Thread: The Longest Night:  A Meridian Society Christtmas (TheCorsair & Madame Mim)

Kieran choked on his spiked coffee when Sam mentioned how well Colin might be familiar with his handling a rifle. Well, we've been hunting together several times, he mentioned in a studiedly casual tone, trying to salvage the conversation. It was unsalvageable. A queer look in Erik's face made it clear that while Sam had apparently divined the nature of the Captains' relationship, he most certainly had not. It had probably never crossed his mind. The tension was made even worse by Sam offering refills and Colin excusing himself. Erik gave a tense smile as he handed his mug to her. Danke, Schatze, he said, still unsure how to handle the new information. He'd always thought Kieran might be quite the ladies' man. If nothing else, he and Anne Marie had clearly had something...What, was everyone homosexual but him?? He and Kieran glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes, unsure what to say. So...uh... Ja... Erik cleared his throat. Samantha has always been sharp, but discretion is a skill she's still learning. They both shifted awkwardly before deciding that silently staring into the fire was the best course of action. If nothing else it distracted him from the fact that Sam had found a way to linger in the kitchen with Anne Marie. If you had a daughter and her mother had let you, you mean, Anne Marie mentioned casually, cutting up the rabbit. She would have. Something in his voice made her look up. Professor Swift had a hollow sort of expression and she realized too late that she'd made a grave mistake. Algernon-- I doubt, he said, voice clipped and controlled, that any woman I married would have refused. Anne Marie's throat clenched. So it had been his wife, after all. She hadn't wanted to find out like this. Her voice was soft when she spoke again, not wanting the others to overhear. Algie, please I'm so-- Excuse me. There is something I must attend to. Professor Swift stuck the knife in the block and disappeared. Anne Marie allowed herself to sag for a moment. The facades they both kept up had come down for a bare moment, but at the wrong time and in the wrong company. They only ever let them down when they were alone, and even then very slowly and carefully. It had been too much at once and she desperately wanted to follow him, to apologize for not thinking, but that would have alerted the others and would have been an even more unforgivable mistake. And now she knew just how formidable a woman Mrs. Swift had been, and wasn't entirely sure whether that made matters better or worse. When Sam entered the kitchen, however, Anne Marie sniffed and her back became rigid as always. Oui, of course, she said easily, mask fixed back in place. God but they really were children, weren't they, with Mummy and Daddy pretending everything was okay for their sakes? I assume it's to do with your newfound openness with Herr Schmidt? She followed Sam's glance towards the fireplace, then added in a lower voice, It's rude, by the way, to out someone who does not wish to be like that. Captain Drake could lose his commission. God knows what Captain Shane's men--or enemies--would do. And for that matter they could both hang several times over. Anne Marie's tone wasn't harsh, but it was firm. She glanced up from her preparation at the Ranger. Not everyone has so little to lose as you do, Samantha, she reminded her gently.