.021 [Private to Sexby]

[thebestnose]

I'm not even sure I can find the right words to say to you right now. You realise what you did was awful don't you? Absolutely unacceptable. And completely inappropriate! And I have so many other things I want to say to you, but I'm not going to do them here.

Pick a place. And do it in a hurry.

Comments

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I have already discussed the matter with Angelica. I apologised for what was necessary.

So if you must, you can come to me.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Oh apologies. Did you do it because it was Angelica or because you truly fel- no. We'll continue this in a moment.

[She was angry. Ashamed of him and disappointed and she didn't care that he had apologised to her. That wasn't the point. So she went to his door and knocked harshly.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

[Sexby was tending the tiny lump of wood in his fire. The only one he'd taken for himself.]

Enter, madam. Or break down the door. As you will. [He was so very calm about this.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She opened the door, shutting it behind her. 'Calm' was not a word that Jane understood at the moment.]

I cannot believe you did that. [Jane was less concerned with the breaking in part than she was about the burning.] Your apology to Angelica...what did you apologise for?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

[He shrugged idly,]

Upsetting her by burning her property. [He poked at the fire again.] I had not intended to upset her.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She stepped inside the room more.] For upsetting her. That doesn't mean anything. That kind of apology is useless.

[A pause.] And how did you not think that it would upset her?!

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

[He raised an eyebrow,] It was meant, madam. The apology, I mean.

[He gave the embers a bit of a poke and looked up at her,]

I thought it would demonstrate to her how worthless her husband was. How she shouldn't be upset over him, how she was better without him.

[It was... very twisted logic.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

It is not your right to say that about any person. And...especially not in that way. [And she felt just a touch hypocritical for that, but pushed on anyway.] It didn't work, did it?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

It angered me and I accept it was ill thought out.

[He stood up,] No, it didn't. Hence why I apologised, madam. As it was not my intent to upset her.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

You expected her to thank you? Run to you with words of happiness and elation that you have suddenly freed her from the bonds of her wicked husband? No. She has to come to that conclusion on her own, if it's even true and not something you invented in your mind. [She put her hands on her hips.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Nay, madam. I expected her to be a little less upset about being here on her own. About... [paaaaaaaaaaause] how she had lived before coming here.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

How she had lived? What are you talking about?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

That's rather nothing to do with you, madam. She would not forgive me if I told you any more. Just take the statement as it stands.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

You're lucky she forgives you right now for what you've done. [She didn't push the issue, though, because she had nothing against Angelica and didn't want to anger her. She might be useful later.]

Because this has nothing to do with upsetting her. You upset her because you did something wrong. Not because you did something right that she didn't appreciate.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

As I said, madam, I was angry and it was ill judged.

[He was just trying to put up a brick wall. He didn't want to discuss this.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She regarded him for a moment, most of her anger gone. She still had enough to try and knock down that wall.] Why were you angry? You have both been here for weeks. Why now?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I had been doing this for weeks. [He folded his arms a little,]

Because I found it and it suited me. [It was perhaps a little more than that.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She didn't quite believe that.] The truth, if you please. [She moved her hands from her hips to fold across her chest.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

We had talked. I was bitter.

[It was a basic, simplistic reply, and he sat on the simple chair by the fire, trying to clean his boots a little. As if there was nothing else to say.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She walked a bit more inside of the room.] Talked about what? What you can't tell me?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Just about the lies people tell about us. The way people think... [He waved his hands vaguely.] They're ridiculous, really. [And that's what he was bitter about. He was showing an intense interest in his boots, though.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[Another step and she was almost beside him.] People think about...what?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

The way they think about our future. The way they think we will have something quite impossible and it is hardly funny.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Oh. About you and Angelica... [She trailed off, as she thought he might be able to fill in the blank by himself.]

It's not funny. Not at all. They can't predict the future and really shouldn't try. [She was very, very upset with those who had said it. For her own reasons.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

[Sexby nodded,]

I have made sure it will not happen again. As I do not wish to discuss it again.

[Mostly as he didn't want to hear just how absurd Angelica thought it was.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

How have you made sure? [She was instantly suspicious, given that he had made sure people wouldn't not take his weapons by stabbing someone.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Merely informed all what folly it would be. [Not looking up from cleaning those boots.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Informed with what? Words or violence? Or threats? [She added the last part in, simply because it was what she would have done.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Words. Words of some force, but words. [In other words, definitely threats.]

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She nodded.] I see. And did people respond favourably to that?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

They seemed to shut up.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[Giving him a bit of an annoyed scoff, she found a chair and sat in it, facing him.]

That doesn't make them quit believing it.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

It stops them taunting us with it like it is fact, madam.

[He wipes a bit of dirt off his boot,] And that is good enough.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She leaned forward.] I don't think it was taunting you. I think they really believed it.

Maybe you saw it as taunting, though.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Either way, madam, they have stopped. It is no longer a matter worth considering.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Until it's brought up again.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

And they have been sufficiently warned.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She threw her hands in the air.] You can't really expect that to work. Someone is bound to bring it up again.

Did they explain to you why they think this?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

Then they are idiots.

[He sighed]

Because they have some stupid notions about the people who used to be here, and have drafted us into their lives. I care not why, just that they do not do it.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

They're going to do it, Mister Sexby, whether you want to or not. Those people were here for a long, long time, I'm told. And while they're not the same people, they were similar enough to impact lives.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I stand by my statement. They were warned of making assumptions about my future, or hers.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Let her speak for herself. [She stared down at the floor.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I only spoke for myself to the others, madam. She can say as she sees fit.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

I'm sure she will. But you still have no right to do as you like to anyone. [She stood up after a moment.]

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I do what I can, madam. Whatever that may be.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

Even though it's wrong?

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

I think you will find 'wrong' means very little to me.

[thebestnose.livejournal.com]

[She sighed.] I'm very well aware of that, yes. [She turned and headed for the door.] We're finished for today.

[accountsettled.livejournal.com]

[He shrugged lightly,] As you wish, madam.