Come Dine With Me

[thirstforvice]

Slowly, life returns to normal.

Treves visits, regularly at first, then less so, helping Matthew to rehabilitate his leg to a level where he can walk without help once more, though he still relies heavily on the use of a cane. Bennet's memories continue to return, in steady dribs and drabs, and Edmund invites them both to return to their work before too long. Matthew's stomach turns at the thought of going back on the trains again, even the underground ones, and blames his leg for why he favours a carriage.

He's taking laudanum again, coca too, but that he keeps quiet. There's no need to worry Bennet with that, not yet anyway, not when everything is still so fragile.

They've been back at Leman Street just over a week when Matthew and Bennet return home to a frantically cooking Mrs Ramsay.

"There was a message, from your Inspector Reid," she informs them both as she moves around the kitchen. "He will be dining with us this evening."

Comments

[thirstforvice]

Pulling on a fresh shirt, waistcoat and mis-matching trousers, Matthew tries to work out who Reid's additional guest is from the muffled voices floating upstairs. It's a woman's voice, of that he's pretty sure - definitely not Abberline, at any rate - but it's all too muffled for him to deduce any further.

Taking up his cane, the stairs near impossible without them, Matthew sighs once more for his lost evening of pleasure and makes his way downstairs to play the gracious host.

[thegentlemanthug]

The last person he'd expected in his house tonight was Matthew's former wife with their Inspector.

It feels unnatural to serve her tea and talk about her new business interests, while their shared lover is oblivious upstairs. He cannot imagine what design the Inspector has in bringing her here, but he knows Matthew will not be happy.

[thirstforvice]

Whoever Matthew might have been expecting, it wasn't... her.

"Susan." He doesn't know what else to possibly say, flabbergasted and panicked into silence as he stands in the doorway to their living room.

[thegentlemanthug]

"Matthew," she says, and Bennet's skin crawls with it. She has no right to that name no more.

"Dinner is served," Mrs Ramsay says, stiff as a board and glaring daggers at their guests.

[thirstforvice]

Matthew will not play that game, will not call her Caitlin in return, choosing to ignore her entirely as they march through for dinner.

[thegentlemanthug]

Reid and Bennet attempt to make stilted small talk, if only to avoid the awkward silence, but once the soup has left the table, Susan seems unable to restrain herself.

"We are here for a purpose," she declares.

[thirstforvice]

"If you're going to start throwing things, can you ask Mrs Ramsay for the cheap plates. She's put out the best china tonight," Matthew scowls, trying for some sort of dark humour but some of the fear is real. He wouldn't put it past Susan to go for him, even here in polite company. She had that look in her eyes whenever she looked his way.

[thegentlemanthug]

"No one will be throwing nothing," Bennet says, and it's Reid he looks to for assurance.

"Quite," the Inspector says, hurriedly. "Susan and I have...ah, we have a request."

[thirstforvice]

"Dinner is served!" Mrs Ramsay chooses that moment to reappear, pulling her silver trolley behind her, laden with dishes that she starts to transfer to the table.

With nobody willing to talk over her, awkward silence falls once more.

[thegentlemanthug]

"Thank you," Bennet says.

Mrs Ramsay looks stern, an expression that sits ill on her face. She leans down to her charge's ear. "Just say the word and I'll pour one of the doctor's tonics in their tea."

"Too kind," he says, and almost smiles.

[thirstforvice]

"So what are you requestin'?" Matthew demands as soon as they are left alone again, dutifully serving himself from the platters in front of him even though food is the last thing on his mind.

[thegentlemanthug]

"A divorce," Susan says, dryly.

"The Inspector and I are getting married.

[thirstforvice]

Matthew is glad he's not yet started to eat, else he surely would have choked.

"You're... what?" His voice wavers more than he'd wanted it to.

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet glares daggers at Reid. He had thought better of the man he had called friend, than to covet another man's wife - especially a harpy such as this one. But then Matthew was living with him under his roof, so he could he really call it treachery?

"I think a divorce would be to our mutual benefit," Reid chips in.

[thirstforvice]

"Jesus, Reid," Matthew is less careful than Bennet at keeping his thoughts to himself.

"I'll sign whatever you want me to, but you're making a mistake. Trust me. Learn from my mistakes."

[thegentlemanthug]

"The Inspector is nothing like you," Susan says, her voice cutting. "He has no desire to shape me into something I'm not."

"Matthew deserved none of what you gave him," Bennet says, his voice quiet but steel-cored. "If Mr Reid wants to try his luck, that's on him, but you won't malign Matthew in his own house."

[thirstforvice]

"I never made you do nothin' you didn't want to do!" Matthew protests violently, hands slamming the tabletop as he gets up onto his feet.

"I never dared even try. You'd only have thrown something at my head."

[thegentlemanthug]

Bennet stands and takes hold of Matthew's arm.

"Shall we step outside?" he murmurs in his lover's ear. "Let the tea cool, eh?"

[thirstforvice]

"No," Matthew shrugs off the support, sitting himself back down in his chair and staring defiantly at Susan and Reid both. He refuses to be cowed by this woman any more.

"You do what you want," he tells Reid once more. "But you'll regret it when the honeymoon fades."

[thegentlemanthug]

Reid shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

"I have arranged for a solicitor to handle the affair," he says. "We need not all be present."

[thirstforvice]

Matthew shrugs. He will do what has to be done, in the presence of whoever needs to be present.

"Whatever you think's best."

[thegentlemanthug]

"You will release me then?" Susan spits.

"He'll be free of you," Bennet counters.

[thirstforvice]

"Who's bein' released is entirely debatable," Matthew grumbles, but keeps his voice low. He is not free of her just yet, and he does not want to go out with bruises and bleeding.

"I'll do whatever you say," he says, louder, pushing food gone cold and mostly untouched around his plate.

[thegentlemanthug]

"Perhaps we might continue this discussion another time," Bennet says, shooting Reid a look of threatening intent.

"Yes, it is getting late," Reid says, understanding him entirely, and standing up from the table.

[thirstforvice]

But Susan has that glint in her eye, one Matthew recognises from across the table and instinctively tenses. Something is coming, something cruel, and he wonders whether she's at least remembered his warning about the best china.

"Darling," she looks up to Reid, resting a hand against his. "We've not shared our other news."