2
The next thing Rogue knew, she had been seated in a car, blindfolded, and was being driven somewhere. She'd definitely ended up second guessing putting faith in the person driving her somewhere unknown.
The man had introduced himself as Henri LeBeau. Remy LeBeau's brother. The name didn't ring any bells. He kept talking to Rogue in an attempt to keep her mind off what she was already feeling.
"They be de rumours," Henri said, finishing his story of how Rogue became known in parts of New Orleans. He'd already explained how she was brought in by Gambit (a code name he'd also explained) from outside New Orleans. The only logical guess was that Gambit knew her before the whole ripper business and would probably know more about her than anyone else in New Orleans.
"So, your brother, what's he like?" Rogue asked Henri to stop the silence.
Henri chuckled at that. "Wished you'da said dat in front of him. Would've bruised his ego."
"Oh, ah'm sorry," Rogue said, not quite understanding why she was apologising or why Henri was laughing.
"Don't be! Dat homme be too arrogant for his own good sometimes. Certain you'd agree before an' after meetin' him," Henri said.
"Oh," Rogue said, not feeling her nerves ease any some.
"Stop worryin' petite. Remy'll be nice. If he ain't, you'll come find mon and I'll knock some here manners into de garcon," Henri said.
Rogue attempted to smile at that, sure Henri didn't mean it literally. Still, she clenched her hands in her lap.
"We be here," Henri said, bringing the car to a stop as he did.
Rogue listened to the driver's door open and close. Her fingers itched in her gloves, debating whether to take her blindfold off or not.
Her head turned as her passenger side door was opened.
"Y' can take y'blind off," Henri said.
Rogue didn't need to be told twice as she snatched her blind off and blinked, rapidly taking in her surroundings.
Before her was a large Spanish styled mansion with a grayscale completion due to the choking of the white paint. The gardens went on far and wide and Rogue was sure her jaw had dropped naturally.
"Well, we be headin' in?" Henri said, presenting a hand for her to take in a gentlemanly fashion.
Rogue glanced from his hand to his eyes, then back again. She took his hand which he looped around his arm and led her into the mansion.
"Just a little warnin' petite. Mon pére an' mon frère probably gonna make a fuss over y' bein' here. Not a bad one," Henri added, noticing Rogue's intake of breath, "they just be showin' concern an' all dat. Not every day we get un invité special at de manor."
Rogue nodded her head, still not feeling confident about disrupting this family for her sake.
As they entered, a woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes came down to meet them.
"Henri, who's dis?" she asked, glancing between them with a puzzled look.
Rogue had no idea who this woman was, but she was guessing from her question and the look on her face that walking into her home linking arms with a man she lived with wasn't a welcomed thing.
"Dis," Henri said, gesturing his free hand towards Rogue, "Is Rogue."
"Really!" the woman exclaimed, her face changing dramatically as if Henri had announced royalty had just enter their home. "De Rogue. By dieu, well don't just keep her standin' in de doorway! Entrer! Come in, come in!" The woman said, coming to Rogue's other side.
Rogue blushed at the attention she was getting. She didn't understand why these people were making such a big deal out of her being there. She understood that she helped out their brother and father, but their gratitude didn't need to be so over dramatic. Theatrical even.
"Dis be Merci. Mon fiancé. Merci, Rogue," Henri introduced the two.
Merci scowled at Henri.
"Y' be needin' t' work on y' introduction skills, bébé," Merci said before turning a polite smile back to Rogue that just made her feel uncomfortable again.
"I gotta say, it be a pleasure meetin' y' Rogue. These imbéciles didn't do y' justice when they be describe y', otherwise, I wouldn't a been so rude! Hope y' can forgive moi an' these here boys. I been tryna turn em more gentlemen like, but it be tough t' turn de coquins in t' anythin' decent," Merci explained.
Rogue felt awkward being in the middle of the couple. Henri just rolled his eyes at Merci but had an amused look on his face.
"Oh, no. Ah'm the one bein' rude here. Ah didn't mean t' invade y' home or nothin' unannounced. Ah just, well, ah need a little help an' Henri was offerin' meh that help, so ah…" Rogue trailed off, but the silence didn't last for long.
"Whatever y' need chére, we be here t' help," Merci said, pushing herself away from Rogue and glancing over her from an arm's length. "Now, I be t'inking the first bit a help y' be needin' is a nice hot bubble bath an' some new clothes, non?"
"Oh, ah don't think-" Rogue tried to say.
Merci held her hand up then proceeded to say "say no more. I won't have it." She glanced at Henri, addressing him, "I'll take her t' the guest room. Y' run her a bath. Good suds an' all," she said, pointing a warning finger at her fiancé.
Henri just seemed to find everything Merci did amusing as he held his hands up in a playful way and began heading off up the stairs to do as he was told.
"Come on," Merci said, pulling Rogue along up the stairs to the spare bedroom.
xxxxx
French Translations
Homme - Man
Petite - Little One
Mon - My
Mon pére - My Father
Mon frère - My Brother
Un invité special - A Special Guest
Dieu - God
Entrer - Enter
Bébé - Baby
Imbéciles - Fools
Coquins - Rascals
Chére - Dear
Non - No