[MaC] At the party - Richard, Marty, Nicola, the Skeffington-Nottles

[Jvstin]

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 09:09:52 -0500, Katie Fulton
<kcunningham40 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Marty Fitzroy was hovering - a difficult thing for a
> man of his bulk to manage successfully.  It was clear
> that the focus of his attention was Miss Nicola
> Douglas, who he was watching almost greedily. At
> Richard's approach he nodded, as though distracted by
> other things and then - as though struck by a
> brilliant idea - he said, "Have you met Miss
> Douglas yet?  Miss Nicola Douglas?  Would you like me
> to introduce you?"
> 
> "Of course, of course..." He offered his hand, and a
> slightly crooked smile to Miss Douglas. "Charmed,
> really."
> 
> "Well, the pleasure is all =mine=, Lord Richard,"
> Nicola said with a sultry smile. "Such a shame that we
> haven't been properly introduced yet.
> 
> Richard continued, "But I'm afraid, old boy, your wine
> steward is being tugged away for a moment. Something
> about the elevator shaft, trapped guests, you know how
> it is. Probably got shook in the last raid."
> 
> "Oh, no, the poor dears," Nicola said, putting on a
> sympathetic face. "I do hope Hodges can work some
> magic or else we may have to move the entire party
> downstairs!"
> 
> A lady, Nicola had been told, never is the first to
> rush to the scene of a fire. She therefore would have
> to be satisfied with silently counting heads. Nobody
> on the fifth floor would be in the lift, so that meant
> the Beamans were out of harm's way. She had personally
> seen Marjorie, Mr. Davis from the third floor,
> Countess Arabella (which meant Lady Pamela was not in
> the lift as those two were practically joined at the
> hip), the Skeffington-Nottles, Officer Worthington
> and-
> 
> Suddenly, realization hit. She had seen Mrs. Evans
> leaving her flat just before she started tredging up
> the stairs, but the older woman had still not arrived
> at the party, when it had been at least twenty minutes
> since Nicola had seen her.
> 
> It took a very quick and unladylike sip of gin to keep
> her giant grin hidden from view.
> 
> "I'm certain Hodges will make everything right." Richard took a sip of his
> own drink. "Struck me as a terribly competent fellow, and even if he is
> pouring, I don't think he's sampling. Nothing worse than a drunk steward,
> trust me." He laughed to himself. "Reminds me of Christmas three years ago,
> back home..."
> 
"How so?" James asked, Richard, as he walked up to the small knot of people.