"Charlie Mckay, you do not understand how good this feels," Kate
groaned. She examined her slim frame, now clad in comfortable black jeans
and a white t-shirt, and sighed with relish. Charlie folded his arms with a
grin, and shook his head, laughing.
"You cannot tell me that you, my sister Kate, have not worn jeans in a year?" he smirked, but looked completely shocked. Kate turned to him with the same teasing expression and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well, that felt good," she mused aloud. "and for your information, Mr.McKay, I haven't. well, except for the occasional trousers for riding." Charlie shot her a look to say YOU went RIDING? Kate smiled at her younger brother. "Yes, riding. Leopold gave me a horse for a wedding present. He, of course, had no idea that the only horse I ever rode was a pony ride at 5 years old." She grinned slightly.
"I still cannot believe a year for you was a few minutes for us!" Charlie exclaimed. At that moment, Stuart poked his head through the window.
"Knock, Knock," Stuart joked as he stepped in. "May I present to you, in the hottest new fashion, Leo Pold!" Leopold…or as Kate and Charlie were meant to call him….Leo Pold, walked gracefully down the fire escape. His usual, rich clothing was replaced with a pair of crisp blue jeans and a dark blue polo shirt. He tried his best to look distinguished, but Kate and Charlie just grinned at him.
"Katherine!" Leo Pold said in a slightly plaintive voice. "I don't know what Mr. Levi had in mind when he created these starched, blue breeches…" his fingers caught one of the belt loopholes. "But they weren't quite sewn properly." His eyes traveled to Kate, and his lips curved into an amused smile. "Yet as always, Kate manages to pull off being the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on in trousers."
Stuart and Charlie stifled chuckles, and Kate just looked at her sneakers, blushing furiously. Leopold ducked inside and snaked his arm around Kate's waist. He whispered something in her ear, and Kate's eyes widened.
"Leopold! Where did you learn that? That is just---not from 1876!" she exclaimed, blushing. Leopold grinned and kissed her cheek gently.
"Its not," Leopold whispered. Kate and Charlie swiveled their heads pointedly to Stuart, who looked sheepish. Stuart smiled guiltily.
"I didn't really expect him to say it! Honest!" Stuart protested weakly. Kate glared teasingly at him.
"OK, Stuart, I am the wife of an 1876 Duke. One thing that attracted me to Leopold was his manners, etiquette and charm. Did you notice I don't love the humor of men of 2001?! Their humorless 'try to get the girl this way' jokes?" Stuart paled, and Charlie himself backed down. Leopold was flashing her confused looks, when Kate realized her error. "Stuart, Charlie…I'm sorry. I didn't mean you guys in general…"
Charlie shrugged and forced a crooked grin onto his face, shrugging at Stuart. "We get it, Kate. Don't worry 'bout it, ok? I'm starved. Lets head for an early breakfast." He checked his watch. "a really early breakfast."
Leopold paused from playing with his collar. "Could we ride the lifting cars?" he asked, almost sounding like a little boy asking for a candy. Kate grinned warmly at him.
"Elevator, my Leopold. It's called an elevator, and yes we can use them. I'm not up much for walking the stairs anyway." She looked at the two others, who nodded. The foursome headed out and into the waiting elevator. Leopold was inspecting every aspect of it, sliding his fingers over the buttons, an amazed expression on his face. Charlie had to take his arm and lead him out when they got to the first floor.
Outside, Kate and Leopold fell back into 1876 habits, much to Charlie and Stuart's amusement. Kate's hand rested lightly in the crook of Leopold's arm, and they walked almost as though they were on air. Charlie turned his bemused face to Stuart. "My sister has never walked that way. She—she's walkin' like she was strapped to a wooden board this past year!"
Stuart laughed. "Welcome to life, Charlie. You have a duchess for a sister!" Both men watched in silence as Kate, workaholic and then weekend crasher, strode side by side, curtseying slightly as Leopold opened the diner's door for her.
Charlie was shocked. she has got to get back to the swing of 2001…or we're all in trouble! Especially me…
"You cannot tell me that you, my sister Kate, have not worn jeans in a year?" he smirked, but looked completely shocked. Kate turned to him with the same teasing expression and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well, that felt good," she mused aloud. "and for your information, Mr.McKay, I haven't. well, except for the occasional trousers for riding." Charlie shot her a look to say YOU went RIDING? Kate smiled at her younger brother. "Yes, riding. Leopold gave me a horse for a wedding present. He, of course, had no idea that the only horse I ever rode was a pony ride at 5 years old." She grinned slightly.
"I still cannot believe a year for you was a few minutes for us!" Charlie exclaimed. At that moment, Stuart poked his head through the window.
"Knock, Knock," Stuart joked as he stepped in. "May I present to you, in the hottest new fashion, Leo Pold!" Leopold…or as Kate and Charlie were meant to call him….Leo Pold, walked gracefully down the fire escape. His usual, rich clothing was replaced with a pair of crisp blue jeans and a dark blue polo shirt. He tried his best to look distinguished, but Kate and Charlie just grinned at him.
"Katherine!" Leo Pold said in a slightly plaintive voice. "I don't know what Mr. Levi had in mind when he created these starched, blue breeches…" his fingers caught one of the belt loopholes. "But they weren't quite sewn properly." His eyes traveled to Kate, and his lips curved into an amused smile. "Yet as always, Kate manages to pull off being the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on in trousers."
Stuart and Charlie stifled chuckles, and Kate just looked at her sneakers, blushing furiously. Leopold ducked inside and snaked his arm around Kate's waist. He whispered something in her ear, and Kate's eyes widened.
"Leopold! Where did you learn that? That is just---not from 1876!" she exclaimed, blushing. Leopold grinned and kissed her cheek gently.
"Its not," Leopold whispered. Kate and Charlie swiveled their heads pointedly to Stuart, who looked sheepish. Stuart smiled guiltily.
"I didn't really expect him to say it! Honest!" Stuart protested weakly. Kate glared teasingly at him.
"OK, Stuart, I am the wife of an 1876 Duke. One thing that attracted me to Leopold was his manners, etiquette and charm. Did you notice I don't love the humor of men of 2001?! Their humorless 'try to get the girl this way' jokes?" Stuart paled, and Charlie himself backed down. Leopold was flashing her confused looks, when Kate realized her error. "Stuart, Charlie…I'm sorry. I didn't mean you guys in general…"
Charlie shrugged and forced a crooked grin onto his face, shrugging at Stuart. "We get it, Kate. Don't worry 'bout it, ok? I'm starved. Lets head for an early breakfast." He checked his watch. "a really early breakfast."
Leopold paused from playing with his collar. "Could we ride the lifting cars?" he asked, almost sounding like a little boy asking for a candy. Kate grinned warmly at him.
"Elevator, my Leopold. It's called an elevator, and yes we can use them. I'm not up much for walking the stairs anyway." She looked at the two others, who nodded. The foursome headed out and into the waiting elevator. Leopold was inspecting every aspect of it, sliding his fingers over the buttons, an amazed expression on his face. Charlie had to take his arm and lead him out when they got to the first floor.
Outside, Kate and Leopold fell back into 1876 habits, much to Charlie and Stuart's amusement. Kate's hand rested lightly in the crook of Leopold's arm, and they walked almost as though they were on air. Charlie turned his bemused face to Stuart. "My sister has never walked that way. She—she's walkin' like she was strapped to a wooden board this past year!"
Stuart laughed. "Welcome to life, Charlie. You have a duchess for a sister!" Both men watched in silence as Kate, workaholic and then weekend crasher, strode side by side, curtseying slightly as Leopold opened the diner's door for her.
Charlie was shocked. she has got to get back to the swing of 2001…or we're all in trouble! Especially me…
