Chapter 7 – Marines Don't Dance
The plate service from the final course was whisked away. In the corner of a room, three men in tailcoats elicited a noise that brought to Smoker's mind the vision of a cat being tortured with a broken bottle. That wasn't a metaphor. Growing up in Loguetown had given him a broad range of experiences; most of them unwanted.
The cat died and a string quartet struck up a sedate waltz. Slowly men and women left their seats and filled the ballroom floor.
Tashigi heard the music and fought the overwhelming urge to flee to the rented coach. An unofficial code of the Marines was "Leave no one behind" and Smoker was still here.
Merrick offered Tashigi his arm and oozed. "If you would be so kind…"
"No, thank you. I'm not a dancer," Tashigi said firmly as she stood up from the table. She wobbled a bit. Stupid heels, she thought.
Merrick was cheered. The woman was drunk. That would make his work that much easier. "Just one dance – "
"No," she repeated. She looked for Captain Smoker and saw he was still sitting at the table, flanked by the viper. "I need to speak to the captain."
"No!" Merrick grabbed her arm and steered her away. "If you don't want to dance, let me show you around our estate. We have many interesting collections."
Tashigi couldn't regain her balance in her shoes. Merrick pulled her along and all she could do was follow him or fall on her face. She threw one more glance over her shoulder and hoped Smoker would be all right.
"Sir. Sir."
Lord Fop glanced at Jeffrey. "What is it, man?"
"Nanny would like to inform sir that -"
Lord Fop sighed. "Nothing concerning Nanny qualifies as an emergency, Jeffrey."
"Of course not, sir." Jeffrey bowed low and dismissed himself, since his employer never bothered to do it for him.
Lord Fop returned to a true emergency – the Marine. Even though the quartet had started on the second selection, the captain had made no indication that he was moving from the dinner table. To Lord Fop, in lieu of a better term, Captain Smoker was bunkered in for the evening. His daughter was doing her best to draw him out though.
"Doesn't everyone look so wonderful – dancing?" Chrissiania remarked.
"Yes." Smoker pulled another cigar out of his breast pocket. The Marine coat didn't have enough places for cigars; he was running out.
"I really like to dance. They say I'm one of the best on the island."
"That's nice." Tashigi was nowhere to be seen. This was not good. She was too loyal to abandon him willingly. He wondered what trick they'd –
Of course! Smoker ground his cigars between his teeth. The oily weasel that'd been hanging around Tashigi all night was also missing. It all made sense now. In a huge place like this, no one would notice if they disappeared for an hour or two…
That guy was showing Tashigi the Fop's weapons collection! Smoker had heard one of the aristocrats mention it and no doubt Tashigi had heard as well.
Smoker gave up his sergeant major as a lost cause and prepared to soldier on alone.
"This is the part of the evening that I've looked forward to the most. The dancing that is," Chrissiania said loudly, wondering if the Marine was especially thick or just deaf.
Smoker wished the girl would stop pestering him. What did she want anyway?
Chrissiania threw a despairing look at her father.
Lord Fop cleared his throat. "Perhaps, Captain, you would care to show my daughter a few of the dances you know? She's an apt pupil."
Smoker remained calm. It was too bad that no one was dancing with her because of her tic, but he wasn't going to break a cardinal rule out of pity. The girl ticced at him; a look of desperation on her face.
Come on! Chrissiania thought as she batted her eyelashes furiously.
Still…she was just a kid. Slightly to the left and behind him, he heard clinking glasses on a tray and had an idea.
"Yeah, sure," he said. "Why not?"
Smoker stood up quickly and turned. The serving man walked straight into him; his tray full of half-empty glasses spilling everywhere. Wine poured over Smoker's shirt, staining it red.
"Jeffrey! You oaf!" Lord Fop cried. "Captain Smoker, I must apologize for his incompetence!"
"It's nothing. Just point me towards the bathroom."
The outraged lord threw evil glares at his serving man. "I'll have someone show you the way, Captain."
Jeffrey picked up the fragile glasses, which had been saved from shattering by the thick carpeting. Chrissiania hissed some threat in his ears, but he'd heard worse before. It was all in the name of good service.
As Smoker followed a servant to the men's room, he tried to figure out a way to pay back Jeffrey. Maybe the man liked cigars.
"And this is a portrait of the sixth lord of Runess' who was well-known for – "
Tashigi had never been with a more boring man in her life. She would have run away screaming if she could trust her feet. As it was, she had to hang onto Merrick's arm for dear life or end up on the floor. From the way she'd caught him looking at her, Tashigi was getting a sneaking suspicion that that was exactly where Merrick wanted her.
A maid carrying a half-empty hors d'oeuvre tray passed by and gave Tashigi a sympathetic smile.
"We have so many things to see, Miss Tashigi – "
"Sergeant Major," she corrected firmly.
Something crashed behind them. Tashigi looked over her shoulder and saw that the maid was stooped over, cleaning up her spilled tray.
"Clumsy girl. Father may fire herfor that."
"I would hope not," Tashigi said. "What kind of person would fire another for an accident?" Not the Marines, thank goodness, she thought.
Merrick propelled Tashigi down the hallway. "Come along, Sergeant Major. Let the servant handle this."
He began his tour of the mansion again. If everything worked out as planned, it would end in his bedroom. "Now that room contains an assortment of my family's weapons, but what I am sure you will find more interesting is our extensive art collection." The familiar pressure of her entire body balanced on his arm was gone. He looked up and saw that Tashigi was ducking into the weapons room.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she went inside.
Merrick followed her; curious as to what exactly had provoked such a response.
Author Notes: Mess' fabulous fic "Stronger" inspired me to get off my butt and get this chapter finished, so make sure to read her story and leave her praise. Thanks for hanging in there everyone. I'm not updating as much as I'd like to either! I really appreciate the reviews and encouragement.
