The Fox of Autumn.

A Pleasant Conversation.

Elain tapped her foot against the leg of her chair as she turned the page in the book she wasn't reading.  She stared at the pages in front of her, waited, then turned the page again.

She honestly couldn't focus so she opted to just pretend.  She didn't want Lucien to know how distracted she was by him.

She watched him out the corner of her eye as he sipped his tea and looked out the window.  He was waiting for Feyre to finish getting ready, they were going to go out on the town together.  Feyre was going to show him her art gallery.  She was having a showcase day soon to show off some of the art her students had made and he was going to play the piano for them.

He was so poised, well mannered, polite, and well dressed.  All.  The.  Time.

And handsome.  Stupidly handsome.

Although, sometimes when she looked at him all she could think about was Hybern and the Cauldron.  Not all the time, it had been happening less.  When it did happen, though, it was like being hit in the face.

They'd never really had a conversation before, no more than a few polite words, but she was undoubtedly drawn to him.  She assumed it was the bond but it could also be his face.  She wasn't going to fool herself.  He was beautiful. Elegant.  His hair was the colour of Salvia Splendens.  Her favourite.  Such a bright and dazzling colour that always gave her garden more life.  The steps to care for the Salvia start to play through her mind as she stared, unseeing, down at the book in her hands.

Add a thin layer of mulch around the plant to retain moisture and control weeds.

Keep soil moist through the growing season.

Remove faded blooms to encourage continuous bloom.

Wait until new growth begins in early spring to remove old stems.

Divide perennial salvias every 3 years.

They repeated themselves in her mind over and over.

"Elain?" Lucien said softly, concerned.  His deep voice jolted her out of her daze.

"Oh, yes?"

His cup was halfway to his mouth, his brow furrowed.

"Are you alright? You were muttering to yourself, something about, um, mulch?"

His concerned frown deepened with confusion.

"Oh yes," her cheeks warmed and she looked down at her hands as she clasped them together.  She hadn't realized she had been speaking out loud.

He cocked his head slightly, encouraging her to continue.

"I was just thinking about Salvia Splendens," she admitted with a shrug.

The crease between his brows disappeared, "Ah yes, scarlet sage is it?  I was worried for a moment that you might be having another vision."

"Oh no.  No visions today" she said with a small smile, " Scarlet sage, yes, you know it?  It's my favourite."

He nodded as he took another sip of his tea.

"I've read a few books on flora.  I can see why it is, their colour is very brilliant."

"Like your hair," she said quietly.

His eyebrows shot up in surprised, but then a delighted smile lit up his face as he examined the ends of his hair, "I guess my hair does resemble the colour quite a bit, you're right."

She found herself smiling back, "You say you've read a few books on flora?"

Another sip.  She couldn't help but watch his throat bob as he swallowed.

"Hmm?  Yes, I used to travel around the courts when I was younger.  The day court has a spectacular library there that I used to visit often.  I took to reading as many books from there as I could when I visited.  They have a large flora collection, I think you might like it."

"I might have to visit there someday," she smiled, looking down at her hands again.

"Until then, I have a friend who works at the library.  l could ask her to send me some that I think you might enjoy.  If you would be okay with that?" He suggested hopefully, taking another sip and draining the cup.

"Oh, I think I would very much.  If it's not too much of a bother," she replied, her face lighting up with eagerness.

"I will send her a letter this evening for you, is there any particular flora you find most interesting?" his fingers tapped against the side of the cup cradled in his hands.

"Anything and everything," she said excitedly.

He chuckled, his eyes shining, "I will ask for a few of my favourites."

He looked down into his now empty cup, seeming to consider something.  Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Feyre bounced down the stairs grinning, her hair slightly mussed.

Lucien looked at her, seeing her grin and mussed hair, he smirked, "I'm not going to ask why you're in such a good mood."

"Probably wise," she smirked back, "Let's go."

The tea cup clinked against its saucer as Lucien put it down.  Elain watched Lucien's every movement, listening as Feyre practically skipped to the front door.  She watched him stand, fluid and graceful.  Just as he was about to pass her, he leant down close enough for her to feel his warmth.  His scent flooded around her as he whispered with a soft, amused grin, "Enjoy the book you weren't reading."

"How did you know?" She said in a shocked whisper, holding the book to her chest.

"Your eyes weren't moving when you were looking at the page, you were just staring," he looked to be holding back a laugh.

"Don't laugh at me," she tried to hide her smile as she hit him gently in the arm with her book.

He just grinned at her and straightened, "Have a good evening, Elain."

I will now, was what she thought.

"You too, Lucien," was what she said.

She tried not to stare as he left the room, hearing Feyre's laugh echo through the house as they left.

She smiled to herself, beginning to think that maybe it wasn't just the bond...