behind these castle walls

[marlene helen hamilton]

A new day had come; well rested enough thanks to a decent night's sleep and entertained at the thought of what was going to happen, Marlene was now standing in front of her closet, once more. "I really do need to hire someone to rationalize my clothes, this is madness." She had already tried doing it herself, but both times the girl had failed miserably, ending up staring at the different items in there without having a clue about where to begin with. Thankfully, this time she knew exactly what outfits to pick for the evening/night; the plural was needed, considering she had already decided to split the day she was entitled to, according to their deal, into two separate events, which was why she had asked Braeden to bring different clothes. Arching a brow, she shook her head briefly; the white one was really none of her concern, as long as it was decent and not rapper worthy, but the formal attire did worry her greatly. Afterall, she was bringing him with her and making herself look like a fool was not an option. Sighing slightly, Len contemplated the chance of texting him to remind him of the required clothes, but let it go, since he seemed a careful enough guy; still, she highly doubted whatever he could bring with him would meet the requirement of their first event. To think she had even struggled so hard to find one that wasn't completely formal...

"Paul, is everything ready in the blue room?" She asked the butler after having approached him in the middle of the hallway; comforted by the impression he liked her enough, given the fact she was surely the less problematic guest in the house, the brunette felt more comfortable asking him, out of the army of peolpe who worked there, for special favours. "Yes, miss, everything is ready, exactly the way you asked for it." Nodding contently, she thanked him with a warm smile before heading downstairs, into the livingroom, as the wait for the guy began. Glancing at the clock, she let out another small sigh as she realized it was still just half past three, whilst he was supposed to be there at four o'clock. Time never passes for those who wait and this time it was no exception; Marlene still tried and used it to go over the details of their night out, planning to make it go as smoothly as possibly. If they survived the first half successfully, the rave should have been no issue, and at that point she could have relaxed and really enjoy his reaction to it. Finally, someone knocked on the front room door and, just like the day before, she went and opened it herself. "Good, you're punctual. Please come inside and follow me." The girl stated, barely giving him time to close the door before starting to walk. "I'll give you a brief tour of the house afterwards." They had work to do now, most likely.

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden looked through his closet slowly. He had mostly everything organized due to the lack of diversity in his wardrobe; black, grays, and sometimes blues, there wasn’t much in there. His mind went over the clothes he possessed, trying to find something that would meet Len’s specifications. Luckily, he started this process early in the afternoon and had plenty of time to spend mulling it over in his mind. He stepped deep into his closet, and moved things around, knowing perfectly well what he was looking for and where it was. In the darkest corner, hidden behind pea coats and untouched by the overhead light, he dug until his fingers grazed the surface. He felt a twinge of something; fear, sadness… he wasn’t able to differentiate between the two lately. Pulling the box out and setting it on his bed, he looked through it. It had all of the things that reminded him of his mother and although he would love to display them about his room, it was too painful to look at on a daily basis and that was the reason why it had been hidden away in the darkness. That feeling returned again in the pit of his stomach as he pulled out a tux about a few years old that he had worn to a very prissy party that his mother was invited to. The woman was very well connected in the upper middle class social network and often dragged him along in hopes he would find his princess at one of those parties. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and his mother’s wish of him finding someone remained unanswered. Packing it away in a book bag, he grabbed something else that was white, something that he didn’t even know where it came from or how it got there. Whatever, it didn’t matter.

With his clothes all set and ready to go, he set out for Len’s house leaving promptly at three-forty five and arrived at her house exactly on time. Lateness wasn’t something that Brey liked to tolerate so he always made sure he accounted for factors he couldn’t control in order to arrive on time. Her house seemed much bigger than the other day perhaps it was because he was now in the inside of it. Everything looked very new and untouched. He had specifically chosen to wear contacts so he would be able to see ever detail and not look like a derivative of harry potter. You have a very lovely house. He commented as he looked around for a second and then began following her. It looked like a house; cold and uninviting and not like a home. It didn’t look like anyone lived here as the furniture was not worn or touched but he wasn’t going to judge. So what do you have planned for us? He asked curiously, carefully since he was somewhat scared what she was capable of planning. The possibilities were endless, just like the contents of her wallet. He hoped she wasn’t going to usher him on to her private jet and take him to some foreign country just because she could.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Luckily enough, the girl hadn't even given herself the time to glance at him before turning on her heels and leading the way; that was the only reason why she hadn't noticed the lack of the apparently magical glasses still. "It's not mine, I told you already, it's the Buganski mansion. I'm just a guest here, since I am a childhood friend of their daughter." Pushing in the back of her mind the fact the last time Ezzie and her had talked had probably been a couple of weeks before, the brunette shook her head slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear; truth was, she feared the blonde was up to no good and had no idea how to handle it. Usually, she would have been all for fixing her, but as of right now Marlene herself needed help, therefore she was virtually useless when it came to taking care of someone else. "A cocktail party at a hotel, hosted by the Vanderbilt. I originally had in mind to make you join us on a properly formal dinner, hence why I told you to bring your tuxedo here, but I figured a semi-formal event would have been a better bet." She explained him briefly, knowing there were chances he'd be offended by her words, figuring he'd have been perfectly able to take part in a dinner as well, but that would only go to show how little he knew about the whole matter.

Taking a few different turns, left, then right, up another staircase, then right again, they finally reached their destination; without glancing at him, she pushed the heavy doors open, only to reveal a bedroom in which everything was blue. Sheets, curtains, walls, furniture, walk in closet, lamps, even the marble floor had blue tinged veins swirls; what one would call an extravaganza, probably, but still pulled off in quite a classy way. "Welcome to the Blue Room; I thought you might appreciate the colour." Nodding at Paul, the brunette watched as he opened the walk in closet filled with male clothes and pulled out an outfit, walking toward Brey afterwards and handing it to him. "Since my plans changed throughout the day, your outfit will have to change as well; showing up at an event that requires a semi-formal dress code with a tuxedo would result in you being severely overdressed." Unlike whatever he could think, Len didn't want him to be the talk of the night for his being out of place or awkward; making people laugh at him wasn't her aim surely. "I thought a dark grey gabardine suit would be a good choice; it's classic, proper but it's a bit more modern than full on black. Also, I picked a single breasted jacket, since this is not a formal outfit, to put a more youthful spin on it. You have an option of either a black or white dress shirt; simple satin botton downs, really, nothing special. No vest, but either a tie or a bow tie, we'll choose one according to the shirt that gets picked. As far as shoes go, black leather oxfords always work." Taking a step back, Marlene finally turned around and looked at him; the fact she could see his frameless eyes was bad news to her, as the now almost familiar feeling invaded her again. "I wasn't...sure about the sizes, so Paul helped me out. Try them on and then we'll see. He'll stay here in case you need help." Walking past him quickly, she opened the door and closed it behind her in a matter of seconds, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding right after. What the hell was about him that upset her?

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden followed her though the house, which seemed much more like a maze. It was much too big and much too gaudy for his liking. He hurried to keep up with her because he doubted that he would be able to find his way out of here alone. It looked like one of those mansions in scary movies and he definitely didn’t want to get caught locking eyes with a very suspicious painting. Had it be nighttime, it would have been a little more entertaining. Brey had always enjoyed Anne Rice just as much as the next person and truth be told, things like that… with mystery and intrigue made his seemingly mundane life amusing. However, the Hamptons had little to be desired for the past four years he’d been there. It was about time to move on and not let his family, or what was left of it, bring him down. It wasn’t fair that he had to take up the responsibilities of taking care of them instead of moving on with his life. It was about time that Brey went to seek his own fame and fortune. If she was trying to make him humble and make him feel bad about himself, it was working. Still he had a pleasant, curious façade and looked very interested in her home. Oh, well… It’s your day so whatever you want to do. Truthfully, he felt a sigh of relief at that he wouldn’t have to wear the tux tonight. It would have evoked way too many emotions and so he was glad.

Stepping into the “blue room” he looked around. It was fairly pretty and ornate in its decorations yet not at all tacky. It was pleasant and it seemed “safe,” whatever that meant. Its very nice. He took a moment to look around before he noticed the staff member in the room. He gave a polite nod to the man before concentrating on what was going on. So she was going to change his clothes and dress him up in order to make him into something he wasn’t. However, anyone could wear a costume and no matter what she changed about him appearance wise, there would still be a lack of etiquette and she would always be embarrassed of him no matter what. Sighing a bit he looked over the suit that was laid out for him. He would play along for now; rules were rules after all. Being compliant, he was silent and waited until she left to get dressed. He thanked Paul for being there but Brey knew very well how to dress himself and how a suit was supposed to look. The last time he wore as suit was at his mother’s funeral but he supposed that this time would come again regardless. Dressing himself took a mere ten minutes before he looked over his appearance at a full length mirror that was positioned next to the closet. It looked as good as he possibly could and well, he didn’t put that much thought in it. He ruffled his hair with his masculine fingers before he opened the door again. Alright so, what do you think?

[/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

It was getting out of hand; surely, the odd wave of emotions she got everytime she looked at his face now seemed weaker, but she suspected that was only because she was half expecting it each time. Still...how was she supposed to spend the day with someone she couldn't stand to look at, without feeling like someone was taking the air out of her lungs? Why in the world would she even feel that way? It had never happened before..."I have no clue about what to do." She whispered to herself, her hand running through her hair as the brunette tried to come up with something, anything, to save the day; if he didn't have the glasses on, obviously that meant he was wearing contacts.Not being able to control herself angered her even further; one could have probably called the girl a control freak, at least in the past. "This is ridiculous. Get ahold of yourself, you are Marlene Helen Hamilton. Not just any silly little girl who lets whoever get in her way." Surely, the pep talk would have worked better, hadn't she been just surviving for the past two month and a half, nearly three; still, it managed to have some kind of effect on her. Moving away from the door as she felt it open, Len slowly turned around, her eyes slowly looking up at him; truthfully, he was...dashing, and the surprise managed to keep the odd dejà vu feeling at bay, at least for now. "You clean up nice, Baker."

Nodding slightly, she was about to walk in again to give him her little 'proper cocktail party etiquette 101' lessons, but decided she'd just show him how it was done when they got there; partially because it would have probably been more interesting that way and also because she hoped being around him with people she knew would have been easier. "Paul, please, show Mr Baker the way to the living room on the first floor?" Shifting her gaze on Brey, she fixed a strand of hair that was oddly falling in his face before taking a step back. "I have to get ready myself now; do not fret, I have my outfit picked already, so it won't take me longer than an hour. Make yourself at home in the meantime; if you need anything, ask Paul and he will be glad to grant your wishes." With that, she turned gracefully on her heels, inwardly complimenting herself for having been able to act normally around him, unwilling to admit to herself the way he looked when wearing a nice suit surely had helped greatly. After having walked a good five minutes, she got back to her bedroom, locked the door and picked up the dress she had chosen; nothing too formal, because, for as much as she loved gowns, this was always just a cocktail party. In a few minutes, Marlene was all dressed up already; putting just a ring on, she had only her hair left to curl slightly, in soft waves. "Good." She stated as she glanced at herself in the mirror once she was done; the red lipstick she had on which almost perfectly matched her pumps always made her feel more confident. Nodding once more, the brunette left the room, nothing in her hands as her white outfit had already been neatly folded and placed in the limo, and made her way back to the livingroom Braeden had been waiting in. "All done, we should probably leave now, since it's nearly six."

her outfit

[braeden ryan baker]

You clean up nice, Baker. Her comment resonated in his head from where he stood now in the living room. Was he not attractive enough while in normal clothes that he had to clean up? It was just an expression and he knew that he really shouldn’t have taken it personally but still. He’d be lying if he said she didn’t hurt his feelings. Tough as nails, he let that slide too. Life was too short to hold grudges for stupid comments, especially when those comments come from a woman. It wasn’t fair that women got a free pass all of the time; they could say whatever they wanted and not suffer any repercussions because of it. What did she know? Maybe he did wear suits every day but he really didn’t. He was pretty sure that he had seen her once or twice in the café he worked at having coffee with someone who looked very greasy and unkempt. So who was she talking about cleaning up. Len had the audacity to make that comment when the guy, who he assumed was her boyfriend, looked ten times worse than Brey could ever look on his worst day. Sighing in defeat, he tried not to think about it anymore. This was her evening and he didn’t want to spoil it with a bad mood, it wouldn’t have been very nice of him. Inwardly he hoped that the night would fly by so he wouldn’t have to deal with this suit. He would have preferred something with tails, a waistcoat, or something of that nature but beggars can’t be choosers.

He took his time, moving about the room, looking at all of the pictures and knickknacks that it held. It was fairly pretty and well decorated he had to give the owner some credit. Braeden waited as patiently as he could for her to arrive and when she did, it took his breath clear away. She did look quite presentable in that short dress; it did wonders for her curves. You look exquisite, he smiled softly as he approached the entryway of the living room. She cleaned up nice too but then she always looked beautiful so he couldn’t ever say anything bad about it. As you wish. He followed her out to where their transportation was waiting for them. A limo, he should have guessed. Braeden, himself was partial to traveling via horse and carriage but those were scarce and not practical. It would probably take forever to get to the party but at least it would be quite the adventure. Seriously? Braeden raised his eyebrow looking it over skeptically. Is this how you travel everywhere? It amazed him that they had money to pay a driver instead of just driving herself or calling a taxi especially when there were hungry people in the world, he would know; he was one of them. Why? He guessed it was one of those you’re poor, you wouldn’t understand things but it seemed very excessive and unnecessary.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

As always, he proved to be quite the Knight, complimenting her sweetly; Len nodded her head graciously and smiled at him, thanking him silently. She should have known the 'tame' and meek side of him wouldn't have lasted, given the fact he would have been exposed to a world he clearly disapproved of that night, starting with the limo. "No, not everywhere, since that would be fairly incovenient; haven't you noticed how large and long this car is? If I'm out and about in a city on my own, I'll call a cab, if I'm going out I'll get a pretty car with a driver, but one more managable than this. I never got a license, so I don't drive myself, nor couldn't; plus, the fact in the UK even the wheel is on the opposite side wouldn't help anyway." The brunette waited for the driver to come out of the car and open the doors, getting inside first as soon as he did that. "Please, do come in." She asked Brey, telling the driver to go after he did climb in; she could almost feel the despise clearly pictures on his face, mixed with the disbelief anyone could afford such a lifestyle or want it, too. Leaning her head against the expensive leather seats, she tilted her head toward him, wondering whether he felt uncomfortable or not. "It will be a short ride anyway."She tried to reassure him, in her own way, looking outside the darkened windows, before glancing back at him. "Darkness is so appealing at times, easier to handle than light as well, don't you think?"

Not being exactly sure about what she meant either, the brunette just shook her head, straightening the bodice of her dress and sitting straight in order to avoid wrinkling it unsightly. "So, like I said, this is a cocktail dinner held by the Vanderbilt; I'm sure you must know about them. This one particular party is simply to greet their acquaintances and friends in this area, since one of their nieces is moving here for a while; in truth, it is to try and make people think all the gossip on her doesn't touch the family, who simply discards it as untrue, even if everyone who's known Eleanor knows she's not exactly a saint. It's all about the façade." Feeling the limo stopping softly, she flashed him a persuading smile, taking a deep breath before stepping out of the car, as though she was about to go underwater. "Please, Braeden, offer me your right arm, since you're my escort for the night." Taking it after he did as he was supposed to, the couple made their grand entrance inside the magnificent hotel hall, immediately greeted by a man in black, who offered to escort them to the cocktail room. "Security is always an issue at such events. You never know when a paparazzo will try and blend in with the guests."She whispered to Brey as they followed after the tall body guard worthy figure, who left them with a slight bow right in front of the room. "Don't leave my side, I'll show you how everything's done."

[braeden ryan baker]

So if you don’t have a license? Then how were you going to drive my car, huh missy? I’m glad I didn’t let you, you would have killed us both. Braeden continued to eye up the limo. Was it really necessary? Couldn’t they take some other car? He knew that his car was so five years ago and wouldn’t be acceptable to her friends but still, didn’t she have anything less extravagant? Why did she have to be show offy? He supposed this was how she lived, she lived to be beautiful, rich, and over the top about everything. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of her inner circle of friends? His insecurities were settling in again even before he stepped into the limo. He already knew they weren’t going to like him. Her friends would be able to see through his disguise and laugh at him for thinking he could attend a social event as Len’s escort without it being a joke. Shaking his head he stepped into the limo and got comfortable. He felt the need for a strong drink but he didn’t dare. The last thing Braeden needed was a negative effect from the alcohol and then embarrass her. I love the night, His eyes gazed out the window as well. It’s much less stressful than the day. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Brey stayed up very late reading his books and writing. The night had always been a comfort to him because he was by himself. It seemed like nothing could go wrong during the night… it was peaceful.

He listened to her information about the event, though he was slightly concentrating more on the night. Yeah yeah, rich dumb people gossip. Brey had no interest in the Vanderbilts, whoever they were or their fancy pants friends. He rolled his eyes, people worried about the stupidest things. When you were rich, you had nothing to worry about but your reputation. But honestly, who cared? Did it really matter if you were a big ho or not? It wasn’t anyone’s business but your own. The scandals that were so often in the rich world seemed petty and stupid to him. Braeden supposed that he would never understand no matter how much Len tried to explain it to him. It didn’t matter and before long he would be driving his car back home very much like Cinderella. He sighed as they arrived at the venue, more nervous than he probably needed to be. Truth was, he didn’t want to ruin it for her but she must have trusted him somewhat to risk social suicide by bringing someone so low to this gathering. Once they were out of the limo, he did as he was told by offering his arm. Right, the last thing you need is to be seen in a picture with me. Watch, front page news. I hope you know what you’re doing. He looked at the floor for a moment before looking into the room where everyone seemed to be gathered.I’ll try my best to behave and not cause you any social harm.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Arching a brow, the brunette gave him a look that clearly meant she always knew what she was doing; truthfully, she didn't, not this time, but that somewhat thrilled her always so careful self. "Remember, first impressions are made withing five seconds of first meeting someone and are largely based on looks and appearance, more than words; stand straight, no hunching, walk with confidence, make eye contact with those you talk to but don't be overly cocky nor daring." She spoke clearly, giving him one last look to make sure not one hair was out of place before they finally walked in; given the fact this was an informal meeting, they could do so when they were ready, without having to follow a specific order nor be announced. "Keep your aim in mind when attending parties like this; ours tonight is to get out of here alive, without making fools out of ourselves, so that we can go on to the easier part of the day." Looking around subtly, she spotted a few acquaintances of hers already, glancing at him just for a second. "What college did you go to, by the way?" Len questioned him, thinking that maybe they could actually get something useful out of all of this. "No talk about topics that are taboo, such as politics, religion, money and the cost of life, marriage, sex and clearly no gossip. You do that once they turn around, obviously."

Noticing the several food stations cleverly spread throughout the room, the brunette nodded her head and guided him toward the closest one by using a not so light pressure of her arm against his, as they still were entertwined. "Don't hog food stations; take what you want and then go away. Don'r fill your plate so that it's overflowing either; rather, come back later for a second round. Avoid hard to handle food, since you're a newbie, so no olives, no crudites to dip into sauces or shrimps." Filling her plate with just a couple hors d'ouevres, she gave him a clear 'pay attention' look as she nodded at him. "Everything goes in the left hand, so you're free to shake the hand of whoever will approach you with the right one without juggling ridiculously. This way." The brunette then proceeded to take the cocktail napkin and put it between her ring and baby finger; then she spread the ring and middle fingers to act as a base for the plate and finally used the thumb and indexr to hold the stem of the glass and to stabilize the top of the plate at the same time. " Everytime you need something, reach for it with the right hand, use it, then return it to the appropriate finger slot in the left hand before going on." Watching him intently, the girl then waited for him to demonstrate he had understood her words and was able to put them into practise.

the room

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden really wanted to know what he was doing here. He didn’t belong here, no matter how much she dressed him up or taught him manners. It wasn’t his scene but still he listened to her instructions carefully. It was a lot to remember but Braeden was a very quick learner and hardly ever failed when it came to remembering things. It was how he had excelled in school and hardly ever studied and remained at the top of his class. It was an immense feat graduating as valedictorian of his high school and among the top five students of his college graduating class. He might be impressive on paper but he doubted that any of these people had worked a hard day in their lives. All of their mummies and daddies had paid their way for them for everything. Sure Brey was jealous, what made them better than him that they were excused from having to work for everything they earned? Maybe he was just old fashioned but he didn’t think anyone should get a free pass; everyone should have to work for what they want. He followed and looked down at her at her curious question, college? He supposed they hadn’t gone over that, she should have spent the limo ride getting to know him so she could spice it up for her peers. Columbia University. Partial scholarship. He shrugged, it was the only way that he could afford it not that she really cared. Truthfully, Brey had his heart set on Harvard for their writing program but that didn’t work out due to his need to be a close proximity to home.

Her demonstration with the food was very ridiculous but still he followed her suit, paid attention but didn’t hang on her every word. He could listen without looking at her and he didn’t want people to get the obvious truth of him being a noob. Calm down, I’ve actually been to one of these things before. With his mother, yet again. The woman loved to show off her “handsome” son to everyone in the business world. It was more of a hassle really and he couldn’t even seek entertainment in any of the girls there. They were full of air and had not an intelligent bone in their bodies. Poor Len, stuck with such imbeciles, he pitied her. So who are your friends? he asked quietly, while doing his absolute best to blend in with the crowd, it was going pretty good if you asked him. He adapted her mannerisms, which probably took these people a long time to learn. His eyes gazed around the crowd, noting how everyone was dressed, but not lingering on any one person for too long… staring was impolite. Everyone seemed to be dressed in the same manner but in his opinion, Len was on the top with her appearance. None of the other girls really came close. Perhaps he was a little biased because he liked her personality… somewhat. Len was getting a little more bearable but he really couldn’t wait to unwind from all of this stress of being watched and observed.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[marlene helen hamilton]

Nodding slightly, she parted her lips, mildly surprised by the college he had attended; apparently, other than the sharp tongue he clearly did possess, even if he didn't talk all that often, there was quite a brain, if he had been able to get a scholarship at Columbia. "You're a writer, right?" Without waiting for his reply, she tilted her head to the side, laughing lightly at his next question; how little he knew about this world. "Friends? I don't have friends, just friendly acquaintances, none of which are here anyway." Furrowing her brows, she glanced at him for a second, wondering why the hell she had just told him that; somehow, he always managed to dig deeper inside her, which honestly creeped her out a bit. Nevertheless, Marlene didn't have the time to think the whole issue through, as someone was about to approach them. "Eleanor Tarleton, her husband is an ambassador like my father." The brunette whispered to Braeden, before the middle aged woman reached them, a polite smile on her face. "Marlene dear, I was unsure about whether it was really you when I saw you walking in; I had no idea you were here in America." Len's polite smile would have fooled nearly everyone into believing it was genuine; it was quite easy for her, after years. "I am currently on what I like to call 'the American grand tour', which clearly goes against the old tradition of young American nobles visiting Europe. back in the day. Traditions with a modern twist, Eleanor, you know me." Flashing her a charming smile, she purposely used her first name, remembering how she loved it, since it made her feel 'younger'; at least, Len thought that was the reason why. Everyone had their quirks and likes; remembering them well had always been easy for her, using them to her advantage in small conversations like this one even less hard.

It clearly did work, as the elegantly dressed woman was now chuckling lightly, clearly flattered of having been treated in such a warm, nearly informal but still respectful way. "Oh, Marlene dear, you're always so witty! Isn't she?" Shifting her focus on the handsome man next to the brunette, the woman smiled at him as well, clearly trying to conceal her attempt at trying to remember who he was; forgetting about someone could have caused troubles between families later on. "You must be the charming Alexander I have heard talking about so often. You two are such a good looking couple!" It took everything in the girl not to let the stabbing pain she was feeling inside her heart and stomach show on her face; the only change in her appearance was the now tight grip on Braeden's arm. "Oh, no. Alexander is quite busy at Oxford with his Law program, therefore he unfortunately couldn't join me on this journey." Her voice sounded exactly the same as before; warm, cordial and serene, as she found herself unable to say out loud what had really happened between the two of them. It would have made it even more real; if someone in the world still thought he belonged to her, maybe there was still hope it could be true. "This is Mr Baker, a freshly graduated student of Columbia whose writer career will bloom soon, I assure you; an outstanding young man, may I say so myself. Had he been anything different, I wouldn't have let him escort me, of course, but don't tell him that." The last word had been nearly whispered to the woman, after Len had leaned forward slightly, perfectly aware Brey would have been able to hear everything; still, these little falsely confidential ways of her usually won old women over and Eleanor was no exception.

[braeden ryan baker]

Braeden watched her, trying to be less obvious. The way she carried herself, so confident, sure of herself and her life, was very admirable. He wished all he had to say about himself were nice things. Though he doubted that any of these rich people were upfront about their secret divorces and scandalous spouses who spent every other night with the maid, being discrete was very pointless because everyone knew about it anyway. So perhaps everyone had their secrets that were best swept under the rug. They were the hypocritical type of people who would look down on him if they found out his family had bad habits when their own families were screwed up just as much as his. The only difference is that no one cared about his scandals but when these people had drama, it was on the front page. Braeden felt that these people were of poor quality and mildly annoying. He noticed a few that clearly thought they were better than everyone due to the elevation of their noses. He looked at Len, no friends? How could she not have any friends here and still want to come? Poor darling, he would be her friend and try to make her feel comfortable the best he could. It sort of made his heart ache that she didn’t have friends here but he didn’t exactly know why he felt this way. It seemed that the rich world was incredibly lonely since you couldn’t really get too close to someone because they might backstab you. Brey felt the need to hug her but he refrained because surely it would have been regarded as an intimate gesture and he didn’t want to cause trouble for Len.

His eyes looked up as he felt pressure on his arm, noticing the woman that was coming straight towards them. She looked like she cared a little too much about herself and very little about everyone else but that was just at first glance. Silently, he watched the two interact with each other careful not to interrupt them, it would have been rude and uncivilized. As he was addressed by the woman, he simply nodded in agreement. Witty was one way to describe Len though Brey had a few choice adjectives that would be inappropriate in this setting. His eyebrows furrowed as she assumed him to be Alexander, whoever that was. Clearly, Len was hiding something. Perhaps that was the boy who had made her so bitter about anything concerning love; perhaps that was the boy she met at the café a few times. He took no offense to the woman’s mistake and made a mental note to ask Len later about this Alexander even if it wasn’t any of his business. If he was being honest, he felt a bit of a twinge of jealousy in the pit of his stomach but he wasn’t able to see why. It was an indescribable feeling. Why didn’t he want Len to be with someone? It was quite ridiculous since they only hung out only once before. What did it matter if she had a boyfriend or not? He shouldn’t have cared so much. Braeden couldn’t help but to smirk at the woman’s opinion of them being a good looking couple. He’d love to see how Len was going to recover this one. Oxford? Her boyfriend must be a smarty pants or had a big bank account another set of reasons why Len wouldn’t ever go for someone like him; even if it was completely hypothetical. She hyped him up and for that he appreciated. It would have been a terrible catastrophe if her date was a bore. Pleasure to meet you Miss Tarleton. He caught on to the way Len addressed the woman and followed suit; reaching out for her hand. Len speaks the world of you. I’m very fortunate she decided to choose me to escort her for she is very amiable and much desired among her peers. It was just a proper way to say that Len was attractive, smart, and any guy would have been lucky to have her if but for an evening, though he was sure this woman already knew that.

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[marlene helen hamilton]

Still swallowing up the shock and pain of someone mentioning him to her, Marlene couldn't help but be grateful at whatever self control she had left in herself, which had helped saving the day; the fear of making a fool out of herself and her family was apparently still stronger than her pain, which was comforting, to a certain extent. She felt slightly better as Braeden handled briefly the conversation with the woman; for someone who was not used to being in society, he was handling it fairly well, she'd have given him that. "Oh, he likes to make me blush, don't mind him. I suspect he enjoys making women blush in general." The brunette added, using the same secretive tone from before, watching as the woman chuckled once more. "My pleasure, Mr Baker, you seem like quite the charmer." Miss Tarleton then furrowed her brows slightly, knowing she was supposed to ask him about his job next; still, not enjoying Literature, the topic bored her greatly. "I would ask you about the exciting book I am sure you are writing, but I am aware of how much you writers care about not spoiling them with clues, so I will not even try." Just a way like another to avoid an unwanted subject; glancing to the side, the look in her eyes made it clear she had spotted someone more important to talk to. "Marlene darling, Mr Baker, I wish I could talk to you more, but I have to greet Mr Waldof, I am sure you know how it is." Nodding slowly, Len smiled one last time at her as she walked away, turning to Brey with what almost looked like a smirk on her face. "It's entertaining when they use the social obligations they were talking to you for as an excuse to get away from you, don't you think?"

Guiding him throughout the room, she stopped briefly a few more times to talk to someone, introducing him in the same way she had to Miss Tarleton, with slight variations according to the person she was talking to; knowing most of them, she knew what they all liked and disliked it. "Oh." The brunette stopped in her tracks, surprised, as she stared at an old man dressed in the most elegant suit in the room, clearly not afraid of standing out for being nearly overdressed. The man caught her gaze and stared back at her; clearly they were both surprised to see each other there. "Marlene." He addressed her quickly, clearly informally, which showed they had to know each other quite well. "What are you doing here?" Furrowing her brows, the girl was clearly even more taken aback by the question; her confident tone hesitated when she replied. "I've been in the US for the past two months...Hasn't my father mentioned it to you?" If the confused look on the man's face wouldn't have been enough to answer her question, his head shaking confirmed it. "No, he said you were at Oxoford, attending courses and taking exams, as usual." Her head lowered ever so slightly as she chuckled lowly, coldly, a polite smile on her face. "If Edward Hamilton said so, it must be like that, therefore I can only assume I'm an astral projection of myself and have been so for the last couple of months. Have yourself a good evening, please." Nodding politely at him, she started pulling Brey away, stopping shortly only to tell the man one last thing. "And when you hear from my father again, would you please do me the favour of asking him how my exams are going? You know, I'm quite the anxious type. Thank you." Biting her bottom lip, she resumed walking away.

[braeden ryan baker]

Being on his best behavior, he assumed would result in some kind of reward. Now normally he wouldn’t expect such but given the nature of this party and the social anxieties he had to endure throughout the entirety, he should be compensated. He smirked at Marlene’s injective. Why wouldn’t he like to make her blush? She was adorable no matter what mood she was in. However, she was incredibly wrong about the later half. His busy schedule permitted him no time to spend with women. Besides, most of the girls his age were dimwitted and lacked intelligence. They were living in the here and now and Brey saw no reason to deal with anyone he didn’t have a future with. If he didn’t think a girl was the type of girl he could see himself in a relationship with, he wasn’t going to waste his time or hers. He would much rather prefer getting it right than to try and try over and over making the same mistakes and then getting broken down as a person each time. Once was enough and so a block was firmly in place. Braeden wouldn’t let him feel anything but friendliness towards a female unless they proved to be worth anything more. It was nothing personal but absolutely necessary to prevent the hurt Len knew so well. Ah yes, you’re very right. I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending of the next best seller before it comes out. I hope you understand. Brey knew when someone was bored and was relieved when she let them be. Oh yes, very amusing.

Brey followed her throughout the room, greeting her acquaintances in the same manner. He was polite, reserved, and overall a good escort. If only they knew who he really was, they’d be shocked. Looking up to the next stranger he smiled pleasantly before looking to Len as he did for some background information on the person they were about to greet. It had been the norm over the past hour but when she provided nothing, a concerned look crossed his face. He observed the exchanges and noted a tense emotion between the two. Apparently, someone had lied along the way and Len was upset. He could tell from her last bitter statement. Are you alright, my dear? he asked concerned as soon as they were out of earshot of any other guests. Stepping in front of her so that he can look at her face clearly and read her, Would you like to leave? From experience, he learned that when women were high on emotions, they didn’t like to be in the public eye where everyone can see them and judge. It didn’t matter to him if they left or not, it was her night and so he’d do whatever she pleased. So it wasn’t as if he were trying to get out of this. The party actually turned out to be not so bad now that he had become used to their routine.

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[marlene helen hamilton]

Of course his father had lied; for her to be doing anything different than what she was supposed to, as she had for her whole freaking life, was hardly acceptable. She had known this very well all along, of course; the fact he barely spoke to her when she called him weekly, as they had arranged, didn't leave it up to interpretation. Still, the brunette hadn't seen this coming; Edward Hamilton lying to one of his older friends, one of his 'partners in crime', so to speak, because he was too ashamed of what her life was now made perfect sense, still she hadn't been expecting it. It had always been like that, afterall; as soon as Marlene made a mistake, he spoke to his wife, her mother Caroline, addressing her as 'her daughter', not 'theirs'. Mistakes were barely tolerated and never accepted, surely she should have known better. "Of course. It doesn't matter. None of this matters to me, it's all a lie, everything. Smiling, pretending to care, attending parties, fathering...it's nothing but a lie." With that, she grabbed a flute of champagne off a waiter's tray and downed it all at once; not very lady like indeed, but at the moment the brunette could have cared less. "I bet you're wondering now 'so what do we do?' We just grin and bear it, Braeden, and then fake some more. That's the way the golden world of the rich and famous is."

His concerned face nearly made her laugh, but thankfully she kept herself from that; it would have been a vulgar, cold laughter, one of those which didn't reach the eyes and chilled the soul instead of warming it up. "Don't worry, we're nearly done here anyway." At the beginning of the evening, she had talked about always walking in these parties with a purpose; hers that night had been to get her family's name around and make connections, as she had been taught to. Since Marlene Hamilton was not even supposed to be there, but in England instead according to her father, clearly she had no reason to be there in the first place. All that was left now was to exchange a few more false words with the one for which this party had been thrown in the first place. "I will go and introduce myself to Eleanor Vanderbilt and be right back; actually, on a second thought, you come with me." Nearly dragging him toward a blonde in the middle of the room, Len put on what felt like the millionth polite smile of the night as she saw them. "Eleanor, lovely party; as flawless and impeccable as expected from you, of course." Even if her tone was still cheerful, the girl could feel herself getting sick with each meaningless word she spoke. The blonde's words did not make it to her ear; she knew she'd have most likely thanked her for coming and then proceed to complimenting her on her outfit/hair/shoes/jewellery. The heiress's eyes, though, were blatantly ignoring her, even as she spoke to her, being focused on the male next to her all the while; she was almost devouring him with her looks. If there was one thing that Marlene hated more than anything was being ignored; for this reason, she straightened up, her eyes on the girl's ones, as her grip on Braeden's arm tightened again. "It really is a shame, but unfortunately I have a raging headache which forces me to lay down; therefore we have to leave you now. It's been a pleasure, Eleanor." Polite once more, cheerful once more, but the conversation had been cut a bit too short; not giving a damn about it, she pulled Braeden away from her and out of the room. "What a slut." She stated, nearly hissing it, as soon as no one else was around.