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[h2][color=darkorchid][i][b]Victoria Belmont[/b][/i][/color][/h2][i][b][color=9932cc]Half-Elf, Bard, Level 3[/color][/b][/i]
[color=9932cc][i][b]HP:[/b][/i][/color] 23 / 23	[color=9932cc][i][b]Armor Class:[/b][/i][/color] 15	[color=9932cc][i][b]Conditions:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Location:[/b][/i][/color] Neil & Bob's Public House
[color=9932cc][i][b]Action:[/b][/i][/color] Skill - [i][s]Sleight of Hand[/s][/i] 
[color=9932cc][i][b]Bonus Action:[/b][/i][/color] N/A
[color=9932cc][i][b]Reaction:[/b][/i][/color] N/A 
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[right][img]https://i.ibb.co/8r6nxVw/Victoria-FC-11.jpg[/img][/right]
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	Victoria set her spoon down and dabbed her mouth carefully with a napkin. She looked to Baronfjord, who posed a fair enough question about word of their investigation getting around. The meat of the inquiry was left unanswered, but she did address the issue of their employer and questions which may arise. [color=9932cc]"Oh, we made no secret that Sheriff Arbalest sent us to this place. It was part of our cover; outsiders using this town as a base of operations while addressing a possible Goblin issue near the border."[/color] She gave a coy smile, despite herself and suppressed a giggle, continuing, [color=9932cc]"Imagine my surprise when there actually was a Goblin incident! It cemented our story ever so nicely."[/color] 

	She gave the occasional look in Robert's direction as he spoke. Though she was the experienced socialite, figuring out the motivations of others was not her forte. No, hers was more about moving in certain circles like she belonged there and making liberal use of a silver tongue. So to the puzzle of the proprietor, Victoria was without answer. 

	Then Marita said something about going to the silversmith's. More than this, refusing the offered gold. Perhaps the Order Cleric was adept at reading minds or maybe she just observed the Bard's eyes darting subtly toward the neat stack of five gold coins just sitting there. If the lady didn't want them, Victoria would have no difficulty pocketing the shiny lucre. A girl had expenses, after all. In an attempt to be more surreptitious than necessary, Victoria reached a hand out and snagged another small loaf of amazing local bread with her thumb and forefinger, passing close to the gold coins. Her remaining three fingers flourished out deftly, in practiced motions, and wrapped around the stack of precious metal. Unfortunately, Victoria's elbow tapped on the platter next to her, giving just enough of a tap to ruin her already precarious grasp. Not on the bread - this she retained - but it looked a lot like she just knocked the stack of coins over. [color=9932cc]"Oops!"[/color] she intoned innocently. The bread made it back to her bowl and she reached her other hand out to gather the gold more openly. [color=9932cc]"Seeing as we [i]are[/i] going, I'll hang onto these for us just now."[/color] A smile and a return to her food followed after, with just a hint of embarrassment at a poorly executed and ultimately unnecessary act of subterfuge. 

	Hoping for just a little bit of a subject change, Victoria listened intently to the summary of the exploits of Robert's adventurer friends, if [i]friends[/i] was the right word for it, and added to the man's final phrasing, [color=9932cc]"Assassin? Really? How curious that a person such as that would involve themselves in the adventuring profession. Or does that translate differently in Gnomish? I am afraid that I haven't teaching in that language."[/color]