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 Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:33 am
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise Mowway didn't have much free time to herself. Most of her daylight hours were equally split between the cleaning and the cooking. Her night hours were spent praying and figuring out what she would, exactly, be cleaning and cooking the next day.
Not that she was complaining. Far from it, actually. She considered her life one of growing luxuries. Her bed was much softer than her former one, her food more vast and variable. And she was never left wanting for heat at night. No, Eloise considered herself among the luckier souls.
None the less, like everyone else, she enjoyed her free time, however small it may be. And when she was faced with one of these moments, she enjoyed nothing more than to explore her new found city.
Today was a particularly special treat. Not only had she been given a majority of her day off, but her mistress had been kind enough to give her a few coins in which to shop with. Which is how she found herself wandering down the market place of her new beloved home, coins in her purse, basket around her arm, and shiny bottle (Which she had grown alarmingly possessive over, as time grew on) in her basket's grasp.
Now all she needed to do was find something to spend her treat on. hibi-tea
It seemed like every time the Lightner family met someone new, they met them at the market. There was something about a place that brought so many different items together, that it in turn would bring so many different people together. That day was a nice sunny day, not too hot, but at the same time not too breezey, and equal and pleasant balance of wind blowing through the stands and trees as well as sun beating down to warm the skin.
Hayden had been out shopping that day with Allegro, Cante and Benjamin, gathering some things for a supper they had been planning with a friend and his child. As Hayden looked through the many types of meat the butcher had on display, his sons were doing as young boys often did, bothering everyone and everything that happened to pass by them.
It had become a ritualistic game of sorts for the three boys; Cante would pick them out from the crowd, Benjamin would flag them down than bring Cante over to interact with them and Allegro would fret after, drag them back and apologize to the poor people who had the bad luck of being the object of his brother’s misplaced curiosity. It was fun for Cante and Benjamin, but for Allegro it was just another day of keeping the two out of trouble and harms way, not that Allegro didn’t get into his own trouble.
Today was Allegro’s day of trouble though; he just didn’t know it yet. Lately he head been getting his feelings, the ones he usually got whenever someone like himself was around, and it had been playing games with his mind. He had followed them on occasion but never ended up finding whomever it was that he had the feelings about. He wondered if he was simply going crazy, but at the same time figured it could be like a lingering feeling, as if the person had been there earlier but were currently gone. Either way he drove him a little bonkers sometimes.
He was getting his feelings one more, but trying his best to ignore them. After all, Cante and Benjamin needed watching while Hayden shopped and he couldn’t be indulging his curiosities if Hayden was preoccupied. Noticing as Cante was shoving his hand down into his father’s bag to try and pluck himself some money, Allegro frowned, speaking up immediately, “Cante you ask if you want some spending money.”
Hayden, having heard Allegro, looked down to see his son’s hand in his bag (which looked more like a purse, but we’re not here to judge) and frowned in mimic with his adoptive son, “Cante, get your hand out of there. You spent all your money for the week on treats for yourself. You’re not getting anymore.”
Ephemeral Hope
Though Eloise had been to the market place on many occasions, to shop for dinner items for her mistress, she had yet to have the joy of pleasure shopping in her new city. And so it seemed, to her, that the few extra spending coins had magically, and miraculously, expanded the marketplace to three times its previous size.
No longer was there just a fish monger, bakery, butcher stand, and other such sustenance filled shops. Now there were stores for clothes, and books, and knickknacks. There were stands with people behind them trying to sell their wares. The possibilities suddenly seemed rather intimidating when she wasn't already on a predetermined mission for a pre-planned item.
Standing in the middle of the square, all the girl could do was gulp and look around the busy marketplace, feeling rather misplaced for the second time in it's streets. Where would she start?
After a moment of standing stock still (beyond people rudely pushing her out of their way when they needed to slide past her), Eloise sucked up the fading remnants of her courage and, with a falsely confident stride, set off to the bakery. That she figured, was a pleasant shop with which she was familiar. Today, instead of buying the normal bread she always purchased, she'd obtain herself a sweet, and then decide where to go from there.
The way to the bakery, once she knew where it was that she wanted to go, was easy and comfortable, and so was her purchase of freshly baked brownies. Feeling proud of her indulgent snack, Eloise left the building and scanned the streets once more, her eyes landing on a pair of children, one's hand shoved deep in a man's purse.
“Cante you ask if you want some spending money.” Was that child stealing? from the man? Didn't the child know that was a sin? Eloise was horrified! What kind of children was this city raising? Hooligans that stole money from unsuspecting men?
Shoving her brownies in her basket, next to her bottle, Eloise quickly lifted the skirts of her dress up and moved towards the boys and the man. She was so going to box his ears, and she didn't care whose child he was. No one should steal! It was a sin!
However, just as she reached the group, the man spoke, directly to the child. It slowed her pace, and a blush instantly crept on her face. Oh. That's who the child belonged to. ...perhaps it was a good thing she didn't get to his ears after all. That would have been rather embarrassing.
Shuffling awkwardly, Eloise looked around and then slowly started to make her way past the group. After all, she had no reason to go to the butchers, and to just stand there looking like she was poised to bring down the hand of justice on some man's child, probably wouldn't go over so well.
hibi-tea
The group hadn’t noticed as Eloise made her way over, preparing to hand out some well deserved justice to Cante. Hayden was too preoccupied with handing out his own form of justice as he made his young son stand hip-to-hip with him as if he was a conjoined parasitical twin. For Cante it was highly embarrassing, even at this young an age, considering his twin, Benjamin, was pointing and laughing at him for it.
It didn’t take long before Benjamin himself was now a parasitical twin to his father for laughing at his brother’s punishment, leaving Allegro free to roam about on his own where he pleased. Being the responsible and sensible one out of the three, Allegro was awarded much more freedom than his brothers. It did cause some tension on occasion, but Cante and Benjamin were fully aware of why exactly they didn’t get the same freedoms.
As Allegro was attempting to clear his mind of the incessant protests of his brother’s he felt it once again, the tugging feeling indicating someone like him was near by, or had been near by. Unlike his previous feelings, this one was very strong, almost as if it were hanging out right by him. He looked around, the ribbon from his little top-hat swaying in the breeze his turning head created, somewhere around here was another like him, if not a bottle like him.
He walked off from Hayden, Cante and Benjamin, following the feeling he got in his gut. It led him close to Eloise, but he passed by her for a moment, only to double take as a rush of air blew past him towards Eloise. It wasn’t a normal rush of air, as the breeze he felt came almost out of nowhere, hitting his face, when the air tunnels they had been experiencing from the marketplace was distinctly from his side, making his hair rush sideways.
Looking back around it took Allegro awhile to spot it, the cyclone of air that was surrounding Eloise, this random woman who seemed to be standing randomly close to his family. Perhaps she had felt it too and went to approach him as Cante and Benjamin were being punished and was hesitant than to engage them. He quirked his head to the side and approached Eloise, tapping her on the shoulder politely, “Excuse me, Miss?”
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise had made it a point to keep her head down as she passed the family. As a result, she missed the thief becoming attached to his father's hip. She also missed watching the other little boy slip away.
No, her feet were rather interesting, and she wasn't going to look up until she was far away from the butcher shop. She'd only just managed to shuffle away from the shop when a little hand on her shoulder had her jumping up spastically, and searching the crowd for who'd touched her.
Oh, dear Aveh. Eloise's stomach dropped to her feet as she took in the figure who'd tapped her. It was that other little boy who had tried to stop the thief. He'd seen, hadn't he? He'd known she was going to smack around the other child.
Quick! Play it cool. "Uhmm...Hello?" ...and bribe him. Maybe it'll distract him! "...want a brownie?" Okay, that sounded a little creepy even to her. Oh, I'm in so much trouble now.
hibi-tea
Allegro blinked as Eloise awkwardly greeted him and offered him a brownie. Before he was able to completely process the situation, Allegro made a face at the treat in which Eloise had offered him. He was not entirely fond of brownies, they had the consistency of cake and he didn't quite like cake all that much; he was a little odd in that regard.
Quickly realizing his actions he shook his head to her and politely refused the brownie, "No thank you Miss, I'm not a big fan..."
Offering her a pleasant smile, he did a little bow. He would have tipped his hat to her, but it was frightfully difficult to keep on his head in the first place, what with it being tied underneath his chin with a bow and kept in place by various nondescript bobby-pins, "My name's Allegro Lightner, and while this may seem like an odd question, do you happen to have a little glass bottle with you?"
Odd question indeed, but Allegro had no other way of phrasing it. Most people didn't carry little glass bottles around with them, but at the same time he didn't see a child with her, and now being so close to her Allegro could feel that the presence he usually got when another of him was around was not directly her; the pull was much too faint for that.
"I realize it's a bit of an odd inquiry, and if you don't want to answer that, I completely understand. I was merely curious..." He explained.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:40 am
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise let a frown mar her expression as the boy made a face at her offering. What was wrong with brownies? She pulled her basket of goodies a bit closer, feeling rather self conscious. When his words accompanied his actions, she felt only mildly better. He may not have had a taste for them, but he still rejected her distraction-slash-peace-offering.
"Oh...that's fine.." She paused before sighing, but the boy pushed on through the conversation, offering her a small boy and his name. ...And then asking her about her bottle. Her bottle. The special one that she had found.
"...Uhm...oh...it's nice to meet you, Allegro... I'm...uhmmm...I'm Eloise. Eloise Morrow," And then, remembering herself, offered a slight curtsy, all while keeping her focus carefully on her bottle. If he was asking about it, he might want to steal it, like those thieving fiends he was with earlier.
"I..." She hesitated, wondering if she really should answer his question or not. But something about his odd appearance, reminded her of the fellow she had met in the book store, and thus, feeling minutely better about the situation, nodded her head, slowly. "I do have one. ...why do you ask?" She wasn't going to offer any more about it, unless he offered forth why he knew she had it.
hibi-tea
Eloise is a pretty name, Allegro thought to himself as he listened to the woman awkwardly address him. He wondered if she was shy, or perhaps one of those recluses who just didn't get much human contact, like the Widow Eddlestein across the street. Widow Eddlestein didn't quite like Allegro or his brothers; he was pretty sure she was on of those bitter old maids that he read about in story books, but that was besides the point.
As soon as Eloise mentioned that she was indeed carrying a glass bottle with her, Allegro perked up, looking visibly interested. He wasn't quite as keen with the rest of her statement, inquiring into was he was asking her in the first place. To him it meant she probably did not know the implications of the bottle, or had met another child like himself. If not that, than it was merely a coincidence she had a glass bottle of some sort with her, and that she was wondering how the crazy kid knew about her bottle and if he was going to mug her for it or something similar.
Regardless, he prepared to answer her, "Well... You see, Ms. Morrow, I..."
Wait.
How exactly was he going to answer her? 'Hello Ms. Morrow, I came from a magic bottle and I felt you had a magic bottle with you and figured me and the bottle could exchange addresses.'? My that sounded so... odd. Allegro now felt rather apprehensive about answering her and felt he probably shouldn't have asked the question in the first place. All the while the sun began to move overhead causing a shadow to creep along the ground and begin to cover part of Allegro's arm.
Now you see this wouldn't be a big problem, except for the fact that anytime shadow or darkness hit Allegro an odd aura mimicking that of the natural sunlight surrounded him as if it were attempting to combat the very darkness overtaking him.
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise listened, with a hint of nervousness as the boy began to speak. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the young woman recognized, and respected the boy's sense of manners. He was a well brought up, she decided, unlike those hooligans he hung about with. She thought- for a moment- it would be wise to bring up his choice of friends with him. Maybe he'd find better people to spend his company with, rather than fiends.
But then he stopped talking, and the nerves hit her stomach. Why wasn't he finishing what he was going to say? Did he know what kind of magicks she hide with her? Her meager breakfast roll with the thought. What would happen if he knew? Would she have to fight for the bottle? She couldn't fight. Maybe she could run? He was just a small child. Surely she could handle herself in his presence.
Just as she was steeling herself for a game of fight or flight, a shadow moved to cover the boy and his very skin seemed to give off an Iridescent glow. A startled and terrified squeak left Eloise's mouth as she backed up. Her eyes wide, her mouth open, and her hand moving to cover the impolite reaction she had, she could only stare at the child before trying to gather her wits about her.
For the love of...of...everything! Either this was a devil's child or it was "...You're magick. You're...a bottle-baby, aren't you?" Or at least, she hoped to all that was good in the world he was. Cause if he was something evil-spawn, she wasn't so sure she could fight. Or flight.
hibi-tea
Allegro hadn't noticed he was glowing; often times he never noticed he was glowing. He was so used to it simply happening whenever he entered a shaded area that after awhile he paid no mind to it. When he caught Eloise's expression he jumped, looking about himself and noticing the shade that had crept up onto his arm, showing off his faint glow.
He quickly jumped out of the shade and turned to apologize to Eloise as she blurted out her stuttering question concerning him and whether or not he was a magical bottle baby. Quickly forgetting himself he blurted back, "Yes I am! I was about to ask you about it but I wasn't even sure how to approach the subject without making myself seem like a loose screw."
He quickly realized his babbling and exclamation over Eloise's words was probably drawing unwanted attention to the pair so he quickly hushed his voice and scratched the back of his neck with slight embarrassment, "Uhm, Yes. Yes I am. I, uh... I felt the presence of your bottle, and at first thought maybe it was, well, you."
Ephemeral Hope
Giddy glee bubbled up inside the young maid at the boy's exclamations. Oh, it was another one of them! The blissfully ignorant bubble she had lived in had popped and suddenly it seemed as if these creatures were all around her, roaming the streets with her. Had they been there all along- and she had not noticed? Or were they only manifesting themselves now, because of her knowledge?
It seemed as if a magical door had opened, and she'd stepped through it- allowing her to interact with these...other beings. Had she not found her bottle, would she have never been invited into this world?
She was so excited at the prospect of meeting another magickal one, she couldn't even form the embarrassment that would have been needed to wonder at how 'loose-screwish' she might have seemed had he not been a bottle-baby. Instead she latched onto his slightly lowered words hungrily.
"You thought it was me?" Eloise took a moment to imagine herself as one of him. Magickal abilities. Born from a bottle. Oh, if only! If only! But she wasn't and she shook her head to clear herself of these thoughts. Her eyes darted around looking at the small attention they'd garnished. A crowd had not formed around them, but curious bystanders were watching them queerly, as if waiting for a show. Well, she was a lady, and she certainly would not be giving them one at the moment.
Now she focused on the environment around them, taking in their settings. She wanted someplace where they could talk without the prying eyes.
Finally, her eyes found purchase on a little restaurant, and she motioned with her head to it. "You...uhm...must be hungry," Her stutterers came back as did the nerves at the idea the boy might not want to follow her plan. She wanted him to play along so that she may be able to get more information from him. He felt the presence of her bottle. Maybe he could tell her what it was? "Would you like...uhm...mmm..." She sighed, frustrated with herself. "Get something to...eat?"
Oh! Gods! Did she sound like she was trying to kidnap the child?!
hibi-tea
Allegro nodded his head to Eloise once more, giving a passerby whom was rudely starring a very displeased and stern look. It didn't matter if they had made a tiny scene, it was still awfully rude to stare at anyone. Proper etiquette in Allegro's mind dictated that when someone was making a scene you ignored it and went on your way, only interfering if something turned violent. After all, it was not your place to comment in on anything, no matter how much you wanted to.
"Yes. The feeling I had gotten was faint at first, so I thought maybe someone like me had been here before and I missed them, but when I passed by you I felt an unusual breeze and caught a little whirlwind. When you didn't react to me, I figured you must be carrying a bottle, or just standing coincidentally in a place another like me had been," He explained, phrasing his words the best he could to be clear in how he determined she was carrying a bottle with her. For a child Allegro tended to be a little eloquent in his words from time to time due to the multitude of books he read, because of this he had to watch his words around his brothers and some less educated adults so he didn't make them feel as if he was above them; that in itself was rude, after all.
His attention being snapped back to Eloise, and away from his motherly eye-scoldings of the people around him, he listened as she assumed him to be in some way hungry, and offered to purchased something for him. Truthfully he hadn't been, but he could tell that she seemed eager to talk to him some more and preferably in a location where everyone was not starring at them, and offered some small semblance of privacy.
"I would very much like that Ms. Morrow, but I have to ask my father first. He wouldn't be pleased with me if I simply took off," He said, offering her a small smile, "He's got enough on his plate dealing with my two rowdier brothers, you see."
He hoped that the fact he had to consult his father on the matter would not put Eloise off. He knew Hayden would no doubt give him the permission her required, especially taking into consideration this was a matter of someone like him and the fact that Eloise was a woman and could not pluck him off the street corner as easily as a man could.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 10:55 am
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise stood, enraptured with the child in front of her. He had felt a breeze? A whirlwind? Was that a hint as to what the essence inside the bottle was? Her fingers itched to grab the emerald vile and bring it out for inspection, but she withheld. No good would come from that, she was certain. Besides, she could remember the swirling presence inside the bottle clearly without any visual stimulation.
And really, it all kind of made sense.
The spiriting inside the bottle was barely visible, swirling around inside it's prison. It had reminded her of a spirit, at one point, even.
Could she have with her a whirlwind? Would she be able to control something of that nature?
She seriously doubted it.
Oh, and lady Sarah-Anne would have her head if she brought upon such a force in her manor. ...What would Eloise do then? What would Sarah-Anne do then? Would she pack Eloise up and ship her right back to where she came from?
The young maid was forcefully pulled from her thoughts when the young boy in front of her agreed to her request for food. ...After he sought permission from his father. Her face instantly flamed as blood rushed to her cheeks. Heavens to Betsy! How could she have forgotten? Of course he'd have to ask for permission before traipsing off with her.
Would his father let him go? She probably wouldn't let her child go off with a strange woman...
"O-oh!" She stammered out, her face heating even further as her voice came out as little more than a squeak. "O-of course. ...uhmmm....that makes sense, yes. You should certainly ask your...uhm...dad." Especially if those rascals she'd seen earlier were, in fact, his siblings. The man probably had enough on his plate without his well-mannered son disappearing. Especially with his given nature.
Her eyes darted around the area, taking in the people once more, before her free hand grabbed at the hems of her skirts. "Do you...uhm...need me to take you to him...?" She doubted he did, but how else would he find her again? Unless this was all a well mannered attempt at getting rid of her. Oh, poppycock! She was just messing this up left and right!
hibi-tea
Allegro blinked at Eloise awaiting her response. She was a little on the odd side to him, though he knew he had no right to judge. She seemed to always be looking around as she contemplated any answers she offered, as if unsure of herself half the time. She was shy. That was probably it.
"Dad's only over there," Allegro said, pointing over to the still shopping Hayden and the very fidgety and unhappy looking twins who at this point had noticed Allegro had left and were looking at him curiously, wondering who he was talking to at the moment. He knew his pointing was rude, but at the moment it was one of those acceptable rudeness' needed for him to actually show Eloise where his father was currently located.
"If you want, Ms. Morrow, you can come with me while I ask him if it's alright. He'll probably want to be introduced to you anyway. He likes to know the other parents of kids like me, something about networking," Allegro said, offering an explanation and reason for her to tag along, incase she felt like she had no reason to or was concerned about losing him within the crowd.
Ephemeral Hope
Dad's only over there'
Well, wasn't she just dumber than a June bug on a string? That was definitely his way of trying to politely tell her to talk a long walk off a short pier. She was creeping him out with her kidnapping tendencies, and he was trying to get her to stay put and not stalk him and steal him away into the night.
Well, she could do that. Couldn't she?
Still, her eyes followed his fingers, to see four eyeballs staring back at her small companion, and the adult who was with them. Three children. Three. She was wondering how in the world she could possibly make it work with one, and that man had three. Where in the world was his wife? Or his nanny?
Looking down at Allegro, Eloise decided the man could definitely afford a nanny.
Giving in, Eloise let out soft sigh, about to excuse the boy when he offered to allow her to come with. Oh, well child after her own heart! She nodded her head excitedly, her brown tresses bouncing around seemingly emphasising her joy. "I would really like that!" She exclaimed, a bright smile working it's way on her face. In her joy to meet another human in this situation, it completely passed over Eloise that she didn't stutter in that particular sentence.
hibi-tea
Eloise certainly seemed very excited when Allegro mentioned coming with him to ask permission of his father to go off and speak to her about what he was. He assumed it was a girl thing, considering Eloise was a girl. Perhaps she assumed that Hayden was single since she didn't see any mother around; she'd be right, of course, but he wasn't sure how comfortable he was now with introducing Eloise to Hayden, if only because he wasn't sure how the boys would react to a woman coming to meet their father.
Dismissing these feelings almost instantly, Allegro gave Eloise another smile and offered her his hand to grab so he could lead her to Hayden. His actions held no implications, it was mainly a habit of his, having to lead the two boys about in this manner on a daily basis. He was also concerned about losing her in the fray, even if it was only a short distance from where Eloise and Allegro stood to Hayden and the boys.
The fray of the busy day was picking back up again and Allegro knew that soon Hayden's shopping trip would be over and they'd return back to the Helena border. He turned to Eloise and commented, "We should hurry. I'm not sure how much more time dad will be out today shopping."
Ephemeral Hope
Eloise beamed at the offered hand. She wasn't sure if he was offering it with means to lead her to his father, or if he was seeking some authoritative figure's contact while working his way through the crowd, but either way, she quickly slipped her hand into his, and even gave it a quick playful swing, before motioning with her other hand for him to lead the way.
Allegro quickly led them over to his father, and with each step they took towards the three boys, her false sense of growing confidence slipped a little further away. Oh, what was she doing? Going over to a grown man to ask if it was okay to steal one of his children away? What would she even say to him?
...Did she look acceptable?
Eloise wasn't always one to fuss with her appearance, but the idea of going up to someone with an obviously higher stature than her in the social ladder (near everyone was, to his credit...) made her stomach roll in a queasy and uncomfortable way. Would he banish her away?
She'd obviously have to go, if he did. And then she wouldn't have any more of her questions answered. Mentally, she could picture it. Him snatching Allegro's hand out of her own, and sending her away. Maybe even telling her mistress about her unacceptable behavior.
By the time they had made it up to the man, she'd worked herself into a tizzy, and she couldn't even bare to raise her head to look at him, thereby missing his initial reaction to her arrival. She worked her throat, trying to swallow around the lump that'd formed there. Finding it impossible, she stood there, head bowed, her free hand twisting the hem of her dress in her grasp, waiting for him to shoo her away.
hibi-tea
It didn't take long for Allegro to escort Eloise to where Hayden had been buying produce. Even though it felt like endless amounts of time had passed, it had really only been minutes. It was funny how time could trick a grouping of individuals so wrapped up in their business to think that copious amounts of time had passed when it hadn't, but it was no matter. Hayden had only now noticed that Allegro was on the quiet side and looked away from his produce hunting to look around for him, which ended up being perfect for Allegro as he had just arrived next to him with Eloise.
"Dad, this is Ms. Eloise Morrow. She has a bottle like the one that I came from," Allegro explained, his tone on the hushed side, loud enough for only the five of them to hear. Allegro and Hayden had always spoken openly about the events leading up to Allegro's emergence from the bottle with one another and the family, but they liked to keep it hushed in public. It was not because they felt people would think them crazy, because in all honesty they didn't care. They worried that the wrong people overhearing their conversation would lead to trouble, the kind in which Hayden knew he may not be able to save his children from.
Hayden looked at Eloise quietly for a moment, scanning over the woman before him who seemed to be growing quite nervous by the minute. Her clothes were a touch on the homely side, but she had a pretty face of porcelain skin, accented by dark green eyes and dark brown-black hair that helped play up her pale skin. Her small stature and timid displayed demeanor was cute to say the least, but he would not openly admit it to anyone. He was a single father and his priorities were right in front of him; those were the things Hayden needed to keep in mind.
Extending a hand to Eloise, Hayden gave her a warm smile, the kind only a lovingly devoted father held, "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Morrow. I'm Mr. Hayden Lightner, and these are my sons, Cante, Benjamin, and you've seemed to have already met Allegro."
Both Cante and Benjamin stepped forward to Eloise and offered her a hello, though they were a little shy in doing so. Most of their acquaintances were elderly women within the neighborhood, or other single fathers. They were not used to being in the presence of a younger woman, especially one who could have potentially been their mother at one point and time. Sure, given their father's career they came in contact with many women who were young enough to be their mother's; however, they never spent much time in their company, having always found something else to occupy their time with while Hayden conducted his music lessons.
After the boys introduced themselves, Hayden smiled, a small gleam in his eyes as he addressed Eloise further. He was very excited about this meeting, and it was becoming more and more apparent, although his excitement was not over the fact that he was meeting a woman, which Eloise could easily misunderstand, but the fact there was a new person (especially one with a bottle like the one Allegro had emerged from) to ask questions to. His mind was already buzzing with potential questions for the woman.
"So Ms. Morrow, Allegro mentioned you had a bottle?" Hayden began, Allegro quickly tugging at his father's jacket sleeve with a small frown, "Yes?"
"Ms. Morrow wanted to know if she could talk to me about the bottle and myself. Is it ok if I join her?" Allegro asked, not meaning to cut his father off, but otherwise he might completely interrogate Eloise.
"Well, sure, that's no problem," Hayden began, looking from Allegro back to Eloise, "Though wouldn't it better if I was there as well, Allegro? There are things concerning this subject I could also answer for her."
Allegro nodded at this, as it was very true. Some questions Eloise had he might not be able to answer, especially concerning he was still within the bottle when Hayden and the family had initially found it. He turned to Eloise with a inquisitive look upon his face in light of his father's request, "Uhm, would that be alright with you Ms. Morrow?"
Ephemeral Hope
If Eloise had to hazard a guess, she'd say that the walk from their previous corner to Allegro's father took them a grand total of...oh, say, three hours, or so. Intellectually, she knew this was not only improbably, but impossible. The little boy leading her by the hand moved much to quickly for that much time to have passed.
And then, as if time was slapping her in the face, the moment she was actually in front of the man, it seemed like that three hour long journey suddenly passed her by too quickly.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard Allergo make the introductions, but she was too busy trying to focus on not vomiting on the man in front of her. Her nerves were getting the best of her, and she could already feel the pinprick in the corners of her eyes, and she blinked furiously, trying to stop the impending tears that were a direct result of her stomach whirling.
Just as she blinked away most of the moisture in her eyes, a hand was suddenly thrust in her line of vision. A startled squeak left her lips as her eyes finally moved up from the ground to take in the man before her. He was a tanned fellow, with long hair, and the most fascinating orbs she'd ever seen. She could instantly feel her blood rushing back up to her face as she stared at his eyes a moment longer than was polite before she could finally force her eyes to look down at the hand offered to her.
Gulping audibly, she placed her small hand in his larger one, before taking another tentative look at his face as she shook his hand. His smile was warm, inviting, and made her feel a tad bit safer. He wasn't shooing her off to Lady Sara-Ann's yet, despite her gawking. That was a good sign right? Imagining it was, she allowed herself another look over him.
He looked a bit older than her, but not so old that they couldn't have been friends, had social standings been different. His hair was pulled back, in a neater fashion than she could have ever managed, and his clothes only furthered her impression of him- given by his son Allegro. He was a dashing man, that was certain.
She licked her lips nervously, not really wanting to open her mouth in front of this man. What was that adage her mother always used to tell her? 'Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.' But he was speaking to her and she really had no choice that she could see, but to respond.
Taking a calming breath she began. "It's...It's a pleasure to meet you as well, uhmmm...Mister Lightner...uhmmm...Mister Benjamin, Mister...Cante..." She released the hand she had placed in Mister Lightner's hand and offered a feeble courtesy to the three of them.
The boys were much more adorable when they weren't trying to steal from their father. They were beautiful, shy as they were, and Eloise had a feeling Mrs. Haden was as beautiful, if not more so, than Lady Sara-Ann.
She was just about to stand up and flash the best smile she could muster when she realized her faux pas. She'd never addressed Allegro properly, had she? Her mind raced back through their meeting and she knew, without a doubt, she'd simply called him 'Allegro'.
Her eyes darted to his, wide and panic stricken. However, before she could open her mouth to apologize- or something. The conversation pushed on without her.
"I...uhmmm...yes...I...do?" It came out more as a question than anything, as she once again selfconsciously hugged her basket closer to her, her eyes darting around at the people that stood by them. The man's sudden eagerness had her worried. Would he try to take her bottle from her? Was this a mistake?
Another part of her brain wondered if the poor man was just so starved for adult interaction that perhaps he thought she was a suitable conversationalist. She shoved that thought away instantly, it was laughable at best.
And then he was letting his child go with her to dinner, and suggesting he go with them. And Oh, no, no, no, no!
She only had a few more coins left. How was she to afford, now, three children and an adult male? There was no way. There wasn't enough money! That sick feeling was coming back, and she was sure her realization was written all over her face, so she attempted to smooth over her expression.
"I...uhm..." How would she word this? She had to find the way to expression her problem. Use your words, Eloise! "I...uhm...dont see a problem with...that." Stop using your words, Eloise! Stop using your words "We were...just going to get...uhm...food." She finished pathetically, and mentally sighing in utter defeat. Now what the son-of-a-puppy was she going to do?
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:50 am
"Food?" Hayden repeated thoughtfully, "That sounds like a wonderful idea. The boys are probably becoming peckish."
Looking down to his sons he noticed how Cante and Benjamin had begun to tune out the adults talking and were instead fiddling with their hands in their pockets, or watching the people who were passing by with the mildest of interests. Food would probably be a good thing for them, that way they could keep themselves occupied eating while Ms. Morrow asked her questions and Allegro and himself answered them the best they could.
With that in mind the issue of payment popped into Hayden's head. He didn't expect Ms. Morrow to carrying enough coin on her to feed a party of five, let alone three of them being growing little boys. That would simply not do. Since he pretty much invited himself along (as any responsible parent should do) and thus his other children as well it'd only be fair for him to pay.
"Would it be alright with you, Ms. Morrow, if I insisted on paying?" Hayden asked politely. He didn't want to offend Eloise or any sensitivities that she had, but he didn't expect someone he just met to pay for his entire family.
Allegro watched the exchange between Eloise and Hayden curiously. Interactions between adults were always so fascinating. There were so many little formalities between them that he noticed did not occur between children, and didn't occur quite as often between a child and adult.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:20 am
He was offering to pay? That was both a shock and a relief. The young maid had come up with no logical conclusion as to how to pay for the five of them to dine in even the shabbiest of establishments. While the man before her didn't look like a lord, he didn't look like he was the type to frequent shady eateries, either.
Now she was stuck with the problem of whether or not to accept his offer. She had had limited contact with those of a higher social standing than her before she took up work with Lady Sara-Anne. Even less so, afterwords. Was it more polite to offer to pay for herself or to accept the offer easily? Was one gesture the correct and the other wrong? Would she manage to offend him one way or the other?
Nerves had Eloise's hand clenching at her skirts as her heart raced a bit. Even that seemed wrong, though. Would he notice the nervous reaction and take it as something other than apprehension? She lifted the ends of her skirts and, tucking one ankle behind the other, lowered herself in a quick curtsy in an attempt to mask the action for something else. "I-I would be very grateful, Mister Lightner." Good, goddess in heaven, she hoped she'd done that right.
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Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:23 pm
Allegro watched Eloise's response to his father's insistence on paying for his family as well as her and furrowed his brows slightly. It wasn't in disapproval, but confusion. He knew that you were supposed to curtsy and bow slightly to people of status, but his father was certainly not someone who was of status. Yes, he did dress well and he cared for his children and provided from them above and beyond what some what consider necessary, but it was not because of status. It was because of hard work.
Hayden gave Eloise a humble smile, but did not comment on her curtsy. He did not want her to feel embarrassed, and he certainly did not want to embarrass her in public by telling her it wasn't necessary. Especially when she was trying to be so polite. Something about her reaction arose a question in his mind, and he was terrible at keeping them bottled in.
"I hope I'm not being forward, but do you work for nobility Ms. Morrow?" He asked with a smile, a small glint in his eye where his insatiable curiosity was being peaked.
It wasn't as if he hadn't worked with nobility before. He had taught them or their children how to play the piano, but there was always a difference in the experience between that of someone on the outside hired for a day and those who worked for them constantly. His experience was that the difference wasn't always a pleasant one, but it didn't stop him from being curious about others experiences anyway.
Allegro could already tell that if Eloise indulged him in this question at this moment, that they'd be standing here for a whille as Hayden thought of a million more questions, and as he peaked over to his brothers Cante and Benjamin he could tell that it would end with someone in their group complaining loudly. He tugged quite forcefully on his father's coat sleeve, getting the older man's attention quite quickly.
"Yes, Allegro?" Hayden asked, eyes opened slightly at the unusual forcefulness of the tug.
"Food?" Allegro reminded him, raising his eyebrows in a silent attempt to go 'This can be handled later, okay?'
Hayden smiled widely and half-chuckled at Allegro's reminder and looked up apologetically to Eloise, "Ah, yes. Food. Uhm, Ms. Morrow, do you have any place in mind you'd like to go?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:22 pm
The young brunette saw nothing forward about Hayden's inquiry. On the contrary, she assumed her appearance had made it rather obvious that she held no social standing of her own, and was rather curious as to why he'd even bother to ask such a question. She opened her mouth to answer, perhaps for the first time, a question confidently- when Allergro reminded them of their original plans.
"Oh...uh," Eloise's gaze drifted nervously down the street. She was still so terribly new here and this was her first time leaving the manor when she wasn't on a task. She didn't even know what eateries were around the area- if any. Even if she did, they would be shabby by comparison to what he was used to. "No, no I don't." She admitted at last, her smile sheepish. "A-anywhere is fine..." Especially if the boys were picky eaters as some of the children that came to Sara-Anne's manor were. Those children were frightful at best when they didn't have food they enjoyed placed in front of them. "I don't know this area well," She admitted.
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:35 am
Well this was quite a predicament to Hayden. He wondered how long Eloise had been in her employer's household or how many times she left their walls. It didn't seem like many to him, but he could be wrong. He had lived with his wife for almost a year before he had made it a point to actually go out into the town and learn where things were located. Perhaps Eloise was the same.
"Well, thankfully I know a few places Ms. Morrow," Hayden said with a delighted grin.
He extended an arm towards Ms. Morrow in a polite manner, figuring that it would be best for the group to navigate the dense crowds in such a manner. The boys had already made their little kid-chain and were waiting expectantly for where their father would lead them and Eloise for their meal. Their father had a habit of picking places known for their comfort food, which tended to mean a little more lax environment. Cante and Benjamin didn't mind very much, but Allegro never liked the places. They tended to be on the dim side and he wasn't a fan of the dark.
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Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:28 pm
The smile that came to Eloise's lips matched the delighted grin on Hayden's. For some reason she couldn't explain properly, she was rather excited about this little meal. It was part meeting a child like Allegro, part having her answers questions. It was part having a meal with a clearly handsome (and well out of her class) gentleman, and part appearing to be a higher social standing than she really was. ...Part something else, as well, but she couldn't figure out what that 'something else' was, just yet.
The young maid couldn't help but stare at the extended arm like it was something alien at first. She'd never been escorted like that before. Would she look dingy and undesirable next to him like that? Mulling it over in her mind for a moment, Eloise decided that if she was going to play at someone of a higher society, by getting a meal out, she mind as well go all the way. It'd be a long time-if ever- before she'd get this chance again.
That thought firm in mind, the Morrow girl looped her arm around Hayden's, smiling as charmingly as she could at him, even though a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "T-That's wonderful," she murmured, shyly. Glancing around him, she took in the sight of the child like chain, amused by the sheer adorableness that only the young could achieve. Nodding that she was ready, she let Mr. Lightner lead the way to whatever he thought would be an appropriate location for the large party to dine at.
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