Who: Leah and Gabriel What: Leah's been at the Academy a week. Time to check in. Where: Miss Lydia's When: 8 June 1888 Ratings/warnings: PG?
It’d been a week since Leah’d started her employ at Miss Lydia’s. A week where the house had been glaringly empty without her, and where Gabriel vacillated between concern and doubt. He knew his daughter was stubborn, and would stick it out on principle even if it wasn’t the best solution for her, and he wanted to give her some space to settle, to establish her own impressions of the place before swooping in or hovering too much -- Lydia required a month’s probation if Leah insisted on being treated like every other employee, after which point, his daughter could move more freely back and forth between the two worlds she’d be inhabiting (if she chose to keep it up, that is).
He couldn’t stay away a month, however. It simply wasn’t possible. So he managed to hold off for a week, at which point he dipped his head into Miss Lydia’s and told the lady that he had some business to attend to, and in addition, he’d appreciate a brief interview in his office with the newest employee to see how she was doing.
Leah wouldn’t go so far as to say she hated Miss Lydia’s.
The staff overall seemed quite welcoming of the new girl. Aside from one or two that seemed to resent her presence or viewed her as some kind of threat she had no complaints whatsoever about the way she’d been treated by the other ‘musicians’. Miss Lydia seemed to hover a bit much for her tastes, but Leah put it down to keeping an eye on the new girl and did her best not to take offense.
She would even admit that a few of her times with clients (especially the group that first night with Georgie and Nora) had been wonderful experiences, and she’d never been so sated nutritionally since she’d manifested.
But a pretty cage with plenty to eat was still a cage, and the longer she stayed in it the angrier she became. Not so much at her father (though there was some of that for forcing the issue even if she couldn’t blame him intellectually) but at society in general that made it enormously difficult and potentially ruinous for a young woman of her station to have relations outside of marriage. And that young women in dire straights might be forced into such a profession against their will, for lack of better options.
She’d agreed to stay through the probationary period and by god she was going to, come what may.
On a more personal level, she was terribly homesick. She missed her own room, her own bed, her friends, her horse and the family pets. She missed her father, whom she hadn’t seen since that first night. While there’d been times where she wouldn’t see him for a week or two at a time when he was across the channel in France, there’d been regular communication by letter between the two during those absences. This had been the longest time in her life where she’d neither seen or heard from her father, and it hurt.
So when Miss Lydia informed her that 'Mr. Gabriel' wanted to see her, she’d kissed the client whose lap she was sitting on as a way of apology for leaving and got up to go see her father. It was all she could do to keep from running to the office, and she was sure her pace was a little faster than it should have been.
A knock on the door. "Miss Lydia said you wanted to see me, Mr. Gabriel?"
He looked up, beyond relieved to see her, and feeling that ongoing ache in his chest twist a little further at the expression on her face. He’d left her in a temper (not that he blamed her for it, not entirely), and there was a part of him who’d feared she’d stay away entirely.
"Good, yes, come in please," he managed, and as soon as the door was closed, he was on his feet, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles, an apology and gratitude all wrapped up together.
"It’s so good to see you, kitten," he said quietly as he released her hands, searching her face for signs of anger or some deep hurt. "Please, sit? Tell me, are you quite alright?"
"Papa." Leah put her arms around him in a brief hug after he released her hands, breathing in his scent and blinking back happy tears. "I’ve missed you." Had he stayed away because she’d been cross with him? She hoped not, it wasn’t like him but these weren’t normal circumstances.
She sat down in the offered chair and adjusted her dress, even after a week she still wasn’t quite used to how it fit or put herself out for display.
"Am I alright?" Leah pondered the question for a moment. Did she lie and say everything was wonderful, or tell the truth? "I don’t know." She finally answered, a bit reluctant to admit it. "Everyone has been perfectly nice to me," well, almost everyone but she wasn’t worried about one or two malcontents. "I’m terribly homesick though." There, she’d said it, but hurried to add: "I signed a contract, even if it was as Vicky, and I’ll stick with it." She hated the idea of being stuck in the brothel for three more weeks, but if she were let out early without leaving permanently how could Vicky claim to not have received special treatment?
Gabriel frowned a bit, leaning forward in his chair. "If you’re sticking it out to prove a point…" he said, quietly, "heaven knows, I’m well aware already of your resolve.” He looked at her gravely. "If you want to consider other options, options that leave you less exposed, now that you’ve had a chance to see what it’s like, that’s more than fair." He gave her a careful, considering look before sighing and leaning back in his chair again.
"I miss you too, kitten. Horribly. The house is so empty without you in it. I was trying not to hover, I know it’s difficult enough already, and after a month you’ll have much more freedom to come and go, but…" he shook his head. "This is new territory, for both of us, and I don’t quite know what would be best," he said, looking at her evenly. "What do you need? What can I do?"
"It's not entirely about proving a point." Which meant that it was at least partially about just that. "If I'm even going to try and pull off keeping the identities separate then Vicky can't be seen getting special treatment, not this early anyway." She shook her head. "I don't know if this is the best fit for me, I'll come out and say it. But at the same time you were right that what I was doing before wasn't working, after feeding here for a week I understand that better." At least on the nutrition side of things, and the cost of replacing servants. "It isn't a good idea to close off options just because I don't particularly like them."
If nothing else the last week had opened her eyes to a number of different issues. Once free to resume being herself the local Suffragette committee would be hearing from her. Things had to change for women.
He nodded thoughtfully, pleased at her even assessment. It was difficult for her, he knew that -- he himself had far easier movement and access, and while he didn’t want to gain a reputation for being a rake, he knew there were certain assumptions about what was expected of him that gave him far greater leeway compared what was expected of his daughter, even though he had to be particularly cautious on certain fronts.
"So you’re currently planning on giving the next few weeks a go, then," he said, tapping his hand on his leg. "And after… you could always have a sickly relative that’d make it possible to come by once or twice a week. We’ve had a few who’ve made such arrangements -- their weekly salary is adjusted to an hourly rate -- but I would recommend keeping to a fairly regular schedule for at least the first few months."
He shifted in his chair. "And what of my being here for the next few weeks? Should I keep to my usual ways? Come more often?" He paused. "Less?" He added, uncertain.
"If it was a perfect world I'd say the hell with it and leave now," she liked the people she worked with but hated being ‘the product’, hated it, even if it let her feed as much as she wanted. "But it isn't, so I'll be a good soldier and see it through to the end of my probation." After that she'd have to start investigating other means of getting what she needed beyond screwing the servants or putting herself out as a whore, because neither of those were going to work long term.
At his last question she arched an eyebrow. "Why would Mr. Gabriel suddenly alter his schedule? The girls are already gossiping about you staying away for a week."
Knowing this was less than ideal was one thing, but he could see that his daughter was both less than happy in her current position, and utterly determined to see it through. He sighed a little, reaching across the desk for his daughter’s hand to clasp it briefly. “We’ll revisit again in a month, then,” he said, nodding his head. "Whatever you decide would be best after, I’m willing to work with you to make it possible."
Within reason was implied rather than spoken -- they wouldn’t be going back to using stableboys, for one.
He gave her hand a quick squeeze and leaned back in his chair. "I know this isn’t easy for you, Leah. That you’re…" he winced a little. "That you’re biding your time. I realize my presence the other day wasn’t particularly appreciated, and the last thing in the world I’d want is to make things more difficult, or embarrassing for you. I can handle a touch of gossip." He shrugged. "I want to know what you’d prefer."
She had so little choice, ultimately, he figured it was the least courtesy he could extend to her.
A nod was her response to the implied understanding. She had no desire to go back to stableboys either, not after what she’d experienced over the last week. Though there was that one in the public livery down the way...
"Thank you papa." She appreciated both his willingness to work with her and the offer to stay away. It had been humiliating having him there that first night, but at the same time she was glad he’d come by and seen just what it meant to have her come work here. One day she’d make it so women would never have to sell themselves to make a living if they didn’t want to, that there would always be some other option. Be it through politics or business, she’d find a way, somehow.
"We’ll come up with a plan. Continuing to work here part time is probably my best way of staying properly fed, for now." Even if she detested the idea. "As for you staying away..." she squeezed his hand. “I miss you. I don’t want you to be gone all the rest of my probation. Even if that means I have to interact with you as my employer rather than my father." It would be beyond strange for him to keep calling the new girl into his office, and she didn’t want to get a ‘boss’s pet’ situation going on among the rest of the ‘musicians’. Even if she didn’t plan on being here more than necessary once her probation was up.
Gabriel nodded. "Good," he replied. "I’ll keep to my usual rounds, and do my best to let you make your way without hovering too badly. And yes, we shall. I have no doubt of that."
He’d been heartsick after the way they’d ended things last week -- and while he knew the last week hadn’t been ideal for her, it was still a relief to know he hadn’t irreparably damaged the relationship he had with his daughter.
Leah got up from her chair and came around the desk to give her father another hug. She probably wouldn't get another chance for a few weeks until her probation was up. "I love you papa, I'm sorry I was cross the other day."