Saturday Post and a New Perspective

Today we meet Hanne, the last of our three heroins! I do hope you all enjoy.

Hanne

The buffoon across from me would be hilarious, if my father wasn't serious with his intentions. Handsome enough, I supposed, if that mattered, but otherwise completely brainless. I leaned back against my chair, sipping my tea and trying desperately not to seem bored.

"...of course I know the Groive's as well, last year I was invited to both of their balls. Hardly anyone has that honor...."

I plastered on a fake smile. It had been talk about contacts and social events for almost two hours now and my brain was starting to turn to mush. I’d met the social requirement for this meeting, it was time to shut it down.

"It seems as though you are very popular indeed," I complimented. "I wonder if you've had the opportunity to meet Sir Jin Lange?"

The buffoon, Cuthberht Deorwine, third son of Wynnstan Deorwine, head dragon of house Deorwine, blinked at me.

"Er...no, I don't believe I have heard of this man. Is he a dragon?"

"No, I believe his beastkin is rat. He is a naturalist of some note, specializes in the study of decomposition."

Cuthberht stared at me, uncomprehending. "Decomposition?"

"Yes, specifically the time and process it takes for bodies to break down under various conditions. A great man, really, his work will be instrumental in the policing field. Imagine being able to determine precisely when a person has died and by what cause. It will be far easier to apprehend culprits should we have that information."

"...Er...Yes, of course that would be very useful. Unfortunately, I haven't met the man."

"That is unfortunate, I am dying for an introduction. I have so many questions about maggots."

Cuthberht turned a little green and set his half eaten pastry back on his plate. It was a gorgeous afternoon and we were taking tea on the second floor balcony. Faily, one of my favorite servants waited just inside the glass doors. I wondered if she was silently snickering at my obvious attempts to scare poor Cuthberht off.

Not that I was lying, everything I said was completely, one hundred percent true. It was hardly my fault if father couldn't find a match that was compatible.

"So, you are a naturalist?" Cuthberht attempted valiantly.

"Oh, I could hardly be called such, I haven't published anything important, but naturalism is an interest of mine, yes. I do have a study or two going that might lead me there, though."

"I see. And these studies, you do them yourself?"

I smiled at him, knowing exactly the image going through his mind. His high status wife coming to dinner reeking of decay and rot, or speaking to his very important guests about the usefulness of maggots. He was beginning to consider that our match was not a good one after all.

"Of course I do them myself, one has to ensure the integrity of such things and that cannot be left to underlings. Currently I am working on proper dissection procedures, that study may gain enough interest to become noted."

"Dissection."

"Yes, you'd be amazed at the difference it makes as to how the procedure is preformed. If you start with the brains, for example and place them on ice straight away you can preserve more of the natural structure."

Cuthberht was horrified. I'd horrified my date.

No doubt he'd been expecting a genteel lady with interests that didn't go past the latest gown fashion and who was sleeping with whom. Well, there was no accounting for taste, I supposed.

Cuthberht forced a smile and pushed back from the table, standing. "Well, this was lovely, it was lovely to meet you at last, Lady Hanne."

"Leaving already, Lord Deorwine? I thought to invite you to stay for supper."

"No," he returned, a little forcefully and then laughed politely, "no, I'm afraid I have other engagements, unfortunately, maybe some other time?"

Funny what our mouths will say for the sake of propriety. He had about as much desire to dine with me as I did him.

"If you are certain," I smiled back at him.

"Yes, unfortunately," he repeated, and then we stood there, awkwardly for a long moment.

"Ah, I should get going. Again thank you for the lovely...tea."

"Of course, I do hope to see you again, Lord Deorwine, take care on the stairs on your way out, they tend to catch one unawares."

And with that he beat a hasty retreat from the balcony. I sat with a smile, happy to enjoy my tea without farther inane conversation.

"Really M'lady," Faily scolded once he'd left, coming away from her place by the door. "I dare say you'll never catch a husband like that."

Her lips quivered though, and I could tell she found the situation as amusing as I had.

I rolled my eyes and took a bite out of one of the sweet pasties that had been artfully set out. "And who would want to, if you have to suffer listening to a man talk about himself for hours on end?"

"Men like to talk," Faily explained, collecting the Lord's setting, "makes them feel important."

"And why does the task of inflating his ego have to fall to me? If he has nothing interesting to say then it's hardly any fault of mine."

"One day M'lady, you will meet someone who holds your interest, and I can only hope that he returns the favor and doesn't break your poor heart."

"Please Faily, I hardly broke his heart. We were incompatible, it's better to know that sooner rather than later, I would think..."

"What happened? Is Lord Deorwine leaving already?" Father demanded as he pushed into the antechamber of the balcony.

Ugh, here we go.

"He has a previous engagement," I called as Father made his way toward me.

"He doesn't, I assured it before he came up here, I insisted he stay for supper and he was happy to agree."

I shrugged, "perhaps he forgot, and then suddenly remembered."

"Hanne!"

"Father, you've got to stop trying to pawn me off on morons just because they have the right social qualifications."

"Well I hope you didn't call him that to his face, and one of those morons will be your future husband and responsible for providing for you and your children."

I did an admirable job of withholding a shudder.

"I was perfectly polite, just ask Faily, we simply don't share the same interests," I risked Father's ire and took another bite out of my pasty.

Father was a handsome man, in his early fifties and fit, as dragon's tended to be. I got my coloring from him, a little on the pale side with chocolate hair and pale eyes. The rest of me though, took more after my mother. A lover of all forms of education, but especially that of the natural world she'd introduced me young to the wonders nature held for us to behold.

Unfortunately, for my father, she'd passed before she could provide him with a proper heir, so his parental obsession and desire for a continued bloodline had come to bear on me...and my delivery of progeny.

Sadly, he was pinning his hopes in the wrong place. I had no intention of getting married or having children. Ever. But he didn't know that yet, and he couldn't, not if my plan was going to work, so I pasted on my good daughter smile.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will be the next one."