Oh love is a pawnbroker making a steal
You'll trade in your assets for something to feel

30th August, 1888 — The Destiny Hotel, Aphrodite Soiree

It seemed the perfect event to make a splash back into British society, after all the grey inconvenience of the fog. He had been able to do some business from London in the meantime, of course, but if there hadn't been people - including a certain, recently married sister in law - with whom he was inclined to renew an acquaintance, he might have moved on to Amsterdam again by now.

As the fog had drifted off before he had, however, Max was now perfectly inclined to stay a while. It was almost a shame he hadn't been staying at a suite at this hotel, he considered belatedly, for that would have been a clear advertisement that he had a fortune to burn - but no matter. Word would spread eventually. It always did, when money was involved.

In the meantime, Max was in one of his most agreeable moods, delighted to bathe, entirely un-self-conscious, in the knowledge that he was one of the few unfamiliar faces in the room. It wasn't much of a chore to play up being the charming foreign stranger when you were a charming foreign stranger. After all, he had wooed an English girl without trouble before; he'd had practice. (Hopefully this time he would be discerning enough to find someone better than Nicky - although, given how she'd turned out, she couldn't be hard to outdo.)

"Maximiliaan De Vries," he introduced to his current company with a polite bow of his head, after they had exchanged a few precursory remarks on the evening during cocktails. "I do hope you'll forgive me my English," Max added with a smile, though besides the permanent inflection of his Dutch accent, he had grasped the language excellently long ago. "It has been a while since I've had the pleasure of being back."

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Louisa Lupin was not really one to buy into the whole premise of a true matchmaker being in the world. She'd also long ago forgone the notion of finding true love. But, thanks to the fog, the season had been quite dismal so she'd figured they couldn't be all that picky about what events they would attend. Her mother, luckily, had agreed especially due to the location of the event. It was doubtful anyone unworthy would really be in attendance. It hadn't stopped them from dressing with particular care and making a point to be some of the finest specimen of ladies available for the evening.

The two Lupin women certainly cut a rather impressive sight standing next to one another, no doubt a mother and daughter duo, Mrs. Lupin in a rather beautiful dress of a burgundy silk and Louisa in an equally elegant and beautiful dress of a light sage green.. If anything, it was good for Louisa to stand next to her mother. They looked very much alike, allowing the gentlemen in attendance to get a glimpse of the distinguished beauty she would surely become in time.

Standing with a small group and enjoying a glass of champagne, Louise's clear blue eyes widened just slightly and brightened at the evident accent of the gentleman introducing himself. She'd heard whispers of a Dutchman being in attendance but had hardly expected she'd be so lucky to get a chance to greet him at the start. "No apologies necessary, sir," she replied kindly, quite liking the sound of his accent, before adding, "Miss Louisa Lupin. Have you been in London long?"

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Lovely Lady Set!

The conversation in this group was already splintering off into different fractions of small-talk. It was the daughter whose attention he had seemed to capture most, so Max angled his gaze more purposely towards her as she introduced herself. A Miss, then; good. The name Lupin almost rang a vague bell, which Max presumed was also a good sign. The evident interest in her eyes - most promising of all.

“Enchanted, Miss Lupin,” he murmured after her introduction, eyeing her discreetly. She was young - but not so much that she was lacking poise - and light-eyed and refined and polite. (Dark-haired, like Nicky.) “I arrived about a month ago,” he explained, with a wry smile. “Fortunately, business kept me in London and not up in the fog. I hope you have not spent your summer caught up in it?” It would be a shame for a young debutante, he suspected, not to be able to fulfil her purpose of being seen.

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Mr. De Vries was certainly a good deal older than she was and if she dared to hazard a guess, older than her brothers as well. He, however, pulled it off rather well. He was quite distinguished and still very handsome. It was his accent, however, that had her beyond interested. It alluded to possibility of travel and adventure. That is, if he took a wife along for such things. Some men preferred not to. There was still plenty to be gathered from this man though to see if he'd be a good potential for her.

"No, we were quite luckily," she answered, "The family estate resides in Aberdeen so we were far from it. We chose to let a house of the season in London this year, too. We usually do so in Hogsmeade but it seems as if the fates were on our side when we decided to try out London for the season. Though, there really hasn't been much of one because of the fog." It had been a bit of an awful disappointment. Not that she was an overly anxious sort of debutante that pined away for the events of the season. She did enjoy them all, but she could do without if she really had to.

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Lovely Lady Set!

He offered an encouraging nod to hear that her family's fate had not been too troubled by the fog - and, indeed, that her family was the sort not to hole away on their own estate as though it were a hermitage. Although - Aberdeen was up in Scotland, no? In all he had seen of Scottish weather and British "culture", Max supposed he was most greatly surprised that anyone wanted to live there at all.

But he would not hold that against this young lady. He took a draught of his drink (gin, though not Dutch) as he composed his next reply, looking for words that could be both casual and charming. "A pity we did not meet sooner, then," he declared, raising his eyebrows briefly; "it would have been nice, no doubt, to balance all the business with some pleasure." He had had some company through his business affairs, of course, and there was always his sister's circles, so he could not say he had been suffering. But he had not been able to find a wife among them, and there was something to be said for casting a wider net to catch a bigger fish.

"But I am sure," he added, courteously curious - and interested to hear her answer, that he might glean a little of her character - "in the absence of a season, you still found some pursuit that was worthy of your time?" Or she had merely sat about and moped on a fainting-couch, but some women were resourceful creatures, after all. (Some were too resourceful, perhaps.)

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Louisa sipped on her own glass of champagne after she'd finished speaking. There wasn't much left and, truthfully, she longed for something with a bit more of a bite. Leon had a habit of having good rum whenever he was around and she remembered often attempting to take a sip of it whenever she could. As such, she'd grown quite the palate for it. If only it was considered a respectable drink for a young lady.

Her lips quirked into a bit of a smirk at his remark of balancing business with pleasure. It was a bit of a bold thing to say to a young lady but she was far from one that would titter and blush about such a thing. If anything, she appreciated the more bold and forward types. She was one to follow propriety standards but she always enjoyed a bit of a daring challenge. "Certainly quite the pity," she answered simply as she finished the remainder of her champagne.

She was curious in regards to what his business was but the converesation was being directed elsewhere and she could hardly be rude by not responding to his question. "I wish I could tell you that was the case," she admitted honestly, "But it's been rather uneventful on the event front. Until now, of course. This little soiree is the highlight of my summer so far."

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Lovely Lady Set!

She had not been particularly forthcoming, in her answers, and Max didn't know that he could trust her summer had been quite as uneventful as she made out - who knew what young ladies did in their free time these days - but she also did not seem too fainting a flower, did not seem to wilt in panic at a conversation with a stranger. So: Miss Lupin could play cool and collected and coy, that much was clear.

And she agreed it was a pity. Max mirrored her smirk.

"Well, let us hope this evening lives up to your expectations," he returned artfully, still sizing her up to see what he could glean. Either she had high hopes for finding herself a match, aligned in the stars and picked out for her particularly; or she merely appreciated a grand social event, enjoyed showing herself off, found her home in places like these. (He needed that. He needed someone that could be uprooted, someone who could adapt.) "I would suggest a toast to it -" he added, with a smile, already beckoning at a nearby waiter, "but it looks, Miss Lupin, like you may need another drink?" He raised his eyebrows, silently inquiring, lest she protest.

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Louisa found she quite liked his own bit of a smirk. He was easily playing along but showed some interest in the very least. It was always a bonus when a man showed interest. She was actually surprised her mother had yet to really interject but Mrs. Lupin was quite focused on her own bit of conversation. The slight look to her was just enough of one to gauge just how much she could get away with in the setting. She's wasn't really one to entirely flout propriety but she didn't mind pushing the bounds from time to time. She'd done that enough in her early years as a debutante, after all, and it had all been rather boring as a result.

"It is already well on it's way," she responded in regards to exceeding expectations, giving him a look with a slightly raised brow. She could be a little bold herself, obviously, but she was so enjoying the bit of game.

"Another would be lovely," she added, happy to accept another drink. She knew too many more wouldn't be allowed but it was the cocktail hour. She could hardly be without a drink for the remainder of it. With another glass in her hands, she carefully raised it to toast with Mr. De Vries. "To exceeding expectations," she said, smirk back in place as the toast was made.

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Lovely Lady Set!

Oh, he liked her.

But Nicky had been charming at first, too. Too charming by half; and charms of that sort could wear out surprisingly fast as soon as a woman stopped caring so much about impressing you, Max knew. But he had learnt from past mistakes, was still on guard tonight... but that did not mean he could not enjoy himself. That was not to say every young dark-haired debutante was as dangerous as the next.

A little flirting here was no danger to either of them, of course, though her mother - though embroiled in conversation with another of the group - was still a little close for comfort. A girl was never entirely the same under her mother's supervision; although Miss Lupin had very well mastered that light smirk.

He toasted her and her new glass, pleased at her wording. "To exceeding expectations," he echoed, inclining his head at her before he took another sip of his gin. "I can think of one way to ensure my evening will not be wasted," Max continued, "if you have room on your dance card, that is?" It was something of an exaggeration, in truth, to imagine one dance with her would have any impact on his evening overall, but it seemed worth laying out a little of his intention. Besides - "I imagine there is no end of competition for a place on yours," he added, still smirking.

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With their toast seen to, Louisa sipped on her glass of champagne was was expected of her. With the glass brought away from her lips, she regarded him with that slightly raised brow once again as he began to speak again after the toast. He certainly had his flattery talents down even if she didn't fully buy into the fact his night would be any worse if he didn't have the opportunity to have a dance with her. Clearly stoking of the ego was something he was well accustomed to doing as well.

"You're quite in luck," she said, smirk back in place as lashes were fluttered up to him, "I've yet to put anyone on my dance card." It wasn't a lie, and he'd see that by the fact it was indeed empty, but it wasn't for lack of trying on other gentlemen's part. She'd just learned over the years how to sidestep such questions from those she really had no desire to dance with. Luckily for Mr. De Vries, he seemed a worthy enough gentleman to spend some alone time with even if it was just a dance.

She offered him her card then and added, "You can have your pick of which you'd like."

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Lovely Lady Set!

Not put anyone on her card, she said, and showed him it just so - a win, then, for him, because unless he was missing some vital piece of English scandal about the young Miss Lupin, she was as eligible as anyone in the room, and better-looking than the majority. She knew her way around a room, then; knew how to choose her companions. He respected her for that.

"I feel very fortunate," Max told her, as if he could really be at her mercy here, poised to write his name on her card. Choosing which dance was a small request, though, he supposed, a loaded question to ladies. He selected the middle of the waltzes, not wanting to seem too keen by whisking her away for the very first dance after dinner, but not wanting to be lost and forgotten amid yet another quadrille or monotonous polonaise. "I am not so deft, I think, with all the dances you dance here at English balls these days, but I think we should be safe with a waltz. We dance those even down at the Cape, you see." Their social circles in South Africa were no stranger to a ball, even in the midst of mining country, and - whatever he said - Max had no self-consciousness whatsoever in his dancing skills. He was prouder of other things, perhaps - his business, his wealth - but a waltz, if anything, demanded enough technique that he could actually show his off, and he would be lying if that hadn't been part of the reason in picking it.

The rest of the reason was the physical closeness, obviously. A chance to get to know her better.

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Louisa's smirk remained at the slight compliment even if it wasn't quite meant as such. The little nuances of their conversation spoke bounds to her. He was a man that knew how to play the system in a way, knew what to say without giving away too much. He kept the intrigue all the while making sure she was flattered just enough. She was enjoying it and her smirk of a smile only showed that.

She nodded as he said what he was claiming then took her card back from him. "I'm glad to hear as much," she said with a nod, glancing to where he'd written his name as if looking at his penmanship would tell her something about him. "I enjoy a good waltz," she added, looking up to meet his gaze again. Waltzes were indeed her favorite even if some thought them to be a bit on the risque side of things. But they allowed a far closer touch than was otherwise considered appropriate and that, in her opinion, allowed for one to truly get to know their partner in ways otherwise impossible.

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Lovely Lady Set!

He still knew so little about her, Max supposed, but the dance later might be a moment for a little more conversation, and - in the meantime - he felt he could tell her character well enough from this. Her words had not divulged a great deal, but her smirk alone spoke volumes.

He liked her. If her smirk was where her similarities with Nicky ended, he would like her even more.  

"In that case," Max added, and for a moment his smirk melted into more of a smile - still an attempt to be charming, but something a little more sincere - "I hope it will not be our last." He was too conscious of his aims to consider that an empty sentiment, but he also knew well enough that there were some things that could not be rushed.

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Louisa had always been an observant sort. She paid attention to the little things moreso than just the words being said. One could always tell more by the facial expressions of a conversational partner. As such, she took note of the way his smirk melted into that of a smile. He was clearly very well in tune to the game society set before them. Her own smirk mirrored his smile slightly as she nodded in response to his words.

"If not tonight," she started to say, taking note of a look she was receiving from her mother, "Then surely there will be other opportunities should you remain in the area for some time." And, if he was the sort to be at such events already, then they'd surely run into one another again. "But it seems as if I'm being summoned," she added, smiling brightly to him one last time, "I'll be looking forward to our dance." And with that, she took her leave as her mother ushered her off to introduce her to another gentleman that she could already tell would be far less entertaining than Mr. De Vries had been.

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Lovely Lady Set!