Proper and Expected (Lady Catherine/Casual)

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

She looked down and opened her hand around the piece of paper she had been gripping so tightly that it looked like it had been through the wash multiple times already. She didn’t really need to look at the address on the page, she’d already read it so often that she should know it by heart, but her nerves kept her mind a blank and now this grand house that stood before her just past the ornate iron gates was making her heart flutter like a trapped bird.

After years of attempted bribery, guilt trips, and ultimatums, Jiao’s aunt had finally resorted to blackmail. She had threatened to use her contacts to have Jiao kicked out of NYU if she didn’t do the proper thing and pay the family’s respects to a certain number of her aunt’s acquaintances. Jiao tried to swallow, her mouth felt dry, her tongue like sandpaper against the roof of her mouth. She raised her eyes from the paper that her fingers had curled around again, looking to the house again.

More than once, she wished that her younger sister, who loved to make calls and socialize with high society, was with her. More than once, she very nearly turned towards home again. Jiao looked down at the blue-grey pants suit she wore, feeling once again that she was both overdressed, and yet not dressed well enough at all. Her hair had been scrunched up into a messy bun that her sister had once told her made her look elegant as it highlighted her slender neck, and she had even added a pearl clip, remembering how her sister would say that it was the little things that made a person look 'finished off'.

Jiao jumped, startled by the sudden ringing of her cell phone in her small handbag, and she fumbled to get it out to answer it, very nearly dropping it in the process, “Hello?” she could have sworn her voice was shaking too and Jiao swallowed once again as she tried to steady herself.

“Jiao, you had better not be late today. That would most certainly not make a good impression with Lady de Bourgh.” Her aunt’s voice sounded through the cell phone.

“I’m not late, aunt. I’m already standing outside at the gate.” Jiao looked back to the house.

“Well then, don’t just stand there, child. Go inside…” Jiao cringed slightly at the prospect, “and do send my warmest regards.”

“Yes, I will.” Jiao was just about to sigh when she remembered something, “Aunt, what do I…” but the line was already dead. Jiao had just been about to ask her aunt how she should even address the Lady de Bourgh when she saw her, but now she wasn’t going to be able to do that even. Should she say ma’am, or perhaps madam would be better since ma’am was slang after all, or perhaps ‘my lady’? This was going to a very uncomfortable visit, to say the least.

Jiao walked over to the intercom panel on one side of the gate as she dropped the cell phone and the crumpled paper containing the address of this grand house into her bag. She pressed the buzzer and then identified herself to the male voice which had answered on the other side. ~:This is it. No more turning back now:~ She thought to herself as the gates started to open and she moved to walk up the long driveway. Although she had already spent more than an hour in front of the mirror this morning, she still felt as though she had missed or overlooked something. She looked down at herself quickly once more as she reached the door, trying to see what it was that she’d overlooked, but the sound of the large door starting to open stole that last second from her.

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Jiao Mahr's aunt had been on good terms for some time now. The pair of them had worked together at a number of charitable functions and Lady Catherine considered this aunt to be an amiable acquaintance, if not a good friend.

However, she had yet to meet her friend's niece from whom, as a matter of fact, she had expected to received correspondence from before. Then again, better late than never; Lady Catherine was quite curious to meet Jiao Mahr (and doubtless compare her unfavourably to her dear Anne, as she did to all her acquaintances' children, nephew, nieces and so forth).

She had arranged, as such a visit required, for high tea to be ready for when this elusive niece arrived. Having seen that all the preparations were in order, Her Ladyship retired to the living room, immaculately dressed as ever (today in a cobalt blue skirt and cardigan ensemble) to await her guest.

Meanwhile, the door of Rosings' Park manor opened, revealing the man who had opened it, one of Lady Catherine's butlers.

"Jiao Mahr, I presume," the man said in a haughty tone not dissimilar to that of Lady Catherine herself."Please come this way; Her Ladyship is in the living room."

With that, the man led Jiao along one of Rosings' many handsome corridors, the walls heaving with fine artwork, until he reached the living room. He knocked and entered, introduced Jiao ("Jiao Mahr, Your Ladyship,") before taking his leave.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh, looking particularly regal in a high backed Victorian armchair, looked over at the door as Jiao entered. Immediately she was scrutinizing her (did the girl really think trousers were appropriate for such a social call as this?), though outwardly she looked welcoming as she smiled.

"Jiao, it's a pleasure. Your aunt has told me a great deal about you."

Having said this Her Ladyship gestured to a nearby chair with an elegant sweep of her hand, indicating that Jiao should sit down.

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

Jiao actually was relieved that Her Ladyship hadn’t been immediately present when the door had been opened. And then she thought to herself that, of course, she wouldn’t have met her at the door ~:How un-Ladyship-ish would that have been!:~ Jiao could barely hide her smile at the idea, and was relieved because it seemed to have eased some of her nerves.

Jiao had nodded after the butler had directed her to follow him, and as was proper, she followed only a few steps along behind the ‘stuffy’ gentleman. She allowed her eyes to wander over the array of paintings, fine furniture, and exquisite carpets, Turkish, no doubt. As he paused at the doorway to announce her, she prepared a smile and tried to concentrate on standing a little straighter.

As the butler moved aside to allow her entrance into the grand room, Jiao was presented with a picture that she could have predicted a million times over. She was looking at the Caucasian version of her aunt and instantly the urge to plague her with over-the-top exaggerations of how a fine young lady would act ran up Jiao’s spine.

"Jiao, it's a pleasure. Your aunt has told me a great deal about you."

That, unfortunately, instantly filled her with dread! Just what exactly had her aunt told Lady Catherine de Bourgh about Jiao? Memories of her various antics immediately flittered through her mind. The time she had climbed up her aunt’s prized oak tree, and then proceeded to break her arm when she had tumbled out of it? Or perhaps when she had ruined the carpet in her aunt’s sacred drawing room when she had decided it was the perfect place to take her bicycle apart? Or worse even than that, that she had declined the proposal of a certain young gentleman, and in so doing, had basically declined to become a part of her aunt’s social standing amongst the other rich and ‘infamous’, as Jiao had liked to call them. Her aunt certainly had voiced her opinion about that decision to no end!

Jiao’s smile had faltered just a fraction, but she bravely continued on towards the chair that Lady Catherine had indicated, “Lady de Bourgh, my aunt sends her warmest regards. I hope you’ve been well?” She lowered into the seat as she placed the small handbag down next to her. ~:Should I have said 'I hope your ladyship has been well?' instead?:~ Jiao was not comfortable at all, and her rigid posture would have been a dead giveaway to anyone who knew her, but she continued to hold her smile as she lightly folded her hands into her lap.

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

Lady Catherine did not notice the falter in Jiao's smile at all, as she was more focussed on what the young woman was saying.

“Lady de Bourgh, my aunt sends her warmest regards. I hope you’ve been well?”

Her Ladyship inclined her head in a gracious manner upon recieving her good friends regards before she spoke again, inwardly admiring Jiao's posture (of course she didn't realize her manner of sitting was a result of feeling uncomfortable, rather Her Ladyship thought it smart).

"The same to your dear aunt. I have been quite well, yes, although I have been unusually busy as late, what with redecorating Rosings' dining room and a recent art gallery opening I helped to organize."

As Her Ladyship spoke a tray with a mug of tea, two dainty cups and saucers and a tier of small cakes and cucumber sanwiches was brought in by a maid and set on the ornate coffee table in front of the chairs where Jiao and Lady Catherine were sitting. The maid poured both the women a cup of tea each and retreated; Lady Catherine took a delicate sip before speaking again.

"And what of you, Miss Mahr? I trust your studies are going well."

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

~:At least I don't have to stay very long:~ is what was going through Jiao's mind as Lady Catherine was talking about her redecorating and gallery openings. The various assortment of small cakes and dainty sandwiches being ushered into the room with their tea, however, indicated to Jiao that this was not going to be as quick a visit as she had hoped.

She murmured a soft "Thank you." and then smiled to the maid who was pouring the tea into the dainty cup which had been placed in front of her. If there was one thing Jiao believed in, it was that it was important to make sure that those who served you knew that you saw them and that it was appreciated. She did not believe in ignoring 'the help', and she definitely was not going to act that way just because she was dining at some grand home.

After the maid had retreated, Jiao was just considering whether or not she would risk adding a cube of sugar to her tea which she knew would be bitter without it when Lady Catherine asked "And what of you, Miss Mahr? I trust your studies are going well."

Jiao had just decided that her teaspoon rattling around in the dainty cup might break it, but perhaps... she dropped a cube into the cup and let it sit unstirred as she replied, "Yes, thank you. I'll be starting on my third year when the first semester starts next week. I've been itching to get to it again, so I'm really looking forward to it." She didn't think that her aunt would have told Her Ladyship that the threat of keeping her out of NYU was the real reason that Jiao had agreed to this visit at all, so she wasn't going to mention it either.

Jiao looked slowly about the grand room, "You have a really nice home, Lady de Bourgh." She looked back to Lady Catherine and smiled, "Has it been in the family for very long?" Jiao picked up the dainty cup and saucer and rested it in her hands on her lap. Eventually, the sugar cube would have broken up enough for her to give it a single stir. The majority of the tea would be bitter, but at least when she was down to the last few sips it would be sweeter, too sweet really, but it would be a big improvement.

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"Yes, thank you. I'll be starting on my third year when the first semester starts next week. I've been itching to get to it again, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Lady Catherine nodded, admiring Jiao's enthusiasm. She replaced her teacup on its saucer and procured a cucumber sandwich for herself. Having taken a small bite she replaced it on her plate. As she did so she watched how Jiao placed a sugar cube in her tea. As a rule Lady Catherine never took sugar in her tea and had only offered it to be polite. She wasn't about to point out her generosity, however.

"You have a really nice home, Lady de Bourgh. Has it been in the family for very long?"

Inwardly, Her Ladyship scoffed. Nice? She hated that word. It was so...bland, and did not at all suit the grandeur and majesty of Rosings. Instead of pointing this out she graced Jiao with another smile before making her reply.

"Why, thank you. This house was originally owned by my late husband's family; his parents moved out to another, similar place not long after we were married, and it became our home. I believe it was in Sir Lewis's family for quite some time - two generations at least."

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

As Jiao asked her question, she had continued to look around the room and eventually her gaze was drawn to the large windows which looked out into the beautiful gardens outside. As Lady Catherine spoke, she absent-mindedly picked up her teaspoon and started to stir… clink, clink, clink… Jiao froze as the sound of the teaspoon finally broke through and registered. She glanced to Lady Catherine and offered a brief sheepish smile as she put the teaspoon back in her saucer.

“- two generations at least.”

Jiao waited for a moment, and then realised that Lady Catherine wasn’t going to be saying anything else ~:Now what?:~ she raised her cup and took a sip of the tea, trying to keep herself from grimacing at the bitter taste. She put the cup and saucer back on the table.

“My aunt said you have a daughter?” Jiao hoped that this would encourage Her Ladyship to continue talking.

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

Lady Catherine had indeed been irritated by the clinking of Jiao's teaspoon against the cup but had been unable to pass comment owing to the fact she was already speaking. As the young woman offered her a sheepish smile Lady Catherine simply smiled back, as though she hadn't noticed a thing.

“My aunt said you have a daughter?”

Her Ladyship smiled at this query, glad of an opportunity to boast.

"Indeed I do, Miss Mahr. Anne de Bourgh is a prodigiously talented and charming young lady. Unfortunately her poor health means she is not out in society as often as she would wish to be...but that cannot be helped."

She paused, taking another sip of tea before speaking again.

"And what of your family, Miss Mahr? How do they fare?"

[JIAO "JO" MAHR]

As Lady Catherine had talked about her daughter, Jiao had taken a few sips of her tea, and then frowned slightly, "I'm sorry to hear that." Jiao silently wondered what was wrong with Lady Catherine's daughter's health, but thought that perhaps it might not be polite to ask.

"And what of your family, Miss Mahr? How do they fare?"

As Jiao leaned forward slightly to put her cup back in it's saucer, her stomach growled slightly. Jiao coughed in an attempt to cover the sound, and then immediately started talking as if to distract from it, "Oh, everyone is doing well the last I'd spoken to all of them. I'm a little concerned about the health of my youngest sister, but she seems to be in good spirits otherwise. And it sounds like we might be celebrating a wedding soon too. My oldest sister has said that there have been hints. I don't know, I think he's a little on the boring side, but Marmee says that he's responsible and would provide a good home for her and he..."

Jiao was rambling, talking about nothing and too much at the same time. Inwardly though, she was wondering why her aunt hadn't warned her about the change in etiquette that said a hostess now didn't offer their guests any of the eats any more before taking for themselves. Jiao wasn't quite sure what to do about this and her thoughts raced through her head ~:Should I help myself? I hope my stomach doesn't grumble again. I hope she didn't hear that! Should I wait until I'm offered?:~ Jiao's expression turned to confusion as the thoughts raced in every direction, and then she stopped talking in mid-sentence, her words hanging in the air without support before quietly crashing to the ground.

Jiao blinked. Years of her aunt's reprimands and admonishments to never help herself before being offered refreshments came up unbidden in her mind. Jiao closed her mouth which had still been slightly open from the last words spoken. She smiled briefly and picked up her teacup again ~:Where was I?:~ As Jiao tried to remember her last words, she took a sip of her tea, her eyes returning to Lady Catherine's over the rim of the cup. Jiao carefully put her cup back into it's saucer and spoke in a slower, measured pace, "They're all well and quite excited with a possible wedding looming on the horizon. Father thinks it will be a good match as they're both quite in love."

~:Wait. Didn't I say that already?:~ Jiao smiled as she tried to remember what she had said. Brief snippets came back to her, but nothing concrete and she took to looking around the room again, "Do you like living here?"

[LADY CATHERINE DE BOURGH]

"Oh, everyone is doing well the last I'd spoken to all of them. I'm a little concerned about the health of my youngest sister, but she seems to be in good spirits otherwise. And it sounds like we might be celebrating a wedding soon too. My oldest sister has said that there have been hints. I don't know, I think he's a little on the boring side, but Marmee says that he's responsible and would provide a good home for her and he..."

As Jiao spoke her Ladyship nodded where appropriate, continued drinking her tea and took another couple of dainty bites of her cucumber sandwich. When the young woman paused, seeming to have lost her train of thought, Her Ladyship indicated the tray with her free hand, indicating Jiao should help herself, with not the faintest clue as to her inner debate about the situation.

"They're all well and quite excited with a possible wedding looming on the horizon. Father thinks it will be a good match as they're both quite in love."

Lady Catherine did not hear Jiao's question, so intently focussed was she on what the young woman had said last, hardly even realizing she had already mentioned it.

"Your sister may be getting married?" she queried. "What is the young man's name? Who is he?"

If there was one thing Her Ladyship loved to discuss it was weddings, even those of people she had never met. It was all to do with her wanting to find her own daughter a suitable match.