Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

For his part, Nick had promptly deemed the theme as utterly stupid and had only thrown on a suit at the last minute.

His mother is somewhere around, talking to people about the Carroway problems, but Nick has already got that sorted. Nick only wanted to come here because he knew that just seeing his handsome face would rile up Madison like nothing else.

And he does so like riling up the ice queen.

She is walking to him, glowing in the soft gold light of the room, her fingers holding up her glass. She looks amazing, Nick thinks traitorously. Dressed in a pale green lace dress that fits snugly over her narrow waist and ripples all around her like waves, Madison looks so beautiful it hurts. It's a shame there's so much bite in her bark.

Madison rakes an unimpressed gaze over him but Nick sees something flicker within the lights of her eyes.

"I see you're still breathing," Madison says to him evenly. "How unfortunate."

"Now, who let you out of your cage?" Nick deadpans.

"Try not to beat up any of my guests tonight –," Madison begins to snip back, but a shadow falls over them suddenly.

Nick watches a startling change overcome Madison.

Her back straightens, her fingers tighten briefly around the stem of her wineglass, and she smiles so prettily that Nick is almost blinded. She lifts her head, something unfamiliar and hopeful within the light of her eyes.

"Mother," Madison says almost breathlessly, as if she's addressing real royals.

The woman in front of them looks almost exactly like Madison, though her features are clearer cut. Her cheekbones are high and sharp like diamonds, her ice-blue eyes narrow on her daughter. "Madison," she says, and Nick almost shivers. "The canapés. What did you do to them?"

If he wasn't standing so close to Madison, Nick thinks he might never have noticed it. As it was, he is standing next to Madison and so, he can see the faint pink blush that begins to crawl over her cheeks and the way her eyes widen slightly. Nick feels discomfort and guilt lurch within his stomach. He knows this scene.

She's trying to impress her mother with herself.

Wondering why on earth he's doing this, Nick clears his throat. He lets out a laugh of embarrassment, giving a quick, apologetic smile. "You'll have to forgive me, Ms Sutton," he says charmingly. "I ate all the canapés – they were just so good."

Madison looks like she's going to kill him with her heels. Nick knows what it is – he's exactly the same. She doesn't like being indebted to someone. But this is not him offering her a favour – Nick doesn't really know what it is, but he knows that something about the muted panic flickering in her features makes him feel slightly protective.

Ms Sutton does not look like she believes him but her gaze falls on him, interested and inquisitive. "And you might be...?"

"Mother, this is Nicholas Hawthorne," Madison says, her voice tight. Despite her voice, she looks as perfect and charming as ever, but Nick recognises the light within her eyes and knows that she's thinking of how she would dearly love to strange him to death. "He's a student in my classes."

"Oh?" Ms Sutton looks interested. "Which class?"

"History," Madison replies, just as smoothly. "I helped him with his Marie Antoinette essay. Nick, do you remember?"

Her eyes are flashing towards him meaningfully and Nick, startled, nods quickly. He remembers the Marie Antoinette essay from the class. The history teacher, Nick remembers thinking, had been particularly, strangely lenient that day because he hadn't had any complaints or anything. And that had been a crap essay.

Come to think of it, most of the teachers have stopped going after him, though he still has that special connection with Mr Bates. His gaze falls on Madison wonderingly, the realisation dawning with a slight jolt.

It's her.

She did it, he realises.

He helped her, so she helped him back.

Nick's not sure how to feel about that.

Madison's eyes are bright and a poised smile plays about her face but he can respect her for it now. There are no debts to clear between them now for both have risen to the occasion magnificently. All sides are evened out. Goddamn, how is she so good at playing the game?

Blissfully unaware of the power play game of chess her daughter and he is mentally waging between them, Ms Sutton is smiling at him politely. "You're a very well-mannered gentleman, Nicholas," she tells him and Nick stops himself from shivering just in time.

That's twice, now.

People need to stop telling him that, he thinks. He's going to get a rash or something.

Nick just smiles a pained smile as both mother and daughter excuse themselves gently, the canapés forgotten between them. They melt away quickly into the party and Nick's gaze lingers on the pale green silk that trails in the air behind Madison.

God, he thinks, his head beginning to pound.

He needs a drink. 

*

author's note: okay, nick's telling jacob that he's "got it under control" - does he, really?plus he's realised that madison's laid off him and her party seems to be going well. you think that's gonna last?