Night-time ranch

[Leandra Graas R3]

It was the perfect night. The first starts of the evening were just starting to put in their appearance and you could just see the crooked smile on the thin strip of the growing moon. It was warm but not the sweltering heat that had wilted every plant and animal and human during the day. The gentle caresses of the wind offered a welcome respite now. A howl resonated, bounding and growing in the dusk. A coyote, her supple mind offered information at once, even as the howl faded and crickets, countless buzzing creatures and the distant sounds of cattle filled the night air again. “It was a night of life and sin, a night of whispered secrets,” she murmured to herself and the grey gelding was riding, her mind unerringly offering words that would start another one of her stories. It was the perfect night for Leandra.

She pushed the too large Stetson hat back from her eyes and smiled. It had been an enjoyable day as well, despite the heat. The heat at actually even added a certain kick to the day for her. Not what she had expected when she had started off this morning, but enjoyable nonetheless. The fact that Alaric had invited her along to this venture had been a mild surprise at first. Not so much after Leandra had learned that Alaric’s mother had invited more than a handful of other young society ladies. A mommy desperate to wed her son after expectations between Alaric and his friend Bella hadn’t ended with an engagement, Leandra had laughed, not bothered over such a turn of matters. Arranged marriages had been the way of purebloods for centuries and to an extent still were. Leandra didn’t rue the fact, but rather simply acknowledge how lucky she herself was with her parents, who had never pressured any of their children to either marry or stay single. Seeing their shared happiness had meant that all their children were planning to follow their example one day though. Rister and Damon already had, the glances Morgana and Killian occasionally exchanged when they thought no one to notice were telling and there had been a wistful tone to Jared’s smiles and tunes lately. She idly wondered if she seemed taken by Alaric as well. He was good-looking, physically fit, financially secure, from a good blood-line, comfortingly male, liked animals and could oh-so-easily challenge even Leandra’s own rather remarkable intelligence. It wouldn’t be illogical if she did seem somewhat fond of him, because somehow they had left their distaste for each other behind and she had grown to care for him.

Reigning her thoughts back – no point in mulling over something she already knew – Leandra smiled again as she recalled her day. Having prepared for a polite social afternoon and later entertainment, she had ended up enjoying a day of ranch work. She had always been rather careless of society and having heard the word ranch had dreamt of cowboys that night. So she had indulged herself in a fancy to dress in a tight pair of light-blue jeans and a decidedly feminine wife-beater top. She had wound a wide leather belt around her hips and pulled on a pair of embroided cowboy boots she had bought just the previous night. There were going to a ranch after all. So Leandra had tossed her head back and laughed when classically old-fashioned carriages had met them at the location the society ladies had been portkeyed to. Each and every time one of the socialites – each decked in admirably bright dresses and outfits – had addressed her, she had responded with a quote from Gone With the Wind. Not that the ladies had tried to do much of conversing with her as they had eyed Leandra’s choice of clothes. Instead they had taken to acquiantancing or re-acquiantancing with each other. Leandra hadn’t minded as it had allowed her to hoist herself to sit next to the driver o the first carriage and enjoy a nice chat about horses with him.

Just as no one but the driver had shown any desire to chat with her, no one as much as blinked an eye when Leandra had bounced out of her seat mid-ride upon seeing a fallen fence-post. Having waved merrily to all the Scarlett O’Haras and their drivers in their carriages, she had turned her attention to the fence. She had spied an electrical shepherd half a step inland from the wooden fence, so she hadn’t worried about cattle. The fence seemed to be tere to preserve the authentic and historic air of the ranch. Even so Leandra had dedicated the next half an hour to digging the soil with her hands and heaving the post until it stood more or less straight again, even though it would surely need to be properly secured again. Making a note to mention this to someone at the ranch-house, Leandra had hopped over the electric wire holding the cattle and sauntered onto the lands of the ranch. She had ran into some workers – real cowboys, YUMMY! – and had stuck around. The men had seemed somewhat suspicious, but hadn’t protested as she grabbed a rake and helped to pull hay left behind by machines together. And as Leandra was the lightest of the bunch, she had been hoisted on top of the hay wagon where she had held the ropes when the load was carted in after she had cheerfully assured the cowboys that they had nothing to worry as she was one of the spoilt rich brats that were supposed to arrive today. The men had laughed, but she hadn’t minded that either. Few millionaire daughters had been brought up quite like she.

The hay being carted to the main house had been a perk however, as it allowed her to pop into the ranch stables and pick out a horse for the rest of the day. One of the younger cowboys – Jason – had trailed after her as she marched between the stalls in search of a suitable horse. Another man had joined them hallway through to demand from Jason what they were doing there. “Picking a horse, what else?” Leandra herself had promptly responded, glancing at the man absently as he dismissed Jason. A foreman, a visitor, an owner – Alaric or his mother had invited her, but she had know idea if the ranch was owned by the family -, an investor. Could be any Leandra decided as he took in the grey temples and pleasant features of the obviously powerful man. Someone to take account of, she mentally added glancing over the wood at a dapple mare’s hooves before dismissing the horse. “Don’t worry, I won’t steal a horse. Would be kind of hard to manage that anyway with your cowboys around. They mentioned cattle drive planned in the afternoon and I want to try that. Most of the animals around home are wild and don’t need such care and dad has never been interested in cattle except when it’s on the plate,” she had informed the stranger cheerily enough, before murmuring out “Leandra Chardonay Meredith Graas, one of today’s rich spoilt brats” when the stranger had politely inquired her name after a little while.

A hound had raced into the stable to bark at her, causing Leandra to send a rather bored glance at the mutt. “Quiet. I know more dangerous creatures than you,” was all she had deigned to tell the dog as she had slipped into a stall to observe a gelding closer. The horse had snorted and stamped so Leandra had patted his at the indention where muscles would bunch should the horse attempt to rear. “Wide chest, lean flank, proud neck and long legs without stick ankles. I’ll take this one,” Leandra had decided with a pleased tone, before ordering with inbred confidence for the stranger to fetch the gelding’s saddle. He might have been a powerful man, but Leandra was used to ordering too. The stranger hadn’t seemed to take offence though, but rather remarked that Fairfax was a tempered horse in a polite but clear warning. In response Leandra had turned and leaned out of the stall to catch the eyes of the mutt and with a broad gesture towards the man had given the dog her permission to bite him. The man had laughed and gone to fetch the saddle.

Between the two of them Fairfax had been groomed and saddled in no time and then the gray templed man offered her a light-grey Stetson-hat to protect her head from the sun. It was a tad large, probably meant for a man with a larger build than Leandra, but *Leandra had thankfully dropped it onto her head before swinging into saddle with the grace born from a lifetime of practice. Seating herself comfortably, she had smiled at the man and curtly informed him: “Should I still turn up to be a horse thief, you may blame Alaric for it.” He seemed to have recognised her name, so the name of a paying visitor should be known even more clearly, as a ranch took money no matter what Alaric’s status towards the ownership of the ranch truly was. “He knows I’m not much of a lady, though truth be told, neither is he. I’m more of a lady than he even, as I’m at least female,” Leandra had mused absently as the man walked Fairfax out of the saddle, before schooling her face into the coolly uninterested mask of a dignified high society lady. Her eyes demurely lowered and lashes fanning her lips, she had haughtily held out her hand to him, her wrist gracefully arched and her pinkie and ring finger held stiffly so that they arched slightly upwards as supposed to: “You, dear sir, are, however, a true example of a fine gentleman. Much obliged of all the help you lent in acquiring me a steed.” The man had raised her hand to his lips and Leandra had offered him a somewhat mischievous smirk and adding “But I’m here today to swoon over cowboys” urged Fairfax to run.

The day hadn’t got any more boring after that. She had worked with the cowboys at cattle, shared beef jerky, stew and beans with them and had left them at about 10 PM to ride back to the ranch-house. It was possibly nearing 11 PM now, as she had allowed Fairfax to amble forward at a lazy pace as she enjoyed the night. “We stink though, Fairfax,” Leandra told the grey gelding as she clicked her tongue and steered him into the lazy river they had been following for the last quarter of an hour. Stopping only once water was up to her knees, she turned in the saddle to help soak the shoulder and neck of Fairfax, who seemed to fully enjoy her ministration. The gelding – while spirited – had learned to co-operate with Leandra very easily, as she was a skilled rider and had turned out to be invaluable help today as she got a peek into the ways of a ranch. Washing her own arms and face as well as she was able to, though the smell of horse, leather and hey would probably linter until she got a proper shower. Fairfax whickered as if in greeting and Leandra glanced around to notice a figure on horseback approaching them. “Let’s trust your instincts,” Leandra muttered after a tense moment to the horse, turning him back towards the shore, in order to be able to flee easier should the need to do so arise. Without a second thought to her own wet jeans and water-splashed top that clung to her body like second skin, showing all her slender curves as her hips rolled along with every swaying step of her horse, Leandra continued forward at her relaxed pace. She relaxed and smiled contently again only after the horseman had gotten close enough for her to recognise Alaric however.

He wheeled his horse around so that Leandra was on his left and snatched the hat from her head. Leandra gave a quiet throaty laugh as the light wind immediately began playing with the vibrant strands of her hair. For a little while they simple rode side-by-side without words, until Leandra broke the silence. “One of my foremothers kidnapped her husband. He was a highway-robber if I recall correctly, which I usually do as you know. She kept him chained to her bedpost until he married her. They lived together for 29 years and had five children. According to family annals they were completely devoted to each other until that day. Until he took a shotgun and blasted her head off and then hung himself. Theirs would have been an interesting story. Tonight – a night of life and sin, of whispered secrets – reminded me of it,” Leandra mused out loud as she repeated her previous thought to Alaric, who sent him a Look that didn’t really phase Leandra at all. “I wonder why he killed her though. According to statistics a lot of such murders are crimes of passion accumulated over time due to the question who will do the dishes. But they were rich purebloods with house elves so I’d dare venture this was not the reason this time. I like it here. Makes me think and wonder. Thank you for the invitation.”

Alaric made a sound and Leandra turned her head to thoughtfully observe him. He was dressed in the western style as well. She wasn’t used to such a look on him, but she had to reaffirm her thought that he was a good-looking man. Certainly not someone who’d have any trouble finding dance-partners at a county fair. Still, he didn’t seem to be in the greats of moods, she decided as she studied his profile. She liked it here and she was thankfully for the invitation, so she would play by his rules, Leandra knew. A sigh slipped out from between her slightly parted lips without Leandra being even aware of it. Reaching out her hand, she laid it on his arm, absently playing with a fringe there, the gesture as much to guess the material of the characteristically unbuttoned shirt as to draw his attention. She felt a muscle relax under her palm, even though he didn’t look at her. “Do you want me to act like a lady for the rest of the week here? I can do demure and polite and quiet if need be and chatter with all the Scarlett’s and play bridge and take midday naps to escape the heat and stroll in the gardens and drink pink sugar free lemonade. I packed under MOrgana’s watchful eye so I do have clothes for that role too. I even promise not to filch any tomatoes from the greenhouse, presuming there’s one, or get any dirt under my nails, if you think I should do that,” she told him simple. She wouldn’t enjoy such behaviour and would be bored to death, but she had enough good manners to manage. Besides this was his ground and at the very least she had came to consider Alaric as a friend. If he asked her to, she would be the perfect little lady for the rest of the week.


((I've been reading too many western romance stories lately. *drops head* Leandra wouldn't let the idea go anymore.))

[Adrian Hollows]

“Mother.”For one word, although sighed with heavy reproach and quiet irritation, it had the remarkable power of making Riane Montgomery seem to almost squirm under her son’s gaze. “Leave her alone, Alaric,” Bella chided softly, offering her closest friend a soft smile when he glanced down at her with a surprised stare. Undeterred by the glinting fierceness glaring at her relentlessly, Bella smoothed her hair patiently until Alaric grudgingly shifted his eyes to the floor. She had grown up with this sulking and charming child; nothing he did any more could bother her and she was adept at handling him when he was moody. “It’s your fault, you know,” he grumbled unhappily. “Mother was never so determined to flaunt me in front of everyone when our parents thought we were going to get married eventually. And there really is a limit to how many girls can try to flirt with me before even I get bored.” Alaric turned pitiful green eyes to the laughing girl standing next to his mother. “Why can’t you just stop dating Isaac and we can let everyone think we’re dating? It made them happy before, and there was such a scandal about you dating someone who should have been below your standards.” Coolly, Bella wiggled her toes inside her heeled shoes and deliberately pressed one against Alaric’s foot in a silent caution. “Don’t,” she warned with a pleasant smile, “be so selfish and sulky. It’s unattractive. None of us can help the gossip and spiteful whispers but it’s your own fault anyway. If you didn’t show so much attention to her then they wouldn’t be so jealous that they’re not receiving your attention, would they?”

For a long moment, Alaric smiled – he knew better than to scowl in the presence of the girls who had been invited and attended in the hopes that one of them would secure a good marriage with someone of a good bloodline and wealth – and stared at the wall as if it could give him the escape he wanted. Another of the girls eagerly skipped up at her friends’ encouragement, enthusiastic to try her chances with the person they had all come to see. Helpfully, Bella hissed the girl’s name to him and patted him on the arm discreetly but Alaric fell easily into the charming smiles and banter thaqt came so smoothly to him after being raised in this world of bored socialites and matchmaking parents. His parents had assured him of their willingness to let him marry someone of his own choosing but they had always hoped that he would choose Bella. It should have been the natural choice. They knew each other well, worked together effortlessly and would represent a union between the two family businesses that was more secure than a simple friendship between their parents. Alaric had even been content with the idea of sharing his life with Bella. She was just a friend, but he trusted her and got along with her. It would have been a tolerable life, more like simply living with his best friend instead of a marriage. Then Bella had met Isaac and Alaric had been shoved into the unfamiliar situation of being forced to actively search for a potential wife even though his mind continually betrayed him by straying to a vibrant redhead with a fondness for chameleons and a blue fairy tattoo. Sensing his mind wandering with the intuition that came from years of familiarity, Bella curtly dismissed the girl without consideration for the accepted rules of society or politeness and smiled at him sympathetically. It was time to repay the favour and shield him just as he had shielded her and Isaac from prying questions about their odd disappearances before they had openly admitted their relationship. “Go,” she told him simply, watching as he slipped through a small door and lifted a hand to her in a grateful wave before disappearing from sight. He had made his choice when he had personally invited only one girl to this event. Alaric was quite possibly the only one who hadn’t realised that yet.

Even before he reached the stables, Alaric had tugged his tie from around his neck and shrugged out of his formal jacket. Dean – one of the older stable-hands who had clearly expressed his absolute refusal to wear a ridiculously large Stetson just because of the guests and therefore earned Alaric’s admiration because there were few people who would dare to stand up to the combined forces of his mother, Bella and her mother when they were determined – wordlessly passed Alaric his saddle without any sign of surprise. “Not even you could manage to stay for the entire party, sir, though I’m not sure your trousers are appropriate for riding. The girl was much more prepared,” Jason grinned cheekily, ducking the careless swat Dean aimed at him. Lazily, Alaric raised one eyebrow and stepped into an empty stable, returning after a minute in a slightly ripped pair of jeans with a smug smile. He wasn’t that much of an idiot that he hadn’t already known he would be escaping from the event before it finished. His shirt was already western-styled but Alaric flicked the buttons open and laughed when a Stetson was placed on his head to complete the look. “Your mother put a lot of effort into making this week enjoyable, sir.” Dean’s tone was disapproving but his dark eyes showed understanding as he watched Alaric settle into the saddle comfortably. “I know. But the enjoyment is entirely for the guests, not her son,” Alaric answered softly, pushing the black Stetson into place before pressing the stallion into a quicker pace.

He was riding to escape and forget but, more than once, Alaric reined in to talk to the groups of cowboys working with the cattle. Their tales of the day, and especially the odd girl who claimed to be one of his guests but had abandoned the party to work with them instead, made him laugh and he reassured them that Leandra truly was one of the guests and that the other guests had indeed cheerfully alternated between trying to flirt with him and gossiping about her. “If you’re looking for her, she rode towards the river,” one of the cowboys informed him helpfully. “Yeah,” Alaric sighed dismally, “Mum isn’t really very pleased that she didn’t even bother to attend the party for even a little while. And I think the other girls would like nothing better than to taunt her until she leaves. Bella told me that the gossip is getting more spiteful the longer Leandra doesn’t make an appearance.” The cowboys, most of who had helped to teach Alaric and Bella to ride when they were younger and all of whom knew of Bella’s own temper, hissed in sympathy for the girl who had proved them wrong in their expectations for the ladies of society. If Bella thought that things were getting too nasty then it was going beyond simple rivalry. Leandra had marked herself as different and therefore more likely to catch Alaric’s attention. If the other girls really thought that they had a chance of marrying him then they would most definitely not appreciate Leandra’s behaviour.

He spent another ten minutes with the cowboys then set off again in search of Leandra. They would probably get back after the party had already ended but that was probably better. Mum would most likely be asleep when he returned so the scolding would have to wait until the next day and she couldn’t lecture him in front of her guests. She would understand anyway. His reluctance about the week had disappointed her but she had still gone ahead with the planning. His distaste had been made clear and the only consolation had been that at least Bella and Leandra would be there to keep him company. Then Leandra had abandoned him and Bella had teased him about pouting when the girls arrived and it became evident that Leandra wasn’t there. Orion tossed his head restlessly and Alaric relaxed his hold on the reins, sitting back as he let the dark horse pick his own path. Just as the cowboys had said, another horse came into sight after patiently following the river for a while and, when she came close enough, Alaric playfully grabbed her hat. Or rather, Alaric realised with a flash of a grin, the Stetson that Dean had outright refused to wear today. He hadn’t realised that Dean hated the hat enough to give it away to Leandra.

That hat reminded him of Leandra’s absence from the party and his mother’s disapproval, making Alaric subside into silence as he considered it. He couldn’t see the problem with Leandra’s disappearance. Yes, it was impolite and unorthodox but he had left the party early too. Besides, she looked so comfortable and relaxed on Fairfax. How could he be annoyed after seeing her so contented? Leandra, after a few minutes of silence, started to speak and the steady rhythm of her voice made some of the tension in his body drain away slowly. Alaric smirked slightly. A night of sin and whispered secrets? Well he couldn’t provide the sin, not on horseback anyway because that would just be a bit too difficult, but there were still a lot of things about him that Leandra didn’t yet know. “I’m afraid of snakes,” he supplied after a few minutes thought. “I was bitten by a rattlesnake in America when I was six.” He remembered the pain, the look of utter terror on Bella’s face when she saw the snake with its fangs embedded in his leg and her high-pitched screams for their mothers. The venom had seemed to burn through his blood. Mum and Alicia, Bella’s mum, had been so close to tears as they tried to soothe Bella enough to get her away from him before the snake, still curled up by his foot, tried to snap at her. Both women had been shaking and wishing that they hadn’t left their husbands to finish off a business deal back in England while the two women and children started an early celebration for Bella’s birthday. The scars – two perfectly round circles in the muscle inches above his left ankle – had faded but Alaric still hated them for the constant reminder of the searing pain from the venom that never seemed to fade from his memory.

The feel of a hand pressing lightly against his arm relaxed him more than it realistically should have but Alaric still continued to stare at his hands curled around the reins instead of looking at Leandra. The offer was tempting. If Leandra would conform to the accepted rules of behaviour for a lady of society then Mum wouldn’t need to divert attention from the only missing girl. The gossip would stop, Alaric would gain a more likeable companion to help save him from the giggling, flirtatious idiots and the rest of the week would just be easier. He would also get to see Leandra in pretty dresses, which was a rather pleasant thought. But that Leandra – quiet and polite and so boringly ordinary without the vibrancy that set her apart from the rest of the girls – wouldn’t be the girl that Alaric had become increasingly fond of. She wouldn’t be acting like her true self, and there was no need for pretences. Mum had wanted this week so badly, she could handle the girls she had invited to show him off to. Alaric would take care of the girl he had invited. Mum should really know better than to force him into something he didn’t want to do, especially when he had Bella on his side to aid him in whatever he needed her for. “No,” he told Leandra with a quiet smile. “Act in whatever way makes you feel happiest. I didn’t invite you here to watch you act like all the other girls. I wanted your company, not theirs.”

[Leandra Graas R3]

Alaric finally decided to say something and Leandra let out a relieved breath. She hadn’t really even thought about anything more than roaming the countryside when she had hopped off the carriage earlier. Only now that Alaric had approached her on horseback had she actually considered potentially upsetting him. But once he spoke and Leandra didn’t catch the telltale hints of carefully regulated tone of voice that would hide anger, she was relieved to realise she wasn’t in trouble with him. Leandra didn’t care much about what his mother thought – the benefit of being a spoiled child of a rich pureblood – but she hadn’t wanted to upset Alaric. Friends were scarce for her and therefore all the more valued. Even if she and Alaric sometimes danced on the line between simple friendship and flirting according to Morgana. Leandra herself wasn’t sure about that. She felt comfortable near him and secure, so if she had responded in a flirtatious manner it was because the words or gestures had slipped out on their own because they hadn’t felt wrong. Well, she had been expecting to flirt during the rather disastrous attempt to dress up and get her first kiss from someone that had ended with a midnight meal in Hogwarts kitchens with Alaric, but he hadn’t been her planned target so that didn’t really even count. Even though he had given her a kiss that evening. A mere brush of lips that had lasted barely a second before he walked away, but it had been a kiss. Her first one, thanks to her childhood kidnapping and the resulting distance she kept with most males outside her family. Leandra suddenly found herself wondering if he even knew that it had been her first kiss.

“Don’t rattlesnakes make a sound when approached? Though you were six,” Leandra mused absently, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, even though the strand slipped away from its place the moment Leandra lowered her hand again. A lot of questions did pop up in her mind about the breed of the rattlesnake and the effects and timing of the results and the age of the rattlesnake, but she pursed her lips and swallowed them. Alaric had pointed out that he was six and it was doubtful he remembered enough about the snake. And even Leandra was willing to admit that perhaps he might have had other priorities straight after being bitten. “Hope you ate the snake afterwards. Might have been rather satisfying and I hear that snake meat is delicious if prepared properly. Haven’t been able to taste it anywhere myself though I’d like to. I don’t mind protecting you from any and all snakes here though,” she told him instead, knowing he wouldn’t want a gasp and cooing and apologising from her. She hadn’t planted the snake to bite him and it had happened years ago without too severe results, as Alaric was still alive and didn’t even have a limp. So instead she eyed his calf speculatively. Thanks to him sitting astride a horse she could see only one of his legs and she wasn’t even sure he had been bitten on this leg. Leandra attempted to speculate at what height the snake had bitten. Snakes could be pretty agile and rattlesnakes could grow rather big and he had been six so she wasn’t entirely sure at what height to place the old bite. There were too many unknown factors at play to draw a logical conclusion. “Most snakes that bite are poisonous and leave scars. I’d like to see them sometime,” she told him seriously, before pausing for a moment, “And note that I didn’t digress here so no jabbing me on my shin this time.” Because they had ended up sharing a table lately and Alaric had discovered Leandra’s habit of getting sidetracked from the topic, which occasionally cost her a grade or two. She just knew too many random facts and details to be able to resist jotting them down too, so one day when he had grown exasperated, Leandra had allowed him to jab her if she got sidetracked again. He had seemed rather amused by the opportunity to jab her poor shin under the table at any given opportunity. "Are you going to ask me for something about me now?" she asked simply.

He smiled at her and Leandra beamed a brilliant smile at him in return as he assured her she wouldn’t make her behave like a lady. Ignoring the glances the two horses sent each other, Leandra nudged Fairfax closer so that they were riding exactly side-by-side. They were both too good riders to allow the horses to start something, so Leandra merely stroked Fairfax’s mane as the horse tossed its head. “Good. I’d be bored to death otherwise. Don’t worry, I’ll show up often enough to whatever is planned and I promise to do my best to charm your mother tomorrow morning while apologising for my tardiness in arriving at the house. None of the Scarlett O’Hara wannabes in the carriages earlier took a closer look once they saw my jeans so doubt any of them will even recognise me. I’ll even be dressed in a suitable skirt or dress or whatever I manage to fish out from my suitcase first. Well, perhaps a bit simpler than the rest of the girls if the carriage-ride was any indication. Perhaps split the time in half, if you won’t mind my occasional treks out on horseback. I want to see some more of this place and maybe sneak out for a swim one morning,” she mused aloud pleasantly enough, recognising that she would also need to stay polite and calm some of the time, as she wasn’t the only guest here. Even though she allowed herself to wallow in the comforting warmth Alaric’s words about his chosen company had created. Speaking of which, Leandra arched her eye-brows at the sudden flash of a thought and looked as haughtily as she could at Alaric. “When speaking of protecting someone from snakes, young man, I do presume you were speaking of the crawling sort rather than those dresses in pink ruffles,” she told him mildly, “It might be amusing to an extent to see the two-legged snake-sort prepare to sink their fangs into you. As I recall, the pink-ruffled sort admitted amidst much giggling that she had a ‘special’ surprise for you before the week ended. Perhaps she’ll share some of the pink ruffles with you. Or present herself in your bedroom one evening without all the ruffles.” Maybe Morgana had a point, Leandra conceded silently. She would, perhaps, mind more than a regular friend if one of the girls was too successful with Alaric. Perhaps Mom had been right in suggesting that she could take the pin with the partial Graas family crest that she was supposed to give to the man who’d get her heart along. Wiping any and all of such thoughts to the back of her mind, Leandra smoothed her face and then succumbed to giggles at the look Alaric gave her.

“I’m sure you’d look simply darling in pink ruffles. Well, red if you prefer that. Perhaps add purple velvet breeches. It would be a sight to marvel at.” Leandra allowed her imagination to take over and for the next minute her lip-corners were unavoidably twitching upwards as she attempted rather unenthusiastically to smother her giggles. “Perhaps I might suggest an auction to get in your mother’s good grades and hint at the outfit then? You could always pose while sauntering down the stairs if there isn’t anything else usable as a podium in the house. I’m sure the girls would be willing to pay quite a lot for a picnic out at the swimming hole or a weekend spent with you. The money could always be donated to some charity, which would excuse the ferocious fighting your sweet-hearted suitors would get into. I’m sure Bella would agree to assist in organising it,” Leandra mused only to end with a squeal as Alaric drove his fingers between her ribs, mercilessly tickling her. At least Fairfax reacted to her squeal at once, dancing away to put distance between Leandra and Alaric. Gasping for breath, Leandra waved a warning finger towards Alaric: “Et tu, brute. Tickling is an unfair move, as you aren’t ticklish. At least not nearly to the same extent I am. Besides I’m sore. I’m used to being outside for long hours, but not that used to actually attempting to work.” Her giggles subsiding, Leandra absently wrapped the reigns around the raised pommel of her saddle and stretched, arching her back as she felt the light pull of her muscles that she didn’t use daily. Rubbing the back of her neck absently, she felt Alaric fall into step next to Fairfax once again and almost subconsciously angled Fairfax to follow Alaric’s lead as he turned his mount. Tucking her hair behind her ears again, Leandra wrinkled her nose in mild irritation as the strands slipped away the moment she let them loose, but decided to leave it. She didn’t have anything to tie them back with right now and during the day the Stetson had kept her mane at bay. The hat had been a blessing during the day, as it had kept her head protected from the direct sun. She would have to thank the guy from the stables the next time she saw her. “You haven’t introduced your horse yet,” Leandra informed Alaric curtly as she picked up the reigns again.

[Rister Graas S6]

((I can't actually remember the passwords for any other accounts))

People always underestimated Leandra. Underestimated just how sharp her mind could be and in how many directions her thoughts could take her. And also underestimated her social skills. She wasn't a socialite out of choice, not out of lack of opportunity. Largely because most little social squabbles bored her with their simplicity. But she had been born a Graas and thus had had her lessons, practised, and knew how to play the game.

Yesterday had been fun. And it had also had the benefit of giving Leandra the lay of the land as she had also learnt more about the family than some would think. Oh, everyone had been careful to not give anything relevant away. But there were bits and pieces one could learn and the attitudes of the staff towards their employers could be very telling. Besides Leandra was good at putting the tiniest little details together into a comprehensive picture. So once they had gotten back and put the horses away – giving them a proper brush-down and a handful of treats, even as she prodded Alaric into agreeing to let her ride the gelding for the rest of her stay – and Alaric had shown her to her room, Leandra had leaned against the door, closed her eyes and simply let the pattern come together in her head. It took a minute or two, but then she smiled and pushed away from the door to find her pyjamas, get a quick shower – her quick dip into the river really hadn’t been sufficient – and go to bed.

She was up early the next morning. As seemed to be the norm really, she decided with a glance out of the window. Not surprising considering this was a ranch, but it worked in her favour. True socialites weren't usually up that early. So Leandra merely smiled, pushed the window open and absently fixed the corner of the mosquito netting, before heading to take a quick shower and brush her teeth. She pulled on a dress – one designed by Gabriel so she knew it suited her perfectly and complimented her natural colouring and the bright colours of the butterflies flying upwards from the hem of the knee-length skirt were fitting for the location and what she guessed would be semi-formal Sunday breakfast -, shoved her feet into red espadrilles and gently unravelled one of the three gifts she had brought along. She had decided which one to present to the hostess only last night after having had a good look around the ranch and had settled on the unicorn. It was a delicate statuette, carved out of crystal; the hooves, horn and tail of the unicorn carefully picked out with gold thread. (Not that she imagined at the time that in a few years she would tell her mother-in-law that she pregnant by presenting her with a matching foal statue.) The statuette was pretty, but really it was just an elaborate stand for a pendant that hung from the unicorn’s neck on a short gold stand, with an unicorn hair twisted into a flower in the pendant. Excellent for holding protection charms, once of which had already been cast on the necklace. And on the statuette itself as well, just in case another guest would accidentally knock into it. Accidents both happened and were planned after all. It was a valuable present, for all that Dad had grimaced at it in passing while Leandra had been choosing the presents in the castle treasury. Largely because of the unicorn hair and the matching stand design - Dad had never cared for unicorns. Maybe it was just a werewolf thing though, as Morgana wasn’t particularly keen on the animals either now that Leandra thought about it.

Regardless of that, it was hopefully a pretty enough present to help make up for her absence yesterday; so Leandra took it along as she ventured down to hopefully find their hostess to offer her greetings and apologies. And hopefully some food as well. And she supposed it was a good sign when she could hear one of Jared’s songs playing quietly as she approached the dining room that Alaric had pointed out to her on their way in yesterday. Leandra had no qualms over playing on her family relations – or selling out Jared as an entertainer, if Alaric’s mother was a fan, as the lady would be celebrating her birthday in a few weeks she faintly recalled – so she merely smiled and stepped in. And put all of her social skills to good use in introducing herself, passing over the present, complimenting their hostess’s home, cheerfully ribbing Jared and his song-writing (because she actually knew the background story how that specific song had came to be), actually remember to now let someone now about the broken fence that she had propped up, but which would actually need proper fixing, and helping herself to breakfast. Besides her early arrival and resulting seat next to their hostess meant that it almost look like everyone was paying court to her as the rest of the guests started arriving. Which amused her, even if it didn’t necessarily win her many friends. But Leandra knew the pureblood society in and out outside of Europe as well, and was quick enough to respond to any catty comments in kind. Which was made even easier - and more amusing - as she realised most of the girls didn't have a clue as to who she was. Although not everyone was a stranger she realised, nodding to an acquaintance and cheerfully greeting another with a hug – her mother was French, so they had occasionally ran in the same circles and got along quite well, whenever she was in Europe; not that either of the girls seemed particularly willing to interfere just to drop her last name in the conversation. Although really, the most insulting thing was perhaps Alaric’s face when he walked in and saw Leandra. Had he really expected her to have done another runner? Although she was wearing a pair of tights underneath her knee-length skirt, just in case an occasion to go riding would come up later. Not that he needed to know that. Admittedly though he probably hadn’t seen Leandra in a similar situation where she stepped up and actually behaved like a lady, to give him his due. So Leandra merely grinned at him and cocked a somewhat amused, somewhat challenging eye-brow as she lifted her glass of orange juice in greeting before taking a sip.