"So, this is certainly a magnificent plantation, Mademoiselle." She heard his drawling voice, and remembered with some amusement how he'd taken to calling her by that title after Ororo, who'd traveled to Europe in her youth, had glanced over sharply when Mr. LeBeau had decided that it was Xavier's middle daughter he would bestow with the more intimate reference of chérie.
"Why thank you, Mr. LeBeau," Rogue replied in almost a whisper, trying to imitate sister Jean's graceful charm.
"Please, Mademoiselle, feel free to call me Remy," Mr. LeBeau--Remy--told her with a pleasant grin, and Rogue couldn't help but color faintly.
"All right, Mr...er, Remy," she finished blushingly, already starting to forget that Evan was only a couple of paces behind them. Let Miss Ororo find out, she thought defiantly to herself. It's not like Ah'm being inappropriately forward with Remy--he's the one going out of his way to strike up conversation, anyway!
Ororo Munroe had, indeed, realized that Rogue had taken a liking to the charming Cajun Remy LeBeau, and it displeased the elegantly dignified woman more than the prospect of her falling for her sister's future fiancé Pietro Maximoff. Ororo knew the types of men with Remy's charm and reputation, although why the dashing Cajun, whom she suspected enjoyed both fast living and fast women, had decided to court the least dazzling of the three sisters had been a puzzle that she hadn't been able to figure out yet. Either way, the last thing Miss Rogue needs is some reckless young heartbreaker posing as a gallant gentleman to break her heart when she has yet to experience any true love, Ororo thought darkly to herself.
Which was why, as she was
headed out to town to run some errands, she found herself feeling doubly
glad when she encountered by pure chance an old acquaintance from her early
travels to Europe.
"Miss Ororo? Is that you?
It must be you, for I have yet to meet a lady more elegant and dignified
such as yourself," the handsome blonde man atop his horse spoke in a polite,
British-accented voice, slowing down his surprisingly obedient black stallion
when he happened to catch a glimpse of Ororo as she'd leaned out her carriage
to give some instructions to the driver. Ororo herself was rather surprised
to see him, for she'd never expected to meet him again after she'd returned
to the United States to work for Xavier. And he had certainly grown so
much from the fair-haired young boy, barely in his teenage years, that
she remembered.
"Why Mr. Worthington, what
a pleasant surprise," she said, warmth in her voice as she quickly ordered
the driver to stop so she could chat. "And how is your family doing, may
I ask? How is your sister?" Warren Worthington III smiled again, running
a hand through his sunny blonde hair as he replied, "They're doing quite
well, thank you very much. And my sister recently announced her engagement
to Sir Braddock's son, in fact; funny that you should mention her."
"I see. Well, my warmest
congratulations to the happy couple." Ororo had only a faint idea as to
who Sir Braddock was, nor did she very much care to confirm any information
on him at that moment, either, for Warren's mention of his sister being
engaged had reminded her that there was a certain young lady at the plantation
who was very much without a fiancé and in desperate need of one
to protect her against the Cajun's advances.
"And if I'm not being too
forward in asking," Ororo chose her words carefully, "how are you doing
as far as the future Mrs. Warren Worthington III is concerned--or is there
one, already?"
"Oh," Warren smiled guiltily,
absently running a hand through his hair, "I haven't, er, exactly been
courting anybody lately, Miss Ororo."
"I see." Ororo took notice
of this little piece of information, smoothly covering up her intentions
with an appropriately embarrassed smile and blush as she quickly apologized,
"I'm sorry, Mr. Worthington, it must be the hot sun that's distracting
me, for I usually would not have forgotten my manners by asking so bold
and personal a question."
"That is quite all right,
Miss Ororo," Warren replied pleasantly, and Ororo wasted little time hesitating
as she plunged on.
"But you see, Mr. Worthington,
the gentleman I work for happens to have three daughters--all lovely young
girls, they'll be delighted to meet you one of these days, I'm sure--and
it just happens that one of them..." Ororo thought fast, wondering how
to state that Rogue needed a suitor in a delicate manner, "she is without
an escort to the Acquillas' party this Saturday...she's a very charming
young lady, I assure you, and--"
"Say no more, Miss Ororo,"
Warren interrupted. "I'll be honored to accompany this young lady whose
father you work for."
"Thank you," Ororo answered
modestly, grateful that he'd bailed her out before she had to use more
indelicate ways to hint that he should try his hand at courting Rogue.
Turning to her driver and motioning for him that he should resume his path,
she bid good-bye to Warren and tilted her face away from him to hide a
smile.
Jean couldn't help but smile
as Bobby Drake continued to eagerly follow her like some adoring puppy
dog, turning around with friendly viridian eyes and stating in as gentle
a voice as possible, "Bobby, this is very sweet of you to accompany me
around the forest like this, but everybody's expecting me to announce my
engagement to Pietro at Mr. Acquilla's party this weekend, and--"
"Well, are you going to?"
Bobby broke in, a last ray of hope still shining brightly in his eyes.
Jean graced him with a fond smile; Bobby was so sweet and eager to please,
but he was after all too young for her, and she'd never taken his attempts
at courting her as anything more than child's play, something to occupy
his time with until someone else caught his fancy and he moved on to a
girl closer to his age.
"Probably, yes," the beautiful
redhead replied evenly, feeling a tug at her heart when she saw Bobby's
crestfallen look at the realization that Pietro Maximoff had won again,
as usual.
"Oh," was all the devastated
boy could say, and Jean, struggling to think of something that might cheer
him up, reached over and lightly touched his arm to get him to look at
her.
"Listen, Bobby," she began,
"I'm going to the party with Pietro, but as far as I know, Rogue has no
escort yet."
"You mean I should...?"
Bobby's voice trailed off uncertainly, and Jean could understand, realizing
with a wince that Rogue had hardly given even the boys she knew well the
light of day, least of all Bobby, whom she was barely even acquaintances
with.
"Please, Bobby, it would
mean a lot to me that you go with her," she pleaded. "I know she might
be a bit aloof and cool, but she's my sister and also very captivating
once you really get to know her."
"Well..." Bobby still looked
uncertain, as he bit down on his lower lip and shuffled his feet around
on the dirt. "I was thinking of asking Miss Rahne Sinclair if you turned
me down..."
"Miss Rahne? Why Bobby,
you already know that Sam Guthrie's been courting her for months now,"
Jean reproved mildly, and Bobby frowned.
"In that case, I guess I
will ask your sister," he finally agreed, and Jean smiled, glad that now
Rogue would have no more reason to mope and sulk at parties because she
was one of the few young and marriageable girls who wasn't surrounded by
a flock of suitors.
Ray Crisp wore an expression
of utter disbelief on his face when he heard Kitty's request, completely
forgetting all the etiquette that ought to be employed when talking with
a lady and echoing incredulously, "You want me to start courting your sister?!"
Kitty placed her small hands on her waist, pouting and firing back, "And
why not? Certainly you have a reputation in this county as being one of
the wilder ones, I'm sure Rogue will find that more intriguing than if
some perfect gentleman bogged down by manners and chivalry were trying
to woo her." Ray laughed coldly, snapping in a blunt tone of voice, "I
may be one of the wilder ones, as you've so eloquently put it, but I've
got enough sense not to tangle with your sister after she nearly hit Todd
Tolensky last spring!" Kitty frowned and blushed at the memory, defending
her sister, "Yeah, well, Todd is nothing but a white trash scalawag anyway,
so it's not like he didn't deserve it." Ray shrugged her excuse off and
went back to cleaning his pistol, as Kitty thought up a new approach and
began to singsong while fluttering her eyelashes, "Besides, Ray, you're
not scared that my sister will have enough sense and spirit to hit you
as well for acting rudely around her, now are you?" Ray snapped up in anger,
and the gun in his lap nearly went off at his sudden action, causing Kitty
to let out a little scream and jump back.
"Of course I'm not scared
of your sister!" he hissed angrily, looking like he wanted to throttle
Kitty for even insinuating that. Kitty smiled back in a maddening way.
"Then prove it," she challenged,
surprising them both at the way everybody's favorite little sweetheart
of the Xavier plantation was showing so much spunk.
"Miss Kitty, since when
have you been so forward in speech and action?" Ray inquired, not out of
viciousness but rather, pure curiosity. Kitty turned pink, trying to shrug
it off as she spoke softly, "At least escort my sister to the party at
the Acquilla plantation this Saturday. Please. Rogue truly is a lovely
person, inside and out, and she deserves better than to sit around with
the matrons while all the other girls are dancing because you men are too
scared of her spirit and her strength to try courting her." Ray swore under
his breath that the cute little kitty cat was far more manipulative than
she appeared, but grudgingly gave in and accepted curtly, "All right. Miss
Rogue is a beautiful and intriguing person, once you get past her
shrewish ways." Kitty laughed happily when she heard his words, cheering,
"I'll forget that last part and you'll go to my sister right now and we'll
call it even!"
Pietro looked surprised when
he heard Ororo's words that Jean was absent from the plantation.
"She's not here?" His silver
brows knitted together above his sky-blue eyes in a frown, and he ventured,
"What about Miss Kitty and, uh, Miss Rogue? Have they all gone out together?"
"No, Miss Jean wasn't expecting
any visitors today," Ororo reminded him pointedly, "so she went out for
a walk. As for Miss Kitty, she left as well to visit the Crisp plantation,
and Miss Rogue is actually preoccupied right now with introducing a guest
to the family plantation. If you'll just wait, though, I'm sure all three
of them will return in no time."
"I, uh, don't think I have
too much time to wait around," Pietro replied hastily, remembering that
he'd ditched Wanda for his little impromptu call on his future bride and
thinking about his twin sister's infamous wrath. But then again, what good
would it do for him to go back now? Wanda would surely be out for blood
at that point in time, considering how late he was probably making her.
Pietro cursed his spontaneity, as he decided that he might as well stay
and wait it out so his sister's anger might have a chance of cooling off.
"But then again, what kind
of suitor would I be if I just came by for five minutes and then left again
without seeing the lovely lady?" he rebounded smoothly, settling himself
into the nearest chair. "I'll wait."
Pietro had barely waited
for five minutes when the sound of hooves signaled someone's arrival, and
the silver-haired youth eagerly leapt up to his seat, scanning the acres
of lush green cotton fields to see if it was Jean. Or, perhaps, Rogue even...A
tall, blonde gentleman riding expertly on a black stallion quickly chased
away his initial hopes that it might be either of the two striking redheads,
as Ororo immediately smiled and greeted, "Mr. Worthington, I'm so glad
you're able to pay a visit to this plantation so soon." Pietro's curious
blue eyes darted rapidly between the two, wondering to himself what was
going on as the blonde-haired gentleman smoothly reined in his horse, bringing
the massive midnight-colored beast to a stop and respectfully taking his
hat off in the presence of a lady.
"I've come here to, uh,
call on the young lady of the house, as per your request," Warren reminded
her in words tinged with a British accent, and Pietro frowned, deciding
that he must be courting Miss Kitty since Miss Jean was already engaged
to him and nobody but a Maximoff would have the boldness to court a sullen
wallflower like Miss Rogue. Ororo was smiling, saying delicately, "Ah,
yes, of course. If it isn't too much trouble, could you please wait while
I go inform the patriarch of the family of your arrival?" Warren smiled
pleasantly.
"But of course," he agreed,
and Ororo quickly gathered up her skirts and rustled efficiently into the
house, taking with her a light breeze of verbena fragrances.
Warren had barely gotten
off his horse and settled himself into a chair on the porch next to Pietro
than a new pair rode up, and the latter's eyes immediately lit up at the
sight of his statuesque future fiancée, then clouded in a frown
when he saw that she was escorted by Bobby Drake of all people. Warren,
meanwhile, had also glanced up in interest when he heard the familiar sound
of hooves clopping on a dirt road, remembering Miss Ororo's request that
he call on a young lady at the plantation. All the elegant African-American
woman had disclosed was that said young lady was a beautiful redhead named
Miss Rogue, and Warren, seeing the lovely sixteen-year-old girl riding
toward him with sunlight dancing on her glorious red hair, immediately
assumed that she must be the young lady. Standing up, he began walking
toward the red-haired girl, reaching up and offering to help her off her
horse, which she accepted with a surprised look and a modest blush. As
he'd already taken his hat off to greet Miss Ororo, Warren chose to sweep
down in a respectful bow, beginning to say, "You must be the famous belle
of the Xavier plantation Miss Ororo was talking about." In an instant,
Pietro had zipped up and stood possessively next to Jean, spitting out
jealously, "Yes she is, so who might you be and what are you doing making
all these unwanted advances on her?" Warren looked taken aback by his behavior,
as he started to say, "Why, Miss Ororo asked me to call on her during my
stay here."
"She did?" Twin expressions
of surprise flashed across both Jean and Pietro's faces, as they alternated
between looking at each other to looking at the proud mansion that Miss
Ororo had disappeared into a few minutes earlier.
At that moment, a second
pair of arrivals came into view, as Kitty and Ray rode up, the former chattering
a mile a minute, the latter smoldering sullenly atop his cremelo stallion
and occasionally responding with the obligatory grunt. Kitty waved sunnily
from atop her little strawberry mare, calling out to her sister happily,
"Hey, Jean, guess who's come to call on Rogue?"
"Why Bobby Drake, of course,"
Jean replied neutrally, at the same time that Warren looked at her in alarm
and asked, "Forgive me for asking this, but you're not Miss Rogue?"
"No, she's my fiancée,
Miss Jean," Pietro seethed to the blonde Englishman's consternation and
embarrassment, at the same time that Kitty wondered, dumbfounded, "Huh,
what do you mean Bobby? It's Ray Crisp!"
"So, Miss Ororo told you
to call on Miss Rogue, huh?" Pietro began, the possessive, jealous edge
in his voice failing to disappear as he talked with Warren, who nodded.
"Yes." He then shrugged
his broad shoulders, admitting helplessly, "However, I'm afraid I don't
know who Miss Rogue is."
"Ah'm Rogue," a female
voice, tinged with a much stronger Southern accent than that of the present
two ladies, spoke up curiously, as Rogue finally made her much anticipated
appearance, riding side by side now with Remy and with Evan trailing several
feet behind them. Pietro was the first one to zip up to her before she'd
even had the chance to get off her horse, arrogantly tossing his headful
of shining platinum-colored hair and sneering, "Well, so the little princess
has finally chosen to grace us with her presence! It's not polite to be
absent when someone comes calling on you, Miss Rogue...especially when
that someone happens to be me!" Warren turned in confusion to the second
redhead who'd appeared, beginning to say apologetically, "So you're Miss
Rogue? Miss Ororo has requested that I call on you during my stay here
in Mississippi..." Bobby jumped up, piping, "Hey, Miss Rogue, long time
no see, huh? I mean, you're all going to the party on the Acquillas' plantation,
tomorrow, right? Miss Rogue, I'd love to escort you there if you'll allow
me, and you simply must promise me at least the last dance of the night
and a seat by you at dinner!" Ray, after some prodding and pushing from
Kitty, got up and grunted in a surly tone, "Funny, because I came
here to call on Miss Rogue and ask her for at least the last dance of the
evening and a seat by her at dinner as well." Rogue listened with wide-eyed
disbelief, and the only thing preventing her jaw to slacken and drop to
the ground in shock was the years of Ororo's careful training in the etiquette
of a Southern lady of high social position. Only a day before she had been
the thorn amidst the two roses of the Xavier plantation, petulant in demeanor
and shrewish in reputation, with men even paying attention to her only
because of out of either bravado (Pietro) or ignorance of her coldly sarcastic
ways (Remy). Now she actually had more young men scrambling to be her escort
than she knew what to do with, and Rogue turned and looked helplessly at
Remy, who was watching all this with an amused twinkle in his eyes. Hn,
lot of help he's going to be, she thought sourly to herself, noting
that he seemed more ready to laugh at the events unfolding in front of
him rather than step in and tell all the suitors that he would be escorting
her to the party, even if he'd mentioned no such thing during their ride
together because he didn't know there was going to be a party and Rogue
had been too shy to tell him and have him think she wanted him to ask her.
"Well, Rogue?" Kitty was
looking at her sister with eager cornflower-blue eyes, and even Jean had
turned around to see which beau she would choose. Rogue looked with sullenness
at the crop of suitors that had suddenly sprung up, before holding her
head high and replying defiantly, "Ah'm afraid Ah'll have to deny y'all
the burden of escorting to the party." She shot a look at Remy, who was
now looking at her face with interest to see what she would do next, and
the expression in his eyes gave her enough confidence to drop her bombshell.
"You see," Rogue revealed
with a half-smile, "Ah've already promised all the dances to Mr...er, Remy
here beside me!"
