DIS: I'm back with the 5th chapter of Whispers in the Night! For some odd reason, this fic seems rather easy to update. Does that not seem strange to you? (shrug) Enjoy!
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"So you still must convince her?"
"I do believe that is your job, isn't it?"
"Well. Yes, but a problem's come up." Ryou said, grimacing slightly. Bakura turned to him.
"Problem?" He repeated.
"Yes, er, Monsieur Julian refuses to take part in any of this. And he—" Just then the doors slammed open and their topic on conversation walked in, apparently furious.
"Hello Bakura." He said briskly, not bothering with formality.
"Julian! We were just talking about you." Bakura said, smirking.
"Fuck you, Bakura. You had better stay away from Anzu." Julian hissed, his eyes narrowing into slits.
Ah, just the way I expected a best friend of innocent Lady Mazaki to react.
"Stay away from her? That, my dear friend, seem rather impossible."
"I'm not your friend you bastard!"
"True, true."
"Go find yourself a whore to marry!" Julian snapped.
"They're not nearly as fun as virgins." Bakura remarked. Julian lunged at him and Ryou had to call for Malik and Marik to wrestle the two off of each other. It took all of Marik's strength to keep him from charging towards Bakura again. Bakura snickered, wiping his bloody lip.
"You filthy son of a bitch!" Julian growled, trying to free himself of Marik's grip. "If you lay a finger on Anzu, you've going to wish you never met me!"
"Oh, I already do. Just not in that way you are implying about." Bakura said, grinning madly at the Frenchman. Julian wanted to slit his throat just for his comment before the fight began. "They're not nearly as fun as virgins." He was going to get the smug lord for that one day. Julian shoved Marik off him, recomposing himself. Shooting a glare towards Bakura, he walked over to the doors. He paused and twisted his head to look over his shoulder at them.
"By the way, if you think you'll get a moment alone with Anzu to seduce her, you're sadly mistaken. I'll make sure of that." And with those last words, he left Bakura, who had starting to snicker.
"Oh the amusement of it all...Hehehe...What a fool!!" He broke into shuddering laughter. Malik released him, exchanging a look with Ryou and Marik. He had obviously lost his mind...Again.
"I told you we had a problem." Ryou said bluntly. His brother, breathing hard from laughter, slid into his chair behind his desk, chuckling.
"Ah, no. He's of no concern to me." He picked up his pen, fiddled with it, then placed it back on his desk. "He trusts you Ryou. Go ahead and do as you will. I will still see her when I speak with her thieving brother."
"Thieving?" the three repeated.
"Oh have I not told you? The sniveling weakling stole from his father to pay off more than half of his debts."
"Then...You won't have any reason to marry Lady Mazaki!" Ryou suddenly gasped out. "Nothing to hold against her at least."
"Precisely and that is why we have to do something to keep him from stealing more money!"
"I have an idea, though I'm not certain it will work on a lass like her." Malik said, biting his lip.
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Anzu opened the door and groaned.
"What now? He hasn't stolen more money, has he?" Bakura raised an eyebrow.
"I don't believe so. I think you've put him in his place."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, putting a hand on her hip, looking at his suspiciously. "Then what, may I ask, are you doing here?"
"I'm returning the stolen money." He said, holding out a box. She took it and opened it cautiously. Her eyes went round at the amount of money. She snapped the box shut and sighed.
"Please do come in, milord." She ushered for him to come in. He stepped in and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you want anything to eat? Drink perhaps?" He eyed her.
"Will any of it be poisoned?" Her mouth twitched, but she held back the smile.
"No, none."
"Hmm...Anything to drink, really." He replied. A servant came and this time he allowed them to take his coat.
"Brandy is to your liking, I take it?"
"That'll do fine."
"I'll have a servant bring you it." She showed him to the parlor and he sat down. "I'm going to return this to my parent's chamber before they get home." He watched her leave, then looked in boredom to the shelves of books. A servant came in and splashed brandy into a cup and set the bottle down, exiting. Bakura took out a book and raised an eyebrow.
"That's my mother's." Bakura turned, startled, as she came in.
"Indeed." He turned a page and with interest looked at the pictures. "Was Mazaki your mother's maiden name?" She sat down and a maid brought her some tea.
"Yes." She took a careful sip of the hot substance. "Lennington was my father's natural name."
"Interesting that your father preferred Mazaki over Lennington." Bakura commented, closing the book and sliding it back to its position on the shelf.
"He didn't like his name. He told my mother if they used his name, it would bring shame on all of the children she gave birth to." She took a small sip of her tea. "And to her."
"Is that so? I've heard that the Lennington's were very...adventurous to put it politely." She hid her smile behind her teacup, but he knew it was there by the twinkle in her eyes.
"Yes, they were." She took a steady drink, then set her cup down, smoothing her dress out.
"Where is Duke today?" Bakura asked suddenly. Anzu grimaced and he had a hunch where the younger Mazaki was.
"He...went out."
"A likely story." He snorted, taking a drink of his untouched brandy. "And let me guess, he's doing innocent bidding to the poor folk too?"
"That's not fair, Bak—milord." She said in her brother's defense. He had amiably caught her nearly saying his name informally. "You judge him by the character he had in your casino."
"Lady Mazaki," he sighed, drinking the rest of his brandy and filling the cup back up. "that is the only Lord Duke (he chuckled after saying the formal name) I know. The gambling, cheating, weakling that depends on his older sister for everything."
"Then you are being unfair." She retorted.
"Yes, maybe I am." He shrugged. They were silent for a long time. Anzu drank the last of her tea and finally spoke up.
"I never thanked you for bringing that money back. Is my brother still very much in debt now that you've given back the money?" Anzu asked concerningly.
"Yes." His eyes moved to hers and their gazes locked. "Might I remind you of my offer, Lady Mazaki."
"I remember." She mumbled and with great difficulty, wrenched her gaze from his. "And the answer is the same." A smile flickered on his lips.
"What? 'Go to hell'?" She blushed at that.
"No and I do regret saying that. I didn't...Well, yes, I did mean it, but not so, er, harshly."
"That didn't make it any more better, milady." Bakura remarked, smirking. She sighed.
"No, I suppose it didn't." She bit her lip.
"Lady Mazaki, I'm going to attempt to be a gentleman when I say this." He told her slowly. "I want you to consider my offer. It will help you gain money, pay off your brother's debts and it will give you a title that you can live up to."
"What must I do in return?"
"In return, you must be a respectable wife—" She snorted unladylike, making him scowl. "—and produce and heir for me." She frowned.
"I will consider it." He had a feeling that meant no. "But don't expect anything, milord."
"No, of course not." They heard her parents arrive and he stood up. "I should be leaving now. I hope we can do this again, Lady Mazaki."
"I am most certain we will." She gave a small nod of her head. Bakura left, saying a short goodbye to her parents and after taking his coat, he was out of her house, silent and willing. She sighed, sinking back into the couch's softness. Oh brother, look what you have done. Anzu was cornered. She could let her brother suffer or she could marry the rogue willingly, yet reluctantly.
"Darling, where is your brother?" Her mother asked.
"He's out, why? Is something amiss?"
"We have heard some ugly gossip about him." Hathaway growled. Just in that second, Duke arrived. All heads turned to him.
"Oh dear. What's happened?"
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DIS: Chapter 5! So, how was it? Sucked? Good? Review and tell me please! Thanks muches in advance!
