Chapter 54: Socially Acceptable

~ Jaden crossed the room and bent over to look at an Eye of Horus, cast in gold and set with ivory, lapis lazuli, tiger's eye, and moonstone.

"This is crazy shit," he murmured.

"Yes, you might say that," agreed a woman's voice from the door. Jaden jumped. Andrew, in the center of the room, spun around, his hand automatically going to the hilt of his dagger. A gray haired woman stood in the doorway holding a leather organizer in one hand.

"If you had no taste," she added calmly, ignoring Andrew's reaction. "Good afternoon, Team 6." Takyle stepped around her chair and approached the lady.

"Good day to you." She extended a hand, but stopped two steps short of the woman. The lady smiled knowingly, and after the pause of a beat, she made up the distance and delicately shook Takyle's hand. Jaden remained still at the side of the room. So far the woman had not looked over at him and he wondered if she cared that he was there, out of her line of sight. Just as well if she didn't; that way if she tried anything funny, he could act without hindrance. Andrew maintained his place in the middle of the room, nodding politely when she gazed up at him.

"Afternoon, ma'am."

"Well aren't you just wholesomely charming?" she responded in a tone that wasn't quite sarcastic.

"Thanks, I do try." The woman smiled at that and finally turned in Jaden's direction. He stepped forward, giving her a quick look up and down as she did the same to him.

"You all look like you've been in a fight. What did you do?" she asked him. Jaden didn't like this woman.

"We didn't do anything," he informed her coldly.

"Oh my, and you're testy. How very pleasant for me." The lady turned back to Takyle, presumably because she was the only one of the three that acted as if she wasn't a hoodlum or barbarian. "I am Esther Barcelworth." Takyle bowed her head slightly.

"A pleasure to meet you Ms. Barcelworth. I am Takyle Marianne Carlyle, this is Andrew Vienna, and this is Jaden McAllister. Thank you for allowing us into your home."

"Certainly. Samuels informs me that tea will be ready shortly, so we may as well get started." The woman waved a hand to the chairs by the fireplace. "Please, sit." Takyle did so, and Andrew and Jaden followed suit after exchanging a look. Ms. Barcelworth took a chair and then flipped open her portfolio and extracted a thin sheaf of papers.

"I took the liberty of making each of you an itinerary." She passed each of them a sheet of heavy paper, watermarked with a crest and decorated with a scroll border. Sure enough, it was a docket planned out to the minute. Jaden looked up at a faint tinkling sound, caused by a maid wheeling a small metal cart into the room with a tea tray atop it. The girl pushed the cart up close to Esther Barcelworth's chair and then stood a step back, eyes on the floor.

"Mm, wonderful," Esther murmured, laying her portfolio on her lap in order to serve the tea. "I hope you all enjoy hot tea, if not we can make some coffee for you." Takyle quickly shot Andrew and Jaden a look. Andrew cleared his throat.

"Ah, no, tea is just fantastic, Ms. Barcelworth, thank you."

"Good," she replied. "Sugar or cream?" she asked Takyle.

"One sugar please." Esther handed the cup and saucer up to the maid to deliver to Takyle, and began pouring the next. When everyone had their cup, the maid began offering the small sandwiches, muffins, and cakes. Jaden studiously scrutinized Takyle as she effortlessly balanced the fragile bone china and selected a watercress sandwich to eat. He was up next.

Jaden focused his coordination and held the saucer rock steady, taking whatever was nearest to him off of the tray that the maid was offering. It turned out to be some sort of hard biscuit. He glanced up at her face, catching her eye for a split second.

"Thank you," he told her. She looked confused for a moment, nodded hurriedly, and quickly moved on to serve Andrew. Jaden looked back at his hands. He had a napkin and a saucer holding a cup and spoon in one of them, and a biscuit in the other, with a sheet of paper balanced on his knee. Now he was stuck. He glanced up and found Ms. Barcelworth watching him. He quickly shot a glance at Takyle and discovered that she had taken a small bite of her sandwich and then laid it on the edge of her saucer. He decided to imitate.

"Easier said than done," scoffed his mind.

"I can do this just fine!" he told his mind. "If I can solve wizards' riddles, I can do this..." He carefully raised the biscuit to his mouth, keeping the very full tea cup in mind, and took a bite off of the end, miraculously managing to keep the rest of it from crumbling all down his front. He quickly transferred the remainder of the biscuit to the saucer before something could happen. Now he had a free hand.

"Haha. I rock."

He looked over at Andrew and grinned. Andrew didn't miss the opportunity to smile back, but raised one eyebrow in a I-don't-know-why-you're-so-happy-but-it-amuses-me kind of way.

"So," said Takyle, taking a sip of her tea. "What can we do for you, Ms. Barcelworth?" ~