[benjamin/poppy] things you didn't say at all
Crockeryclattered together, emitting a noise that nearly made Poppy grind her teethtogether. She winced and righted the empty teacup from where it had fallen ontop of the saucer in an undignified way. But that was all a result of notexpecting Ben’s question. Hands still and not giving into the tremors that shefelt creep up in her stomach and forced herself to keep at bay, she simplyplaced the saucer down and turned around to face her friend.
“Ithought we had long since covered this,” she told him, her voice somewherebetween playful and all too airy. Fingers reached up to tuck her hair behindher ears. It was an action she wanted to immediately take back as years of hermother slapping her hands away and warning her about her oversized ears hadforced her out of the habit, but instead of fiddling about and giving attentionto her restlessness, she simply clasped her hands by her front and shrugged inBen’s direction.
“Ithought you didn’t need me anymore. In fact, I still don’t think you do if I’mhonest. You’re doing just fine with Jane and Michael by yourself and I’m moreof a hindrance than a help these days. I don’t want to get in the way of youraising the children in your own way – which you’re more than capable of doing,might I add,” she explained.
Her wordswere very careful and she picked them with a great deal of caution, not wantingto lie to Ben but not wanting to hint towards any sort of feelings she may havebeen harbouring towards the man. It was very true that Ben didn’t need Poppyanymore, certainly not as a nanny and, if Gaston’s early morning presence inthe Potters’ kitchen was anything to go by, not as anything else either. Whichleft Poppy eager to be on her way in order to help her get rid of any emotionsthat suggested she might need Ben in that way. It was inappropriate,unprofessional and a threat to the friendship the two of them had been buildingever since she’d shown up on his doorstep and let herself be covered head totoe in paint by Jane.
So she’dleft and then she had returned and Ben had been nothing but welcoming up untilthis conversation where it seemed he wanted answers. Smoothing down her skirt,she faced him and gave him a smile that she hoped wouldn’t betray her or thelump in her throat. Silently collecting herself, she walked over to him.
“Really,that’s all there is to it,” she said. Swiftly moving on, she patted his arm andadded, “Can I trust you to set the table for dinner and keep all of yourfingers intact at the same time?”
