Until Death Do Us... Nothing

[Jacob Swainswick]

"Right as ninepence, Mr. Black," Swainswick replied, holding the coat for Dorian to slip it on.

"I hope you'll find our hours more suitable now, sir," he added. "We open at eight o'clock promptly until - well, until late -" he added, dryly, "- midnight, usually, and outside of those hours I'll typically be available, unless away on an errand. We can, of course, make accommodations for our clientele, should it prove necessary."

[Dorian M. Black]

To which was slipped on the offered coat.

"Very suitable I'm sure; I relish a good morning."

Checking the new placement of the watch, Dorian was pleased that the stitching was barely visible.

"Could that mean you interrupt sleep for clients?" Dorian raised a humoured look to Valentina, once, then cast it towards the door. "Such stellar hours. I hope you're paying him well, Miss Audley."

"I should be off, it has been a pleasure."

[Valentina Audley]

"I treasure Mr Swainswick and his contribution to the smooth running of the Thimble" Valentin responds solemnly, the merest hint of mirth lurking in her eyes.

"Good evening Mr Black. Do call again soon." With her hands folded neatly in front of her Valentina is the very image of an unassuming shopkeep, thanking a valued client for their business.

[Jacob Swainswick]

"Go safely sir, a pleasant night to you."

Swainswick could barely keep the smile from splitting his face as he turned from the closed door.

"Miss Audley - what a commission! What an opportunity!"

He pressed his fingertips together, calculating. "We'd want a week in Oxford initially, I suppose, assuming that all the bridesmaids and ushers could be conveniently assembled... Good Lord!"

Pulling the door to the rear of the shop open, he stepped quickly down the short hallway, his voice carrying behind him.

"Let me get my Debrett's! Had you any idea of Mr. Black's connections?"

[Valentina Audley]

"Not the connections you mean, no." Valentina mutters softly under her breath.

She indulgently follows the ghoul, admiring his excitement as she leans against the doorway.

"You'll be very busy if we take this on. Is Miss Wilkins ready to run the shop alone? Because I fear we shall be sewing our fingers to the bone in the very near future..."

[Jacob Swainswick]

Swainswick stopped at that, his Peerage open on the workshop table in front of him. He gave the question some consideration.

"She's sober and capable, and well-liked by the clientele," he said. "She can manage the responsibility, I think. We'll give it a trial-run over the remainder of the week." A small frown, as he calculated. "Were we to do that, it would warrant a small increase in wage, I should say. One which we could afford, with this commission. I'll prepare some preliminary figures this evening.

"Here we are..."

He ran his finger down a column of text, coming to pause on a paragraph of dense abbreviations. The tailor paled slightly.

"That can't be right," he said, looking up in alarm. "He must be something like twentieth in line to the Throne! How can - how can his situation not be known?!"

[Valentina Audley]

"It is known," she calmly remarks. "It's in Debretts after all, isn't it?" She didn't show her surprise. Though, she did wonder who his Sire was and how he was managing to still be part of his family. Hers had disowned her before she'd died. Not that she'd cared at the time and... well, by the time she'd found it in her to care it had been years to late. She did at least keep the graves maintained.

"She can have a pay rise, but she will probably need to be instructed in the vaguest possible way about our, ahem, late evening clientele. I'd as soon as not have the girl let undesirables in." Valentina considers thoughtfully. "Can you finish Miss Bellingham's tea gown? You need the practise and I'll need to have a visit to our suppliers in the time I'd have used for it."

[Jacob Swainswick]

Swainswick felt his heart swell in his chest. "I'll not let you down, Miss Audley." Another thought occurred to him. "If we're to be in Oxford a great deal, it might be best if I look to secure some suitable rooms. - Does Oxford have a Court of its own, do you know? Will overtures toward them be required?"

He stepped excitedly from the table, coming to face her, and made to take her hands in his.

"I can't wait," he laughed.

[Valentina Audley]

She lets him smiling cheerfully at him.

"There is a court yes and no we don't need to make overtures, or sort accommodation. Mr Black will deal with that. That is to say he'll have a servant sort the accommodation and he can make the overtures to the court. We will not have time. We arre artistes and we have work ahead of us!"

She grins wickedly and murmurs in his ear. "Tonight is the last night of free time we are going to have for quite some time. How do you propose we spend it?"

[Jacob Swainswick]

His eyes flashed with mischief.

"Irresponsibly," he said.