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Brett squeezed her father's arm, not sure why she had agreed to come with him, but trying to make the most of it while she was there. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Daddy, I'm going to go mingle over that way." She pointed, and gaining his assent, moved off. It was only when she was halfway across the room that she noticed Hilda. It seemed like they hadn't seen each other in ages, and maybe she was walking a bit too quickly, but she wanted to surprise the other woman. She took no notice of the pool that Hilda was standing next to as she came up and wrapped her arms around Hilda's waist from behind. "Guess who?" Of course, in that moment, she completely lost her balance. She tightened her hold on Hilda, trying to remain upright, but it only served to pull her over, and Brett closed her eyes as the water beneath her slowly got closer. Her only thought as they splashed down was that Hilda was going to kill her.
It all happened so quickly that Hilda didn't really register any of it until she came up out of the water gasping, her delicate gown floating up around her. She disentangled herself from Brett and sloshed forward towards the steps, dragging the younger woman by a handful of her skirt. While she was smiling graciously as those around them murmured and even began to laugh lightly, her eyes were dark enough to prove that she was livid. "Must you always create a scene?" she hissed through almost clenched teeth.
It had been too long since Hilda had been in London; that was her godfather's assertion at least. Thus, she found herself at Lady Dennemore's summer ball, attending in his place while he was in Tokyo on business. It was a pleasant enough diversion from work and from her growing stables, but she would have been lying if she had said she wasn't looking for potential ponies. And she had not anticipated drawing attention to herself in this way.
Brett couldn't help but smile in the face of Hilda's anger. She as trying very hard not to start laughing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She sucked her lips into her mouth, trying to control her smile and look contrite. She took a towel from someone and started wiping her face, and once that was dry, she blatantly started at Hilda. She had never made a secret of her attraction and it was Hilda who kept their relationship purely platonic.
"You never do." Hilda dried her neck and shoulders and looked down at her dress. It had been hand dyed, and now the color was starting to run. She sighed softly. "It's good to see you again, Brett." She couldn't stay angry for too long...not with Brett, at least.
"I really didn't mean to knock you in the pool." Brett looked at her sheepishly, glad that her father seemed to be ignoring the disruption." She wrapped the towel around herself. "You know, my flat isn't too far from here. Probably closer than your hotel... We could get dried off and go get a drink."
Hilda arched her eyebrows. "Now I definitely think you did it on purpose." She looked around before finally smiling indulgently for Brett. "I've stayed long enough. I suppose I can avoid the questions this way."
"Questions?" Brett didn't bother to tell her father that she was leaving, just heading toward a side gate and letting them both out. Luckily, it was a fairly warm night, so their wet dresses weren't too much on a inconvenience. She found Hilda's car, well, Uncle Bernard's car really and slid into the passenger seat.
When Hilda got in, she cringed at what her dress would do to the seat. "Mm," she murmured as she started the car. Hilda was silent until they reached Brett's apartment, knowing the younger woman's curiosity would build. It amused her to watch Brett squirming, biting her lip at wanting to know but not wanting to ask again and risk annoying her. "I'm going to be married."
"Married?" Brett turned back to her even though she was only half finished with unlocking her door. "Really? Who're you marrying? Why I haven't I met him? Or is it a her?" While Brett was genuinely happy for Hilda, there was a small part of her that simply wanted to be alone, to go inside and get cleaned up and just go to bed. She was trying desperately to ignore that desire.
"He's rather a tattoo artist," she said matter of factly before getting out of the car and simply heading up to the flat. If Brett wanted to pout in the car, Hilda would let her, but she was going to get changed. She flipped up the welcome mat and took the key from the center of it to let herself in.
Brett scrambled out of the car and followed Hilda inside. "A tattoo artist? Has Uncle Bernard met him?" Her uncle, Hilda's godfather, was the most quintessentially conservative man she had ever met.
"I'm not sure that Bernard likes him all that much," Hilda called over her shoulder as she began to slip out of her dress. She left t in the center of the bathroom floor as she turned the shower on.
"No. I imagine he wouldn't." Brett followed Hilda to the bathroom and pulled her own dress off, grabbing a robe and wrapping up. She knew that Hilda wouldn't mind if she got into the shower with her, but she also knew that nothing else would happen. That wasn't something that she thought she could stand just then, so she contented herself with merely watching. "So, when do I get to meet him?"
"Soon enough." Hilda stepped under the hot water and sighed as she leaned back into it. "He's working in Exeter this weekend. Mm."
"Exeter, huh?" Brett leaned against the counter and watched as Hilda bathed. She would have given anything to be able to join Hilda, to truly be welcome, but she knew that wouldn't happen. "And he knows about your... extracurricular interests?" Brett assumed that he would, that Hilda wouldn't marry someone who had a problem with them.
"Mm, that's quite how we met," she replied. Hilda leaned her head back into the water, rinsing the shampoo out of it. "I think you'll like him. Should I even ask if you're seeing anyone." She knew how Brett was.
"No one worth mentioning." There was always someone, but never anyone serious. Brett sighed and pulled her robe off, stepping into the shower with Hilda and wrapping her arms around her. She leaned her head on the back of Hilda's shoulder, knowing better than to try anything else, though she desperately wanted to.
The blonde smiled softly as she turned her head to kiss Brett's forehead. The action was incredibly chaste, as were all of her interactions with Brett. She was Hilda's best friend, almost like a little sister. And though Hilda found it sometimes amusing to toy with Brett from time to time, she could never hurt her by engaging in something when she knew Brett had feelings she couldn't return. "One day you'll settle down."
Brett chuckled. "No, I won't." She nuzzled slightly against Hilda's shoulder before she let her go and ducked her head under the water. "And something tells me that you aren't exactly settling down either." A bit of shampoo in her hair to get the chlorine out, and she was under the water again. "You know, you haven't told me his name yet."
"It's Geoffrey," Hilda said as she slipped out of the shower and wrapped up in one of Brett's oversized towels. "Geoffrey Keegan."
"Well, he sounds nice enough. And I'm happy so long as you're happy." Brett bathed quickly, the shut the water off and grabbed a towel of her own. "I suppose you're going to need some clothing." She brushed past Hilda and into her bedroom, opening drawers and pulling things out.
"Are you happy?" Hilda came out of the bathroom but only to lean against the doorframe. She crossed her arms as she looked at Brett pointedly.
"Of course I am." Brett smiled at Hilda, tossing some jeans and a sweater onto the bed. She wasn't really thinking about the question, about what Hilda really meant by it. It was easier to just be like she always was, to smile and laugh and assure everyone that everything was all right. "Those are for you." She nodded.
"If you were anyone else, I would whip you for lying to me," Hilda muttered as she sauntered over to the bed and began putting on the clothes. Brett had her way, and this was it. But Hilda cared enough to see that she wouldn't melt down all alone about this.
"But I'm not anyone else, am I?" And that was the problem. She looked directly at Hilda as she said it, not letting her off of the hook, but it quickly became too much for her and she turned away, pulling on her own pants. "Forget it. I'm fine, really."
Hilda looked down for a moment before going to Brett, taking her shoulders firmly from behind. "Don't. I love you, and I won't see you hurt, Brett." She shook her head and sighed softly. "You know that."
"And if you're the one hurting me?" Brett stepped away from Hilda, pulling free from her hands. She pulled on shirt and started looking for socks and shoes, anything to keep her from looking at Hilda.
"Brett." Hilda's voice was stern but kind. She wanted to see the brunette's eyes. She wanted Brett to look at her when she continued.
Brett looked over her shoulder at Hilda, then turned. "What?" If anything, her voice sounded tired.
"I won't do that to you," Hilda said quietly. There had been pets, and there were ponies. And they all expected attention and to some degree love from Hilda, but they didn't expect to have a part of her. And she couldn't give Brett that in the way she wanted. She wouldn't do that to her.
"Yeah," Brett sighed. "I know." What she didn't know was why. Why she wasn't good enough for Hilda. Why Hilda could give herself to someone else, but not to her. She sat down on her bed and ran her fingers through her own hair. "You know what, I don't think I'm really up for drinks tonight. You should go without me, or drive up to Exeter or something." Brett wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and go to sleep.
Hilda sat down beside her and took her hand, squeezing it. "Why don't I just stay here with you, hm?"
Brett knew that she shouldn't have done it before she did, but she wanted to be alone and she couldn't think of any other way to get Hilda to leave. She pulled her hand from Hilda's as she turned toward her, wrapping it around the back of her neck as she pressed in and kissed her, staying there for as long as Hilda would allow.
For a moment, but only a moment, Hilda gave in to the kiss, relaxing only to tense again. She pulled away and stood before shaking her head. Brett was too close--like a sister, her best friend and the only person who both understood and was removed from the things that Hilda loved and needed. "I'm going to go," she said softly, tiredly.
"Yeah." Brett nodded but she didn't get up. Hilda knew the way out and she simply didn't have the energy. She let Hilda get to the bedroom door before speaking again. "I really am happy for you."
"Thank you," Hilda said as she looked over her shoulder. She shook her head, hoping that one day Brett would mean that completely. But for now, she knew to simply leave her alone.
Brett only got up after she heard the door close, and then only to lock it, before returning back to her room. She replaced her jeans with sweat pants and crawled back into bed, waiting for the tears to come. She knew they would eventually. It was only a matter of time.