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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 5, 2009 20:01:31 GMT -5
I was enjoying not only the cool wine but Sandrine's attentions. This was more like it, this was the woman that I enjoyed. I was glad that she had stopped things last night, and that I had bothered to apologize. One day, one day I would have her the way I wanted to, but until then, this would do.
"Don't worry over it, Sandrine, it is in the past, let us forget about it."
We pulled up to the restaurant before I could say more, and I smiled. "It appears we have arrived."
Once out of the carriage, I held out my hand to assist her from the carriage, and then led her into the restaurant, my arm around her waist. We were seated quickly, as the service here was impeccable, and we were soon ensconced with our menus.
"What sounds good, do you think?" I asked, perusing my menu half-heartedly.
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 5, 2009 21:23:10 GMT -5
Everyone was looking at us as we entered, even though they all pretended to be discreet. It always amazed me how rich people were really no different from poor. All were nosy. All wanted something they couldn't have. I held my head high as we walked to our table, leaning slightly into Denis. It was probably a mistake to drink the wine before I had eaten today. Ah well, no need to worry. After last night I was pretty sure Denis would not try to attack me again.
"Everything looks good," I answered, a bit breathlessly. I was trying not to act like a little girl and failing miserably. I scanned the menu for what looked to be the most sophisticated. Finally my eyes settled and I looked at him, smiling. "The escargots sound lovely," I said. Not that I had ever had them before. I was sure they would be delicious.
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 5, 2009 22:33:19 GMT -5
I hid a smile behind my menu as Sandrine tried to decide on her meal. She reminded me somewhat of Rochelle at that moment, all wide eyes and breathy answers. When she decided on escargots, I raised a brow, but said nothing.
"Good choice," I said, smiling and beckoning to the waiter. When the man appeared, silently and as if out of thin air, I ordered two of the escargots and a bottle of their best white wine. The man disappeared again, and Sandrine and I were left alone with our appetizer of crusty french bread and whipped butter.
I broke off a piece of bread and slathered some butter onto it, then offered it to her with a smile. "So, how have you been enjoying staying in my home? I trust the servants have made certain that you and Sophine are comfortable?"
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 5, 2009 23:18:58 GMT -5
I took the bread from him, considering it for a second. I was glad that he ordered the same thing. I must have done something right. "It's quiet," I admitted. "Orchis is full of laughter, and fosterlings running about, and someone's always telling jokes. But it has been nice to get away from all that noise, if only for a while." I smiled warmly at him, reaching over to squeeze his hand gently. "Sophine and I feel very safe at your home, especially with Guy there too."
I took a bite and chewed, watching as the waiter seemed to appear out of nowhere again to set down our wine and two glasses. He poured me a tiny bit of wine and then looked at me expectantly. It took me a few moments to realize that he wanted me to taste it. My training from Jasmine kicked in, and I swirled the wine around, looking to see the viscosity of the liquid. What a funny word, viscosity. Then I took a generous smell of the wine, making sure it hadn't gone bad in the cellar, before I drank a small sip.
A smile broke out across my face. "It's amazing," I said, nodding at the waiter, who poured Denis' wine and then continued to fill my glass. I knew I was going to have to pace myself, but it was hard when the wine was so delicious.
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 5, 2009 23:26:07 GMT -5
I listened, but with only half an hour, trying to peer at her cleavage without seeming to. She had the most impressive cleavage of any Adept I'd seen, and that was quite a few.
"Well, I'm glad to hear it." I said, though the mention of feeling safe with Guy around really only served to annoy me. I was beginning to think that hiring him had been a mistake, but that was a question to ponder at another time.
The waiter appeared, pouring wine for tasting, and I was impressed to see that Sandrine handled herself well. I suppose it was the type of thing an Adept was trained at, but somehow Sandrine seemed more free-spirited than that.
Now that we had our wine, an awkward silence set in. I thought about saying something to ease it, but instead I just sipped my wine, actually enjoying the slight tension in the air.
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 5, 2009 23:48:59 GMT -5
I took too large of a sip of wine, looking around. I didn't do well with silence, and I wanted to break it, but I didn't want to sound stupid.
"I found a way to solve that problem that I mentioned to you," I said suddenly. I leaned forward, as if I was about to tell him a secret, a sly smile on my face. "I'm just going to steal it back," I lied. "I know where he lives, and there's no way I'll work with him again anyway, so I'll just take back what's mine. It'll be much more fun, I think." I sat back, pleased with my false plan. "What do you think?"
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 6, 2009 0:00:30 GMT -5
I leaned forward slightly, as if to share her secret, smiling widely. "I do approve, little one." I said, chuckling and leaning back in my chair. "It gets the desired result, and that is what really matters." Of course I preferred the sort of statement that broken legs sent, but I kept that to myself.
I started to say something else, but then our food arrived, the snails delicately arranged on a bed of lettuce, still in their shells, with little golden forks to pull the meat forth. I smiled at Sandrine and reached for my fork. "Bon appetit!"
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 6, 2009 0:13:44 GMT -5
I grinned at his approval. "Well, I've learned from the best, after all."
And then I considered the little snails. I took my fork and delicately pulled some of the meat out of the shell. I looked it over for a minute--where was the head and where was the tail?--but then I decided to just take a bite.
It was an interesting mix of garlic and an earthy taste I had never experienced before. My eyes fluttered closed as I chewed and a small noise like a moan escaped my lips. It was strange and weird and delicious all at the same time.
"Wonderful," I murmured, digging another one out, trying not to eat too quickly.
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 6, 2009 21:10:26 GMT -5
Watching her eat was enough to make me have to adjust my breeches, but I controlled myself by concentrating on my own food for a moment.
"Well, it's nice to see that you appreciate my considerable talents," I said at length, setting my fork down and taking a drink of my wine. Smiling at her, I changed the topic to one that I thought might put me firmly back in her good graces.
"By the way, I wanted to thank you for getting Rochelle involved in your charitable giving project in Night's Doorstep. She really enjoys it, and it gives her something to do that she can feel good about." Not that I particularly cared how she felt, but one had to at least act fatherly at times.
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 6, 2009 21:49:20 GMT -5
I blushed at the complement, taking another sip of my wine. For an instant I wished I hadn't worn the long sleeves, because I was feeling very warm.
"She's a great help," I said, grinning. "At first she was so shy, but now she practically has all of Night's Doorstep wrapped around her little finger." I dug out another little snail, chewing it happily. "I was glad to do it." I paused for a second, unsure of how to say what I wanted to tell him. "Rochelle needs more time out, I think. Guy is very nice, but I'm sure she's a little bored, sitting in the house." I picked up my wine glass again and looked at him. "You know, if she ever wants to come to Orchis, we are always playing games or learning new songs. I'm sure she'd like it."
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 6, 2009 22:21:32 GMT -5
I had to hide behind my napkin for a moment to hide my disgust at her suggestion. Let my daughter parade about with a bunch of Adepts? Not bloody likely! Still, it wouldn't do to say such to Sandrine, so I merely smiled and nodded.
"I think you are right. While Guy is unmatched at protection, I'm sure he is a dull companion for a young girl. Perhaps one day we shall make arrangements for Rochelle to spend an afternoon at Orchis." Over my dead body...
"For the moment, however, I am content to let Guy worry about Rochelle and to simply enjoy your company, my dear." After taking another bite of my lunch, I had the thought that perhaps Sandrine might have some information that could be useful to me, so I decided to probe carefully.
"Tell me," I began, as though I were simply concerned, "Has there been any more news about the fire that took the lives of Guy's sister and her family? I hear that the circumstances were suspicious."
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 8, 2009 21:13:04 GMT -5
I tried not to look surprised, though I couldn't keep my eyebrows from raising in shock. I took a sip of wine while I thought about what to say. Finally I shrugged.
"Not that I know of," I lied, pouting a bit. "Guy won't tell me anything, though I tried to ask around myself." I smiled, picking out another snail and popping it into my mouth. "I do know a few guards, though..." I licked some butter off of my fingers, watching to see his reaction. "...intimately. I've asked, but no one seems to know anything."
"Why do you ask?" I countered, drinking more wine. "I'm sure that someone like you, with his finger on the very pulse of society, would know far more than I do."
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 8, 2009 21:26:02 GMT -5
I watched her lick her fingers with more interest than I probably should have had, considering the words that went along with it. Knowing she was an Adept, it shouldn't have surprised me, but I couldn't help but be a bit irritated at having the knowledge of her other lovers tossed out as if she were speaking of the weather. Perhaps I should stick with Heliotrope Adepts.
No matter, I pulled my mind back to the moment and smiled at her words. Yes, it was quite obvious that she was rather empty-headed and knew nothing of the matter, I should have realized that Guy would want to keep her pretty little head out of it.
"True," I said, finishing my last bite with a flourish. "I suppose I can do him a favor and ask around," I mused, as if I would do such a thing out of the kindness of my heart.
My gaze was drawn back down to her bodice, and I realized that what had started out as merely an attempt to get back into her good graces was becoming a desire for something more. Well and so, we were out and we were both business people at heart.
"Sandrine, I don't suppose you are in the mood for a little bit more than lunch," I said, reaching across the table to cover her hand with mine softly.
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 8, 2009 21:36:47 GMT -5
My eyes followed his, and I immediately knew what he meant. Truth be told, I knew his interest in me was not entirely pure, but I did enjoy the way that he looked at me. I could use the money, and Denis was very handsome.
"It has been rather difficult," I said, "living in the same house as you." I sighed again. "That's why I wondered why you never came to see me." I smiled at him, finishing my lunch. "Finally I just decided to find you." I drank more of my wine. "I'm so glad I did."
"So, should we go to Orchis now?" I asked. "I can't wait."
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 8, 2009 21:39:45 GMT -5
An idea was forming in my mind, a bit of payback for last night, and I smiled slowly.
"What if we do something a little different?" Of course, we would still have to stop off at Orchis for the contract, but I had something else in mind. "Let us visit another house together, and pick up a third."
I drained my drink, and then added with a wink, "The House will be my choice, and a surprise. What do you say, would you like a little adventure?"
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Sandrine nó Orchis
Adept
Orchis House
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.
Posts: 776
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Post by Sandrine nó Orchis on Nov 8, 2009 21:46:25 GMT -5
I bit my lip and thought. "A surprise?" I repeated. I wasn't sure where he was thinking. I knew he went to Heliotrope and sometimes Balm (Denis wasn't the only one with his ear to the ground), and those all seemed fairly tame. Boring, even.
I knew that I couldn't assume anything with Denis, though, so I was a little concerned. Mentally I shrugged. I couldn't really be hurt in any of the houses. Really, the Night Court was a very safe place for an adept.
"I would love a little adventure," I said, grinning. "Will you tell me now, or do you want to blindfold me so I am well and truly surprised?"
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Post by Denis de Rouille on Nov 8, 2009 21:50:37 GMT -5
"Now, that my dear, is an excellent idea." I grinned at her before lying some coin on the table for our lunch. "Come, let us to Orchis, and then on our adventure." I rose and reached for her hand, bringing her fingers to my lips, kissing them softly. I could afford some gentleness for her, as my plan for the afternoon would afford precious little of that.
With that, I led her from the restaurant, and on into a most interesting afternoon, indeed.
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