[gathering] Museum Grand Opening
For the occasion, Nessa had baked coconut crumpets. It was an experiment, but she was very glad of the result herself. She brought them to the museum in a folded cotton cloth. All hard work had come to this; a museum, and she thought it quite beautiful. She could already imagine the plants she would suggest Dick to grow there, welcoming the visitor and decoration that wasn't present yet. All in due time, for now, though, it was a museum in the functional sense. And that was an accomplishment on its own.
"Nervous?" She asked the beautiful man.
"Not at all." For someone born to the big top, events and performances held no terror. Not to mention that he loved people and parties, and he hadn't been happier since before his parents died. Engaged to Tim, the museum finished, maybe the team had crumbled under the losses, but the people hadn't. And now that they were ready to open, it felt like one more bright star in an already brilliant sky.
Dick held out his arm for her, in courtly fashion, because it made him smile and she always smiled when he did. "You look beautiful," he told her, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and nodded to the table in the courtyard where Scotty had set up the hors d'ouevres. "Shall we?" He just hoped she wouldn't be offended if he didn't try the crumpets. Coconut, yuck.
"We shall, my darling." Nessa did indeed smile and accepted the arm offered, squeezing it a little. "I made coconut crumpets... I think. Julian tasted one an assured me they were wonderful."
"I'm sure they are. I've never known you to do anything that wasn't." Dick drew her forward into the courtyard, leading her like a prince with a princess, except for the clear delight in sparkling blue eyes that made it playful. "We've won over some of our most vociferous critics and the skeptics. Do you think everyone else will enjoy it?"
"I think a skeptic will hesitate to celebrate anything accomplished on this island, because of its fickle nature. But truth is we should celebrate everything we have accomplished here, cherish every chance offered here and share it. And that's what you've done here," Nessa said, assuring him. "I think everyone will enjoy it. Sod the critics, dear, nothing would be created if we were to listen only to them." That wasn't entirely true, of course. Where would Bloomsbury have been without Roger? But for the purpose of the comment, she was certain Roger would have forgiven her.
"That's what I want, Nessa. For people to see everything we've done here and on whose shoulders we've done it. That way, no matter what happens, someone will know we were here." He took the plate of crumpets from her hand and set them on the banquet table behind them, then led her to sit by the reflecting pool in the middle of the courtyard, to wait for people to show up. "I hope."
[The museum itself is open. Exhibits are still in progress, but there's a timeline of island history on one long wall, a natural history exhibit, a second island hall, Cora's Mogwai, a memorials/biography section and free food. Come one, come any!]
"Nervous?" She asked the beautiful man.
"Not at all." For someone born to the big top, events and performances held no terror. Not to mention that he loved people and parties, and he hadn't been happier since before his parents died. Engaged to Tim, the museum finished, maybe the team had crumbled under the losses, but the people hadn't. And now that they were ready to open, it felt like one more bright star in an already brilliant sky.
Dick held out his arm for her, in courtly fashion, because it made him smile and she always smiled when he did. "You look beautiful," he told her, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and nodded to the table in the courtyard where Scotty had set up the hors d'ouevres. "Shall we?" He just hoped she wouldn't be offended if he didn't try the crumpets. Coconut, yuck.
"We shall, my darling." Nessa did indeed smile and accepted the arm offered, squeezing it a little. "I made coconut crumpets... I think. Julian tasted one an assured me they were wonderful."
"I'm sure they are. I've never known you to do anything that wasn't." Dick drew her forward into the courtyard, leading her like a prince with a princess, except for the clear delight in sparkling blue eyes that made it playful. "We've won over some of our most vociferous critics and the skeptics. Do you think everyone else will enjoy it?"
"I think a skeptic will hesitate to celebrate anything accomplished on this island, because of its fickle nature. But truth is we should celebrate everything we have accomplished here, cherish every chance offered here and share it. And that's what you've done here," Nessa said, assuring him. "I think everyone will enjoy it. Sod the critics, dear, nothing would be created if we were to listen only to them." That wasn't entirely true, of course. Where would Bloomsbury have been without Roger? But for the purpose of the comment, she was certain Roger would have forgiven her.
"That's what I want, Nessa. For people to see everything we've done here and on whose shoulders we've done it. That way, no matter what happens, someone will know we were here." He took the plate of crumpets from her hand and set them on the banquet table behind them, then led her to sit by the reflecting pool in the middle of the courtyard, to wait for people to show up. "I hope."
[The museum itself is open. Exhibits are still in progress, but there's a timeline of island history on one long wall, a natural history exhibit, a second island hall, Cora's Mogwai, a memorials/biography section and free food. Come one, come any!]