Fic: Redemption, part 25 (PG)
May. 30th, 2011 09:16 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
hazeltea.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
indeedsir_backupThis has been rattling around in my brain since I read Yours, Plum: The Letters of P.G. Wodehouse a few years ago.I wanted to try continuing the 1953 fanfic by J. Maclaren-Ross , which was lovingly transcribed here by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
chaoticchaos13
Pairing:Jeeves/Bertie
Disclaimer: I make no profit from the lovely world of Wodehouse.
Part 1: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/849688.html#cutid1
Part 2: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/851698.html#cutid1
Part 3: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/853433.html#cutid1
Part 4: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/854770.html#cutid1
Part 5: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/856387.html#cutid1
Part 6: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/861280.html#cutid1
Part 7: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/864721.html#cutid1
Part 8: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/867046.html#cutid1
Part 9: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/870100.html#cutid1
Part 10: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/871794.html#cutid1
Part 11: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/875432.html#cutid1
Part 12: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/876502.html#cutid1
Part 13: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/880681.html#cutid1
Part 14: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/881405.html#cutid1
Part 15: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/881540.html#cutid1
Part 16: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/890509.html#cutid1
Part 17: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/896757.html#cutid1
Part 18: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/899617.html#cutid1
Part 19: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/904805.html#cutid1
Part 20: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/913398.html#cutid1
Part 21: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/935186.html#cutid1
Part 22: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/939558.html#cutid1
Part 23: http://indeedsir.livejournal.com/946312.html#cutid1
Part 24: http://indeedsir.livejournal.com/960845.html#cutid1
Jeeves seemed more like his usual self the next morning, when I was roused from my slumber by the clink of the cup and saucer being placed beside me. He kissed my temple, and spoke in a smooth, soft tone. “It is an overcast day, sir, with light winds from the east. I shall return in time for tea.” Before I could clear the old onion enough to respond, he was off.
I took my time with the tea, before bathing and indulging myself in a breakfast of toast and marmalade with a real egg. It didn’t take long for me to tidy the flat, and when I had finished, I made my way to Jeeves’ office. There I found an impressive pile of papers to be sorted, and I began my new duties. I was surprised to discover that Jeeves was involved in far more than the clinic, for there was correspondence concerning everything from the health of veterans to the BBC. One paper was so full of legal mumbo-jumbo that I couldn’t make any sense of it, so it became its own file. I matched the incoming letters to his datebook, sorted scrap, and at the end of the morning was proudly gazing upon an empty “in” box. I felt much the way an eager young secretary might have felt unknowingly accepting a position from Mycroft Holmes, so I rested my exhausted gray matter for a bit in the kitchen with a glass of port while I pondered what I might be able to get at the butcher shop for our dinner.
The doorbell buzzed, breaking me from my reverie. Puzzled, I put on my suit jacket and straightened myself, the way the best servants do, and answered the summons. My heart dropped into my stomach when the ringer of the bell proved to be not a benevolent presence such as Catsmeat or a collecting tradesman, but Stinker.
“Hullo, Bertie.” He began. “I really need to talk to you.”
I nodded dumbly, and let him in. The air itself seemed to be jumping with nervousness, or static electricity. I cleared my throat. “Might I offer you tea?” I asked, steadily. He nodded, and followed me to the kitchen, where I at least had something to occupy my shaking hands.
“Bertie.” He began, after a moment’s silence. “I love you.”
I tensed, and focused on the tea things. “You love Stiffy.” I countered. There was no arguing that, what?
A sigh escaped him, like a hiss from a dying balloon. “I do, you know, but… it’s not the same, Bertie. Things have changed.”
“They’ve changed between us, too.” I replied, firmly.
“Bertie… sweet thing… I never wanted to be, you know, one of them, dash it. I know I gave you money, but I didn’t mean it to be, well, degrading.” He was flustered, and pouted a bit.
“I don’t do that anymore. I’m sorry.” And I was, really, looking at his face.
“I would have put you up, you know, if I had the means. Then you wouldn’t have had to do anything for anyone else. I just couldn’t afford it. I’ve always loved you, you know.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to this, but denying it suddenly seemed difficult to do. Had he? At school? He’d always been so bally well shy and retiring, which was why his venture into the clergy seemed natural. Still, he’d been set on Stiffy for years. It was difficult to read his heart.
“Things are rough now, old thing. Quite understandable. But you must remember Stiffy, you know. You stole a policeman’s helmet for the girl, after all. You never stole a thing before in your life, not so much as a penny candy. A woman who can drive a man like you to devious ends should be enough for you to handle for several lifetimes.”
“I don’t know how to handle her. She’s not interested in a thing I say or do, Bertie. She complains about the state of the parish, about the money and the bomb damage, and looks to me as though I am the one to blame. “ he laughed. “No, that’s not quite it. I don’t think she gives me enough credit to blame. She looks at me, you know, as though to say, ‘what a chump I married!’ And then, I see her courting a lord over dinner. I’m expected to do nothing. I can’t be expected to deny myself anymore, not if she can’t have some respect.”
He rose, quite suddenly, and in a step was against me, his hand on my cheek and my back to the wall. If there had been a chair, anything between us, he’d have stumbled and given me a moment to react, but as it was, well, there we were.
“Why should I let myself suffer, when you are so beautiful, and so kind?” he murmured.
I felt my heart racing again, and my body reacting to his nearness. I steeled myself, and met his eye, with some effort. “You’re a married man.” I began, unsteadily. “I won’t be your sin. You made a promise to Stiffy.” I had to convince him of this, for I couldn’t admit that I had made a vow as well. I would never put Jeeves in that sort of danger.
“I’ve prayed for years to be rid of the sin, Bertie. Why should love be a sin, after all? Is God so unfair?”
“You’re the expert.” I snapped. “Why can’t you be like the Catholics? They don’t even marry, and you want to twice over.”
“The Catholics are the worst of the lot.” He chuckled, and leaned in for a kiss.
I pushed him, hard enough to slip away. “I said no.” my voice was shaking.
I will say one thing in his favor, and that was that he had the decency to look ashamed.
“It’s that man, isn’t it. “ there was a threatening undercurrent to his voice.
Catsmeat! I’d forgotten all about his bluff, and I stammered as my thoughts raced for a way to deal with this complication. “It’s not that.” I replied, smoothly. “Stay away from him. He could ruin you with a single broadcast.” I added, quickly. I wouldn’t have him threatened as well, not when he had done so much to protect me.
Stinker blinked, surprised. “What? Bertie, I’d never… I’d never put you in danger, even if it meant losing out to him…”
Well, I felt jolly well rotten at this point, for I saw in his expression the friend who would look after me when I was ill, and share his last bar of nut chocolate with me at school. His distress was such that I moved the sugar bowl and tea pot to the far edge of the table, fearing for their safety.
“Look, I’m sorry, I really am. You’re right, you know, we do need to talk, but not about us. Let’s start with Stiffy.”
“Stephanie?” he asked, bewildered. I plowed on.
“Yes, your wife has been biting at my ankles as of late concerning this old windbag of a lord you are so jealous of. Despite the grief she has caused me, let me be the one to defend the lady’s honor. She is working undercover, you see, to touch the old blister for a bit of the ready for the parish. She didn’t want you to know because she thinks a jolly lot of your manhood and didn’t want to upset you. You wrong her.”
Stinker gaped at me, as though I had slapped him across the face with a dead fish. “She did that for me?” He nearly choked on his regret, and that gave me the strength to push on.
“Furthermore, she is under the impression that I can form a solution, somehow, as I work for Lord Jeeves. Now, I have thus far given her the push, you see, but in the interests of reconciling true love, I am willing to help. I don’t know how, but I’ll do my best to secure an audience with this Lord Farthington and plead your case for the parish.”
“You are too good.” He whispered. “A true angel, Bertie. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Give me up.” I said, quietly.
Slowly, he nodded. “I do love you, Bertie. So much.”
I felt my heart wrench at the thought of the door we were about to close. “You’ve always been good to me, and you will always be my dear friend.”
“Always.” He managed. “Goodbye, my sweet Bertie.” He brushed his lips across mine, and stumbled towards the door. I hurried after him, worried for whatever objects lay in his path.
Once the door was closed, I pounded my fist against it, and fought the burning in my eyes. I’d made my choice months ago, after all, and I was furious with myself for feeling the stab of pain that I did. I drew in my breath, slowly, and thought on Jeeves, my man, my love; he who was everything to me. Yes, I had made my choice, and it was a good one. After a moment of brooding on him, I felt not so alone, as though I could reach out to hold him, inhale his scent, hear his deep, gentle voice.
“Sir.”
I sighed. It was a lovely voice.
“Sir?” I jumped. The voice was clear enough to think I was going mad, to hear it so clearly in my head. I turned, slowly, and paled to see that Jeeves had somehow appeared in the flat. My heart pounded like a hunted rabbit’s as I realized that he must have seen Stinker was here, if not overheard us. I’d always felt that Jeeves was as capable as any servant at listening through keyholes, though he'd never be obvious about it.
“Come, sir, we should talk.”
I followed him, as though trudging to my death. I’d had enough talks for one day, for a week, a month, a bally lifetime.
chaoticchaos13 Pairing:Jeeves/Bertie
Disclaimer: I make no profit from the lovely world of Wodehouse.
Part 1: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/849688.html#cutid1
Part 2: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/851698.html#cutid1
Part 3: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/853433.html#cutid1
Part 4: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/854770.html#cutid1
Part 5: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/856387.html#cutid1
Part 6: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/861280.html#cutid1
Part 7: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/864721.html#cutid1
Part 8: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/867046.html#cutid1
Part 9: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/870100.html#cutid1
Part 10: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/871794.html#cutid1
Part 11: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/875432.html#cutid1
Part 12: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/876502.html#cutid1
Part 13: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/880681.html#cutid1
Part 14: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/881405.html#cutid1
Part 15: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/881540.html#cutid1
Part 16: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/890509.html#cutid1
Part 17: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/896757.html#cutid1
Part 18: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/899617.html#cutid1
Part 19: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/904805.html#cutid1
Part 20: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/913398.html#cutid1
Part 21: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/935186.html#cutid1
Part 22: http://community.livejournal.com/indeedsir/939558.html#cutid1
Part 23: http://indeedsir.livejournal.com/946312.html#cutid1
Part 24: http://indeedsir.livejournal.com/960845.html#cutid1
Jeeves seemed more like his usual self the next morning, when I was roused from my slumber by the clink of the cup and saucer being placed beside me. He kissed my temple, and spoke in a smooth, soft tone. “It is an overcast day, sir, with light winds from the east. I shall return in time for tea.” Before I could clear the old onion enough to respond, he was off.
I took my time with the tea, before bathing and indulging myself in a breakfast of toast and marmalade with a real egg. It didn’t take long for me to tidy the flat, and when I had finished, I made my way to Jeeves’ office. There I found an impressive pile of papers to be sorted, and I began my new duties. I was surprised to discover that Jeeves was involved in far more than the clinic, for there was correspondence concerning everything from the health of veterans to the BBC. One paper was so full of legal mumbo-jumbo that I couldn’t make any sense of it, so it became its own file. I matched the incoming letters to his datebook, sorted scrap, and at the end of the morning was proudly gazing upon an empty “in” box. I felt much the way an eager young secretary might have felt unknowingly accepting a position from Mycroft Holmes, so I rested my exhausted gray matter for a bit in the kitchen with a glass of port while I pondered what I might be able to get at the butcher shop for our dinner.
The doorbell buzzed, breaking me from my reverie. Puzzled, I put on my suit jacket and straightened myself, the way the best servants do, and answered the summons. My heart dropped into my stomach when the ringer of the bell proved to be not a benevolent presence such as Catsmeat or a collecting tradesman, but Stinker.
“Hullo, Bertie.” He began. “I really need to talk to you.”
I nodded dumbly, and let him in. The air itself seemed to be jumping with nervousness, or static electricity. I cleared my throat. “Might I offer you tea?” I asked, steadily. He nodded, and followed me to the kitchen, where I at least had something to occupy my shaking hands.
“Bertie.” He began, after a moment’s silence. “I love you.”
I tensed, and focused on the tea things. “You love Stiffy.” I countered. There was no arguing that, what?
A sigh escaped him, like a hiss from a dying balloon. “I do, you know, but… it’s not the same, Bertie. Things have changed.”
“They’ve changed between us, too.” I replied, firmly.
“Bertie… sweet thing… I never wanted to be, you know, one of them, dash it. I know I gave you money, but I didn’t mean it to be, well, degrading.” He was flustered, and pouted a bit.
“I don’t do that anymore. I’m sorry.” And I was, really, looking at his face.
“I would have put you up, you know, if I had the means. Then you wouldn’t have had to do anything for anyone else. I just couldn’t afford it. I’ve always loved you, you know.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to this, but denying it suddenly seemed difficult to do. Had he? At school? He’d always been so bally well shy and retiring, which was why his venture into the clergy seemed natural. Still, he’d been set on Stiffy for years. It was difficult to read his heart.
“Things are rough now, old thing. Quite understandable. But you must remember Stiffy, you know. You stole a policeman’s helmet for the girl, after all. You never stole a thing before in your life, not so much as a penny candy. A woman who can drive a man like you to devious ends should be enough for you to handle for several lifetimes.”
“I don’t know how to handle her. She’s not interested in a thing I say or do, Bertie. She complains about the state of the parish, about the money and the bomb damage, and looks to me as though I am the one to blame. “ he laughed. “No, that’s not quite it. I don’t think she gives me enough credit to blame. She looks at me, you know, as though to say, ‘what a chump I married!’ And then, I see her courting a lord over dinner. I’m expected to do nothing. I can’t be expected to deny myself anymore, not if she can’t have some respect.”
He rose, quite suddenly, and in a step was against me, his hand on my cheek and my back to the wall. If there had been a chair, anything between us, he’d have stumbled and given me a moment to react, but as it was, well, there we were.
“Why should I let myself suffer, when you are so beautiful, and so kind?” he murmured.
I felt my heart racing again, and my body reacting to his nearness. I steeled myself, and met his eye, with some effort. “You’re a married man.” I began, unsteadily. “I won’t be your sin. You made a promise to Stiffy.” I had to convince him of this, for I couldn’t admit that I had made a vow as well. I would never put Jeeves in that sort of danger.
“I’ve prayed for years to be rid of the sin, Bertie. Why should love be a sin, after all? Is God so unfair?”
“You’re the expert.” I snapped. “Why can’t you be like the Catholics? They don’t even marry, and you want to twice over.”
“The Catholics are the worst of the lot.” He chuckled, and leaned in for a kiss.
I pushed him, hard enough to slip away. “I said no.” my voice was shaking.
I will say one thing in his favor, and that was that he had the decency to look ashamed.
“It’s that man, isn’t it. “ there was a threatening undercurrent to his voice.
Catsmeat! I’d forgotten all about his bluff, and I stammered as my thoughts raced for a way to deal with this complication. “It’s not that.” I replied, smoothly. “Stay away from him. He could ruin you with a single broadcast.” I added, quickly. I wouldn’t have him threatened as well, not when he had done so much to protect me.
Stinker blinked, surprised. “What? Bertie, I’d never… I’d never put you in danger, even if it meant losing out to him…”
Well, I felt jolly well rotten at this point, for I saw in his expression the friend who would look after me when I was ill, and share his last bar of nut chocolate with me at school. His distress was such that I moved the sugar bowl and tea pot to the far edge of the table, fearing for their safety.
“Look, I’m sorry, I really am. You’re right, you know, we do need to talk, but not about us. Let’s start with Stiffy.”
“Stephanie?” he asked, bewildered. I plowed on.
“Yes, your wife has been biting at my ankles as of late concerning this old windbag of a lord you are so jealous of. Despite the grief she has caused me, let me be the one to defend the lady’s honor. She is working undercover, you see, to touch the old blister for a bit of the ready for the parish. She didn’t want you to know because she thinks a jolly lot of your manhood and didn’t want to upset you. You wrong her.”
Stinker gaped at me, as though I had slapped him across the face with a dead fish. “She did that for me?” He nearly choked on his regret, and that gave me the strength to push on.
“Furthermore, she is under the impression that I can form a solution, somehow, as I work for Lord Jeeves. Now, I have thus far given her the push, you see, but in the interests of reconciling true love, I am willing to help. I don’t know how, but I’ll do my best to secure an audience with this Lord Farthington and plead your case for the parish.”
“You are too good.” He whispered. “A true angel, Bertie. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Give me up.” I said, quietly.
Slowly, he nodded. “I do love you, Bertie. So much.”
I felt my heart wrench at the thought of the door we were about to close. “You’ve always been good to me, and you will always be my dear friend.”
“Always.” He managed. “Goodbye, my sweet Bertie.” He brushed his lips across mine, and stumbled towards the door. I hurried after him, worried for whatever objects lay in his path.
Once the door was closed, I pounded my fist against it, and fought the burning in my eyes. I’d made my choice months ago, after all, and I was furious with myself for feeling the stab of pain that I did. I drew in my breath, slowly, and thought on Jeeves, my man, my love; he who was everything to me. Yes, I had made my choice, and it was a good one. After a moment of brooding on him, I felt not so alone, as though I could reach out to hold him, inhale his scent, hear his deep, gentle voice.
“Sir.”
I sighed. It was a lovely voice.
“Sir?” I jumped. The voice was clear enough to think I was going mad, to hear it so clearly in my head. I turned, slowly, and paled to see that Jeeves had somehow appeared in the flat. My heart pounded like a hunted rabbit’s as I realized that he must have seen Stinker was here, if not overheard us. I’d always felt that Jeeves was as capable as any servant at listening through keyholes, though he'd never be obvious about it.
“Come, sir, we should talk.”
I followed him, as though trudging to my death. I’d had enough talks for one day, for a week, a month, a bally lifetime.
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no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 09:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 09:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 10:57 am (UTC)That, though, Bertie can explain without any problems at all. It truly was innocent and intended to defend them both.
no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 02:53 pm (UTC)I can't wait till the next chapter!! :D
no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 09:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 05:33 pm (UTC)(Also, I've just started getting into Red Dwarf and am thrilled to discover that you write for that too! I've really liked everything I've read from you so far.)
no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 05:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-05-31 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-01 12:49 am (UTC)....
Date: 2011-06-01 07:48 am (UTC)... Update soon(ish)? The suspense is killing me.
Re: ....
Date: 2011-06-06 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-01 02:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-02 11:40 pm (UTC)Don't panic, Jeeves and his huge, fish-fed brain will understand (prolly heard part of it, anyhow).
Ohhhh, I just wanna smoosh 'em together and lock the door.
You're doing marvellously, I can't say it enough. Lovely writing!
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 12:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 06:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 02:52 am (UTC)