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Tweak says, "And ambidextrous."

Léon Belmont (ex_the_ambas216) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-03-28 07:54:00

Entry tags:

ambassadors_ball, leon_belmont

An Invitation to the French Ambassador's Ball
Subject: The Ambassadors Ball
Where: The French Embassy
Who: Léon Belmont, the French Ambassador to the English court
Warnings: none as yet
Open to: All (all players may attend either as invited guests of the ambassador, as servants or guests of those invited, as staff, or as gate-crashers.)

The ballroom of the Embassy was already growing busy, and when Citizen Belmont paused for a moment besides one of the large windows, he could see yet more carriages pulling up outside, wreathed in the mist blowing in from the river.

The quartet had been playing now for a good half an hour, new French tunes as well as those the English favoured. His staff was busy handing out good French wine, and then refilling those glasses when they were drained.

It was going to be a good evening, and not only in the eyes of the party-goers. With some of England’s most prominent aristos on the guest list, and some than some newly arrived French nationals, tonight would be a night of information gathering, of sizing up the opposition, and perhaps even ensuring some of those French escapees were returned to face justice.

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viveleroi
2008-04-22 07:15 pm UTC (link)

Olivier obliged the man, walking out of the stable into the moonlit courtyard, his hands raised slightly away from his person, so his new companion might see he was unarmed in an obvious sense. He didn't think his duties as a stablehand would come in need for at least another hour or two, and Amandine was too busy finding them humiliating work with former countrymen to worry about what he was doing.
"Tell me sir, what other activities have you reign over?" Surely people didn't stop at prostitution and fraud. Olivier assumed fraud because otherwise, how would such an unsavory individual be allowed at the Embassy?

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social_climber
2008-04-22 07:35 pm UTC (link)

"Reign?" Harry says, turning to look at the other and making one or two steps towards him, meeting half way between his original position and the stable block itself. "I didn't think that was a word you French particularly liked?" He enquired, glancing over the man. Pose was wrong, all wrong, for a man who worked with horses for his living. And all wrong for a man who was used to being subservient. His back was too straight, his head held too high.

"What were you looking for exactly, my lord?" He asked, testing the theory. If he was wrong, well, maybe there would be a bit of a scuffle if the stable-hand took offence. But Harry doubted that. He doubted that a lot.

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viveleroi
2008-04-22 07:48 pm UTC (link)

Olivier was less concerned about being detected than he should have been, Amandine's obvious ease in her current poverty-stricken surroundings had lulled him into a false sense of security, and he made little effort to hide his roots or education. The referral of 'lord' did not set off warning bells because the man inquiring might suspect Olivier's identity, but because it was so strange to hear, after weeks of mucking stables and boxed ears.

"Sir, a humble stablehand searches only for a humble game," he responded, proverbial hackles up. "I cannot afford a lady, as others here have, but perhaps after a few hands of a favorite game I might," this was nonsense of course, Olivier had no intention of purchasing a few hours with some syphilic London prostitute, not when Amandine was so happy to be with him.

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social_climber
2008-04-22 08:01 pm UTC (link)

Harry offered the man a smile. "Can't afford a lady? Well, that's good at least. I don't happen to know any." He said, reaching into another of his inner pockets, and drawing out his own pack of cards. "If you're looking for something to pass the time, perhaps I can offer you a game myself? The Ball is growing tedious." He smiles, and nods back towards the stable block itself. "Is there somewhere in there? Or would you prefer some more comfortable surroundings? I'm sure our host would allow us a room or an hour or two, and a bottle of something to help the evening progress."

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viveleroi
2008-04-22 08:09 pm UTC (link)

"An intimate game would be indeed favored," Olivier replied, smiling. It was a rush, knowing he was about to put money on the table. "I think it's best not to trouble Monsieur Ambassador, however." Recognition might be a concern there. He'd kept to the shadows when visiting Amandine but if he were to show up in a small room with one other man and have the Ambassador welcome them, he was sure to be known.

"The stables are comfortable, if you do not mind the smell." To tell the truth, he'd hardly gotten used to it himself. His mother's garden at his French estate helped to mask the smell when he'd gone riding in the past.

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social_climber
2008-04-22 08:48 pm UTC (link)

"Horses. Can't stand them." Harry explains, with an expression that might have been taken for apologetic, if it had not been for the grin. "So it will have to be inside, with a bottle of the Ambassador's finest wine. No doubt he hasn't been doling that out to his guests. And don't worry yourself, he is far far too busy to bother two gents at cards." Harry says, glancing down at the deck of cards in his hand, slowly beginning to shuffle them.

"What's your game, sir?" He asks, turning and being to walk slowly back towards the Embassy, although not heading directly for the Ballroom. Nell had been here often enough to show him the servants entrance, and they would be too busy keeping plates and glasses laden tonight to notice them.

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viveleroi
2008-04-23 01:28 am UTC (link)

Olivier felt dismay but registered little on his face, keeping his eyes on the cards. The man moved towards the servants enterance, the same one Olivier had seen Amandine use, the door he'd used when he'd snuck in to see her.

"La Bete, but I'll play one and thirty if you'd like. If you've a favorite that I'm not familiar with, let me play a few hands without money on the table and we can see how it goes," his hands were shaking slightly, he hadn't played since he landed in England, and he'd been leery of joining his fellow stablehands; they were suspicious of him enough as it was.

"May I ask your name, sir?"

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social_climber
2008-04-23 07:45 am UTC (link)

"One and Thirty is an old favourite of mine. Perhaps that for our evening's entertainments?" He said, pushing in his shuffling to open the unlatched door and step back inside the warmth. This route took them through the slab-floored kitchen, but Harry didn't seem to notice that, taking a bottle from a rack on their way past and handing it to Olivier. "Would that suit for the evening, my lord?" He asked, waiting for a moment for the man's approval, before heading on and finding them a quiet, unoccupied room.

"You can ask, I'm sure, my lord. But I won't give my mine unless I have yours in return. That only seems right, as far as I can see." He says, pulling s chair towards the little sturdy table.

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	viveleroi 2008-04-24 09:24 pm UTC (link)
	"Olivier Devereux," he responded. Common names, who was this man to be wary of, to warrant concern of placement? No one, he was sure. "Now in fairness, return a name," the room was far from the ballroom, that was true, but Olivier was still nervous. The fact that this man had some air about him Olivier couldn't place didn't help. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	social_climber 2008-04-24 09:41 pm UTC (link)
	"Pleased to meet you." He smiled, gesturing the man into the opposite seat as he sat down himself, shuffling the cards again, the tips of his thumbs brushing over the minute indentations on the side of the old, beaten deck of cards. "I'm Harry Fisher. Won't you sit? I'm sure there are some glasses around here somewhere..." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	viveleroi 2008-04-24 09:56 pm UTC (link)
	Olivier took a chair, pleased inwardly that someone else would do the finding for once. He was sick of running at every beck and call, and was going to take this card game, however short or long it decided to be, to relax. "Is it a favorite deck of yours or just a handy one?" He asked, watching the cards slip between Harry's fingers. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

social_climber
2008-04-24 10:15 pm UTC (link)

"An old deck that I found. It was left behind the other day at a tavern. I though it was best not to let a good pack of cards go to waste, so I offered them a home. Not that they have repaid my kindness much in the last few evenings." He explained, and then slid them across the table. "Please, would you deal? I shall find us some glasses. And a cork-screw." He adds, glancing at the bottle.

He makes himself busy searching, although out of the corner of one eye watches his companion. "Why are you in England, Olivier?" He asks casually, having found two glasses, and set them down. Unable to find a proper opener, he resorts to pulling a flick-knife from another pocket and stabbing the cork with that, before pulling it out and pouring them both a generous measure.

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