"Mead," she agrees earnestly, and then to Bastien, "water, and - oh, I see you there, Winifred! I see you snooping."
This last part is called out into the hallway. There's a moment, and then a girl - perhaps sixteen years old, and her mother's spitting image - eases into the sitting room. She curtseys to the visitors, and in theory it should look like a modest little gesture, except that she doesn't drop her gaze at all when she does it. Instead, she looks directly at all three of them. (She looks a little longer at Benedict than at the others, with a gleam in her eye. He is a very pretty man, after all.)
"Hiya," she says. And then, over at her mother, "I wasn't snooping. I was just passing by."
"Passing by for a full minute." Nadine is clearly far more comfortable in the role of mom than she is in the role of hostess; her arm comes out to hook around her daughter's shoulder, squeezing her tightly against her side, in a familiar and comfortable gesture. Winifred wrinkles her nose but allows herself to be lightly manhandled - clearly displeased by the fact that this is happening in front of strangers than she is displeased by the fact that this is happening at all.
"Well, you definitely needed my help," Winifred says. Then, to Byerly: "You're my uncle, right? Tell Mom that you're not going to think she's boring and provincial."
"Winifred," says Nadine, not as aghast as one might expect. Indeed, her gaze turns immediately to Byerly, evidently hoping for confirmation.
Byerly picks up on the cue: "Of course I don't. I'm just - so glad to see you so well. The whole family so well. And prosperous."
"And - Bastien, right?" Winifred's bold gaze turns to Bastien. "You're from Val Royeaux, which is the most beautiful city in the world, but you still think this is a nice home."
It is clear that Winifred will be allowing Bastien no room at all to disagree. Winifred is here to safeguard her mother's feelings.
no subject
This last part is called out into the hallway. There's a moment, and then a girl - perhaps sixteen years old, and her mother's spitting image - eases into the sitting room. She curtseys to the visitors, and in theory it should look like a modest little gesture, except that she doesn't drop her gaze at all when she does it. Instead, she looks directly at all three of them. (She looks a little longer at Benedict than at the others, with a gleam in her eye. He is a very pretty man, after all.)
"Hiya," she says. And then, over at her mother, "I wasn't snooping. I was just passing by."
"Passing by for a full minute." Nadine is clearly far more comfortable in the role of mom than she is in the role of hostess; her arm comes out to hook around her daughter's shoulder, squeezing her tightly against her side, in a familiar and comfortable gesture. Winifred wrinkles her nose but allows herself to be lightly manhandled - clearly displeased by the fact that this is happening in front of strangers than she is displeased by the fact that this is happening at all.
"Well, you definitely needed my help," Winifred says. Then, to Byerly: "You're my uncle, right? Tell Mom that you're not going to think she's boring and provincial."
"Winifred," says Nadine, not as aghast as one might expect. Indeed, her gaze turns immediately to Byerly, evidently hoping for confirmation.
Byerly picks up on the cue: "Of course I don't. I'm just - so glad to see you so well. The whole family so well. And prosperous."
"And - Bastien, right?" Winifred's bold gaze turns to Bastien. "You're from Val Royeaux, which is the most beautiful city in the world, but you still think this is a nice home."
It is clear that Winifred will be allowing Bastien no room at all to disagree. Winifred is here to safeguard her mother's feelings.