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Delilah was enjoying an afternoon to herself. The house was empty with the exception of the maids who left Delilah to herself. Once Delilah got into a rhythm, it was hard to break it. She wore a dress that was designated for painting. It was light in colour and didn't necessarily complement her very well. It had old stains from her oil paints and some new as well. Delilah's hands were covered in paint as were her arms. Typically she didn't get as messy as she was, but once she abandoned her brushes for her fingers half way through the painting, there was no going back.
Delilah didn't know what had enticed her to abandon her brushes. Maybe it was because she wanted a sense of movement in the seascape. Maybe it was because she wanted something to blame when the painting ended up horribly. She took a step back, keeping her hands raised. The more she looked at the painting, the more she disliked it and wanted to scrape off the drying paint and restart.
"You always liked the sea." A voice startled Delilah. She wasn't expecting anyone to interrupt her.
"Matthew," she scolded. "When did you get here?"
"Only a few moments ago," said Matthew, taking a step towards the canvas. "This is exceptional."
Delilah shook her head. "It's all wrong. The colours aren't correct and I am not getting the sense of movement I want. It's all going wrong."
Matthew softly smiled at her. "You are always your biggest critic."
"I have to be," Delilah muttered as she reached for a rag to wipe away the paint on her hands. "If I want to sell my work, they have to be perfect. I can't afford to make mistakes."
"Your artwork is already perfect."
"You have to say that," Delilah said. "You're my friend."
"I am your friend and as your friend I always tell you the truth and therefore I declare your paintings the best I have ever laid my eyes on."
Delilah looked down to the floor. "Not that I am not enjoying your company, my dear. But why are you here?"
"I wish I were here so we could drink ourselves silly, but I am only here to drop something off."
Delilah had only just noticed the sheet draped over his arm, something inside of it.
"I have a gift for you." Matthew slowly took the sheet off an elegant dress. "I saw this and believe that it is to your tastes."
Delilah's jaw dropped. The dress was a deep emerald green and was the most gorgeous dress she had ever laid her eyes on.
"How did you know my size?" It was the first question that came tumbling out of Delilah's mouth.
"Anna had your measurements. She didn't ask why I needed them."
Delilah stepped closer, the dress lightly sparkled in the afternoon sun.
"I cannot accept this, Matthew." Delilah finally looked up at Matthew who watched her reaction with a certain fondness.
"You can and you will," said Matthew. "I know I would look fabulous in the dress but alas, it won't fit me unfortunately."
"Matthew, why?" Delilah said.
"Well you bought me that waistcoat a few months ago, so this is me repaying you for that gift."
"It was a gift! I don't expect you to buy me anything in return, I told you that yesterday," Delilah scolded.
Matthew shrugged. "Oh well, now accept this gift because I unfortunately cannot return it."
Carefully, Matthew put the sheet back over the dress, protecting it from any paint that might drop on it and ruin it. Delilah gently placed her hand on Matthew's shoulder to steady herself before she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Matthew." she whispered.
Matthew tilted his head down and looked at her. "You're welcome, Lila."
Lila. The nickname that Matthew always endearingly called her. When the nickname first slipped past his lips two years ago when they were fifteen, Delilah hated it. For her whole life she had only liked to be called by her full name. She loved her name. No matter how many times Delilah corrected Matthew, he had been persistent, stating that her name was simply too long to say. Once Delilah accepted the nickname she began to like it–she liked the way he said it.
Pulling away, Delilah stepped back around her canvas, "I must get back to this god awful painting. Though you are welcome to stay if you wish, Matthew."
Matthew waved his hand. "I think I'll make my leave. I hope you see the beauty in your painting, Lila."
Before Matthew left, he pressed a quick kiss to Delila's forehead and he slipped out of the room without another word. Delila smiled as her eyes jumped from the dress draped over the chair and her canvas, a new sense of inspiration hitting her like a brick.
***
Before she left the house, casually telling her parents that she was going to Matthew's to help Christopher out with some experiments, Delilah made sure that her runes were covered. She raised her hood over her head before she began to walk to the location. When Delilah left her house, she didn't necessarily lie to her parents as she was making a quick stop at the Fairchild residence to pass along a message to her brother, though it wasn't her final destination of the night.
Once Delilah had taken the back entrance into the lab, she found Christopher hunched over a table, many different chemicals laid out in front of him that Delilah didn't even want to know what they were for.
"Hello, Delilah." Christopher greeted without turning around. Despite Christopher being distant and inside of his own mind most of the time, he always recognised his sister's footsteps.
"If mum and dad ask, I was here with you all night." said Delilah, picking up a large sketchpad and a pencil roll.
Christopher hummed in response. Delilah pressed a quick kiss to her brother's cheek. "You're the best. I will see you tomorrow."
"Stay safe." Her brother called out to her just as she opened the door.
"I always am."
As soon as Delilah exited the house, she closed the door softly behind her, gripping her supplies a little tighter. Her next location wasn't too far away. The walk was short, the Fairchild estate only being a ten minute walk from the large house which was Delilah's destination.
As soon as Delilah stepped through the doors of the house, she was greeted by the scent of smoke and alcohol. Delilah pulled her hood down and smiled. The mundanes around her looked at her as she walked to the familiar room. Many shadowhunters would ban Delilah from doing precisely what she was. But the Lightwood girl couldn't find it within herself to care. The house was where she could unwind. It was a place that was just for her.
Pushing open the door to the room, Delilah stepped inside. It was already occupied, mostly by men with only a few women. Each person sat in front of an easel sketching the image of the nude model in the centre of the room. Delilah sat herself down in front of the free easel in front of the model. When Delilah made eye contact with the model, she sent a wink her way and a blush coated the models face. There was a tap on Delilah's shoulder before a glass of wine was offered to her from the woman to her left who wasn't much older than Delilah. The Lightwood girl took it gratefully and began to draw the blushing model in the centre of the room.
***
Delilah remained on the outskirts of the ballroom casually sipping her wine. She stalked around the sides of the ballroom avoiding all offers of a dance. The only people she would willing dance with were either not present or dancing with someone else in the room. Thomas was dancing with Lucie and Christopher was lingering by the refreshments table, fiddling with something in his hands. Delilah only hoped that it wasn't something that would explode. James and Matthew were nowhere to be found.
From across the room, Lucie's eyes met Delilah's and she said a quick goodbye to Thomas before she began to race over.
"Delilah!" Lucie exclaimed, clutching onto Delilah's arms. "You must come with me to greet Cordelia, it still shocks me that you two haven't met."
Delilah smiled. "Cordelia has arrived?"
Lucie nodded before she gently began pulling her towards the group of adults. "We must rescue her."
Delilah let herself be led by her cousin. Cordelia was easy to spot in the crowd, her red hair standing out in the crowd.
"May I take Cordelia to meet the other girls?" Lucie said to Sona once the two girls were close enough.
"Of course." Sona granted, looking pleased.
"Cordelia Carstairs," said Delilah as the three girls came to a stop near the edge of the dancefloor. "It's so good to meet you. Lucie has told me a lot about you."
Cordelia smiled brightly. "All good things I hope."
"My dear, of course they were," Delilah said.
"Lucie has said in her letters many wonderful things about you as well. She mentioned that you are an exceptional artist," Cordelia commented.
"She is!" Lucie chimed in. "I keep trying to get her to draw scenes from The Beautiful Cordelia but she refuses."
"I only refused because I didn't want to accidentally undermine Cordelia's beauty," Delilah said. "And now I definitely won't." She sent a wink Cordelia's way causing the girl to look down.
Lucie brought Cordelia away from where they were standing and approached another group of girls. Delilah followed silently. Two of the girls –Catherine Townsend and Rosamund Wentworth– Delilah disliked. Although she hadn't spoken to Ariadne much, Delilah remembered liking her when she first met her.
"What a pretty dress," Ariadne said to Cordelia. "I believe that's the shade they call 'ashes of roses.' Very popular in Paris."
"Oh, yes," Cordelia said eagerly. "I did get this dress in Paris, as a matter of fact. On Rue de la Paix. Jeanne Paquin made it herself."
Rosamund's lips tightened. "How fortunate you are. Most of us here in the poky little London Enclave rarely get to travel abroad. You must think us so dull."
Delilah rolled her eyes, taking a rather large swig of her wine to get her through the conversation.
"Oh," said Cordelia. "No, not at all–"
"My mother has always said Shadowhunters aren't meant to have much of an interest in fashion," said Catherine. "She says it's mundane."
"Who cares if it's mundane?" Delilah muttered under her breath, finishing off her wine.
"Since you've spoken of Matthew's clothes admiringly so often," Ariadne began, "should we assume that rule is only for girls?"
"Ariadne, really–" Rosamund began, and broke off with a laugh. "Speak of the devils. Look who's just come in."
Delilah turned to look in Rosamund's eyeline and found Matthew and James entering the ballroom. It had been the first time she had seen them that night.
"They are so handsome," said Catherine. "Don't you think so Ariadne?"
"Oh–yes," Ariadne said hastily. "I suppose."
"She only has eyes for Charles," said Rosamund.
Lucie rolled her eyes. "They're just boys."
"James is your brother," said Catherine. "You cannot be objective, Lucie! He is gorgeous."
"Matthew isn't bad-looking either," said Rosamund. "But so scandalous."
Delilah rolled her eyes again. If the girls found out what she got up to in her own time, she didn't think they would talk about her with high opinion as they did Matthew.
"Indeed," said Catherine. "You must be careful of him, Miss Carstairs. He has a reputation."
"Careful of Matthew?" Delilah laughed in a very unladylike way though all of the girls ignored her.
"We should guess who James will ask to dance first," said a girl whose name had slipped Delilah's mind. "Surely you, Rosamund; you are looking so lovely tonight. Who could resist you?"
"Ah, yes, who will be graced by my brother's attentions?" drawled Lucie. "When he was six, he threw up in his own shoe."
"I somehow believe that no matter what you say they will ignore it." Delilah said, her eyes dancing between the girls whose full attention was on James and Matthew, completely transfixed.
Delilah turned her attention to Matthew and James and as she did so, Matthew looked directly at her before excusing himself from the conversation. He walked over to Delilah without breaking eye contact. Rosamund and Catherine fawned as he walked over, both convinced that he were about to ask one of them. However once Matthew stood before the group, he bowed slightly to Delilah. "Might I have this dance?"
Delilah smiled and took Matthew's hand and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor. Matthew took Delilah's waist and pulled her closer to him. Delilah spared one glance at the group of girls and found Lucie to find a dance partner once again in Thomas and Cordelia had been swept away by James, leaving Rosamund looking fuming once Christopher approached. Delilah smiled.
"What's made you so happy?" Matthew muttered, his mouth close to her ear.
"I just don't like Rosamund." Delilah said with a chuckle.
Matthew chuckled lowly, it vibrated in his chest. "You're not wearing the dress I bought you." Despite his attempts to conceal it, Delilah found a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Instead of the beautiful dress Matthew had purchased for her, she instead sported a deep purple dress that showed off her smooth shoulders. It tightened at her waist before flowing out to the floor, accentuating the curve of her waist. It was a gift from Anna.
"As much as I loved the dress you purchased for me," Delilah began, "I think I will save it for a special occasion."
Matthew pulled back a little to look at Delilah properly. Her thick hair was already fighting to be released from her eccentric updo her mother had done. Matthew found himself brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her cheek for a moment.
"And to whatever that special occasion is," said Delilah, watching Matthew's movements carefully. "You will be the one to accompany me. Because the dress matches your eyes perfectly."
Matthew smiled, a genuine smile. Not the smile he uses to get what he wants. Not the smile he uses as a mask. No, it was a true, genuine smile just for Delilah. Of course Matthew wouldn't admit it to Delilah but had purposely picked that dress with the intention to accompany her wherever she went in it.
Delilah smiled back at Matthew as the grip he had on her waist unconsciously tightened. Delilah's gaze drifted a little to the left and the smile vanished from her face.
"James left Cordelia." Delilah pointed out.
Matthew followed Delilah's gaze. "So he has."
"So go and dance with her!" Delilah stopped dancing.
Matthew furrowed his brows. "But then that would mean I would be leaving you alone."
Delilah looked to her right and found Thomas now on his own, Lucie had completely disappeared. "I won't be alone, Thomas is right there."
Matthew still looked hesitant.
Delilah sighed. "It's not my reputation on the line here, it's Cordelia's. I cannot very well do it."
Matthew stepped back and held Delilah's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, "It has been a pleasure dancing with you, Miss Lightwood."
Delilah rolled her eyes. "Just go."
Matthew smiled before turning on his heel and swept Cordelia up in a dance. Cordelia looked confused momentarily before her eyes landed on Delilah and she smiled gratefully. Delilah offered her a smile in return before she walked over to Thomas and forced him back on the dancefloor.
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