New Gods of North America.

Chapter 741 Meeting
In fact, banquets, like balls, are relatively formal social occasions.
Therefore, many related etiquette rules are designed with an icebreaker element, making it easier for people who may be meeting for the first time but are qualified to approach each other to quickly start communicating.

Because the host family needed to continue greeting guests at the entrance before the banquet, the guests were first led to a so-called "gallery" where they were free to move around after entering.

In the middle were several long, narrow tables, on which were placed exquisite snacks, mainly for decoration, as well as wines, which were actually for stimulating the appetite. The wine glasses were piled up in a pyramid-like shape.

Lina was quite comfortable with this kind of banquet, which was closer to the style of the Old World. She picked up a glass, swirled it, and sniffed it: "Thank goodness it's not Madeira."

Miss Olivia, standing nearby, simply chimed in, "Yes, it's sherry."

These days, there aren't many aperitifs that are acceptable to high society. Sherry is a white wine produced in Franco, and its name actually comes from the town of Franco. Madeira is somewhat like a spiked version of Sherry, usually wine mixed with brandy, which makes the flavor more intense. It was also a trend started by Franco during the Age of Exploration.

Wayne had already been taught about this before, but Westerners generally don't like this kind of difficult and weak "sissy" liquor, so this was the first time he had tasted the real thing.

"Huh? Is this the 'cheetah' mentioned in the story?"

"Wow, it looks like a cat, but the spots are very unique."

"How much did you buy it for? Does it need a dedicated animal trainer? Or is it already trained?"

Holding the initial gathering of guests in the gallery serves two purposes: firstly, it allows those who plan to network to make their first impression on their target audience; secondly, it prevents overly formal or genuinely introverted guests from having nothing to do, at least allowing them to pretend to appreciate the artwork.
When Inessa got out of the car carrying the leopard cub, the owner of the estate, the enormous George Randolph, completely ignored it. Wayne had assumed that such creatures were not uncommon in high society.
As soon as they entered, several young men and women quickly surrounded them, asking all sorts of questions with great curiosity, as if they also wanted to raise one.

However, Inessa was a calm and responsive person, answering their questions one by one while showing off the little leopard.
Soon, the innermost circle was filled with ladies who smelled wonderfully of perfume, while the men could only stand on the outer circle. Even Wayne had to slowly and consciously give way, standing not far away and pretending to admire the oil painting closest to him on the wall, with a quiet chatter in the background behind him.

The oil painting in front of Wayne now depicts a scene from the moment the colonists are about to land on the New World.
In the foreground are bustling ships with sails unfurled, while in the background are indigenous people killing each other on barren land. In the sky, white doves, representing peace and hope, fly with the ships toward the shore. The whole scene exudes a sense of "the arrival of free people means the future of the New World is secured."

"This is a work by the Franco painter Ayejo Fernand. It was once given as a gift to the Franco prince by navigators, and later it ended up in the hands of the people of Windsor, and was finally hung here."

A voice carrying the scent of perfume approached from the side. Wayne turned his head and saw a remarkably beautiful young woman. Her clothes were, of course, lavish, and she looked so young that Wayne wondered if she was even an adult.
After confirming that he did not know her, Wayne nodded in acknowledgment and then, as was customary, introduced himself: "Wayne Constantine."

“Sophia Randolph, George Randolph is my father.” Ladies usually wear gloves when attending formal social events, so this young lady was not stingy and extended her hand to Wayne first, as is customary.

Ok? !

It's not uncommon for handsome men and beautiful women to have children, but how did that enormous fat man give birth to such a delicate and petite daughter?!
Is it biological?
They're her biological children... right?

Before Wayne could even exchange pleasantries or flattery, a slightly disdainful and aloof voice came from the side: "Why didn't you change into the clothes I prepared for you?"

Miss Sophia, standing nearby, reacted even faster, smiling as she greeted the other woman: "Miss Anne."

The person who arrived was Wayne's unrelated cousin, Anne Auster.

Now, two beautiful women who weren't very familiar with each other were sitting together. One was smiling so brightly that it seemed like her collagen was about to overflow, while the other was cold and aloof, as if she were collecting a debt. It was almost like a contrast between "brainless" and "unhappy".

Wayne was quite service-oriented towards the clients who had paid money for the detective agency, and politely replied, "There's no time to spare, so this is the only option."

Actually, Wayne was just too lazy to change. He wasn't here tonight to participate in a talent show; he mainly wanted to get to know the local upper-class gentlemen so that the detective agency could match their names with their faces later.
Why go through all that fancy stuff? It just adds unnecessary variables. "Mr. Wayne is very low-key," Miss Sophia replied, responding to every comment like a straight man.

Anne Auster's expression grew increasingly cold as she turned to look at the other person: "You know him too?"

The girl nodded with a smile: "Mr. Wayne is a very famous detective in Richmond. I have a friend named Harley Quinn who is a fan of his and has collected a lot of news reports about him. Last time when Mr. Wayne offered a reward for the same fingerprints, Harley even looked at all our hands, but unfortunately she couldn't find the same ones."

Anne Auster seemed speechless, and turned to Wayne again: "Are you a private investigator or a socialite? How come all your partners and acquaintances are young and beautiful women?"

Ah this...

The first person Wayne thought of was Bishop Tyrell, who, in his opinion, had absolutely nothing to do with the words "young," "beautiful," and "young lady."

Then Wayne thought about Lina's previous speculation and felt that Annie Auster's reaction was indeed a bit strange when considered all factors.

Oh my god!
I treat you like family, you wouldn't actually want to marry me, would you?
Noticing that Wayne's gaze seemed to be contemplating something potentially "offensive," Annie Auster glared at him.
However, she might have misunderstood, as she gave him a disapproving look: "What? Am I not considered young and beautiful?"

hiss……

If we're only talking about appearance and modeling, Wayne really can't deny Annie Auster's good looks.

But no matter how chaotic things may be in private, the United States and the Old World generally only accept formal monogamy in law and belief; otherwise, you can't even hire a priest or pastor to officiate the wedding.

Choosing between Inessa and Lina alone would be enough to give Wayne a long time to agonize over; Anne Auster was definitely not on Wayne's shortlist...

Wayne didn't think Anne Auster would like him after only two meetings; she was more likely trying to use his status as a "witness to the will" to cause trouble. By the way, Wayne also felt it was a pity she wasn't mute, otherwise, whether it was her looks or their kinship, she would seem more pleasing to the eye.

Just then, Miss Olivia squeezed out from the group of young ladies and joined in the fun, asking, "What about me? Am I one of the young and pretty ones?"

Faced with his sugar daddy's flattery, Wayne immediately reacted, even adopting a somewhat obsequious expression: "Of course, you are one of the most outstanding among them."

The young lady from the Randolph family also jumped on the bandwagon: "Then I..."

"Mr. Pryor!"

Wayne was genuinely afraid to stay among the women any longer. The topics were completely pointless, and he had no idea what they were even arguing about.

Just then, he saw Andrew Pryor looking in their direction, so Wayne greeted him from afar.

Although Wayne disliked this guy even less, he was perfectly qualified as an excuse to leave. So after Wayne explained that "I have something to discuss with the Secretary of State," none of the ladies stopped him, and he was able to leave without any trouble.

After walking a distance, I glanced back briefly.
Miss Sophia of the Randolph family was already wrapped in Anne Auster's arms, like a kitten being grabbed by the scruff of its neck, unable to take advantage of her family's connections to follow along.
Miss Olivia, meanwhile, exchanged a glance with Lina in the crowd, both wearing a subtle, mischievous smile with slightly raised eyebrows.

(End of this chapter)