Northern Starlight put into the dock just after the sun had fallen into the horizon. Ostport was not as large as the Capital, but there was plenty of light and activity in the small city. To the North, towards large mountains, the few taller office buildings cast dancing pools of light against the massive mountains. A line of large lorries were travelling back and forth on the four-lane highway leading into the mountains, where a good majority of the Kingdom's coal was mined.
The Lorries would circle the eastern side of the city, so as not to disturb the wealthier parts of Ostport with coal dust and noise. Eventually, they would reach the docks and dump the coal into massive piles on the quays, some of the piles reaching nearly one hundred feet high. Massive scoops from dockside cranes would pick up piles of coal at a time, swing them over the water, and dump them into the holds of cargo ships that were twice as long as Northern Starlight. Violet watched a scoop do its job, and noted that almost twenty pounds of coal rocks fell out of the scoop and into the water, lost forever beneath the darkness of the surface. It was hardly efficient, but in the end, it didn't matter. A lorry parked on the dock beneath the crane, and Stevedores began shovelling out a new pile of coal to replace the few rocks lost to the water.
She walked down the narrow gangway plank with her case and parasol in one hand, and her copy of the book in the other. She would be the only passenger leaving the cruise liner tonight, while the crew picked up bags of mail and coal to load into the liner so she could continue her journey along the coast.
When Violet reached the bottom of the plank, she looked around and quickly saw the blue car she had been told to look for. It was the only car around on the dock full of lorries, and the metal was shining brightly under the weak pools of light cast by a few street lamps around the dock. As she walked towards the car, The Driver – a young man wearing an immaculately pressed grey suit – smiled brightly and welcomed Violet, "Hello, you must be the Auto-Memories Doll from CH. My name is Wulf, I'll be your driver this evening"
Violet nodded back respectfully, considering her hands were still full and she couldn't offer a handshake in return, "My name is Violet Evergarden. Thank you for offering to drive me this evening. What is our destination?"
Wulf gently took her case and parasol and placed them in the boot at the back of the blue car as he replied, "Oh you needn't thank me, this is my job, and the Mistress pays me quite well for it. We'll be going to an estate about an hour's drive outside the city. Once there, you'll begin your work with the Mistress. She plans to spend about three days on the project. Quarters have been prepared for you in the Estate, and I've been assigned to look after any needs you might have over the next three days if that's alright Ms Evergarden?"
Violet walked to the passenger side and took her place in the backseat of the car while Wulf held the door open for her. The seats were covered in blue leather, the same blue as the outside of the car, and felt as comfortable as her cot on Northern Starlight. Wulf got into the driver's seat, started the engine in a roar, and gently brought the car forward as he pulled out of the docks. After a few minutes of driving, Violet noticed that Wulf was taking great care not to go too fast or hit too many bumps, the car was travelling down a two-lane highway towards the planned estate.
Violet looked out her window and took in the sights around her. The wide open fields were a contrast to the mountains or the docks of Ostpart. Huge, sprawling mansions were surrounded by wide open fields, some of which grew grapes for wine, while others were simply left open for horses or cattle. She looked up at the stars and the full moon, casting a bright light on the open fields. It was a calm summer night, and the gentle rocking of the car travelling down the highway was almost as calming as the ocean, but somehow, it didn't feel as peaceful to Violet.
Wulf interrupted her studies of the night by holding up a book, the same book she held beside her on the seat, "I just picked this up yesterday from the bookstore downtown. They've been sold out for weeks, but the owner is a friend, and he put a copy away for me before stocking the shelves. Would you sign the cover for me at some point?"
Confused, Violet replied, "Why would you want me to sign the cover? That copy belongs to you"
Wulf smiled in the rear-view mirror, "But you wrote the story! It's always a bonus to have the author sign the book!"
Violet looked away, and replied simply, "It is not my story. I would not be...right, for me to sign it".
Wulf sighed and put his copy down, and the two continued the drive in silence. An hour later, they arrived at the Estate, and Wulf escorted Violet out of the car and onto the steps of the front door. The house was massive, larger than any house she had ever visited before. The sides were white marble, which shined under the white light of the full moon. Wulf opened one of the massive double doors and led Violet inside. The welcoming room was almost as large as her office in CH Postal Company, with a grand staircase leading up to the second floor, which in turn went to another grand staircase leading to more rooms even further in the house. For as large as the house was, it was well lit with electric lights, a very expensive commodity in Leiden.
Wulf hung Violet's parasol on a coat rack and handed her case back to her, as he pointed to a door to her left, "This way, the Mistress asked to speak with you in the library before you retired for the evening"
Wulf opened the door and led Violet inside the library. Bookshelves, ten feet high, stretched in rows through the room, while a single table sat at the centre. The library was dark, with only a few candles on the centre table to cast any kind of light in the room. Wulf bowed and closed the door gently behind him, leaving Violet alone in the library.
She walked, slowly, taking time to look at some of the titles of the books. There were books on fantasy, history, music, law, science and any subject she could think of. There was no real sense of organization, and dust on the shelves suggested that some of the books hadn't been read in a long time if they had ever been read.
"Over here," a woman's voice said from somewhere near the centre table, "Come and sit down."
Violet looked towards the table, but couldn't see clearly who was speaking, "Is someone there?"
"Yes" her voice replied "I'm here at the end. Have a seat at the other end please."
Violet walked over to the table and sat down in a high-back chair at the end lit by candles. She squinted but still couldn't see the other woman in the room, who Violet thought was at the end, "It is very dark in this library. I'm afraid I cannot see you, Ms?"
"I like it better dark. My eyes don't do very well in the light anymore, too many years on the stage staring at bright lights. I don't mean to scare you girl," she said back from the end of the table.
"I am not frightened at all. However, with only these candles, it may be difficult for you to follow the progress of work together. Forgive me, but I do not know your name, and Wulf only spoke of a mistress," Violet said.
The Woman laughed before she answered back, "He's so polite, isn't he? It's rather uncommon to meet young men as polite as him. Don't worry about my name for right now, it isn't important. I know you however, you wrote this."
From the end of the table, a sliding copy of Felix's book landed just beside one of the candles. Violet placed a gloved hand on the cover, and she could tell from the fold of the pages that the Woman had read the book several times, "Did you enjoy reading it?" she asked.
"I did," Her voice replied, "It was very well written. It made me sad and sometimes made me laugh at the same time. Felix sounded like an interesting man. Did you know him very well?"
Violet nodded, "I think so, as well as anyone could have. I consider him to be my best friend. I..miss him. Would you like me to write a story for you as well?"
"A story, yes. But not quite like that" Her voice replied, "In chapter 7, Felix talked about music. I was a performer for many years, but I've since fallen out of practice, for a few reasons. I'd like you to help me write a song. We can start tomorrow after you've had something to eat and a chance to rest."
Violet stood, "I am still only just learning about music, but I will do my best."
She took her skirt with pinched fingers, placed her left foot behind her right, curtsied in place and lowered her head, "If it is your wish, I will travel anywhere to meet you. Auto-Memories Doll Violet Evergarden. How can I help you today?"