Lechance

Obediah had given Mrs. Jenkins the afternoon off from the pub and then promptly corraled her into chaperoning his call on Charles. He showed up at the hotel promptly asked one of the maids to announce him and then went through to the sitting room.

He cleared off a little side table and sat the covered basket he'd been carrying on it. The aroma of freshly-baked bread began to fill the room.

Paul called at the sheriff's house on the way to the Beloveds' hotel. His suit was still a little creased from being folded in his traveling trunk, which annoyed him, but he hadn't had time to let it hang any longer to allow the creases to drop out. It was, at least, smart and clean.

It was his first courting call in nearly eighteen years.

Arriving at the hotel, he took a deep breath, summoned a smile for Jonas, and went to the desk, requesting that his card should be delivered to Ms. Mias to announce his arrival, then turned back to Jonas. "It's really terribly kind of you to do this," he said, quite sincerely. "For a newcomer, as well."