Starting as you mean to go on

[Annette Fontaine]

Dress

After the slight boating incident of yesterday, Anne had been unable to get her normal chaperone to come with her despite the protestations that there would be no water involved at all, nor any unforseen swimming. Fortunately though, cousin Adeline had stepped in and had offered to look after her that morning.

Anne and Adeline were just coming out of Twilfit and Tatting’s having just picked up a new fan for Adeline and placed an order for a new leisure dress for Anne, her other having been rather ruined after yesterday, conversing in rapid French about how lovely the weather was- some might have called it too hot, but both the ladies had spent a large portion in France and a bit of sun was nothing to them. In all honesty, she prefered it as summer meant sun, and sun meant being able to be outside playing sports, something despite being not even a week into the holiday Anne was doing rather a lot of in effort to combat her boredom, and also take her mind off her current anger.

The ladies stepped out into the street, both going to put up their parasols when a street child ran past and knocked Anne’s as yet unfolded one to the floor, where it rolled away and came to a rest at the feet of a rather good-looking young gentleman. Anne immediately blushed- oh, why was she so clumsy? She’d be an awful debutante, she knew it already. She’d make a fool of herself and never marry and disappoint everyone and end up some spinster in a convent somewhere, she just knew it.

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[Oliver Howe]

Oliver tucked the brown paper bag he had just picked up at the Post Office under his left arm and headed down High Street, eager to get back to the office where he could effectively shield himself from the bright sun. His freckles tended to pop out during the summer, which only supported a healthy, boyish look; a look that didn't always suit Oliver, who preferred to be viewed as the grown man he actually was. It did, however, coincide rather well with the day dream that unravelled uncontrollably in his thoughts as he maneuvered swiftly inbetween the people on the street, heading towards Howe's head quarters. Enjoying a chilled cocktail along with a game of petanque in a grande garden somewhere...

A child darted carelessly past him, startling a few of the surrounding people. Oliver merely stepped to the side without giving it any further thought, but a subdued noise at his feet caught his attention and he stopped to look. Upon realising what it was, he immediately squatted down to retrieve the umbrella with his free hand and proceeded to look up, trying to identify its owner. His eyes focused on a delicate, blushing woman. "Pardon me, miss," he said and stood up, "I presume this belongs to you?" Oliver addressed her politely without showing that he had taken notice of her embarrassment, and offered her the umbrella.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“Oh, yes, thank you!” she said gratefully, blush subsiding as she took the parasol from the man and put it up, trying to regain some composure. Anne didn’t know what had gotten into her- hearing those rumours- and seeingthat- must really have put her off track, and no wonder really. “I do apologise for causing you any inconvenience.” Anne added sincerely- the gentleman didn’t seem unreasonable or impatient, but some people still resented being put to any effort, even in the name of propriety.

Annette had just been about to bob the man a curtsy and smile before setting back off, when her cousin gave her a sharp jab in the back, so as the man probably couldn’t see. If it hadn’t been in public, Ada would have just earned herself a swat, but Anne knew better than to do that on the street and so just settled for colouring once more, though a more subtly this time.

“Miss Annette Fontaine.” She introduced, giving the rather handsome man the curtsy and her prettiest smile anyway. “And this is my cousin, Mrs Adeline ----*.” It was blatantly obvious the two were related anyway- Ada might be taller and her hair a shade lighter, but both were rather heavy on the Fontaine genes- but many people presumed she was her sister. The cousin in question gave a very quiet cough, and Anne quickly added. “Might I be so bold as to ask the name of my kind assistant?”

She was seriously going to kill Adeline if she kept this up.

*name not set yet, just pretend she said something XD

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[Oliver Howe]

The woman before him confirmed his presumption, and the corners of his lips tugged upwards when experiencing the fair amount of joy that the reconciliation with her parasol caused. That, which was only the hint of a smile, disappeared quickly, but it remained hidden in his eyes, giving him a friendly expression. He nodded promptly as to assure her that he held no grudge against her. "No harm done," he added, and briefly moved his focus towards the other woman, because his manners urged him not to keep her out of the conversation.

Oliver silently struggled with himself. He was in a hurry - technically anyway, in reality he did not care much for being on time even though he most definitely should - , but he had stumbled upon a chance of being unexpectedly introduced to two ladies that where more beautiful than he dared think about. As chance would have it, he needn't even take the initiative. It didn't bother him, and he responded with a bow and the words "Miss Fontaine, Miss -----." His eyes had blatantly dropped to her lips when she smiled, but he swiftly detained himself, creating eye contact with Adeline once more before returning to Annette. "Mr. Oliver Howe," he said, hesitating because he had a feeling he was missing something. "'Tis a pleasure to meet you. I trust you are enjoying the weather?" he asked - internally cringing over his choice of topic of small talk, because he most certainly wasn't. It did however earn him some time to figure out what context in which he had heard the name Fontaine before.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

Annette was rather relieved the man seemed so kind and obliging. She carefully watched him, noting his slight smile- he couldn’t be more than a handful of years older than her brother and with such good manners she was sure he would be a good acquaintance to have, especially with her season coming in just under a year- though such thoughts were far too frivolous to entertain for longer than a heartbeat.

“Of Howe’s remedies?” She asked, before catching herself. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr Howe.” She added with a smile, noting how his eyes had gone to her first one- such attention wasn’t unwelcome, though she was rather unused to it. “And yes, thank you! I always prefer it when the weather is nice and I can play some sports- I can get rather restless if I’m forced to be cooped up indoors, and I find there is only so long one can spend at the instrument before one becomes quite sick of it.”

Adeline gave a small nod and an almost identical smile, though unlike Anne her french accent was fairly noticeable. “Ze sun makes everything far beautiful, I find. What about you, Mr Howe?”

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[Oliver Howe]

"Indeed," he said, confirming her enquiry concisely. He could hardly relate to playing an instrument, but he nodded in agreement - for had he not just daydreamed about playing petanque in the beaming sun? Slightly taken aback by the uncanny resemblance between the two women, Oliver paused while starting to smile again, this time with a rather knowing look in his eyes. "I couldn't agree more, Miss -----," he finally said and looked at Anette, "that's why the summer is my favourite season of the year. How can one not love a time that encourages both beauty and coming together in sports and other social activities?" His words were more a statement than a question.

Although Oliver spoke the truth, the heat was beginning to get to him, and his attire felt tight and damp. He wasn't about to leave just yet though, not until he had settled his curiosity, even though he was about to push the boundaries of propriety. "If I may be so bold as to ask, where does the Fontaine-family originate from? I've spent some time in Paris myself, but I never had an ear for accents." He didn't direct the question directly towards Adeline out of fear for offending her, although she clearly had a thick accent.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“Indeed!” Anne agreed, smiling. “The winter has it’s charms, to be sure, but one can tire of endless snow and ice fairly quickly.” She loved skating too, but not being able to go outside for weeks on end? No thanks!

Adeline gave a small laugh behind Annette at the man’s question. “Zat is a big question, Monseiur.” she replied, and Anne gave a nod of agreement, though intrigued that Mr Howe had spent time in Paris.

“Historically, the Fontaines lived in Alsace.” She explained. “But after the end of the revolution they bought property in Paris, only to have to flee again during the Bourbon invasion and the fall of Napoleon. My Grandmere raised my father and aunt and uncles in Alsace, though she now lives in Bath and her children have all spread out. Uncle Alfred married and stayed in Paris for a while, though they then moved to England when his father in law died- that’s Mrs Rookwood’s family.” Anne checked off. Her family were wide reaching, with fingers in many pies, so to speak. “Uncle Pierre, Cousin Adeline’s father,” She glanced back to her cousin. “moved his family to Northern Italy, which coincidently is where my maternal great-grandmere came from.”

Annette paused for a second to catch her breath. “Aunt Catherine married into the Belaqua family and moved to England,” Now, that was a name Mr Howe couldn’t fail to recognise, the eldest Belaqua having become the Countess of Cornwall. “And my father moved to Sainte-Emillion when he married my mother, for she was the heiress to a Chateau there, though we spent most of the time in Kent.” Anne finished, though Ada chipped in over her shoulder- “Anne’s mother was one of ze only descendents of ze Marquesses of Sainte-Emillion- ze only other family carrying their blood is Mrs Reinette Valois and ‘er children.” Again, another big name, with the Valoises running the best-known perfumery this side of Rome.

She gave an apologetic smile. “My family has spread rather a lot, as I’m sure you see! What about the Howes?”

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[Oliver Howe]

Oliver gave off a gentle laugh and nodded. "I realise, but please, if you have the time," he urged with no concern for showing his interest now that he experienced that they didn't take the question in an ill manner. He listened attentively, momentarily forgetting about the heat, and even though he had no other ways of expressing it than with 'Ah's and 'I see's, he followed every detail without becoming confused at any point. Once the Belaqua's where mentioned the penny dropped - that's why he recognised the Fontaines. He was also familiar with the Valois family, but he knew nothing of the specifics of the perfumery business. "Yes, that is quite a history! I see know that I'm not a failure for not recognising your accent," he joked. "I'm afraid my background isn't quite as exciting. The Howe's stem from southern England but've situated in London and then Hogsmeade since before my father was born. One could say we move with the market," he explained. "My dear mother is of the McKinney family from the north, and their family sickle indicates that they originate from the Netherlands, but we don't know with certainty. Truth be told it is only luck that neither me nor my brother are full-blown gingers." The latter sentence was added in a lowered voice, evidently because he was confiding in them.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“By no means!” She laughed. “My Grandmere is forever despairing of what has happened to our accents, now they’re so jumbled.” Annette herself spoke English with almost no accent except for on particular words, when one of many dialects of French or even Italian could creep in, but Adeline had still a strong Aostan French accent, the same language that Annette had been brought up to speak alongside traditional French, Franco-Provençal, English and Italian. Her sister’s accent was even veering towards American now after her years in Washington.

Anne listened as Mr Howe explained his provenance, nodding then laughing at his final comment. “Ah, that is a piece of luck in itself I suppose!” Redheads could certainly be pretty but it was such an attention-grabbing hair colour that she wouldn’t want herself. “The Fontaines all tend to look pretty similar- only my brother has my mother’s Italian looks, but the rest of us have the blonde hair and blue eyes our paternal Great-Grandmother gave us.” There was generally a very strong resemblance between the cousins, with a vast majority of them having dark blonde hair and smoked-blue eyes- Charlotte and Louisa were testament to that- though there certainly was some variation.”

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[Oliver Howe]

Obviously Oliver couldn't run from the fact that his hair had a ginger tinge, but he just like i never pointed it out, he never denied it. His brother had significantly darker hair, a relief to Oliver because it meant that people never confused them. The last thing Oliver wanted was to find himself in a situation where he was to explain that he wasn't the heir of the family company. The mere thought of the awkwardness made hime cringe internally.

Oliver automatically looked over her characteristics once more when she described them. "I do see, the resemblance is uncanny! I'll undoubtedly recognise the Fontaines from now on," he commented with a smile without realising he hadn't taken his eyes of Annette during the entire conversation, as if Adeline wasn't present anymore. The package started to weigh, not only on his arm but also on his conscience, and as much as he wanted to continue the conversation he best end it now. "Now, I'm afraid I must excuse myself. Work is pending," he explained and patted the brown package with his free hand. "It's truly been a pleasure meeting you," he continued, directing his speech to both of them in turn. "I shall hope the next Fontaine I come by will be a familiar face."

  

[Annette Fontaine]

Anne gave a genuine smile, eyes sparkling. “Our Grandmother has always held the opinion that the faes just decided to duplicate us all rather than bringing a new child.” It was nonsense, of course, but the cousins were all eerily similar. Marjolaine and cousin Estelle might have been separated at birth, and cousin Antoinette bridged the gap between Estelle and Adeline, and the younger Fontaine girls were the spit of their mothers and older sisters.

“Oh! Of course! I do apologise for delaying you so inconveniently.” Annette apologised hastily, bobbing a short curtsy again. How rude of her! And this was why her season would be a failure, she knew it! “I shall endeavor to keep a better grip on my parasol in the future.” She added with a laugh.

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[Oliver Howe]

Oliver shook his head gently. "Please, do not think of it," he assured her. He found her very endearing and he wished he could assure her in a more convincing manner. Perhaps he would get the chance in another situation. "Good day Miss Fontaine, Miss ----," he said with laughter in his voice. Then he bowed and finally turned away to make his way towards the head quarters again.