Grand Reopening [Baccarrat Mansion]

[Helena]

Though she’d rather he’d not offered, Helena did take Eliot’s arm. It gratified her, at least, to be led beyond the gold chain denoting the area off limits to regular guests. She did not look back for Natalie’s reaction, knowing the woman would be fine. Likely she would not even be offended. It seemed to take a lot to rile her, which was in part why Helena had been sure she could get away with commandeering the Baccarat heir alone.

For a while she allowed Eliot to describe and explain the pieces revealed. Helena was attentive enough, knowing others – and usually men in particular – enjoyed being allowed to speak, especially about things important to them. But her thoughts moved away from the beautiful crystal to the man himself. His sickly appearance was a curiosity in itself, but it was leverage she was thinking about. She wondered what her gift would unfurl, and what aid she might be able to offer, should it transpire Eliot had something she wanted in return. Though she was estranged from them, one thing the Di Inferi knew was how to forge beneficial links and alliances.

“The newsfeeds never quite said what caused the fire,” she interjected after a time. “And I have heard an interesting rumour from a woman who claimed to be here when it happened.” They had paused by one the plinths, and Helena judged he had been finished revealing the enthroned object’s history before she spoke. She looked for his reaction.