Wanderer

[Daine Merton]

Daine gave their handsome stranger a coy smile as Alice spoke. She showe a calm, but interested face - but her mind was racing with ideas. She still wanted to find out which outlaw was in custody. It seemed unlikely to her that this fancy noble would know. He had said that he was new. She needed to stall him, at least until they heard something from the dungeon.

"We do not even know his name," Daine said to Alice, but the flirt was still in her voice. She spoke to Alice, but the comment was aimed at the dashing Lord before them. She gave him a sidelong glance through her long lasses. "How can we trust him?

[Sebastian Mannering]

My, my, this was becoming interesting. The paler girl had as good as announced they were available by suggesting there was nobody to accompany them. Either she really was naïve and did not realise the insinuation she had made, or she was far more coy than Sebastian had previously given her credit for. It did not matter, he could work with either.

”Perhaps. He let his face drop in a slight frown of disappointment and withdrew the offer of taking their hands. He hadn't truly expected the girls to join him without protest, for no one but the feisty Lady Marian would ever dare to be so forward, but it would not do to let them know he was enjoying the chase. They clearly did not want to leave just yet, perhaps they were here for a reason? Sebastian admonished himself internally for assuming that they were just down here looking for a place to gossip in peace. He was clearly off his game.

Oh he liked this girl, so forward and clearly well practised at flirting. But perhaps like was too strong a word, she would amuse him for now. “Ladies I must apologise for my manners!” He said a look of concern on his face. Even while toying he did not like to forget the proper etiquette, although there was always room to bend the rules. ”I am Sebastian Mannering, guest of the Sheriff. And who might you two be?”

[Daine Merton]

Daine had to hand it to this man, he was very good at what he did - flirting. She knew it all to be false, Sebastian Mannering struck her as the sort of man who'd had a routine for meeting new women and knew how to adapt it. Had she been anyone else, she would have gone weak at the knees.

Thankfully she wasn't anyone else, no good would become of getting attached to a man like Sebastian Mannering. She let an impressed look fill her face as he announced that he was a guest of the Sheriff, as if it were important to her. When really her opinion of him had gone down, Mannerings were loyal to John.

"Well, Sebastion Mannering, guest of the Sheriff, it is a delight to meet you." Daine cast a look over she shoulder, trying to read anything from Alice's face. When she looked back around, her mouth in a playful pout, she continued, "I'm Daine Merton, Lady of Merton."

[Alice Brandon]

Alice slowly nodded when Daine asked if they could trust him giving a small smile and a little giggle. She then listened when he announced himself. Guest of the Sheriff. Her heartbeat quickened, though not for the reason's he probably wanted, but more out of fear. She didn't show it on her face, though as she continued to smile. "I as well," Alice said, meaning she was delighted to meet him.

"I am Alice Brandon, Lady of Underwood," she said afterwards, giving a quick curtsy. She then looked at Daine, her eyes showing the uneasiness, though Sebastion could not see that, and then she looked back at him, her eyes back to the friendly stare. Alice realized it may take awhile for them to gleam any information from him, though he seemed to be warming toward Daine.

[Sebastian Mannering]

Despite Alice's little nod and giggle at Daine's question Sebastian knew trust would not come easily to either of these girls. He wondered briefly if he should have mentioned he was a guest of the Sheriff, it would be much harder to play with them if they clammed up. But then he dismissed his doubt, this was the Sheriff's castle and so, as such, they were Vaysey's guests too. Besides, if either of them had heard of the Mannering name they would know where his alliances lay.

Their names were familiar to him and Sebastian thought for a moment, sorting through the endless titbits of information that he had collected using gossip, flirting and blackmail, until he remembered the information he needed. Merton had a brother, a snivelling young man who brown nosed the Sheriff because he feared for his life. There was potential though, Brian Merton was so weak it wouldn't take much for Sebastian to manoeuvre himself into a position where he could lay claim to man's land.

The Brandon family was also known in higher social circles, although they kept a low profile, as they had been allied with the old Sheriff of Nottingham. Yet another family that changed alliances out of a sense of self preservation and weakened their position as a result. Sebastian allowed himself an internal sneer, you could never amass any power unless you moved ahead of the game. Alice had been practically given to Vaysey as a gift to ease tensions and that made her fair game as far as Sebastian was concerned.

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." He smiled at them, eyes flickering over their petite frames, admiring the view. "And may I be so bold as to kiss you both..." He left a small pause, eyes flashing mischievously, if he was really lucky he could get them to blush again. "On the hand?" This time he did not hold out a hand to take theirs, he had already been physically spurned once and he would not offer them the opportunity to do so again.

[Daine Merton]

"The pleasure is all mine, I assure you." Daine, of course, returned the smile indulgantly, but she couldn't help but notice that Sebastian's gaze no longer remained on their faces. She giggled in response to his comment, hoping it would make his eyes look forward again. Daine may have been flirting, but she was faking it too and that was something she never liked. She felt like cattle at the market, being sized up and assessed.

He spoke of kisses, leaving the implication open. She paried his mischievious grin with a quick raise of her eyebrows and a flirtaious smile. She feined disappointment, dramatacally as to not seem eagar, when he continued, "On the hand?"

Noticing this time he did not extend his hand, Daine took the liberty and held her hand out elegantly. She wasn't enjoying this, much, and was only doing it on the thought that if she indulged him, he might indulged her. But that seemed unlikely, but there was always plan B. She just hadn't quite figured it out yet. All she knew was she had to keep him interested until they arrived on the topic of outlaws... It shouldn't take too long, she thought, they'll have to come up at some point.

[Sebastian Mannering]

Sebastian's flirtatious comment about kissing seemed to have worked on Daine, but of course he knew that appearances could be deceptive. He allowed his face to relax a little, smile for too long and people thought you were drunk or crazy, but kept his eyes slightly widened in amusement, he didn't want to look bored after all.

Daine extended a hand for him to kiss and he took it in his own, grip firm but not restricting, then brought her arm up towards his face. He bowed his head and his lips brushed across her knuckles, lingering for just a moment as though he was immensely enjoying the honour she had granted him. Sebastian looked up, but did not release her hand until he had made eye contact, he always made sure to make this formal greeting an intimate moment with the promise of so much more.

Turning to Alice, Sebastian dared her with a suggestive look to receive the same treatment. He did so enjoy making girls uncomfortable, if only so he could sooth them later. This was certainly keeping him amused. And to think he'd been expecting his stay at Nottingham to all be politics of quite a different sort!

[Alice Brandon]

Alice noticed Sebastian turning his attention to her and she held out her hand, smiling sweetly. Her own countenance was generally pleasant, though she was not smiling the whole time either. Her hazel eyes were sparkling as she looked back at him. Nottingham was a generally boring place for a young girl like herself, especially since all the good looking men were now Outlaws and therefore dirty and unaccessible. It was such a change from Kent, which was flourishing with different cultures and men of all ranks and ages.

It seemed this was a castle for old men, and she was tired of it. Of course there was Lord Merton, the handsome brother of Daine's, though she seemed to dislike him. Alice wouldn't know as she had never spoken more than three words to him. Alice inwardly sighed at the thought as she continued to keep her attention and a pleasant look on her face for the man in front of her.

[Sebastian Mannering]

Going for a different approach, Sebastian was not a one trick pony after all, he took her small hand in both of his own. His fingers stroked across her wrist and palm and he made a full, somewhat regal, bow, bringing his lips down to the skin on the back of her hand. The kiss lasted maybe a second or two before her released her hand gently and stood up up straight again. He looked at her, his eyes wide and almost hopeful, resisting the urge to wink. He did not think Alice was the kind of girl who appreciated such grandiose flirting.

"Right!" He clapped his hands together rather suddenly, his manner seeming to change slightly, less flirty and more conversational. He had made his first impression and, even though he had the sneaking suspicion that it was not all good with two girls, he was now going to allow himself to relax a little. Of course he would still flirt, but he didn't want to overwhelm them, or let them believe that he was some kind of womaniser. It would never do for them to get even close to the real Sebastian Mannering.

"Now that the introductions are over with can we get out of this awfully draughty corridor?" He asked, rubbing his hands together, although it wasn't clear if he was doing it because of the cold or because he was eager to move on. "I must say Alice, can I call you Alice and Daine? That your hands were rather cold, we wouldn't want you getting a chill!" He looked to Daine for answer, she was the more confident of the two and would be the most likely to reply. The two girls wanted to stay here for a reason and, out of some kind of duty to Vaysey, Sebastian felt as though he should try to move them along. Besides, girls swanning about the corridors as they pleased didn't make for a very tidy or respectable castle.

(OOC: Anni, I hope you don't mind me slightly godmodding the temperature of Alice's hands lol. Also sorry Bob, I didn't realise I was spelling her name wrong all this time! I went back and changed it!)

[Daine Merton]

Daine watched with amusement as Sebastian took Alice's hand in a far more over the top manner than when he took hers. She had to hold in the giggle as she wondered how surprised Alice must be feeling.

The clap of his hands suggested to Daine that Sebastian was eager to get away from this corridor. Maybe the Sheriff has told him to keep prying eyes away, Daine pondered silently. The slightl loss of 'flirt' in his voice also told her he was serious and maybe wouldn't take no for an answer.

At the mention of Alice, Daine turned to look at her friend. She nodded to her, before looking back at Sebastian. She smiled, also turning down the flirt. It was about time too, the sweet Daine made her skin crawl. The smile was slightly twisted, her scowl trying to creep back in.

"But of course, I would expect no less from a friend, My Lord." She said with a slight bob of a curtsey in answer to his question. "It is rather cold. What do you think Alice, after all, it is your hands that are cold." Daine looked to her friend, seeming to just be asking the question. When really her eyes pleaded to Alice to suggest they stay. They still didn't know which outlaw was in custody.

[Alice Brandon]

Alice felt Sebastian's warm hand take her small cold one as he bent down to kiss it. It had been a long time since she felt such an affectionate touch and she couldn't help but blush a little. She was startled by his sudden tone as he seemed to change from flirtatious acquaintance to friendly conversationalist. Alice wasn't much of a talker when it came to people she just met, but at some point she would finally feel comfortable and open up somewhat.

"Yes, I suppose my hands are cold," Alice said. It was rather cold near the dungeons and her cloak wasn't the warmest. She looked to Daine. "It would be nice to go somewhere warmer," she replied. She wondered if they were in a more intimate setting that he would open up and tell them what they wanted to know.

[Sebastian Mannering]

”My Lord? No, no, call me Sebastian, I insist!” Sebastian said, wagging a finger at Daine. ”We can't have such formality among friends.” He was pleased that the girl had consented to a first name basis, it would have been a sure sign that she was wary if she'd insisted on their full titles. She passed the final decision about whether they should move on to Alice, which surprised Sebastian slightly. From what he had picked up so far Daine was the more confident of the two girls and he'd suspected that she made most of the choices for them. This deferral worked to his advantage though, Alice was weaker in his eyes (although he knew it was slightly foolish to assume this just because she was quiet) and so would be more likely to bend to his will of wanting to leave.

"It would be nice to go somewhere warmer," The soft spoken girl said and Sebastian smiled at her brilliantly, just about managing to keep the triumph out of his expression. Now, where could they go? It would be a relief to get away from the cold stone corridors though, it was always much harder to inspire trust in somewhere so sinister, and so close to the dungeons. Besides the dull lighting washed out the colour of his face and the bare grey walls didn't complement the clothing he was wearing at all.

”Excellent!” He said, still pleased that they were moving on. ”If you don't mind I'll let you two choose the destination? I'm still not entirely familiar with everywhere in the castle and I'm sure you'll think of somewhere far better than any of the places I could suggest.” If they chose the location they would probably pick a place they were comfortable with. Then they would be more relaxed and it would be much easier to talk to them, and to get any information out of them that he felt he needed. You never knew, he might even strike it lucky and get one of the two beautiful girls to join him in his rooms later. He couldn't get ahead of himself though, it was all very well being confident but he couldn't afford to get overly eager.

[Daine Merton]

Daine couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment when Alice suggested they moved somewhere warmer. She hid it well behind her reaction to Sebastian's infectious smile. She wanted nothing more than to scowl her best scowl; she had no information about the captive outlaw and it vexed her, greatly so.

"If you don't mind I'll let you two choose the destination? I'm still not entirely familiar with everywhere in the castle and I'm sure you'll think of somewhere far better than any of the places I could suggest.”

"Why certainly, Sebastian," she emphasised his name with a slight nod of her head and a small smil - just to keep him interested. "Might I suggest the Great Hall? It's always warm there, and I do believe that food will be served soon."

Daine bowed her arm out, indicating one of her companions should link arms with her. It was intended for Alice, though a quick glance to their newly found 'friend' left the invitation open to him if he didn't think it too forward of her. Though from his previous flirting style, she guessed he might like a surprise or two from his flirting partner.

"And wine." She added, hoping the thought of wine would entice Sebastian more. And in her mind she hoped the drink would loosen his tongue, there ws hope for information yet.

[Alice Brandon]

Alice linked arms with Daine. "I think the Great Hall is perfect," Alice replied, wanting to be in a more open area as being alone with Sebastian and Daine was starting to get a little uncomfortable, especially where they were located at the present. Anyone walking by would wonder what they were doing there. Also she was growing cold and did not want to give Sebastian an excuse to touch her again.

When Alice heard Daine mention wine, she quickly understood what she was hinting at. Alice, being quite small and young wasn't good at holding her liquor. She would become quite tipsy after a glass and a half of the Sheriff's wine. It was funny to see Alice tipsy. She became more giggly and flirtatious and talkative. Though she still wouldn't give any secrets away. If there was one thing Alice excelled at, it was keeping secrets.

[Daine Merton]

When Alice linked arms with her, Daine smiled invitingly to their companion. "Shall we?" She was about to turn on her heels, steering both herself and Alice, to lead Sebastian to the Great Hall when a thoughtful look crossed his handsome face - as if her were remembering something.

"I'm terribly sorry, my dears, but I have only just remember I have an appointment to keep. I must admitt, when confronted with beauty such as yours I forget... insignificant details." Daine watched as he waved his hand around trying to find the right words. She fiened disappointment, though she was truely grateful he was leaving. Having drinks with this Lord wasn't the best idea. Though Daine could handle alcohol better than Alice, it was only marginly better. Daine could pretend she was sober for longer.

A broad grin filled Sebastian's face, "Until next time, ladies." One wink and then he was gone, walking briskly down the corridor, back the way he came.

Daine dropped Alice's arm, facade as well. Her jaw was sore, she hadn't smiled for that long in quite a while. Her face relaxed into it's natural scowl as she turned to Alice, indicating they should move away from the dungeons. Faint calls rang from the stairwell, but it was hard to distinguish.

"What are the chances of his 'appointment' involving a woman?" She asked. "And can you hear that?" Daine pointed behind them, towards the stairwell, hoping Alice would know what she meant by 'that'.

(Ooc - *hopes that I did Sebby justice )