Born into the lap of luxury and a time of turmoil, Duchesse Eleonore Vigneron experiences her coming of age in the Court of Louis XVI . Embroiled in the chaos that surrounds Versailles, Eleni uses her unique blend of wit, charm, and beauty to ensure...
"All things truly wicked start with innocence"--- Ernest Hemingway
"She had immense eyes that always seemed in danger of capsizing in their own innocence"- J.D. Salinger, A Girl I Knew
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As the day wore on, the rain began to subside and a small ray of sunshine appeared through the ever-present grey clouds. Eleni, still on her bar stool inside Mudbugs, retreated a bit farther into the lamp-lit shadows. It was almost a subconscious movement, reminiscent of a child looking for comfort and protection.
Like many of the old buildings in Aubrey Parish, Mudbugs presented a dark and almost haunting environment. While some found it romantic that there were battery-operated candles on each table and well-protected oil lamps on the walls, others sighed at the fact that Aubrey Parish was perpetually darker than it needed to be. The mood lighting certainly wasn't just for effect, as the power was known to fall victim to the heavy rains and gusting winds on a fairly frequent basis.
It was for this reason that Chance had decided to do away with doors and make the front of his establishment an open-air area. Although he could not make the sun come out, even the monochrome and sepia lighting made the bar more welcoming. The breezes of the storms and the frequent patter of rain added a sense of romance for customers who were not there alone, and captured the ambience of Southern Louisiana perfectly. It also gave both those who passed by and those inside an opportunity for people-watching, perhaps the best in the Parish.
When the stuffy-looking young man at the end of the bar addressed Eleni rather formally and offered to buy her a drink, her lips turned up into their trademark crimson smile. Her eyes suddenly looked a bit wider and her face revealed that beyond the well-perfected makeup and exquisite posture, she was younger than people tended to assume. The self-assured demeanour, the stunning jewels, and the almost regal manner in which Eleni carried herself suggested a society doyenne twice Eleni's age.
There were a number of reasons Chance affectionately called Eleni his princess and watched over her with an overly protective eye. She was a handful, but she had definitely been good for business. As the days passed, he noticed more and more people showing up in the middle of the afternoon for a drink. They always sat one or two seats away from Eleni, and always waited for a crowd to filter out before approaching her. Chance hid a smile most of the time. She had this way of making grown men become awkward boys and awkward boys desire to become men.
When she finally turned to address those who spoke to her, Eleni's shapely figure and vibrant, unlined features were often a surprise. For those who had not studied her prior to saying hello, they were often a pleasant surprise and Eleni always took full advantage of that knowledge. Eleni never had a chance to say a word, but there was an enchanted look in the young man's eyes as she moved to sit on the stool next to him. Eleni had no idea the young man who wanted to speak to her was the Sheriff's Deputy, and Chance had no time to warn her.
