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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Jul 31, 2007 0:46:32 GMT -5
The carriage ride from the White Hart was a short one and it felt like we were barely settled when the door opened again. "Welcome to the house of the Montegues." I told her with a smile as we walked up to the door. Shana's bright young face greeted us with an honest smile, one I returned.
"Will you be needing anything Juliette?" She asked as she took our cloaks.
"Thank you Shana, but I think we'll be fine at the moment, we just ate. We'll be in my study."
She smiled again, a touch more irreverent. "Of course. Just holler if you need anything."
I grinned and spoke to Caraf as we started moving down the hallway. "My study is off the library, and not nearly as stuffy as the name suggests."
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Jul 31, 2007 1:04:13 GMT -5
"As long as it has chairs… or a floor… I think it will be perfect," I said with a smile.
I glanced around discreetly as we walked, taking in the lovely décor.
"Your home is beautiful."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Jul 31, 2007 1:16:23 GMT -5
"Thank you." I replied, blushing a little with pleasure at her compliment. "Our house has been in the family for generations."
A little further on down the hallway, and we went through a door into my study. Warm wood gleamed all over the room, glass doors looking into the library. The room was big enough for the desk on one wall and three overstuffed chairs arranged in a circle at the other. There were three paintings: one of Father, smiling and full of life, and the other two scenes from home. They always made me smile with memories, even when I was dreadfully homesick.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Jul 31, 2007 1:25:42 GMT -5
My breath caught as we entered the room to which she'd been leading me.
"Oh Juliette, what a lovely room," I said honestly. My eyes took in everything, settling on the landscape pictures for a moment. "Is that your estate?"
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Jul 31, 2007 10:27:34 GMT -5
"That's home." I confirmed with a smile. "And thank you. This is my favourite room in the entire house, I spend most of my time here."
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Jul 31, 2007 10:37:07 GMT -5
"I can see why," I told her, smiling. I longed somewhat for a room like this to make my own at the house. Elliot shared with me everything he had with no reservations, but I still felt like I was intruding on his space sometimes. And every space that wasn't Elliot's belonged vehemently to Evangeline, and I wasn't even going to think about asking for her to share. It was things like this that made me still feel a bit like a guest in the house.
I walked closer to look at the portrait of the man on the wall. "Is this your father?" I asked, unable to keep from smiling more at the happy look on his face.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Jul 31, 2007 10:40:54 GMT -5
"Yes." I confirmed, though said nothing else. I still missed him like an ache, though I kept this painting up to remind me of his true self. Not the man who lay on his deathbed. I settled down on one of the chairs, putting the portrait out of sight for now.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Jul 31, 2007 10:53:48 GMT -5
Her single word answer deterred any further questions, and with absolutely no desire to pry, I moved around and took the chair next to hers.
"Alright," I said, smiling and leaning a little closer. "Now we have privacy, time for all the fun details."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Jul 31, 2007 11:14:55 GMT -5
I let thoughts of Father fade from my mind as Caraf settled and leaned forward. I was quickly filled with much happier memories.
"Oh Caraf, I haven't been this happy in a long, long time." I confessed, my smile growing the more I spoke. "I thought it was some childish fantasy. I never thought it would ever happen."
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Jul 31, 2007 16:01:10 GMT -5
Grinning, my eyes dancing with happiness for her, I said, "That's the best sort of happiness though, isn't it? the kind you always wanted but never expected to get? Tell me more though - was it terribly romantic? Or full of impatient passion?"
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 1, 2007 0:06:45 GMT -5
"It was romantic when he asked to court. But by the time we got back to his place, I think we were both a little impatient." I replied with a shy grin. It was lovely to speak with someone about this. Especially since she wasn't modest about love matters. It must have been the fact she was an adept.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 1, 2007 15:50:05 GMT -5
"And how was it? When you were both impatient?" I asked, leaning a little closer.
As I did, something occurred to me. "Please stop me if I'm asking too many questions, or too personal. I promise I won't be upset, and I hope I'm not bothering you with my questions. It's just so wonderful to have someone to talk to and you are so nice and I like you very much, and I am so happy for you," I told her, chuckling at myself.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 2, 2007 2:12:23 GMT -5
The words poured out of her like sweet wine, and it made me blush a little. But I was also smiling happily. "You're not bothering me. I'm also finding it wonderful to have someone to talk to. I... I don't have very many close female friends that I can trust to keep their mouths shut."
My eyes grew distant as I turned to her questions, and the memories. "Oh Caraf, he was so gentle, but so full of passion. He made me feel amazing. I... I think he might be a lot more experienced than I."
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 2, 2007 17:36:46 GMT -5
"In my experience, that's usually how it is with a couple. One is nearly always more experienced than the other, even here in Terre d'Ange," I told her reassuringly. "Was he your first?"
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 2, 2007 18:07:56 GMT -5
I shook my head. "No, but life is... busy. Casual lovers just don't seem to fit in." I felt a little odd, finally saying that out loud. Terre D'Ange was known for its lovemaking, but I was not one to overindulge. I had too many duties.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 2, 2007 21:22:54 GMT -5
"If an adept from any House was to understand that, it would be one from Heliotrope," I said, smiling. "My number of patrons would make the Dowayne of any other House ill by its smallness, but it is different at Heliotrope. It is not the number of people you love, but the sincerity with which you love them. Better to have one honest and wonderful lover, than a dozen whose names you can't recall."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 2, 2007 22:31:38 GMT -5
"Exactly. Oh, I am so glad someone else understands." My smile was one of relief. "And with Gratien, I want to take time to spend with him. I'm rather gone already, aren't I?" I asked with a little laugh, listening to myself.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 2, 2007 22:58:07 GMT -5
I reached out and squeezed her hand softly. "Yes, I think you are a bit gone," I said, laughing lightly. "And it's wonderful, isn't it?"
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 2, 2007 23:02:00 GMT -5
"Oh yes. Now if I could just get rid of the family, he would be perfect..." It was a joke, but there was more truth behind those words than I cared for.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 2, 2007 23:08:21 GMT -5
"Oh no, what's wrong with his family?" I asked, feeling more connected to Juliette with every word.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 2, 2007 23:17:29 GMT -5
"Not so much his entire family. Merely one abrasive, arrogant brother. Reese seems to enjoy making me furious, has ever since we were children." I shook my head. "I could handle it, except I don't want to be the reason for yet another fight between him and Gratien."
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 3, 2007 0:33:32 GMT -5
A thought popped into my head, and because I knew I could trust Juliette to take it as the jest it was and not tell, I went ahead and voiced it.
"Do you think Reese might like Evangeline?" I asked, barely managing not to laugh.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 3, 2007 0:45:06 GMT -5
I burst out laughing. "Let's lock them in a room together, see what happens." I told her, still laughing.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 3, 2007 0:49:58 GMT -5
I did laugh then, as hard as she was. "At worst only one of them would make it out," I said, wiping the tears of mirth from my eyes.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 3, 2007 0:54:34 GMT -5
"And at best they'll have a like mind to torment. Let's do it!" I told her, laughter still making an appearance.
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 3, 2007 11:50:44 GMT -5
I laughed harder and it took a moment for me to be able to speak again.
"Perhaps we can start with getting them together at the wedding. We can resort to locked rooms if they don't take the hint," I said, chuckling and pressing a hand to my side where it hurt from laughing so hard.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 3, 2007 11:58:07 GMT -5
Another round of laughter at Caraf's words. "Oh we are awful. It's great!"
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 3, 2007 12:06:29 GMT -5
"Not awful, just looking for a good match for both of them," I suggested, completely unconvincingly. "They deserve each other it sounds like."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Aug 3, 2007 12:17:08 GMT -5
I laughed again at her words. "Right, of course. Only looking out for them."
I paused, sweeping my hands slowly across the air in front of me for dramatic affect. "I can see it now. Locked in a room, their barbed tongues, finally meeting their match... Arguments, passion. A playwright should eat them up." I couldn't help it, I burst into another fit of laughter. "Well, shall we?"
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Post by Caraf Tewar on Aug 3, 2007 12:38:30 GMT -5
"Oh, I think we have to," I said, still chuckling and pulling out a lace-edged kerchief to dab at my eyes. "It would go down as one of the great missed opportunities if we didn't."
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