Yvaine decided Oscar looked comfy enough so went down to the kitchens. "Can I help?" She asked, hesitantly, she realised just after asking that they looked extremely busy.
"Sorry love?" A 50-something rotund lady called from across the large wooden table.
"Can I help at all?" Yvaine stood in the doorway.
"Unless you have skills, I'm afraid not, we can't teach you today." The lady looked exhausted.
"No I don't" Yvaine was disappointed, she loved food. She got hungry almost never, meaning she had a high appreciation for it, it was a rare need for her. Her eyes stuck to a large tower of profiteroles being carried past her. The lady watched her, Yvaine seemed fixated by the food.
"Alright lass, come on over here" The lady wiped her floury hands on her red pin striped apron, she always had a soft spot for a fellow foodie.
Yvaine bounded over to her, excited.
"Listen, we're unbelievably busy preparing food for the circus evening, so there isn't time for error." The lady explained "But you look keen to learn, so how about I throw the needed ingredients into this bowl and you just stand and stir" She waved her hands around alternating from pointing at the bowl, to the ingredients.
"Sounds perfect" Yvaine smiled.
She spent a good hour helping out the lady (who turned out to be Joanna Kingbly, sue chef in the kitchen). "Yvaaaaine!" a voice echoed getting closer to the kitchen. Yvaine perked up from her extreme concentration of cracking an egg. "Yvaine!" Una ran in "He's here" She looked a flour covered Yvaine up and down.
"Oo okay, I'll be right there, where will you be?" Yvaine held her gooey egg covered hands under the tap.
"Outside I suspect" Una replied, with a slightly worried look on her face "Are you sure you can come?"
"Yeah, why?" Yvaine asked.
"I think Lady Una is on about your new flour coating ma'am" Joanna laughed "You're a mess you Herbert"
"Oooh" Yvaine mumbled looking down at her dress. "Don't worry" She waved the problem off "He's here to see you not me, but I'll be right up" She reassured, Una gave her a disbelieving look "I promise!" Yvaine added, trying to settle Una's worries.
After sorting out the messy situation, and thanking Joanna for the fiftieth time Yvaine made her way out side, she found Ed and Una sat out on the garden chairs, on the gravel overlooking the gardens. "Yvaine" Una smiled. Ed stood up, and took Yvaine's hand, kissing it as he bowed with the other hand behind his back "Afternoon" He smiled cheekily. He was wearing the same smart brown suit that he had worn yesterday, it looked just as good.
"How've you been?" Yvaine asked taking the seat next to Una.
"Not too bad thanks, yourself?" Ed asked, he was relaxed and confident. Yvaine nodded in a way that said not bad either.
"Yvaine's just been cooking" Una smiled.
"I can see" Ed replied, tapping his right cheek, Yvaine rubbed off the remaining flour smudge.
"Ed can come Thursday evening" Una announced.
"Oh good!" Yvaine smiled "Should be fun"
"I've been told there is a Persian theme" Ed sounded intrigued.
"Well a Persian theme is a bit of an overstatement" Yvaine sniggered "More like circus with cushions and blankets we found that look slightly Persian." Una looked bashful, she had probably been inflating the whole Persian side of it, I mean after all, it did make it more interesting.
"Well there may be Persian food too." Una tried to recover the situation.
"Of course, I forgot, yup Persian food and décor, most definitely a theme." Yvaine replied, noticing Una's bashfulness.
"I'm sure the cooks could rustle something spicy up" Una smiled.
"Well I'm sure it'll be wonderful however it's presented" Ed added "Now, what say you two lovely ladies accompany me and my four unicorns down to the next local town for an exciting afternoon?" He continued, with a mischievous look in his eye (why did he always have that look? Naturally cheeky would be my hunch).
"Sounds intriguing" Una replied in varying levels of pitch. "I'm in" She winked at Ed.
"Nah, I think I'll let you two spoil each other, you don't need my help." Yvaine said, looking at their entwined hands
"It was nice to see you again" Yvaine smiled, she got the feeling Una and Ed would have more fun on their own without a gooseberry stopping them.
"Wait, you've only just got here" Una held Yvaine's hand lightly as she got up.
"Naaah, you two have fun" Yvaine rested her hand on Una's shoulder before heading back inside.
"Care to join me?" Ed stood up, holding a hand out for Una.
Yvaine sat in the front room where she and Septimus had had various encounters, both bad and good, but always intriguingly intense and exciting. She flopped back in one of the arm chairs. Oscar's paws scuttled on the hard floor as he hurried in, stopping by Yvaine's feet and tilting his head. "What's up?" Yvaine tilted her head too. He lifted his paw onto her leg. "Come on" Yvaine patted her lap, he hopped up snuggling down.
"I see you've met Osc" A rough deep voice came from the door.
"Hm? Yup" Yvaine mumbled, still ruffling Oscar's fur, not thinking to see who it was.
"May I sit?" The voice called. Yvaine turned, finding it odd a guard would ask to sit. Her eyes met with a stubble faced, messy haired man she was glad to see.
"Septimus!" She jumped, getting up, she thought she had recognised the voice. A smile spread across Septimus' face as he realised what a happy sight he was for Yvaine. They tightly embraced, he nestled his head by her neck, the stubble tickled and scratched Yvaine, but she didn't mind, it was sort of relaxing.