Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 28: Planning A Trip

Barely even friends...

~~Ariadne~~

Ariadne sat in the kitchen while Ominis made them tea, watching him work thoughtfully. He'd changed into an outfit that looked much more casual than what he usually wore, and she had to admit it looked good on him. Sure the suits and more formal outfits gave him a regal look, but this simple outfit of a shirt and pants was somehow more... domestic.

It kind of made her glad she'd chosen something a bit more comfortable too, a dress that didn't have any trappings or fancy skirts. It was black of course- as were most her outfits- but it was far more comfortable. She needed some comfort today.

Marie was in the room as well, washing dishes in the sink next to Ominis. She had been quite pleased when the two of them had entered together, though luckily she hadn't said anything. She'd just smiled, and resumed her washing.

It was interesting to her how Ominis navigated things, his fingers sliding over the stove to find the burner, setting the kettle on before turning the flames on and waiting. He had to be more careful at that point, but she noticed he always had the handle facing toward the right so he would know where it was. A hard learned lesson, no doubt.

He did the same with the pot once the water was hot, feeling the rim gently before pouring. He kept a finger along the rim to make sure it wasn't overfilled, then placed the lid on top and waited again, leaning against the counter behind him.

"How are things going with the servants, Marie?" Ominis asked quietly. It was rare that all three of them were able to be in a room without any suspicion.

"Oh, wonderful actually." Marie said with a little wicked smile. "I've gotten three of them to quit already."

Ominis' jaw dropped in shock. "How?!" He whispered urgently. Ariadne was shocked too. There weren't that many to begin with! Three was a huge deal!

"Well, one had their debt collector tipped off of their location." Marie's smile widened. "Another seemed to have suddenly gotten fairly ill. Likely something they ate. The third actually had a warrant out by the Ministry. That one was the easiest." She listed them off casually.

Ariadne chuckled from the table, amused by Ominis' shock. Yup, that was Marie. Borderline villainess when she wanted to be.

"That only leaves four left, then." He said, looking much stressed with three less spies roaming the home.

"Yes but unfortunately they won't be as easy. None of them have criminal records or secret debts." Marie sighed in frustration.

"How are you finding all of that out, anyway?" Ominis asked cautiously.

"I have my ways." Marie grinned again. "A bit of flirting and a cop will tell you almost anything to try and impress you. As for the debt... well that just took a bit of snooping. Easy to find."

Ominis let out a laugh of disbelief, running a hand through his hair. "I'm glad you're on our side."

Marie chuckled softly and went back to her washing. "It's not that big of a deal. I've done this sort of thing for years to keep the riff raff away from Ariadne." Marie looked over her shoulder to her, and she smiled back with a bit of an embarrassed blush. Marie really did look out for her.

"Does that mean I'm not riff raff?" Ominis grinned.

Marie chuckled and glanced over her shoulder to Ariadne. "No, certainly not."

Ominis looked rather pleased as he turned around to pour the tea, touching the rim of the cups before he poured the tea in.

"Sugars?" He asked, finishing pouring. "And did you want a cup too?" He asked Marie.