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“Beautiful party, Elisia.” Hannibal says leaning down to kiss the cheek of his old friend. She smiles at him.
“Thank you. I’m so glad you could attend.” She says looking at him sincerely.
“Hello, Hannibal.” Anastasia says smiling at him. Her wedding ring shinning on her finger.
“Hello, Anastasia. You’re looking beautiful tonight.” He says kissing her hand. The house was quite luxurious, as were the guests. All dressed up in their best gowns. Jim, Anastasia’s husband walked up to them and shook Hannibal’s hand. Anastasia was staring at Hannibal, looking him up and down like a hungry lioness. It annoyed him when she did this so easily. Right in front of her husband in fact, who was a very attractive young man.
“She came.” Anastasia says, her eyes going wide, and her craning her neck to see behind Hannibal. This caused everyone to look where Anastasia’s eyes were glued. He saw a blonde woman. Bathed in silky blue. A white wrap over her shoulders.
“I can’t believe it.” Elisia says, she smiles at the sight of the woman.
“Who is she?” Hannibal asks. Anastasia starts to snarl.
“Bedelia Du Maurier.” Anastasia says. Hannibal’s eyes rise in recognition to the name.
“I’ve read some of Dr. Du Maurier’s work. She’s quite brilliant.” He says, turning back around to look at the beauty before him. This seemed to annoy Anastasia quite a bit, her husband not even noticing.
“She hasn’t come out to a party in a couple years. We only ever get to see her at the symphony maybe once or twice.” Elisia says. “She’s in love with music. Excuse me. I must go talk to my guest.” Elisia says.
“I’m surprised she’s come out. She stays locked up in that giant house of her’s. This is the first time I’ve seen her out in almost four years.” Anastasia says. “She used to teach at the college.” Hannibal looks back at Anastasia.
“Psychology I presume?” He asks. She nods.
“She left the profession to start working from home when she was around 32 I believe.” Anastasia says with distaste.
“She’s quite beautiful.” He says aloud, not listening to Anastasia as much.
“You don’t have a chance. She likes them young. It’s why she left the University. They say that she once had a relationship with one of her students, a young girl, and that’s why she was forced to leave the profession. Something about getting caught in a supply closet.” She continues. Anastasia was now leaning in, relaying all the gossip with distaste apparent in every word.
“That seems uncharacteristic of a woman like her.” He says. That’s when he turns back around, and meets eyes with the woman in which they are speaking of. Icy blue attacks him, and he finds himself needing to get closer to her. There is something mysterious about her.
“She’s had a patient die under her care already.” Anastasia says, continuing with the gossip. “Horrid woman. She’s cold, and emotionless. She hasn’t an ounce of compassion. She’s always watching, and waiting for something. God knows whatever it is...” She says, still rambling about the blonde. The gossiping of this woman was begin to annoy him.
“I’m sure Dr. Lecter is perfectly capable of making his own assumptions of my character, don’t you Dr. Lecter?” Hannibal hears the voice from behind him. He moves revealing a much smaller woman than he’d expected. Her eyes were like ice, and her tone was calm and cool. She was so powerful, and he swore when she spoke all eyes were on her.
“I’m very capable. Thank you.” Hannibal says. Anastasia opens her mouth to defend herself, but is stopped by Bedelia’s icy cool stare settled on her.
“And Dr. Lecter, don’t you think it is quite rude to be speaking ill of a person without the other person’s presence?” She asks Hannibal, eyes still trained on Anastasia.
“Yes, I do. I’m not quite fond of rudeness.” Hannibal says honestly, listen to Bedelia play this game. Bedelia gives Anastasia a smile.
“Neither am I, now I’d like to have a conversation with Dr. Lecter, if I may. Though, I believe I needn’t ask your permission. I do not find a ring on his finger, but I find one on yours. Are you married to this fine gentleman here?” Bedelia asks. Anastasia bites her lip, and nods.
“Then I’m sure he will be pleased to spend the rest of his evening with your attention turned to him. Now, as I said, I must converse with Dr. Lecter. Ellie was dying to introduce us. Have a lovely evening.” Bedelia says. Every word Bedelia spoke was ice, a jab. To an extent he saw a couple things that rang true about what Anastasia had said about the blonde woman’s cold exterior.
Elisia stood tall. A smile threatening to take over her face. Hannibal finds himself smirking also as Bedelia turns her back to the caddy woman. She gives Hannibal a weary look, before breaking out into a thin lipped smile. He watches as Anastasia takes hold of her husband’s hand, and turns away from the group. “That was impressive doctor.” Hannibal says. He saw the icy blue on him again.
“She was being quite rude.” Bedelia answered honestly. “I could’ve mentioned her obvious infidelity, but I felt as if her husband already had enough to be embarrassed about.” There was something about the way Bedelia spoke that made him shiver. She was boreding rudeness herself; however, every word she spoke had such truth behind it that Bedelia Du Maurier was not a caddy woman, no she saw your weakness and she tore you apart.
“She’s got a wicked tongue Elisia.” Hannibal says, turning to Elisia as Bedelia excused herself to grab a glass of wine from the boy with the serving tray.
“It’s what I enjoy about her.” Elisia responds truthfully. “I must go once more. You two…” she starts with a mischievous smile, “...enjoy the party.”
“That was a truly wonderful performance.” Hannibal says. Bedelia shakes her head, just a bit.
“Performance Dr. Lecter?” She asks, before taking her glass and leading it to her lips. “No, not a performance. A performance is something for others.” She says, taking a long drink. He watches the expanse of her throat move, and it’s like he can see the liquid behind the flesh. He feels the need to put his lips on her. Instead, he holds his arm out for her to take. With an untrusting glint in her eye, she takes it and lets him lead her.
“Elisia told me that you don’t go out much. What prompted tonight?” Hannibal asks as they stroll along the cobbled walkway of a flower garden. The night is quiet, but music from inside can be heard.
“I was curious about you. I’d read some of your work, and Elisia informed me of your attendance. I must say, she was very persistent about our meeting. I hadn’t objected because I too have been wanting to meet you for a long while. I’m very curious about you, Dr. Lecter.” She says. He keeps his face straight ahead, and doesn’t show surprise. Though, he feels surprised. She came out for him.
“Why the lack of attendance for the last few years?” Hannibal asks. Again, he gets a quick, no shame answer.
“I despise most everyone here save Elisia. They’re obnoxious, and most are narcissists.” She says.
“What made you want to meet me? Am I not obnoxious and narcissistic?” He asks. This earns him a cold laugh.
“You’re the worst of them.” She says. They make it to a fountain and a bench, then stop. “But you’re very fascinating, and I’m a very curious person.” He takes her hand, and helps her sit on the bench. Her heels making it difficult on the bumped stone. He sits next to her, and she’s making eye contact again. She’s not shy, and he finds he likes it.
“What about me fascinates you?” He asks. She studies him.
“You…” She starts. Picking each and every word carefully. “...are danger. I can feel it, and I can see it. When I read your work I thought maybe you’d be a sociopath, but you aren’t quite that. You’re a very impulsive man. You’ve got quite the history.” She says.
“As do you.” Hannibal says. “What….drew you...to meet a person like me?” He asks. She can see him, and that was something he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Danger.” She answers simply and honestly. “What drew you to me?” She throws the question back at him. He flashes down to her lips. He bets she tastes like wine.
“Mystery.” He says. “You are a very fascinating specimen yourself, Dr. Du Maurier.” He says.
“Bedelia.” She corrects. He nods.
“Hannibal.” He says, he reaches for her hand, and kisses the top of it as he would if those were the first words spoken between them. “So what is true of Anastasia’s tales? I know not to trust rumor, but there is truth laced in between every lie.” He says.
“What did she tell you? An absent woman is bound to have many stories told in order to embellish and excuse her absence.” Bedelia says, taking a sip of wine.
“Something about a young woman, and a University.” Hannibal replied.
“Well, that is the truth. Though she was not nearly as young as people like to believe. The girl was actually a graduate from a different University, and she was only a mere three years younger than I. She attended one of my lectures, she asked me to dinner, and I asked her for a drink. No supply closet was ever involved.” Bedelia says smiling. “If I were to have relations in public it would not be in a supply closet.” Hannibal briefly let his tongue run along his lips. One can not help conjuring images of what Bedelia has just said.
“A patient's death.” He says. This makes her smile fade, and her to look away from him, one of the first moments of her pulling away for her own sake.
“That is also truth. That and another experience led to me ceasing practice for a couple years. I’ve recently started again.” She says. She takes a moment, and looks at him. He sees how she sits up straight, and tightens her jaw. Avoiding weakness, he supposes. “It was a young boy. He had a gun.” Hannibal finds himself raising a brow. Curiosity, and concern lacing his figure.
“He made no threat against me. Only on himself. I tried to get the gun away, but I was too late. It’s in the past though.” She says, brushing it off. He stares at her neck. The soft skin there ever so tempting.
“To be honest, I stopped listening to her rumors very shortly after that.” He says, Bedelia turns back to him, the confidence has returned.
“I’m pleased to hear that, though, I never expected you to be someone who believed in rumors and such.” She says. “Though, I’ve heard several about you.” She says. He smirks, and tilts his head.
“And what is it that you’ve heard about me?” He asks. He can see her eyes darken.
“Apparently Dr. Donahue had a lot to say after she spent the night in your bed. Something about you using your tongue for certain acts almost as well as you use it for words.” Bedelia says feeling bold.
“Do you believe every rumor you hear?” Hannibal asks, leaning closer to her lips.
“No. I like to make my conclusions.” She says confidently. They stare at one another. She is challenging him. One of them will no longer resist the temptation, and she’ll be damned if it’s her. Stubborn woman. In one swoop of his head, his lips met her’s in a soft kiss.
Bedelia lingers near his lips. Opening her eyes as soon as they parted, not quite trusting what she felt herself getting into. Her eyes met his, and while she enjoyed his company, the warning bells were screaming in her ear. She was making the decision whether or not to play with fire. Whether or not to go to bed with who could possibly be the devil. She knew nothing about him, but she saw something in his eye that made her uneasy. It was something that would only reveal itself ten years later.
Bedelia turns away from him, and stands carefully on her own. “I hope I may have the pleasure of reaching that conclusion some day. Now if you please, I have an early appointment. I can’t stay for long, and I promised Elisia that I’d spend some time talking with her.” Hannibal looks at her curiously, watching as she slips from his grip. “Maybe you can come to my home sometime...for a drink.” She offers.
“Am I being offered the same meal as the young University graduate?” He asks. She smiles, and kisses the corner of his mouth before she walks away. He looks at the shadow of the woman that just left him. The woman that wore blue silk. The one that got away.