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Southern Distress [Szymanski&SeraphinexLight]

XSeraphinexLightX

XSeraphinexLightX

Star
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Location
US
The rustle of green leaves made Lilliana turn with a frown,"Mother...please stop being a nuisance..." she murmured with a soft sigh. Lilliana's mother, Jennifer, was poking about the bushes looking for something. "You're making us look like complete fools..." whispered Lilliana with a harsh tone,"Come now...that man will be here any moment, and I don't wish for him to think of us as...strange..." Lilliana stood straight, her back rigid and her chin pointed with dignity. The little belle stood proudly in her crimson dress, its sleeves set lightly on the sides of her shoulders, and her skirts billowing out in beautiful waves. She had white gloves on, covering her arms up to her elbows, and she wore a red hat, covered with white lace. Lilliana's hair was curled in small brown ringlets beneath her hat, and fell down across her face and down her neck. There was a fan in her hand, and her wrist was flowing back and forth gracefully to emit air across her skin. "Goodness it is warm..." she murmured with a frown.

"Lilly..." reprimanded Jennifer,"Don't be so rude to your mother!" Jennifer stiffened from her poking in the bushes and she too began to fan herself. "I'm only letting you out of the house today because this fine man has agreed to watch over your well-being!" Jennifer's voice rang high and was filled with false authority. Lilly rolled her eyes and turned to look at the river before her. She was mildly aware that her mother was still blubbering on about her being safe as Lilly's mind wandered. Memories of days on the river made her frown, memories with her father.

Only months earlier Lilly's father had died of a terribly illness, and since she'd been left with her nagging and annoying mother. Lilly had always been a daddy's girl, and on days where her mother wasn't watching her like a hawk, she would run off and spend the days with her father. And now her mother had these crazy ideas that someone was out to get them, and most importantly Lilly herself. The ideas were crazy, who would be so worried about getting their money that they'd plot horrible and evil plans? Lilly laughed at the idea, people weren't that cruel.

She turned back to her mother, her green eyes smoldering,"Mother..really...there is no need for the man to follow me about like a puppy dog...I'm perfectly safe..." assured Lilly with a deep frown. Jennifer pursed her lips and turned away, eyes closed and chin pointed as she began to ignore her daughter. Lilly sighed and then leaned lightly against a tree on the outer-banks of the river. The man would be there soon, and then their boat would arrive for them to relax on. Her eyes were glazed over as she observed the gentle waters before her,"Oh how I adore the Mississippi..." she smiled, a dazzling, breathtaking smile. "Mother...go ahead back to the manor...It is much to sunny outside for your fair skin and besides...the man will be here in moments...No need to hound me..." she teased her mother softly. But nonetheless, Jennifer gathered her skirts and headed back up the stone path to the man waiting to escort her back to her manor and estate.

A very elegant and beautifully designed boat slowly made its way down the river and Lilly smiled rather broadly. "Ah...now where is he..." she turned from the river to begin looking about the area. She didn't even know the mans name, she did hope he knew what she looked like, otherwise they'd never find each other.
 
Usually, James didn't take jobs that required this much travelling. But the woman who called herself Jennifer had tracked him down specifically because of his reputation. Depending on who he spoke to, his reputation was either a good or a bad thing. Good, because when he was asked to get something done, he did. Bad, because his methods were usually a little brutal for most people's likings. Murder. Theft. Beating someone half-to-death. Yup. That kind of thing was just a normal day's work for James Garnett. Hidden beneath his rough exterior -- with the unshaven jaw, torn clothes and a scarred right eyebrow that removed most of the hair -- was a young man in the later stages of his twenties.

His clothes gave away his origin from a mile. The dark hat; the dusty white shirt; brown jacket riddled with loose threads and holes; a dirty pair of jeans and finally the boots. He had a face that could have looked handsome with a nice set of clothes and a clean shave, but apparently James Garnett refused to listen to that advice. What was the point in getting himself fancy clothes if all he was going to do was get them dirty?

He watched her from a distance, talking with her mother, the pair of them looking like proper women. It was expected of them, of course. Their background dictated how they should act, how they should present themselves to all kinds of gentlemen. The large skirts, the corset, the posture and their friendly attitudes. Always looking their best. It wasn't the kind of women that James liked to associate with, he loved the bad ones. But it paid well. And all he had to do was make sure she didn't get shot. How hard could it be?

Eventually, he approached her -- a rough contrast to the woman's perfect elegance. He knew the answer to his question before he even spoke it. "Ma'am... are you the pretty girl I'm supposed to be protecting?"
 
Lilliana was beginning to believe that the man was not going to arrive, but then she turned and saw a man approaching her. He looked rough, definitely not high class, perhaps middle class, but he seemed like a wanderer, he was so dirty in appearance. She frowned, lips pursed and eyes narrowed slightly as he opened his mouth and spoke to her. "Why, I do believe I am Sir...Lilliana Trenton at your acquaintance..." she did a slight curtsy and then turned on her heel to look at the boat. It had docked by the shore and was currently setting a bridge for her to board through. She smiled to herself,"Do come along, Sir...I'm sure there are lovely refreshments awaiting us..." She waved her fan across her face as she walked daintily across the bridge and onto the lower deck of the boat.

Lilly turned to look over her shoulder, watching to see how long it took for the man to follow her, after a quick glance she moved across the deck of the boat until she'd found a pitcher of iced tea. She looked at one of the servants standing behind the table and asked Lilly if she'd like a glass,"Yes, please. May I ask for a lemon as well?" she spoke politely, her eyes pleasant and sincere. She lifted the glass to her lips once it was handed over to her. The cool liquid slid down her throat and she sighed in happiness. "Ahh, very good..." she walked away from the refreshments table and headed to the side of the boat, looking out over the cool waters.

"Sir, may I ask your name?" called Lilliana with a soft smile as she turned to look at the man boarding the boat with her. If he was to be following her around, making sure she was safe, the least that could happen was she learn his name. It would be rude to just call him,'that man' all the time. She sipped quietly at her tea while she awaited a response from her rough edged protector. There was a gentle breeze blowing across the river, and it lightly tousled her hair about beneath her hat. The sun was hot however, and so her fan was still necessary to keep herself cooled off. There was nothing she disliked more then to be sweaty in the eye of the public.
 
How did she move around with that big skirt of hers? He wondered, scratching his maturing stubble. The only kind of skirts he was used to were the ones found on saloon girls, but these things added a distinct shape to their already beautiful female forms.

James followed her on to the boat as it pushed away from the river-side, and resumed it's voyage. There was no escaping, unless he wanted to take a dive in to the water. The cowboy felt a little uneasy in his current surroundings, his scruffy-looking clothing stood out a mile away and there were more than a few people looking over at him every so often. Standing beside Lilliana, he exchanged stares with a few members of the upper-class families that lived along the Mississippi. "My name's James Garnett, and as you can tell -- I'm not from around here."

She wasn't the only young woman on the boat, though he couldn't distract himself with any of the others. He was supposed to keep his eeys fixated on her at all times, even if she wished to retreat to the bathroom then he had to follow. To the door, of course. The last thing he wanted to do was stand there and watch her take a dump. "So is this what you folks do for fun? Go on lil' boat rides down the river?" The activity never appealed to anyone in the old west. At least the ones he'd met, anyway. Lilliana was the kind of girl you just didn't find anywhere else. "I'd heard about you southern belles... fancy dresses, always polite. Tell me ma'am. Ever uttered a bad word? Or what about a nasty thought?" A quick scout around showed the various young women socialising with older men in waistcoats and exquisite suits. Maybe he should just strip one of his clothes and throw him over board.
 
Lilliana smiled,"Hmm...James Garnett..." she let the name run over her tongue before taking another sip of her tea. The liquid rolled across her tongue and almost flew out of her mouth at his next words. "E-Excuse me, Sir!" she stammered as she lightly choked on her drink. A few people looked her way, alerted by her sudden outburst of choking. She cleared her throat lightly and smiled at the onlookers, who nodded in a friendly manner and returned to their business. Lilly then turned her attention to James. "Pardon me, But I would never have a nasty thought...I assure you I don't even know of what a nasty thought would consist of..." she pursed her lips at this thought, tapping her folded fan against them,"And of course I've never uttered a bad word! It isn't lady like, Sir Garnett..." she shook her head and made a tsk tsk sound with her lips.

"And- being polite is just the way of the South...What else is appropriate!" she exclaimed. The idea of anything other then polite smiles and curtsy's made Lilly scowl. "Which is why I don't understand the point of your services...Mother is so very daft...Nobody in the South would ever purposely try to harm me...or any other proper lady..It just isn't polite and mannerly..." she laughed softly. Lilly took another sip of her drink and eyed up James for a moment. He certainly didn't fit in on the boat, but as time passed people began to ignore him. "What are the ladies like in your area of the country, Sir?" asked Lilly with a curious glint to her green eyes. She couldn't image anything but either other ladies like herself, or perhaps hard working farmer girls.

Lilly respected the women that worked hard everyday, she herself often times got bored with her girlish lifestyle of rosy cheeks and curled hair. Was James used to hard working women? "Do the women in your area work hard? I like working women, they're very respectable..." she nodded with a happy smile. "They're so proud of their work!" she laughed quietly and sipped her cool drink. Lilliana looked away from James and out to the river, enjoying the cool sprinkle of water from the back of the boat. A man approached Lilly and she looked over and smiled,"Ah, Sir Charles...Beautiful day isn't it?" greeted Lilly with a girlish smile. The man bowed respectably and reached for Lilly's hand which held the fan. He pulled her hand towards him and kissed the top of her glove.

"Good Morning, Sweet Lilliana, I do hope your mother and you are fairing well after your dear father's parting?" spoke the tall man. He looked to be in his late forties, and had a soft smile in his features. Lilly nodded and smiled in return,"Yes, we did so enjoy the flowers you sent to the manor..Thank you very much, Sir...Now if you'd excuse me, I'm going to get a bit to eat..." she curtsied before motioning for James to follow her.

Lilliana walked slowly and gracefully around the people on the deck until she'd entered the interior of the boat, where tables and chairs were arranged. There was a table of small sandwiches and tea cookies at the far end,"Be sure to help yourself to food and drinks!" she noted with a friendly smile to her 'protector'. She laughed quietly to herself as she filled a small china plate with a small finger sandwich and a few dainty cookies.
 
James was getting a little uneasy at her insistence on referring to him as sir, or just her overall politeness. To him, it wasn't normal. He was used to the old wastelands where people were considered polite if they didn't stick a gun in your face and either rob you or tell you to leave the bar within the next four seconds. But here she was, telling him that she never had any kind of nasty thoughts about anyone, and that she was surprised that someone in this part of the country would want to hurt her. They were briefly interrupted by a man who she knew as Charles, who ever he was. It gave him a brief insight to the kind of job he was given here. Her daddy was dead, and her mother hadn't mentioned anything about brothers, so there lacked a male presence in the house. How did he die?

"Women in my parts are... rough. Sure, they doll themselves up and throw on a skirt and a pair of heels if they think you're wanting some company, but the rest of them get their hands dirty. They wouldn't be seen dead in petticoats and umbrellas." He commented, following her to the food table and picking up a plate of his own. Clearly, the temptation of nice food appealed to him, as he greedily grabbed a bunch of sandwiches and absently licked his lips. They all looked delicious, although of course they were -- this was how the upper-class lived. He even bettered the liquor in this region was of the finest quality -- rather than the home-made stuff they brewed back in the west.

Finding a table for them, James refused to do the gentleman's routine of pulling out the chair for the lady. Instead, he just sat in his own and then began to stuff the sandwiches hungrily in to his mouth, cramming the food in as big a bits as possible. "So..." He began, his tongue swirling around a half-full mouth. "...Tell me Lilliana... is this what you do all day? Take boat rides..." He finally swallowed the remainder of the sandwich. "...and give everyone nice, pretty smiles? There must be more than this. Entertainment, I'm talking about." James didn't see the appeal in all of this, the south was a hell of a lot different than the west. At least on first impressions, anyway. He hadn't been in the state that long, but already he was missing his old way of life. "Maybe you should move west. I think you'd like it. Lose the skirt, stick you in a pair of fishnets and boots. You'd be sorted. You'd enjoy it."
 
Lilliana frowned as she saw how James acted, stuffing his plate full of sandwiches, and then making his way to the table. He didn't even pull out a chair for her. Her eyes were narrowed as she herself pulled out her chair and sat on the edge of it. She couldn't very easily pull it back in, not with all her skirts. "There is nothing wrong with umbrellas and petticoats..." she murmured quietly. "I find them rather nice..." she grabbed a small tea cookie and lightly nibbled on it as she watched James stuff his face full of food. "Don't talk with your mouth full..." she reprimanded. She rolled her eyes with a small smile and then listened to the man continued talking. "Boats and smiles is not the only thing I do..." she said with a laugh.

"There are days where I go to the theater, or the park...The park has beautiful flowers this time of the year..." she laughed softly. "Hmm. Let's see, I also go to tea with some of my friends..." she nodded, and placed another cookie on the tip of her tongue, chewing small dainty bites. "Some days I just relax at home..." she added with a point of her finger. She didn't mention how she used to go fishing, or hiking with her father. He'd always been an active man, and she loved joining him when she was allowed.

She'd been mulling over what other things she did when she heard his next comment. "Fishnets!" she frowned,"What?!" she exclaimed,"Oh...are those...Are they those things I see the..." she kept ending her sentence and her eyes went wide,"My goodness James!" she snapped,"How awful to say! I would never wear such.." she couldn't finish the sentence, she was appalled a the mere idea of wearing something that a lowly whore would wear. Her eyes were narrowed as she finished her cookies and took a bite out of her sandwich. "You could try to be polite couldn't you?" she questioned as she looked up at him, her lips turned down in a frown. "If you hate this world so much, go home. I already told you I don't know why mother hired you..." she snapped, looking out the window of the boat, her mind fuming.
 
The activities she listed off didn't appeal to him either. She appeared to like long walks, or taking in the beautiful sights of the Mississippi. That just wasn't his cup of tea at all, although back in the west he didn't have the privilege of being able to do things like that. Just didn't appreciate it. He put it down to the way they were both brought up. Him, a drifter, a loner. Having to do things for himself. Her, spoiled and brought up with manners. And right now, their worlds were colliding with fire and bickering.

"Your mother hired me because she seems to think that there's someone around these parts that's trying to kill you. Or nab you. Or just do something nasty. I don't know, she didn't know. But I'm here, and I have to watch over you. I don't like it, and you don't like it. But you know what? I don't care. For as long as I'm gettin' paid, I'm gonna be here." He could see she wasn't happy with him one bit, his bad behaviour and offensive comments. James was going to get her to swear, or say something she'd regret. He was determined to have it happen at least once. Her attitude was already going down the wrong route of a southern belle, and James almost seemed to be enjoying it.

"How did Daddy die?" He asked bluntly. "Is that the guy I'm protectin' you from? The one that murdered Daddy?"
 
Lilliana stood up, rather abruptly from her chair and glared at James,"I don't know." She snapped at the man. How dare he ask about her father, and so bluntly too! Lilly left her plate, pushed in her chair and started out of the dining area, desperate to get away from James. She'd only been with him for a little while and already she wanted to do something awful to him. A growl of exasperation escaped her pink lips and she pushed open the door and walked back out onto the deck of the boat. She smiled on a little when the warm air wrapped around her. She didn't know anything about how her father died, just that he died, and now she was left with a rather large duty. She had to find a husband to take care of her, her and her mother. Someone that could rightfully own the manor and estates.

Her eyes were narrowed as she walked to the edge of the boat, her hands on the railing. Talking about her father was a touchy subject, and to have someone so horribly rude mention him without a care made Lilly's skin crawl and her eyes burn. James was a rude, rough, cowboy, and she didn't like him. It was like he was just trying to make her act rude, and mean. She didn't act like that, only he did, him and his stupid fishnet covered ladies of the west. "Stupid man.." she whispered fiercely, hoping he'd watch her from a distance, and just leave her alone.

She flashed her fan out and started to wave it across her face, keeping her eyes focused on the waters beneath her. Memories of day long fishing trips fondly washed over her and she found herself smiling again. She missed those moments with her father. He was always so careful to keep her looking pretty, just so her mother wouldn't find out they were sneaking about.
 
James didn't follow her. He knew what he'd done, although right now he didn't have much regrets about it. It was a defensive barrier he was putting up, his comfort levels weren't exactly high right now -- what with the dramatic change in scenery and class in this area. He was used to people being rude, and starting fights if you even looked at them when they didn't want you to. But here she was, a young girl, just being polite and friendly, and he was pushing her away like she were riddled with some kind of disease. The cowboy shrugged. He was too stubborn to chase after her to say sorry.

Outside, however, came the soft-spoken voice of a man who sounded a million miles away from being a rude, spiteful cowboy. He had crept up behind her, keeping his footsteps silent and hushed, before approaching the railing next to her. "I couldn't help hearin' you were soundin' a little upset back there." The older gentleman watched the panorama slowly roll by, before turning his head towards her. "But it's lovely to see you still keep up that wonderful smile of yours, Mademoiselle Trenton." He was a stranger, for now, although he hinted at knowing a few things about her. Then again -- most young belles of her age were quite well known by the soft-spoken gentlemen that were after their skirts. "My name is Colonel Henri Gardin. It's a pleasure to finally speak to you, Mademoiselle." His words indicated a French background, possibly from an ancestor or two. Although his lengthy hair had recently developed a salt-and-peppered shading, he didn't quite look old enough for it to happen just yet.

His eyes looked down, adjusting to their noticeable height difference that stood at least a few inches. The Frenchman's clothes were smart, a nice well-groomed suit, although the lower half of his face could have did with a shave. It wasn't bad enough to be a disgrace, however. "A young woman with your beauty and politeness should not have to socialise with small-time fools such as the cowboy." He gently took her hand and lay a quick peck on her glove, before allowing it to return to it's previous position. "It should be an honour for him to be in your company."
 
Lilliana was minding her own business, just watching the water beneath the boat when she was disturbed by a complete stranger. She looked up, brushing some hair behind her ear as she did so,"Good afternoon..." she greeted with a small smile. The man had heard her get upset,"Oh that..it was nothing really...I'm just...a bit emotional today." She smiled and looked away from the man for a moment. She felt suddenly embarrassed to let her emotions get away from her in public. When the man mentioned her smiling she laughed softly, lifting her hand to her lips,"Oh...why thank you, Sir."

As he introduced himself she smiled, looking up at him," Well Colonel Gardin...it is wonderful to make your acquaintance.." she saw him reach for her hand and she felt herself blush as the older male kissed her glove, before releasing her hand. Gardin obviously didn't seem to like James, but she didn't blame him, though she felt slightly insulted that the man would talk badly about her bodyguard. She doubted anyone knew the cowboy was her protector, but she still felt insulted,"Well, we cannot blame him for not being of our standards...He isn't from around here..." she insisted, a small frown gracing her lips.

The mention of how James should feel honored to be in her company made her shake her head," Oh no, Sir...I cannot except such a wonderful compliment...surely you're being much too kind.." she spread out her fan and began to lightly pass a breeze over her red cheeks.

"What brings you upon this boat on this beautiful day?" she smiled,"Surely a man such as yourself would have important tasks to be completing...Are you knew to the area? I'm sad to say I don't believe I've ever seen you around..." Lilly asked curiously, eyes lit with a spark of interest.
 
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