Who: Keira and Leah What: First time meeting When: August 2nd, 1888 Where: Hidden Treasures Warning: None
Keira was in better spirits today than she had been. After the surprise of Gabriel showing up at L’albergo, she’d been grumpy and snappy. She hadn’t heard anything from Gabriel and she was hurt. It wasn’t until she decided to take matters into her own hands, which meant baking a pie and taking it to see him so she’d have reason to show up, that things between them were resolved. She’d spilled all of her secrets to him, wanting him to know her better than anyone else.
Since then, she’d been in a better mood, which seemed to be better for everyone around her. Today she was humming, setting pies and cakes in the little glass casing for everyone to see. She was just finishing up when she heard the little bell above her door ring out to alert her that a customer had stepped in.
“Good afternoon,” she called out, standing from where she had been squatting and wiping her hands on a towel. When she laid her eyes on the tall, blonde headed woman, the first word that popped into her head was ‘beautiful’. She cleared her throat and realized the woman wasn’t someone that had been a customer before, or at least she hadn’t been a customer when Keira was in. “Welcome to Hidden Treasures,” she smiled. “First time in?”
“Yes it is,” Leah smiled at the pretty redhead. “It came highly recommended, so I thought I’d see for myself.” And to see the owner who had caught her father’s eye, who must be the vision in front of her.
She had listened to her father describe the shop and had tasted some of the treats he’d brought home from his last trip, and had decided she’d needed to visit the establishment herself at one point. Now she’d finally had the opportunity, partially because she’d quit giving a damn about what was proper for a young woman on her own. Of course Hidden Treasures wasn’t exactly in a rough part of the city, so it wasn’t as if she were risking her virtue (hah!) by travelling there in a rented hansom cab.
“Fantastic!” Keira exclaimed. She was giddy that word was getting around about her shop and that new faces were coming in. “I highly recommend Hidden Treasures, too, but I’m biased,” she giggled. “I’m Keira Adams, proprietor,” she smiled. “I have a big selection of teas, and if I don’t have what you may want I’ll have it here the next time you come in,” she stated.
“Who, may I ask, recommended Hidden Treasures?” She asked. “No, let me guess,” she said with shining eyes. “Was it Mrs. Harlow? She just loves my Manchester Puddings,” she looked at the woman and waited for an answer.”
“No, not Mrs Harlow.” Leah smiled, curious as to the reaction she might get from the redhead. “Actually it was my father, Gabriel Allen. He’s been raving about this place and I just had to see it.” There was something about the proprietress that twigged Leah’s supernatural senses, besides the pretty features and red hair. A faint hint of the sea perhaps. Something told her that the woman was more than she appeared.
Keira was ready to guess a few more names, she just thought she knew who it was. None of the names had been the one that the the woman gave out. She opened her mouth to say something, and then her lips were spreading into a smile and she actually flushed. He had never mentioned having a daughter and she wondered why he would have kept her a secret. Or maybe it just hadn’t come up. “Oh yes, I do know your father,” she smiled. “He likes my...well...I think he likes everything,” she chuckled. “I have not found anything he does not like, yet.”
“He does have a weakness for sweets.” Leah agreed, observing the other woman's reaction. And perhaps for Keira as well, though time would tell on that score. “He enjoys them even more than I do and I have a horrible sweet tooth.”
She glanced about the room. “What would you recommend for someone who's never been here before?”
“That he does,” she said of Leah’s father liking sweets. “So far he’s not turned down anything that I’ve given him,” she chuckled. She had even delivered pies and cakes to his house when she had more than she could manage.
“Hmmm,” Keira hummed out and looked at Leah thoughtfully. “I think that you might enjoy my miniature sponge cakes with raspberry preserve filling,” she said with a nod. “And of course a cup of tea.” She pulled out two of her miniature cakes and placed them on a plate on the counter. “What type of tea do you like?”
“That sounds delicious.” Leah made her tea selection and waited for the substance to be drinkable. “Have you been in business long? Father only started mentioning this place a few months ago.”
Keira went about making the tea of Leah and then grabbing a fork for the tiny cakes. “On the house,” she said when she had slide the cup of tea and saucer to the woman. “I’ve had the business going for almost two years,” she said. “You father started coming in about a year ago,” she said after a moment of thought. “I was just thinking a moment ago that you father hadn’t mentioned you to me at all,” she said. “But I do recall one conversation that he had a daughter that had gone to University as I had mentioned it was something that I was doing,” she stated. “He didn’t mention how lovely you were,” she then smiled. “Are you still in school? Or do you do something else now?”
A look at the woman’s left hand told her that she wasn’t married, and then she realized that Leah was most likely like her father. Did Incubus get married? She didn’t think so, they were like mermaids, really, and didn’t settle down with just one person, but she could assume that like some mermaids they could take to just one mate.
“Thank you, so are you.” She didn’t mind compliments, and the other woman was quite beautiful herself. Leah took a sip of tea and smiled, “Delicious. And to your question, I finished university this spring. I’m looking to get involved in business but haven’t found a suitable position yet. What are you studying at university? We need all the educated women in society we can get, in my opinion.”
There was no way in hell she was going to mention her part time work at Miss Lydia’s. that wasn’t going to last any longer than she could possibly help it and was working.
“I’m in the Science program,” she answered. “Studying business with a side order of French,” she smiled. “First year, so I’m just getting started,” she explained. “I thought if I was going to have a successful business, I should probably get educated in it,” she pointed out. “I agree that we need educated women in society, we can’t all just sit at home and let the men make all the decisions, can we?” She chuckled. She didn’t mention that she was also trained, or schooled, in how to fight and defend herself as well as how to pick pockets.
She was pleased that Leah was delighted with her tea, happy that another customer was happy. “So you want to work in business, but haven’t decided what type yet?” She asked.
“That’s right. More like looking for the right opportunity than haven’t decided on what type. I have my own money so it isn’t as if I have to jump at the first position that comes my way if I don’t think it’s the right fit or I don’t like the company. I studied business myself so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we’ve had some of the same professors.”
Keira nodded, they probably had had the same professors. “Professor Elton, he is rather hard on me,” she mused. “Do you remember him? He’s very...particular and I have a feeling that he doesn’t like females in general or he doesn’t believe females should be at University,” she sighed. “I..fell into the tea business by accident I suppose. It was the one thing my late husband though I did very well, make tea and treats,” she said. “So, when I found myself in London, I decided that it was what I would do, and I’m happy I did so,” she nodded. “I’m sure that you’ll find your business soon enough, you have time.”