The gardens below cascaded in various smaller fountains, the hedges carved into varying geometric shapes and designs between walls of foliage that guarded the perimeter before reaching the wall of the outer Banquet Hall's designated area. I had found a few napkins and wiped what blood I could from my cuts, swabbing a bit of alcohol and pressing them to the wounds with a mere grunt. Once I was done, I looked a bit more disheveled but still confident and ready to work. I replayed the earlier scene over in my head, wondering if I had let anything slip or if I had not yet considered something.

Emmaline's hand on my wrist brought me back to reality. At her comment, I replied in a like manner. 

[i]Not in the way I had imagined, but it served its purpose[/i], I agreed. [i]Did you garner any leads or information[/i]? 

[i]I think if I asked it, we could be invited to the Ignatius estate[/i]. 

I smiled at that, glad of a job well done on both of our ends. Motioning for her to remain here, I walked back into the Banquet hall and procured two glasses of red dammassine and brought them back to my partner in seconds, handing it to her gently. She took it, but her fingers brushed my cut and I winced. 

[i]Don't worry about it. I've gotten worse than this.[/i] I told her, and held my glass out to her so she could toast with me. I hoped she was not reading my mind at that point. All of the excitement of the evening and our jobs relatively maintained, I could focus on other things like how radiant she looked in the moonlight.