A/N sorry if this chapter isn't quite as good as the others, but I remember
I had a GREAT idea for the brooch, and try as I might, I could NOT remember
what it was. So this is as much as I could piece together from memory, do
enjoy it though!
She launched into a long-winded story that could almost be described as a fairy tale. It was a magnificently told story about a man, a noble, who was doing very well for himself, he had a large inheritance, and had been seen with one of the highest courtiers. But there was a single catch, he really was in love with another woman.
Le Pieu sat there, almost mesmerized by the way she was telling the tale, but after a moment's pause, he spoke. "Now, what does this have to do with you?"
"Because that man's my father." She said, continuing with her story. It seemed that the woman that he loved was a young woman, but she was far from nobility, and even worse, she was British. But they were in love. He gave up his entire inheritance to be with her. Le Pieu nodded slightly, enraptured by the tale.
"So why are you here then? In France I mean."
"I am here, because my parents died, and England was boring." He snorted slightly at the last part of the statement. She had already shown a short attention span, and he didn't doubt what she said. "Now that I've told you WHY I'm here, you owe me an explination on why you're dead set on not letting me have that brooch.
He gulped, and she stared at him intently, as if to dare him not to tell the story. "c'mon, I'm waiting for you to begin." He shook his head slightly. "Are you NOT going to tell me the story? C'mon, I want to know. I knew you were a thief, but I thought you at least had as much honour as to stick to your word."
"I am not a thief."
"Yes you are, don't think I didn't ask around about you, it's not everyday one of my customers flirts with me when he's trying to buy a handkerchief from me." He just stood there, jaw hanging slightly open, as she relayed what WERE the facts back to him. "What, was the broach one of the 'aquisations' from the ex-Baroness?"
He was getting angry again, and he fought to keep his temper steady. "No, actually it wasn't." her eyebrow raised inquisitively, very much the same way that his did, when he thought about it.
"Then what was it?"
"It belonged.." He started, and then paused.
"Belonged to whom?" she cut in, impatiently waiting for him to get to the juicy sections of his story.
"My sister." He finally spat out. One of them, at least. His eldest sister had despised him, but his younger sister, being the second youngest of the family, had always been close to him. it had hit him hard when she died. And he had gotten nothing but this brooch from her husband. He gave a shortened, condensed version of how he'd gotten it, and she raised her eyebrow.
"Geez, all that, over a broach?" she said, obviously not as interested in the brooch as she was before. She shrugged her shoulders slightly anyways, and put it back down on the table. To tell the truth, she felt sorry for him. she couldn't help it. The rest of his family shunned him, and so did the rest of the world, who would like a common thief?
But it seemed that the more she got to know him, the more she started to fell something for him, even if it was only pity. She found him to be deeper than he let on, and now that she had a chance to see his house, his humble abode, her respect for him grew. He had surprisingly refined tastes, very gothic, very pre-Renaissance, but it was a beautiful castle none the less.
She quickly gathered the possessions that she was going to keep, various odds and ends, and he was surprised that half of the collection was books. She mounted his horse, and found that he had followed her out. "I trust you know how to get back?" he asked, knowing full well how secluded his house was.
"Yes, I know how to get to my new lands." She said with a sly smile. She was just as conniving as he was, but she was proud of the fact, and wore it almost like a badge of honor, whilst he tried to hide it, using it to manipulate people. And he could just barely tell that she was beginning to manipulate him.
But he didn't really care how manipulative she was being. He got the distinct impression that she wasn't faking being nice to him, that she really was listening as he told his story, and that she had told her story to captivate him, not just to get it over with. She had all the things that he had admired in Danielle, the moxie, the knowledge, and most of all, the beauty. But at the same time, she had so much more.
She launched into a long-winded story that could almost be described as a fairy tale. It was a magnificently told story about a man, a noble, who was doing very well for himself, he had a large inheritance, and had been seen with one of the highest courtiers. But there was a single catch, he really was in love with another woman.
Le Pieu sat there, almost mesmerized by the way she was telling the tale, but after a moment's pause, he spoke. "Now, what does this have to do with you?"
"Because that man's my father." She said, continuing with her story. It seemed that the woman that he loved was a young woman, but she was far from nobility, and even worse, she was British. But they were in love. He gave up his entire inheritance to be with her. Le Pieu nodded slightly, enraptured by the tale.
"So why are you here then? In France I mean."
"I am here, because my parents died, and England was boring." He snorted slightly at the last part of the statement. She had already shown a short attention span, and he didn't doubt what she said. "Now that I've told you WHY I'm here, you owe me an explination on why you're dead set on not letting me have that brooch.
He gulped, and she stared at him intently, as if to dare him not to tell the story. "c'mon, I'm waiting for you to begin." He shook his head slightly. "Are you NOT going to tell me the story? C'mon, I want to know. I knew you were a thief, but I thought you at least had as much honour as to stick to your word."
"I am not a thief."
"Yes you are, don't think I didn't ask around about you, it's not everyday one of my customers flirts with me when he's trying to buy a handkerchief from me." He just stood there, jaw hanging slightly open, as she relayed what WERE the facts back to him. "What, was the broach one of the 'aquisations' from the ex-Baroness?"
He was getting angry again, and he fought to keep his temper steady. "No, actually it wasn't." her eyebrow raised inquisitively, very much the same way that his did, when he thought about it.
"Then what was it?"
"It belonged.." He started, and then paused.
"Belonged to whom?" she cut in, impatiently waiting for him to get to the juicy sections of his story.
"My sister." He finally spat out. One of them, at least. His eldest sister had despised him, but his younger sister, being the second youngest of the family, had always been close to him. it had hit him hard when she died. And he had gotten nothing but this brooch from her husband. He gave a shortened, condensed version of how he'd gotten it, and she raised her eyebrow.
"Geez, all that, over a broach?" she said, obviously not as interested in the brooch as she was before. She shrugged her shoulders slightly anyways, and put it back down on the table. To tell the truth, she felt sorry for him. she couldn't help it. The rest of his family shunned him, and so did the rest of the world, who would like a common thief?
But it seemed that the more she got to know him, the more she started to fell something for him, even if it was only pity. She found him to be deeper than he let on, and now that she had a chance to see his house, his humble abode, her respect for him grew. He had surprisingly refined tastes, very gothic, very pre-Renaissance, but it was a beautiful castle none the less.
She quickly gathered the possessions that she was going to keep, various odds and ends, and he was surprised that half of the collection was books. She mounted his horse, and found that he had followed her out. "I trust you know how to get back?" he asked, knowing full well how secluded his house was.
"Yes, I know how to get to my new lands." She said with a sly smile. She was just as conniving as he was, but she was proud of the fact, and wore it almost like a badge of honor, whilst he tried to hide it, using it to manipulate people. And he could just barely tell that she was beginning to manipulate him.
But he didn't really care how manipulative she was being. He got the distinct impression that she wasn't faking being nice to him, that she really was listening as he told his story, and that she had told her story to captivate him, not just to get it over with. She had all the things that he had admired in Danielle, the moxie, the knowledge, and most of all, the beauty. But at the same time, she had so much more.