In the late nineteenth century, NYC is at the center of America's brightest - and darkest - activities. When wealthy investor Clement Jones is blackmailed by a vengeful client, Elsie's life becomes endangered. Though Elsie begins to trust Clement, h...
Elsie wandered about blindly with her hands out in front of her, attempting to follow the voices around her and hoping desperately to catch someone she could identify. Her first captive was a woman, that much she could determine, but she had no clue as to who.
"Mrs. Blanchet?" she asked hopefully.
"No!" rang out a chorus of gleeful voices, and everyone scattered again to avoid her.
She tried again, this time nabbing a young man. He smelled of cigars, and she immediately recognized who he was, but it didn't help her much, since she couldn't remember his name.
"Mr. Wilson?" she guessed, knowing full-well that her answer was wrong. Mr. Wilson was the man they called David, and he didn't smell like cigars at all.
"No!" the laughter continued, and Elsie stumbled on, praying that a miracle might happen and she would catch Clement next.
She caught someone by the coattail, and for a moment, her hopes soared. She carefully felt the front of his suit and was immediately disappointed. The man had no pocket watch, and Clement had worn one to the party. She almost began to despair when her hands wandered up to his face and her finger poked his glasses.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, removing her hands from his face. Her mind raced for the bespectacled man's name. Linus was his given name; she had heard Clement call him so. Linus... Linus... "Mr. Patterson!" she exclaimed triumphantly.
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A/N: Linus Patterson pictured above.
"Yes," Mr. Patterson chuckled, removing the blindfold for her. She was met with deep, dark eyes which were magnified by his round spectacles. Perhaps it was the glasses, but Elsie thought that he had the softest, kindest eyes that she had ever seen. They contrasted starkly with his sandy hair color. "It doesn't seem fair," he consoled her, "since you hardly know anyone here."
"Well, at least I caught you," Elsie smiled, as he pocketed his glasses and began to tie the handkerchief about his head.
She made her way to the outskirts of the circle, preparing for another round. She made sure to avoid Clement, miffed at him for putting her in the middle in the first place. He caught her eye from across the room, and she knew that he was aware she was avoiding him. He sent her another one of his infuriating winks, and she tossed her head the other direction childishly. Inside, her heart was fluttering each time that he flirted with her, but she didn't want him to see the effect he had.
"Awe, Els, you're not mad at me, are you?" she jumped when Clement appeared behind her a little while later, both of them moving to avoid the "blind man".
"I don't know anyone's name!" she protested resentfully.
"Nonsense. You clearly know Linus," he nodded towards her former captive, and Elsie thought she noticed just a touch of jealousy in his tone.
"Yes, Linus," she said dreamily. "Such a handsome man."
"Well, if you think he's handsome, then you must find me irresistible," he quipped, spinning away from her as Linus neared their corner of the room.
