Men's Second Style

The snow crunched under Etienne’s feet as he slowly and deliberately made his way across the great open space that would, in warmer weather, be a verdant lawn. It was a long way from the manor house to the stand of trees on the south side of the grounds, and already he was beginning to feel the chill. It would not do for him to be shivering with cold; it simply would not.

Even at this distance, he could see clearly that Charlot had not yet arrived. Charlot Archambault, that silly, stupid bastard. And neither had either of their cowardly seconds. Etienne wondered if Charlot would try to back out, citing the absence of one or both seconds. Well, they would simply have to rouse and recruit someone from the house, if it came to that. For he was Etienne de Chandagnac, his honor had been impugned, and he would see this thing done.

Why Charlot had not insisted on pistols was beyond him. Charlot was a better shot—only slightly, truth be told, yet still—while Etienne was by far the better swordsman. This morning, they would be far from evenly matched. Etienne was having great difficulting finding any concern in his heart for this particular disparity. Yet still he wondered.

The nature of their dispute hardly mattered. Needless to say, there was a lady involved, and quite a lady at that. Geneviève du Pointe du Lac was hardly an ordinary lady, if such a thing even existed. She was barely more than a girl, and her beauty was almost unearthly—complexion stylishly pale without reliance on excessive (or seemly any) powder, aquiline features that were sharp without seeming hard, eyes that seemed somehow ancient in a face so very young. It was impossible not to notice her, and to look at her, long and often, propriety be damned. Although she offered no signs of outward encouragement, still it felt as if she more than desired the attention. It was almost as if she willed it.

Needless to say, the lady Geneviève had attracted the attentions of virtually all the eligible gentlemen in her social orbit, of course including both himself and Charlot. In the end, it was inevitable that they should come first to gentlemanly confrontation, eventually to harsh words, and ultimately to a call to duel.

Etienne looked up and saw Charlot in the distance, straggling across the snow-covered lawn. There was movement at the great door of the main house, as well, and he knew their seconds would be along in short order. Etienne sighed, sorry that it should have come to this. But he would not be bested, and he would win the lady Geneviève’s hand. Or at least her attentions for a fortnight.

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Photos Nikolaidis’ “Etienne” suit is a beautiful example of stylized yet authentic period attire for the discerning gentleman in SL. The full suit is made up of coat, vest, shirt, breeches, stockings, and tricorner hat . The shirt’s high collar includes a fluffy jabot; the strikingly angular coat collar (with lapels) and cuffs for jacket, shirt, and breeches feature shiny silver fleur-de-lis embellishments. Both coat and shirt can be worn with or without flexi lace at the cuffs, and the stockings are provided in six pale colors. Clothing items are included on all appropriate garment layers, for your convenience.

Choose from Anthracite, Brown, White, Plum, Peach, and Blue. L$430 each as color-coordinated suits on SL Marketplace, or mix and match individual pieces at A:S:S Decades – Historical Clothing for Men. You’ll also find free short white silk gloves and a set of period-appropriate mouches in the store.

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Photographed on location at Chateau de Versailles (Chateau de Versailles 82, 8, 28).

On Ryan: “Nowaki” skin and shape by AdamnEve Core (BND). “Enzo” hairstyle by Alair Cortes (Pocket Mirrors). Buckle Shoes and Green Lens Goggles by Arundelain Dumart (Arundel Design). Rapier by Grandmaster Rexen (available on SL Marketplace).