| Details for Rue and Ginger (Nice 'n Easy) |
| Summary: | After dinner at the Macnair mansion house warming, Veruca and Keenan take the dancefloor. |
| Date: | 03 November 1937 |
| Location: | MacNair Mansion (formerly MacCurry) |
| Related: | House Warming Party at the Macnair Mansion, other Veruca/Keenan logs. |
| Characters |
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After the dessert was finished, and dishes cleared, a few guests lingered over the wine and conversation for a bit longer. Keenan and Veruca were among them, although the did finally rise and join the ranks to watch the first dance of the host couple, as was fitting with Rue being such an integral part of the planning of the event. However, Keenan declined to lead his date out on the floor for the very first 'open' dance, instead, he snagged two flutes of champagne from a passing waiter, handing one over to Rue. "I'm still feeling a little heavy from all that decadent food, I wouldn't want tae trample yer toes on our first dance," he explains. "A little champagne and perhaps a turn about the room before we dance will lighten my feet."
Veruca accepts the glass in slender fingers, letting hers brush his lightly as she takes possession of it. "That's a fine proposition," she says agreeably, bringing the glass up for a sip. Her attention sways for the most brief moment, as a nod of polite greeting goes to a passing wizard, but then it, as well as her dark eyes, are back on the ginger Healer. "You enjoyed dinner then?" Not a question that needs to be asked, she does have eyes, but there's a little smirk that comes with the question which might tell of her having noted his reaction to the delicious food.
Taking a proper sip from the flute, and making sure Veruca has his arm if she desires, he appears to consider her question while he congenially smiles to the wizard she greeted as well. "Well, naow, there wasn't as much corned beef an' cabbage in tha main course as I might've liked," he advises, letting his Irish slip back in a bit more as they are conversing a little more intimately. "But, other than that, I have nothing but compliments for tha chef… an' tha woman brilliant enough tae hire him." He glances across the room, his eyes finding Magnus. "So, ye're cousins tae our illustrious ambassador, aye?"
Veruca does take his arm, without hesitation, slipping her hand to nestle comfortably in the crook of Keenan's elbow. His words bring a smile, which is becoming easier to find on her lips over the course of the evening. "I just pointed him out to Mrs. Macnair. She was the mastermind behind the whole of the evening. I merely… facilitated her wishes." She has been very politely adamant through the course of the evening that the spotlight for the evening remain on her employers, to the many comments that have come her way. Her gaze follows his, and she regards her kin across the room. "Yes, by marriage. We always got on particularly well." There's a thoughtful note to her words, and perhaps the sense that the 'always' may be something of past tense.
Keenan doesn't push the compliments, just giving a light smile to her demurring response. He sips his champagne thoughtfully, sliding a glance from the corner of his eyes at her tone, but then back across the room. "It's always good tae be able tae talk well with people ye're not going tae be able tae avoid easily, aye?" he suggests, taking another sip and guiding her a little further along the fringe of dancers.
Her steps take her easily along beside Keenan, and Veruca nods a soft, easy laugh coming at the thought his words bring. "Yes, it is. Unfortunately, those seemed rather few in our families. But we were thrown together quite a bit when we were younger. Perhaps we just found each other a bit less annoying than everyone else." Obviously, there wasn't the closeness in her family that Keenen might have experienced in his own.
Keenan gives a smile. "Large families can be a trial, tis true," he agrees. "Have two brothers an' two sisters maself. Sorcha is tha youngest, she was something of a suprise. Tha younger brothers have both done tha respectable thing, with wives an' children an all that, giving Ma and Da grandchildren tae brighten their golden years." He sighs. "But then again, sometimes there is nothing like family tae pull ye through tha rough times."
Veruca doesn't actually know how to respond to this. While her family is there financially, although she has declined their aide for many years now, they have never shared the sort of affection that Keenan's statement indicates. "I'm one of seven," she says easily, "and square in the middle." Typically lost in the shuffle as middle children can be. Her musing smile returns as she gives a light tease, "And the eldest son devoted himself to his work? It was good of them to take the pressure off of you then."
A shadow passes through the gleam of Keenan's enjoyment and he turns to set down his empty flute on a tray for just such things. "Aye, ye could say somethin' of that sort," he agrees easily. When he turns back, the shadow is gone, the teasing/challenging gleam back, as he holds up a hand. "Are ye ready tae dance, lass?"
In their short acquaintance, Veruca has never seen that gleam not in Keenan's eyes, so the momentary shadow doesn't escape her note. Clearly, this isn't the time to press on a personal matter, being a night of frivolity, but it does warrant a mark in that mental black book of hers. Her movement follows his, glass set aside, and the challenge in his eyes is irresistible as Rue settles her hand to rest in his. It's mirrored, in fact, in her own dark eyes. "I'd be delighted, Healer O'Shea."
Keenan smiles broadly, taking a couple of backward steps to the floor as the music ends, then turning to find a spot for them to dance. He holds the hand up lightly, his other coming to rest on her waist. "Try tae keep up, lass," he encourages with a grin, and then the music starts and he steps into it the rhythm easily and lightly. Although his eyes don't leave hers as they begin, there never appears to be a danger of running into another couple.
Nice 'n Easy by Wolfgang Montague
A posh upbringing does have it's advantages, as Rue took lessons and learned with the steps a love of dance early on. It shows in the smoothness of her movements as she follows Keenan onto the floor, her eyes holding his, and she moves forward into his waiting arms. Slipping her arm up and around his shoulders, stepping close enough to press warmly against him, she follows his lead without hesitation or falter. Her reply to his challenge is an amused murmur, "I'll try my best."
Keenan chuckles, and as she follows easily, he becomes a little more adventurous as they move around the floor. He glances around on occasion, making sure he has a fix of the dancing space and it's occupants firmly fixed in his head. For the most part, however, his eyes maintain a contact with the dark eyes that look up to him. At the moment, it seems the joy of the dancing with an accomplished partner makes words or conversation unnecessary.
Perhaps his smoothness on the dance floor wasn't something Veruca entirely expected, but somehow it doesn't surprise her exactly, either. His confidence and ease with his own space is readily apparent even as he merely walks along the street. In the nature of the dance, at times the movements bring them enticingly close, her lips mere inches from his, a few times her cheek brushing softly against his. Perhaps on purpose? But each time she moves close, she comes back away to find his eyes again, enjoying their green sparkle and the warmth of his smile.
Keenan doesn't seem to have any objections to the brushes that bring them close, and they may not be all that unintentional on his part either as they make their way around the floor. When the song comes to an end, he gives a minute flourish to their final steps, spinning her around in front of him so that they are now joined only by one hand again. Once more, he bows over her hand, a little deeper than when they met at the beginning of the night, but still without bringing his lips to her smooth skin.
The spin brings a laugh from Veruca, light and pleased, and the formality of his bow brings her own as she dips slightly, a curtsy in response. Straightening, there is a gleam in her eyes as she steps close enough to murmur for his ears only, "I must confess, Mr. O'Shea, to not having been at all suspect that the raucous Irishman would be so accomplished a dance partner."
"Ah, then, ye see how well I am able tae fool ye, lass. 'Raucous' isnae exactly tha description my friends would use… as it usually takes them quite a bit of coaxing tae get me out," Keenan replies with good humor. "Lindy started in on me when were at Hogwarts, teaching me tae dance so she could, as she put it, 'have real fun with someone' when she could get away from the demands of bein' proper." Something in his smile seems to warm a little as he considers, but he gives a gently squeeze to her fingers.
A recollection of a certain ginger conducting his friends through a song at the bar brings another soft laugh from Veruca, and a momentary flash of… fondness? to her eyes. "You'll have to tell me all about this Lindy of yours. I may feel inclined to thank her for the delight of a more than competent dance partner." And it's got nothing to do with getting the lay of the land as far as his entanglements with other females.
Keenan chuckles. "Oh, I'm sure ye know her, or at least know of her," he replies. "Anyone else calls her Lindy may find their tongues hexed, but I was just too cute an' charming back in Hogwarts for her tae do such a thing. Another champagne?" A nod of his head indicates an incoming waiter, and he will reach to take two glasses if she agrees. "Most call her Eddie. Edwarlinda Malfoy," he clarifies. "Hopefully she won't take all the credit, I like tae think there's at least a wee bit of natural talent involved in my dancing."
Of course the name is familiar to Veruca, both just by virtue of Malfoy and since they shared conversation a time or two. Thinking to their last meeting, Veruca's eyes are a bit thoughtful as she tries to recollect exactly what it was Eddie had said. She reaches for another glass of champagne as she pulls up some pertinent information. As they spoke of their 'troubles' with men, she's quite sure Edwarlinda mentioned something about the Ministry, not about Mungo's, although the having known him since childhood would have given her pause without that further information. This train of thought only takes moments, and by the time she's taken a sip of champagne it's only intrigue that lights her eyes. "I am somewhat familiar with your Lindy," she says, purposely using the nickname that she will never use around the Malfoy herself without explicit pardon to. "Would you be inclined for a short tour of the house?" Of course, there are no ulterior motives behind this offer.
As he sips the champagne, Keenan watches Veruca's response to naming the other woman, although he smirks lightly at the use of the pronoun. "Aye, she's hardly 'mine', nae. She's been quite taken with ma mate Sloan lately… which I am guessing her family is nae too happy about. She's a stubborn lass. She want's something she'll nae hear anyone tell her nae." He pauses, and considers, "How did we start talking about another woman, we should be talkin about me…" he says in proper, egotistical man form. "Please. I would be delighted tae see this lovely mansion, an' hear more about how ye came tae become such a savvy business lady."