𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆.

“Just because you’re beautiful, doesn’t mean you can treat people like they don’t matter.”

I know they have fleas, but I don’t care. I’ve wanted one all my life!

He had been looking for her all night, but for such a bright star of a girl, Delysia Dubois had been remarkable difficult to find. The times where he had glimpsed her, she had not been alone, and so Etienne had kept a respectable distance. Normally, he wouldn’t think much of approaching her even in a crowd and requesting a moment of her time, but things had hardly been - well, usual between them lately. He didn’t want to tarnish her evening, and so, he had kept his distance. 

It wasn’t until later in the evening when he finally saw his opening, Delysia perched on a chair at one of the tables at the edge of the room, alone at last. Etienne grabbed two glasses of champagne from the tray of a nearby waiter, and made his approach, cautiously, like a man walking into the lair of a hibernating bear. 

“Your entourage appears to have deserted you,” his tone is light, but laden with things left unsaid. Are you all right? Do you forgive me? “All the more better for me. I have been hoping for a moment of your time all evening.” He holds out one of the glasses, brows raised in question, and sets the one he nabbed for himself on the table. “A drink?” he queries, and he stretches out his now-empty spare hand to her, an offer for her to take it. “Or a dance? The choice is yours, my dear.”

something happens to a girl like that if she’s left alone too long in a room full of people. maybe that’s why etienne toussaint shows up to rectify it — a doctor can tell when a hearts in jeopardy.

he says your entourage appears to have deserted you, and delysia can’t help the way something small crumbles off on the wall of her heart, a well-meant witticism moving like a fingernail against already flaking paint. “they’re probably looking for me,” she answers, resisting both the impulse to ask him if he thinks it’s true and the urge to look at him for a little too long. “i just needed to rest my feet, is all. but you can — ” lashes flit downward against carefully rouged cheeks as she places the extended drink against the table, turning the coupe slowly on its stem. “you can still stay, if you like.”

it might be unfair of him to enable whatever crush delysia might or might not still have for him, but it boosts his ego - regardless of whether or not it needs one - and that’s worthwhile enough. were she older, she might have ended up married to him. it’s probably for the best she didn’t. but she never turns down a dance with him and, his ego aside, he likes spending time with delysia. she’s practically family and a far more tolerable addition than his actual younger siblings. “don’t tell me you’ve outgrown having me at the top of your dance card, del.”

“delysia darling, i truly need to be on my best behavior tonight,” zosia says, linking one arm with her friend’s while her dates trail after them. in her other dangles the flute of champagne ‘gifted’ to her by vera. she’s not wholly unconvinced vera hasnt slipped poison or something else otherwise unpleasant in it just for her. she passes it off to a server and snags another and takes a healthy swig. bubbly and refreshing and too much will certainly have her not acting on her best behavior. “promise me you won’t let me join in with all the boys for a bit of gambling. god knows there’s more fun to be had elsewhere in this place.”