Cece/Juliette - Complete
Cecilia’s eyes followed Juliette’s hand, but it was difficult to say if she was truly paying attention - she showed no reaction to anything she said. When Juliette finished speaking, she remained quiet, looking over the varieties of spices lined up on the wall. When she responded, it was with surprise, as if Juliette had just suddenly started speaking. As if they had been standing together in absolute silence, rather than inside a busy little spice shop. “Food?” Cecilia said, turning to look at Juliette, supplying her answer.
“Food,” Juliette repeated. It was very hard to refrain from exclaiming, every spice in here will do for food. That would have been rude, and she could not be rude.
She was here for the Countess, she reminded herself.
Must as she had done in the gardens, then, she took the initiative, leading the young woman to the wall of spices meant for vegetables -- these, she knew best -- and selecting three bottles. “For food,” she said simply, holding them out.
Cecilia accepted the spices obediently, looking them over in her hands. Then she looked up at Juliette. “What foods can I use these for?”
“Vegetables,” Juliette said. “Grains. This one is particularly pleasant on squash.” It was one of her favorites this time of year for that reason. “Aside from attempting to sprinkle them upon pastries, I do not think they will… offend the senses otherwise.”
“Squash,” Cecilia repeated. Did she even know how to cook squash? In truth, Cecilia’s cooking skills were - more than decent, but it was the instinctual kind of cooking that came from tasting and experimenting more than anything she had learned from her mother. They had liked her cooking back in Tarlev, but she had been a child at her mother’s side then. She had never liked doing it much in all honesty - she didn’t like the feeling of someone hovering over her and overviewing her every move. She liked to do things as she pleased, learning in her own way.
She looked back at Juliette. “Do you cook a lot?”
“I cook a fair amount,” Juliette admitted. “I have only recently developed the habit, however. And yourself?”
“Yes.” And then, as an afterthought, “just for myself though. I don’t really like it. You don’t seem like the kind of person to cook.”
“I suppose I might not,” Juliette said, feeling a little uncomfortable. “It has proven... therapeutic, however.” And that was all she intended to say about it to a stranger.
“May I help you find anything else?” she inquired, trying to keep her tone from being too pointed. “I believe those will serve you well, if not.”
Cecilia cocked her head to the side. Most things seemed to escape Cecilia - but in truth, she picked up on things more than people might expect. She just rarely chose to comment or react on them. There were very few things in life that she considered worth pursuing - apparently mysterious gates and where they led had been one of them - but she felt her interest get tugged at gently by Juliette’s apparent hesitation in answering Cecilia’s question. She felt that familiar needling inside of her. Her curiosity stirring itself out of sleep, demanding to be satisfied.
“I don’t think I’ll need anything else,” Cecilia replied, “but if you know any good recipes…” She looked at Juliette expectantly.
“We have recipe cards,” Juliette said immediately, and with some relief. “I will select a few for you.” She did so, mentally thanking the owner for his foresight, before leading the way to the register. The door to the storeroom remained unnoticed.
All in all, it seemed this second encounter would conclude far more successfully than their first.