[mention]GreyLord[/mention] [mention]Nainur[/mention] [mention]Bandit666[/mention] [mention]Beaumains[/mention] [mention]banshee[/mention] [mention]Bigballgag1[/mention] [mention]slackywacky[/mention] [mention]Trammel[/mention] [mention]Shotrow[/mention] [mention]Pantyhose971[/mention] [mention]TightsBound[/mention] [mention]Mineira1986[/mention] [mention]wolfman[/mention] [mention]mrjones2009[/mention] [mention]Nainur[/mention]
The calm before the Storm?
Hall Place Manor, London 1030 PM
Sophie Reichenbach, former District Attorney and now Cooperate Lawyer of Art. Inc., stood in the spacious Dining Hall and nodded to herself, obviously pleased with her work, after she had laid the Table.
The Fire in the large Fireplace was burning brightly and filled the Hall with its warm light. Sybil and Sophie had arrived at Hall Place Manor around 0600 PM and since then busied themselves with preparing for the arrival of their friends.
While Sybil had built up her computers, Sophie had prepared the meal. Being an accomplished cook she loved it to familiarize herself with the cuisine of the Land she visited.
She had always found that a cuisine of one country could tell a lot about its culture and its people. While she loved the Italian cuisine her mother had taught her, she had always been eager to broaden her horizon. Sophie had spent one term in Cambridge, so the British cuisine was no terra incognita to her.
The former District Attorney had concluded that a pie would be perfect for dinner no doubt their friends would be famished after the long flight – and Anna had a very healthy appetite as she knew.
Anna and Sophie had in common their love to cook and to explore new culinary worlds and whenever they could make time they cooked together, which had been not very often since Sophie had begun her training after she had decided to accept Chris´ offer to join Art Incorporated.
For the occasion Sophie had prepared one of the most British dishes at all: a Shepherd´s Pie. A rich Merlot would be the perfect Companion.
Sophie looked forward to see her friends again: She had not seen Kirsty and Hayley and Kate since their vacation at the Red Sea after the hunt for the Weinstein-Collection. Since then many things had happened. She had quitted her Job as District Attorney at Nuremberg and sold Reichenbach Incorporated with Lucas´ consent.
The only thing her husband had insisted on was keeping the Family Estate Reichenbach Castle, which she found a bit strange since her late father in law had despised his son, since early childhood.
The cruel old bastard had taken immense pleasure in blackmailing Sophie and torturing her. Lucas and she had had some long talks, difficult ones. He had been truly shocked when she told him about the cruel bondage games of his father: “I need time” which she had understood but things had changed.
After the events following the assassination of her father in law and her abduction by von Winterfeldt´s Valkyries, her captivity at the Adlernest, Chris´ and her escape and the final attack on the Adlernest she simply could not return to her former life as if nothing had happened, so she had accepted Chris´ offer to work for Art Incorporated as lawyer and field operative.
Von Winterfeldt had told her, that she had barely tapped into a fraction of her potential. She had dismissed that notion at first. If she was honest with herself she had done that, because von Winterfeldt had said that.
She thought of her husband. To her it seemed that Lucas had spent only as much time in Germany as he had to. So they had not seen each other very often in the last months. He had barely touched her on those rare occasions as if she had had leprosy. One more thing she would have gladly murdered her late father in law for. That Brunhild had executed him she did not regret.
Yesterday she had finished her course in advanced weaponry training. Sophie had just arrived back in Hamburg when Chris´ had called her and told her and Sybil to pack for London.
Obviously their friends had stumbled upon a new mystery.
“The security systems are working on peak efficiency” Sybil broke her out of her reverie. Officially Art Inc.´s secretary she was much more: Resident Hacker, Tech Wizard and the good Soul of Art. Inc. Sophie had grown fond of the bubbly secretary, which looked like a twin of the famous model Chrissie Marie. “I am very curious what they found at Al Mansur´s Estate” Sybil continued enthusiastically, who loved a good mystery, riddles, encryptions and codes. The more complex the better.
“Obviously they found something” Sophie smiled – or we wouldn´t be here at this absolutely fantastic Tudor Mansion – how did you acquire it on such short notice anyway?”
Sybil grinned “Chris is very well connected – and an old friend owned her a favour and here we are – and our connections to Hogwarts did not hurt either”
“Now you are pulling my leg” the Lawyer teased Sybil, who returned “I wouldn´t dream of it – and you now there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio …”
“Then are dreamt of in your philosophy” Sophie completed the famous quote, smiling. Had Sybil pulled her leg? Sophie dismissed the thought. There was no such thing as magic, the lawyer in her told her. Vernon Dursley would have shared that sentiment.
An incoming signal interrupted them. Sybil looked at her tablet. “They have passed the gates and will arrive shortly”
They hurried to the entrance hall, which was located in the older part of the estate. They waited.
The Doors swung open and Chris entered followed by Anna and Kate, Kirsty and Hayley at their heels and another familiar face: The Dark Lady. They hugged each other tightly “So good to see you again” Kate beamed at Sophie, the detective and the lawyer had formed a close bond during the hunt.
“How was the flight?” Sybil smiled at Chris “Fine, but I am dead tired and I am famished” the pianist returned and stifled a yawn “Damned jet lag”
“Then will you be happy to hear that Sophie has a Shepherd's Pie in the oven” the secretary added smiling.
Chris smiled and clapped in her hands “Listen up girls – let us settle in and then meet in the dining room – I heard Sophie has a pie in the oven”
“I hope there is enough for you guys to have some too.” Anna quipped
“There is” Sophie smiled, I knew that you were coming so I made enough to feed an army”
“You know me simply too well” the Russian smiled
30 Minutes Later: Dining Hall:
“Wow!” Hayley was impressed as she looked around “How old is this place?” “The older part was erected in 1537 while construction for the newer Part began in 1641” Sybil explained – and teased the American “For you colonists everything older than the Declaration of Independence is old”
The red wine shimmered dark ruby red in their crystal goblets and the American took a sip and savoured the rich bouquet of the Merlot – of German Vintage, more precisely from the southern Palatinate.
She looked around and smiled fondly at her amiably chatting friends. It was so good to see them all again. Hayley had grown fond of all of them. She and Kirsty owed Chris and her Friends a lot.
Hayley remembered the moment when her father had pulled her into his arms, after she had finally returned to the States, after her altercations with Elizabeth Crawford and her captivity on Mystery Island. Without Chris´ intervention that would have been impossible.
The door to the Kitchen swung open and the chatter died down as Sophie rolled a large casserole dish on a serving trolley in which seemed to be steaming hot. “That smells delicious” Kirsty complimented Sophie
“I hope it is to your liking” the dark haired woman, which looked so very much like a reincarnation of Sophia Loren, returned modestly “It is my first Shepherd´s Pie” The Briton smiled “If the scent says anything about the taste, it will be perfect” Kirsty added “I hadn´t a decent Shepherd´s Pie in years!”
“My confidence in your cooking abilities is total, Sophie” Anna grinned as she helped herself to a double portion of the Pie “You have used real cheddar!” the Russian sighed contently. "The potato is so nice and the meat......"
Sophie smiled as she whispered to the Russian, "Traditional Welsh salt marsh lamb. They are raised on the Welsh coast and fed in the marshes, giving the meat a subtle flavour of samphire and sea lavender."
Anna grinned, thinking back to a certain event from the Hunt, when she and Chris had found Kate in quite the Predicament, which involved a sheep … maybe she would send Castle the Pictures – for inspiration. Kate would kill her – but it would be worth the while. Anna´s smile became broader. In fact it was the first time since their encounter with Anck-Sun-Amun, that the Russian forgot about that incident for quite a while.
For a while nobody spoke, they all way too busy with the pie.
Anna had the distinctive feeling she should enjoy this catching up with her friends. Her instincts told her a storm was drawing near and she knew, the others were feeling the same way.