» Opening Up, Private

[Daniel Riley]

The act of choosing a potential wife was such a delicate one. There were so many variables to consider; all in all, it would have been much less of a hassle and much more pleasant for Daniel and the girls if his previous wife had just had the good graces not to die, but then, such things couldn't really be helped, he supposed. Or at least, that was what the healers had told him at the time, and since Beanstalk wouldn't have assigned any shoddy healers to his wife, he had to tend to believe them.

Tiresome as the search was, it was important that he devote the proper amount of time and care to it. Marriage was quite a lasting decision, a very big decision, and for someone like Daniel it meant much more than just securing a good name and a good dowry through his choice of wife; whoever agreed to marry him would have to be proper, of course, graceful, delicate, but strong, ambitious--with perhaps some slight interest in someday being the wife of the Minister of Magic. At this point the list had narrowed down to only a few hopefuls--one Miss Browning, who seemed rather indifferent on a personal level for all that she was desireable in theory. Then, of course, Miss Calliope Browne.

Admittedly, Daniel didn't know her well yet, but from what he could tell, she was anything but indifferent. She'd been a Slytherin, like him, and seemed to share some of his rough political ideas, though of course they hardly spoke of politics while in earshot of her chaperones. Miss Browning was certainly wealthier, but at that moment Daniel was almost certain he would trade Miss Browning's dowry entirely away for the certain spark he thought he perceived in Miss Browne.

He had come to call after supper, to visit in the parlor, but was secretly hoping that the weather might permit them to sit on the porch, at least a bit out of earshot from her parents. Not that Daniel had anything against her parents, but he wasn't trying to marry them, and it was not them that he wished to speak with, really.

Usually Daniel was not one for spur-of-the-moment decisions, but he had stopped by that evening with little more than a brief warning letter to Calliope that morning. He'd been by once, earlier in the week, but he didn't want to wait until another 'convenient' opportunity arose. He did't really want to wait the prescribed socially acceptable time, but he knew the dangers of putting too much attention on any one woman, and should some issue arise and he not want to fix his hopes on Calliope, he didn't want to be roped into doing so.

"Good evening," he said in polite greeting to all those in the room when he was shown into the parlor, taking his hat off and bowing around. He was dressed to impress, but not overly formal--just enough to instill in her family the sense of his wealth. It couldn't hurt. "I hope my coming tonight in no way inconveniences you. I had come to call upon Miss Calliope Browne, to inquire after her health."

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

The short note this morning had been something of a surprise. Calliope had glanced at it first, hardly expecting to hear from Mr. Riley again for a while, if at all. Of course, once the sender of the letter had dawned on her, and the purpose and sentiment of the post taken into account, she had begun to show some interest; it had sparked a change of heart, if you will. For she had met Mr. Daniel Riley previously, and he most certainly had exceeded all Calliope's expectations while still being the only possible suitor she'd ever encountered that also matched her ambitions for a husband-to-be. Whilst it was generally the gentleman who had the luxury of choice and the liberty of basing his search for a wife upon whatever whim he presently held - and usually ended up with whomever he set his sights upon - Calliope couldn't very well resist having standards of her own, however unlikely it had seemed they might be to apply to any potential men in her future.

However, maybe just this once her criteria did fit. He was a Slytherin, so he ought to have the kind of personality and values Calliope admired; he was wealthy and upper class, which was her biggest concern and yet the factor she thought she'd been least likely to encounter; he was respectable and respected, it seemed. Both slightly different but equally important. She hadn't had opportunity to decide whether or not he had too sharp and confident a mind for her to be able to sway decisions, for example - but in truth, she was hoping he wasn't too soppy and impressionable, either, for what kind of man would that be?

What really leapt to her attention was the fact he hadn't given up the courting yet. Granted, it hadn't been long, and they didn't know each other quite well yet, but the only courtships she'd had in her year out of Hogwarts had been nipped in the bud, so to speak.
And here Mr. Riley was, apparently keen enough not to prolong the time between them. Calliope did have a slight suspicion that he would only turn up to bear bad news, but she forced that down for the moment and got on with her life.

She had been fixing her hair, after having changed into a slightly more admirable dress after supper - because although her family didn't have excessive amounts to spend on their garments, at least Calliope had the sense to have some awareness of a thing called fashion. When she'd been told there was someone at the door, she realised who it must be and started down the stairs. She'd entered the parlour only a minute or two before Daniel was shown in, just long enough to shoot warning glances at each of her parents in turn, who both happened to be sitting down in the room.

She hardly managed to keep the smug smirk off her face at his entrance, so instead looking down, casting a demure demeanour outwards - at least, for the moment.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Riley." She responded smoothly, once her parents had bid their good evenings and then echoed her spoken sentiment.

Of course, she didn't want her parents to launch into some sort of mindless small talk and the attention to be lifted from her for the rest of the night; she was sure it would put Mr. Riley off faster than she would, simply herself... so she looked up and replied to his indirect sort of question, soft yet clear enough for all those in the room.

"As for my health, I am quite well, thank you. Although I have just been contemplating whether a short spell of fresh air would do me any good." She had, of course, been ruminating on nothing of the sort - in fact, had Pruedence or Loretta been present, either might well have piped up with Calliope's words not ten minutes ago, a complaint aloud about the breeze, which would certainly have ruined the moment, but nonetheless - but now Calliope wouldn't refuse sitting on the porch awhile. In fact, she'd do more than that; she'd take her own initiative and suggest it outright. "If it is agreeable to all, might I request catching my breath in the air outside for a moment?"
She cast a furtive glare towards her parents, cautioning them there was only one right answer. They'd probably be eager enough to get rid of her for however short a time nevertheless. Besides, it was not a time for foolish flirting or sitting quietly in the background, waiting for her parents to say something agreeable to the man. No, Calliope decided it was altogether too serious for that, for better or worse. She'd have to take matters fully into her own hands.

OOC: Eeek, long... sorry!

[Daniel Riley]

Daniel smiled, a small, subdued smile. His reason for visiting was weak at best, and the fact that she hadn't shot it down as such bode well for him. She got right to the point, and already she'd managed to get them an excuse to go out onto the porch. He liked her. He definitely liked her. Usually it was after a half-hour or so of pleasantries with the family that any sort of privacy could even be suggested, and then it might be quietly deterred by the woman, for modesty's sake, or by the parents.

He jumped on his cue immediately, knowing that if he should miss it the moment might be gone, and he would be subjected to the pleasantries while he waited for another opportunity. "I would be pleased to escort you to the porch," he said, with a small bow, and hearing no objections from her parents on the matter, lead the way. "Your good health is of the utmost concern to me," he said while they were still in the presence of her parents, but secretly he was sure that no one was fooled by this; the fresh air was an excuse for privacy and had nothing at all to do with her health.

"I hope you do not think me forward," he said as soon as they had gotten outside into the air--a tiny bit chilly, but nothing unmanageable-- "For calling on you again so soon, Miss Browne. I realize social custom might dictate a bit more of a wait, but I didn't think you would mind the attention." That was, perhaps, a bit presumptuous, but he thought that given her subtle encouragement so far, he could say as much without coming across as an ass.

"Your parents seem like charming people," he said a bit dryly, and by that he obviously meant your parents seem like perfectly average and perfectly boring people, and I'm glad that we managed to get rid of them so quickly. Again, not that he minded either of them much, but Daniel was a master of cultivating social relationship exactly when they were of interest to and of use for him, and exactly to the extent to which they would be useful. Pleasantries in the parlor was about as useful as he saw his relationship with her parents; anything else would be tiresome until such a time as he needed to curry their favor in order to ask for her hand, if such a time every occurred.

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

It seemed the getting-fresh-air trick worked a treat, as no one had decided to refuse Calliope's request. That in itself was something of an accomplishment - despite plenty of people thinking her bratty, she really didn't get her way enough of the time to assume that she'd succeeded in that feat. Nevertheless, she was momentarily pleased, and a fleeting smugness crossed her face. "Thank you," She murmured, simply and coolly enough, only a brief glance directed Mr. Riley's way as he bowed and led on out, giving no real signs of interest or disinterest for the time being: she hadn't quite deciphered his thoughts from his own expression, and lost herself temporarily in private cogitations... was this meeting a good omen or bad? Good or bad news, it was so difficult to tell!

After a breath or two inhaled and exhaled gently in the air outside, she took a seat on one of the porch chairs, taking a moment to settle her skirts and her thoughts. Her internal impatience wouldn't allow Calliope to protest that he was, in fact, being slightly forward when he brought up the question of it, and however she might want to play 'hard-to-get', she could not deny that she didn't mind the attention. But to what did he owe this attention?
"On the contrary," She began as straightforwardly as he, "You may do as you please and I shall not think the worse of you, I'm sure." It was uttered mildly, fundamentally suggesting that she was not offended in the least by his visit, but also faintly that Calliope had no inclination to follow social customs to the letter if there was a chance there was a faster, better route to get what she wanted. In any case - or in the case of men in general, as a rule - any phrase in the form of flattery couldn't hurt.

Unfortunately, the first topic of conversation Daniel steered them to was of her parents. Calliope had a hard time refraining from rolling her eyes, and as she moved to smile her lips pursed slightly at the very thought that though they were still situated indoors, she couldn't escape her parents so easily. Not that it mattered; perhaps he was trying to squeeze in a faux-compliment or two to her family before he announced that the courtship would progress no further. Calliope did feel the hint of insecurity, though why she always felt so inherently suspicious, she didn't know. "How pleasant of you to say so," She returned, her own tone wry. "I suppose you meet a lot of charming people?" The inquiry was subtle enough to not demand an answer outright, but what Calliope had was an interest in this man, what he did, who he was, why he was here, and any small detail she could glean about Mr. Riley might prove somewhat informative, if not useful.

[Daniel Riley]

Daniel followed after her as she took a seat, but remained standing himself, at least for the moment. He ended up leaning against the railing of the porch, facing her and with his back to the open air of the street. He caught the look in her eyes when he mentioned her parents and couldn't help but smile--he had felt that way about his parents plenty of times, especially his mother with her abysmal magical abilities.

"Indeed, I do," he answered with a smirk, "Though I would hardly say that all or even most of them are charming--I work in the Ministry, as the Head of the Department of International Cooperation, which means my work mostly involves foreign policy, and, necessarily, many foreigners. Some with much more dignity than others," he joked. This was a useful conversation for him; the job was impressive enough even if she knew nothing about his work, by virtue of its long and imposing title, and though it was easy to make light humor of the people he worked with it was also grand in a way to be on such casual terms with dignitaries from around the world.

"The Dutch, by and large, are the most charming people I have ever met; the occasional dignitary from Australia or the Americas tend to be rather brutish, as I'm sure you can imagine. I believe that the least charming people I have ever met, though, were the French ambassador's wife and daughter," he said with a slight chuckle. "You don't have any French ancestory, do you?" With a name like Browne, it was unlikely, but it couldn't hurt to check. Not that it would matter; ethnic stereotypes were just fine for humor and charm, but by and large they were completely unfounded.

Hopefully she appreciated his brand of humor; if she wasn't the joking sort this conversation would probably die where it stood in a manner of moments, and then he would have to struggle to regain his ground. So far, though, he thought things were going along pretty well; he had complimented her, she had accepted it, he'd paid the necessary respects to her parents, they'd moved on. Everything on par for the course. "I am rather curious to hear more about you, Miss Browne," he confessed; "I know very little aside from what we discussed at our last meeting, and aside from sharing an alma matter in Slytherin I'm afraid I have very little idea what we have in common." Only partially true; something in him told him that they had much more in common than that, but he needed it confirmed before he could possibly act on anything.

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

The words International Cooperation undeniably sparked her interest, more than any old title might've. Head of a Department was partly the cause of the smile that tinged the corners of her lips, but anything with 'international' in the phrase sounded far more impressive than 'Misuse of Muggle Artifacts', for instance. 'Working at the Ministry' could have meant being one of the Magical Maintenance employees at the very base of the pyramid, for all she knew. Calliope listened interestedly to what he had to say of the foreigners, her simper falling into a subtler smile as she solemnly wished for a second that she was more aware of foreign nations. When he questioned her of French ancestry, she replied with a disparaging laugh, "I should certainly hope not!" In her opinion, the French were only good for fashion, though it seemed the general British view that the French had always been their main competitors. Regardless, she felt there was no problem in discrediting France a little, and found herself readily amused.

"Well, though I know little about foreign policy," Her smile was now apologetic though of course no one would expect her to; "Your profession sounds most intriguing, sir... I'm sure we have plenty in common," Calliope replied, trying for sincerity, and failing that, going for a slight batting of the lashes to try and accentuate such a fact - though she had no clue at all whether it was true. She paused for a moment, trying to pinpoint such an example of that. It was difficult - she didn't know him that well, and there were only a few things she could assume, and clearly the similarity in question would have to be positive unless she really wanted to dampen the atmosphere that had not yet been blemished. "I suppose one could say that sharing a foundation in Slytherin suggests a similarity in several traits - the strongest ones of any House, one could argue - but also that some of your values may be my own. Personally, I place a lot of importance in seizing every opportunity that comes my way, and making the most of what I possess." She spoke innocently enough and rounded off with a sweet smile, though her gaze was direct. "But please, I am also eager to hear anything else you might choose to impart about yourself..." She added attentively, wondering whether perhaps it was safer to listen than talk to convey good impressions.

After a while, she came up with another topic, in case discussion was lacking or too overtly personal by then. "Do you read the Daily Prophet, Mr. Riley?" If it was going out on a limb, it was not a particularly foolish risk - who in Hogsmeade didn't read the papers? Calliope might not have elaborated to say she didn't read it religiously - never cover to cover, she glosssed over everything that didn't pique her interest - but she did like to keep up with more than just the gossip. If he didn't read the Prophet, she'd be truly disappointed; she would expect any gentleman to have knowledge of current affairs. The problem was, she wasn't so sure that he'd have memorised Ventus' gossip column quite so devotedly as she. So she conjured up the best article to her mind that was close enough to important news to remark upon, her fingers crossed that he would have something to say. "I was surprised to hear that our Minister is marrying. Rather young for it, isn't he? And to a girl no one knows..." Well, it seemed odd to her. Miss Whitlock wasn't even sixteen yet, and she was going to hold such a powerful position as Potter's wife? It didn't even seem an extraordinarily strategic match. And Calliope didn't ever like to be surprised by something she had not anticipated.

[Daniel Riley]

Daniel laughed along with her when she clarified that she had no connection to France; even if he tended to dislike the people he couldn't deny that in Britain at least, they were always useful as the butt of a good joke. He had found that being only passingly loyal to different countries served him well in International Relations; as long as the jokes were not necessarily vicious or ill-intentioned, it helped to be able to mock the national rival of whichever Ambassador was currently visiting a little.

Daniel nodded as he listened to her discourse on Slytherin, a small smirk fixed on his face. The things she mentioned did sound accurate--namely, seizing every opportunity, which Daniel had never failed to do (he even on occaasion created opportunities, but that was besides the point).

"I do, indeed," he answered to her question regarding the Prophet, for a moment wondering if the conversation would turn to his brother James, who had so lately been its subject. Idiot James. It was with great relief that he heard her turn the conversation over to the Minister's recent marriage, even if he didn't find the subject as fascinating as his sisters did. "Mr. Potter is, in my opinion, quite young to begin a family, but I suppose if the custom is to establish oneself in terms of career before seeking a wife, he has no doubt proven his capabilities in that area. One can only hope, for his sake, that he is reelected. It would be quite a shock for him to return to being a Ministry intern, as he was before the election," Daniel said with a smug smile; it was mostly a joke, but a certain glint in his eye said that he might secretly enjoy the possibility of the Minister being brought so low. Not that he had anything against him personally, per se, except that he was far too young to hold such power.

"I expect some of Mr. Potter's eagerness to marry comes from a desire for good press," he said conspiratorially. "Although I know that some of the female gender--my dear sisters being among them--shudder to think of marriage as anything but an entirely romantic ordeal, even when faced with direct evidence to the contrary. I have found that men rarely hold such delusions. I trust you do not see yourself as a hopeless romantic, Miss Browne?"

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

She studied him more closely for a moment or two before he started with a reply. Gazing up casually from her seated position, she began to evaluate his features, almost critically. She might have passed the occasional more attractive man on a stroll in Hogsmeade, but she imagined in his younger years he might have been handsome enough. The years may have weathered his features a little, but he'd retained enough charm for Calliope to come to a acceptable enough conclusion. Enough: a vain, shallow creature she might be, but she certainly had more important criteria than that, that she was adamant about finding. Still, his immaculate state of dress more than made up for any commonness of features, and she couldn't help but see he might be an impressive, imposing figure if he felt so inclined. However, at present that small smirk still lit his face, and Calliope carefully mirrored it with a subtle smile of her own.

She'd made a connection between Daniel Riley here and the James Riley often referred to in the papers as the word Prophet had left her lips, but it would have been cruel of her to comment. She'd considered it, certainly, just to see what he would have to say about it, but she didn't feel that tactless or interrogative. And she wouldn't go so far to assume anything about what kind of relationship Mr. Riley had with his siblings, but she knew she would loathe to be judged on the behaviour of her own siblings - most of whom, frankly, Calliope found nothing more than irritating. Instead, she listened to her company's opinion on the Minister's marriage; and one could say, a hint of his overall opinion of the young man. She deduced that many had been shocked by a mere boy's election when it had come about, and she personally still thought it was a little ludicrous for someone so inexperienced to have so much control; though for the most part politics wasn't something she was supposed to have much interest in. "Oh yes, that would certainly be an abrupt - and unfortunate - defeat." She agreed, though her tone might have slightly suggested a certain dispassion; she could care less for the Minister's fortune.

The topic turned from well-known marriage to the idea of marriage in general, and then, her personal feelings toward it. Well... if Calliope had been a rabbit, she would have been totally alert, her ears pricked up and her nose atwitch. As it was, she just shifted a milimetre in her seat and kept her expression as calm and composed as ever. Marriage a romantic ordeal? Calliope was fully aware it wasn't; or at least, the marriage she was after wouldn't necessarily be, but even if she had thought such a thing, she had a slight suspicion that there was much riding on this answer. To dismiss herself as a hopeless romantic could be the entirely wrong move, and perhaps the courtship would be immediately dropped on the basis that - though their few meetings had been pleasant - they were by no means in love... and that just wouldn't do. She had no desire for love unless it proved the means to an end to a fulfilling life in the upper class, and she conveyed this indirectly enough without seeming too scathing, "In short... no. Not at all." She answered, smile sharp and strong on her face. "I suppose I rather envy a man's clarity of mind, then - I would hate to think myself delusional. Of course, in striving to be truly pragmatic, one must realise there is just no place for idealism of such kind." Her tone was rather firm on the matter, though while she waited to see if her response had been satisfactory, she began to wonder about Daniel Riley's past marriage - she only really knew his wife had died - and if that, too, had been wholly a match of convenience and practicality.

[Daniel Riley]

Daniel smiled. That was the correct answer, of course, and he was liking this girl more and more with every thing she said, though of course he would need to get to know her much more than just a few conversations' worth to be sure that she was really suited for marriage. His standards for his second wife were, perhaps, even higher than his first, knowing his two daughters as he did and needing to take care of them, not just find a woman who was of proper age to bear children. Of course, that would also be required, as he had no sons as of yet and he would be damned if any child of James' would inherit the Riley estate.

"Give yourself a bit of credit, Miss Browne," he said teasingly. "I would hardly call you delusional. As you said, you have a very pragmatic outlook on life, which it really the only reasonable outlook to have," he said with an approving smile. "Especially for a man in my position. You have heard, of course, of my two darling daughters; it would be unjust to them if they were required to wait until I was stricken by love for a strong maternal influence. They have their nurse, of course, but hired help can only do so much. You understand."

Moving to take a seat next to her, he said with a good-natured smile, "But I fear I have been talking far too much about myself; aside from a bit of your family and the fact that we share an alma matter in Slytherin, I'm afraid I hardly know you. Of course, I know your opinions on a few things, which can be just as indicative, I've found, as facts and histories. But please, tell me more about yourself."

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

She smiled too - perhaps the least conscious smile so far - when he countered her question of being delusional teasingly. Upon her nod in agreement of the rationality of a pragmatic outlook, she couldn't even help a small chuckle. That may be true, but half the people - or more than half, and all the girls - she met seemed more delusional than she could imagine, and she spent many a moment wondering what was wrong with all these people.

She felt a conversation about children coming on, and worked hard to retain the smile. That she accomplished well, for though it softened she looked as enchanted by the topic as ever. "Oh yes, of course," She replied - earnestly - deciding then and there that she was willing to fake some sort of affinity for children, whether or not - the latter being entirely more likely - that became clear in fruition. If she even managed to bag this particular husband, she'd pretend to try for a while with the girls. Maybe even genuinely try, if she was fully appeased by the perks of such a marriage. Calliope was already thinking of what could be achieved with a higher status and full purse. But Daniel was still on the track of a 'strong maternal influence', pointing out that a nurse had her limitations. "And I am sure that any woman would be well-disposed to change that, and certainly keen to spend some time with the girls," Of course Calliope wasn't sure whether she'd include herself, but it was a nice thought, "Who sound like perfect angels, of course." She smiled, sure that they weren't.

She shifted slightly when he sat down, just in order to be able to turn her head towards him if she felt inclined, wondering how to field the question about herself. "Well, I have always enjoyed music," She began, and she had. "Playing the piano or singing, I adore them both... I have always wanted to try my hand at the harp," But that was one thing her parents had flat-out refused to buy her. "Otherwise, I embroider, walk, read... Being at home, I do also find myself having a hand in the care of my siblings; five younger ones, all coming back for the summer eventually," She explained, "And little Pruedence is only seven." And quite a handful. And had been kidnapped by a goblin once. Somehow, Calliope thought better of mentioning that.

[Daniel Riley]

Daniel merely nodded at her reference to the girls--it was the expected thing to say, the thing everyone said, whether they had met the girls or not. Of course, Daniel was a doting father and thought they were perfect angels, and it always dug into his heart a little bit when others acknowledged this belief--so it hadn't done her any harm to mention it--but he was also well aware that most people who complimented his children were doing so because it was the polite and respectable thing to do.

He wholeheartedly approved of everything she mentioned about herself; music, embroidery, reading--all perfectly respectable, perfectly ladylike pasttimes. The sorts of things he wanted the girls to be able to do flawlessly, which meant that at the very least, even if not particularly maternal, Calliope would be a good role model. It was easy, though, to find someone with all the right skills, so to speak; what was harder was to find a woman who was also capable of having opinions, and of supporting him, but their conversation about politics, however brief, seemed to indicate that Miss Browne fit into this category, as well.

"It's a shame you haven't been able to pursue the harp," he said with a slight smile. "Harp music is always so enjoyable--and much more unique than the piano, I feel, though I find the piano rather an indespensible skill for most modern women. It seems at every gathering, the ladies are rallying together for duets and sing-alongs at the nearest piano," he joked lightly.

Taking a second, he mused thoughtfully, "Five younger siblings--it's quite a wonder you have time for anything else! I had only three younger, and all much younger. I can't imagine having such a variety of siblings. Do you enjoy it?"

I love Calliope. <3

[CALLIOPE BROWNE]

She felt at ease enough with her answers and his responses to spear a guess at them being the right ones in this situation. And she wasn't even finding it too taxing - she hadn't needed to lie quite so much as she'd expected - and, of course, it was always a bonus when she was allowed to think for herself without being peered at, irritated or interrupted by any of her family. Her mother might have been an encouraging figure, but even her presence would make Calliope feel as though she were a mere child still. This brief autonomy - the most a woman ever seemed entitled to get - was interesting. And yet, she still had to model herself as the perfect, demure young woman; that was the entire point.

"Yes, I think so..." Calliope agreed, sighing her agreement about not having the chance to learn the harp being a shame in sincere disappointment, before she could dream up a less affected answer. She could be so good at the harp. And what an impression it might make! But no. She might have been at risk of sounding petty or frivolous, but she hadn't yet come to terms with being refused one of her desires. Her faraway scowl became a light smirk again a minute later. "Quite right - I don't know what any girl would do without a scrap of musical tendency... and I just can't conceive how the men cope without a sing-along every night," She joked, simpering out a laugh. As if women couldn't think of anything more interesting to discuss. Still, Calliope took these impromptu performances as a sort of competition amongst herself and the other girls. And, at the very least, one could resort to socialising through music if the company was too tedious to talk to.

"Well, your siblings must all still look up to you, Mr. Riley," She remarked, privately wishing she had fewer siblings to share the household with. A confidential sort of gleam in her eyes, she replied, "Enjoy it? Having such an assortment is... interesting. Makes for a lively household, I suppose. They're all kind at heart and usually well-behaved, but I do wish my younger sisters had something more in common with me. I would hate to see-" At that point, her opinions were cut off by her own accord, having heard footsteps inside, nearing the front door. Best not to finish her speech how she had intended if a sibling or her mother was listening. No, definitely not. Daniel Riley could find out just what her family was like if he stuck around long enough.

Sorry for the wait, again - feel free to post again to round it up or we can leave the thread here, I don't mind!

[Daniel Riley]

tag: Calliope

Let's wrap this

Eager for action and hot for the game
The coming attraction, the drop of a name
They knew all the right people, took all the right pills
They threw outrageous parties, they paid heavenly bills

Life in the fast lane

Daniel laughed along at her joke regarding the necessity of sing-alongs. True, he didn't really see much of a point to them except for fathers to show off their eligible daughters, and for the eligible men who were interested in them to pretend to fall in love with their voices. For someone like Daniel, who had little time or patience for romance, they were merely background noise to his political and social forrays. So yes, what would men do without them?

He mused at the idea of his siblings looking up to him. If that was his role to play, he'd played it well; he had a high quality and well-paying job in the Ministry, a large house, two adoring daughters. They should look up to him. Somehow, though, he felt this was probably the furthest thing from James' mind, and it seemed less practical for the girls. If anything, Rebecca should look up to Rachel, who had done fairly well for herself, but if her continuted attempts to put off her wedding were any sign, she wasn't really following Rachel's lead.

He was quite interested in hearing about her siblings, actually; hearing what she thought of her family would provide some further insight into her character, and to that of his potential future in-laws. They were cut off, though, by the arrival of her mother, who invited them in for a bit of tea before retiring for the night, which Daniel recognized as a signal to him that the night had gone on long enough for the parent's taste. They were still in the early stages of courtship, after all, and couldn't be allowed too much time together. Daniel accepted the invitation and offered Calliope his arm to go inside, giving her a sly smile as he did so. "You have a positively enchanting daughter, Mrs. Browne. I fear I had quite lost track of time."

thanks!