For prodigalmess - A Meal to Remember

[youngestrose]

 As they stood outside the door to her grandmother's penthouse apartment, Margaery checked Malcolm over one last time. He looked impeccable as always, in a dark blue suit and perfectly shined shoes. The color of the suit complemented his eyes well and she found him so attractive that she'd been tempted to make them fashionably late by pulling him into her apartment and having her way with him when he arrived to pick her up. Alas, that would have to wait until after he'd dazzled her family with his wit and charm.

She was dressed a bit more casually than him, since she wasn't trying to impress anyone that night - a jumpsuit and heels she'd chosen out of her recently remodeled closet. Her turn would come soon, when she'd meet his mother and sister.  She wiped a bit of lipstick from his cheek where she'd kissed him earlier and smiled.

"Are you ready?" 

Comments

[prodigalmess]

"It's a lot more work than people realize," Jessica says. "Sometimes you put in all the work and then the money never comes in, and it's quite frustrating. But you're young. You probably have a ton more energy than I do."

Malcolm doesn't notice Margaery's other brothers looking at him, since he's thoroughly enjoying his conversation about 15th century English blades with Loras. He does pick up on something though, something that he's not quite sure about, but will bring up to Margaery later.

[youngestrose]

Margaery nods in agreement. "It can be, but luckily Gran has committed a good chunk of money from our family foundation to get things rolling." Before she can get into more detail it is announced that brunch is served, and a slow exodus from the living area into the dining room begins.

Margaery sees the opportunity to check in with Malcolm. Without everyone's eyes on them, she kisses him briefly on the cheek.

"How's it going?" she asks as they start to walk. Looking into the dining room, she sees Willas and Garlan competing for the empty chair next to Ainsley. She realizes that the whispering between them hadn't been about Malcolm - it was about his lovely sister. She's not sure how to feel about this development - a part of her welcomes the focus of attention being on something other than her and Malcolm, but she also knows her brothers and Ainsley does not deserve to be in the middle of a tug-of-war between them.

"Good gracious," she says loudly as they reach the table to hide the sound of her kicking Garlan in the back of the leg. "Is there a small army that failed to RSVP? There's enough here to feed all of us for a week." The food looks and smells wonderful, an impressive variety of breakfast and lunch options both sweet and savory. She's made sure that at least half of the spread is vegetarian as well.

Her father's seated at one end of the table and Gran at the other; otherwise it's a free for all, so she deftly nudges her brothers out of the way and claims the chair next to Ainsley, leaving the one on Margaery's other side available for Malcolm, and on Ainsley's other side for Jessica. The boys can all sit next to one another on the opposite side of the table - the three of them take up more room than 4 or 5 normal people anyway.

[prodigalmess]

"Not bad," Malcolm replies, taking her hand. "Loras knows almost as much about blades as I do." He follows Margaery's gaze and quickly ascertains the situation. "That's interesting," he says in a low voice, tone amused.

It's probably a good idea that Margaery breaks up that fight when they all sit down to brunch. Ainsley's looking pleased, as she definitely also figured out what was going on. Malcolm has ended up next to Olenna and he's not sure if that was strategic or not. He tries not to be nervous.

"It all looks great," he says. "Thank you again for having us."

[youngestrose]

Ainsley could definitely do worse than a Tyrell. The eldest boys look a lot alike, dark hair like their father, but are polar opposites in personality. Because of his handicap Willas is more slender than Garlan, who works out obsessively. Willas is quieter, calmer, more considerate. Thinks too little of himself - a lot like Malcolm, actually. Garlan, on the other hand, is loud and very confident - all brawn and just enough brains to make it through college. They both have good hearts, though.

"Yes, well, it was about time we met the reason we don't see Margaery on weekends any longer," replies Olenna, a thinly veiled complaint about Margaery's change of visitation habits directed more at her granddaughter than at Malcolm. Margaery's reply is a lift of her eyebrows and pursed lips before leaning in to whisper to Malcolm.

"The eggs benedict are made with portobello mushrooms instead of ham." Everything else is obviously either vegetarian or not. She decides to splurge and selects a Belgian waffle, then tops it with strawberries and whipped cream. As everyone fills their plates and begins eating, the sound of silver clinking on china takes over for conversation. A duo of young women stand near the door to the kitchen, waiting to refill a glass or clean away a finished plate, and Margaery gets one of them to top off her mimosa. She's quickly losing track of how many she's had, but considering her hands have stopped shaking and she's still cognizant of what's around her, she decides it's not too much.

Loras is the first one to break the silence, complimenting Ainsley on her performance on the prior day's morning news. Well played, Margaery thought, appearing to throw his hat in the ring for her attention, as it were.

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm smiles politely at Olenna. "I apologize for stealing her away so much, though I do very much enjoy spending time with her." He nods his thanks to Margaery about the food, then helps himself. He's not strictly a vegetarian, but since meat other than chicken is generally what he avoids, he appreciates her efforts.

He glances up when Loras speaks to Ainsley. "Oh, thanks," she replies. "Are you a frequent viewer?"

That's interesting, Malcolm thinks to himself.

[youngestrose]

"We all are," Garland chimes in. Olenna, clearly seeing the train wreck that coming, steers the conversation in a different direction by replying to Malcolm.

"I can't complain about seeing her so happy. Of course, Jessica and I are still waiting for our thank you cards to arrive." She doesn't mention that this is the first man she has brought to meet him in years. In fact, at nearly three months, this is Margaery's longest relationship since her early 20s, a fact that she has not shared with Malcolm just yet.

Margaery looks at Malcolm with a smirk. "We thought that our happiness would be all the reward that you two would need," she tosses back, turning to look at Jessica. "But we are grateful." She turns back to her grandmother. "That the long string of blind dates is finally at an end."

[prodigalmess]

"See?" Jessica says. "I do have good taste and your best interests at heart."

Malcolm smiles politely at that. He kind of thinks this was all a lucky coincidence that he and Margaery like each other so much, not based on any kind of matchmaking skill on his mother's part. He reaches over and rests his hand on top of Margaery's.

"I am at least glad that I agreed to go on the date," he says.

[youngestrose]

"Oh, you had a choice?" she quips, winking at him as she squeezes his hand. It feels strange, to be affection with him in front of her family. Strange because she's not used to it, not because she doesn't want to or that there's anything wrong with it.

"So Gran, who moves to the top of the set-up list now? Willas?" He grimaces, making Margaery laugh. Finally, the boys will get to know the misery that has been her life of blind set-ups.

"Or is it father?" This is the biggest joke of all, and Margaery's attempt to get Mace to actually say something instead of focusing on his food. He tends to be quieter in crowds, particularly when there are new faces in that crowd.

"I believe Jessica is available." And sitting right next to him, how's that for a coincidence.

[prodigalmess]

Jessica fortunately (or unfortunately) has a mimosa up to her lips when Margaery says that, so she's able to hide her response with just a raise of her eyebrows and not the full grimace that she's giving inside her mind.

"We wouldn't dream of infringing on your relationship like that," she tells Margaery. Malcolm knows it's because she's got zero interest in Mace and is probably far too stubborn for a man like him.

[youngestrose]

"Of course not," Mace agrees. "Don't be ridiculous."

Most would assume it was ridiculous because no woman would be interested in dating him, particularly one as beautiful and sophisticated as Jessica. Margaery is one of the few who knows that he's never even considered dating again since her mother died. In nearly thirty years, he's never once mentioned wanting to find a new companion. He hides it well, but beneath his brusque nature and steely exterior hides a broken heart that has never healed.

"In that case," Margaery replies, "Gran, maybe we should be looking for someone for you."

[prodigalmess]

That seems even more unlikely, though Malcolm keeps that thought to himself.

"Maybe you should try with one of your brothers," Malcolm suggests. "Or Ainsley."

Ainsley gives him a death glare and Malcolm smiles back.

[youngestrose]

Being seated between Malcolm and his sister, she feels the full force of Ainsley's glare even though it's not directed at her.

"Oh, no, I could never find someone more suitable for Ainsley than her own mother. I'll leave that to the expert." She smiles at Ainsley, thinking how nice it would be to get to know her. She's always wanted a sister.

"And I doubt that you need help getting a date, especially now that you're on television every morning." Ainsley is beautiful as well as hard-working and intelligent, according to Malcolm. Any man would be lucky to have her.

"As for my brothers, well... I know a lost cause when I see one." She flashes them an affectionate smile.

[prodigalmess]

"All of them?" Malcolm asks with a raise of his brow. It seems kind of unfair to write all of them off. Loras has potential at least, in his opinion. Malcolm also thinks his family might be setting him up with the wrong people entirely. He absolutely thinks Loras is gay, though apparently not out to his family. He's hesitant to bring it up later to Margaery, in case she doesn't know.

"Surely not," Jessica says. "It's just so hard to meet good people, even in a city of this size."

[youngestrose]

"It wouldn't be fair of me to play favorites." They all know that Loras is her favorite because they are the closest in age and have the best relationship. The two of them have secrets only shared between them that would horrify the rest of the family. She is very fond of Willas as well, but he is more withdrawn and is harder to bond with. He would make a very devoted boyfriend, though, if he would come out of his shell.

She agrees with Jessica. Quantity does not equal quality. She grins at Malcolm and leans into his shoulder a touch.

"I guess we got lucky then. It only took, what, a hundred? Two hundred? Blind dates between the two of us to find each other."

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm notices Margaery glance up at Loras when she says that and he knows immediately who her favorite is. If the two are close, she may already know something about her brother's sexuality.

"I guess we did," he replies, looking over at Margaery and smiling. "I'm glad I went on that blind date."

Jessica grins knowingly. "See? Mother knows best."

[youngestrose]

Margaery echoes Malcolm's smile, and for a moment gets lost in his eyes. Her brothers exchange glances - they have never seen her so obviously besotted. It kicks their protective instincts into high gear.

"So, Malcolm," Loras says. "What got you interested in weaponry?" Margaery gives him a 'thank you' with her eyes. At least he is trying.

"Yeah," Garlan chimes in. "You ever actually use any of them?" That surprises her, and she's not sure if he's trying to help or just point out that hanging blades on a wall doesn't necessarily make you particularly masculine.

"There's nothing like swinging a broadsword at someone's head, am I right?" Inside, she cringes.

[prodigalmess]

He's about to answer Loras's question when Garlan adds his own comment. Malcolm gives a chuckle. "The only swords I've swung at anyone were epees when I fenced in school," he replies, "and it's generally frowned upon to go for the head."

Malcolm turns back to Loras. "I always found stories about medieval knights interesting as a child. It was even better when I realized that I could actually own some of the weapons they used. In my teens I got very interested in weapons from ancient Japan and other Asian cultures."

Jessica groans with not so fond memories.

[youngestrose]

"What a coincidence. Loras fenced as well," Olenna says with a tone of pleasant surprise. Malcolm takes a step up in Olenna's opinion, not that he was particularly low to begin with. There is some merit, in her mind, to those who exercise both their minds and their bodies.

"If he'd chosen to focus on it, he could have been good enough to make the Olympic team. Unfortunately he, too, found medieval weapons more interesting." She points to the large metal shield hanging over the mantle, the painted crest on its face faded and chipped. It's clear from the dents, dings, and missing top left corner, that it saw many a battle.

"He's responsible for that monstrosity."

Loras ignores her derision. "That shield accompanied our ancestor on the Third Crusade. He fought alongside King Richard III! We should all be proud."

Olenna huffs. "Not all of us are proud to be descended from a man who murdered innocents in the name of Christianity."

Margaery intercedes. "Please, can we not have this argument again? You promised no family feuds until at least the fourth time Malcolm joins us."

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm would wonder what she thinks of yoga. That's his primary form of exercise these days.

It's kind of nice to hear a family argue about relatively normal things, and not whether or not it's okay to speak to their psychopath father in prison.

"That alright. Technically the first weapon I collected was the saber one of my mother's ancestors carried in the Civil War, so I like to say that any obsession I might have with it is her fault."

[youngestrose]

It's probably better if he keeps the yoga thing to himself for the time being. There are worse physical pursuits, of course, but yoga is in a gray area best not to explore.

"It's always the parents' fault," Mace mutters as he smears cream cheese on a toasted bagel. Jessica's head tilt implies that she agrees.

"Anyone famous?" Willas asks, genuinely curious. Generally only officers carried sabers, and the few that survived the war are highly sought after. He may not care much about ancestry, but when it comes to things of value he'll always perk up.

"You could claim the obsession is in your genes," Margaery quips. "You were predisposed to it by your ancestor."

[prodigalmess]

"He was a captain in the Union army, but I wouldn't call him famous," Malcolm replies.

"Miltons are always famous," Jessica chimes in.

"Miltons have had money for a long time and have been able to buy themselves military positions," Malcolm continues with a smile. "But all records show that William Milton really was a good captain and took his position seriously."

[youngestrose]

"At least yours was on the right side," Willas retorts, fully expecting the stinkeye that comes from Loras, which he completely ignores.

"Or fought at all," Margaery adds. She doesn't know their family tree as in-depth as Loras, but she does remember the more notable branches, even if the notoriety is less than admirable.

"Gran's great grandfather spent the majority of the war hiding in the woods. And though his wife claimed she didn't know where he was, she still managed to get pregnant while he was 'missing'."

[prodigalmess]

Malcolm nods. "Family can be disappointing sometimes." There's silence at the table after that, as Malcolm realizes what everyone is thinking. He turns his attention back to the eggs benedict.

"So," Jessica cuts in. "You two have been seeing so much of each other that I feel like we hardly get to see you anymore. And I must say that while I miss you, I'm very pleased."

[youngestrose]

He may assume that everyone is thinking about his father, but the reality is that everyone has been disappointed by someone in their family. Margaery thinks of her own father. Olenna thinks of her late husband. Willas thinks of himself, sadly.

"I'm happy to hear that," Margaery replies. Based on Malcolm's description of his mother, she'd worried that she might be seen as a rival for Malcolm's attention.

"I suppose by monopolizing his free time, I am keeping him out of trouble."

[prodigalmess]

Jessica likes having Malcolm's attention, but she would definitely rather see him with someone like Margaery. Her greatest goal for Malcolm is to get him settled down and married. Maybe then he'll stop being so hyperfocused on solving every murder that comes across his desk.

"You are indeed," Jessica tells Margaery, "and I thank you for that."

Malcolm rolls his eyes. "Don't think I'm quitting my job any time soon, Mother."