lord redwald vannes (charismata) wrote in emillion, |
Ari went to a significant number of balls, for someone who was not of noble descent (although, she thought, suppressing a sigh, between Audrey and Aspel, she spent at least half her time with nobles these days…), and found them amusing but more or less the same. One could dance, which she enjoyed, or eat, which she also enjoyed, or gossip, which… depended very strongly on who one was gossiping with; the trick was to flit between groups just as the conversation got tedious to keep herself amused. Fortunately, most nobles were tolerant of performers in their midst, and at a party for one such as Genevieve Albrecht their presence was even expected. Tonight, there was even plenty to gossip about, although the opinions seemed neatly split down the lines of nobility (shocked but somewhat in favor) and the Guild (amazed and planning a funeral). Really, she didn’t think there was much to say on the subject as she extricated herself from two ladies pondering whether Countess Albrecht would dare wear white again and whether it would be an indoor or a garden wedding. Ari, who was with the guild on this and thought a funeral was more likely than a wedding, made her escape before her opinion could be solicited. She made her way through the crowd, looking for a likely companion -- she hadn’t seen Aud for at least an hour -- when she beheld a clump of young ladies, giggling and tittering and seemingly having a marvelous time. She changed course, drifting over to join them and see what held their attention, and felt amusement stirring as she beheld one Lord Redwald Vannes, living up to his womanizing reputation as he delighted the gathered young women with card tricks. Ari grinned and sent him a wave and an amused smile as he seemed to make the nine of hearts vanish in midair to the gasps of his hangers-on. "Is it in your sleeve, Lord Vannes?" Lady Redwood asked, her face betraying the excitement and intrigue she was fighting to keep out of her voice. Redwald wagged a finger in response, gently tut tut tutting what he obviously saw as a silly question. "There is absolutely nothing up my sleeve, my Lady," he replied smoothly The orator even made a show of holding his sleeves open for all to inspect. "Nothing up my sleeve, just as I said. But I do think there is something tucked behind your ear there…" Lady Redwood did her best to stifle a giggle as Red ignored the concept of personal space, leaning forward to reach for the mysterious something behind her ear. The orator smirked at the woman's reaction—the way her heart fluttered, the flush that crept up her neck. If he was in better spirits, he would make a more serious move. But despite the show he was putting on, Redwald Vannes wasn't his usual self. This engagement announcement was no good for his mood. "The nine of hearts, Lady Redwood." He presented the card to the crowd with a flourish. The audience laughed and applauded, but quickly dispersed when it became clear there were to be no more card tricks this evening. (Lady Redwood made a point of giving him a suggestive look or two over her shoulder as her friends pulled her away.) Only Ari remained. "Ms. Chiaro! Nothing like the sight of your lovely face to brighten up a man's evening." Redwald offered the bard a lazy smile that didn't quite meet his eyes as he put his deck of cards back in his inside jacket pocket. "Sadly, I'm afraid the show is over for now, but that doesn't mean we can't share a drink or three." |