Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ I Thee Wed ❯ Expermients?! ( Chapter 5 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: SayjinGoddessofDarkness 
I finally got every thing worked out! Yay!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.06.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 294 | Status: Work In Progress
I finally got every thing worked out! Yay!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.06.2002 | Pages: 5 | Words: 3.0K | Visits: 294 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own Dbz, or Mrs. Quicks characters. Unless they wish to bequeath them to me!
An: Thank you, all of you for reading. And I want to thank a very special and wonderful person Janelle aka Duo no Tsuin. Who helped me figure all this shit out. Thanks I owe you! Please read and review.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
Chapter Five: Experiments?! Dedicated to Janelle.
Vegeta impatiently looked out the window of Yamcha Chaplin's bedchamber. A moan sounded from the bed and he turn towards it.
"My bloody head!" Yamcha cried weakly, his eyes still closed.
Vegeta flipped out his gold watch, glanced at it. "You should be all right. You haven't been out for too long Chaplin. Damned lucky not to have broken your neck in the old storage room."
Yamcha opened his eyes bewildered at the voice. He blinked rapidly and let out another moan.
"What madness do you speak of?"
"You do not recall?" Vegeta asked with mustered surprise. "I was on my way to my own bed chamber when I heard odd noises above me. I rushed up stairs to investigate them. I happened up stairs in time to see you enter a storage room. You apparently fell over a trunk placed right inside of the door."
"Did I?" Yamcha asked, placing a hand and gingerly probing with his fingertips, until he winced sharply.
"You must have knocked your head on a shelf as you fell." The lies rolled of Vegeta's tongue smoothly. " You might want to spend the day in bed. Head wounds are tricky, or so I've been told."
"I do have a damned awful headache, that's for sure."
"I am not at all surprised." Vegeta smiled thinly, his disgust for the man was violently being suppressed.
"I shall have Ware send for a doctor. Devil take this head of mine."
"You could most certainly do that. But I would not trust my own head to a country doctor."
Yamcha looked alarmed. "Yes your right, the lot of quacks. Horse doctors. No, most certainly right."
"You'll be fine in a few hours." Vegeta glanced at his watch again. "Do excuse me I must be going." 'I've wasted enough time on you.' Vegeta wished to say but clamped the words behind his lips.
Vegeta made his way to the door, as he was about to turn the knob Chaplin spoke.
"I could have sworn there was a good looking full bosomed chit in there. I remember thinking she would be good for some sport." Yamcha raising a hand to his brow.
Vegeta turned back to him. "Good lord man, do you mean to say that some chambermaid refused you? Wait till the others hear of this. How very amusing."
Yamcha blushed crimson at the thought of the damage to his reputation. "That is not what I meant at all! I was just saying I could have sworn there was a chit in there."
"I can assure you, sir. There was no girl in there at all."
"Bloody hell."
"Would you like me to summon your valet for you? Perhaps he will be of some help."
"Yes, by all means, please summon Smith. He will know how to help with the cursed headache of mine. Damn rotten luck. I lost a hundred pounds at those stupid races today and now this happens to me."
"I think you should be very grateful for not breaking your neck." Vegeta said softly as he left the chamber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After summoning Chaplin's valet Vegeta made his way back up to Bulma's room. He was careful not to be seen coming up the stairs. When he reached the door that led to her bedchamber he knocked softly.
The door was opened quickly. "Good god, sir! Get in here before someone happens to see you." Bulma said sharply.
Vegeta was amused by her tone, he walked into the room, and watched her lean out and check both ends of the hall before closing the door, then spin back to face him.
Worry creased her features. "Did Mr. Chaplin believe every thing you said? Did he believe he tripped over a trunk?"
Vegeta studied the chamber, inhaling the sent of the soap he remembered from the confinement of the wardrobe, the other night. He was very aware of the bed in the corner.
"Well?" Bulma was impatiently tapping her foot on the floor.
He forced his attention back to why he was here. " I cannot say if he believes what I told him or not. But he will not contradict my version of how things happened." Vegeta answered, his eyes briefly glancing over her well endowed body, that she chose to cover up by wearing drab gray dresses.
"And how do you know that, may I ask?"
"It is simple." Vegeta said locking his eyes with her beautiful blues. "He will not want people to believe a lowly chambermaid over powered him, or refused his advances. So he will not argue my story."
Bulma arched a delicate eyebrow above her gold-rimmed spectacles. "How very clever of you, sir. Polly and I will be grateful for eternity."
"I am not the heroine of the day Miss Briefs. You are. Had you not intervened with that bed warmer, Chaplin would have disgraced another innocent."
Bulma shuddered at the thought. "But…I stuck him against the head so hard…and I cannot say I feel the least bit sorry for him. He deserves every bad thing that happens to him."
"Chaplin will eventually pay for his dastardly deeds at some time." Vegeta assured her.
"Will he?" Bulma asked surprised.
"These things take a bit of time to carry out, but I grantee it."
Confusion settled over her beautiful face. " I do not understand you, sir."
"Have you never heard that revenge is a dish best served cold?"
Her eyes widened. " I believe you mean it, sir."
"You can count upon it." He said separating the distance between them. " I just wish that I would have been there when you encountered him at the Ratline manor. My vengeance would have been swift indeed."
Bulma winced. " I used a chamber pot on his head on that occasion. I did not succeed to knock him out that time. Only daze him."
"Are you saying you, ah, managed to save yourself from Chaplin." Vegeta asked with raised eyebrows.
"I manage to keep him from forcing himself upon me, if that is what you mean, but I lost my post anyhow. When Mrs. Ratline opened the door we were still on the floor. A very awkward scene to take in. Mrs. Ratline naturally believed me to be at fault, and turned me out.
He inclined his head. "I see. You are an extraordinary woman to say the least Miss Briefs."
Bulma gave him a large smile. "Thank you sir. And thank you for rescuing me, it's an unnatural occurrence for me to be rescued."
"Yes well you hardly need it. I have never met anyone quite like you."
Her eyes were bright and intelligent behind her spectacles. He guessed he was being weighed, balanced, and judged. And he hoped the verdict was on his side.
"The feeling is quite mutual, sir."
"Is it indeed, Miss Briefs?" He never broke eye contact with her, nor did she with him.
She was breathing a little heavier. "Yes it is. I am quite certain I have never encountered anyone like you before sir, my admiration for you is vast."
"Admiration." He repeated, his tone neutral.
"And my gratitude is endless, sir." She replied.
"Ah, gratitude. How lovely."
"I shall remember you in my nightly prayers. I will never forget what you have done for me, sir."
"How very exciting for me." he muttered under his breath.
Her brows drew together. "Mr. Stokes, I do not understand. If I have said something to annoy you,"
"What the devil makes you think I m annoyed?"
"I don't know, perhaps the way you are glaring at me. Oh dear, this inst going well at'll is it? I do not have much in the way of experience with this type of conversation, Mr. Stokes."
"Nor do I."
Bulma sighed in exasperation, then quickly placed her hands on his shoulders and brushed her lips softly against his. Vegeta could have fallen over in surprise, but he dared not move and break the spell.
But Bulma broke it, drawing away from him. Her cheeks were stained with a dark blush. " Oh, I am sorry Mr. Stokes. That was a bit bold on my part. I have disconcerted you."
"I shall recover."
"It's just, that's how the lady always thanks the hero in those books." She said, a small tone of disappointment laced in her voice.
"I see, I shall have to broaden my literary tastes."
Bulma blushed again. "Sir, you really must leave now. If someone where to happen upon us…"
"Oh yes, the virtue issue."
She glared at him angrily. " I do not think it would so amusing if your lively hood depended upon you post."
"Yes you are right. Forgive me, t'was a senseless jest." He gazed at the door. He had no right to put her post in jeopardy. If he caused her to loose her position and not get a reference, he would be no better than Yamcha Chaplin to her.
"I am on my way." He started to the door.
She touched his the sleeve of the black coat he wore, as he stepped around her.
"What made you come to this floor at that fateful moment?"
He shrugged. "I saw Chaplin make his way up her, I knew you were boarded on this floor and I thought he might have figured out who you were."
He left out the part about the rage that had seized him upon seeing Chaplin go up the stairs.
She nodded. " What a bloody mess this day has been." She said lifting a hand to her forehead.
Vegeta gave her a small smile. "I have heard that very same complaint from Yamcha Chaplin.
"Indeed? Well after the blow to his head, he should also feel dazed and disconcerted.
Alarm for her well being raced through him. "Are you all right Miss Briefs?"
"Oh yes, now I am. I was up here resting when I hear Chaplin begin his attack on Polly."
" Perhaps something you ate?"
"More likely something I drank." Bulma said her nose wrinkling is disgust. "Lady Ames forced us to play some silly guessing card game, and drink this horrendous herbal tea, she had specially made."
Vegeta felt like a single candle had been lit in a dark nothing ness void.
"She served you special tea?" He asked carefully.
"God awful stuff." Bulma made another face of disgust. "I do not see how she enjoys the vile brew. I do not think any of us finished a full cup of it."
"These games you played, describe them in complete detail to me." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes.
" I…I only played one." She confessed as if she were some child in trouble. "Lady Ames shuffled a deck of cards, she selected one and placed it face down. Then the ladies took turns at guessing which card it was. I guessed correctly. I only played one. I was too ill to continue." Bulma told her story; she glanced at his hands uneasily.
Vegeta watched her carefully. "You guessed correctly?"
"Yes, lucky chance of course. I have always been good at that kind of thing. Lady Ames got quite annoyed with me when I wouldn't play another hand. I couldn't, I had to repose for awhile."
"Bloody hell." Neither Lorring nor he ever guessed a woman could have taken the book. And used the recipe. His idea to involve Bulma as an assistant was wise.
"Now then Miss Briefs, we shall deal with the details of our arrangement as to how you will be assisting me."
Her cerulean eyes blazed with a cold fire and she stepped out from under his hands. The warmth in her eyes evaporated, and under the rage he could see hurt and disappointment. Nothing he had learned during his Saiya-Jin training prepared him for how to deal with woman.
"I m sure you think I should be flattered by your request. But I am not in such dire straights as to stoop that low." She said softly, anger very prominent in her hushed voice.
He was baffled. Then understanding dawned on him. " I see, you think I was offering for you to be my paramour?"
She turned her back to him, her hands balled into tight fists. "You and Letty have a lot in common. She thinks I should sell my assets in marriage and you want something less formal. To me they are the same, and I will not accede to be either one."
"I have no doubt." He said studying her rigidly determined figure. "But you mistook my meaning. You are going to assiting me in dealing with Lady Ames. Not be my mistress."
She turned back to him. He could see unshed tears in her eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, now when Lady Ames offers you more of her tea, drink it."
Bulma groaned. "Must I? It's really quite awful."
"Yes, but just a little."
'That's easy for him to say, he doesn't have to drink it.' Bulma thought sourly. "Do excuse me, but may I ask what this is all about?"
" I believe Miranda is trying some sort of experiments on you."
"EXPERIMENTS!? You mean that the tea is poisonous? Ye gods!"
Bulma held her stomach as nausea swept over her. Vegeta reached out a hand to steady her.
" No, the tea is not poisonous. And will not harm you. If I thought it would I would not ask you to drink it."
Bulma was touched by his sincerity. "What…does this tea do to me?"
"Well, according to legend…"
"Legend?"
"Occult nonsense, do not fret. I told you I was searching for something for a friend. I am searching for an ancient book that belong to a people of a distant island Saiya-Jin. The book is called the book of The Dragon. It holds many secrets of the Saiya-jin people."
"Ah, yes the Saiya-jin. I have heard of them."
Vegeta was surprised, but he concealed it quickly. "Have you?"
"Yes, my Grandmother, god bless her soul, was one for geography. I learned many things from her."
"Yes, well I am doing this for a friend of mine. Who discovered Saiya-Jin. He is dying, and bid me do this for him, Ignatius Lorring is his name."
Bulma could see a quite sadness in him for this person. It was hard to see but it was there. "I see. I am sorry." She murmured.
She was good, very perceptive; he had chosen the right one for this. But she was a little too perceptive. He would have to watch himself; no one could read him this good at such a short acquaintance.
" Lorring's last wish is for me to find the book for him." He hesitated. "He wishes to return the book to the monks, he feels guilty."
"Why?"
"Because he introduced Saiya-jin to Europe. If he had never found the place it would have remained unknown, and the book, a great treasure to the Saiya-jin people, would not have been stolen."
"Do either of you know who stole this book?"
"No. But we have a few suspects. It is rumored that the book was sold in Italy to a man named Blue Mont. Blue Mont was one of the few scholars who could have deciphered the ancient text. So this tale makes sense."
"You refer to the Blue Mont fellow in past tense. I am guessing something has happened to him?"
Vegeta looked at her carefully. She looked as if she were at sea and suffering from sickness. "A fire consumed his villa in Italy, he died."
"Now about this occult business-"
"Complete nonsense. The brew works by enhancing a woman's natural intuition. If the right woman drink it, she is supposed to be able to tell what a hidden card is."
" A woman's intuition, sir?"
"Yes, only a woman's intuition, No effect on men at all, not even on all women."
"Ah, the need for experiment?" Bulma wrinkled her nose, as if she had just sipped the tea.
Vegeta let her go, and folded his hands behind her back. He paced back in forth in front of her bureau.
" The brew obviously does not work on Miranda herself, so I am assuming she is looking for an accomplice."
"That word has a nasty ring to it."
He raised his eyebrows. " Yes it does. Do you see the problem? If she truly believes that she holds a potion that can predict cards, the possibilities are endless."
"Yes, fortunes are won and lost in the homes of those in the ton. Thousands of thousands of pounds are dropped at card tables during every ball." Bulma whispered her mind whirling. "Amazing."
" For sure."
"But you said this was only one recipe from the book. Why are you pursuing this?"
"I believe that if I find the person with the recipe for the elixir, then I will find the thief of the book. Or at least who thief is."
"Indeed."
"This is a serious matter, some have died all ready-"
"Oh my goodness!"
"And I m sure more will follow. But do not worry your self. All you need to do is play the innocent."
"You can count on me, sir. I do that rather well. It's a requirement for my job." Bulma muttered.
"Before you, Miss Briefs I did not no paid companions were so resourceful and clever."
"It's a very taxing job, I assure you sir."
"No doubt." He paused for a moment weighing his next words. " Now that we have all that settled, there is one thing I'd like to make perfectly clear."
"What would that be?"
"If you ever, by chance find yourself in my bed, Miss Briefs, it will not be because I paid you to do so."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
An: Thank you, all of you for reading. And I want to thank a very special and wonderful person Janelle aka Duo no Tsuin. Who helped me figure all this shit out. Thanks I owe you! Please read and review.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
Chapter Five: Experiments?! Dedicated to Janelle.
Vegeta impatiently looked out the window of Yamcha Chaplin's bedchamber. A moan sounded from the bed and he turn towards it.
"My bloody head!" Yamcha cried weakly, his eyes still closed.
Vegeta flipped out his gold watch, glanced at it. "You should be all right. You haven't been out for too long Chaplin. Damned lucky not to have broken your neck in the old storage room."
Yamcha opened his eyes bewildered at the voice. He blinked rapidly and let out another moan.
"What madness do you speak of?"
"You do not recall?" Vegeta asked with mustered surprise. "I was on my way to my own bed chamber when I heard odd noises above me. I rushed up stairs to investigate them. I happened up stairs in time to see you enter a storage room. You apparently fell over a trunk placed right inside of the door."
"Did I?" Yamcha asked, placing a hand and gingerly probing with his fingertips, until he winced sharply.
"You must have knocked your head on a shelf as you fell." The lies rolled of Vegeta's tongue smoothly. " You might want to spend the day in bed. Head wounds are tricky, or so I've been told."
"I do have a damned awful headache, that's for sure."
"I am not at all surprised." Vegeta smiled thinly, his disgust for the man was violently being suppressed.
"I shall have Ware send for a doctor. Devil take this head of mine."
"You could most certainly do that. But I would not trust my own head to a country doctor."
Yamcha looked alarmed. "Yes your right, the lot of quacks. Horse doctors. No, most certainly right."
"You'll be fine in a few hours." Vegeta glanced at his watch again. "Do excuse me I must be going." 'I've wasted enough time on you.' Vegeta wished to say but clamped the words behind his lips.
Vegeta made his way to the door, as he was about to turn the knob Chaplin spoke.
"I could have sworn there was a good looking full bosomed chit in there. I remember thinking she would be good for some sport." Yamcha raising a hand to his brow.
Vegeta turned back to him. "Good lord man, do you mean to say that some chambermaid refused you? Wait till the others hear of this. How very amusing."
Yamcha blushed crimson at the thought of the damage to his reputation. "That is not what I meant at all! I was just saying I could have sworn there was a chit in there."
"I can assure you, sir. There was no girl in there at all."
"Bloody hell."
"Would you like me to summon your valet for you? Perhaps he will be of some help."
"Yes, by all means, please summon Smith. He will know how to help with the cursed headache of mine. Damn rotten luck. I lost a hundred pounds at those stupid races today and now this happens to me."
"I think you should be very grateful for not breaking your neck." Vegeta said softly as he left the chamber.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After summoning Chaplin's valet Vegeta made his way back up to Bulma's room. He was careful not to be seen coming up the stairs. When he reached the door that led to her bedchamber he knocked softly.
The door was opened quickly. "Good god, sir! Get in here before someone happens to see you." Bulma said sharply.
Vegeta was amused by her tone, he walked into the room, and watched her lean out and check both ends of the hall before closing the door, then spin back to face him.
Worry creased her features. "Did Mr. Chaplin believe every thing you said? Did he believe he tripped over a trunk?"
Vegeta studied the chamber, inhaling the sent of the soap he remembered from the confinement of the wardrobe, the other night. He was very aware of the bed in the corner.
"Well?" Bulma was impatiently tapping her foot on the floor.
He forced his attention back to why he was here. " I cannot say if he believes what I told him or not. But he will not contradict my version of how things happened." Vegeta answered, his eyes briefly glancing over her well endowed body, that she chose to cover up by wearing drab gray dresses.
"And how do you know that, may I ask?"
"It is simple." Vegeta said locking his eyes with her beautiful blues. "He will not want people to believe a lowly chambermaid over powered him, or refused his advances. So he will not argue my story."
Bulma arched a delicate eyebrow above her gold-rimmed spectacles. "How very clever of you, sir. Polly and I will be grateful for eternity."
"I am not the heroine of the day Miss Briefs. You are. Had you not intervened with that bed warmer, Chaplin would have disgraced another innocent."
Bulma shuddered at the thought. "But…I stuck him against the head so hard…and I cannot say I feel the least bit sorry for him. He deserves every bad thing that happens to him."
"Chaplin will eventually pay for his dastardly deeds at some time." Vegeta assured her.
"Will he?" Bulma asked surprised.
"These things take a bit of time to carry out, but I grantee it."
Confusion settled over her beautiful face. " I do not understand you, sir."
"Have you never heard that revenge is a dish best served cold?"
Her eyes widened. " I believe you mean it, sir."
"You can count upon it." He said separating the distance between them. " I just wish that I would have been there when you encountered him at the Ratline manor. My vengeance would have been swift indeed."
Bulma winced. " I used a chamber pot on his head on that occasion. I did not succeed to knock him out that time. Only daze him."
"Are you saying you, ah, managed to save yourself from Chaplin." Vegeta asked with raised eyebrows.
"I manage to keep him from forcing himself upon me, if that is what you mean, but I lost my post anyhow. When Mrs. Ratline opened the door we were still on the floor. A very awkward scene to take in. Mrs. Ratline naturally believed me to be at fault, and turned me out.
He inclined his head. "I see. You are an extraordinary woman to say the least Miss Briefs."
Bulma gave him a large smile. "Thank you sir. And thank you for rescuing me, it's an unnatural occurrence for me to be rescued."
"Yes well you hardly need it. I have never met anyone quite like you."
Her eyes were bright and intelligent behind her spectacles. He guessed he was being weighed, balanced, and judged. And he hoped the verdict was on his side.
"The feeling is quite mutual, sir."
"Is it indeed, Miss Briefs?" He never broke eye contact with her, nor did she with him.
She was breathing a little heavier. "Yes it is. I am quite certain I have never encountered anyone like you before sir, my admiration for you is vast."
"Admiration." He repeated, his tone neutral.
"And my gratitude is endless, sir." She replied.
"Ah, gratitude. How lovely."
"I shall remember you in my nightly prayers. I will never forget what you have done for me, sir."
"How very exciting for me." he muttered under his breath.
Her brows drew together. "Mr. Stokes, I do not understand. If I have said something to annoy you,"
"What the devil makes you think I m annoyed?"
"I don't know, perhaps the way you are glaring at me. Oh dear, this inst going well at'll is it? I do not have much in the way of experience with this type of conversation, Mr. Stokes."
"Nor do I."
Bulma sighed in exasperation, then quickly placed her hands on his shoulders and brushed her lips softly against his. Vegeta could have fallen over in surprise, but he dared not move and break the spell.
But Bulma broke it, drawing away from him. Her cheeks were stained with a dark blush. " Oh, I am sorry Mr. Stokes. That was a bit bold on my part. I have disconcerted you."
"I shall recover."
"It's just, that's how the lady always thanks the hero in those books." She said, a small tone of disappointment laced in her voice.
"I see, I shall have to broaden my literary tastes."
Bulma blushed again. "Sir, you really must leave now. If someone where to happen upon us…"
"Oh yes, the virtue issue."
She glared at him angrily. " I do not think it would so amusing if your lively hood depended upon you post."
"Yes you are right. Forgive me, t'was a senseless jest." He gazed at the door. He had no right to put her post in jeopardy. If he caused her to loose her position and not get a reference, he would be no better than Yamcha Chaplin to her.
"I am on my way." He started to the door.
She touched his the sleeve of the black coat he wore, as he stepped around her.
"What made you come to this floor at that fateful moment?"
He shrugged. "I saw Chaplin make his way up her, I knew you were boarded on this floor and I thought he might have figured out who you were."
He left out the part about the rage that had seized him upon seeing Chaplin go up the stairs.
She nodded. " What a bloody mess this day has been." She said lifting a hand to her forehead.
Vegeta gave her a small smile. "I have heard that very same complaint from Yamcha Chaplin.
"Indeed? Well after the blow to his head, he should also feel dazed and disconcerted.
Alarm for her well being raced through him. "Are you all right Miss Briefs?"
"Oh yes, now I am. I was up here resting when I hear Chaplin begin his attack on Polly."
" Perhaps something you ate?"
"More likely something I drank." Bulma said her nose wrinkling is disgust. "Lady Ames forced us to play some silly guessing card game, and drink this horrendous herbal tea, she had specially made."
Vegeta felt like a single candle had been lit in a dark nothing ness void.
"She served you special tea?" He asked carefully.
"God awful stuff." Bulma made another face of disgust. "I do not see how she enjoys the vile brew. I do not think any of us finished a full cup of it."
"These games you played, describe them in complete detail to me." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes.
" I…I only played one." She confessed as if she were some child in trouble. "Lady Ames shuffled a deck of cards, she selected one and placed it face down. Then the ladies took turns at guessing which card it was. I guessed correctly. I only played one. I was too ill to continue." Bulma told her story; she glanced at his hands uneasily.
Vegeta watched her carefully. "You guessed correctly?"
"Yes, lucky chance of course. I have always been good at that kind of thing. Lady Ames got quite annoyed with me when I wouldn't play another hand. I couldn't, I had to repose for awhile."
"Bloody hell." Neither Lorring nor he ever guessed a woman could have taken the book. And used the recipe. His idea to involve Bulma as an assistant was wise.
"Now then Miss Briefs, we shall deal with the details of our arrangement as to how you will be assisting me."
Her cerulean eyes blazed with a cold fire and she stepped out from under his hands. The warmth in her eyes evaporated, and under the rage he could see hurt and disappointment. Nothing he had learned during his Saiya-Jin training prepared him for how to deal with woman.
"I m sure you think I should be flattered by your request. But I am not in such dire straights as to stoop that low." She said softly, anger very prominent in her hushed voice.
He was baffled. Then understanding dawned on him. " I see, you think I was offering for you to be my paramour?"
She turned her back to him, her hands balled into tight fists. "You and Letty have a lot in common. She thinks I should sell my assets in marriage and you want something less formal. To me they are the same, and I will not accede to be either one."
"I have no doubt." He said studying her rigidly determined figure. "But you mistook my meaning. You are going to assiting me in dealing with Lady Ames. Not be my mistress."
She turned back to him. He could see unshed tears in her eyes. "Really?"
"Yes, now when Lady Ames offers you more of her tea, drink it."
Bulma groaned. "Must I? It's really quite awful."
"Yes, but just a little."
'That's easy for him to say, he doesn't have to drink it.' Bulma thought sourly. "Do excuse me, but may I ask what this is all about?"
" I believe Miranda is trying some sort of experiments on you."
"EXPERIMENTS!? You mean that the tea is poisonous? Ye gods!"
Bulma held her stomach as nausea swept over her. Vegeta reached out a hand to steady her.
" No, the tea is not poisonous. And will not harm you. If I thought it would I would not ask you to drink it."
Bulma was touched by his sincerity. "What…does this tea do to me?"
"Well, according to legend…"
"Legend?"
"Occult nonsense, do not fret. I told you I was searching for something for a friend. I am searching for an ancient book that belong to a people of a distant island Saiya-Jin. The book is called the book of The Dragon. It holds many secrets of the Saiya-jin people."
"Ah, yes the Saiya-jin. I have heard of them."
Vegeta was surprised, but he concealed it quickly. "Have you?"
"Yes, my Grandmother, god bless her soul, was one for geography. I learned many things from her."
"Yes, well I am doing this for a friend of mine. Who discovered Saiya-Jin. He is dying, and bid me do this for him, Ignatius Lorring is his name."
Bulma could see a quite sadness in him for this person. It was hard to see but it was there. "I see. I am sorry." She murmured.
She was good, very perceptive; he had chosen the right one for this. But she was a little too perceptive. He would have to watch himself; no one could read him this good at such a short acquaintance.
" Lorring's last wish is for me to find the book for him." He hesitated. "He wishes to return the book to the monks, he feels guilty."
"Why?"
"Because he introduced Saiya-jin to Europe. If he had never found the place it would have remained unknown, and the book, a great treasure to the Saiya-jin people, would not have been stolen."
"Do either of you know who stole this book?"
"No. But we have a few suspects. It is rumored that the book was sold in Italy to a man named Blue Mont. Blue Mont was one of the few scholars who could have deciphered the ancient text. So this tale makes sense."
"You refer to the Blue Mont fellow in past tense. I am guessing something has happened to him?"
Vegeta looked at her carefully. She looked as if she were at sea and suffering from sickness. "A fire consumed his villa in Italy, he died."
"Now about this occult business-"
"Complete nonsense. The brew works by enhancing a woman's natural intuition. If the right woman drink it, she is supposed to be able to tell what a hidden card is."
" A woman's intuition, sir?"
"Yes, only a woman's intuition, No effect on men at all, not even on all women."
"Ah, the need for experiment?" Bulma wrinkled her nose, as if she had just sipped the tea.
Vegeta let her go, and folded his hands behind her back. He paced back in forth in front of her bureau.
" The brew obviously does not work on Miranda herself, so I am assuming she is looking for an accomplice."
"That word has a nasty ring to it."
He raised his eyebrows. " Yes it does. Do you see the problem? If she truly believes that she holds a potion that can predict cards, the possibilities are endless."
"Yes, fortunes are won and lost in the homes of those in the ton. Thousands of thousands of pounds are dropped at card tables during every ball." Bulma whispered her mind whirling. "Amazing."
" For sure."
"But you said this was only one recipe from the book. Why are you pursuing this?"
"I believe that if I find the person with the recipe for the elixir, then I will find the thief of the book. Or at least who thief is."
"Indeed."
"This is a serious matter, some have died all ready-"
"Oh my goodness!"
"And I m sure more will follow. But do not worry your self. All you need to do is play the innocent."
"You can count on me, sir. I do that rather well. It's a requirement for my job." Bulma muttered.
"Before you, Miss Briefs I did not no paid companions were so resourceful and clever."
"It's a very taxing job, I assure you sir."
"No doubt." He paused for a moment weighing his next words. " Now that we have all that settled, there is one thing I'd like to make perfectly clear."
"What would that be?"
"If you ever, by chance find yourself in my bed, Miss Briefs, it will not be because I paid you to do so."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~