Taking Tea (Invite Only)

[Valentina Audley]

The tea shop was a neat and dainty place, with roses in vases on the table, a tempting array of cakes in the window and a cheerful fire in the grate. Brisk and smiling waitresses are bustling about the place delivering tea and cake to the tables of genteel looking ladies and gentleman filling the place.

Valentina looks a little out of place, her solemn black mourning gown garnering her sympathetic glances which she's ignoring as she sits waiting for her guests to arrive. She's managed to wangle an out of the way table in a corner and has seated herself facing the door. There's a pot of tea, gently steaming in front of her and three dainty cups set out at the table.

A few tables away, the observant watcher will notice Ancilla Noel Hamlyn, carefully positioned between Valentina and the door, yet far enough away to allow a pretense of privacy.

[Bronwyn93]

Angelina stepped into the warm tea shop, and smiled at the delicate peal of the bell over the door. The room smelled welcoming. She looked around, taking in the setting, and spotting the Toreador Ancilla sitting in the corner. The neonate moved through the room over to the table and dipped a curtsey.

"Good evening Miss Audley" Angelina greeted

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina smiles warmly at Angelina, having nodded to Hamlyn as the neonate entered.

"Darling, good evening! Please, do join me." And she gestures to the free chairs. "How have you been keeping these nights?"

[Bronwyn93]

Angelina took a seat with a smile, setting her small floral diary to the side on the table, as she adjusted her skirt to sit properly once she was in the seat.

"Thank you. I am keeping well, and yourself?" She asked glancing around the comfortable room, content.

[Meredith Llewelyn]

Outside the tea shop Meredith smoothed down her skirt and retied a bit of loose hair, she hoped the others would forgive her for her lateness. She had only stopped to watch a beautiful mare strolling by and seemed to get lost in thought of drawing the magnificent creature.

Quickly opening the door, she looked around the beautiful tea room. The smells of sweet pastry and earl grey tea reaching her noise in the same instant she spotted the ladies she was meeting. Walking in quick but smooth place, she gave a curtsey to the two Roses.

'Ancilla Audley, Neonate Angelina. How delighted I am to see you both and finally have an opportunity for tea and cake, as well as a bit of chatter." She smiles pleasantly at you both. "I do hope you haven't been waiting long?"

[Valentina Audley]

As Meredith enters, again the slight nod to Hamlyn. Then Valentina turns her attention to the new comer and smiles sweetly.

"Ah, Lady Llewelyn, how lovely to see you! And no, not at all. Miss Fontaine has only just arrived so we can hardly call ourselves well gathered!" And she gives a light laugh.

"As to your question Miss Fontaine, I am as well as can be expected thank you." And she smiles at Angelina, smoothing the roses tucked into her belt with a delicate finger.

A waitress looks to be heading their way, so rather than asking anything masquerade breaching, she merely smiles and says "I have it on good authority that the best of all the cakes in that case is the lemon drizzle, though, strictly between you and me, I cannot help but be tempted by the little iced squares with the candied violets on them. They just looks so adorably sweet, don't they?"

As she finishes talking the waitress arrives, pencil poised and asks politely "Your orders please ladies?"

[Meredith Llewelyn]

Meredith smiles at the waitress, "I think I will have the jam tarts, I know for some they can be quite simple but sometimes the best things are. And for the tea, let's see...Yes. Rosebud please?"

The waitress writes down Meredith's order while she looks to the other two ladies, "Will you go for the iced squares? They are ever so beautiful and a real treat!"

[Bronwyn93]

Angelina smiled brightly at Meredith as well and waved for the seat. "No, no, I have only just arrived. I have just sat down. please, sit." She smiled warmly.

Angelina looked up at the waitress and smiled. "I will most certainly go for the iced squares then, they sound delicious." She agreed lightly. "And a lavender tea please." She smiled, and looked over at the Ancilla at the table for her order too.

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina smiles politely at the waitress. "Yes, an iced square for me too please and Earl Grey for me, thank-you."

She waits until the waitress has gotten out of ear shot then smiles at the other two.

"So... what's new in Aquae Sulis these nights?" She pauses before curiosity gets the better of her. "And Meredith darling, just who has been speaking to you of such vulgar things as you wrote in your last letter? I confess I am entirely agog with curiosity!"

[Meredith Llewelyn]

Meredith sits flustered in her seat for a moment, whispering too Valentina "I'm not sure if that conversation is quite proper Valentina at least this is what I've gathered and well we are in public."

Her eyes dart around the room as she checks for anyone particularly interested in the question being asked, she supposed if it was spoken about correctly then no one would cotton on to the true topic at hand.

"If you truly must know, Angelina was with me that night we were shopping at the market when we bumped into various companions. Lady Grace, Jean-Jacque, Mr Stoker and Mr Blint. Although the former two arrived after said conversation and I assure you Lady Grace soon changed the subject of conversation. I do believe she thought Angelina and I were perhaps joking around but I assure you I was not. And I imagine Angelina, although knowing more than I," she nods too Angelina, "was not messing around."

Fiddling with a napkin, "I do hope I have not offended you in asking such bold questions but you must understand my reasoning for why."