Thanks to lilyhermionepotter17; NikkiHeat; AureliaMarie; Liz; Frogster; ThranduilsDaughter; Helvetica Bold; allthelostfluffies ;
LoverofSakuSasu; raquelvalente91; Iloveplotbunnies; 13Jo for their reviews (OO" first time I get so many reviews for a 1st chapter!)Thanks to the alerts and favourites too XD
Disclaimer: you don't like P&P and Mentalist? Give it a try, you never know ;) and this hadn't been beta-ed, so mistakes are mine. Hope you'll enjoy it anyway (won't blame you if you don't ;D)
Glare and Mockery
2.
If any walker happened to pass by the Minelli's manor at that very moment, he would have heard the nigh-pinched squeal of a very, very cheerful girl.
-Same moment, a few miles away…-
Two riders were galloping in the morning sun. A brown-haired and a blond man were side to side, making their horses run at steady pace. The blond suddenly stopped his chestnut horse and, after a quick glance around, pointed a building in the faraway.
"Isn't that your new manor over there Rigsby?"
The taller one halted too and hoisted himself on the saddle of his black horse. Frowning in recognition, he nodded, grinning.
"Yeah, yeah I think it is. You have great eyesight my friend! I wonder why your doctor told you to get some fresh air" Rigsby teased as he manoeuvred his horse to get closer to his friend's. "So anyway, what do you think? Haven't I done a good bargain here Jane?"
"It is quite a nice place" Jane replied, too busy looking around to think of an adequate reply to the taller man's joking, giving a small hit in his horse's ribs to make him move again. "I admit you did a good choice. The atmosphere is nice and quiet, and obviously quite different from town."
"I bet it still won't beat your palace" Rigsby teased. The blond man shrugged; a light grin on his face.
"No place will ever beat your homeplace my friend. And I shall add, the house I see over there seems much bigger than mine."
They trotted another hour, commenting on the houses they could see in the distance. Suddenly, the brown-haired man shot:
"Sophie and the others should soon be arriving now. Hey, you want to race back to the manor?"
"You're on!" Jane shot back, and they both laughed as they pushed their animals to gallop faster.
-G&M-
The manor was a fine building, nicely decorated on the outside and with a large courtyard and gardens. Trees were boarding the entrance path and domestics were hurrying around, carrying the luggage from a horse-drawn cab. A second cab arrived exactly when the two riders penetrated the court, walking next to their panting horses. It stopped, and the door opened. An Asian man with an imperturbable face stepped out first, and held out his hand to help a blond woman get up from her sitting position. Both men walked up to them, not giving away their animals yet. She didn't notice their presence right away, busy wiping the white dust made by the dry stones of the ground off her long and elegant coat. When she caught their reflection in the window of the carriage though, she turned immediately towards them, a hand over her chest.
"Good grace Mr Jane!" the blond woman said in a very surprised tone. "You are already here? I thought you were expected tomorrow?"
"Good morning Miss Sophie" Jane said, bowing with respect and resisting the urge to point out they had been there since the previous day. "I dare hope you had a nice journey."
He took her hand and brushed its back to respect the conventional greeting. The Asian man remained a step behind, but Jane still nodded discretely to greet him too.
"Your hopes are high, Mr Jane" Sophie Rigsby replied almost sharply, not noticing the quiet exchange. The glance she shot at the butler next made him understand she had been bored out of her mind. He couldn't really blame her: Kimball Cho was perhaps the most loyal butler he had in years, but the man wasn't known for his conversation. The woman quickly regained her self-control and added with on a more suave tone: "But I am delighted at your early presence."
"The pleasure is all mine" he replied with a smile before returning his attention to his friend. "Say Rigsby, why don't we send these two" he pointed both their horses with a nod "back to their stable? I'm sure they could have a good rest after all we've made them suffer. Cho, do you mind?"
The man nodded and led both horses away wordlessly. Rigsby chuckled:
"Always the stoic man, hum? He really lives to serve you, Jane."
The blond man shook his head and sighed. He had sent the man away because Cho would be way more at ease with the horses than stuck with Miss Sophie's blabber. Lucky him.
"I don't see it this way" Jane eventually muttered for himself, then added on a higher tone: "Why don't we take a look inside? Will you, Miss Sophie?"
The blond woman had a hard time restraining a wild smile and politely accepted his arm when he offered it to her. Then, the trio climbed the steps into the new Rigsby residence. The exploration of the new house didn't last long, only Sophie hadn't visited the place before and the woman was craving above all some rest after a long journey. After a short lunch, the three headed in the living room and started discussing various matters.
"There's a ball tonight. Mr Lucas invited me to join."
Tea and coffee was brought in. Jane lifted his head as he picked up his cup and frowned, remembering the visitor of the previous day.
"Mr Lucas, you mean Mr Plump-and-Awkward who came to greet us with his so-agreeable friend Mr Moody-and-Grumpy? What was his name already?"
"Mr Minelli" Rigsby replied
Sophie snorted with a clear expression of disgust as she put down her cup.
"Those country people aren't the most welcoming, are they Mr Jane?"
Jane rolled his eyes and grinned amusingly:
"The art of being received by your neighbour. My dear Rigsby, you are going to be the local source of gossip for the next two months. Will you be going tonight?"
"Of course I am! I need to meet my neighbours! Will you come with me?"
The blonde's man face froze. He gently posed his cup of tea and started speaking, mind obviously racing for an acceptable excuse for a refusal:
"You know…"
"Oh please! I'm not sure I'll be comfortable enough alone with those people. You know how nervous I am at first encounters…and maybe you will get to know some people and actually enjoy yourself!"
"Wayne!" Sophie protested. "Don't embarrass Mr Jane so! I think he is free to refuse, and I believe you are still adult enough to go on your own."
Spotting the supplication in the puppy eyes, Jane understood the man wouldn't leave him alone till he accepted. The blond man sighed and agreed reluctantly. Alone in the manor with Sophie's sole company didn't sound so appealing anyway.
"I can't promise I will be on my best behaviour though."
"As long as you don't insult every single of them, I will go with it" Rigsby grinned. "Will you be coming too Sophie?"
"If Mr Jane is going, it would be rude not to accompany him. Of course I will be with here."
Jane sighed again, slightly annoyed. Not that he didn't notice his best friend's sister non-stop attempt of seducing him, but he couldn't find a way to push her away without hurting her feelings. He needed to have a word with Rigsby about this. The blond man took his cup in hand again, deciding it was going to be a long evening.
-G&M-
Lisbon decided it had been a long time since she had so much fun. An orchestra of violins playing cheerful music, a room filled with dancers, a buffet with servants walking around with glasses and food for everyone, laughs and animated talks around them…Along with her best friend Amanda Lucas –nicknamed Mandy, the twins and her cousin, they hadn't stopped dancing and laughing since the beginning of the evening. Julie and Minelli had stayed at home, the first one for being too young and the second because he didn't want to bear the never ending chatter of his elder daughter Rebecca, always searching for the perfect match for the girls, even in a public ball like this one.
The young woman was catching her breath against the wall, next to Van Pelt and Mandy, scanning the crowd for a new prey for the next dance. Van Pelt shook politely her head to a new suitor, mentioning she was stopping for a while.
"He's the third one you've pushed away in five minutes" Lisbon shouted to cover the music, once the poor boy was gone. "Are you waiting for the tenth to get back in the crowd?"
"Please Teresa, stop insinuating they are making a line just to ask me to dance" the redhead shook her head in annoyance.
"Only when will you recognize you are the cutest and nicest thing around" the dark-haired woman shot back, grinning. "Men won't stop ogling you all night, and even after you're married, your husband is going to have to worry about envious glances all the time."
Grace hit her arm playfully before she returned her attention on the current party and clapped at the rhythm of the cheery music. They were so lost into the music they barely noticed when the doors opened. When the music and the dancers stopped, Lisbon turned her head and saw what caused the interruption. Three strangers were standing at the entrance. Mr Lucas moved forwards to welcome them. Because of her small stature, the brunette had to hoist herself on the tip of her toes to catch a glance of the newcomers over Mandy's shoulder. The taller one, a dark-haired man, bowed first in return to the greeting, quickly followed by a blond woman and a blond man, both positioned on his right and left side. She guessed there was the new infamous Mr Rigsby showing up with two friends or family, but who was who?
"Mr Rigsby is the taller one" she heard Mandy whisper, as if answering her thoughts. "On his right is Miss Sophie, his sister."
"And who's the one with the poor excuse of a smile on his face?"
"I think he is Mr Jane, Mr Rigsby's best friend. And perhaps his smile is cheap, but he is said to own a huge domain in California, just next to Sacramento. His family came from Australia."
"Yeah, well I wonder if he realizes he doesn't trick anyone with such a poor mask." she muttered. Both she and Mandy chuckled.
The three newcomers walked across the room slowly, discreetly glancing around as if discovering a new environment. Rigsby had a hint of apprehension over his features, his sister didn't hide well the evident boredom and the said smile on Jane's face turned closer to a smirk. Lisbon kept her head raised a few moments longer to get a better glance of them, her shortness not allowing her a good view. Jane suddenly glanced in her direction. Their eyes met, and for a brief second, she thought his fake smile faltered slightly and a hint of curiosity lightened his features.
But it was just a second, and his look drifted away. Lisbon nearly shook her head, and snarled at the thought of him being intrigued by her and the other way around. She would not waste her time speaking to a man always wearing a mask anyway! The music started again, and the dancers returned to their previous activity. Lisbon, fully rested now, was about to melt into the crowd again but Rebecca was faster. Her aunt almost knocked them down when, hurrying to make her way through the dancers, she grabbed both her daughter and niece's hands, insistent warnings in her eyes.
"We are greeting them my dears" she snapped before Lisbon or Van Pelt could protest. "And we are right now!"
Was this one up to your expectations? Please enlighten my cloudy day (very windy and cloudy weather out there…thankfully, the caretaker of my university dorm put the heating back on) by pushing the green button below and letting me know xD
Next chapter, Lisbon and Jane interaction!
Thanks for reading so far!
-The Bingleys: The Rigsbys
-Charles: Wayne Rigsby
-Caroline: Sophie Miller (1.10 Red Brick and Ivy – Jane's former psychologist)