An Evening Visit

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina sinks gracefully onto the sofa next to Selena. She holds the others hand for just long enough to appear friendly then disentangles herself gently.

"I'm so glad you like it my dear. Of course, it's always tricky to know what will look best on a description, but purple is very fashionable right now, isn't it?"

She smiles warmly and pats Selena's hand. The girl is clearly over excited and on the verge of babbling. Now, how best to draw the babble out?

"Of course, now that we have met I shall be able to make something even finer if the occasion should arise. Tell me my dear, does your mother share your exquisite colouring?"

Patience, slowly and carefully does the trick here.

[Selena Ash]

"My - my colouring?" Selena asked, with a blink. Her mouth opened into a small 'O' of surprise, followed by a more verbal: "Oh!"

Small hands flutter nervously up to her neck, but the grin brightens her expression. "You think so?" A delicate swallow; clearly, she's hesitantly welcome of the remark, but unsure how best to respond. "I.. thank you, Miss Audley. My mother is a little darker. Father and she both were born dark of hair. Mother has an unusual, sharp countenance. I used to tease her that she could be a governess, were she less married."

For a moment her eyes unfocussed. "Since my father passed away we have not been as best visited by luxury. I... This is a treat indeed." A pause. Selena recovered from it fast, and the smile was just as delighted as before. "I intend to share with all of my friends that you have opened for hours in the day, as Mister Swainswick has said, and that the quality of the tailoring is unparalleled."

"Were the situation any different and these fabrics could be afforded more frequently I know that my mother would be here in a heartbeat; she all but waxed poetic over my blue dress." Her lip twitched and the smile became softer. "She is most partial to blue. Says it vivifies her eyes."

[Valentina Audley]

Well, that wasn't exactly usual was it? Most girls are more easily accepting of compliments, though obviously outwardly protesting at them. Were the hands at her neck significant? Had she been fed off before? Valentina eyes her thoughtfully.

Luckily social niceties do not require much brain so whilst Valentina is thinking she's also pulling an appropriately sympathetic look.

"Oh my dear Miss Ash, I am so sorry for your loss." It's likely recent and sympathy can often draw forth the most information. Time to be generous.

"I'm sure if your mother were to visit I should be only to pleased to come to an arrangement with her..." She lets it delicately trail off, the chance for a discount hinted but nothing so crude as stated.

"Dear me, where are my manners?" She turns briefly to Jacob. "Mr Swainswick, won't you offer Miss Ash's gentleman some form of refreshment? I'm sure he has time."

She looks back to Selena a trifle doubtfully "He does have time doesn't he Miss Ash? You can spare the time to visit us a little longer? It is such a treat to have a visitor!" She imbues her words with delicate hopefulness, inwardly confident that the girl had no intention of leaving until she'd wrung every last drop of enjoyment out of the situation.

[Selena Ash]

The last of the girl's tensile apparatus, visible in the shoulders and bright gaze, collapsed.

"I, thank you..." She licked her lip, made as if to speak more on the matter, but decided against it. Her eyes strayed. "It'll be one year very soon. He died in those fires that ate the city in yesteryear's winter."

Selena tried to ignore the little tickle high up in the back of her throat, and blinked rapidly a few times. The topic of her father remained unexpectedly raw, could ambush at times her with the full weight of its reality, and despite her own previous assertiveness in its mention, Selena realised she wasn't able to speak very coherently.

This reverie was truly shot through at Miss. Audley's next words, however. It took a moment for the Seamstress' meaning to register.

"You - you would do that?" Shock coloured her cheeks. "Oh, Miss Audley! I cannot- Oh, this excitement! I-" Horrified eyes turned to the other. "I should not be so forward as to presume. There is no end to my inappropriateness, apparently, and especially after arriving without appointment. You have been so generous to me already, Miss Audley. Please forgive me."

"And yes, yes, of course! Mr. Alberts, would you be so kind? We needn't leave so immediately."

Her attendant dipped his head politely and followed Swainswick out.

Incredibly hopeful eyes spun back. "I would love to stay longer! I could visit any time; I did not think it would be received so well! Are you not terribly busy? That is, is my being here without reason beyond... ah..." She was tripping over he own tongue, this was awful. "I would love to stay longer."

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina smiles conspiratorially at the young girl. "I've been told it's not so good for me to focus just on my sewing. A pleasant idle chat would give me the perfect excuse to neglect Mrs Hewes' bodice for a while and I must confess the beading is vexing me somewhat at present."

She sighs gently, "I too lost someone most dear to me in those awful fires and I confess I have been somewhat lonely since. It would be so nice to have a friend or two..." Well, well Andrew, she thinks, you might be dead but it looks like, once again, you're doing me a favour. So unlike you to help without charge... Valentina sighs again, allowing her melancholy to shine through, to help her impersonation of a grieved young lady.

"My dear Miss Ash, perhaps we should view tonight the start of a friendship? It sounds as though we have much in common..." She pauses for a moment, bites her lip and looks down.

"I'm so sorry, you must forgive me, that was highly impertinent and I do apologise! I shall not speak of it again..." SHe sounds mortified at her indiscretion.

As she spoke she's shifted, seemingly embarrassed, but her hands lie close enough to the other to be seized should Selena feel the need. The offer of a friend is there and given Selena's excitability so far Valentina is hoping for an impulsive assertion that friendship would be wonderful and then she can begin to get the girl to give her whole family history...

[Selena Ash]

Selena made a curious little motion, a half nod, half shake of her head, while a strangled sound composed itself in her throat. She searched Miss Audley's eyes. And thought: Was I mistaken? Am I mistaken?

Miss Audley's voice was warm, resonant, gentle, with a loneliness unlike anything Selena had ever heard. Delinquent images sparked: of them with their heads bowed together late in the evening, secrets and gossip passing like wildfire across a new sewing pallet. She'd never known that Miss Audley was lonely.

It was hard, after the first look exposed her, to meet Miss Audley's eyes. Selena felt ashamed for how much she wanted to make true of those images, those ridiculous, girlish fantasies. But then the Seamstress bit her lip and looked down and in that moment Selena had never known such singular convincing intuition. She knew, Selena knew, then, that she had not bene mistaken. Selena knew the courage it took to rise above that fear, that guilt, to reach out to another and seek friendship.

"Oh Miss Audley. Please do speak more on it. You have done me no injury of initiation. I promise."

By accident or her own intention Selena's laced hand relaxed and touched the Seamstress' were it rested.

Her smiles were inexhaustible. The effort to keep still was making her dizzy. All Selena's excitement formed a close-fitting heat around her. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Remember to breathe!

"I would cherish a friendship with you and would happily say that we were friends."

[Valentina Audley]

Valentina looks up and gives Selena a tremulous smile, like the sun rising, it warms her face.

She takes Selena's hand as she says "Then, I really do think you should call me Valentina and we should become thoroughly acquainted with each other as quickly as possible!" She gives a girlish laugh. "Lest your Mr Alberts decides that you have dallied too long for propriety and spirits you away home!"

"So, if we are to be friends darling, you must tell me all about yourself..." She trails off, invitingly

[Selena Ash]

"What would you have me say?" Selena breathed. "I am not terribly exciting," she admitted, feeling a brief, vulnerable knot of dread.

"Though! My father owned a very successful printing company before the fires took it from us, and he with it." The brief lapse in mood was removed quickly with a warm smile. "Ash and Haroldston Printing. People from all over had need of its service, so much as to venture from Swindon. My father had a loyal set of clientèle and maintained a very good reputation."

[Jacob Swainswick]

"Tea, Mr. Alberts?" Jacob asked cheerfully, turning up the gaslight.

"Most kind, Mr. Swainswick."

Adjacent to the workshop, the cubby that sufficed as a kitchen was as warm and good-natured as the host's smile. The worthy Alberts pulled a wooden chair out from the rough oak table, removing his jacket, draping it carefully from the back of the chair; then turning the copy of the paper to peruse it. Swainswick bustled with the water.

"Terrible business last year, Mr. Alberts. Quite awful. I was so sorry to read about it."

That got little more than a quiet grunt; but the grunt was repeated, more approvingly, at the clink of china.

"That racetrack seems to be causing quite the commotion," Swainswick observed, waving a hand at the newspaper as he arranged the pot, heaping a generous spoonful of tea-leaves into it. "I think I've still got a slice of something. Hungry?"

"That won't be necessary, thank-you," came the reply. Then, less grudgingly, "yes. Don't follow the horses myself. Mrs. Alberts doesn't approve." From the tone, Swainswick detected that such disapproval might not be universal in the Alberts household.

"Here, let me get that, Mr. Alberts." Jacob couldn't stand to see a jacket so treated; he recovered it from its perch before its owner could lean back against it. As well-mannered as he was, he couldn't prevent the escape of a small tsk. The other raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Alberts," he held up the jacket, displaying a small snag in the seam under the left arm that threatened sartorial disaster, "ah. Let me deal with this."

"That won't be nec-"

"Nonsense, Mr. Alberts; nonsense. Patrons of the Silver Thimble do not leave this establishment in disarray. Give me a moment." Without another word, he darted into the workroom.

"That's very kind of you," Alberts offered to the departing man, lifting the lid on the small silver pot of honey and reaching for his teaspoon.

[Valentina Audley]

Now is the time to make sympathetic connections. Valentina is pleased her standard tale about the shop works in this case. She gives the girls fingers a gently, friendly squeeze.

"I inherited this shop, many years before I should have done." She lowers her eyes as if in sorrow and takes a deep breath before continuing. "My dear late uncle Andrew left it to me in his will, which as I'm sure you can imagine came as the greatest surprise to me when the lawyers informed me. Alas, I have no husband and I knew dear Uncle wouldn't approve of me selling so, I have struggled on as best I can. Mr Swainswick has been a great help, it's such a reassurance to be able to hire a bright manager."

She hesitates, then rises and moves to the far wall where a portrait of a handsome young man in outdated fashions hangs. "This is him, in his youth..." She hadn't the heart to take Andrew's portrait down and apparently it seemed that it was actually going to be a help so maybe she'd keep it after all...