Christmas Lunch

[adifferentlife]

The best way to celebrate any holiday is to share it with people that one care's about, Sybil is sure of that. It's why she's organised this, a luncheon for any and all that she's friends with. It's not something she's done before, and it feels very adult to be hosting a party within her own home. It's not something she ever imagined doing in such a small space, or without a staff to support her, or even before she was married with her own home, but those aren't things that are considerations here.

Instead she's let everyone know when to come and to bring something to share with the others. She's ordered in the main part of the meal, a roasted turkey instead of a goose and a roast of lamb as well. There's champagne and wine, and she has the record player Kaine gave her in the corner playing christmas carols by Bing Crosby. There's a small tree of real pine with strings of beads strung through its boughs and little elecric lights twinkling. Henri has helped her to decorate and do the cooking that she's tried, even if most of the cookies she made needed to be thrown our they were so burnt.

Once people start to arrive she relaxes, allowing herself a glass of wine once she's sure everything is in order and things are going well. At some point there is nothing else she can do, other than talk to her guests; her friends. It's nothing like a Christmas at Downton, but her second one here in Darrow and it feels like the Christmas it's supposed to be.

Comments

[adifferentlife]

"Thank you," she says sweetly, telling him to stay where he is and to help himself to whatever he'd like. She hurries to the tree, picking up a rather large package and bringing it to him. "I'm afraid it's entirely practical. It's something I thought... With what you do."

She looks around, not wanting to say more. "You can open it. It's all in a backpack so won't look amiss."

[badtotheclone]

"Yeah, I already put it over there," I say, pointing to a box that isn't quite as large as the one she's giving me. I was just going to let her open it on her own later but since she's put me on the spot with her gift I can't back down.

"And this is... really thoughtful," I tell her as I open up her gift. And it is, because I'm always needing more of this stuff. "I promise to try and make it last by being as careful as possible."

[adifferentlife]

Sybil sees it and clasps her hands together, wondering if she should open it now or if it would be rude. She decides to not at this precise moment, but kisses Kaine on the cheek anyway. "I'm sure it's delightful and I'll love it."

"Try to not need it. For me."

[badtotheclone]

"I will be extra safe for you, I promise."

I mean it, too. I'm not reckless, I don't take too many unnecessary risks but I'll figure out how to be more safe. For her. Which I'm pretty sure makes me crazy. I have no idea what to do with friendships like this.

[adifferentlife]

"Thank you," she says sincerely, reaching out to squeeze his hand. She knows better than to ask him to not do what he does, knows that it's too important to him.

"Have you met Henri?"

[badtotheclone]

I give a tight smile and squeeze her hand back. That little gesture of hers, how easily she does it, is one of the most comforting things anyone has ever done to me. It makes me feel a little less like a monster.

"I've, uh, seen him, I think," I say. Which is true. As soon as I learned she had someone special like that in her life I stalked them a little bit but I'm not going to mention that.

[adifferentlife]

"I should introduce you, then. I've told him of you." Not about the strange other Darrow they'd been whisked to, or their late night visits when one or the other needed first aid. But she's mentioned Kaine as a friend, and someone she cares for here.

[badtotheclone]

"Can I threaten him?" I ask. I probably will regardless of what she says but with Sybil I at least try to be civilized about my behavior. "I mean, warn him that he better not hurt you or something. Not just threaten him for fun."

[adifferentlife]

Sybil is already waving to Henri at this point, looking to Kaine with something akin to worry. "No. No you cannot. No threats."

[jaimemieux]

Henri lifted his brows as he joined the pair, pressing a kiss to Sybil’s temple. “Can I get you something?” he asked her, then turned with a polite, expectant smile to Kaine. "Either of you?"

[badtotheclone]

I'm pretty sure that threats and implied threats are two completely different things and therefore, implied threats are not covered on her telling me 'no threats'.

"I'm fine, thank you," I say, giving him a smile. I'm terrible and smiling, it generally looks sinister when I do it, which is fine.

"I'm Kaine," I say, offering my hand to shake. I won't crush his hand but I will apply maybe a bit more pressure than would be normal.

[adifferentlife]

Sybil immediately wonders if introducing them was the best idea, but decides that it was. They are, after all, both people who are extremely important to her, of course they'll do their best to get on. "Henri, this is my dear friend, and Kaine, Henri."

[jaimemieux]

The handshake was decidedly firm, but Henri only continued to smile politely, bobbing his head in greeting. “Yes, of course. A pleasure to meet you, monsieur.” He was no fool; Henri knew when he was being sized up, and while not a pleasant experience, he accepted it with good grace. T’was to be expected, after all.

[badtotheclone]

"Nice to meet you too," I say, nodding firmly. "Sybil has told me nice things about you."

Not that I've asked all that much. I'm happy for her but digging into Sybil's love life isn't something I'm comfortable with. She is happy though, that much is easy too see and if Henri is the reason... then good for him.

[adifferentlife]

"See," she says looking between them, thinking it's all sorted and well now. Sybil slips her hand into the crook of Henri's arm, staying between them both. "Henri is from France, before here. Kaine lived in America, in Texas."

[jaimemieux]

“Ah, yes?” The fellow’s steely scrutiny did not lend itself to smalltalk, but Combeferre forged ahead all the same. “And you have been in Darrow for some time, I gather?"

[badtotheclone]

"About a year and a half," I say with a nod. It's longer than I've spent anywhere else in my life, which is a really weird thing for me, especially since I might like it.

"What part of France are you from?"

[adifferentlife]

"I should leave you two to get to know each other," Sybil says, knowing she's a party to get back to. She kisses Henri quickly, and squeezes Kaine's hand one last time before heading away and to the kitchen.

[jaimemieux]

Startled by her swift departure, Combeferre stared after Sybil with one eyebrow raised. He chuckled and shook his head. "I think we have been tricked," he noted with a mock-conspiratorial sort of smile. "Ah, oui- I was raised in Provence, though Paris was my most recent home, before coming here."

[badtotheclone]

He's right, we have been tricked, but it was so cleverly done I can't mind. Plus, this guy is so polite and genuine seeming that I can't dislike him. At least not too much.

"I've been to Paris before, very nice city."

[jaimemieux]

Combeferre inclined his head, accepting the compliment on Paris' behalf with a smile. "I was very fond of it. I fear I know little about Texas, save where it falls on a map. I do not believe it existed yet, not in the world I knew."

[badtotheclone]

"You're not missing much," I reassure him. Not a lot of people outside of Texas really enjoy being in Texas. Of course, a lot of people still imagine it's just one step away from the wild west. That's pretty much how I thought of it before going there.

"I don't think many Europeans would enjoy Texas."

[jaimemieux]

“Oh?” Combeferre raised his brows, curious and surprised. In his own time, half of Europe had been trying to capture their own piece of North America, while they still could. “Why would that be?"

[badtotheclone]

"It's about as opposite of Europe as you can get," I say. It's not necessarily a bad thing, the people of Houston are pretty great. It's just a completely different culture there is all.

"When are you from?"

If I know that, I can have a better idea of how to explain it to him.

[jaimemieux]

“1832,” Combeferre answered, still puzzled by the response, and curious if Kaine would offer further explanation. True, plenty of people from his own time would have called America - especially its further reaches - the opposite of Europe, but not, he suspected, for the reasons this fellow means. “As I said, no Texas yet. Barely a United States. ‘More freedom, more ease, and less misery,’ Jefferson said of it."