Duel of Fools

By the time I had got to work I found everyone gossiping in the front reception area about how Nadia Voss was finally sent packing by Chantal now that she was pregnant and no longer under Tony’s protection. Taryn called up calling Caspar lamenting that Braith refused to even mention Nadia’s name and would not go see her to “make arrangements” I guess this means she doesn’t want Nadia to have the baby and is looking for a way out for Braith.

After Nadia’s big announcement and his meeting with Jazz, Braith was not seen about town much. Tiah called me at work to sprackle about how good it was Braith and Jazz had broken up for she really hated Jazz but how awful it was he had done something even worse, he had been with that singer. I let her rave on without telling her that her mother was probably having the exact same conversation with a very bored Caspar at that very moment. After releasing all her vitriol about Nadia she started on seeing me having a coffee with Zizi and Jazz saying I was not a true friend for abandoning her in her hour of need. Instead of pointing out that none of this really was about her or her life, only that she chose to make this negative, I told Tiah I had to go as a client came in. This was not exactly a lie and I hung up quickly when I spied Liselle Dubois drifting in.

Every time I saw Liselle she only had dire warnings to offer me so I was wary of any time spent alone with her. I looked around for Claudia or Simon but everyone, even Caspar prudently dropped out of sight leaving me to whatever onslaught this Dubois had in store for me. Liselle floated in and proceeded to look around without bothering to say anything and for a foolish minute I thought maybe she was waiting for Caspar. I was just about to go fetch him when she started a conversation and I don’t know if it’s just a knack of the family or a tactic to make you panic but they never approach anything straight on, they drift about sideways and then when you think they are doing nothing they come in for the kill.

Liselle turned her frozen green eyes onto me saying that Gervais was quite worried with the company I had been keeping lately and I was so relieved that I almost smiled, which of course would have been suicide considering who I was facing. I had been having innocent lunches with Simon which had made Gervais angry, it was so nice to piss off Gervais and I was going to enjoy this moment for as long as I could as it was my only revenge for what he had done to me. I gave Liselle what I hoped was an equally cold gaze and told her that if I chose to eat my lunch with a colleague it was my own business and Gervais should perhaps tend to his own affairs and leave mine to me. Liselle smiled the smile that she did only with her lips while the rest of her remained completely detached. She told me that if I were wise I would not flaunt my challenge to Gervais as overtly as he was a far more formidable foe than I could possibly understand.

I had no illusions about how formidable Gervais was, I just was not about to let any fizzing Dubois know it. I told her that Gervais was to leave me alone, I stuck to our deal and he can stick to his. I watched her shift her feet and I realised here she was expressing an almost emotion again, it was amazing the effect my war with Gervais had upon her and I could see she was not pleased I would not do exactly what Gervais wanted. I could not work out if she was protecting herself or me but I was not going to chase this up any further and I looked the second most dangerous person in this town straight in the eyes and told her that I was fed up with the entire Dubois family interfering in my life. Gervais has got about as much as he will get from me and from here on I will do whatever I please, whenever I please and with whomever I please and Gervais can go hang himself.

Caspar chose that moment to come wandering out of his office and Liselle switched instantly back into aloof socialite. I watched her and Caspar leave and I wondered why she was always having these strange conversations that went nowhere with me for if she cared about me then she could rein in Gervais, everyone knows that she can control him. If she didn’t care then why would she bother with all this annoying half warnings which only made me more defiant for now I had surely cooked my goose, I had thrown down the gauntlet when I was an unarmed opponent and Gervais was going to demolish me.

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