A solid knock came at the door. A knock with purpose, yet respectful at the same time. It was a noise that was percussive, yet unintrusive. Truly, whoever was behind the knock hailed from the higher parts of society. All this Sir Isaac took in within an instant, and in that instant he found himself slightly flustered.

After all, that day was his scheduled day off: a day of relaxing from all the responsibilities he held, from his ventures, and from worries of the future. He was standing at his stove stirring a stew of fresh vegetables and red meat, packed with delicious herbs and spices. A book sat nearby, illustrating the recipe. In the living room another book sat on the table beside Sir Isaac's favorite chair, this one a fantasy novel detailing a girl's trip through a strange world.

Sir Isaac, not expecting company, least of all from one so high in society, rushed through his recent memory in a controlled panic, searching for why there might be someone at the door. Drawing a blank, he set the ladle down in a bowl beside the book and composed himself for anything before answering the door.

The well-dressed man in blue proffered the note and package to Sir Isaac with dignity and grace, further convincing Sir Isaac of the man's high standing - or that he worked for one of such standing. He daintily accepted both, before finally asking, [color=violet]"Might I inquire as to the source of this note and gift?"[/color]

"I'm sorry, sir. That information is confidential," he nodded apologetically toward Sir Isaac.

[color=violet]"There's no need to apologize. I can understand a man valuing his privacy."[/color] Sir Isaac smiled warmly.

The man then bowed politely. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Sir Isaac watched as the man returned to a carriage and gave a warm wave as he rode away, then returned to the stove with the letter. His food was cooking, and he could read as he stirred.

[hr]

People walked up to the mansion where Sir Isaac sat, enjoying a glass of water. He had expected there to be only a score of attendees at the most, but here there were almost five times that. Why had the sender even bothered with the request for secrecy? Any one of the attendees could easily have been stalked here. However, Sir Isaac let the thought perish, as it was not his problem to deal with.

No, his problem was putting on a show to appeal to whomever was the organizer of this affair. They were apparently in high standing, and getting on their good side would be a huge step towards Sir Isaac's goals. It had been a long while since he had last played the social game, and he could only hope that his skills had not decayed over the years.