Antonia's fingers played lightly a moment longer with the longish gold-auburn ends of Thomas' hair as he began to speak, before she moved to take her seat once more. She was content to see that smile returned to his face, and wondered if Thomas had the least notion what a roguish light burned in his own copper eyes when he spoke of these grand ventures. 

Antonia chuckled softly under her breath as she sat back in her seat, lifting her mug of wine to her lips. "Good authority" indeed. But when Captain Lightfoot had finished briefing the crew assembled, she lifted her mug of wine in a silent toast of approval, smiling widely as she nodded to all three assembled that yes, yes of course she was all in with the proffered plan. Antonia took another long drink of her wine, her gaze falling to the first mate and the helmsman expectantly - 

"Tante 'Tonia?" 

Small fingers tapped her shoulder. Startled, the rogue shot straight up in her chair, only just barely sparing her dignity and keeping most of the wine from sputtering out her nose. While the others certainly may have seen the boy approaching behind her in his long white linen nightshirt, Antonia knew exactly who to blame for his impossibly silent steps, and cursed incomprehensibly between coughs. She spun about in her chair, catching her breath and remembering her smile.

Luc's dark, amber-lit eyes met her own, somber and large set in that cherubic face with the halo of ebony curls. [i] "Tante 'Tonia,"[/i] he whispered, his gaze traveling over the other adults gathered at the table, lighting a touch longer on Captain Lightfoot, the man with the gold coins, [i]"I had a nightmare. You weren't abed yet... "[/i] 

Antonia chuckled, shaking her head at her own foolishness, even as she ran her fingers lovingly over the boy's tousled head. She did not need to ask why he had not sought out his Maman or his Papa tonight. When the [i]Dusk Skate[/i] was docked in Port Royal, it was Tante 'Tonia the story teller, the bringer of sweet dreams and silly laughter from the seas who chased away any night terrors. Antonia stood to her feet, nodding politely to them all as she took Luc's smaller hand in her own. 

"Pardonnez-moi," she said softly, ready to take the boy back to his room when he stopped still, peering over his shoulder back to the table, to the intriguing adults gathered about the coin and the drink and all that food.

"Tante 'Tonia, I should like a slice of papaya with candied ginger before bed. Perhaps it would calm my stomach?" 

Antonia blinked in genuine surprise as she looked down at the boy, and then her eyes narrowed shrewdly, thoughtfully. Crafty little thing, he was, and she almost laughed aloud as she watched his gaze move from the grandly-generous captain, to the smiling helmsman with the spectacular lengths of barely-tended blonde hair, to the first mate. Luc's sight lingered some moments on those stunning pale eyes and all that golden hair caught back from her angelic face, and it was his turn to blink now.

[i]"Please?"[/i]

The rogue laughed to herself, still holding the boy's hand as she answered his sweetly duplicitous plea without a word. Taking her seat once more, she offered him her arms to climb into her lap, but Luc took a stop back, shaking his head as he let loose her hand and pushed up a seat from a nearby table, on the side of the table closest to the lovely Nicolette. 

Antonia covered her mouth with her fingers, to keep the laughter behind her lips. "You may stay a moment longer, [i]mon petit chou-chou[/i]," she whispered to Luc, even as his gaze was drawn, time and time again, to linger on the first mate, "But you may not interrupt the conversation of the adults. You understand, yes?" 

Antonia smiled as she halved a papaya with her knife, deftly scooping the seeds from the from the fruit to an extra plate, before halving the cleaned piece yet again and setting both pieces before Luc. "The man with the smile, he is Monsieur Jax. He steers the [i]Dusk Skate,[/i]" she bent to whisper in his ear as he ate the papaya, "And Capitaine Lightfoot you met earlier today, did you not?"

The little boy nodded agreeably, smiling through the ring of papaya juice over his lips. Oh yes, he remembered the man with the gold piece very well! "And this is the First Mate, Mademoiselle Nicolette."

Luc studied the exquisite woman a moment longer, before leaning to Antonia. [i] "Tante 'Tonia, do you think she knows she wears men's clothing?"[/i] he whispered.

Antonia bit her lip the inside of her lip, hard, the only sign of her mirth her softly shaking shoulders. [i] "Yes Luc, I imagine she is well aware of this."[/i]

[i]"She is still so lovely, like the statues of the Blessed Virgin or one of the angels in the church vestibule."[/i]

Antonia reached to the tray she had brought earlier, picking up a few pieces of the candied ginger with her fingers to set before the boy, though her grey eyes turned to the first mate with a slow, thoughtful smile. [i]"Aye Luc, 'tis true, she is."[/i]