Home. Alfonse spent most of his day walking the halls of his childhood mansion. A house that seemed to loom at the end of their street. A place that he really only came during the holidays and occasional visit to please mother. The place smelled of old money and even older perfume. The same classic Chanel No. 5 that the woman loved to spritz endlessly.

He would gaze at the oil paintings on the walls. Admiring the originals, so masterfully done by the old masters. They didn’t paint like that anymore. The art was about the only good thing about this old money. Alfonse was more a fan of his home. Modern. White and stainless steel. Dark woods sprawling over the floors. Still the New Year’s party at the Chavalier’s mansion was nothing for him to miss. Everyone who was Anyone would be there and that was nothing to turn his nose up.

All the connections that were very much his ticket to the next step would be gossiping and drinking and Alfonse would be a fool to miss it. Then there was the matter of his little brother. Thanks to the squawking of their sister he had been clued in on some interesting details. It had seemed like ages sense he had properly visited with Gaspard. America was just so droll. Silly little country and shouting it’s superiority like a desperate puppy trying to get in with the wolves.

As the sun started to dip behind the horizon Alfonse went about getting ready. His best suit, and tie. His Christian Louboutin’s , making sure that the gold chain draping across the heel was flawlessly polished. Once he was sure that every hair was in place, and his cufflinks were secure and sparkling Alfonse stepped out of the room that would always be there for him in the home.

Of course he was ready early. People liked to say that being late was fashionable. Alfonse found that being late to a party that was thrown by your own family was just bad manners, plain and simple. This gave him time to walk the halls more, formulate his plan of action for the night. Who to make sure to speak to early. Who he could get away with just short hellos. And who would be able to actually bearable for the rest of the night. Perhaps he could sneak a young, pretty, gold-digging wife away.

As he was pondering Alfonse noticed a girl looking lost in one of the many halls. At first he figured that it was just one of the server girls who had made a wrong turn. Then there was the dress that looked far too much like something his sister would wear. No little server would have on such a thing.

He walked up closer to the girl and that politician’s grin spread over his lips. Was this really? Of course his sister liked to brag on Gaspard’s behalf. And Alfonse was not the type to just learn of people on the fly. He liked to research and know who he would be dealing with in any situation. Of course everything he learned of this particular brunette was just too good.

“Vous devez être Arianna,” (you must be) Alfonse stepped closer to her with a light bow of his head and holding his hand out for her own. It didn’t seem that his brother was around and Alfonse had intentions of taking advantage of that fact.

The thing that Alfonse found a little annoying about having to gather up the goings on with Gaspard was that it meant spending more time with Rebekah. She spoke far too much and about everything that Alfonse didn’t have the slightest bit of interest in. The woman gushed about the ‘little girl’ that Gaspard was in love with. In love, how ridiculous. Almost as ridiculous as Gaspard being a librarian. At least he had the decency to work at a private school. Not some dreadful public place.

What was the best part was that even with Rebekah’s gushing she still called Arianna a girl. That was the thing that made this so very delightful. This was a girl, a teen. The scandal of it all. On top of it his fooling around had landed him a child. Of course a child was what their mother had been squawking to him to have. A baby would just get in the way. He turned out fine despite being brought up and tended to by nannies, but that wasn’t quite what Alfonse had in mind. Also he would have a find a woman that could keep up with him. Not a trophy, not someone who would just drain his money. Someone who could bring something to the table as well. As far as he could tell in this country he was not going to find that woman.

How the family would actually take all of this would be a great sight. Alfonse would find the best way to turn it in his favor. It seemed that Rebekah was using this as some way to bring Arianna as her protégé. She could dress her up and shove facts into her until the girl was a perfect little debutant. He felt bad because his sisters fashion sense was atrocious. So much gold, and the layers. And that blasted perfume that it seemed the girl could get out of getting doused in.

Alfonse raised his eyebrows impressed that she was able to shoot back the French, even if her accent wasn’t prefect. He could help her with that. It seemed that Gaspard had taught her some things. “Je suis sûr qu'il a” Alfonse took her hand gently and kissed the top of it in greeting. He had been trying to figure out the end game of this for the girl. It couldn’t be for the name or money. She was an American. And Gaspard was a librarian. The thought that he had any real piece in the Chavalier bounty was laughable. Maybe it was for the fantasy? An older foreign man that happened to be from not so humble beginnings? The allure of that story book tale.

He stood up tall, back straight, looking down at her. “Believe me the pleasure is all mine mademoiselle. What has you wondering the halls?” Alfonse then asked his grin never once dropping.

When they were younger Alfonse often joked that his siblings would get stuck in some nothing job with less than stellar mates. Ge never actually thought it would happen. What a shame. He didn’t see the appeal. What good was there just doddling away in a library. Though Rebekah had said something about Gaspard getting a recent bug to go into law. At least something got through his head and into a respectable position.

Something told him that is wasn’t that suddenly Gaspard was getting his life straight. It had to do with the girl and the baby. A baby really… Gaspard was going to bring enough scandal to the family for a life time. It was annoying because Alfonse would have to deal with it.

This girl had enough sense to at least stand with dignity. That was not something that Rebekah had taught. No she was more the cock at the hip and accentuate the curves type. With all her theories on how to get men his sister was sure rubbish at it.

Of all the girls Gaspard could have gotten himself mixed up with she seemed one of the better ones. Being good at knowing a handful of French and letting his sister dress her up like a doll was not nearly enough to truly impress him. She was an American and nothing could make him look past her age. Gaspard must be just taking pity on her because he was fool enough to get her pregnant.

“There are quite a bit of twists and turns around this place,” he noted as if excusing how lost she was. Really it was silly that she had gotten lost. “Of course, it’s this way, in the direction of the music,” He motioned to let her go first. Classical strings singing from down the hall. Ones she started to walk he stepped to her side keeping up with strong strides.

“Sense we will be family Arianna, you should tell me about yourself, Rebekah has said a bit but nothing she says is ever interesting or the least bit important information,” he sighed as if it were a struggle to have such a sister. As rude as he sounded there was some truth to it all. All Rebekah seemed to care about was how lucky Ari was to fit into such a dress after having a baby, or that her hair was still glowing. All things that Alfonse didn’t have the least bit of interest in.