The Common Thread: Part 11
"Excuse me, Ms. Inoue, but your uncle has requested you to come down to his study, if you please."
Orihime looked up from the book she had been reading and smiled, "Cazu, how many times do I have to ask you to just call me Orihime?"
Cazu blushed and ducked her head saying, "Oh, miss, I couldn't. I just couldn't. What if Mrs. Esada or anyone else heard?"
Orihime slowly stood from her window seat where she had been nestled and said, "I'm sorry, Cazu. I keep forgetting that your livelihood depends on how you act."
Before Cazu could say any more, Orihime laid a hand on the girl's shoulder saying, "Thank you for bringing me the message. I'll head down there directly."
"Very good, miss. Thank you, Ms. Inoue."
Giving the girl a kind pat on the shoulder, Orihime walked out of her room and headed for her Uncle Sirik's study on the first floor. As she went, Orihime wondered what she could possibly be wanted for at this point. She had thought that the entire picnic incident had been put behind them five days ago after she had come home escorted my Mr. Crandon. Despite the fact that Mr. Crandon had assured her Aunt Hanil that Orihime had been completely correct to talk to Mr. Karci in the manner that she had, when he had left Orihime had been thoroughly interrogated and scolded for not acting in a more dignified manner. Uncle Sirik had eventually told Aunt Hanil to let the matter drop since he had received correspondence from both Mr. Karci and Mr. Jacks apologizing for their behavior. Orihime had been so surprised that she could barely think of what to say in her response letters that her aunt told Orihime she had to write.
That had all been five days ago, and she hadn't heard anything else since then. However, Orihime had gone over in her mind what had transpired as well as what Mr. Crandon had revealed to her about Mr. Jacks and Mr. Karci and she had to admit that everything did seem to add up. The characteristics that she had read in Mr. Karci's eyes still disturbed her, however, and she wondered what had happened to make him so disagreeable. To be perfectly honest, now that she thought back on the whole incident, she had no idea how she had ever come up with the courage to say such things to a man who looked, even if he didn't act like, exactly the same as the man she had fallen in love with several years ago.
Orihime paused on one of the stairs as a thought struck her. Ichigo and Mr. Karci were nothing like each other at this point, but could it be that buried somewhere deep inside Mr. Karci were the same qualities that she had fallen in love with in Ichigo? Turning her thoughts to Mr. Crandon as compared to Ulquiorra and Mr. Jacks in comparison to Grimmjow, she had to admit that in some ways they were similar, but in this world, the circumstances in which they had grown up had effected their personalities in slight ways. The personality traits were similar in each person, but they weren't exactly the same since no two people can be exactly the same. Shaking her head, Orihime told herself to move as her uncle was still waiting for her.
As she arrived in front of the study door, Orihime only just managed to remember that she was supposed to be a proper lady and walked quietly inside the room inquiring, "You asked me to come, Uncle Sirik?"
A man who looked like the number one Espada, Stark, looked up from some paperwork and said, "Ah, the fairy princess manages to check her pace at the door and glides in as a young woman."
Orihime blushed slightly as she lowered her eyes, "I started daydreaming on the stairs and I panicked when I realized that you were still waiting for me."
Gesturing to a chair in front of his desk, Sirik smiled, "Such a terrible waste of time, to daydream. It leaves absolutely no time for the really important things in life such as pulling dusty volumes off of selves to learn facts on topics that are even dustier than the books themselves."
Orihime smiled in return saying, "That does sound much more interesting than daydreaming."
Sirik nodded before he cleared his throat and began, "I have asked you to come here on a matter of great importance to you. There is an event coming up in the near future that I wish to have your opinion on before I send out the invitations."
Orihime looked at him intently as Sirik paused for a moment before continuing, "Your aunt and I have been discussing plans to hold a garden party in the next week or so."
Orihime's eyes lit up with understanding as Sirik continued, "Obviously, as we are holding a garden party and most of the guests would be our neighbors, it only stands to reason that we invite Mr. Karci, Mr. Jacks and Mr. Crandon as their regiment is still in town and I am good friends with each of their families. There are, however, two courses of action that we can take here."
Sirik leaned back slightly in his chair as he continued, "First of all, we could hold a party strictly for ladies and have an excuse not to invite any gentlemen at all. I will warn you that your aunt would probably find this one the most disagreeable since she was hoping to introduce Nell and Lily to a host of potential husbands at the garden party and have a chance to show them off to their best advantage here in our home. The second course of action would be to hold the party here, but find some excuse for you to be absent from the party so that you will not have to confront the three gentlemen if that is not your wish."
Orihime looked thoughtful before she said, "Those are both very considerate options, uncle, but I do believe that you have missed one."
Sirik nodded his head in understanding, "I see. I did not want to press that option upon you, my dear, since it is your choice whether to deal with these men again. Beyond your communication with them earlier this week, you have yet to make contact with them again and I did not want to make you uncomfortable or make you feel pressured into a decision."
Orihime smiled, "You are very considerate, Uncle Sirik, thank you. I believe that meeting the men again, but this time within the confines of your house would be the best way for me to interact with them at this point. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
Sirik stood up smiling, "Let's not keep your aunt waiting any longer. She's been pacing around like a caged cat ever since I told her that I would not go forward with our plans until I had consulted you first."
Orihime was about to thank him again and apologize for being troublesome, when he raised his hand saying, "Don't worry about anything. All blame will lie with me. I will not have anyone in my charge uncomfortable under any circumstances when it is within my power to remedy the situation. Besides, I haven't forgotten my promise to your brother about treating you as one of my own daughters in his absence."
Orihime forced her face to remain neutral as she processed this new information. It was also fortunate that a servant chose at that time to bring news to Mr. Esada that his own presence was requested in the parlor. Excusing himself, Mr. Esada quitted the room and left Orihime to her own thoughts.
Apparently in this dream, her brother had died, but Sora had asked their Uncle Sirik and his family to take care of Orihime in Sora's absence. Taking a deep breath, Orihime made a mental note to ask her uncle after the party where Sora's grave was located so that she might go and visit it soon.
