Griffin: Thank you. Just lie back a bit. There you go.
Finley: You're not going to take advantage of me, are you? Novels are always warning young women of the dangers of being taken advantage of by wealthy young men.
Griffin: You are perfectly safe. Emily is here to protect your virtue.
"Well, well, well. What 'ave we gots ourselves 'ere, Treasure?" Jack Dandy's eyes glared down at the ground, where a quaking man was cowering. His trousers were covered in filth and grime, his dark hair matted with blood.
Beside him, Finley spoke up, "A lowly coward?" She sneered, her arms folded across her chest as she faced down at the man, tossing her head with a smirk.
"Please, I'm sorry. I can get you the money, I just need-"
Finley's lips curled up into a wicked grin, her hand peeling the knife from the sheath wrapped around her leg. The man let out a whimper at the sight of it and began to sob. With a quick flick of her wrist, the blade shot from her hand and embedded itself into his neck, warped, gargled noises escaping his throat.
Dandy's hand clapped her on the back, twice, "Well done 'luv."
*
It had been a full year since she last saw the house at Mayfair. 12 months since she last trained with Jasper, argued with Sam, or cracked jokes with Emily.
365 days since she'd told Griffin King goodbye and stepped out of his life forever.
Finley shook out her hair from it's customary bun, yanking out the chopstick to free the wispy strands, which had gone from honey-coloured with a sole black streak in it to nearly the opposite; her hair hung in long, thick, black locks, a single light strand the only reminder of her formal life.
Ever since she'd chosen her dark persona and joined Jack, she began waking up to find less and less of her hair was the natural light colour she'd grown up with. Jack didn't seem to mind- he thought it suited her, more or less.
Griffen would pitch a fit if he could see me now, She though tot herself wirly; but no, she'd forbad herself to ever step foot near the Duke of Graythorne ever again. She couldn't.
Not after what she'd said to him that night.
" 'Ello, you 'ere with me?" Surprised, Finley turned to see Jack's dark head poking through the doorway- normaly, her heightened senses would have alerted her to his presence, but she'd been too busy thinking about past drama. Stupid, she chastised herself mentally before answering;
"Yes, Jack, I'm here."
"Good- wouldn't want 'ta be late for our festivities tonight." He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Of course not." Finley answered cooly, clasping an earing on each of her ears before stepping back and evaluating her appearance; she was wearing a deep purple dress, tight on the bodice- but with a flexible corset underneath to alow movement -which billowed out into a series of layers, splitting open with black material showing through the slit. It was decorated with small glittering rhinestones that gave it sparkles every time she moved.
Dandy nodded in appreciation and offered her his arm, wearing his own formal black and white suit. She smiled and took it, preparing herself for what she was about to do.
She was going to crash a party.
*
As the- currently single and not at all 'looking' -Duke of Graythorne, Griffin was expected to participate in local events, even when he would rather allow Emily's mechanical cat to claw out his eyes instead. He usually managed to weasel his way out of them, but not even he was bold enough to decline an invitation from Queen Victoria herself.
"I don't like this." Griffin glanced over- or up, rather -at Sam Morgan, his best and longest friend. He pulled at the collar of his neck self-consciously.
Beside him, looking even smaller then she really was next to the giant, Emily nodded her agreement. Griffin could see how uncomfortable the young Irish girl was in her dress, the bright blue material setting off her eyes, making them look more blue than green, and suiting her ropey red hair.
"It'd be foolish not to go," He argued, glaring at them both. Sam didn't provide a retort, though Griffin could see he was still unpleased by the way he huddled into the corner of the wall, hands across his chest and expression brooding.
Rolling his eyes, he stepped out of the house and into the awaiting carriage, pulled by gleaming metal horses. Sam, still untrusting to anything metal after his accident in the mines, eyed them wearily before helping Emily up and sliding in himself.
Griffin tapped the roof of the carriage, signaling he was ready to leave, and tried to ignore how close the walls were; after his parents had died in a carriage crash, he'd hated small spaces.
Emily caught his eyes and gave him a sympathetic look, to which he brushed off, giving her a smile he hoped reassured her he was okay.
Inside, he felt like he was suffocating.
Thankfully, the ride didn't last long, and he was stumbling out of the carriage door and into the cool night air not long after stepping inside of it.
Walking into the main hall, Sam and Emily not far behind him, as per usual, Griffin tried to look regal and deserving of his 'Duke' title; after all, he was only eighteen, and it was a big responsibility to put on someone so young. He had to show people he was entitled to it.
Fortunately, nobody seemed to be any problem, until, that is, he spotted a flash of purple skirts in his peripheral vision. He knew it would be before he turned.
Finley. Arm-in-arm with Jack Dandy.
Wonderful.
Dress that Finley is wearing: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/thing?id=57517548
Dress that Emily is wearing: http://www.polyvore.com/prom_dresses/thing?id=74718875
