Chapter nine - (Louisiana, December 1861)
The door banged brusquely behind her, the ferocity of the sound making her visibly flinch as she treaded heavily over to where her charcoal colored cape lay neatly over the back of a wicker chair beside the window in the room. Reaching the time-staking designed piece of furniture, she hastily grabbed the thick material draped over it and lifted it from its resting place - throwing it about her shoulders and fastening it at the front securely to keep out the evident chill in the air.
She needed to get away from the plantation for a while - a whole week of listening to Belladonna Boudreaux's oh-so-wonderful tales of never-ending elegant and refined balls she attended in New Orleans and how many thousand suitors she had turned away for their lack of wealth and propriety was beginning to wear Rogue down - and watching everyone fawn around her and cater to her every whim was worse than being shot at dawn as far as Rogue was concerned. It wasn't that she disliked the outrageously polished blonde, startlingly blue-eyed debutante - she barely knew her, if anything she was to be admired and idolized for her sheer beauty and poised behavior - but Rogue was quite certain that if she was more acquainted with Belladonna, she would soon be pulling at the roots of her own hair in frustration over the blondes much too perfect peripheral and over-rated haughtiness.
That morning, at breakfast, she had consistently tried to shut of her own hearing and prayed to be magically drifted into the content little world in her subconscious - she was never one for mornings and would be quite happy to miss the traditional morning get-together had she not been accustomed to it - but the resonance of Belladonna's gratingly sweet laughter and over-zealous approach to the opening, crisp December day was becoming too much for her.
Sweeping out of the room, she proceeded intently down the long, curved stairway into the main foyer and turned promptly at the foot of the ascent, stepping up her pace in direction of the buildings back door.
"Rogue? Where are you going?" She stopped immediately and clenched her eyes in annoyance at being discovered during her pending escape. After her momentary hesitation, she quietly turned around to meet the questionable visage of her younger sibling, Kurt.
"Ah'm ridin' inta town" She answered honestly, with just a twinge of bluntness which took the young man before her a little by surprise, causing him to take a tentative step toward her.
"On your own? Why?" Kurt asked dubiously as his sister looked up to him defiantly, obviously annoyed at being caught.
"Yes Kurt! On mah own! Whaht's with all th' questions?" She retorted irritably, placing cross hand on her covered hip.
"Calm down Rogue - I'm just being concerned as any good brother should be" He explained hastily and watching quietly as the previously flared green eyes of his trepidation, subsided back into their normal hazed appearance. Rogue visibly sighed at the realization of his words and looked away from his deep blue stare.
"Ah'm sorry . . ah didn't mean ta get angry . . . ah jus' need ta get away from heah" She explained quietly, standing herself up straighter and looking back to Kurt's youthfully marred features.
"I know what you mean . . but I would still prefer it if you did not go alone -" Kurt suggested softly, placing a comforting hand on her layered shoulder.
"Kurt, it's not thaht far . . .and I'd rathah beh on mah own. Jus', tell momma wheah ah've gone so she cain't worry too much" She relayed softly, but firmly - her tone of voice telling Kurt that she would not be swayed to think otherwise and so with a hesitant smile, he released her shoulder and allowed her to leave the house undisturbed.
The air was fresh as she had expected it to be - the wintry chill hitting the exposed skin on her face as a sharp wind picked up and blew toward her, rustling the leaves in the arched Red Oaks above her, the soft crunching of golden brown leaves from the Gum trees under hoof where they had dropped as the temperature had decreased not long ago. She shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat - she hated riding side saddle, it was so awkward and tedious - not being able to go any place fast in such an un-natural position as she thought of it - but she had taken into consideration that she was going into town, and if not for her own piece of mind, then her mothers - she had decided to ride as she was brought up to - as a young lady was expected to.
Gently, she tugged the reins in her hand to the right as she reached the end of the long track leading away from the resident plantation and directed the docile, fawn shaded horse down the next road toward the small town not far ahead. A low-lying mist, swept across the path further on - the outline of the track just about visible along the lonely trail. With a small nudge from her foot, the horse continued to plod on in the right bearings and Rogue felt herself relax a little as she finally left the plantations boundaries.
Content in her own company, she allowed herself to drift off into her own thoughts - listening to the wild birds fluttering about in the towering trees above and the silent wind rustling the leaves on the branches - only groaning softly in annoyance when her peace was broken by the sequenced trot of an approaching horse behind her. At her unhurried pace, the other mammal soon caught up beside her and slowed to match her gait - Rogue looked over to the rider at her side and felt her heart nearly stop as she met their face.
"Y' mind if I join' y?" Remy asked, customary smirk in place. Rogue opened her mouth to answer, but found herself to be flabbergasted - having not expected Remy, of all people to be requesting her permission to accompany her. After all, they had barely spoken three words to each other since he had returned to the Pryde's colonial estate and he had apparently spent most of his time with Belladonna and her father.
"Uh . . . if ya wish" She finally managed and tore her wide-eyed gaze away from him to look back to the misted road ahead. Taking this as an acceptance, they continued along in silence.
"So, how y' been chérie? Haven't seen y' f' a while, non?" Remy began, a little hesitant at her cold conduct toward him.
"Fahne . . an' you?" She replied politely, keeping her eyes firmly ahead her.
"I've been well t'ankyou. So, why ar' y goin' int' town?" He asked conversationally, switching his gaze between the road they were following and the young woman beside him. At his question, Rogue groaned internally - was it too much to ask for a bit of peace and quiet? Obviously so.
"Ah jus' want'd ta get out o' th' house" She explained patiently, her tone monotonous.
"What, alone?" His immediate question made her turn her head sharply to look at him incredulously.
"Did mah Mothah or Kurt send ya?" She asked disbelievingly, but completely serious - it would just be like her Mother or Kurt to send someone after her. Remy merely chuckled at her accusation and shook his head softly.
"As much as I would like t' use dat as excuse - no, dey didn't. Actually, I too jus' want'd t' get out o' de house" He mimicked her earlier reason for going into town - earning him a glare from the irritated brunette beside him.
"Look swamp rat, ah left ta get some peace - so if all yoah gonna do is annoy meh, then ah think ah would rathah beh alone" She conceded firmly, turning her head away resolutely to the track before her. After a few moments of complete silence and Remy, still not having left her side - Rogue huffed irritably and bit her lip in annoyance, knowing that he either didn't get the hint - which she sincerely doubted - or he was purposefully trying to infuriate her more, it wouldn't be the first time either. She could see from the corner of her eye, that he too was staring absentmindedly ahead.
"Thaht wasn't an invitation ta stay" Her bitter tone made him blink dazedly and draw his attention back to her, a slow, lazy grin rising on his lips.
"S' free road chére, an' I'm quite happy with de pace I'm going at. But, b' m guest if y' wanna quick'n yours" He replied nonchalantly. Rogue looked over to him, her mouth slightly agape with incredulity - he knew exactly what he was doing, there was no way she could get the horse she was riding to pick up pace - not side-saddle anyway, she would simply fall off and she was most certainly not going to stop and give him the satisfaction of making her do something she didn't want to. Instead, she simply sighed with exasperation and looked away from him. If this was what you would call an awkward moment, then that was precisely what she was experiencing right now.
The low lying mist, that had been present when she had started out had now begun to demise and clouds shifted silently over the mellow, yet stark winter sun hanging just above the horizon. The way ahead cleared some and she could just about see the track curve around a bend, with a slight brow just before.
"Ya goin' home foh Christmas?" Rogue asked distractedly as she looked up through the leaves on the tall trees surrounding the road, the austere light filtering through the large leaves above.
"We talkin' again? Remy asked with mock surprise, yet again earning him an audible, incensed sigh and what he swore was a roll of the eyes.
"Oui. I'm leavin' wit' Monsieur Boudreaux tomorrow . . . M' Pére always has a ball on Christmas Eve, so I hav' t' go back f' dat" He continued, looking away from her. Rogue felt her stomach sink at his words and regretfully glanced over to him - taking in his upright posture, the way his jaw looked all the more defined when he clenched it slightly, his dark auburn tinted hair mussed up by the chilled wind. Unexpectedly he turned his head and smiled gently at her - she felt her mouth tug into a ghost of one in return and then looked away to see a few buildings appearing from behind the foliage, signaling that they had indeed almost reached the outskirts of the small Louisiana town they were heading toward.
"Belladonna mentioned somethin' 'bout a ball" She recalled the blonde woman gushing over the impending event - the recollection of the high-pitched voice made her shudder visibly which did not go unnoticed by Remy at her side.
"No surprise dere . . M' Pére sending out d' invitations t' morrow so no doubt y'll receive y'r's den" At his informative disclosure Rogue looked over to him swiftly in shock.
"Meh?" She asked with surprise, taken aback by the notion that she had been invited to one of Belles glamorous functions. Remy smirked at her shocked countenance and leaned in closer to her as they road further into the small town, their path becoming more populated by people going about their daily business.
"Oui, an' I expect at least one dance" He replied.
Took me ages to write this up so I hope everyone likes it! Thank you for the reviews, I know I've replied to a few but I haven't got time to do any shout-out's - so I promise I'll do so with the next chapter which isn't too far away from completion.
Thanks again, please review and Enjoy!
