Like Father Like Son

Now go and dance (part 2)

As I danced to the last few notes of the song with Madeleine, pressing a kiss to her knuckles as it concluded, I couldn't help but frown and turn my head when I heard a conversation some of Lara's relatives were having.

"You know, I heard the rumours but I never thought they'd be true," said one while glaring over at Gustave, who was having a conversation with Lizzie.

"What rumours?" asked the other.

"Marguerite let her daughter marry an architect's boy. Look at him. How could he ever think he could marry up in this world beyond what he was born into?"

The woman she was speaking to looked genuinely shocked. "Dear God, are you serious? It's not like Marguerite to allow something like that."

"Apparently she tried to stop it while he was away during the war but it clearly didn't work. We might want to keep an extra close eye on his family standing around our tables," she said as she gripped her handbag tighter while having the audacity to look at my family. "You never know what might happen with our purses. That boy has already weaselled his way into our family's coffers; who's to say that the rest won't try something?"

"Did Marguerite even think of how this will affect the rest of the family?"

The woman rolled her eyes before glaring over to Marguerite and Phillipe. "Obviously not. Oh, did I tell you what I heard about the boy's father?"

Just as I was about to walk over to them, teeth gritted and fist clenched, Maddie tugged me away again. "Erik, come here. I want you to meet someone," she said. She was clueless as to just how irritable I was at the moment, but she was also missing the fact that she was stopping a fight before it began. If only I had gotten about five more seconds, then I could have had some real fun. Though, as much as I wanted to snap back at those ostentatious nobles, I was glad that Maddie had been there; between her and Nadir, they were able to keep me level-headed. Sometimes more than they even realized.

"Sorry, what were you saying, Maddie?" I asked, finally pulling my attention back to my friend.

"I have someone I want you to meet. She's lovely," Maddie replied, smiling at me as we walked.

"She?"

Maddie nodded. "I really think you two will click, Erik. Her name is Julia and she's so sweet."

I quickly caught on to exactly why she wanted to introduce me to this woman and immediately started trying to escape. "Madeleine, I don't know about that."

"Oh, come on, Erik. It will be fine! You two can talk and get to know each other, maybe share a dance or two."

"No, Madeleine, I don't want to," I replied as I pulled my hand free of hers. "I can appreciate what you're trying to do, but no." I turned to walk away, only hearing her call my name one more time as I walked right over to Nadir and Adele, who were standing only a few feet away. "Nadir, please help. Madeleine is trying to set me up with someone."

"Oh, we're moving forward with that? You should talk to Julia - I have and she's very nice," Nadir said as he glanced across the room and gave Maddie a wave.

I couldn't help but stare at him in shock, my mouth agape as I realized that he was entertaining the idea of trying to set me up as well. I noticed Adele give him a frown, which he ignored, but she seemed to have already talked to him about it and promptly disagreed. "Traitor," I growled as I turned my back on the pair and scanned the room for a friendly face, eventually settling on Charles. I hurried over to him, almost hiding behind him, which he immediately noticed. "Hello, Charles."

"Erik, what are you doing?" he asked, a frown on his face.

"Hiding from your wife and my best friend, who are trying to set me up with a woman to dance with and get to know," I replied, still looking around the room in case Madeleine or Nadir tracked me down.