Evidence
Chapter 8: Recognition
The Sheffields and Fran erupted in the house too early, based on their previous plans of spending the entire afternoon in the club.
The family was so loud, in fact, that both the butler and the socialite came from their respective tasks (grinning as a crazy person while reading boring contracts and singing as a maniac while cleaning after baking a pie) to see what the commotion was about.
They reached the living room and stopped side by side, smiling quickly at each other and preparing to wait for the people to stop talking all at the same time and explain what had happened.
Suddenly, Maxwell's voice raised above everyone's, 'That's enough. We'll be back there when the place is free of those creeps'.
Brighton and Margaret started saying something in protest, but Fran looked at them and they decided against it and went upstairs.
Fran turned to Maxwell as soon as the older children had gone and started what seemed to be a long diatribe about the producer learning to ignore when a boy smiled at his oldest daughter, when a man smiled at his nanny, and when anyone mentioned Andrew Lloyd Weber.
She was so engrossed in the task that she didn't even notice Grace going directly to Niles and CC and stopping close to them.
When they realized Fran was going to talk forever (there was so much to say in each separated topic), the blonds just nodded at each other and turned to the kitchen, motioning for the girl to come with them.
Arriving there, Niles pulled a chair at the table for CC, and went to pull one for Grace, 'I think my pie is ready. We should eat before Miss Fine finishes her scolding on Mister Sheffield'.
Grace noticed the happy smiles they exchanged and couldn't refrain from asking, 'Is everything all right?'
(She supposed it was, because they had been standing very close to each other, in the living room, and now were behaving nicely. If they had had a life-changing fight over her envelopes, she hoped they would not behave like that.)
Both looked at her.
Niles had stopped behind CC's chair, and Grace noticed the socialite turning her head to look up at him, as if she had sensed he was consulting her.
What he was, obviously, doing.
'What do we say?', she asked him with a teasing smile.
He hesitated for a moment, but decided to put his hands on her shoulders: first, tentatively; then, seeing she relaxed under his palms, with a clear mix of affection and possessiveness.
He was trying not to grin, 'You're the one with a secret identity. You must decide what we can reveal'.
'This is going better than I thought', CC smiled at Grace, 'Can you believe he just called me Wonder Woman?'
'Hey', Niles protested, 'I didn't mention a name'.
'Exactly. And she is the closer to a secretary or businesswoman that I can think of', she saw him squinting at her and patted his hand on her left shoulder with her right one, 'Busted, Butler Boy'.
Grace smiled when she noticed the woman's hand had stayed there covering Niles', 'I don't know exactly what has happened, but I guess you were ok with my… gifts'.
CC had a soft smile on her face, 'Yes, Girl. We decided to be a bit more carefree, once you've pointed out we're here for each other'.
She talked and took her hand away from his, slowly, after a last squeeze.
It seemed to authorize Niles to go, and he went to the island to serve the pie, 'We must thank you for the… gifts, as you called them. It was already time for us to recognize we don't have to be mean to each other when it's not what we wish'.
'It's a beginning', Grace murmured.
She was answered by CC's startled stare and by Niles', 'I beg your pardon?'
'I said I'm glad, Niles', she said, grinning, 'And the pie smells great'.
'If there's one thing he is good at, is cooking', CC conceded, relieved the girl had just winked at her and changed the subject. She was surprised by Niles putting a plate in front of Grace, and stopping with hers mid-air, and protested, 'I want mine, too'.
'Well, there's a lot of things I want, myself, Blondie', Niles answered, 'Now say something nice'.
CC thought for some moments, before declaring, 'I don't totally hate Nanny Fine'.
Niles looked at her in confusion, heard Grace snickering and noticed the glint in CC's eyes. He faked indignation, 'You won't melt my heart with this. Just say something nice about me, or no dessert for you'.
'It's technically not dessert, once I haven't eaten anything for long…'
'Babcock…'
'Oh, all right', she smiled sweetly at him, 'I love it when you prepare my favorites. As this pie'.
It seemed to disconcert him, because he was at a lack of words and just put the plate in front of her, saying something under his breath.
'Watch out, Niles', CC said, 'I notice everything'.
'It's not fair', he pouted, going to fetch his own plate, 'It's easy when you have your own crystal ball'.
Grace saw CC smiling at his comment and said, 'You two would be an interesting study case'.
'For Freud?', Niles asked, coming back to the table and sitting in front of Grace.
'To any analyst, Freudian or not. You have this thing with bad words gaining a new meaning'.
CC turned to Niles, 'The Girl has just called us sick?'
He made a doubtful expression, 'I don't think she did, but it is a matter of time if you don't stop forgetting her name and acting as if she was not in the room'.
'I know her name'.
'Then, say it'.
'Why? Everybody knows it here'.
Niles looked at her in shock, 'I can't believe you said that. It must be the worst pretext ever'.
'You're just baffled because you'd never have an idea like that'.
'Of course, I woudn't. I'm not that strange'.
'The word for millionaires is eccentric'.
'The word eccentric means out of the center, in its origins – as in not staying in conformity with the rest. If I were to use the word for you, I'd say it as a compliment', he looked at her as if pondering on it, 'However, in your case it is not adequate, once I can't imagine anyone more egocentric than you – what puts you in the center again'.
She recovered quickly from her awe by how cultured he was and how often she forgot about that, 'At least I have something to exhibit, when I'm at the center of things'.
'Good looks won't take you anywhere without a pure heart, Madam'.
'Who cares about a pure heart if I can have a dirty mind?', she smirked at him, 'And you just admitted I have the good looks that make things even more interesting'.
Niles sighed and started cutting a piece of pie with his fork, 'I don't know how you bring these things out of me'.
'Charms, obviously. You're my favorite victim'.
Niles opened his mouth to answer, but Maxwell entered the kitchen hurriedly, 'Oh, CC, here you are!'
The blonde looked at her partner, 'Are you finished with Nanny Fine?'
Fran entered by the swinging door and threw a glare at Maxwell that said he wasn't.
'Y-Yes, she understands we have a lot of work to do, so… Let's go?', he asked hopefully.
'Of course', CC said, but stayed where she was, 'I'll just finish the pie'.
'All of that?', Niles asked innocently, 'You know, there's no law saying we can't have leftovers'.
'You know very well we won't, with Nanny Fine here'.
'Hey!', Fran protested, 'Even I can't eat an entire pie in one sitting'.
'Yes, you can', CC contradicted calmly, 'But this is not the point. You just got stressed with Maxwell. It means you'll be calling your mother, it's highly probable she comes for an innocent visit and… well, must I finish the thought?', she pointed her fork at Niles, 'Hazel, go buy groceries – the original Wandering Jewish is coming!', and let out her sultry laugh.
Grace watched in fascination as Fran turned to her boss to say something about people mocking her problems because he didn't take her seriously…
…and Niles kept looking at Miss Babcock with a fond smile, while she got back to her pie as if there was nothing happening around her.
After some moments, Niles noticed Grace's attention on him and, for a moment, the girl thought he would do something to hide he had been staring a little too long.
But he didn't.
He grinned at Grace and it was like he was saying, Isn't she something?
Grace grinned back, agreeing with him silently.
And now she was convinced she had done the right thing.
In fact, she wondered how was it that people couldn't see the evidences…