Elizabeth "Elle" Daniels was a girl who worked for her living. It wasn't a situation she was used to or had particularly craved when she left home a year ago, but she was full of energy. She liked to keep busy.
So far, she had had moderate success for the goal of keeping herself occupied. She had been working as a secretary for the past six months or so in the office of a lawyer just outside London, but found the position lacking for her skill set. Her boss, all too aware of her restlessness, had been willing to up her pay by nearly fifty percent with benefits to persuade her to stay, but as she had kindly informed him, it was not the pay that disinterested her. It was the ever present, looming threat of becoming bored. Her tasks at the firm were too simple, too blase.
Her boss let her go reluctantly. He could recognize that she didn't quite belong. She was the diamond among the men and women of her surroundings. Not quite a "diamond in the rough", as is so charming and quaint in the films and novels of the past two centuries. No, she had been cleanly cut and elegantly polished without losing any of what her father called 'feminine virtues'.
On her last Friday evening, Elizabeth Daniels, twenty-four, sat typing at her computer at her usual break-neck pace- she had quick fingers. When the report was typed up she paused to sift through papers and find the last one of the day. When she did she caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up.
A paper cup, steaming with vapor and just giving the scent of nutmeg license to tease her nose, was being offered to her. With a beaming smile, she accepted the coffee from her almost-ex-boss, teasing gently,
"I hope you're not trying to entice me to stay with spiced lattes now, are you Mr. Briggs?"
The lawyer smiled fondly, folding gray crinkles around his eyes pleasantly. "Perhaps I am. We'll miss you around here, Elle. Just about done?"
"Yes- I'm about to finish up the files on the Woods account." She took a little sip of latte and smiled. Mr. Briggs had become rather like a paternal uncle as of late, but she preferred to stay well within the bounds of professionalism. "Can I do anything else for you, sir?"
"Why, yes. Come and see me when you're done. Don't feel like you have to finish up- leave something for the new girl to do tomorrow." He smiled amicably and continued towards his office, coffee cup in hand.
It was short work on the Woods account- they were one of the biggest files Mr. Briggs had on record, and to Elle the entire family had become familiar faces, though she doubted any of them recognized her- she was just the secretary. Just now the family patriarch was putting the finishing touches on his will- nothing terribly exciting.
But it brought to mind nagging memories of her own family.
She winced. No. She wasn't going to ponder over that today. Not on her last day of work.
She finished typing up the details of the will, printed them out, and put them away in the Woods family file. Then she saved the file, shut down the computer, shrugged on her coat, picked up her purse and coffee, and went to see Mr. Briggs.
He answered with a friendly, "Come in!" at her polite knock.
"Elle." He smiled. He actually stood up, to her surprise. He had never done so, as if she were anybody of importance.
She accepted the hands being extended to her and smiled hesitantly as Mr. Briggs shook them.
"You've been such a great help this past year, m'dear. Now, I want you to tell me, in an appropriate reversal of roles, is there anything I can do for you?"
"For me?" She asked in surprise.
"Yes." The old lawyer gestured that she sit, and proceeded to do the same. "You've said you wanted to move into London. That's what I did, when I was young. As you can see, I've hardly left."
"Yes, sir. I've already secured a flat. I think the change of pace will do me good."
"What about a job?" Briggs asked, opening the lid on his coffee and waving some of the steam away. "Have you managed one yet?"
Elle pursed her lips, dissatisfied with her answer. "No, not yet. I have interviews Thursday and Friday next week for office work."
Briggs psh'awed lightly. "Office work! Forgive me, Elle, but I believe you can do better. There's no doubt you would get offers from both of your applications- but hear what I have to say."
The young woman blinked in minute surprise, but nodded with interest. It was one of the things the gentleman liked about the young secretary. While intelligent and clever, she was always listening for new ideas, new information.
It was why she was perfect for the postion mentioned to him last week at his monthly gentlemen's club. His friend needed a girl like Elizabeth Daniels more than he ever knew- Lord knew Briggs was sorry to lose her.
He explained simply, "An old friend of mine works in the heart of London for the British government. At a meeting last week he mentioned to me that he had had to let an assistant of his go, and that he was hard pressed to find another."
"What branch of government?" Elle asked curiously.
Briggs waved his hand fleetingly- dodging her question. "He has his fingers in all sorts of pies. The point is, I believe you'd be perfect for the job. You could work yourself up the ladder and be quite well off in a few years. I hate to see intelligence and wit like yours go to waste, Elle. Tell me you'll humor your old boss- will you consider it?"
"I don't believe you'll ever let me forget it if I don't." Elle laughed. "I'll look into it. Who shall I call? Who is your friend?"
"I knew you'd say yes." Briggs clapped his hands gleefully and began to write an address down on a piece of parchment with energy. "I've already spoken to him. You've got an interview on Wednesday, four-thirty."
"With?" Elle prompted, standing and taking the paper.
"Mr. Mycroft Holmes. Make sure you make a good impression, Ms. Daniels. First impressions are everything."
