Café de Nuit

Primeiro looks at the proffered hand almost amusingly for a half-second, then he gently takes it in his own hand and kisses it, perhaps more slowly than is customary. From the look and feel of his fingers, it's apparent that he is no stranger to physical labor, despite the fine appearance of his clothes.

Standing up straight but not quite releasing Everline's hand just yet, he fixes his hazel eyes upon her and says, "Primeiro d'Pirozzi, Mademoiselle Vaughn. A travelogue, you say? One of those narratives of faraway places for people too timid to venture forth themselves? Excellent. This is a business occasion for you, then?"

"Eustace knowing of our trip was my doing," Dorgio explained to Benn as he gave Eustace a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Brother Eustace here is so close to the theological truth that I thought we'd need to bring him along just for the sake of debate," he said with a wry grin. In many ways, Eustace's own god was quite similar to the Morninglord, yet different enough to have sparked a few arguments between the two seekers.

"Although Eustace, if you wanted to see how rich people treat each other, I'm thinking you could have done just as well watching the socialites in Pont. Why, Benn here has a contact with Lady Jacqueline. Have you spoke to her lately, Benn?" Dorgio gave his old friend a wry grin.

The grin turned to a thoughtful nod as Benn mentioned knowing little about Gauntcliff. "I didn't know much either, but when I told Eliana, she seemed to know of it right away. Something about wanting to study the effects of a warm climate on limestone." Eliana, the wan, flaxen-haired woman whom Dorgio had invited in the trip, was a scholar of geology at the university. Dorgio had spoken little of how the two had met, even to Benn, but the priest's affection for the woman was clear.

Charlotte comes to the foredeck, carrying Benn’s little son, Jonas, in her arms. The former servant girl looks much as she did when Benn and Dorgio first met her, at the Sancerre residence nearly two years ago. Her glossy black hair is cut a trifle shorter, hanging just above her shoulders. Her well-proportioned figure is perhaps a bit curvier now, though her modest housewife’s clothing doesn’t display the difference too obviously.

Jonas is a small, slim child at a year and a summer. His hair and eyes match Benn's exactly. He smiles as soon as he sees Benn. His little arms waggle and his feet dance in the air.
''Papa!’’

"Yes, indeed," Everline replies in prim tones. "Your assessment of our clientèle is not entirely correct, however, monsieur. There are those who require travelogues as a spur for journeys of their own, or simply to correctly plan--"

The cry of 'Papa' makes Everline turn her head. When she spots Benn, Dorgio and Eustace, her eyes widen incrementally. "Hold the semaphore," she mutters, her eyes narrowing. "You shall have to excuse me, monsieur," she tells Primeiro without looking him in the eye. "One finds there is a bit of business that requires tending to."

Everline walks up to the threesome and smartly taps the back of Benn's head. In a low tone of voice, she says: "Oy! 'Papa', is it? Someone's been busy since leavin' the Delaporre's dirty ole dump, wot?"

Charlotte takes a moment to look over Everline, whom she's never before met.

She says-

''The Delapore estate- you meant that conference last year? You know Benn from there? Jonas was born before that. He's fifteen moons already. I suppose Benn forgot to mention that he had a wife and son, no, mademoiselle?"

Everline smiles -- or rather, grins. It is not a ladylike expression.

"Don't take it to heart, Missus. We were all a bit busy not gettin' killed, so some'a the niceties went out the window. 'Sides, e'd only just met me, so 'e 'ad to know I weren't some throat-slittin' blackguard, right?"

Everline extends a hand towards Charlotte -- not to be kissed, but for shaking. If allowed, she also shakes little Jonas' hand.

"Cor, e's a li'l chip off the ole block, ain't he?" she says, still grinning.

(OOC: Please note that Everline only talks in her carefree manner around the group that was at the Delaporre estate, or is clearly connected to them. If anyone outside this group approaches, she immediately becomes all prim and proper again.)

PathOfDreams wrote:Noticing the hatred welling up inside Juergin, Petrie offers a few words, "No need for apologies my young lad, I understand more than you know. I too lost family to the ravages of hostile creatures." Petrie takes a moment to pause and turns back over the rail to face the approaching island again, "For now let us think of the wonder that awaits us there." He points his chin towards the cliffs.

Juergin looks up at Petrie and smiles. "Den, ve haff something in common, mein freund. Ja, deiner wonder .......... " and Juergin's voice trails off. The reason for this becomes readily apparent to Petrie as the young lad has just spied Everline. He stares for a good thirty seconds before even saying anything.

"She is very beautiful," and blushes furiously, unsure why he finds a girl beautiful. His hand touches Petrie's arm and he poses a question. "Is it normal I find her beautiful? I used to think girls are gross unt uninteresting." Even as he talks, his eyes never leave Everline.

"Ah..but I..well..you don't under..." Benn stammers a bit before rapping his cane in irritation on the deck. "That is quite enough fun at my expense, I think." He flashes Charlotte a bemused glance. "There were important matters at the time to tend to, mainly not choking to death on fungal spores, as I've told you. But, I am being rude."

He gestures "This is my wife, Charlotte, and our son Jonas. This is Madame Everline of...well...I'm guessing Paridon by the accent, but I don't believe I was every properly told your homeland." He scoops the boy up in his arms. "It's been some time since last you saw him, hasn't it Dorgio? He's smarter than I was at his age. Already learning his letters, aren't you my boy?" The boy eagerly nods, while Charlotte doubtless rolls her eyes politely out of site. "That is where we are going, Jonas." He points to the island. "Do you see? That is Gauntcliff."

Jonas points to a seagull turning overhead "Bird! Bird!"

It is not difficult for Petrie to quickly track Juergin's sight to the prim beauty moving about the deck. He retorts with a chuckle, "Hah, I am afraid laddy that is quite normal." He cannot help but let another chuckle escape. "I might add a warning with that however my awkward little friend, a women's beauty can sometimes be as intoxicating as a stiff whiskey. As a matter of fact, you might be better off the master of a fine liquor than attempting to master a fine women; you'll find the latter task could take a lifetime."

Petrie continues to chuckle softly, though not intending to hurt the boy's feelings. In a flash, all the women he has ever courted, or at least all the ones that mattered, come rushing to the forefront of this thought as he speaks again, "And... I imagine by the looks of that one there," he lowers his voice to a near whisper and stoops so Juergin may hear his words, "could well require the lifetimes of ten men to properly break."

Petrie kneels to untie the wide-brimmed hat attached to his pack. The beaver felt is heavily worn along the brim and the once brown hue is now discolored from years of life on the road. He gathers his long dirty blonde mane and secures it beneath the felt to avoid any further tangling from the breeze.

"Benn's not the only one who's been busy, it seems," he told Everline. "I hardly recognize you these days; you look too much like a proper lady! What horrors you must have experienced in your travels to affect that change."

"Deiner lifetimes of ten men? Vutt do you mean by dat? Ah......... you are tellink me dat basically vimmin can drive a man
crazy?" He purses his lips and continues what he thinks is his own personal revelation to the mysteries of women, due to just the short sentence Petrie has told him. He would learn, oh yes, he would learn. "Ja, dis bears more studying unt practice, Petrie. Is dere some way I can practice with a woman?," he asks innocently.

His eyes have now left Everline and he scans the other passengers. His eyes rove those on the deck. His eyes narrow as he spots Benn, his interest in Everline forgotten for now. Looking hard, just to make sure, a smile appears on his lips. "Petrie. A Lamordian man. Over dere!" He points at Benn, oblivious to the rudeness of the gesture. He walks across the deck to where Benn is with his family and friends. He clears his throat and speaks to Benn in rapid Lamordian.

"Verzeihen Sie mir, Sir. Ich bin Juergin Zwygart von Leudendorf. Welche Stadt bist du?
Wie ist Ihr Name? Ich bin so froh, ein Kerl Lamordian gerecht zu werden. Oh, wow, haben Sie
einen Sohn! Was ist sein Name? Ist das deine Frau? Sind diese Menschen Ihrer Familie? ich bin
Leider forbeing so nach vorne, aber ich weiß nicht erfüllen viele Lamordians in meinen Reisen. "

Charlotte shakes Everline's hand, and allows the woman to shake Jonas' wee hand.

''Well, it's good we are all together in such a lovely place. I look forward to enjoying this holiday without, you know, madmen or criminals trying to kill my husband...Or me. Benn's line of work gets him tangled up in all sorts of messes. I guess you know that. "

Charlotte blinks in surprise as the blond boy addresses Benn in a foreign language.

''Euh...Benn, I think this boy is from your part of the world, no? He's one of the crew. I think."

"Indeed, I have more interesting debates for you Dorgio. You can't imagine the treasure I found the last summer, after I left you at Delapore. But we'll have time for that later. I feel you have not properly understood the difference of Gauntcliff to Pont. Here, the guests will be by themselves, outside the ecosystem of a 'full society', so to say."

He smiles, coyly.

"People change in those situations, I'm sure."

When he meets Jonas and Charlotte, he gives a broad smile to Benn and says

"Accept my felicitations, Benn. You are doing well with your son, to set him so soon on the road of knowledge. But don't forget the spiritual, that is a fundamental part of any man's education. Have you introduced him to any religion yet?"

When Everline arrives, he has to spend quite a while to make sure she is the same girl he had know a year earlier.

"Miss Everline? Why... you look so different, so... grown-up?"

Ail wrote:Here, the guests will be by themselves, outside the ecosystem of a 'full society', so to say."

He smiles, coyly.

"People change in those situations, I'm sure."

The implication not lost on him, Dorgio gave a brief, appreciative chuckle. "From your lips to my god's ears."