6- Blair Faces an Earl

                                        

                                              
A headache throbbed at her temples, her mouth tasted as if she'd cleaned her shoes with her tongue, and Blair would have thrown up if there was anything left in her stomach to do so. As if to compound the fact that it was her fate to be miserable, Blair's tragically hungover state did not spare her at all from her duty as an older sibling. She wanted to die, and instead she was out on the promenade, in the bright sunlight, walking with Alaric and Gavin while they kept an eye on the picnicking Derbie and Lady Ban.
"I understand it's my punishment to be here," Gavin spoke softly to Blair, slipping her an herbal drop that would alleviate her symptoms no doubt, "but why is Alaric punishing you too?"
"You got caught sneaking back into the house after curfew," Blair smirked up at her baby brother, knowing exactly why her 16 year old brother was blushing, "I got caught being dropped off by City Watch. Again."
Although he was younger than her by five years, Gavin was built like their father and Alaric, and he was starting to loom over her like them and Edwina could. Only Hida was still on her level, but even the goddamn baby was already taller than her. "You know Blair, one of these days you'll explain why you drink so much, and we'll all still love you."
Blair gave a humourless smirk, "there's no great tragedy Gavin, I'm just aware that to most interested Suitors it's my body or my name they want, not me." 
Gavin made a face, obviously grossed out at the idea of thinking his big sister was sexually appealing, but he didn't argue. Although she was the shorted in their family, Blair had also inherited their mother's astonishing beauty. Champagne blonde hair, sky blue eyes, a luscious body, an da face Blair had heard crudely described as made for ruining. And it wasn't that Blair didn't want to get married someday, she did. At least Blair figured she would, if she ever met a Suitor who wasn't just excited by her appearance and family connections.
"We could always poke a man's eyes out for you, then you'd know what he was appreciating," Gavin's offer was full of humour.
"You've been spending too much time at the Sikali's," Blair teased back, "only a Dukedom could get away with that, not a mere Countship like us Briggs." 
"He's been sneaking out to spend too much time at the Sikali's," Alaric's disapproval saturated his words, "I wonder where he learned such terrible habits?"
"I resent that, I never once got caught sneaking in past curfew," Blair objected while shooting Gavin a wink.
"That heavily implies that you used to still sneak out," Alaric gruffly pointed out.
"Does it? Well I'll be damned, it does!" Blair faked surprise. "And here I just meant that if he learned from me HE wouldn't have been caught either." 
Alaric sighed while Gavin tried to smother a laugh. "She's got you there Briggs," a semi familiar voice interrupted and all three of them turned in surprise to see who it was. 
"Clayton!" Alaric's tone turned to excitement, "Welcome back, though I am sorry about Alphonse."
"Thank you, it's hit the family pretty hard," Clayton confirmed. "It's good to see you two again too, I can at least say that you're getting taller Gavin." It was a subtle dig from her brother's long time friend.
"I may be short but you're as bald as a billiard, what happened?" Blair remembered Clayton as a tall, skinny guy with tightly curled black hair and dark brown skin, now he had only skin on his skull but a short trimmed beard with moustache. 
"I've been on the Southern Island for two years," Clayton had been around the family long enough that despite he recent absence it wasn't awkward. "And although it is no where near as ghastly as the Principality of Hinikia, it is quite humid. It is customary for the men there to go with a bald head and so I decided to follow suit."