I hope you enjoy. I went back and made a fairly minor update to this chapter. Just added a few lines about how Pendergast viewed Amy during their dinner. For all that she has been through and all the horror that she has seen in both her personal and professional life, Pendergast is surprised that she is not as hard and cold as he is. Maybe there is a lesson here for him.
At 7:45 exactly, Pendergast stood at the base of the staircase and risked a look upward as he thought he heard a creak on the old wooden steps. What he saw, took his breath away. Amy arrayed in the new dress that he had purchased was descending the stairs. Pendergast drew a breath as he watched the vision.
The dress fit perfectly – Pendergast, with Madame Angelique's help – and with a bit of strategic snooping by Maurice in Amy's luggage, identified the perfect size. The dress was a rich ruby red silk that made Amy's skin glow and her green eyes sparkle. Her black hair had been released from its sever bun, and cascaded down her back like a silk waterfall. She had twisted a small portion into a small knot into which she had woven the fragrant Magnolia. The dress had a beaded sweetheart neckline and tucked-in waist which accentuated Amy's her figure and the hem played right above her knee. She and the dress appeared to float down the stairs toward Pendergast.
Amy, had never had the opportunity to attend a prom, ball, or cotillion, but in this moment she felt like every other woman must have felt wearing a beautiful dress and walking down the stairs toward a waiting gentleman – God, but Pendergast looked even more handsome in the tuxedo than he did in his suits. Amy, quashed the butterflies dancing in her belly and hoped that her flush was not too bright. Her heart racing and her breath coming in quick, little gasps, Amy slowly and carefully walked toward the bottom. Her eyes fixed on Pendergast who was waiting for her, his arms behind her back. At first glance, his mask of cold, nonchalance had not slipped, but Amy looked more carefully. When he saw her, his eyes widened just slightly and, because his eyes were so light, the dilation of his pupils was obvious. She also noted the slight flaring of his nostrils meaning his own breathing was faster than normal. She found his reaction gratifying.
She walked down to the fourth step at which point, Pendergast stepped forward and offered her his hand, keeping the other arm still behind him as he had been taught. He helped her down the last few steps and as they stood facing each other, he took her hand and brought it to his lips, gently kissing it. If the kiss lasted a few more seconds than protocol demanded and if he then did not release her hand as quickly as absolutely necessary, Amy did not notice.
"You look beautiful," Pendergast told her as he took her hand and tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow. The warm timbre in his voice that she had not heard before and the look in his eyes as his glance raked over her, sent chills down her spine while at the same time, creating a feeling of warmth that radiated from her her core outward.
"And you look very handsome too," she managed to say. "Pendergast," Amy hesitated when he focused his eyes on hers, "...Aloysius," she tried his name instead and when he did not react, she went on. "I wanted to apologize. I should have stopped. I did not need to push like I did. I was trying to prove a point. I am sorry."
The briefest of shadows seemed to cross Pendergast's face and was gone so quickly that Amy doubted what she saw. "Its no matter," his voice was the same cool voice to which he had gotten used. Pendergast checked his watch. "Our car should be out front now. Shall we?" Pendergast opened the door and let Amy out first. The Silver Wraith was outside. Pendergast opened the car door and let her slide in before getting in next to her.
Pendergast was acutely aware of Amy's proximity as their legs were almost touching. It was taking every ounce of control to not touch her. Instead he said, "Perhaps over dinner we could discuss your insights into who may be responsible for the murders."
That request was sweeter to Amy than any of a hundred compliments. She could not help herself and she smiled warmly at Pendergast. The agent watched her pleasure as he spoke, but realized that he was actually looking forward to hearing what she had to say.
Antoine's was everything Amy had thought it would be. A cozily lit space with tables set far enough apart to provide ample privacy for conversation and several staff members dedicated to servicing each group of diners. She and Pendergast received an inordinate amount of attention. "How are you, Mr. Pendergast?...So very nice to see you again. It has been too long." The maitre'd kissed her hand, called her the most beautiful woman to ever grace his restaurant and proceeded to hold the chair for her himself.
She let Pendergast order wine and acquiesced to his recommendations for dinner. They made small talk while the wait staff fussed around them. Pendergast has to admit, if only to himself that Amy was a delightful dinner companion and an fascination woman. What amazed him most was how somebody with such horror in her past could still maintain a bright outlook on life and retain within herself a great reserve of empathy. Both were personality traits, that, for better or worse, Pendergast believed he lacked.
Once dinner was served and they were left alone, Pendegast got down to business. "Have you been able to gather any new information?", he asked without preamble?
"Not much in terms a profile, but I did get some interesting information on our victims. There was petechial hemorrhaging so they were somehow strangled or suffocated, but no marks have been found, so we don't yet know exactly how. They were very clean, but there was dirt under their fingernails and yet their nails were freshly manicured and their hands soft – our team is going to see if there is anything special about the dirt that will give us any insights. Finally, and this is the most interesting thing of all – all the women had traces of varying amounts of lubricant and cornstarch around their pubic area. However, there was no evidence of any sexual intercourse – consensual or otherwise."
"What do you think it all means," Pendergast asked, leaning forward with genuine interest.
"I'm not sure," Amy thoughtfully nibbled on the macarons that were served with the coffee after the remains of the chocolate souffle were cleared away. "I stand by the fact that there is a woman that is in charge, but she clearly has help. They are following some type of ritual and frankly, there are bits that are familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it just yet. I want to get a better look at those medallions. The more I look at the pictures, the more I think that it's a dove and that feels important."
Pendergast nodded, his fingers steepled in concentration. "First thing tomorrow morning, we'll go meet with the local law enforcement. I know the Sheriff of New Orleans. He's a good man to have on our side. Then, since the women were all local, we should question their acquaintances and families to see if there are commonalities."
"We?" Amy asked smiling.
"Of course," Pendergast said without missing a beat. "I think this partnership, may have...," Pendergast hesitated while his eyes sought hers, "potential."
Amy nodded mutely, at a loss for words. When she looked away from those strange pale eyes to take a sip of wine, Pendergast surprised her when his hand covered hers. She gasped in surprise, but it was not a gentle caress; his grip on her hand quickly became painful. She cried out in pain and surprise and looked up.
Her exclamation froze on her lips. Pendergast's eyes were closed, his lips pressed together in a tight line as if trying to contain a sound, and his normally pale face was ashen gray. A slight sheen of sweet bathed his forehead and the lines of pain were evident around his mouth and eyes.
"Aloysius?" Amy asked tentatively.
"I believe," Pendergast grated out with obvious effort, "that I may need some assistance." Then as if those words drained all the remaining energy from his body, the agent started to fall forward.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again thanks to Vargasse for a great conversation. Please let me know if the characters are reading as authentic. Your thoughts are always welcomed. Thank you for taking the time to read and your reviews are humbly appreciated.