Author's Note: I'm surprised anyone's still following this story, with how lacking in new chapters it has been lately. Thanks guys.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Mentalist and would not be foolish enough to claim to.
"No, no, no Elsa." Jane called to the maid moving toward the front door as he tumbled his way down the stairs. "I've got it."
The small, blond Germanic woman gave him a skeptical look but stopped nonetheless.
He practically lunged toward the large front door and put his hand over the doorknob when he reached it. With his best charm grin, trying to stop his panting, he looked at Mrs. Ruskin's maid. "It's my guest. I want to welcome her myself."
The woman rolled her eyes, but stepped aside with a huff.
Nervously, he straightened his vest and slowly pulled the door open.
The first thing he saw was that she was wearing green. She was wearing green because- Well, Teresa obviously wanted to be the death of him. That much was clear. Her calves were making an appearance again, this time even more shapely because she had low heels on, soft little silver things that made her fragile feet seem even more delicate. Her dress, emereld green just like her eyes, was gauzy material over satin, the two layers creating a dream-like aura around her. It was a sleeveless dress too. Her bewitching shoulders showed with all their little freckles, but she had a kind of silver overshirt on that covered up the rest of her pale skin elegantly. A necklace, a silver thing of delicate swinging layers, met the collar of the dress and lower, settling in sweeps at the apex of-
Abruptly he looked up.
She was smiling at him nervously, corner of her lower lip caught between her teeth. There was a hint of green and silver shadow around her black trimmed eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a braid in black orbits, carefully mussed just enough to call attention to her curls.
Bewitching was the only word for her in that moment. Utterly. Unavoidably. Impossibly.
Jane stumbled to speak over a tongue that had suddenly grown three sizes. "Y-you look... amazingly lovely." He managed to fumble out.
She smiled wider, eyes crinkling up cutely. "So do you."
He looked down at himself, having forgotten that he'd tried to get dressed in even semi-decent clothing. "Thanks." A shoulder shrugged without thought. "My grandmother got it for me."
She chuckled a little and gestured at her entire ensemble. "This is all Grace."
"She's happy then?" He strove to change the subject to something they could discuss.
"She helped me with this in return for helping her with that gorgeous white and gold thing 'her date' sent to her." She replied knowingly. "But, she seemed extremely delighted to be going. She better stay that happy, Patrick."
He grinned and leaned a little against the door. "Sure she wasn't just happy to get you into another dress?"
Her eyes traveled up him. "Seems to me like there's someone else who fits that despcription much better than her."
Trying to hide it, he colored.
"Uh, it's a little chilly out here, so..."
Remembering himself suddenly, Jane stepped back, holding the door wide open. He cleared his throat. His gaze fell on the low dip of her dress as she passed inside and how the overshirt only covered a band of her back, leaving gaps above and below. He almost choked, coughing for real this time. After closing the door just so that he had the chance to pull himself together, he moved up behind her. Unable to stop himself, he put a hand out to the small of Lisbon's back, thumb able to meet soft skin uncovered. He almost fainted when she shivered slightly under his touch. "Th-this way." Damn inability to talk around her.
"Well, here she is then." Came a soft voice followed by slow footsteps and the thump of a cane on the hardwood.
The two of them looked down the hall a little ways to where Mrs. Ruskin was coming to meet them. They stepped forward to meet her shyly, steps not at all certain, but shuffling. Like they had been called before a judgment seat and dreaded the verdict.
Lisbon was even trembling slightly.
He slid his other hand to her arm to gently touch her, then gestured toward the older woman. "Teresa, this is my grandmother, Angela Ruskin. Grandmother, Teresa Lisbon."
"I've heard good things, my dear." Mrs. Ruskin said and proffered her shaky, gloved hand to shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Teresa gave a stilted little half-curtsy and touched the given hand at the same time gently, but didn't shake.
Mrs. Ruskin seemed amused. "Likewise, dear. Shall we go to the sitting room until supper is ready?"
The two kids nodded and followed her, Jane gently leading Teresa with the hand on her back.
She didn't seem like she would have moved from the hall otherwise.
An unsteady breath left him as they sat next to each other on the loveseat, diagonal from the high-backed armchair Mrs. Ruskin had settled in. He wondered if the older woman had choosen than seat purposefully, as another level of intimidation. He wouldn't put it past her. All he could do was hope he and Teresa were going to survive this whole encounter intact.
As Elsa shuffled in and set them all a teacup upon the table before them, one of them finally broke the silence. It impressed him who it turned out to be.
"You have such a lovely home, Mrs. Ruskin." Lisbon spoke, voice a little higher than normal, but relatively unwavering. She almost seemed proud of herself.
"Thank you." The old woman looked around at the high ceiling and the lavish surroundings. "Yes, it is nice isn't it? Then again, my late husband always did have good taste." She winked at the two of them.
Seeing the joke, Jane chuckled.
So did Lisbon, but it was a little too loud and forced. Obviously, she could tell herself, because in the guise of straightening her skirt, she made a subtle face his way, meant to chastise herself.
Surreptitiously, he took her hand between them and held it firmly in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Okay. They were in this together. "You should see the library. It's magnificent."
"Oh," Angela looked surprised. "You like books dear?"
Shooting him a glare, clearly saying he wasn't exactly helping, Lisbon slowly nodded. "I suppose, ma'am. I've never been that big of a reader, but I do read to my brother's when I have the time."
"And how many siblings do you have?" Mrs. Ruskin leaned forward to add some sugar to her tea, before settling back with her cup.
Ah, a subject Teresa could warm to. Jane smiled as he leaned forward to prepare some tea for the two of them.
As if to confirm his thought, Lisbon smiled. Genuine and wide. "Three. All younger, ma'am."
"Their names?" Mrs. Ruskin pierced Teresa with her gaze.
To her credit, Lisbon didn't seem phased. "James, Andrew, and Thomas. Thought Tommy hates his full name."
Mrs. Ruskin sat back. "Teresa, James, Andrew, and Thomas? Catholic saint names, aren't they?"
Jane stared, feeling like an idiot. He hadn't even realized that before. Probably because everyone called Andrew "Drew" most of the time. It was stupid thing to miss.
Teresa seemed surprised too. She blinked at the woman. "Yes ma'am."
"I believe in Catholicism, Teresa is the patron saint of those with headaches and writers of religious texts. Tell me dear, are you anything like your namesake?"
Jane cast a glare at the older woman. Now she was just being malicious.
Her eyes just twinkled back at him mischievously.
Meanwhile, Teresa made a face. "Well, ma'am, considering Saint Thomas is the patron of architects, Saint Andrew the patron of fisherman, and Saint James the greater for laborers, the lesser for hatmakers- and my little brothers are none of those things, I don't think my mother was thinking that literally when she named us after them."
Startled, Jane let out a laugh before he could stop himself, almost spilling Teresa's tea as he handed it to her.
She impishly took it like she was the Queen of England.
Mrs. Ruskin smiled wide, letting out a small chuckle. "I like a girl with sass, dear. I think I'm really going to like you."
"Likewise, ma'am." Lisbon commented, straight-faced.
Jane shared a look with the older of the two women. It seemed Lisbon had been able to recognized when Mrs. Ruskin was playing with her a little and had returned the favor. He felt his heart swell a little at the tiny bit of true approval he saw in Angela Ruskin's eyes. Though he couldn't admit why, the woman's blessing was important to him. It only occurred to him after a moment, that with two women like that, he might be in a little bit over his ranking.
"Dinner is served." Elsa said demurely from the doorway.