Iole Bonati's page

"You might as well," Baron Bonati commented with a wave of his hand, "that locust plague a couple months ago flooded the Outer Quarter with displaced riff-raff. They've been nothing but trouble."

From the back of the room, a issued a snipe comment, "Better a half-breed than a half-wit, I say."

As all eyes turned, Baron Bonati ran the back of his finger along his pretty wife's cheek.

"Besides, I rather prefer the company of those who might be half-bred," he turned his head, dark eyes pin-pointing Poe, "rather than those who lack any breeding to begin with."

Like a cat that knew it was bested for the moment, Iole licked his teeth, lip curling as he attempted a smile, "Yes, I suppose friendliness does have its place. Lady Ourson, Rinaldo..."

With a nod of his head and a murderous glare at Amhranai, the arrogant young baron stormed off, knocking several glasses of wine from a servant's tray as he snatched up a glass for himself, only to drain it in a single gulp and hurl it into the gardens.

Lord Bonati smirked as Lady Ourson withdrew her hand, remarking in a gravely voice, "Well, a man can dream, can't– Huuh?"

The man nearly stumbled as he was spun about by the irate woman behind him, nearby a hush fell throughout the garden at the sudden gesture. With a look of annoyance on his face, he brushed Amhranai's hand aside, lifting his hat to smooth his hair out of his face before reseating it.

Taking stock of the woman before him, he raised a dark eyebrow and said, "You have the better of me, I don't believe I've ever met such an unattractive woman before. Should I know you?"

Lord Bonati did his best to put on a charming smirk and bowed to Lureene seemingly ignoring Lady Elendreth. He extended one hand to her as if to invite her to dance. "Now then, you were saying something about being examined with a magnifying glass?"

"We wouldn't want to return Lady Ourson's politeness with prattle fit for the sewing circle. Be a dear and see where we are to be seated, won't you?"

"A fellow might think he's died and gone to Heaven to be surrounded by such beauty!" A gravely voice interrupted Gelik's storytelling, and Lureene, Sasha, Elendreth, and Poe turned to see a human gentleman with a reddish-blonde ponytail bowing to greet the ladies. "The name is Bonati, Iole Bonati, and the pleasure is mine."

While his suit was of fine make, the odor of liquor and tobacco was strong on his breath. Even Lureene noted the lint or animal dander that clung to the fabric.

Following quietly a few feet behind him was a pretty young half-elven woman with long, dark brown hair. She wore a long, flowing green dress that was clasped at one shoulder by a large brooch as was often typical of Malatestan style. Compared to most of the women Lureene had seen in attendance, she was not quite as poised and her green eyes darted about nervously avoiding eye-contact. Yet what struck the succubus most was that in spite of her perfect complexion, she seemed to be wearing an over-abundance of foundation and tried to keep her left cheek concealed by the fan she carried.

As the nobleman recovered from his bow, he sniffed as if suddenly remembering something and turned suddenly to the woman following him. "How rude of me, milady angel, this is my lovely wife, Melianna."

While Lureene was once again finding herself in an awkward situation, and Amhranai was doing her best to remain unseen, Isaac found himself welcoming yet another guest.

"Ah, well if it isn't the man of the hour!" A man with a long nose, crooked from having once been broken, staggered slightly as he brushed aside the hand extended to him by one of the valets. The smell of liquor and tobacco was evident even from several feet away, and several tendrils of unkempt reddish-blonde hair had escaped his ponytail. Black eyebrows stood in sharp contrast with a pale, partially sun-burned face, and there were traces of animal hair on the dark fabric of his suit perhaps from horseback riding.

"Oh yes, Mel..." he exclaimed, clapping Isaac on the shoulder, "do be a good man and help my wife down. Wouldn't want her turning an ankle and taking another tumble now would we?"