Lady Bouyelle's Last Party

[Basil d'Archais]

“You can leave that here,” said Basil, nodding at Dantalion’s burden then tipping the point of his still-smoking cigarette towards the empty table beside his armchair. When Dantalion deposited the trait, Basil smiled like the cat who had got the cream.

“Go on, then. Dance,” he said, smiling over the rim of a freshly acquired glass of bubbly. “It’ll be the first real entertainment this party’s seen.”

[Angélique Maureau]

"Yes.", she agreed wholeheartedly. He should be honored! She was an excellent person to be seen with.

Once Dantalion had rid himself of the tray, and was available for her pleasure, Angélique took his arm, wasting no time sauntering away from their company.

"You seemed to require saving just then, Mr. Lautrec.", she teased.

[Dantalion Lautrec]

“I’m so grateful for your assistance.”

There were dozens of couples dancing already and with practised skill, Angelique lead the way into a space among them all. In almost all aspects of Hapan life, it was the woman who lead. Dancing was a notable exception to that rule. Dantalion wrapped an arm around Angelique’s waist and took her hand in his, setting their pace and direction. Like all young men of Hapan descent, he had been drilled in all aspects of Consortium culture, to the point that he scarcely needed to think to dance.

Dantalion cast a quick glance about, noting the faces of the other dancers.

“Have you spoken with Ta’din Bouyelle yet?”

[Angélique Maureau]

Angélique did not require her thoughts to be on the dance either. Being perfect at everything had always been required of her, happily she was up to the task. Her dark eyes flitted among their fellow dancer's quickly ascertaining who was among them. Who it was they were being seen with, and who was not there to be seen.

The first noted absence was expected. Maddie would not be dancing, as usual. She would have disappeared into the greenery by now, with her nose in a book until the moment she was needed elsewhere, only to then seemingly pop out from thin air at the right moment.

The next item of note was that the Archon of Theselon was in attendance, escorting about Madelle Sarpin. She wished them.. good fortune. The lady was rumored to be on a level with herself, insofar as eligible Hapan heiresses went, and there it ended. Angélique knew her own worth and it was vastly superior to that... She narrowed her eyes, trying to think up a suitable derogatory term for the other heiress. ..That nobody. To be nobody in Hapan society was practically a death sentence.

Smile once more in place, she answered Dantalion, as the dance spun her first away, and then back into his arms. "Not as yet. I thought she might enjoy her festivities a while.."

[Madeline Thane]

Having just narrowly escaped, Madeline wasted no time in removing herself from the scene. She did not wish to be found again when the Archon, handsome as he was, returned. It was not to be, and there was no point in dwelling on it a moment longer. At least she would have time to read. Her fingers tightened around the spine of the book, stuffed into the reticule hanging on her wrist. It was too heavy for the dainty little bag, it was practically bursting at the seams.

Maddie grinned.

One hand on the banister, the other cradling the weight of the book, she cautiously mounted the stairs, to observe the dancers from above..

[Dantalion Lautrec]

“A while?” Dantalion echoed, doing his best to conceal a flicker of frustration. Whether he liked them or not, parties such as this were part and parcel of Hapan society.

“We shouldn’t wait too long to wish her well, should we?” he asked, pausing a moment as the dance dictated they part and skim past one another, back to back. Again, he scanned the crowds, looking for… anything unusual. Anything that might suggest they weren’t the only pair who might be unusually interested in the whereabouts of Lady Bouyelle. As they twirled back into place, face to face once more, he went on.

“Too late and she might be… too far into her cups to take note of what wonderful guests we are.”