and could no longer keep the grin from spreading even wider across his face.
Trixie smiled brilliantly. "Oh, you know. The usual," she said flippantly, a toss of her head making her curls dance. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she was suddenly overcome with a fit of giggles.
"Have you spoken with M&M at all?" he asked, using their code for Jim's parents so as not to speak their names.
Trixie's grin faded. "Er, no. Not at all," she said with a sigh. "I'm pretty sure they've been avoiding me. They're never here when I come to visit Honey and they've managed to find something that needs to be done on the opposite side of the room from wherever I happen to be all night long." She frowned at her hands and felt her throat thicken.
Dan grabbed a drink off the passing tray and handed it to her. "Here, try this," he said.
She looked at the fluted glass of golden colored liquid that he thrust it into her hands. She looked up, her mouth gaping. "Dan, I can't take this!" she whispered furiously. "I'm barely eighteen!"
He leaned toward her, but grimaced at the tightening in his back. "Relax, Trix. It's one glass of champagne," he reassured her.
She pushed the glass toward him and tried to shift it into his hand. "No, I can't. Moms and Dad are here. They'll flip if they see me with this," she said breathlessly, looking over her shoulder where her parents were sitting, chatting with some of their other neighbors. "Please just take it," she pleaded with him as she shoved the delicate crystal into his fist.
Dan rolled his eyes. "I can't drink it, Trix. It doesn't mix with my pain pills," he reminded her.
Trixie sighed and pulled the glass back from his hand. With a quick glance around the room and shaking hands, she lifted the glass to her lips and took a tentative sip. Her eyes closed and her nose scrunched up at the taste, making Dan laugh at the expression. "It tastes . . ." she trailed off as she looked at the liquid.
"Yes?" Dan prompted as he took a sip of his water.
"Weird," she finished.
"Don't let Dad hear you refer to his 1990 Krug Clos du Mesnil as weird."
Trixie turned around and found herself face to face with Jim.
She smiled slightly and scooted closer to Dan so that he could join their conversation. "Well, I didn't say the champagne itself was weird. Just that the taste was weird," she explained.
Dan put his arm behind Trixie, both to give her some moral support and as an unspoken warning to Jim that he didn't want to see Trixie hurt again. He heard the buzz from the ballroom grow when Jim walked over and joined their conversation. He was guessing that Jim had heard the whispers all night and was doing the best he could to quiet it down for Trixie's sake. "Champagne is a very different experience," Dan said, looking from Jim to Trixie with an easy smile.
"Absolutely," Jim replied, a half smile on his lips. He put one hand in his pocket to keep from fidgeting nervously with his tie or a button and took a sip from his own glass. He looked like the epitome of a carefree graduate, if you didn't notice the tension in his neck muscles. He glanced at Trixie, trying to figure out what to say and how to get rid of Dan without being rude.
Sensing Jim's discomfort, Trixie took a huge gulp from her glass and nearly choked. She managed to swallow, but not before drawing the attention of those within earshot.
Jim sighed. He was only making things worse, standing here with Trixie and Dan. All the little old biddies were staring at them, making up stories in their minds about the Wheeler heir, his tramp of an ex-girlfriend and his servant. Sometimes life in the fishbowl could be downright depressing.
Jim thrust his hand out to shake Dan's. "Thanks for coming, man," he said. He would have given him a hug if he thought the innocent gesture would survive the gossip columnists. With his luck, by morning, they'd have him gay with his tramp ex-girlfriend and servant duking it out for the honor of his bed.
"Congrats," Dan said, before turning to the side so he could give the estranged couple some semblance of privacy.
Jim turned to Trixie next. He took the hand she held out and leaned toward her. "Thanks for coming," he said before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. He pulled a few inches away and whispered into her ear, "I'd like to talk to you tonight," he said.
She felt his warm breath hover over her cheek and float down her neck, leaving her breathless. "Okay," she said. After their encounter outside the clubhouse on prom night, they had gone out of their way to be exceedingly polite to each other in public. Any friendly overture was returned in kind as they tried to rebuild their shattered friendship. But the friendly overtures were having a different effect on Trixie. They left her breathless, her skin on fire and her nerves tingling with anticipation.
It was all very annoying.
In private, their conversations were not as successful. There were too many unspoken accusations, too many spoken apologies, too much muttering and not nearly enough listening.
It too, was all very annoying.
She pulled away, trying to make her heart slow to a more reasonable beat. "I'll find you later, okay?" she said with a weak smile.
Jim, unaware of his affect on her, just nodded. "Okay, I'll see you later," he agreed. He let go of her hand and, with a nod to Dan, walked across the room to continue mingling.
"You okay?" Dan asked quietly.
Trixie took a deep breath and smiled weakly before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine."
*~*P&C*~*
Mart stood with Di, his arm draped around her shoulder. A casual observer would not think anything was strange, but Di could feel the tension in his muscles.
She turned toward him and smiled warmly. "Mart, you're hurting my shoulders," she teased. He had been so concerned with everything and everyone recently, his anxiety this afternoon was understandable. Now that everyone was starting to put the madness behind them, Di hoped Mart would do the same and relax a little.
Mart smiled down at Di and pulled her close to him in a giant bear hug. "Sorry, sweetie," he apologized.
Di giggled. "It's okay. I know you've been worried," she assured him. "But look, Trixie and Jim are talking with Dan," she said, pointing unobtrusively to the trio by the far wall.
Mart tensed again at the mention of Jim's name. He watched them closely and relaxed again when it looked as if Dan was keeping an eye on things.
"You really need to let it go, Mart," Di said quietly.
Mart frowned down at her. "Don't tell me what I need to do, Diana," he replied irritably. "I need to make sure Trixie doesn't get hurt again, and the only thing I can see that might hurt her right now is Jim," he said stubbornly.
Di sighed, knowing she would not be able to change Mart's mind about Jim's inherent danger. She smiled when she saw Tad standing with Mrs. Vanderpoel and Brom at the entrance to the ballroom. "I'm going to say hi to Tad real quick," she said with a smile. She pulled away from Mart, but was surprised when he pulled her back towards him.
He smiled down at her and kept her back against his chest. "I'm sorry I'm a grouch," he said with a smile. "I promise to not be cranky if you stay right here with me," he said impishly.
Di laughed and turned in his arms so they were facing each other. She replied, "That's a deal," punctuating each word with a kiss.
Mart smiled and pulled her closer. He rested his head on top of hers and inhaled the scent of her hair. "All the problems Jim and Trixie had really made me think. And nothing is ever going to come between us," he said fervently. "I promise you that."
*~*P&C*~*
Honey and Brian sat on the veranda outside the ballroom, enjoying it while they could. It wouldn't be long before the weather would turn dark and angry, keeping them inside.
"Look at Mart," Brian whispered to a giggling Honey, handing her the glass of champagne they had been milking for the past thirty minutes.
Honey took the stem between her fingers and took a small sip. "You mean the DiMart beast?" she asked, giggling again.
Brian chuckled. "Do you think they'll ever become attached that way?" he asked. "You know, they're happily rubbing up against each other and then when they try to pull apart, BAM! their skin has fused?"
"Does skin really fuse with a BAM!" she asked playfully.
"Oh, definitely. It's the first thing you learn in a pre-Med program," he answered with a laugh. He took the glass that was dangling between her fingers and finished it off.
"Hey!"
"What?" Brian asked innocently.
"You just drank the rest of the liquid gold," she responded, pointing to the glass that was now sitting next to them on the veranda.
"Honey, the liquid gold consisted of half a drop. It was time to kill the glass," he replied.
Honey sniffed, pretending to be irritated. "Well, that doesn't mean YOU needed to kill it. I would have been more than happy to put it out of its misery," she said with a pointed look.
Brian laughed. "My, my, Miss Wheeler. Rather bloodthirsty, aren't we?" he said with a chuckle. "I can make it up to you," he said, leaning against the back of the settee they shared. "Give me your feet." He tapped his lap and waiting for her to turn.
Honey was happy to comply. She turned sideways on the little seat and let Brian pull her shoes off. Having the cool breeze rushing along the soles of her feet felt wonderful and she had to keep herself from purring out loud. "Oh Brian, that feels so good," she moaned.
Brian chuckled and looked around, hoping that anyone within earshot had not noticed the heiress moaning.
"If you start convulsing, I'm out of here," Brian said teasingly.
"Less talking, more rubbing," Honey demanded.
Brian swallowed a laugh and decided against saying anything else. He ground his thumbs into the arch of her foot and watched as she squirmed next to him, her eyes closed and her hands gripping her dress over her hips. He moved to the other foot and continued his ministrations there, watching her the entire time. Her breathing was labored and it was obvious she was trying to keep from making any noise. "Honey, you have to stop that," he said urgently.
Honey opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically, noticing his neck was flushed deep red. "Why?" she asked, breathlessly.
"Because I am about to become indecent," he said, choking on the words as he forced them from his constricted throat. "Really indecent," he said with a pointed look at his lap and the unsightly bulge that had arisen there.
Honey blushed and smiled shyly. "Sorry," she apologized. "It felt really good," she added lamely.
Brian took a deep breath and laughed. "It's okay. I was just afraid I was going to burst my zipper," he said with a wink.
Honey started to sit up when she felt Brian freeze and grab her feet. He held her still and so close to him that she could feel his erection rubbing against the soles of her feet. She was about to yell at him to let her go when she noticed Dan and Trixie walking out the door in their direction. Understanding that Brian might not want his little sister to see him in such a delicate state, Honey left her feet strategically place to cover any swelling that would distort the line of his trousers.
"Hey you two," Dan called out to his friends.
"Hi, Dan," Honey answered with a smile. "How are you this fine day?"
"How have you been feeling?" Brian asked, unable to keep the doctor from shining through.
Dan shrugged. "Not too bad, I guess. My doctor said these things just take time. And apparently putting off getting a professional opinion delayed some of my progress," he said with a wry grin.
Brian shook his head in resignation. How many times had he told Dan to go to a doctor? Every day since the day after the prom when he felt the pop in his back? When the pain became unbearable he finally relented only to be told that it takes time and rest to heal. "Is the codeine working for you?" he asked.
Dan shrugged. "Not really. I told the doctor it wasn't a big deal, but he gave me Darvocet instead." Dan took a drink from his glass and looked around, uncomfortable with the attention his sore back was receiving.
Honey looked at Trixie and smiled. "How was your conversation with my brother?" she asked teasingly.
Trixie smiled hesitantly. She knew Honey was trying to move attention away from Dan, but why did she have to focus it on her? "It was fine," she mumbled.
The four stared at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Dan continued scanning the crowds. When a thatch of red hair came into view, he strained as much as his back would allow him to verify that it was his uncle. "Oh! There's Uncle Bill. I need to talk to him about some of the patrolling that needs to be done." He gulped the last of his water and handed the glass to Trixie. "Can you please do something with that?" he asked with a boyish grin.
Trixie rolled her eyes, but took the glass. "Of course," she answered.
Dan said his goodbyes and made his way through the crowd gingerly.
Trixie also looked through the crowds, but she tried to be a little more discreet than Dan. Exasperated by her strange behavior, Brian asked, "What on earth are you doing?"
Trixie's head snapped back. She relaxed and smiled reassuringly to him. "I'm looking for Jim," she said, turning to look into the crowd before she saw the surprised look on her brother's face. "He said he wanted to talk to me tonight, but I haven't seen him in a while," she explained.
Honey cleared her throat and shot Brian a warning glance. "He just went around the house towards the stables," Honey answered. Brian may not have any interest in seeing them back together, but Honey was more optimistic. From the look on Brian's face, she was much more optimistic.
Trixie said a quick goodbye and hurried around the corner of the building to follow Jim to the stables.
Honey and Brian looked at each other, alone again so suddenly. A mixture of amusement and confusion was echoed in the other's face. "Was it something we said?" Honey asked with a laugh, lying down to allow Brian to continue his work on her feet.
"I don't know. If it was, remind me what we said again, so I can remember next time I'm trying to get rid of those two," he said, taking her heel in his palm.
Trixie lifted her skirt slightly at the sides to keep from tripping and walked the well-worn path to the stables. Her feet were killing her and the last thing she really wanted to do was spend time alone with Jim. She already knew what was going to happen. He would apologize - again. She would accept - again. He would stutter and stammer while she sat by helplessly watching - again. He would get embarrassed and his face would turn red - again. She would stay quiet, not knowing what to say and he would storm off, angry with himself and his inability to find the words to say what he felt. Again.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
But, she was eager to get today's episode of "Our Miserable Lives" out of the way so that she could go home and change out of her dress clothes.
She was so lost in her own thoughts, Trixie almost didn't hear Jim talking to Jupiter. She stood just outside the doorway listening, feeling mildly guilty at the intrusion into his personal thoughts.
"I don't know, Jupe," she heard him say with a sigh. "What can you say or do to apologize and make amends when you really don't feel as if you did anything wrong?" he asked. The horse whinnied an answer.
Jim smiled. "If I thought it would help, I'd whinny all she wanted me to," he retorted. "I've explained, but she doesn't care," Jim said with a sigh. "I've begged and pleaded, but it hasn't worked."
Jupe snuffed through his nose.
"Well I know it isn't very manly, but that's what I'm willing to do. It's not like I was on hands and knees," he told the horse, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He reached into his pocket for the sugar cube he smuggled out of the dining room and muttered under his breath, "Not that I wouldn't do it if I thought it would work."
A small kicking of hoofs accompanied by a neigh startled Jim out of his reverie. He offered the treat to Jupe and answered, "Be patient, huh? Let her know I love her?" he asked with a chuckle.
The horse took the sugar cube gratefully and Jim patted him on the nose. "Maybe that mushy stuff works on horses, but human women are more complicated. Especially when their name is Trixie Belden." Jim smiled sadly and turned back toward the door and the party being held in his honor.
Not wanting to be caught, Trixie ducked behind the horse trailer and waiting until Jim was out of sight. She definitely wanted to talk to him, but now was not the time. She really needed to be by herself, so she could think about what to say.
The End