Lechance

Ben came home in the rain, water pouring off of his jacket and slicking his hair to his head. He closed the door with his hip, cradling his closed jacket which suddenly, meowed in protest.

He called out, "Jon?"

Tea had gone better than Sadie had expected. Afterwards, she found herself loathe to part from Daniel's company and in a hurried, hushed conversation with her assistant in the back room agreed to close the shop for awhile.

"If you'd like," she said, coming back into the main showroom and hoping she looked calm and collected. "We've not a lot of work this afternoon, and the weather is fine. Perhaps we could take a stroll?"

Unwinding by horseriding was definitely the way to do it, thought Jonas to himself as he rode Ginger through town, Digger trotting alongside. Ginger had thankfully recovered extremely well from her bad experience the day the spiders had attacked the stables, the only visible sign a shiny pink scar on her left front leg.

"Mornin'," he called out to the person walking towards him.

Effie was still tucking her shawl back into place as she came out of Dr. Roberts' office, a shy smile on her face as she looked for her husband. Four months gone, and she was beginning to show, stays laced looser, and her dresses let out as far as their seams would allow.

Dear Patrick,

A talk at the singles mixer reminded me that it has been forever since I have had the pleasure of hearing from you.

How are you keeping?

Regards,
Amy Mias

Staff was a little short-handed today so besides working the crowd, Obediah found himself actually working. When he noticed a table that hadn't been served yet, he set aside his guitar and walked over.

"Good afternoon," he said with a smile. "Welcome to the Black Sheep. What can I get for you today?"

Surgery hours had finished, and Paul had agreed that Harry and Elspeth should leave early. Something about the look in Elspeth's eye had made him very careful not to enquire why.

It left him sitting in the library, ostensibly reading the latest edition of the Journal of Medical Science, but in actuality thinking more about the dismembered mechanical spider he'd seen, and slowly rolling Scotch around a tumbler more than actually drinking it, waiting for Jay to return from teaching.

Paul had been to see the spider, and was still considering the engineering detail he'd seen as he walked down the street towards his house. That was probably why he wasn't paying as much attention to his surroundings as he should have been, and very nearly walked into someone.

Only nearly.

He pulled back just in time, raising his hat automatically in greeting. "I apologize, I didn't see you. I didn't step on you, did I?"

It was a clear morning when Effie set out to find Mr. Nordstrom's store. She still wasn't quite used to walking around town alone, but there was nothing improper to it. No longer. Nothing improper, either, in a married woman calling at a gentleman's outfitters.

A light shawl was draped around her shoulders, and a basket on her arm held samples of thread and lace. The doorbell chimed as she opened it, blinking slightly to adjust her eyes to the lower light levels inside the store. "Mr. Nordstrom? Are ye in?"

She'd already had several shifts standing guard in the "spider room" in the mayor's salon. That wasn't it's official name of course, but what she'd taken to calling it. She'd taken another look at the bits and pieces but couldn't make any more sense of them then she had the first time.

Leo straightened when she heard footsteps and moved away for the new occupant.

"Afternoon," she said.

The mixer was very well chaperoned, hosted at the hotel by Ms. Sheedy. There was a piano player for music, a buffet against one wall. There were tables for eating and talking, and a space set aside for dancing. Under Ms. Sheedy's beady eye.

Some of the Beloveds at the hotel had arrived early to help set up the room so even by the time it officially 'opened' at 6 pm there was a bit of a crowd of unmarried people.

2pm Friday and Delilah was awaiting Edward's arrival. They had no bookings for the afternoon, and so she'd decided to lock up the studio for a few hours. Gareth, her assistant had invited along his husband Charles, and all three were currently chatting animatedly about future plans, standing around by the till.

Ever since the trip out to the fissure, Santiago had been using his free time to try to help develop some way of moving the rocks out of the cavern. He'd put his mind and hammer to trying to create some way to shield workers from the intense heat but had not had much success yet.

He was out in the yard of the smithy, staring down at a large sheet of metal when he realized he was no longer alone.

"My apologies," he said.

Delphina went straight home, as soon as she was dismissed. She was anxious to see Hattie. Not so much to tell her all they'd discovered or seen, but to reassure herself that things were not as strange at home.

And, frankly, just to see her wife. The idea of having a Beloved to come home to had not yet grown old.

So she whisked from room to room, calling, "Hattie? Are you here?"

7pm, and Jonas arrived promptly at Mercedes'. He was slowly unwinding from a difficult day, and he was eternally grateful that Mercedes had invited him over. It was just the tonic he needed.

He smiled broadly as he knocked on the door.

Sir,

Just to let you know that your patrol has returned safe and well back home. We had some interesting discoveries along our way, which I would like to discuss with you, if I could beg a moment of your time either tonight or tomorrow?

Your humble servant,

Jonas Wilder (Sheriff)

Dear Mercedes,

Just a quick note to let you know we have all arrived safely back from our business at the fissure. If you'll forgive my boldness, is the offer of dinner still open? I must confess to a great desire to see you soon.

My love and affection,

J.Wilder

Effie wasn't entirely calm about the notion of entertaining her first visitor in Jonathan's house. She'd made sure the parlour was clean, that there was fresh cake, and that the tea was set and ready to come through. All she needed now was her visitor.

And oh, stars, she couldn't just sit quietly waiting. Instead, she sat at her desk, carefully removing pins from a length of edging, and placing them into the pincushion tied to her wrist.

The tune had been forming in his head all day. Finally, he escaped to one of the rooms upstairs at the pub and wrote until he had something he liked. It was short but to the point (and he could always add more verses later). He made a good copy, folded and sealed it, and snuck home to leave it where Charles would find it.

( When Love Gets You Fast in Her Clutches )





OOC: Composed by Dr. [Samuel] Arnold, 1740-1802

Dearest Julian,

I oft times wonder if you realize how proud it makes me to be your husband. That sounds bad, does it not? To be proud and yet I am. In all my childhood dreams, I never truly believed I would find someone that makes me feel as you do. When you are near, I am at peace with all things-myself, our family, our future. Even with the recent events scratching at the foundations of that security, I believe that my choice to come here was the right one. It brought me you and Michel and that is worth more than anything I can imagine.

I do not know what prompted me to write this, but I felt I needed to let you know how much you mean to me.

All my heart,
Theo