An Evening Out

Returning to his room, Loki rubbed the stinging, angry red mark on his cheek. Slowly and mechanically dressed himself in his 19th century suit. He tried to think of his enemies, Odin, Thor, the Doctor, the TARDIS… He tried to think of anything other than Eleanor Bennet.

He was about to do up his tie, when there was a firm knock at the door which could only have been Strax. Sure enough, Loki opened the door to find him standing on the landing holding a black suit. "Your garments for this evening have arrived Sir".

"This evening?" Loki asked as Strax pushed past him to hang the outfit on the wardrobe door.

"Sir Henry Irving's party remember?" Loki turned to see Jenny leaning in the open door frame, "Ma'am had a dinner suit made for you just in case you came back". She straightened herself as Strax marched past her into the hall and gestured to the red mark on Loki's cheek "getting smart again were you? You've certainly been asking for that slap for a while".

"You know it would be a shame to leave Madame Vastra a widow so early into your marriage" Loki warned.

"If you think you can intimidate me, think again" Jenny said unperturbed, "people like you don't frighten me. They only remind me of how lucky I am to have fallen in love with someone like her".

Ignoring Loki's steely expression, she pointed at the dinner suit hanging on the wardrobe door "make sure you try that on before tonight".

Loki rolled his eyes "I must wear a dinner suit? Honestly?"

Jenny gave a short laugh "I thought you'd be used to a bit of pomp and ceremony, being a Prince and all".

"I am" Loki replied, "It's just a bit...different on Asgard, that's all". Celebrations on Asgard had generally been full of food, ale and noise (the majority being generated by Thor and his loyal goons). It hadn't really mattered what one wore, as long as it was accessorised it with a large piece of weaponry.

Loki ran his hand down the fabric of the suit. "Once the Doctor took me to visit Lorenzo De Medici" he told Jenny, "he threw a party for us. There were dancers and fireworks, and a man called Leonardo keep asking me if I would model for him. Will it be like that?"

Jenny smiled "in a way. But if anybody asks you to model for them Loki, I encourage you to say no".

Jenny had been right.

Standing with his back against the wall in Sir Henry Irving's home, Loki felt he could be back in Lorenzo's villa.

Oh yes the decor and the fashion was different, but the people were the same. The host of the party smiling and chatting amiably to the flatterers who were grovelling to him. There were the men who puffed their chests out and strutted around like peacocks and the women who batted their eyelashes and giggled to one another. Well… most women anyway.

Across the room from Loki, Nell Bennet stood by the window looking petrified. Loki had to admit that whoever had chosen the fabric for her dress (Jenny he assumed) had a knack for style. The blue and gold embroidered dress brought out the blue of her eyes, the gold of her hair and the colour of her face (not that there was much colour to work with at the moment, given how pale she was).

A kindly looking man stopped in front of Nell and gave her a gentle smile. "My dear, you look as though you are being held ransom by ruffians" he spoke in a soft Irish brogue. Nell looked at him with watery smile "this isn't really my sort of thing. I don't think I quite fit in". The Irishman laughed "oh my dear you should not worry, you're among theatre folk. All you need to do is act as though you belong, and then lo and behold, you do".

Nell smiled again "well I shall try".

"All one can do is try" the man replied with a polite bow, "and who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"Eleanor Bennet" Nell said, thinking that her full name might be more suitable in this setting.

The man took Nell's hand and kissed it "a pleasure Miss Bennet, and I am Mr Bram Stoker, Sir Henry's theatre manager".

Nell gasped "are you really?"

"The last time I checked" Mr Stoker replied wryly.

Nell clasped her hands together "oh sir I love your book".

"Which one?" Mr Stoker enquired.

"Why Dracula of course" Nell replied, "its brilliant".

Mr Stoker looked puzzled "Dracula? I'm sorry I don't-"

"Hello Mr Stoker" Loki said suddenly appearing by Nell's side and extending a hand, "Mr Alex Green, a pleasure to meet you. Please ignore Miss Bennet, she does get confused".

He offered his arm to Nell and gave her a pointed look, "come along Miss Bennet" he said in a warning tone.

Nell took Loki's arm and walked away with him from a still puzzled Bram Stoker.

"What?" Nell asked Loki. "Is there a problem?"

"You were discussing Dracula with Bram Stoker" Loki responded.

"So?" Nell sounded indignant, "he wrote it".

"Yes" Loki said sharply, "in 1897! We're two years early".

"Oh" Nell said slowly with burning red cheeks, "oh dear. Wait a moment - how do you even know that?"

Loki tapped his head "Alex. The man read an awful lot and apparently paid attention to publication dates, unlike yourself".

Nell looked down at the floor. "Ah I see".

Loki began to protest "I wasn't taunting you this time. I only mentioned him because-".

Nell looked up at Loki and placed a hand on his arm "no I know. It's all right, really. Like I said this morning, he's gone. Maybe it's time to let him go? For both of us".

Loki hesitated for a moment and then gave a curt nod.

Nell gave a small, grateful smile. "Thank you". Then she covered her eyes with her hands and groaned. "I can believe I just talked to Bram Stoker about Dracula two years early!"

"Oh that's nothing" Loki replied, "I once nearly started a war with Achernonians by borrowing a bucket. How was I supposed to know it was sacred?"

Nell smiled "did the Doctor put you up to it?"

"No I did that one on my own" Loki told her, "on a goodwill mission with my parents when I was quite young. It did not go down too well".

Nell laughed "it's funny to imagine you as a child. I'll bet you were a cheeky one".

"Yes but also terribly adorable" Loki said with a wink, "yourself?"

"I was a grubby little street urchin" Nell grinned, "Until I stowed away aboard a ship, went to sea and became a grubby little pirate".

Loki looked at her thoughtfully, remembering the dangerous young woman from the Doctor's TARDIS. "That must be an interesting story" he mused.

"It's not exactly on the level of the stories you feature in" Nell replied, "and anyway, it's not for tonight". She placed her hand to her head "it's a bit warm in here isn't it?"

"Not really" Loki replied. He looked at Nell "are you alright? You've gone very pale".

"I feel a little faint" Nell murmured.

Loki grip Nell's arm tightly "come with me".

He led Nell out of the room as discreetly as he could. Out in the hall, he let Nell lean more heavily on him. He opened a door to what appeared to be a study.

Half carrying Nell, Loki brought her into the room and helped her sit on the sofa.

"Turn around" he instructed her so that she was facing away from him. Nell did so and could feel him undoing the back of her dress.

"What are you doing?" she asked hazily, and then suddenly felt the pressure that had been pushing on her chest cavity release.

She took a deep breath and winced as her ribs protested "oh that still hurts like hell".

"You shouldn't have had the corset done up so tightly in the first place" Loki told her, "weren't you in agony?"

Nell nodded, "yes but I was trying to push through it. Stupid I know".

She looked sheepishly at Loki, "thank you. You know for a moment there when you were undoing my dress I thought-"

"Thought what?" Loki looked at her with confusion, and then to Nell's great amusement his face became a brilliant shade of crimson "oh".

Nell laughed "OK, help me do it up again – not as tightly this time. Tongues will wag if we are found in here with my dress undone".

"Sir Henry thinks we are engaged to be married anyway" Loki told her as he re-did her corset.

"Why does he think that?" Nell asked.

"He assumed that we were on the day we first met him" Loki replied, "and Madame Vastra didn't correct him".

"All right" Nell said slowly, "and why didn't you correct him?"

Loki said nothing. He continued to do up the buttons of Nell's dress.

"Loki" Nell said, turning around to face him "why didn't you correct him?"

She looked at the silent Asgardian. "Well if you won't answer that question, maybe you'll answer another one." She took a deep breath "why did you take me from my home?"

For what seemed like the longest time, Loki simply stared at her. Then he spoke.

"You're a smart girl Eleanor" he said quietly, "I think you already know the answer to that, don't you?"

Nell looked at him with a stunned expression. "Loki I-"

"Oh!" a quiet exclamation came from the doorway. Nell and Loki both looked up to see an embarrassed Bram Stoker standing in the threshold "I'm sorry, I did not realise I was interrupting something".

"You're not" Nell said firmly as she stood up from the sofa.

"Eleanor…" Loki began as he reached out to her. Nell slapped his hand away, "Loki don't! Just, don't!" She rushed out the room past Mr Stoker.

Loki placed his head in his hands and groaned.

"There, there son" Mr Stoker said, "I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems".

"It is worse than you could imagine" Loki assured him. He stood up "please excuse me".

"Of course" Mr Stoker nodded, "but may I ask you something?"

"Mmm?" Loki stopped and looked at the Irishman.

"Just then Miss Bennet didn't call you Mr Green; she didn't even call you Alexander. She called you 'Loki'".

Loki raised an eyebrow with mild interest "and?"

"I've been reading Norse mythology of late, study for a new book you see. I was just curious as to why Miss Bennet would refer to you as a mythical being" Mr Stoker said carefully.

Loki gave Mr Stoker a long curious look that made the man sweat under his collar. Then Loki smiled his most charming smile, showing his pearly white teeth "Mr Stoker, are you suggesting that I am a God?"

Mr Stoker gave a nervous laugh "well of course I don't think-"

Loki leaned in close to the man, causing him to swallow the rest of his sentence.

"May I make a suggestion?" Loki purred in a low voice, "Forget Norse mythology. Have a look at Eastern European folklore. I'm sure you will find much better material".

"Err...yes" Mr Stoker stammered, "thank you".

Loki nodded gave a polite bow farewell to Mr Stoker "please thank Sir Henry for a delightful evening".

Mr Stoker followed Loki into the hall and watched him disappear through the front door.

"Madam Vastra does entertain the most peculiar people doesn't she?" Sir Henry said, suddenly appearing at Mr Stoker's side. "What did you make of Mr Green? Polite enough fellow, but something about that man makes one nervous. Don't you agree Bram?"

"Mmm" Mr Stoker nodded, "nervous, yes". 'I'm just not sure that he's a man' he added silently to himself. The next day Bram Stoker disposed of his volumes on Norse mythology and started researching European folklore.