| Details for The Voice of the Silent |
| Summary: | Bailey speaks above her place, but finds that Rhyeline welcomes it. |
| Date: | 14 November, 1938 |
| Location: | Berylwood, London |
| Related: | Immediately follows Dragon 'Mauling' |
| Characters |
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It's been quite a day. When Bailey relieved her colleague around 3 o'clock, Rhyeline's father had just left and the little one herself had returned to her work. Guarding her, for the most part, consists of watching her read and quietly dictate notes to a hovering parchment and quill for hours on end. Though she isn't supposed to have returned to work full-time, she spends little time resting.
After seeing to it that Graham was tucked into bed, safe and sound, Rhyeline returns back down the stairs and tells Bailey that she is going to apparate to Berlywood. With a sharp crack, she appears in the magnificent entry way. Though she had calmed considerably the moment she had left St. Mungo's, the last of the tension eases from her fragile form the moment she is within Berylwood's walls.
Peeking up at her guard, she hesitates a moment before taking a step closer. "I… I wanted to thank you. For… earlier," she tells her in a rather soft tone.
It's the first time Bailey has Apparated into Berylwood. She's been assured that the security spells have been tuned to allow her passage, but it doesn't do much to reduce the apprehension. She's heard how painful it can be to bounce off of an Anti-Apparition Charm and end up Merlin-knows-where. When the world twists back into place, and she finds herself in the familiar entry hall of the mansion, she breathes a sigh of relief. Fighting off the nausea of the sensation of being squeezed through a straw, she almost doesn't hear Rhyeline. "Oh…certainly. Wait…for what?"
"At the hospital… for- for trying to reassure me about- Healer Rowle. And- also… I apologize for not waiting for you to follow when I- got the news…" murmurs Rhyeline, clasping her hands behind her back.
Bailey shakes her head, giving a little shrug. With Rhyeline safe in Berylwood, her duties are complete, and she can afford a moment of relaxation. "I'm paid to follow you. You're not paid to wait for me. You go about your day as you would. I'll be there. Though, thank you for telling me where you Disapparate to." She'd been briefed on the issue that caused in the past.
"Still… I- I appreciate your patience with me. You are- are rendering a service and- and I should not make your task more difficult." Averting her gaze, Rhyeline self-consciously tucks a wisp of a curl behind her ear. "And… as for Healer Rowle… and the other healers… I /know/ that they are there to help, and that I have no need to be- apprehensive of them. But… my fear comes regardless. Just the smell of St. Mungo's and it comes…"
Bailey sighs, grimacing sympathetically. "I know the feeling. For the longest time, I hated going back there. It took years, really. But it was Felicity that was the biggest help to me. She took such a personal interest in my case…it was nice. We got to be friends, and that made a lot of difference to me."
"I've got Healer Keenan… he's like that for me. Though- both he and- and Cassius are cautious of each other." Rhyeline hesitates, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Would you- would you like to come and- and have tea with me in the solar?"
Bailey chuckles. "I get the feeling Mr. Malfoy is cautious of everyone besides you." She ponders for a moment before actually answers the offer. "I'm…not sure I'm allowed. I'm technically still on duty, in case you want to leave again."
Rhyeline can't help but smile, knowing how much Cassius trusts her. With each passing day, the warm glow inside her grows. It shines bright in her dark, expressive gaze. With a small nod, the little one murmurs, "I understand… Cassius never wanted me as a servant, but- when I served the Ambassador in Berlin, I- I was supposed to be a shadow…"
Bailey spreads her hands, fingers turned indicatively inward toward herself. "And now you have a shadow. Funny how life works sometimes." She pauses for a moment, obviously in thought. "Do you mind it? Having a shadow, I mean. It's got to be irritating sometimes, having me there in your home, watching you live your life."
Rhyeline shakes her head. "No… I don't mind so much. It reassures Cassius and- and it does make me feel a bit safer. I think it unsettles others a little… but I hope that will fade. I think when you speak up, it puts them more at ease."
"Yeeeess…well, I'm really not supposed to. Talk, I mean. Not unless it pertains to your safety. Not that I expect anyone to go snitching to my superiors, but…I wouldn't want to make your or Mr. Malfoy look bad. I'm really not from…this world." Bailey gestures all around, to the extravagant manor interior.
"Around Graham… and- others like- like Laurence… it helps. It keeps them from mistrusting you which- which is important for making sure they don't ever try to protect me from /you/," murmurs Rhyeline. Following Bailey's gesture at the magnificent entrance hall, the girl gives a small shrug. "Berylwood is- is much more than I am used to as well… but- I hope you do not feel out of place for long so long…"
Bailey smirks wryly. "You really think Toulson's problem is trust? His mind seems focused elsewhere. If he's not pawing at you, he's looking for an opportunity to kiss me. I see why I've got the…unusual instructions regarding him."
Rhyeline looks down at her toes as her cheeks grow noticeably warm. "I… Graham said it- it's simply his way… he's- he's harmless… I don't think he would try to kiss my lips again now… now that I have told him of- of Cassius' claim…"
"I…hope I'm not out of line," the blonde bodyguard says cautiously. "But I'm surprised about you and Mr. Malfoy. Not that I'm any great judge of couples, but you and he seem…unlikely." Even as she says it, her cheeks flush and she shuts her eyes. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me to say. Please forget it."
Rhyeline blinks a bit. She doesn't seem offended. Whether she and Cassius made a likely couple never crossed her mind. Tilting her head to the side, the little one seems curious. "It's alright… Please… What do you mean?"
Bailey sighs. "Well, if I'm going to get sacked, I'm sure it'll happen no matter what, now. Alright, so…Malfoys seem more like the arrange marriage type. Or at least the type to look for other prominent pure-blood ladies. No offense, you're quite a lady. But…I'll be honest, I've never heard of the Diderot family. And you…you're so sweet and, well, meek. It just seems like you'd be buried under Mr. Malfoy's big personality."
"I wouldn't let you get sacked for answering a question I'd asked… if I didn't want to know the answer, I wouldn't ask." Tucking another strand of hair behind her ear, Rhyeline looks thoughtful. "I think Cassius values other traits beyond the- the prominent name and- and bold personality…"
Bailey smiles, nodding in understanding. "You obviously think very highly of him. I hope he is truly deserving of-…" She shuts her mouth when the sound of a horse's whinny penetrates the front doors, a sure sign that the lord of the manor has returned home. She mouths, "Maybe later," to Rhyeline, and deferentially steps back to the edge of the room to prepare for the grand entrance.