If ever there was a reason to be happy she married Percival Odell it was for the connections he (and his family) opened for her. Honestly, it was the best decision she'd ever made in life. He lifted her out of poverty faster than any military job could and through it she got to meet so many new and interesting people. People with power and interests similar to her own.
Like whiskey and cigars and gossip.
The higher you went in the social hierarchy the more people thought they were better than others--but it was all the same. The usual offenses were just different. Odd, the rich seemed to have less of a tolerance for silly offenses and more for actual crimes, sometimes. That would never make sense to her.
Delilah knew not to come empty handed when visiting friends. Depending upon their tastes, you brought wine or a dessert or an appetizer for the evening's festivities.
For Gray, Lilah knew that top shelf whiskey would be the vice of choice (and hard to come by itself--some vintages could only be gotten by untoward means and military or not, it was an indiscretion she cared little about.. It's not like she was the only officer dipping their toes in the underdark for prized goods. It only mattered if you got caught.
Besides, whiskey was easier to come by than the cigars he kept and if she shared hers, maybe he'd share his. Tit for Tat like any true friendship.
What mattered most was that she was on her best behavior. Not in the sense that she couldn't do bad things--but that she appeared classier than she was. No person in the high society would put up with her otherwise. Except maybe Tomika, but Tomika didn't have a choice in the matter anyway.
Cooler, calmer than usual, Delilah held her chin high and walked with purpose from the moment she could be seen from any window of Gray's estate. She doubted he'd be watching from some window like a miserly old crone, but you never knew who saw what in this town and who said what to whom. She rang, or knocked, and waited patiently until the answer came, at which point she dipped her head in greeting and held up the little trophy she'd brought for their enjoyment.
Posted 09-27-2021, 04:08 PM
The sweeter the blood is, the fatter the fleas
