As she turned the question of ability back onto him, Enzo couldn't help but smile. It was only fair, and he did not begrudge her the point in the least. His shoulders shook slightly with mirth as he nodded his head in concession to the point. As she continued, laying out further terms, he again nodded as he could not conceive of being so cruel as to jeopardize her life or well being. But, just as he had reason to push the point of an heir, the truth of the world gave her reason enough to push the point of her own safety.
She was, in every way, entirely reasonable. And that intrigued him, if nothing else. But, it was just all so sudden. The suspicious part of his mind -on guard since his House's fall from grace- would not be still. He did not know this woman. A scheme like this, if it backfired, would harm him more than it harmed her. And what if some ulterior motive lurked beneath the surface? He could not afford to ignore these possibilities.
So, standing just a moment after she did, Enzo did not immediately take her hand. Instead, he lifted his glass from the table, tilting it toward her then took a small sip. "You have given me a great deal to consider, Miss. Icarius." he said, nodding his head and allowing his eyes to divert for a few moments into the middle distance. "You've had your time to decide on it. I would ask that you permit me the same consideration. Respecting that it is a pressing subject, I will have an answer to you by, say... tomorrow evening?" He held his own hand out then, not taking hers, but rather as a counter offer. "Discretely, of course."
@Isabeau Icarius
She was, in every way, entirely reasonable. And that intrigued him, if nothing else. But, it was just all so sudden. The suspicious part of his mind -on guard since his House's fall from grace- would not be still. He did not know this woman. A scheme like this, if it backfired, would harm him more than it harmed her. And what if some ulterior motive lurked beneath the surface? He could not afford to ignore these possibilities.
So, standing just a moment after she did, Enzo did not immediately take her hand. Instead, he lifted his glass from the table, tilting it toward her then took a small sip. "You have given me a great deal to consider, Miss. Icarius." he said, nodding his head and allowing his eyes to divert for a few moments into the middle distance. "You've had your time to decide on it. I would ask that you permit me the same consideration. Respecting that it is a pressing subject, I will have an answer to you by, say... tomorrow evening?" He held his own hand out then, not taking hers, but rather as a counter offer. "Discretely, of course."
@Isabeau Icarius
02-26-2025, 08:15 PM
