Rose knew about the eclectic group of people, at least, she assumed it was the band he played with. They were, to put it nicely, eclectic, but quite loveable. She found the boys interesting enough (especially Patch), but she fell in love with their partners. Juni was someone you wanted to spoil with cute dolls and dresses. Biddy, well, she never had a long talk with a black girl before, and she didn’t understand why people didn’t like them. She was delightful. If only they could go back to their carefree days.
“I’ll take you up on that, Evans!” Molly replied as she dug into her pâté de foie gras. Molly winked at him and nudged him in the side. Rose, however, looked down at her plate and smiled softly. She would love very much to go to London, but being accompanied by someone who was not her beau was simply unheard of.
Rose stopped chatting and allowed Charles to take control of the conversation with his business partners. The dinner seemed to go on for ages with their small meals and palate cleansers between each serving. Finally, Charles stood up and announced the retirement to the smoking room for some brandy. The women went to the drawing room for coffee and gossip. She hoped that some of the women would retire early, but they all went in. Rose glanced over at Sticks with pleading eyes. All she wanted to do was apologize for her husband and speak to him about his time in London.
Unheard of or no, Sticks was determined to see that Rose could escape this suffocating life she’d entered into. He couldn’t understand precisely the necessity or what her “role” was as a woman, but he could, at the very least, help her to find some measure of happiness that wasn’t solely centered around her child.
For the remainder of the evening, Sticks engaged in lighthearted conversation–most notably, with Molly and her husband. They were characters, and he was determined to invite them for dinner at his own home sometime. He was glad to meet people from this lifestyle that were wholesome and seemed to have a great heart.
As the men and women diverted to their designated places, Sticks met Rose’s gaze, and for the moment, seemed torn on what to do. He very much wanted to meld into Charles’ group, and learn more of the man she’d married and the people he considered colleagues–all the better to tear them down later. He had promised Rose, however, that they would meet that evening, and to her he had his allegiance in the first place.
“I’m afraid I must bow out at this point in the evening.” Replied Sticks, offering a sheepish smile. “I’ve a good deal of business to attend to in the morning, and contacts to speak with from London.” He shook Charles’ hand, offering a charming smile. “Thank you for the kind invitation and attention this evening. I hope I can return the favor soon.”
Then, he turned to Rose, and gently took her hand to kiss the knuckles. “Madam.” His gaze lingered on hers for a moment, before he moved to the door.