KILL YOUR DARLINGS ✸ Saltburn

𝒙. black tie

𖤐 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑬𝑵:
╰┈➤ black tie ༉‧₊˚.

WHILE OXFORD WAS NOTORIOUS FOR IT'S PARTIES, SO WAS SALTBURN.

Meredith had been sitting at the dining table with only the Catton Family and it's friends, but they were still required to dress up for it. She, personally, was wearing a skin-tight crimson dress that'd make any guy stop and stare, and it did. Felix nearly choked on his water as his eyes fell on hers, and Oliver's lips parted in shock, or rather, amazement.

"My goodness, Meredith. You're always so beautifully dressed." Elpseth gushed from the end of the dining table.

Meredith wasn't sure if she liked the extra attention from the room or not, but she did like the way Felix was staring at her.

She took a seat across from Oliver and soon enough, the food was placed on each of their plates by the chef.

"You look breathtaking," Felix said, voice so light it seemed as though his breath actually had been taken away and just the thought made Meredith smile so wide. "You are breathtaking."

He gave her hand a brief squeeze with an equally warming smile before digging into his dinner.

When Meredith looked up, she met Oliver's gaze. He was angry and his fist was balled on the table top and it was quite obvious he was jealous.

But when she turned to look at Venetia, she had been practically drooling all over the table as she looked over at Oliver.

If Meredith was correct, she'd be in a much worse mess than she ever intended this summer.

Pamela had been going onto Oliver about her love life with most recent affair, a Russian man who'd apparently call her a whore. Oliver wasn't paying much mind because he was giving Meredith such intense eye contact but before she knew it, Elspeth was chatting her up from down the table.

Pamela let out a deep sigh. "I don't know what I'd do without Elspeth. She really saved me."

"Don't bang on about it, Pamela, darling." Elspeth snapped, breath short as she stared down her friend. "You know we're delighted to have you forever how long it is you intend to stay."

Farleigh rolled his eyes, blowing out one final huff of annoyance. "Forever?"

"Oh, no, I think I might've--erm--found somewhere."

Both Sir James and Elspeth burst with excitement at the statement, both sharing their own words of excitement. 

"Yeah, my cousin... my cousin has a flat." The redhead explains with worrisome brown eyes. 

"Oh, that'll suit you very well, a nice little flat." Elspeth boasts, eyes widened with hope. 

Pamela frowns. "It's more of a... a bedsit, really." 

"I loved living in a bedsit in my 20s!" The blonde wouldn't stop giving the woman comments of hope, and no one could really tell whether she was being genuine or just trying to rid of her poor friend.  "It is so freeing to live all in one room. And much less cleaning to do." 

Sir James nodded and hummed in agreement, though his mouth remained stuffed with food. 

"But it'll be terrible when you're gone." Her brows knitted together with worrisome sadness. "How will I cope?" 

"Well, I..." Pamela began to stammer, a sudden hopefulness in her eye. "I... could stay a little bit longer..." 

"Oh, no, darling, no." Elspeth shook her head, her mind made up as she cut her friend off. "You must be desperate to be rid of us and find your own place. I quite understand." 

Pamela looked at her friend with big brown doe eyes of pure sadness and Meredith couldn't help but feel sympathy for the poor woman. 

She wanted to reach over and give her a big hug. And maybe if she had a home to offer, she would.