Name: Drowning Sorrows
Story: Divide & Rule/Heroes of the Revolution
Colors: Colour of the Day 27/07/2022 (chagrin); Twilight #8 (Absinthe)
Supplies and Styles: Paint-by-Numbers from bookblather (Look, sometimes you gotta get drunk)
Word Count: 1069
Rating: PG
Warnings: Drunkeness.
Notes: September 1949; Diana Foyle, Julia Graves. Flashfic, so excuse any errors - mostly just gratuitous drunkfic, really.
Summary: Even Diana’s favourite guest is being tiresome tonight.

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“I’m a terrible guest,” said Julia, suddenly catching hold of Diana’s arm. “Awful, dreadful.”

Diana turned. “Julia, darling, are you drunk?”

“I wash trying to be,” said Julia. “I think I am. I met a horrid man who made advances and was vile about Ned.” She leant heavily against Diana. “There he is! I wish I had stabbed him with my fork. I wanted to. And then Stephen –” She paused and frowned closely at Diana. “No, I shouldn’t shay – say –”

“Don’t worry. I know what he’s like when he’s drunk by now.”

Julia wrinkled her nose. “He said I was from East Germany, not West, to everyone, and I know what he meant, and it’sh a lie. And Edward isn’t here, so I thought I would get drunk, and now I think I might die instead.”

“Very drunk, then,” said Diana, guiding Julia across to a chair. “Sit there, darling, I shall find you some coffee.”

“They’re all stupid,” said Julia. She waved an arm and nearly fell off the chair. “All of them! Where is that fork? I should kill them!”

Diana looked, but Julia did not seem to be armed with any cutlery. “No, no. If anyone ever murders Stephen in this house, it will be me. Besides, I think your other victim is Viscount Talbot, who’s not worth being hanged for.”

“Oh, well,” said Julia. “But they’re all the same – all stupid! I hate them. Why do they think I couldn’t love Edward? The thingy is all the other way round. I’m horrid.” Tears ran down her cheek. “The worst. Dreadful, awful.”

Diana bit back exasperation, and steadied Julia’s shoulder. “Impossible. Talbot and Stephen are both far worse.” She waved one of the caterers over. “Could you fetch a coffee? Thank you!” Then she turned back to Julia. “Stay there. If you feel sick, there’s a pot plant over there that was a mistake. Use that. I’ll be back once I’ve politely ushered a few more folks towards the door.”

“I don’t think Edward loves me,” said Julia, slumping down into the seat, in a mass of lilac satin and misery. “I can’t blame him. It’s all my fault.”

Diana rolled her eyes, and left. By the time she came back, Julia was standing up, leaning against the wall, and looked much paler than when she’d left.

“I should go home,” she said, evidently making a valiant attempt to pull herself together. “Yes. I should.”

Diana took her gently by the arm. “No, you’ll stay here. Did someone bring you a coffee?”

“I don’t know,” said Julia looking around.

Diana turned to the nearest side table and rescued a glass of sparkling water. “Well, have this, and then I’ll take you upstairs.”

“No, thank you,” said Julia. She glanced around at the remains of the party. “I should help first. You should go rest. You’ve done everything.”

Diana pressed the glass firmly into Julia’s hand. “I have people to do that. Now, come upstairs. Occupy the spare room, or someone who actually is awful might insist on staying. I shall be grateful, I promise.”

“I’m not very far.” Then Julia frowned. “No. It’s not very far. Home isn’t. Ish it?”

“No,” said Diana, “but I think I ought to keep an eye on you.”

Julia, to her relief, stopped protesting, and let Diana lead her away, bending over to lean her head against Diana’s shoulder. “You shouldn’t be kind.”

“I’m not. You’re probably the only guest still here that I like. This way.” She guided Julia up the stairs and along the carpeted hallway. “In here.”

Julia thumped down onto the bed, and then fell sideways onto the pillows. “Shall I tell you a secret?”

“Please don’t.”

Julia held up a finger. “No. No. You have to know. I’m cursed!”

“Cursed?”

Julia nodded. “Cursed all over. When I love people they die. You shouldn’t come anywhere near me. And Ned. That’sh why I’m horrid. They’re all wrong, all the stupid people. I love Edward and it will ruin everything. And I don’t even think he likes me any more. It’s all so sad.” Tears rained down her face again, and then she sniffed loudly.

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling,” said Diana. It had been a long and trying day already. She hauled Julia up. “Come on, you can’t sleep in that dress.”

Julia let her unfasten the hooks and eyes at the back, although she did sway alarmingly at one point.

“I don’t suppose you’ll remember this,” said Diana, “but you’re not cursed, any more than I am. Whatever’s happened, I think we both did most of it to ourselves, and the rest is just life. Whatever idiots like Talbot and my husband might say, I know you love Edward, and it’s equally plain that he’s very fond of you. When does he get back?”

Julia let Diana held her out of the evening dress and lay down in her slip and stockings on the bed. “Not till Tuesday!” she said, in tragic tones. “Ages and ages.” She hiccoughed.

“Not long, then,” Diana said, with asperity. “I suggest you tell him that, instead of me. You two are fortunate, Julia, darling, or you could be. Don’t ruin it by being tiresome, or I shall have to stop speaking to you.”

Julia turned. “Mmph,” she said into the pillow, and then rolled over again. “I should tidy. You’ll want help.”

“Go to sleep first,” said Diana. “You’re no earthly use like this.”

“You’re prob’ly right,” said Julia. She stared upward hard. “Your ceiling is very odd. Why ish it doing that?”

“Close your eyes and it won’t.” Diana perched on the end of the bed. “You know, I told you when we met not to trust anyone – including me. You should have listened. This is pure folly.”

Julia yawned. “My head’s all stupid, but I know that doesn’t make shense.”

“Let us hope that you’re right,” said Diana. She squeezed Julia’s hand and rose to leave. “I hope your poor head isn’t too bad in the morning – and never do something like this again, not in these circles.”

Julia murmured. “Sharks, yes.”

“Well, at least you took notice of something I said that day.” Diana looked back in at her, and momentarily leant against the side of the door, tired. Then she shook herself. Sharks, indeed, and she still had a few left swimming around downstairs that she should deal with before she followed Julia’s example.

***