Looking for Mr Williamson

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina lounges against the bar and grins. To a casual observer she's just another prostitute enjoying herself.

This was utterly delicious. Did Miroslav know? She wondered idly if that was why he'd suggested George as the postboy, to be sure his letter wasn't read. She's now very glad she decided to do this little errand for herself. The journey was proving... enlightening.

She matches George's lean forwards and murmurs softly "He carries them because I asked him to and he's ever so keen to help out, aren't you dear?" This last aside addressed to Smith who merely nods.

"Do not mistake the monkey for the organ grinder darling, it won't do you any favours." Her eyes narrow slightly and then a smile crosses her face. "Perhaps you would prefer it if I wrote it?" There's the tiniest inflection on the word 'wrote' which comes accompanied by a wink.

[George Williamson]

George nods, he still looks entirtained, "Not knowin' the grinder would be very stupid indead, so yea, it would be best if a monkey didn't write it."

Valentina had made a point of leading, so let her lead.

[Viktor]

A heavy set, weathered and dirt covered older looking individual makes his way through the throng of people present this evening and makes his way over to one end of the bar. He briefly removes his flat cap and runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair before nodding to the barman in response to the question of ‘Usual?’. Tallow has a brief look around seeing whose in tonight as he waits but seemingly doesn’t note or acknowledge anyone present despite his gaze passing over the room. He fishes out and dumps a couple of small tarnished coins on the bar as a bowl of stew with a chunk of hard bread in it is placed in front of him along with a couple of tankards of grim looking liquid. He nods again to the barman before taking them all and goes to join a scrawny individual at the back of the room on a table. He passes over the bowl and one of the tankards but the pair of them sit in silence as the other merely nods and begins to tuck into what is put in front of him.

[Valentina Audley]

Did he even realise he'd just insulted himself? Probably not, but the possibility shouldn't be discounted. She giggles and Smith shifts his position, seemingly randomly but just enough to obscure Valentina somewhat.

She beams at George, slides the paper towards herself and picks up the pencil in her gloved hand. She does take a slight, spiteful pleasure in making her writing as curly and flourishing as she can, so as to be harder to read and writes, I the undersigned Valentina Audley do promise to be indebted to George Williamson for one trivial boon as thanks for him delivering a letter to Elder Viktor, signing it with a really swirly signature.

She then slips her hand into a concealed slit in her skirt and withdraws a cotton pouch, which sounds as though there is paper within it. She places it on top of the paper and slides both across to George.

"There darling, do please read it over and check you are happy with it." This is murmured softly to George with a smile that is probably for the benefit of the room given the flirtatious wink that accompanies it.

Smith keeps scanning the room as he waits patiently for business to be concluded.

[George Williamson]

Goerge would end up calling it the "Nosferatu Survey". The ability to take in everything in a room while making everything think they're invisible enough to carry on talking as normal.

It had looked like Mr Smith had moved to conceal Valentina from the new man at the bar. Maybe the bodyguard wasn't half bad. George still didn't know who or what was Mr Tallow, and that question would have to be answered later. For now George was happy his little deal hadn't been interupted. He was good at hiding his responce from the looming fear now in the room, and Valentina was so enjoying her victories.

Your elders like winning.

George looks down at the flurry of curls, it would be hard to read either way. He squints, then looks up with a smile attempting to conceal, "err, yea, it's good. I'll take these then," he folds up the agreement and takes both letters. "Anythin' else ya need?"

Tallow was still there. In the corner. George wondered how Mr Tallow sat. Even if he did sit like Viktor was it could be out of habit, craft, or dumb luck. Didn't realy mean a thing.

[Viktor]

Tallow was sat with the same definite air of relaxed confidence as George had experienced before, arms crossed and resting on the edge of the table as he occasionally took a drink from the tankard in his hand. He nodded as George watched and the scrawny figure opposite Tallow looked to begin to talk quietly in between mouthfuls of stew soaked bread or drafts from the tankard in front of him.

[Valentina Audley]

There's a lessening of tension in Valentina. The deal is done and she can leave the squalid pub, which relieves her no end. Still cautious though (because relaxing completely at this point is unwise), she glances round the room, checking again that no-one had moved close to them.

"Thank-you darling but no." She gives him an arch smile.

"I believe our business this night is concluded and the hour grows late. Dear Mr Dubois will worry so an we are late to meet him, won't he darling?" She smiles up at Smith who nods and holds his arm for her to take.

"Fare you well Mr Williamson. I'm sure I'll see you again soon darling."

With that she slips her arm through Mr Smith's, blows George a kiss and the pair stroll off towards the door, unhurried but carefully, weaving a path through the clearest part of the room and with Smith keeping an eye out and Valentina close to him.

[Viktor]

As Valentina and Smith make their way toward the door the scrawny fellow opposite Tallow nods at him and gestures toward Valentina before stuffing the last of the bread into his mouth. Tallow very deliberately looks over his shoulder at her, looks her up and down appraisingly with a grin and then turns back to his companion at the table.

To a casual observer the whole thing looked innocuous, his wasn't the only head turned by the presence of a new whore in the bar. To the observant though they possibly noted the way he met and held Valentina's gaze firmly for a moment, one corner of his mouth turning up in a smirk before seamlessly shifting to a casual grin as he looked her up and down before turning away. Sometimes a look and smile is all that is needed to convey a simple message.

I know who you are.

Something’s said and his dinner partner laughs, almost choking on his bread in the process. Tallow pushes over his tankard with a cheerful laugh of his own to help his friend wash away the blockage and they return to their conversation, the rest of the bar seemingly unimportant again.

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina sticks closely to Smith, but acknowledges some of the looks coming her way with grins and the occasional saucy wink. When one looks like a whore, one cannot be surprised at receiving a whore's attentions after all.

So when the grubby man deliberately catches her eye Valentina flutters her eyelashes back at him almost on auto pilot as she considers the situation, allowing Smith to guide her away.

Well, well, well. Someone she didn't recognise who knew who she was seemingly. She filed the face and body away in her memory and made a mental note to tell the staff not to allow any vagabond types into the shop under any reason whatsoever, but to accept and report messages, just in case this was going to have further repercussions.

George hadn't reacted to the man, which means that either George was equally unfamiliar with him, or that George did know who he was and didn't mind him being in the pub. Hah! Didn't mind or couldn't possibly object. Viktor possibly? Curious indeed. However, for now she's finished with the task in hand and as the door opens and they stroll out she's mostly just glad to be leaving the area.

All in all, a good night's work really.

[George Williamson]

George pretended he hadn't seen the nod of acknowledgement. He didn't want to give away how easy this trivial boon really was.

He gives a smile as Valentina says her pleasant forms of 'I can't wait to get out of this shithole', and replies with "Good eve' Val. Safe travels."

George visibly relaxed when she had gone. The stranger elements were gone. He didn't much care for exactly who Mr Tallow was tonight but his appearance tonight was useful. Not only was Mr Tallow without a drink but the barman had been complaining so much about the lack of business. Two birds.

George ordered a drink, for once. "'Course it ain't for me." He had the contract from Val in his hand and the letter from the old father slipped behind him.

The walk to the other table was a short one, "Evenin', Mr Tallow. I see ya need another," while placing the tankard down on the table.