Family Business [open to people in the castle]

[elle_isabelle]

Who: Isabella and Guy
What: It's business time
Where: The castle
When: 7 June, late afternoon

Comments

[guydegisborne]

Guy nearly jumped out of his skin when Isabella stepped out of the shadows. Alarmed words leapt into his mouth, and he felt the coppery taste of blood as he bit them down, determined to keep calm.

He watched as a coy smile crept across her face. It did not suit her any better than the empty gifts she'd brought before. He was certain she wanted something, and while his first instinct was to deny her, he had enough guilt over her circumstances to at least give her a hearing.

Still, he could not resist the chance to needle her. "No mince pies this time?"

The smile fell from her face, and Guy resisted the urge to laugh, if only because any victory was surely premature.

"What do you want, Isabella?"

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella's smile slipped as Guy greeted her with insinuations rather than salutations. He had pegged her purpose already, but it wasn't that hard--she never sought him out unless she needed something, and she tried to need him as little as possible. That was his doing, though. Isabella composed herself, her tone only a little sharp as she replied, "You didn't appreciate my mince pies."

Isabella had prepared her story; she wasn't about to give away what she wanted right at the beginning. "I was coming to ask whether you would be free for a dinner on St. John's, or if you would be busy with Sheriff's duties still. How long is that going to last, anyway?"

((ooc: where do you think they should be talking? I wasn't sure if Guy would be in the Great Hall or the Sheriff's quarters or whatever))

[guydegisborne]

Guy bristled, certain Isabella was hinting that he was an incompetent Sheriff. It made him wonder if others questioned his abilities too. He had no idea what the word in the shire was, and he'd never been good at feeling the pulse in town. Perhaps that was a task for Allan.

But for the moment, he had no interest in debating the issue with Isabella. He shrugged off the insinuation and focused on her question.

"Dinner?" he asked, with studied indifference. He didn't want her to believe he had any real interest. "To what do I owe the honor?" He smiked at her, trying to put her in her place, but her face gave nothing away, leaving Guy confused.

OOC: Holy typos, Batman!

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella hid her irritation that he had avoided her question with long practice. She had only been idly interested before; now that it seemed Guy was hiding something, she was determined to uncover it.

"I'm planning a dinner party for some of the local nobles. People I would like to know better--maybe Lord Warwick, the d'Aubignys . . . Will you come?" Isabella purposefully left her reasons ambiguous. In truth, she couldn't care less if he were there--he would probably just glower at everyone from the foot of the table if he did--but she was banking on the implication that his presence was desirable softening him up a bit for her real request.

((ooc: my apologies for the late response))