Miss Quinn

183 ~ Truth or Drink

After the third song had ended, Cadmus pulled her off the floor. She was grateful for his arm to lean on, because she'd gotten a bit dizzy with all the twirling. And also probably the alcohol that had finally worked its way into her brain. They sat at table 6, which was more out of the way, and he offered her a chunk of bread. She nibbled on it while she looked around for her family members and friends.

"Where did Orion go?" she asked when she realized she couldn't find him or the boy he'd been talking to.

Cadmus smirked. "Off to the hedge maze, probably."

"Hm."

Her suspicions were confirmed when she spotted them emerging from it minutes later, looking a bit more disheveled than they'd been before going in. They headed back towards the pavilion with a bit of a distance between them, and sat wordlessly at table 6 once more.

"Welcome back," said Cadmus, and he reached over to pluck a twig from his brother's hair.

"I'm Emma," Emma said to the boy.

"Phillippe Duval," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a smile, then she fixed her gaze on the boy next to him. "Hello, again, Orion."

"Hello, Emma," said Orion, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Did my brother make you dance with him?"

"I didn't make her," exclaimed Cadmus.

She leaned across him. "Oh, yes he did. It was traumatizing."

Cadmus looked at her. "I am offended."

"Good," said Emma, leaning back in her chair. She knocked her knee against his under the table, and he knocked hers back. When she moved to retaliate, he grabbed her knee with his hand, and she forgot how to breathe. "How was the hedge maze?" she asked, just to say something.

Both boys turned red, then did a series of glances between her, each other, and Cadmus.

"Uh," said Orion, "It was... nice."

"Yes, quite nice," agreed Phillippe.

Cadmus studied her with a serious expression, as if trying to figure out how much she'd put together.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

All three of them visibly relaxed. And Emma thought she saw Orion squeeze Phillippe's hand under the table, before he returned both of his arms to his own lap.

Over the noise of the music and other guests, Emma thought she heard her name being called. She looked over and spotted Josephine making her way through the sea of tables and chairs towards them. Emma was on her feet in a flash, and hurried to give her cousin a hug.

"Josie! Hi! You look amazing!"

Josephine giggled. "Oh, merci. You look beautiful too! I saw you dancing." She looked over Emma's shoulder. "Hi, Cadmus, Orion, Phillippe."

"Hello, Josephine," they chorused.

Josephine grabbed Emma's hand and whispered intently, "Are you and Cadmus together?"

Emma stammered. "Oh, er, no? I mean, nothing has been said."

Josephine grinned. "Oh, we are making this happen."

"No, Josie --"

But Josephine had already turned back to the boys. "Do you all want to go inside? Alec and I were thinking of starting our own party in the house."

The boys exchanged glances and then, to Emma's dismay, agreed.

"Magnifique! I shall collect Alec, Venus, and George and meet you all in the parlor." Then she flounced off, back into the crowd. Emma watched her go, wondering what in the gods' names her cousin was concocting.