Sorry for the delay on the update. Transition chapters are my worst enemy, but I promise that the next few chapters will have much more substance to them and will be posted sooner (I hope). I only have about three more weeks of school with in all honesty is only about thirteen days. As a senior I have little to nothing to do so I'll probably spend quite some time writing. Also a little personal good news I received in recent weeks, I am my graduating class's salutatorian, I've received about five scholarships, and I got the summer job I applied for! Now onto the newest chapter.
Alice was rather pleased with herself as she entered the sewing shop to which her carriage had just pulled up. It was a rare day indeed that she did much of anything that Absolem did not scoff at. Her current plan, though he was unknowing of the details, had only made the old man merely sigh. However despite his sighing he did agree to comply and for Alice that was an accomplishment in of itself.
The shop smelled of lavender as there was a plethora of dried sprigs about the room. It was used between the stacks and bolts of cloth to keep everything smelling fresh for customers regardless of how long it had been sitting in the store. It was a rare occasion that Alice entered a sewing shop, likely due to the fact that her needlework was comparable to a kitten playing with a ball of yarn. In fact that only difference in the result of the two was that a kitten enjoyed itself in the act and Alice did not. Despite this, however, Alice did love sewing shops and they always seemed to set her into a state of perpetual awe.
There were yards upon yards of colorful fabrics stacked from floor to ceiling, on tables, on shelves, on racks and on or in everything in between. There were also spools of thread, ribbons, lace and trimmings on a self which also contained scanes of yarn in all colors and various little things such as cards of needles, jars of buttons and boxes of pins. As Alice looked around the room at the cacophony of colors and shapes she thought of the Hatter. She imagined him in the shop, running about and fluttering like a child in a candy store.
She wished that she could truly see him in a place like this, or hard at work in a shop of his own. As she continued to look about the room, her eyes were immediately drawn to one of the new sewing machines that were all the rage among the mothers of society. She wished that she could give him such a gift, if only to see his eyes light up, but unfortunately she couldn't give him anything potentially harmful due to the hospital's rules.
She imagined his smile as she walked over to the shelf containing the pins and buttons. She picked up a card of needles, a small box of pins, and a pair of sewing scissors. Rules be damned, she wanted him to be happy. He held a special place in her heart in which no man had ever before inhabited. She was not yet sure of the feeling because it was only a tiny spark, but she wanted to make him smile and fan the flames just to see how bright that fire would burn.
She threw the items into a wicker shopping basket she had brought and then grabbed a few spools of thread in various colors. She also grabbed a small silver colored thimble and tossed it into the basket before asking a shop worker for assistance in cutting a few yards of different fabrics.
She purchased the items and rushed out to her carriage. She was excited to go home, especially because once she returned home everything would be ready to go. Alice hoped and prayed as she climbed in to the carriage that Absolem was able to talk the young Mr. Jones into working for her. She did not doubt his powers of persuasion; however she was sincerely hoping that all would go well. She had made Maliumpkin a promise and she intended to keep it, however with a little luck she had planned to do much more than her original promise required.
By nature Alice always wanted to go above and beyond to make others happy, especially those who like Mali had gone through pain. Other than for personal freedom, helping others was her main motivation for working at the hospital. She loved people and always wanted to help them.
The carriage pulled to a stop in front of her home as it had earlier that same day. Alice was both relieved and excited as it did so. She was home and she was not leaving again that day, and yet she was concerned as to what or who she would find behind the door to her home. She sincerely hoped that this Mr. Jones would be all that Mali had told her he was a kind and hardworking young gentleman without any of the flaws that usually affected the men of his age group and standing. She had met and heard of too many men in his position and general age that got into drinking or found themselves spending their entire hard earned pay in Opium dens. She trusted Maliumpkin and her abilities to make decisions for herself and she was trying not to doubt that he would be a good man. However Alice knew, simply by looking at her sister and her brother in law that love was blind, and in many cases this brought nothing but suffering for all those involved.
Alice took a deep breath and knew there was simply no sense in dillydallying. She kindly thanked her driver as she exited the carriage and invited him to again come into the house for a drink of coffee and a good meal. She also instructed him on how she wanted the horses unhitched and where she would like him to bring the items she had left in the back of the carriage. Of course she could have carried them in herself, but if she were about to meet the man her friend had fallen so deeply in love with, she would like to have her arms unladed and her line of sight unimpeded by purchases in her arms.
Unwilling for either of them to be out long in the cold, Alice relayed her directives swiftly then left the man to his work. She much appreciated his assistance today and would be sure to give him a bit more than he was truly due as a reward. Of course if all worked out well she would not need his services again, but it was just before the Holidays and she supposed that even a young man such as him had a family who needed Figgie pudding, gifts and such.
Alice entered the front door of her home with the same demeanor and sense of pride in ownership as she always did. She herself was quite the strong and independent woman type and therefor she always entered the room with a certain air of regality around her. She entered with an air that seemed obviously unnerving to the young man standing mere feet away from her in the front room. He immediately bowed upon her arrival as did Absolem and Catherine. Catherine of course after bowing came forward to help Alice out of her winter wear and once she was rid of it Alice wasted no time in walking forward to meet the man before her.
She appraised him visually and understood immediately why Maliumpkin had fallen so desperately in love with him. He was tall for his age with dark black hair, hazel eyes and olive toned skin. From the looks of him he had some Italian in his blood, likely on the side of his mother given his very English last name. His shoulders were broad and his arms looked quite strong. She supposed he was a rather calm man given his demeanor and the sheer fact that he could be with a woman as fiery as Mali without incident. He seemed a bit worried by Alice though, which she considered to be a good thing, who wouldn't be afraid of meeting their new employer for the first time? Though she wanted to tell him right there and then what he was doing in her home, she waited. She had everything planned out and she would stick to her self-imposed schedule. She looked him over once more before speaking to him. "You are invited to dinner with me tonight as my guest. We have matters which we must discuss before you can begin your employment here. Dinner will be at six thirty sharp and in the meantime Catherine will direct you to your rooms."
Upon hearing her directions Catherine completed her task of putting Alice's winter clothing up and instead gestured for the young man to follow her. Catherine was always such a perceptive girl and it made Alice smile. She was certainly the perfect choice for the job in which Alice had placed her. She was a jack of all trades, a true renaissance woman in the kitchen and generally in the home. On occasion Alice wished that she had even part of her homemaking talents. Once they had disappeared from sight and earshot however Alice's mind was no longer focused upon her but instead upon Absolem.
"How was your shopping trip Ms. Kingsley?" He asked half curiously and half in the flat tone he always used.
"It went quite well, thank you for asking Mr. Wallace. I am supposing that my excellent sense of perception is correct in assuming that your mission was also a success." She teased back trying to match his tone, but found herself unable to do so.
"Quite." He replied offering the young woman his arm, leading her forward to the stair case. "I found him quite willing to change his position once I mentioned the pay increase. He mentioned that it would help him 'save up', but for what I'm afraid he did not say and I cannot imagine. I have already given him a talking to about what is expected here in our household and I daresay he held up fairly well."
"Did you blow smoke rings in his face as you did so?" Alice asked raising an eyebrow as she and the old man walked upstairs.
Absolem looked taken aback, but only in jest, not truthfully. "Why would I do such a thing as that?" He was faking incredulousness for effect and for her benefit only.
"Perhaps because you always do so when you want people to listen to you or tell you the truth. I remember the time that some of the prized silver went missing back home and you smoked your pipe the whole time you interrogated the staff."
Absolem laughed lightly, "I remember that day. You were watching the whole thing through a floor vent even though your parents had told you not to involve yourself. Five at the time I do believe, weren't you? I was a much younger man then as you were a much younger lady. If my memory serves me I do believe I got my man after all, did I not?"
"You did, though I remember several other members of staff who were completely uninvolved quit shortly after… I appreciate your thoroughness Absolem. Truly I do, however be kind to this one… he's important."
Absolem looked at Alice with a raised brow. He always knew when she was up to something. He did not ask however and conceded as he left Alice at the door to her room. "I will treat the boy as I treat Catherine, with professional courtesy, nothing more nothing less. Now I must take my leave. Dinner will be ready promptly at six and though I do not agree with inviting the boy to dinner, I will obey and set his place. However whatever you have planned Alice… please do not make this a regular occurrence."
Alice appreciated Absolem's kindness in this matter. He was far less crotchety than usual and Alice began to suspect he was quite ill… until of course he left and mumbled something along the lines of "Foolish girl." Old habits did not die hard for Absolem, but rather they never truly died at all. Entering her bedroom after her talk with Absolem Alice changed dresses from the heavy woolen gown she had worn out to a lighter cotton dress. It was nothing fancy, slate blue with black buttons, but simple was all she needed for tonight. Though this would hopefully be a momentous event, she did not need to put on airs. All she needed was the note she tucked firmly away in her pocket. She had a letter to deliver and she would be dammed if it were late.
She wasted no time preparing for the meal. Trying to figure out how exactly she was going to explain what was going on to Thomas was a challenge, but she hoped that him seeing Mali's letter would help. She had no idea what she had written, but she did know that Mali loved him and it was all Alice needed to know to walk down the stairs to the dining room and meet the boy properly.
She walked through the double doors of the dining room confidently and she saw the young man anxiously and clumsily stand up. It was proper for men to rise when a lady entered the room and as a servant for the better part of his life Thomas knew that he should, however Alice imagined his awkwardness stemmed from never being invited to dinner by an employer. Alice pitied the boy and gestured for him to sit. "Don't worry. Today you are my guest, tomorrow you will treat me as an employer, but today I come to you as a friend, a friend of a friend rather."
He looked confused but sat down. He cleared his throat, unsure, but something about Alice made him trust. There was something about her and it was likely the same thing that made Mali trust in her. "Excuse me Miss, but what do you mean by 'friend of a friend'?"
Alice smiled lightly. "I believe this will explain a bit." She said handing him Mali's letter. He took it from her, the puzzled look on his face continuing until he opened the envelope and began to read the letter. Alice watched his expressions as he read. At first he seemed confused, then surprised, then sad, and finally a mixture of both happy and sad.
He looked at Alice pleadingly. He wanted to know more than what he had just read, but Alice knowing nothing of the contents of the letter was forced to wait for him to ask her questions. He did not take long at all to do so. "How do you know my Mali?" He asked, tears in his eyes which Alice was unsure of how to read.
"I'm her nurse at the hospital… I try to take good care of her." Alice replied looking at the boy who suddenly looked far more mature and far more grave.
"I can't believe they sent her there. Those rotten people they never even cared for her." He all but spat out the words then attempted to compose himself. "So she really is…with child?" He asked cautiously. Alice had told him that he was her friend for the day, but he was still unsure. He wasn't used to random acts of kindness growing up in the way he had. Only Mali was kind to him, and it was out of love.
"Yes." Alice replied calmly. She hadn't known that he didn't know about Mali's condition. "She's pregnant… she told me about the two of you, and therefore I'm feeling very inclined to help you both."
Alice sighed lightly. "Technically you are her Christmas present from me. So I have a deal for you. You work for me, at full pay and free board year round and I will bring you to see Maliumpkin as often as possible… I'm trying to find a way to get her discharged so that she can keep your child. My only stipulation is that you save the money you earn working here so that you might have something prepared for her when she leaves the hospital. She trusts you and therefore I am inclined to do so as well. Don't let me down, show yourself as a hard worker, and I may still have a job for you after Mali leaves the hospital." She looked the young man in the eye. "What do you say?"
"Yes." He answered with determination and without a moment of thought. He was prepared to do whatever necessary to make things right. This rather pleased Alice being that she was glad he was as onboard to help Mali as she was.
"Good. You will begin work tomorrow. Report to Mr. Wallace first thing in the morning for assignment, but know you will be driving me to work on a daily basis. I will tell you the days on which you may visit and the days on which you cannot." She tried to remain stern and commanding but softened and smiled as she asked, "Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal Miss Kingsley." He replied nodding to her. Such a setup was more than he had ever hoped for. He was rather pleased that he had taken Mr. Wallace's offer just that morning being that if he had not he would have missed out on this chance.
"Very good then." She said now fully smiling as Absolem and Catherine walked in carrying trays of food. "Then eat, you have a busy week ahead of you and you can waste none of it."
Thanks for reading! Send me a review if you can! I loved all the ones I received so far!