Fanfic 100 - 047, Heart
Jan. 29th, 2007 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dolevalanTitle: Moon on a String, part three
Fandom: Sweeney Todd
Characters: Judge Turpin, Lucy Barker, Johanna
Prompt: 047, Heart
Word Count: 692
Rating: G
Summary: Lucy receives unwelcome news.
Author's Notes: Part four is going to be rather long. Just as a heads up.
Johanna was humming softly to herself as she arranged a bowl of daisies in the front parlor. She had an entire, glorious month at home ahead of her, and she resisted with difficultly the urge to twirl in a triumphant little circle. Now that she was a young woman of twelve, she needed to control such ideas, but the sheer delight of being on holiday made it difficult.
“Jo, dear, are you in there?” her mother called from the next room. “Have you gotten dressed for dinner yet?”
“No, Mother. I was just making the flowers pretty.”
Her mother appeared in the doorway, and shook her head. “They’re lovely. But I’m afraid now it’s time to get dressed, or the dinner will get cold, and then what? Would you like to eat cold goose? I admit, perhaps it’s a delicacy I’ve never tried.”
Johanna giggled. “That’s silly.”
“Well, then, you’d better get dressed, hadn’t you?” She shooed her daughter towards the stairs.
Halfway up, Johanna paused as she heard the rapping at the front door. She peeked down over the banister, her golden braids hanging down and giving her away. Lucy said “I’ll get it, Amanda,” saving the housekeeper a trip as she was so near the door anyway. When she opened it, Johanna couldn’t immediately see who it was, and craned her neck for a better view. However, guessing was soon rendered unnecessary.
“Judge Turpin, is everything alright? Please, come in.” Johanna could tell her mother was a bit frightened, but was not quite sure why. Uncle Richard’s visit was, if unexpected, hardly something that would occasion such a tone of voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Barker. I am quite sorry to tell you that I come as the bearer of heavy news.” The two of them moved into the newly decorated sitting room, but did not close the door. Johanna crouched down, wrapping her slender arms around her knees as she listened carefully.
After a moment, Uncle Richard spoke again, more gently. “Mrs. Barker… you might wish to sit.” There was a rustle of skirts that suggested her mother was following the judge’s advice. Johanna could tell he was stalling, but finally he sighed. “I never told you this, but your friendship to me has long been a gift I could not repay to you. You are truly a remarkable woman, and I -” He stopped. Johanna rested her cheek against her upper arm. This could take awhile; Uncle Richard seldom knew what to say, outside of his job, and often made a mess of what he did try.
“Please, Your Honor. We have talked about this before. What is it that you wish to tell me?”
He cleared his throat. Amanda came around the corner, clearly ready to eavesdrop herself, when she spotted Johanna on the stairs. The two proceeded to engage in a silent, gestured argument of the kind that happens between children and servants, with the result that both continued to occupy their respective posts, uneasily eyeing the other.
“I am afraid that, despite my best efforts, it took longer than expected to secure a pardon for your husband. Letters move slowly between London and Botany Bay.” Lucy started to speak, but he continued over her. “And I am afraid that I cannot give you the comfort I would have liked. It seems that your husband was killed while attempting to escape.” There was a painful silence. “I’m…sorry. I just thought – ”
After a moment, it became clear that Lucy was crying, softly. Johanna felt alarmed at her mother’s tears, even if she felt nothing in particular about the announcement that had produced them. Amanda clucked her tongue and shook her head before turning back for the kitchen. She had clearly heard enough.
“My dear…” Uncle Richard, though he still sounded awkward, sounded sincere. Johanna hesitated, considering going down, and then deciding against it. She didn’t want to get pulled into the adults’ reactions, and she’d have her mother all to herself soon enough. With a shake of her head, she stood and headed back upstairs, leaving her mother downstairs to cry on the shoulder of her friend.
Fandom: Sweeney Todd
Characters: Judge Turpin, Lucy Barker, Johanna
Prompt: 047, Heart
Word Count: 692
Rating: G
Summary: Lucy receives unwelcome news.
Author's Notes: Part four is going to be rather long. Just as a heads up.
Johanna was humming softly to herself as she arranged a bowl of daisies in the front parlor. She had an entire, glorious month at home ahead of her, and she resisted with difficultly the urge to twirl in a triumphant little circle. Now that she was a young woman of twelve, she needed to control such ideas, but the sheer delight of being on holiday made it difficult.
“Jo, dear, are you in there?” her mother called from the next room. “Have you gotten dressed for dinner yet?”
“No, Mother. I was just making the flowers pretty.”
Her mother appeared in the doorway, and shook her head. “They’re lovely. But I’m afraid now it’s time to get dressed, or the dinner will get cold, and then what? Would you like to eat cold goose? I admit, perhaps it’s a delicacy I’ve never tried.”
Johanna giggled. “That’s silly.”
“Well, then, you’d better get dressed, hadn’t you?” She shooed her daughter towards the stairs.
Halfway up, Johanna paused as she heard the rapping at the front door. She peeked down over the banister, her golden braids hanging down and giving her away. Lucy said “I’ll get it, Amanda,” saving the housekeeper a trip as she was so near the door anyway. When she opened it, Johanna couldn’t immediately see who it was, and craned her neck for a better view. However, guessing was soon rendered unnecessary.
“Judge Turpin, is everything alright? Please, come in.” Johanna could tell her mother was a bit frightened, but was not quite sure why. Uncle Richard’s visit was, if unexpected, hardly something that would occasion such a tone of voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Barker. I am quite sorry to tell you that I come as the bearer of heavy news.” The two of them moved into the newly decorated sitting room, but did not close the door. Johanna crouched down, wrapping her slender arms around her knees as she listened carefully.
After a moment, Uncle Richard spoke again, more gently. “Mrs. Barker… you might wish to sit.” There was a rustle of skirts that suggested her mother was following the judge’s advice. Johanna could tell he was stalling, but finally he sighed. “I never told you this, but your friendship to me has long been a gift I could not repay to you. You are truly a remarkable woman, and I -” He stopped. Johanna rested her cheek against her upper arm. This could take awhile; Uncle Richard seldom knew what to say, outside of his job, and often made a mess of what he did try.
“Please, Your Honor. We have talked about this before. What is it that you wish to tell me?”
He cleared his throat. Amanda came around the corner, clearly ready to eavesdrop herself, when she spotted Johanna on the stairs. The two proceeded to engage in a silent, gestured argument of the kind that happens between children and servants, with the result that both continued to occupy their respective posts, uneasily eyeing the other.
“I am afraid that, despite my best efforts, it took longer than expected to secure a pardon for your husband. Letters move slowly between London and Botany Bay.” Lucy started to speak, but he continued over her. “And I am afraid that I cannot give you the comfort I would have liked. It seems that your husband was killed while attempting to escape.” There was a painful silence. “I’m…sorry. I just thought – ”
After a moment, it became clear that Lucy was crying, softly. Johanna felt alarmed at her mother’s tears, even if she felt nothing in particular about the announcement that had produced them. Amanda clucked her tongue and shook her head before turning back for the kitchen. She had clearly heard enough.
“My dear…” Uncle Richard, though he still sounded awkward, sounded sincere. Johanna hesitated, considering going down, and then deciding against it. She didn’t want to get pulled into the adults’ reactions, and she’d have her mother all to herself soon enough. With a shake of her head, she stood and headed back upstairs, leaving her mother downstairs to cry on the shoulder of her friend.
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Date: 2007-01-30 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2007-01-30 04:47 am (UTC)I ADORE the irony of this all. I can't wait to see the rest.