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Tweak says, "It's a fair cop."

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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mercedes_dupont
2008-04-19 07:51 am UTC (link)

Mercedes was also nervous. His invitation was still tucked neatly into his pocket, but he had not looked at it since this morning, and even then he had felt trepidation at the idea of walking, openly, into the Embassy again after his brush with capture earlier in the week.

His nerves, at least, allowed him a few extra minutes wait outside of the building, until he saw the familiar figure exit the coach, followed by an even more familiar, and welcome silhouette. "Mesieurs!" He calls, approaching them, and flashes a smile to Aimé, especially as the boy's elder brother has already climbed the steps, unwittingly allowing the two some privacy for a moment.

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tigersatthegate
2008-04-19 08:07 am UTC (link)

"Mercedes!" Aimé cried out, a little suprised to see him here. Of all the people he would have ecpected the ambassadore to invite Mercedes had not been on the list. "My dear friend, who invited you? Not my brother I hope. I do not think this is the place or company for your story of how you helped us escape from France."

He grabbed hold of Mercedes's arm, leading him off a little way and looked at him in all seriousness now. "Mercedes. Do you think he knows?"

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mercedes_dupont
2008-04-19 08:21 am UTC (link)

"No, not him. The Ambassador." Mercedes says, pulling the invitation from his pocket, handing it over to the youth.

"Knows? I do not believe so. Suspects, maybe. Perhaps he asked us here to watch us, to see if we give anything away?" And with that thought, Mercedes pulls Aimé, by the shoulder, even further away from the steps into the Embassy. "We could leave now, reject the invitation?"

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tigersatthegate
2008-04-19 08:28 am UTC (link)

Aimé read the invitation quickly, colour draning from his face.

He looked up at Mercedes and then glaced to look at the gaurds at the entrance. "Perhapse you could, but my brother is already there. If I don't show up it will look suspicious and more than that he will be angry." He re-reads the invitation, trying to think of something they can do. "I think you should go. Maybe he is expecting you to refuse it, it may conform his suspicions rather than disway them. If you go and then act as if you do nothing more than import and export good he'll have nothing but a wasted invitation."

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mercedes_dupont
2008-04-19 08:37 am UTC (link)

Mercedes nods, taking the invitation back from Aimé and folding it carefully, the movements so as to delay any final decision. "And what about you? He must know that you escaped somehow..." He paused, also glancing back at the soldiery, "The Embassy is French land... he could arrest us there and have us sent to Paris." He begins, and then shakes his head, "But not in front of so many people, he would not."

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tigersatthegate
2008-04-19 08:48 am UTC (link)

Aimé goes pale for a second, but then shakes his head, not willing to let himself by scared by an invertation to a party.
"I don't think that is his plan. If it was, why has he invited so many English Lords? No, he'd make a spectacul of himself infront of all sociaty if he tried that here today. I think this is about making conections. I am sure he means to frighten us, to tell us he is watching us but I also think he is too smart to act that rashly."

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	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-19 09:39 am UTC (link)
	"In that case, I suppose it's best not to decline?" Mercedes says, glancing up as another carriage pulls up outside the Embassy building. He sighs. "But I still don't believe that this is just an innocent invitation. We have to be careful, Amié... if the Ambassador suspects I brought your family here..." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-19 09:44 am UTC (link)
	"I know, I know." Aimé cuts him off. "We'll just have to pretend we don't know each other for one night. I'll keep Antoine away" (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-19 09:54 am UTC (link)
	Mercedes flashes a small, unhappy smile. "I suppose that is the best plan we have, for the moment. You should tell you brother..." He pauses, and then smiles properly. "But I would like to make your acquaintance later in the evening, if possible." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-19 09:59 am UTC (link)
	"I am sure I could be persuaded to introduce myself later this evening" He smiled, a little flirtatiously this time. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-19 10:09 am UTC (link)
	"Somewhere private, perhaps?" Mercedes smirks, eyes moving up and down over Amié in response to the boy's flirtatious tone. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-19 10:11 am UTC (link)
	"Is that the way you usually greet people you've only just met!" Aimé teases, tapping him lightly on the arm. "I'm not so sure if that would be wise. I believe the ambassador has spies in every corner." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-19 10:22 am UTC (link)
	Mercedes laughs. "It depends how you charming they are, Amié." He says, and then turns towards the Embassy stairs. "I suppose I shouldn't be keeping you out in the cold. I'll speak to you later, over some wine? I'm sure I'd be very very glad to meet you. And perhaps not every corner will be watched." He adds, grinning. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-19 10:44 am UTC (link)
	"Of course, later." Aimé promises, letting his hand linger on Mercedes arm before he brushes past him, running up the stairs and showing his invetation to the door man. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

mercedes_dupont
2008-04-19 03:16 pm UTC (link)

Mercedes sighs, watching the boy leave the darkness and step into the light that flooded through the open doors of the Embassy, into God only knew what. He let his fingers stroke over the edges of his folded invitation again, and waiting for a long moment, allowing two more carriages full of guests enter the building before he too climbed the steps and handed over his invitation.

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