Jenny looked around at the chaos in the dining room and felt like laughing. Mrs Blackett and Jess were sitting at the table, already cracking open the gin and were busy attempting to explain gender to Strax. She wished them luck, she had failed in every attempt so far. Dotty, Ada and Thrupp were uncharacteristically silent, but that was because the food had yet to run out. George, Cris, Boggin and Jack were sharing a bottle of wine and playing poker whilst Soljer watched on in his usual stoic manner. She was about to confiscate the wine, imagining the strong words Parker would have with her if Boggin got drunk when she was distracted by the sight of Lettie dancing with Harriet in a corner. That was a rather interesting development. She wished them luck and all.
"Do you wish to dance as well?" Vastra asked, catching Jenny staring at the pair a little too long. She tugged the hand holding Jenny's up and with the other, caught Jenny at the waist and pulled her close.
"Din't know you knew how to dance." Jenny said, her eyes sparkling at the prospect.
"Oh, Silurians have rather intricate courtship dances." Vastra's grin, all teeth, made Jenny's heartbeat faster.
"Maybe you can show me, as a return gift, tomorrow." Jenny indicated the rest of the company with a tilt of her head.
"Very well. For now then…" Vastra whirled her past the dining room table to the opposite end of the room from Lettie and Harriet. There was no music beyond the background chatter and laughter and even that faded in Jenny's mind as Vastra slowly spun them round on the spot. Jenny sighed and laid her head against Vastra's chest, her vision filling with green scales. Thoughts of her sister faded, she would meet her, it was a happening for the future that could not intrude on the now of her gift coming to life in the best way possible.
A grumbling stomach could, however. She roused herself, pressed a small kiss to the skin exposed by the open neck of the shirt and pulled Vastra towards the remnants of the feast. Vastra contented herself with a glass from her bottle and a few strips of beef nicked from Jenny's plate.
Once satiated, Jenny felt rather guilty at abandoning her guests for so long and attempted to make the rounds and play hostess, accompanied by a glass of wine. She moved towards her sister and Mrs Blackett, who seemed to have upped their discussion with Strax to a mild argument. Strax could make an argument out of anything, Jenny knew better than most, but this one seemed legitimate.
"Your cause is a worthy one. But if you plan to ride into a glorious battle against…"
Jenny hastily moved away, not wanting to overhear something she'd have to deal with. Mrs Blackett spotted her and left Jess arranging cutlery on the table in some kind of plan of attack to intercept her.
"He's a strange fella your butler."
"Yes." Jenny nodded. "Well he's not…I mean, yes! Yes. He's our butler. He's from another country." Another planet, she thought to herself, in more ways than one. "But we're hopin' to teach 'im the customs an' the like." And good luck to us too with that one.
Mrs Blackett took her by the arm and led her to the doorway. "That lady with Hattie…" she whispered conspiratorially.
"Lettie?" Jenny was surprised. She'd been expecting, possibly hoping for an explanation of what the hell Mrs Blackett and her sister were up to. "She's an old friend."
Mrs Blackett gazed at Lettie, her eyes narrowed slightly and then switched her focus back to Jenny. But a lot had happened to Jenny recently and she merely lifted her chin, staring coolly back.
"Hattie's a good girl. Bit simple in the head, mind. Wouldn't like to see her led astray." Mrs Blackett wasn't backing down either.
"Lettie's respectable enough. Got 'er own house an' everythin'. An' she ain't the type to try an' talk people into anythin'. If yer worried about Hattie becomin' a street walker." Jenny said bluntly.
"Nuffin' against 'em mind." Mrs Blackett wagged a finger under Jenny's nose. "Lord knows they came into my shop of old often enough. Just it ain't the life for everyone, ain't always a good life neither and Hattie's got other options."
Jenny simply stared at the old woman, hoping that an awkward silence would be filled with what precisely those other options were.
"'ow is the ol' shop anyways?" Mrs Blackett asked cheerfully, ignoring the tension in the air.
"Still standin'. I sends round Mrs Parker of a while to give it an air. You comin' back to it any time soon?" Jenny sipped her wine.
It was strange that that was the question that made Mrs Blackett look furtive. "Might not be entirely appropriate at the moment."
"Is my other sister with you?"
That got Mrs Blackett fidgeting even more. "You'd best arsk Jess about all that. I din't have much of a say in it, in the end. You know 'ow it is, things move a-pace. Afore ye know it…"
"She well?" Jenny cut her off.
"Oh aye! I look after all me girls fine. Just like I looked after you and the Madame, if you recall." Mrs Blackett said, almost accusingly.
"I remember." Jenny replied softly, her mind casting back to bacon and soup and an offer of a job. She smiled and the tension dissipated.
Mrs Blackett merely nodded and, muttering something about Jess needing her for something, returned to her seat.
"What on earth was that about?" Vastra returned to Jenny's side.
Jenny nodded at Lettie and Hattie, who were now sitting at the table, watching Jack win the poker game with his usual aplomb. "Mrs Blackett wanted to make sure she wouldn't lead Harriet astray."
"Is that likely do you think?"
"Depends what you mean. Lettie's more'n capable of seducin' people. Wouldn't be good at her job if she weren't. But I don't think she's the type to get anyone into trouble. Was always me gettin' us into trouble, as she reminded me." Jenny snorted. "Anyways, I'd better stop the boys from gamblin' away their shirts." She went to break up a scuffle between Cris and Jack about payment of winnings.
Vastra stood back, watching as Jack, Jenny, Jess and Lettie set up a new poker game. Ada, Dotty and Thrupp thronged about them, whispering clues and distracting them with false hints. George had returned to the food with another bottle of wine in hand. Mrs Blackett had taken the opportunity to drag Harriet away for a whispered Talk by the looks of things. Cris, having lost, was sitting quietly with Soljer, the other boy leaning against him. Boggin was showing Strax how to shine shoes and adapting the technique to work on heads. There was a sudden shout of laughter from Lettie that tickled something at the back of Vastra's memory. It wasn't a memory of her own, she knew that. She doubted it was something that had ever happened. And then she remembered the dream she'd shared with Peggy. A safe, warm dream with people laughing and friends together. She wondered if it had been the inspiration for this. Certainly, it was the best Christmas gift, the best time she'd had since she'd emerged from her pod into the human world. She could almost believe it could last as she watched Jenny argue vehemently with her sister and Lettie about some aspect of the game, Jack acting as intermediary. She smiled to herself. In this time, in this place, it was enough. She let the noise of the party reach her. It was slightly more discordant than in Peggy's dream.
"You bloody did sharp it ya cheat!"
"I never!"
"Ho yes cos I was born after you an' never did watch you grow up playin' with Albie at cards did I!"
"I have to point out Jenny that oft times it was that I saw you at a game of some sort whilst I was workin' at the bar and many a time there was a disgruntled lad that lost his beer money to you and never did find out why he was so unlucky." Lettie brushed a finger over her cards thoughtfully.
"Miss Jenny would never do somethin' like that!" Jack protested. "Not without teachin' me 'ow ter do it first."
"Well I never saw 'er do it." Thrupp elbowed her way between Jenny and Jess so she could lean on the table, plucking at the small pile of coins.
"You ain't meant to! Thas the whole point." Jess slapped her cards down on the table in disgust.
"Why'd I ever do that at Christmas an' all! Ain't exactly in the spirit is it! Ain't my fault you're already three sheets to the wind on that gin."
"Oh! Like half a bottle of gin could touch me! Unlike some lightweights I could mention."
"An' I s'pose I'm meant to be a lightweight who can still sharp after half a bottle of wine, am I?"
"Hardly! Thas 'ow I caught you!"
Jenny and Jess were now both on their feet now, leaving Thrupp ample opportunity to sequester away some of the money into her pockets. Vastra caught her eye as she strode over to separate the two sisters but Thrupp had no such grace as to look abashed and merely sauntered off whistling, running out the door with Ada and Dotty the moment Vastra stopped glowering after her. The delay meant Strax got there first.
"Clearly the only way to resolve this is with a fight to the death! Or I have a pair of Fabashkian pistols, if you want to duel."
For a second, Jess looked like she'd take Strax up on his offer, but Mrs Blackett stepped in.
"I think it's time me an' Jess were off." She took Jess forcibly by the arm. "No point in spoilin' a good time now is there Jess. An' we've got things to be doin'."
The mercurial moods of Jess never ceased to surprise Vastra. The young woman shook off Mrs Blackett's arm and pulled a dumbfounded Jenny into a bear hug. "Merry Christmas then, you dodgy dealer!" She grinned. "Thanks for the good food. An' ta for the tactical ideas, Strax. Might be back to pick yer brain some more."
"If you ever need grenades, I am your Sontaran." He bowed to her.
"Hattie!" Mrs Blackett called sharply, and the young woman broke off from a renewed conversation with Lettie. With a mumbled goodbye and thanks to Jenny and Vastra, she was ushered out the door.
"I feel I should bid farewell at this time as well. For are not goodbyes best said together?" George broke the awkward silence as he retrieved his coat from the back of a chair.
"Poetical and apt, George." Vastra nodded, leading him to the back door.
"Merry Christmas." Jenny waved at him as he walked away calling back requests for another party next year and only weaving slightly. She debated sending Boggin after him, but the boot-boy seemed a little worse for wear himself as he draped his polishing cloth over Strax's head before running off laughing.
"We'll make sure they get home safe." Cris assured her as he and Soljer walked past them.
"Sovereign in it for yer." Jenny smiled and handed him a coin, to make up for his loss at the card game.
Vastra returned to the dining room to see who was left, catching Jack in the act of purloining a bottle of wine. He put it back with a sigh and swept the remaining food into his bag instead.
"Lookin' forward to workin' with you next year too." With a cheerful grin, he shouldered the bag and headed out the door.
Lettie got up out of her chair and stared in mock dismay at the empty dining room.
"Well. I guess thas me walking home alone then!" she tutted. "Not a gent among 'em."
"Didn't you walk here alone?" Vastra asked, a shade sharply.
"Aye well night's fallen since then." Lettie gestured out the window. "Still don't feel comfortable, what with the Ripper an' everythin'." She stood, fiddling with her muff.
"Strax can walk you home." Vastra was not falling for it.
"Can he?" Jenny echoed Lettie as she came in with Lettie's cape. "You sure that's wise ma'am?"
"Well if you walk Lettie home, you'd have to walk back alone yourself." Vastra pointed out acidly. "Whereas I can't think of anything that would attack Strax and live to tell about it."
Lettie looked at Strax, who was still wearing Boggin's polishing cloth on his head, doubt plainly writ across her face.
"But I can see your point, Jenny." Vastra frowned. "It would be unwise to let Strax loose unsupervised. Which leaves us only one sensible option. I shall walk you home." Her tone of voice was all reason and rationality, but her smile showed all her teeth and it was the teeth that reached her eyes, not the smile.
To her credit, Lettie managed a hurried "Acutally, I think I can catch up to Jack if I leave now. Ta for the fun Jenny!" She gave a too bright smile, grabbed her cape off Jenny and darted out the door.
"I can't think what she's afraid of." Vastra shrugged as they heard the backdoor slam. Jenny shook her head and bit back a smile before turning to the task of cleaning up.
The dining room, surprisingly, was not that bad. The Irregulars were not people to leave crumbs if there was a chance to eat them. Vastra picked up the remaining money and restored the cards to their place in the dresser. Jenny tidied the glasses and plates into the kitchen to be washed up later; they wouldn't be needed tomorrow and so could wait. She hummed to herself whilst the kettle boiled. A few unexpected surprises aside, it had been the perfect afternoon. And now, with cups of tea in hand, the perfect evening sounded like tea and snuggling up with Vastra in front of the living room fire.
