The door to the room swung open, and the voice of Hderr Erik Heinz-Schmidt called out
"Gentlemen, we are in the presence of a lady now."
Captain Drake was the first to his feet, but Doctor Swift was right behind him as Madame LaMonte swept gracefully in. Both men were, in their ways, gentlemen. And gentleman would not fail to rise in the presence of a lady. Although, to be honest, it could be truthfully said - albeit not in mixed company - that no
man would fail to rise in her company, gentleman or not.
"Good evening gentlemen." Her voice slid through the air like fine silk over polished marble.
"Madame," Captain Drake said, accenting his words with an elegant nod of his head. "Madame LaMonte," echoed Doctor Swift, voice slightly gruff. But then, wasn't it always?
Herr Schmidt shuffled nervously.
"So, does anyone know if Sam is supposed to be here this time? I know she has to come the furthest. Captain Shane, well...who knows, ya?"
Captain Drake took three long strides, and drew out a chair for madame LaMonte. "Soon, I believe. I received a telegraph from her, shortly before my arrival, indicating that she would be here..."
The door crashed open as
Samantha "Sam" Cavendish. In counterpoint to the elegant Madame LaMonte, she wore a
charcoal grey sack coat with a matching
waistcoat and trousers tucked into plain black boots that reached mid-calf. The only concession made to her sex was a
linen blouse. Captain Drake and Doctor Swift, who had just taken their seats, bobbed back to their feet. "Howdy, gentlemen," she announced cheefully, "an' y'all can sit back down. No need to stand on ceremony - I'm jus' one o' th' team." Then her eyes narrowed. "Miss LaMonte."
She didn't
dislike the woman. Or, at least, she tried not to dislike her. But Sam had fought for everything she'd ever gotten, first for respect from her pa and then for her place in the Rangers, and then for respect
as a Ranger, and she had just never had time for "bein' all girly'. And Anne-Marie LaMonte
epitomized everything she'd ever been prone to describing as 'girly', and something about that just rubbed her the wrong way.
Shaking Herr Schmidt's hand in passing, she crossed to the sideboard and poured herself a tall glass of scotch. "Any o' y'all want some, while Ah'm over heah? Ah'm in a right good mood, so Ah'll offer jus' this once." With that she crossed to the table, giving Doctor Swift's shoulder a comradely squeeze as she went past.
Then she stopped cold. "Captain Drake, what th' hell y'all doin'?"
"I am," he said, "holding your seat."
"Why?"
"Because," the Captain answered, in the same tones he would use to explain that the sun rises in the
east, "you are a lady."
"Ah'm a
Ranger."
"And a gentleman does not sit, when a lady stands. and a gentleman does not let a lady seat herself."
Scowling, she flung herself down in the seat. "There. Y'happy now?"
He smiled. "For the moment."
She swallowed some scotch, looked to the other woman in the room for support, and then remembered that Anne-Marie would probably
expect that sort of behavior. "Right. So, where's Kieran? He on his way, or has somebody finally hanged that rogue?"