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[Lavinia Lockwood]

Lavinia was having one of those tiresome days, where it seemed like no matter how much effort she put in nothing seemed to happen. Her Lady had sent her into the market, on errands - filling her day with menial tasks. Maybe that was why Vinnie felt so bored her nose could fall through her brain. That morning she'd been sent to Nottingham's seamstress - her Lady needed a new gown for the next gathering held in the Great Hall. Thankfully, Vinnie had long ago forged a rapport with said seamstress and got herself a new dress too out of the off-cuts, only for a small extra fee. It all came out of Lady Godwin's pocket in the end, Lavinia hardly felt guilty for utilising a resource.

This dress had bee hidden in the depths of her clothes chest, in her chambers, before even returning to her Lady's side. Not a single thanks was offered when she did return with the gorgeous dress - so unsuitable for a woman like Godwin, so Vinnie thought - instead she got more errands. Rather than entrusting her shopping list to memory, Vinnie had been given a sheet of paper with all that her Lady desried. Ordinarily this would have insulted Lavinia's ability to remember a list of a few items, but today she saw it as an opportunity. There was always the chance she could get someone else to do her dirty work while she did her real job. acquiring information.

Her dark, brown eyes scowered the Market Place, searching for prey. There were a few guards littered around, one flirtatious look and they'd be at her beck and call. But they could send word back to the castle that she was shirking from her duties - if Lady Godwin caught wind of that then she may be dismissed. Vinnie was unsure of how strong her connection with the Sheriff was - there was little evidence to say he'd stand by her side if such a thing happened. No, a guard wouldn't do. Still, there was no harm in a flirtatious glance as she passed them. The wave and smile had had the desired effect on the guards, which pleased Vinnie. The thought that she now had to leave them alone didn't.

Walking passed the stalls she knew she had to visit, Vinnie thought that if she didn't find someone soon then she'd have to do it herself. Something she didn't much fancy doing. There was a lot on that list and she didn't particularly want to lug the basket round the whole market. From just before the courtyard to her lady's room would be alright - the distance wasn't too long - it was the prospect of carrying it backwards and forwards which Lavninia was opposed to. She'd all but given up when she saw her golden opportunity. A clergyman. They were all into random acts of kindness - it was perfect.

Putting on her youthful, innocent look, Lavinia went over to the man - sizing him up as she went. She decided he was a waste of a good-looking man. Why are all the good men dedicated to the cloth? She asked silently. His soft features certainly made him easy on the eyes. "Excuse me, good sir." She feigned a timid nature, head bowed slightly forcing her to look up to him through his lashes. This hopefully gave her an air of innocence, or something of the sort. "I was wondering if you could help me. You see, my Lady has given me this long list of items to purchase, but I don't think I'd be able to carry it all." She lifted to basket to indicate how she'd ba carrying said items. "It's just, you seem like an awful nice fellow and I could really do with the help." To help add to her innocence, Vinnie put on the accent she had before coming to the castle. It made her sound simple and honest - even though she was the complete opposite. To top it all off, she put a friendly smile onto her lips - hoping this would all persuade the clergyman to help her.

((ooc: hope this is ok ))

[Seth Scolari.]

His hands clasped behind his back in a very distinctively poised gesture, Seth surveyed the surroundings. It was blindingly different, visiting this place when he was a grown man, rather than a boy. Near enough twenty years ago, he had taken with his father’s cart, to Nottingham, in order to pitch a meagre stall and sell the produce that had been grown on the small plot of land that the Crawford family had owned. He could remember it as clear as day – He had been so small and young then. Everything seemed much larger now, when he was no longer a seven-year-old boy. It stunned him for a moment, at just how different his life would have been if his childhood had played out any differently. It was one chance in a million that a boy from a village would grow into such a figure, although Seth retained his faith, and he always had. That had been practically the only thing to guide him through the childhood that he had sustained instead. He had a reason to be who he was.

He was unaware as to how long he was expected to stay in Nottingham – He had been granted quarters in the castle under John’s orders to Vaisey, and had his tasks from Rome, from his own superior, who he would not dare disobey, such as was the relationship between the Sheriff and the Prince. Amusingly ironic as it was, given the situation, Seth was an acquaintance of the Plantagenet family – Closer to Richard, and less so of John, although it was the thought of the matter that entertained him. However, regardless of how long he was intended to remain here, he almost enjoyed the break from his duties in Rome, returning to the county where he had been born, and had grown up. This was mainly the reason why he accepted the course of action, and to accompany the rest of the Papal visit to England in the first place. Yet not everything was for his own gain; just most of it. He had not visited his place of birth for near enough twenty years, and now spoke Italian like a native – Albeit with a slight accent. Whether he was English by birth or not, the faint trace of an accent oh so foreign slipped into his words as he spoke to the girl, after she approached him.

“Be it far from me to refuse to help a lady in distress.”

Playing up the situation with his words, a soft smile slipped across Seth’s lips as he spoke to her, looking her over as he did so. She was remarkably attractive for a maidservant, with that fiery red hair. His own looks were more conservative, although still as good looking as she had first thought of him. Gingery-brown hair was brushed back from his face in a carefully conventional style, and, of course, the golden crucifix glinted against the dark robes that he wore. The trinket was not as valuable as it looked, although he believed that he was protected enough. After all, how many people would see it their way to robbing a priest – A high-ranking man of God – In the centre of the bustling marketplace?

Safe in his own thoughts for the moments that passed as he surveyed the situation, his bright blue eyes looked back, into hers as he spoke, a faint twinkle flickering in the corner, although it was extinguished a moment later. He supposed her to be working for some high-up figure in the castle, out of the way for most of the time, except when she was needed, of course. From what Seth had seen of Nottingham twenty years on, it became apparent that those with money flaunted it enough by demonstrating that they had people to do everything for them. Before, such a situation had been less common. Regardless, he was sure that this girl was being paid her way. Seth was sure he would discover that sooner or later, anyway. He expected that she was one for conversation – Charming innocent act or otherwise.

“How may I assist you-?”

[Lavinia Lockwood]

Nottingham had always looked the same to Vinnie; there were just less able-bodied people around the streets and more people living in the slums nowadays. Still, it was all the same to Vinnie - just so long as she stayed high and dry, living the life in the castle, she would be content. She would not go back to the dreary life she held before - it was so lacking in colour. How anyone could be a peasant was beyond her - even when she lived that life she'd almost gone crazy. (Though, some would argue that she still is crazy.) Still, seeing these poor beggars always made Lavinia feel better about herself and the fact that she had bettered herself. She wasn't among the low-life scum anymore. Though, if she was to play the sympathetic role to win over this priesty-guy, she would have to be the simple country bumpkin.

She gave him a grateful smile - one of those wide, happy ones which showed off one's teeth - and a little curtsey. "Thank you sir, you are too kind!" It surprised Vinnie a little to see him take a good look at her. It gave her hope that he wasn't a pretencious preist, like most others were. Maybe he could be broken. Who knew? He would have to lose the religious bling though, or at least hide it. Even the God fearing were tempted by his gold, and there was very little to stop them. Seems people feared the Sheriff more than God - Vinnie had noticed - they were willing to risk His wrath over the Sheriff's. They had a point, at least God was forgiving. And then there were those "dead men" outlaws who cared for naught.

Bringing herself back to the present, Lavinia handed her basket to the clergyman after he spoke. "It's Lavinia, and can you carry this while I shop for my Lady, good sir?" She took out the page covered in her Lady's neat handwriting and showed the list to the priest. "She has a fair amount of demands, and it'll be much too heavy for me to carry. I am only a girl." She laughed a little, to keep the air of innocence and such. "Sometimes, I think my Lady forgets that." Lavinia could be green with pink hair and she doubted Lady Godwin would notice. She was just another object in Lady Godwin's collection of belongings. Though not for long - Vinnie was seeing to that. And now was a brilliant chance.

Starting her walk towards the first stall she needed to visit, Lavinia struck up a conversation with the clergyman. "I don't recall seeing you around before, are you new to Nottingham." Vinnie had an excellent memory for faces - and she definitely would have remembered his. Rather than diving straight into the gossips, Vinnie was doing the ground work - finding out who he is, his name and what he could possibly know. "Do you have a name, good sir?" She asked, with a sideways glance as they reached the first stall.

[Seth Scolari.]

She certainly was eye-catching, that was enough for even Seth to see. Having lived in Italy for many years, since before he could remember, he was recognisably surrounded by those with dark hair and dark eyes – If he stood out enough in himself, this young woman would positively be show-stopping. He noticed her dark, vaguely mysterious eyes, looking him over, and was not used to being scrutinized as such. Then again, he had not encountered very many strangers over the past couple of years. Reclusive was not the right word for the situation, for it was necessary to distance himself from most other people, in order to find spiritual retreat from the situation. At least, that was what he had been told. Regardless, Seth did not automatically assume that a higher status instantly made a person right. Just because John was the prince, that did not make him the best person for the land. However, having previously been a guest of the royal family in London, he did not think it the wisest thing to voice his thoughts in the court of Sheriff Vaisey. Plenty of what he had been told by John and his court had already been disrepute by the people who resided under his command. Seth himself had only recently met the man, although he was sure that no man who preyed upon his people and exploited their weaknesses was in any way a good Sheriff. England’s nobility certainly had a lot to answer to when it came down to lack of judgement and honour. Seth hoped to be the one to instigate questioning.

“A beautiful name, Miss Lavinia.”

Seth smiled. It had been near enough twenty years since he had returned to the place of his birth, and to look around Nottingham town and examine the changes he remembered from a score ago was an interesting take on growing up. Disregarding the new Sheriff, of course. Seth cared for him even less than John, and that was certainly saying something.

“I myself am Seth.”

Well, there was no point in revealing himself completely yet, was there? Until he was due to be back at the castle, which wasn’t for some time yet, as it was still early morning, he might as well take a moment to explore what he could of Nottingham with a local. Whether she was running errands for her mistress at the castle or not was a different matter. He would be interested to meet his Lady Godwin, when he had made himself know as more than another common priest from Kirklees. And he certainly was more than just your average, run-of-the-mill priest, whether he was willing to admit to his status or otherwise. Regardless of whether he had publicised himself as Cencio Scolari, Camerlengo and Chancellor to His Holiness the Pope in Rome, or plain Seth Crawford, he was still a good man, and would assist whenever he was needed. He did not need an unbreakable vow sworn to the Church to tell him that – He merely needed a good heart, and morals enough for two.

“And yes, I would consider myself new to these parts. However, I am only visiting Nottinghamshire, whether it seems like home, even after all this time, or otherwise.”

[Lavinia Lockwood]

Sometimes, Vinnie wondered where all the good looking men went in Nottingham. There were a few gems - like her ex-beau the guard - but most were crusty, filthy, toothless piles of yick. It was nice to see such a handsome face - even if it was wasted on a man of the cloth. Those outlaws were rather handsome too, but again, a waste. They were only going to die. Well, they would have to - else Vinnie would not get the world she promised herself from a young age. Which had also been promised by the Sheriff, sort of. When Vinnie had power, she'd make sure her Lady's name wasn't too far below the outlaws' on the gallow's list. She almost struggled to keep the smug, slightly evil, grin off her face - Vinnie had a facade to keep up here. Somehow she doubted that the priest would stick around if he knew her true face. She sweetened up her smile, almost over doing the innocence.

Ducking her head, Vinnie pretended to blush. "Thank you, good sir. No one has ever regarded me with such kind words before." Sadly, that was true - and it shamed Lavinia to see that she actually had blushed a little. Since when did she blush? Cold, calculating women did not blush! No! Silly, infatuted girls blush. And Lavinia was neither silly nor infatuated. She cursed her womanly ways - it was the only reason the colour did rise in her cheeks. And she blamed the men, for not complimenting her enough so she'd be used to such kind words. That suited her better, so she ditched blaming herself and put all the blame on the men who never showered her with sweet talk. It was all their fault.

Being only eighteen, Vinnie never knew the Nottingham of twenty years ago - and even if she was a couple years older it wasn't like she would remember much. Nottingham, for as long as she could remember, was a dried up, husk of a city - just the way it should be. Bled dry of its life, meaning those pesky pesants couldn't get up to no good. Who'd have the energy? Lavinia was a cruel person, and she loved it! It suited her look, if nothing else. And if one got hung up over every sad story, then they'd never stop crying. It was better to be the one making the sad stories so everyone else became easy to manipulate - for they'd be too busy crying.

"Nice to meet you, Seth. Might I say, that your name's not half bad too?" Batting her eyelids just a smidge, Vinnie thought that a little flirting couldn't hurt. It would hurt her less, in that she wouldn't be so mindlessly bored! Vinnie liked to flirt. But, with a man like Seth she would have to keep it to a minimum. Which really was a shame - he was rather good looking. People could always go astray... Pushing that to the back of her mind, Vinnie returned her attention to the job at hand: Being "Sweet, little Lavinia" who has asked for help with her shopping. "I cannot thank you enough for the help and goodwill you are showing." Eh, so she was laying it a little thick - from past experience, Vinnie knew priests liked being buttered up just as much as anyone. You just have to pick your words carefully.

Listening to Seth, Vinnie got the impression he used to live here - though his soft, foreign accent would suggest otherwise. "Did you used to live in Nottinghamshire?" She tried to sound genuinely interested, as she led him to the first stall she intended to visit. Vinnie knew the stall tender - a little too well - and thought it best to appear to have her attention somewhat comprimised so the stall tender wouldn't talk too much. His words could blow her guise, and Vinnie would be out of a pack mule.

[Seth Scolari.]

Seth felt a smile come to his lips as the girl smiled, even though he had told himself that he should remain completely impartial to the situation. There was nothing worse than giving something away in an expression without meaning to, and he had to make sure that he was extremely careful while in this situation in Nottingham. He didn't know who was around, nor who was watching him at that very moment in time. He knew perfectly well that there were people here who would recognise him, even if he presumed them to be in the tiny minority, compared to those who would not have any idea who he was. Seth liked it that way, when he was completely obscured in a crowd, rather than playing up his status. He had never been one to enjoy such finery as a king would - He had a task to complete, and complete it, he would. But he could not do so if he was dead, and that would appear to be the way that he was heading, if he didn't keep his head down, and his stature hidden.

He knew nothing of her, although he was sure that she didn't wish to blush as she did. There were very few at that age who prided themselves in a blush, preferring to keep their true emotions hidden before those who they would converse with. Then again, maybe he shouldn't have been so sweet with his words towards her. That might have proved something wrong in the whole situation, although he barely knew her enough to describe her character. Was she a woman who liked comments such as that, or did she prefer to be hidden in the background? From what he had seen of her, and her boldness to approach him on the corner of the square, when there were so many others, he could see that she was bold, rather than just a sweet little girl...

"Then you are consorting with the wrong men, my dear, if they do not praise you as often as that blush would suggest!"

He laughed softly, walking beside her with small, calculated steps as they approached the first of the stalls that she intended to visit. However, in the moment that she made sure she looked away from the stall tender, he thought he saw something else in her personality. Now, Seth was a clever man. He could not have got where he was without having a smart mind, and being able to pick up on things that some other people would not even notice. Was she... Hiding something? The way that Lavinia looked away from the man, keeping her head ducked as though she did not wish to be seen and recognised would suggest that there was certainly something that she was not telling her new companion. Regardless, Seth pushed the thought to the back of his mind for a moment, for aide later, concentrating instead on the question that she had asked him, and wondering how much information he should give, and was willing to give, in return to what she had said to him - Which wasn't much.

"I was born here, in a small village that would have been just down the main track, towards Clun, although that was over a score ago - I barely remember the place as it was. It is long gone now, of course. Burnt to a cinder when I was just a boy. I was lucky enough to make a home elsewhere."

[Lavinia Lockwood]

In some ways, Lavinia and Seth were very similar - both dedicated to their causes. And determined to see them through. But alas, Lavinia was no more aware of this than Seth was likely to be. She was more concerned with seeing her cause to the end. She was a quater of the way there - he held the basket, not she. It was a start. All that was left to do was gather the items then taken them back to the castle. It seemed like a small task when said like that, but Vinnie knew only too well how time consuming Lady Godwin's shopping could be. She silently grumbled to herself, swearing to give that pretencious woman the most awkward shopping list when the tables were turned. She could almost taste how sweet it would be there and then.

It occured to Vinnie that it was also the clergyman's fault for her blushing - but she wasn't about to reprimand him from complimenting her. She liked compliments. They fed her ego, if nothing else. The sweeter the word, the more Lavinia liked it. Her ex-courter used to feed her honey dipped words, but they turned all too sour all too quickly. She would have her revenge - Andrew Bennett barely knew half of Lavinia Lockwood, and she knew he wasn't going to enjoy meeting the rest of her. She would make sure of that! Suddenly realising how off track her mind had gotten, Lavinia turned her attentions back to the attractive man beside her. How she'd ever gotten side tracked from him, she'd never know!

Keeping up this blushing teen appearance, Vinnie gushed a little. Blushing had worked to her advantage, so it had seemed. Maybe this priest would trust her more if she seemed like a pure and simple little girl. Maybe she could find a few things out about him - pass it onto the Sheriff. He liked tidbits of information. Especially on those higher standing members of his court - like clergymen. She tried to wave off Seth's comment. "I live and work in the castle. It's either guards or wayward noblemen who would grace me with such words - neither of which I wish to be associated with." She lied through her teeth, with great skill to make the words sound as true as she stood there. She had been associated with guards, and the odd wayward nobleman. It made life more interesting.

Vinnie knew that she was acting obviously different around the stall tender, but it couldn't be helped. She couldn't risk the clueless man giving anything away about her self. Besides, she already had a story to feed Seth - if he chose to ask. A simple lie about how he tried to lead an impressionable young girl astray - that would do the trick. Only risk would be Seth going to set the man straight. Though, that too could work in her favour. Vinnie had tried to lead the stall tender aside - but who was Seth more likely to believe? The bright eyed girl or the weathered man? It was stupid to ask really.

Listening to his words, Vinnie wondered how much she should react to it. Thankfully, he gave her something to act all girly and exaggerated over. (She liked playing that - it was fun.) "Oh my gosh! How horrible! Who could do such a thing?" Her voice was filled with shock, but her mind barely registered the "desvastation". Since working under the Sheriff, she'd seen a lot worse. Burning one's house to the ground was getting off light nowadays. It was when members of the family were condemed to remain inside, that was when things got horrific. But still, Vinnie had a part to play. Placing a soft, comforting hand on his arm, she asked, "However did you get through that?" It was hard to say whether she was truely interested, but it helped her if she was.