Laura and Jordan - High Society

"Laura!" Jordan cries happily, taking the other girl's hand. "I thought I wouldn't get to see you tonight, the way you float around." She grins brightly. "Who're you hiding from?"

"It's the best way to protect oneself from the Spanish Inquisition," Laura declares with a returned grin. "The Maxwells, the Shaftsburys, and my mother's sister," she counts the offending parties off on her fingers. "The first wants to introduce me to their son, the second wants to know if I've 'met anyone' yet, and the third is asking, for the five hundredth time, why I am going to school in Idaho of all places." She sighs dramatically, but then smiles.

Jordan laughs, raising an eyebrow. "The Maxwells just want to get rid of the son," she counts back teasingly, "the Shaftsburys want to know how Matt and I are doing, and everyone says what a good girl I am to be going to a sensible school like Vassar." She pauses and shakes her head. "Speaking of him, have you seen Matt around? I lost him about a half hour ago."

"So you're one step ahead of me, is that it?" Laura grins. "I dunno," she shrugs in response to her question, "I think I saw him talking to Daniel at some point, but I have no idea when that was." Daniel, a graduate of the West Point military Academy as Matt was, is one of Laura's brothers.

Jordan rolls her eyes cheerfully. "He would." She loves Matt, but really. "He's probably just trying to hide too."

"No from you," Laura insists with a grin.

Jordan laughs, though her blue eyes darken momentarily. "I wouldn't be too sure."

The smallest of frowns. "Something going on between you two?" The fact of the matter is, though, that she wouldn't be surprised it there was something 'going on'. Laura had always wondered about their relationship - about how much of it was genuine, and how much of it was based on what was expected of them.

Jordan rolls her eyes and smiles. "No. I was just kidding. Matthew really hates these parties, though. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he'd locked himself away somewhere, or hidden outside."

"Can't quite blame him there," Laura replies with a small laugh. "Should we track him down or leave him in peace?"

"Oh, no, leave him. I'll find him eventually." She grins. "Eventually his sense of duty will drag him back inside for me."

"A convenient use of military training."

"Oh, definitely." Jordan takes a sip of the drink in her hand before asking, "So, how is Graymore anyway?"

"School," Laura replies wryly, "but honstly... pretty good. It can be a relief to step away from all this, really." She gestures about the room.

Jordan smiles. "I'd imagine." She shrugs. "But it's -- it's how life is, you know? I guess I'm used to it."

"Of course," Laura agrees. "But it's amazing what you notice when you get a chance to step away from it."

"I suppose I've never stepped far enough back."

"But you don't need to," Laura tells her with a slightly sad smile. "Within five years you're going to be perfectly happy as Mrs. Matthew Edrington."

Jordan ducks her head, the very idea of it causing her to blush. "I hope so."

Laura grins. "See? Just you wait..."

"Oh, there he is," Jordan says suddenly. She smiles. "I'm so glad you're home, Laura. You'll visit me sometime, before you go back?"

"Better catch him before he disappears again," Laura advises with a grin. "And of course I will. Will make a point of it."

"Good." She hugs her quickly. "I'll see you later, then." And Jordan is gone, fading off into the crowd.

Laura watches her go with a small laugh, briefly wishing that she, too, could be so content with the lot that was given her.

posted at 11:03 p.m. on 12-21-03