As we started to reach the edge of the City and drive out into territory I didn't recognise, I started to get suspicious. Isabelle and Simon were in the back of Magnus' car while Jace and Clary were following behind us. They wouldn't have been able to fit in with us; but from where they were they were probably confused too.
"Where exactly is this party?" I asked Magnus.
I was under the impression it would be in a building like the one where Camille lived. Angels, was I wrong.
Woolsey Scott, rich as he was, had invited his guests to a very large estate too far away to make getting taxis home a viable option. I could have throttled Magnus for keeping such information under wraps.
Isabelle and Simon both looked shocked and at a loss for what to say. Magnus just flashed me a smile and then went back to keeping his eyes on the road as the high-rises disappeared behind us.
"I always thought Woolsey lived in the City." I said. I started searching for Clary's number on my phone so I could alert the others as to what was going on.
"He does." Replied Magnus. "The mansion belongs to Ralf Scott."
As it turned out, Woolsey had a brother he seldom spoke of. Ralf Scott was older and the two of them were probably as different in personality as two siblings could be. Woolsey was untamed, fun-loving and forever knocking boots with as many men as possible; Ralf was ambitious, sensible and engaged to a woman he'd met when volunteering to help underprivileged youths. These differences are what prompted the Scott parents to leave their entire legacy to Ralf.
So Woolsey had no qualms about trashing one of his brother's houses in one wild night.
"Doesn't his brother mind?" Clary asked as we approached the impressive building. All of the windows were lit up and the place seemed to be filled with people having a good time.
"Woolsey doesn't care." Magnus shrugged. "And Ralfie is a good sport, anyway."
That sounded pretty flippant to me, I wasn't sure it would matter if the homeowner was a 'good sport' or not when it came down to it. I was beginning to feel very uneasy about tonight. It sounded an awful lot like trespassing to me.
But then we were already inside and Woolsey had caught sight of us from a balcony at the top of the stairs. He slid down the banister towards us, causing many of the people on the staircase to shriek with laughter. It was an impressive feat ruined by the fact he stumbled at the end of his descent.
"Remember, remember the fifteenth of November!" Woolsey grinned, already slightly tipsy.
The whole group stayed quiet. Most of us were just confused; Izzy and Clary may very well have been stunned. Woolsey can have that effect on people. Women in particular. Not so much of a perk when you had no interest in females but it did wonders for his acting career.
"It's the fifth." Said Magnus, shaking his head and patting his friend on the shoulder as if this sort of thing happened often.
"The fifth was forever ago, Magnus." Woolsey laughed, returning the pat with his free hand and swirling the liquid in his glass with the other. He was looking right past us and at the rest of my friends.
"No," Said Magnus, although the blonde was barely paying him any attention anymore. "Guy Fawkes night is on the fifth."
Woolsey's green eyes were firmly planted on Jace. He had an effect on people too. I felt sort of bad for Simon, not that he would have wanted to be ogled by another male, but it did seem like a bit of a dis that he was being overlooked. Me? I'd dealt with Woolsey quite enough before.
"Is it?" Woolsey replied dreamily with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Well, I'm sure the fireworks will look... Delectable... All the same."
Jace exchanged an understanding - if not slightly dismayed - glance with me before we all followed Woolsey deeper into the throws.
"Come in!" Woolsey cried. "Drink and be merry!"
"Mon Dieu, how many have you had?" Camille groaned, appearing as if from thin air to take the Actor's glass from him. She set it down on a tray which was being carried past and flipped her curls over one of her shoulders. "What happened to making a good impression with Alexander's friends?"
"What happened to being fun?" Woolsey retorted.
Cam ignored him and hugged Magnus and I. She spoke to the others over our shoulders.
"Don't mind Mr Scott." She said. "He doesn't know the meaning of good behaviour."
Neither did Camille, or most of the guests, but that was neither here nor there.
If Woolsey was a stun-gun, then Camille's impact on my friends was something akin to Medusa's. If Clary or Izzy were even looking at their boyfriends, they'd be telling them to pick their jaws up off the floor. Cam, of course, was truly in her element here. She was the kind of person who got her kicks from being the centre of attention.
Well, she didn't choose her career because she liked to sit on the side-lines.
"You must be Isabelle!" Camille gasped, taking hold of my sister's hands and looking her up and down. She looked as if she were encountering a rare but impressive creature. "The young actress."
Izzy didn't seem to know if she should be star struck or not. As much as she liked to pretend otherwise, my sister still did have a certain reverence for the woman who was once her idol. And now they were finally meeting.
"Can you believe how long it took Alexander to introduce us?" Camille gasped again, with a sly looking smirk in my direction. "You ought to have a word with your brother."
"I guess he was busy?" Izzy suggested. She still looked a little dazed.
"Yes, with my Husband." Said Camille. "But let's not talk about that, I want to introduce you to Mr Alexei de Quincey-"
Cam was chattering away in words of stardom which were bound to mystify Isabelle. I was only mildly concerned when she got swept away and taken out of sight into the glitz of the party.
"Do take her back, Magnus." Woolsey said pleadingly. "The woman seems to think I'm her personal chaperone."
"Not a chance. What of my Alexander?" Magnus replied, going along with the dramatics of it all and gesturing towards me with a sweep of his hand.
"I'll take him off your hands." Woolsey declared, as if I wasn't there to have a say in this arrangement.
"Oh will you, now?" I piped up.
"Happily so." Woolsey grinned widely as I thought possible. His look was wolfish; like he was planning to devour me on the spot. This was a man of few inhibitions to begin with; mix in alcohol and Woolsey Scott was just about uncontrollable.
I felt my cheeks heat up and cursed the fact that I'd pushed my hair back for the occasion.
"And what if I tell you I'm not interested?" I asked.
"Then you're a liar." Woolsey smirked and flounced off towards my friends. And Jace.
"He's straight!" I called after him. I was determined to get the advantage and wipe the smug look of his face before he was gone.
"We'll see!" Replied our host, still grinning all the while.
I saw Woolsey approach Jace and watched intently. Magnus started to say something about Camille so I shushed him and pointed the two of them out. He shut up and looked onward with me, thoroughly amused. Clary had linked arms with Simon and was pretending she wasn't Jace's girlfriend at all.
Clary was a genius.
At one point Jace glanced up at me completely unimpressed that I was just standing by and letting him get hit on. I shrugged and made the love heart symbol with my hands at him. I think actually heard Clary hoot.
"I never realised what a bully you were, Alexander." Magnus commented.
I smiled and failed for the third time to grab a drink. You had to be pretty quick to snag one from the trays, it seemed. Magnus deftly plucked two up like a natural and handed one to me. I wasn't sure what was in the glass but I wasn't going to complain, or think about whether it was paid for by Woolsey or Ralph.
"I want to go find Izzy." I said, taking another look around. Already I didn't see her anywhere and the place was fairly large. "Coming?"
"Of course." Magnus agreed. "Though I'm sure she's perfectly safe with Cammie."
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this chapter. I should be posting the next one, "Extended Family", soon.