in the kitchen, cooking; open reception
Having gone through all the 'hellos' and 'how are yous', Jefferson situated James in what was possibly his most uncomfortable test to date. It was a gamble, sticking him in with so many open and generally compassionate people at one time, especially with him still practically clinging to Jefferson's ankles. Though the Hatter was confident in the long run, this would only do him good, he just needed to acclimate.
After explaining that he needed to concentrate in the kitchen and that while James could come keep him company there it was best he wasn't rude to their hosts. He wondered how long James would last before he deemed what was rude and what wasn't.
With everything already gathered and laid out for him, Jefferson was content to escape to the kitchen for some cooking. Even he was still getting used to the whole family circle thing, still not yet having been around all of them at once, and to James' credit, it was suffocating. But like his twin, he too had mastered adapting, kept his smile on, and went with it until he could resume a few moments of peace while he made their dinner.
Not that he didn't expect anyone to come eventually.