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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 21, 2012 16:31:31 GMT -5
No matter how carefully Viola planned a menu for a party, sometimes there were leftovers. There were guests with the unmitigated gall to cancel at the last minute, or fail to show up at all. And sometimes people just simply didn't eat as much as one expected them to. Viola hated having leftovers, because to her it felt like some loose end, a mistake on her part for which she should have been prepared. However, in her years as a catering manager and party planner, she had learned to accept that leftover food was an inevitability.
Most of the time, it wasn't much. Half a lasagna here, a quarter of a cake there, maybe a third of a salad bowl. On such occasions, Viola usually donated the extras to a local homeless shelter, which allowed her to feel morally superior for a little while. But for the wedding she had held this weekend, she had quite a lot of leftovers, due to a last-minute dispute between the bride's and groom's families. There had even been a question of whether the wedding would go on at all (which infuriated Viola), but in the end, it went on as planned, but with about half of the guests expected. This left Viola with a lot of leftover food, including a whole platter of London broil that she simply couldn't bear to give to the homeless. So she came up with another idea.
She packaged the meat, some of the leftover roasted vegetable and potatoes, and just to show how magnanimous she really was, she even threw in a few slices of the leftover cheesecake. Then she headed over to visit her sister-in-law. She didn't like the girl much, and the feeling was mutual. But Viola did so enjoy making Caroline squirm.
So she arrived in Godric's Hollow with her package of food in hand, and knocked on the door. She really did hope Caroline would be home, not that she had anything better to do....
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 21, 2012 17:59:42 GMT -5
Caroline was blissfully unsuspecting of how her day wa going to turn out. And, unfortunately, she woul probably take it out on Jordan later.
But for now, she was standing by the back door, looking out t the backyard. Jordan had suggested gardening, and she was considering it. Barely. She was not the gardening type, and she'd probably kill anything she planted. But it got her thinking, and she was envisioning putting a trellis out there, with white lights strung around it. Or some small gazebo and chairs- a nice place for them to sit in the summer and share wine while the crickets chirped.
The doorbell pulled her out of her reverie, and he frowned. She wasn't expecting anyone, but maybe it was Paige.
Sighing, she moved towards the door and opened it wide.
Though the second she saw who it was, she stepped into the open space and held te door against her. She has no intention of letting Viola inside her house if she could help it.
She took in the sight of the woman, eyes slightly narrowed. She was looking smug as ever, and carrying a package. And, unless Caroline was imagining it, she swore there was a hint of a baby bump there. She despised the woman for that alone, though Merlin knew there were a thousand other reasons that she disliked her sister in law.
"Can I help you?"
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 21, 2012 22:12:50 GMT -5
Viola's smooth, icy smile spread across her face, never quite touching her eyes. "Caroline, dear," she said brightly. "I'm so glad you're home. I was afraid you wouldn't be... I never know quite what your schedule is."
Of course, Caroline didn't really have a "schedule" and was usually home, and Viola knew that very well. And Caroline knew that she knew it. It was just one of the many subtle, cruel digs she was known to take at her sister-in-law.
"Well, just look at you. You just get prettier and prettier every time I see you. And goodness, you're so thin. What I wouldn't do to have a stomach that flat." For emphasis, she turned just slightly, showing off the slight bump where the baby was beginning to show. "Of course, I suppose that will have to wait a few months, won't it?" She added with a laugh.
Viola had hinted to Caroline on several occasions that she ought to be trying harder to have a child. It was clear that Jordan wanted them, even before he had begun pushing Caroline on the subject. Barry, on the other hand, hadn't really given much indication of it in the past, only because the both of them were so busy. But what did Caroline have to do all day except sit around and look pretty? Granted, she did that rather well, and Viola non-so-secretly hated her for it, but still. There had to be a reason why they didn't have children yet, and Viola hadn't yet figured out what it was.
"Anyway, enough about me. I brought you a little surprise. One of my clients' weddings was this weekend, and there was some ridiculous family dispute at the last minute, so half of the guests never showed up. I had a dreadful amount of leftovers. And I thought, why not bring some to my dear sister-in-law and her handsome husband?"
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 22, 2012 0:41:50 GMT -5
This was ridiculous, Caroline thought. Viola knew she wasn't welcome here, though the blonde wouldn't out and out be rude to her. Well, not much. But Merlin, when she turned to the side to show off her baby bump, Caroline wanted to hex her and pull her hair out. Her eyes almost imperceptibly narrowed, and she was busy imaging as many painful deaths as she could for Viola to suffer.
Recently, she wondered if her sister in law knew about the kid situation. Half Of her even wondered if that was the reason Viola even got pregnant was to rub it in Caroline's face. "I'll keep my fingers crossed the baby doesn't give you any stretch marks, hm?" It was honestly the nicest thing she could think of to say, and it was just short of dripping with sarcasm. She didn't hide her dislike as well as Viola did.
Finally, the woman let on why she was there, and Caroline looked down at the package. "Oh, how thoughtful. Terribly sorry though, I have dinner for Jordan in the oven already, and I'm afraid your.... Leftovers would just go bad. Thanks, though."
Caroline did not have dinner in the oven, and the leftovers might have been nice for Jordan, but she refused to take them from Viola. She would rather starve.
Still not moving and not indicating that she would open the door at all, she looked back up at the brunette, who stood taller than her. "Besides, you're pregnant. I'm sure you'll want that later."
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 22, 2012 0:55:46 GMT -5
Viola's smile didn't fade, though it did waver very slightly at the stretch marks comment. Was that the reason Caroline hadn't had children yet? She was afraid of stretch marks? Something told Viola that Jordan wouldn't care about that sort of thing, although it was still beyond Viola just what exactly he saw in Caroline besides her pretty face and perfect body.
"Yes, well, that's always a concern," she said icily.
When Caroline mentioned that she had dinner in the oven, Viola delicately sniffed the air, as if checking for the smell of smoke and charred meat. "Oh, really?" she said, still smiling. "How wonderful... does this mean you've been taking cooking lessons? You should have asked me for lessons, I'd have been happy to help you."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 22, 2012 1:13:27 GMT -5
"Oh, I considered it," Caroline replied without missing a beat. She may not have been as subtle as Viola, but she could at least keep up. "But you're always so busy that I didn't want to impede on your schedule. I know how demanding my brother can be, after all." She laughed once, airily, to show that she was joking about at least the last part, if not the whole thing.
She let her laugh fade quickly, but the fake smile remained. Viola was still on her porch, and there was an awkward moment where Caroline wasn't sure what to do.
"Well... if there was nothing else... I should get back to that dinner. Jordan will be home shortly." He wasn't due back for a couple of hours, actually, but there was no way she was giving Viola an excuse to stay.
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 22, 2012 1:26:59 GMT -5
Another barely perceptible frown tugged at the corners of Viola's frozen smile. In fact, Barry was away on business, and had been for nearly three weeks. She had hoped that she might have been able to convince him to be home a little more often, now that she was pregnant. But she refused to let Caroline see that she had any insecurity about her marriage or her husband.
"Well, we are going into the wedding season, you know, so I suppose it's just as well. I'm booked solid into August."
She fully recognized that Caroline was trying to get rid of her, and it irked her greatly. Why, she didn't have to stop by. One might have thought that with as little as Caroline had to do all day, she could spare a few minutes for her sister-in-law. Really, it was quite appallingly rude that the girl hadn't invited her inside.
"Oh, but I've come all this way. And I'm afraid I'm quite parched. Couldn't I trouble you for a beverage, at least? And you know, I would like to say hello to Jordan, if you're expecting him soon."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 22, 2012 12:49:41 GMT -5
"I'm sure it quite an arduous journey for you, coming all this way," Caroline mocked, just barely hiding the open sarcasm in the sentence. What gall Viola had to insist on staying when she was well aware that she was not welcome. Caroline sighed, relenting and stepping aside, letting her sister in law inside.
Thank Merlin she was a little obsessive about keeping things clean, giving Viola one less thing to comment on and disapprove of. For just an instant, looking at Viola, she kind of wished her home was a mess, with a toddler running around, making messes and memories. Caroline closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath as grounding herself.
"Would you like some wine? Oh.... Sorry. I suppose the best I can offer is some pumpkin juice. Shame, really. Or would you rather water? Have a seat."
She wanted Viola to sit down, to not follow her into the kitchen, where there was certainly nothing in the oven. And really, if she wanted to stay until Jordan came home, fine. She was sure her husband would politely run the woman off, knowing how much Caroline disliked her.
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 22, 2012 13:16:19 GMT -5
Luckily for Caroline, at least one thing went her way. Viola made her way over to the sofa with an exaggerated movement, as though her back hurt from the strain of being pregnant. In fact, she was not at all sore yet, and the morning sickness had passed within a few weeks, so the pregnancy was hardly taking its toll on her. If anything, she actually had more energy than before.
"Pumpkin juice sounds fine," Viola replied smoothly, sitting down and placing the parcel of food on the coffee table in front of her. She was not fooled; she knew Caroline had nothing in the oven. And she was going to leave this food with them, no matter what. Perhaps if she waited for Jordan to come home, she could give it to him... Merlin knew, the poor boy probably needed a good meal for a change.
"The house looks lovely, as always," Viola continued sweetly. "It's so... cozy. I swear, sometimes I still get lost in my house. You're so lucky to have such a sweet little house."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 22, 2012 13:37:43 GMT -5
It was good thing that Caroline's back was to Viola as she moved into the kitchen. She rolled her eyes and scowled at viola's comments about her house. She was smart enough and well aware enough to know that these were actually disdainful comments about the size of her house.
"Yes.... We're happy here," she said, emphasizing the word. She lived in a mansion a a child, and it had been a miserable experience it was big and empty and terribly lonely- much like she suspected Viola's home was, even when Barry was home. And while 'happy' may have been a stretch, Caroline wasn't lonely and lost in her own home. Viola coil shove that little gem in an unspeakable place.
She returned a few moments later with a small glass of pumpkin juice. She did not hand it to Viola, but rather sat in on the table in front of the woman.
"So.... Lovely day, isn't it?" The question even sounded strained, and she raised her eyebrows to see if Viola would get the hint. She doubted it, but it was always worth a shot. "I swear, Spring comes a little earlier every year."
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 23, 2012 0:38:24 GMT -5
"Oh, I'm so glad," Viola replied, though she very much doubted it was true. Maybe Jordan was happy; he seemed the type to be content with simpler things. But Caroline, to her didn't seem happy. But maybe that was just because she was not happy herself and it colored the way she saw the world.
Happiness wasn't part of Viola's vocabulary. She was too stressed, too restless, too unsatisfied to ever be truly happy. She loved her husband, and was pleased that she would soon be giving him a child, but she knew that she wouldn't really be able to stop working, not really. Once the baby was born, she'd probably leave it in the care of a nanny. It had been good enough for her, after all. And yet, there was a part of her that longed for something different for her child. Viola had no memories of her real mother, but sometimes there was something, a whisper of a memory that tugged at the corner of her mind, making her sad for no reason at all.
Viola shook off this sudden flash of vulnerability and smiled once more at Caroline, picking up the glass that she had placed on the table. "It is lovely indeed. You know, you have such a lovely space in that back yard of yours... you ought to consider planting some hedgerows. Maybe a rose bush or two. I know a very good landscaper, if you're interested."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 23, 2012 1:15:27 GMT -5
Caroline looked over her shoulder and out the window into the back yard, sighing heavily and not bothering to mask it. How did Viola knows just exactly what to say to get under Caroline's skin? There was no way she could have known what Caroline had been thinking just moments before her arrival.
She took a breath, composing herself for a moment before turning back to Viola with a very carefully formed smile on her lips. "Funny you should mention it, darling. Jordan and I were just talking the other night about taking up gardening. In fact," she turned back and pointed out the window, "I think he would just love a little vegetable garden in that corner over there."
Merlin, she'd been here less than five minutes, and had already managed to subtly insult her cooking, her home, her lack of children, her backyard, and the way she looked. Her eyes glanced towards the clock, praying Jordan would come home early.
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 24, 2012 1:25:29 GMT -5
Viola politely followed Caroline's gaze to the back yard. "Oh, what a lovely idea," she replied. "I'm sure Jordan would enjoy having fresh vegetables for dinner. You'll have to work on some special recipes to use them in."
More likely, Viola thought scornfully, poor Jordan would have to get used to raw vegetables, because she highly doubted that Caroline even knew how to boil water.
"I wish you luck with it. Vegetable gardens do require quite a lot of maintenance, you know."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 24, 2012 17:27:27 GMT -5
Caroline gave her sister in law an incredulous look. "They're vegetables. I'm sure we'll manage. Why was it you stopped by again, exactly?"
She had no reason to pretend to be Ms. Manners with Viola. Whatever facade Viola was putting on was not something Caroline felt the need to replicate, and she was really annoyed that everything she said was met with some subtle judgement. As far as she was concerned, the woman could shove off any minute now.
"unfortunately, I only have dinner for two in the oven or I'd invite you to stay."
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 24, 2012 19:38:47 GMT -5
Viola just barely managed to bite back a sharp reply that no, she didn't care to stay for dinner, because she liked to eat food and not thin air. If Caroline had actually been cooking something, she would have smelled a hint of it by now. No, she was just very obviously trying to get rid of her, and for some reason, was refusing the parcel of food as well. But Viola was not going to leave without making her take the food. What she did with it after that, Viola preferred not to know.
"Oh, no, I really couldn't stay for dinner, but thank you anyway," she replied, not missing a beat. She was aware that Caroline had very pointedly not invited her, but she decided to act as though she had been invited. "I do so wish you'd take the leftovers, though. Otherwise I'll have to take them to the homeless shelter."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 26, 2012 20:53:19 GMT -5
Caroline's eyes grew wide, as if she just heard the best plan in the world. "Oh, Viola, that's a splendid idea. The cooking must be superb, and I imagine the shelter would be ever so grateful for it. That's quite generous of you."
She hoped this was enough to get her sister in law to take the food away. Normally, it would be a nice gesture, but not from Viola. She wasnt sure why the other woman brought the food over, but she knew it wasn't out of a kind gesture. Viola didn't work that way.
And she'd be damned if she served this food to her husband and he liked it. That would be an argument that wouldn't end well for Jordan at all. She decided if Viola left it, it was just going on the trash. They didnt need her charity. Now the only problem was if Jordan came home while Viola was here and accepted them.
She sighed slowly. "Well, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to pour a glass of wine for myself."
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 27, 2012 0:11:00 GMT -5
Viola gave a very slight twitch, allowing her annoyance to show for just a split second. He face was beginning to hurt from the fake smile she kept holding, but she'd be hexed if she would allow Caroline to provoke her into rudeness.
She would have loved a glass of wine, and although she couldn't specifically find any literature that said wine was bad for the baby, Viola was not taking any chances. She'd already cut out coffee, tea, and, unfortunately, wine, and the lack of these things was beginning to wear her down... and she still had five months to go.
"Oh, but you really should take them. I packaged these especially for you. It's the best cuts from a London broil... I thought you could use the extra protein. You're so thin, and you could use a little extra strength."
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 27, 2012 0:44:17 GMT -5
"Merlin, Viola. Why is the food so important to you?" Caroline was, inevitably, the first to let her cool slip. She didn't know why Viola was pushing these leftovers on her so hard, and it was really starting to annoy her.
What annoyed her more, though, was the comment about her being too skinny. From anyone else, it wouldn't have made a difference, but from a 4 month pregnant Viola, it was a petty, stupid, cold thing to say, and Caroline was sure that Viola knew this. She was really starting to resent her very pregnant sister in law, who just apparently decided one day to have a baby.
Caroline stood up and left, pouring herself a rather generous glass of wine before she came back into the living room. "Tell me, how's Barry?"
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Post by Viola Carter on Feb 28, 2012 0:31:41 GMT -5
"Well, I did come all the way over here to bring it to you, and I would hate to think I wasted a trip," Viola replied, a slight edge creeping into her voice. "Especially since you don't appear to have any good news to share with me. Honestly, I really didn't think I would be the one to have a baby before you, and I keep hoping to hear some good news from you in that area."
There, she had said it at last. Caroline had been very much correct in thinking that Viola was rubbing her nose in the fact that she was pregnant and Caroline was not. Her motives weren't entirely selfish, however. Yes, she liked the superior feeling she had in showing off her pregnant belly, but she was also very curious as to why her sister-in-law had not become pregnant yet, and she wanted to know if a little meddling was in order.
"There's not a... problem... in the bedroom department, is there? Or something else? Really, Caroline, I only want to help you if I can."
She ignored the question about Barry, not the least because she wasn't exactly sure how her husband was doing. He'd been away for more than three weeks, and Viola had only had a few letters from him. And she really didn't want to think about that right now.
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Post by Caroline Wells on Feb 28, 2012 14:24:24 GMT -5
There it was, the reason Viola had made this special trip to visit an in law that she didn't even like.
Caroline felt her heart stop and get blood run cold. Her face hardened, and for a long moment, she just let Viola go on, though she very much doubted that the woman wanted to help her.
Finally, when Viola seemed to be finished, Caroline forced a polite smile. "Our decision to have children or not is private, and entirely our own. Now, if you don't mind, I really do think you have extended your welcome here. You should go. And take your charity with you," she added, gesturing towards the food. Now, especially, she really didnt want to accept anything from Viola.
It was all she could do to stay still when her blood was boiling. It was really none of Violas business. She wasn't a friend and Merlin knew she wasn't concerned.
She took a deep breath, eyebrows raising to indicate that she was waiting for the other woman to get up and go.
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