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Post by Adrien Wolff on Jun 10, 2009 23:01:48 GMT -5
"Oh yes, everyone's doing quite well." he said in a chipper voice that belied the solemnity of the moment. Gwen's aunt had just died in fact, and it was a somewhat horrible fact that Adrien simply couldn't relate. He wouldn't even know if he would feel it were one of his family members to die. He didn't form bonds at home, everyone was as distant as could be.
It wasn't so much he was a bad man, but he was definitely a cold one, with, as Justin believed, little to reccomend him.
"The Wolves are enjoying splendid health." he said using a pun off his name as it had often been done.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jun 24, 2009 18:00:46 GMT -5
It was Adrien's coldness that troubled Justin the most. How his father could expect Gwen, with all her fire, to tolerate a man who so clearly hd ice flowing through his veins? Sooner or later, one of them would destroy the other. And Justin feared that, after living with Adrien a few years, her fire would die out.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Surely you must have some hobbies. Sports? Or chess, perhaps? I hope you like dancing, because Gwen loves to dance."
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Jun 25, 2009 1:15:47 GMT -5
Adrien smiled lightly, or at least the corners of his mouth twitched upward, "Yes, I enjoy dancing." he said with a nod in Gwen's direction. This was starting to sound like an interview, but surely he was reading too much into it. He liked quite a few things in fact, he enjoyed chess, though he didn't have a great aptitude for it, and dancing, and fencing as he was taught. Everything that was proper he enjoyed with great zeal, anything that was inapropriate he severely disapproved of.
It was a good thing he did not know Gwen's temperment.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jun 27, 2009 12:18:57 GMT -5
As far as Justin was concerned, this was definitely an interview. He was trying, in a subtle way, to prove that Adrien was unsuitable for Gwen. So far, however, it wasn't entirely working. Adrien could put on a good show, Justin had to hand it to him.
He glanced to Gwen, almost hoping she would come out with one of her outspoken comments. If she spoke out, maybe she could begin to put him in his place. But she was sitting there silent, forcing him to lead the conversation.
"Well, then perhaps we should hold a party in honor of your engagement," Justin said pointedly.
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Post by Xavier Scotts on Jun 28, 2009 10:45:29 GMT -5
*This thread needs something to shake it up...*
Xavier was bored, and the only two of his siblings he could find were Timmy and Thane. He usually preferred to avoid them under the best of circumstances, so he went looking for Justin and Gwen. After walking around a bit, he found the door to the parlor was closed, and a house elf seemed to be hanging around suspiciously.
"Are Gwen and Justin in there?" he asked.
The house elf nodded yes, but quickly added, "They're entertaining a visitor and shouldn't be disturbed."
Xavier frowned. What kind of visitor would be off limits to the rest of the family? "Who is it?"
The house elf looked reluctant to say for a moment, then answered, "Adrien Wolff."
Xavier made a face. That prat? He'd been to a few of the lavish dinner parties that his mother liked to throw. The Wolff family had a sterling reputation, but, from what Xavier remembered, they were all pompous jerks, Adrien being the worst. What was he doing here?
Xavier decided to find out for himself, and, against the protests of the house elf, burst into the room.
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jun 28, 2009 11:25:19 GMT -5
Gwen was biting her tongue, actually quite thankful to Justin that he was conducting some sort of interview. It kept her from having to keep Adrien entertained. She knew if she opened her mouth, she wouldn't say something kind. She was also fairly certain it would get back to her father, and he would kill her. Unforgiveable curse and all.
But her eyes shot to Justin when he suggested a part for their engagement, and she shook her head a little. Was he serious?
But, saving her from making one of those brash comments, the door opened and Xavier burst it. Gwen frowned. She had tried to keep this a secret from her siblings. Justin was the only one she'd told so far, because he was her big brother. He could fix things for her. She was supposed to be that person to the rest of the siblings.
"Xav, we're busy right now," she said, her tone gentle. "I'll come find you later, okay?" If he needed something, he was either going to have to wait, or ask Thane or Tim.
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Jun 28, 2009 12:19:05 GMT -5
Adrien had two options left open to him, he could take Justin's questioning, Gwen's silence (which wasn't necessarily a bad thing in a female, however the way she intoned without speaking, said volumes about how "happy" she was with the match), and now Xavier's interruption as a horrible affront and leave in a huff, surely the injured party, and he could just imagine Thatcher's reaction were he to report the gross rudeness of his family, Thatcher being a man's man and wanting the match between his daughter and himself, oh yes it was an idea to savor. Not because he was a particularly cruel man, no Adrien could not be accused of being deliberately cruel, but his greatest flaw had to be pride, his own self importance. He was beginning to feel slighted and it had a bitter taste that left him almost eager for some sort of revenge.
Yes that was certainly one way of handling things, the other was to simply brush it off his shoulder and pretend ignorance, or indifference. It would not be easy to do, although he was attempting to be more...caring after one of his mistresses called him selfish, he thought now that to do the latter, to do nothing in retaliation would be a supreme demonstration of his benevolance...that and he might be able to weasle out some sort of payment from his young wife-to-be.
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Post by Xavier Scotts on Jul 28, 2009 22:52:06 GMT -5
Xavier hesitated, locking eyes with Gwen. She looked miserable, he could read that much in her expression. He shifted his gaze from Gwen to Justin, who was shaking his head quietly at him. Clearly, he had stumbled into something that he should not have. Something he wasn't supposed to know about.
He took in the scene from an objective view... Gwen sitting next to Adrien, the disapproving frown on Adrien's face... Gwen's unhappiness, Justin's commanding presence giving the impression of a chaperone...
And then he understood. This "social call" was really a date. Between an engaged woman and her unwanted fiance. He shot Gwen a pitying look, then nodded slowly. "OK... Um, sorry... I was just.... looking for something.... it can wait. I'll talk to you later, Gwen."
He lingered a second longer, then turned and left the room. He went straight to Gwen's room to wait for her, taking care to avoid Thane or Tim's rooms. He didn't want them involved.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Jul 29, 2009 16:09:45 GMT -5
When Xavier had gone, Justin turned to Adrien. "I do apologize for that, I'm sure he just wandered in by mistake. You know how children can be.... we'll have a talk with him later to remind him about knocking before entering a room."
In a way, Justin was actually glad that Xavier had wandered into the room. The atmosphere had been getting thick in there and Xavier's appearance had cut some of the tension.
"So, where were we?"
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Jul 29, 2009 16:45:14 GMT -5
Gwen gave her little brother a smile, though it was a sad smile. She could tell the way he looked at her that he knew. He'd always been so smart, and she thought he took after Thane in that respect. Of course, she would never say that to him since he would hate to hear it.
As she left, she let her eyes linger on the door, half entertaining the thought of making a run for it. Her father would kill her.
Justin's voice brought her back to the room, and she gave him a hard look. He was acting a lot like their father all of a sudden... when did that happen? Wasn't he the one that was always on their side, trying to keep them out of trouble, but happy, too? Now, he was a DE, like their father (though she hadn't openly asked him. She knew from that day Tanya died), and he was speaking like their father, and... maybe she was just angry and focusing it in the wrong place.
"We were talking about engagement parties," she said, her voice tight.
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Jul 29, 2009 22:53:15 GMT -5
"Quite right." he said, finding himself at a loss for words, the undercurrents in the room were deep indeed. Dense as he may have been he could certainly feel the hostility radiating from his new bride to be, and again felt that uncomfortable feeling of not being wanted. How could that be so when Thatcher assured him that this was a most desired match? He believed whole heartedly that he had much to offer into this union and that Gwen would suit herself to him as was her duty, why did he feel like an outsider intruding?
He looked at them both and for once didn't make a pretense about trying to hide his annoyance.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Aug 7, 2009 15:45:36 GMT -5
Justin really wanted to end this now. It was a farce, though not a very funny one. It was awkward and uncomfortable; even Adrien seemed to be feeling the effects. He really wished his father were here, but he knew that if he were, he would just be pushing this engagement even more.
"Yes.... an engagement party," Justin said slowly. "Well, I suppose such a thing would be more for my parents to arrange, anyway."
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Aug 7, 2009 16:29:14 GMT -5
He nodded, but let the silence fill the room. Taking a deep breath he glanced between them all once again, then the clock struck for the next hour and he released the air in his lungs as if it were some sort of signal.
"You'll speak to Thatcher then I presume?" he inquired before getting to his feet.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Aug 7, 2009 17:00:57 GMT -5
Justin's nod was brisk and business-like, but in his mind he was thinking angry thoughts. Yes, he would have a talk wiith his father, all right. Wolff was in no way an appropriate husband for Gwen. In his mind, he understood his father's need to arrange a marriage for her with a member of a good, pureblood family. But their temperaments were all wrong for each other. This man would kill Gwen's soul, and strip her of everything that made her, her. Justin wouldn't stand for it.
"Of course I will speak with him, and arrangements will be made as soon as possible," he said, his tone neutral. He held out his hand to him. "It was good to see you again, Adrien."
Anyone who knew him at all would see the slightest twist of his lip that indicated the lie behind his words.
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Aug 7, 2009 17:04:20 GMT -5
Adrien nodded to the man, then to his betrothed and was assured his will would be carried out. He personally didn't see anything wrong with himself, while his bride seemed a bit more spiritless than he had been led to believe was certainly a disappointment, one that he would have to bring up to Thatcher, but all in all she would make a good motehr for his children, and any sort of weakness could be stomped out of her.
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Aug 7, 2009 17:23:17 GMT -5
Gwen stood. She would have been more outspoken today if there hadn't bee a thousand other things on her mind. Xavier, in fact, was first on her mind, and she didn't know what she was going to tell him. Next was that she needed to appease her father where Adrien was concerned. She didn't want to make him angry.
Her eyes flashing to Justin's, she looked back at Adrien, thanking Merlin that he was leaving.
"I look forward to seeing you under calmer circumstances," she lied, giving him a small curtsy.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Aug 20, 2009 16:00:50 GMT -5
"Yes, we'll see you soon, I'm sure," Justin said. "You understand that the family is all in a state of shock over our tragic loss. My father will let you know when it's a better time to get together. Perhaps we could have you over for dinner, or we could all go out."
He opened the parlor doors and looked back at Adrien. "I'll show you out," he added with cool politeness.
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Post by Adrien Wolff on Aug 20, 2009 18:59:25 GMT -5
Adrien agreed and allowed Justin to show him to the door. Overall it was an odd meeting he supposed. He still wasn't too sure about the feelings of his betrothed and the family members, perhaps it was all more hassle than it was worth. Merlin knew there were other more bidable women out there to choose from.
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Post by Guinevere Scotts on Aug 20, 2009 21:39:06 GMT -5
Gwen simply nodded goodbye to Adrien, saying something generic about how nice it was to see him or something along those lines.
So her father was serious about this engagement. She couldn't decide if she should throw a fit, or if she should rebel quietly. Either way, her father was likely to kill her.
She sighed, folding her hands in her lap as she waited for Justin to come back, and then, as promised, she would go see Xavier.
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Post by Justin Scotts on Aug 20, 2009 23:13:30 GMT -5
Justin breathed a sigh of relief as Adrien left the house. He waved cordially, as was polite, then closed the door behind him with a certain amount of finality. "Git," he grumbled under his breath.
He stood there for a moment, his hand on the door, thinking over the situation. Was there any way to save Gwen from this marriage? Wasn't there someone more appropriate for her? He had to come up with a solution.
Finally he turned away from the door and walked back to the parlor, where Gwen was still sitting. "Well, that was awkward."
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