Part 6
The two young ladies were hanging upside down, calmly sipping tea as if nothing was out of the ordinary. A necklace hung from one's neck.
Sapphire and pale gold, that's it, thought Duo as he hung from a tree limb. He sat up on the limb and jumped off. He dusted himself off neatly and made sure his braid was tucked under his hat. He went to the door and rang.
A young lady with long blond hair and the necklace answered.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Hello, my name is Joe Avon[1] and I must say that you are as lovely as I heard you were."
"Excuse me?" said the girl, arching a split eyebrow..
"Why, surely you've heard of me! I am a famous artist from New York." He sounded hurt.
"Oh... of course," she said, not really believing him. "Please come in. I have a friend over and I was expecting someone."
"That's fine, I could come back..." he said turning away slightly.
"No no! Please, I'm sure they won't mind," she said, grabbing his arm and giving him what she thought was a dazzling smile. Instead, she looked predatorial.
"Well, if you insist," he said, entering. He saw another blond girl, dressed in white, sipping tea in the salon. She looked up, wrinkled her nose in distaste and went back to sipping her tea.
Duo decided right away that he didn't like her.
"Ah yes," he said, adopting a sophisticated tone. "The lighting falls just so..." he looked around, deciding to take a measure of revenge against the ruder of the two blondes and kick her townie behind out of her chair. "Miss, you will need to move, the lighting is perfect where you are sitting."
"Excuse me?" said the girl, looking angry enough to strike him.
"Relena, please, let me sit there while Mr. Avon paints me," said the other blond. Relena made a face but moved to a low couch.
"Thank you, Miss Relena for your cooperation," Duo said smoothly, chuckling internally. There was no need to hide his amusement and a broad grin spread across his face. Relena narrowed his eyes at him. There was something very familiar about him, but she couldn't recall...
"Dorothy, are you quite sure that this person is who he says he is?" Relena inquired, staring hard at this 'Mr. Avon.'
"Of course he is," Dorothy said firmly. "He's from New York."
Duo almost choked but managed a serious nod. I will really tarnish the reputation of people from New York, he thought. I do hope they'll forgive me.
"Now, Miss Dorothy, if you would be so kind to sit facing the left. No just a little. Perfect." Dorothy posed and Duo took up the canvas and charcoal pencil and began randomly drawing on the canvas. Looking very serious, he looked over at Dorothy and ducked behind the canvas to chuckle silently.
After a minute or two, he stood up, frowning. He walked around Dorothy, inspecting her seriously. After about ten circuits, he stopped in front of her and cried "Aha!"
"What is it?" Dorothy asked, distressed.
"That...what is it supposed to be, a necklace?" Duo asked, tone as disgusted as he could manage. It was easy, he let his disgust for her pass into his tone.
"Why yes, it was a recent gift from my grandfather. It was very expensive..." she started. Duo held up a hand to forestall any more. What a liar, he thought, anger passing onto his face. Your grandfather didn't pay a red cent for that.
"Your grandfather was foolish to pay so much for a cheap bauble," he said sharply. "Take it off." Dorothy's eyes widened but she undid the necklace and placed it into Duo's waiting hand. Duo smiled widely.
"Ah! Much better!" he said, seemingly pleased. He slipped the necklace into his pocket and sat back down at the canvas. He began drawing again, letting his mind rove as his hand moved over the surface.
The door rang and a butler went to answer it. Duo could hear talking but he was falling into the drawing, almost not in control.
"Hello? Miss Dorothy, Miss Relena, what's going on?" asked a light tenor voice. Duo looked up, gasping slightly as if he had been holding his breath. A young blond man in a white suit stood a few feet away from him, holding an equally white hat in his hands.
"Why hello Quatre," said Relena. "A Mr. Avon, an artist from New York has come to sketch Dorothy. Isn't that nice?" she continued, pure malice dripping from her voice. Quatre placed a hand to his temple momentarily and smiled at her, bowing politely.
"Of course it is," he said. He walked over to Duo, who quickly hid the painting.
"Or, should I say," Relena said, standing and advancing towards the servants quarters. "The black bandit who robbed Mr. Dekim a few days ago!" she yelled towards the servants. "Help! Help! The black bandit has stolen Miss. Dorothy's necklace!"
Duo stood quickly and ran for the open window. Quatre drew his pistol, aiming dead on for Duo's back. A pain filled his heart and he moved the sight so he would certainly miss. He shot, missed and Duo escaped out the window, quickly hailing his horse and jumping on and rode off just as people were running to catch him.
Dorothy moaned and wailed the loss of her necklace and commended Quatre on his bravery. Relena fumed as she yelled at the servants for taking so long.
Quatre walked over to the canvas and picked it up. "I understand why you do what you do and I will try to help you, for his sake," he said to the canvas, staring at the sketch of a man about eighteen with long hair spilling over his shoulders and sad, sad eyes.
1 - Hello, Avon calling!
TBC...