Serafine and Victoria entered the glovemaker's, considering the sort of gloves that could and should be worn for the wedding. Macavity paused, turning from where he was at one of the counters, talking to the shop owner.
Victoria's gaze flickered over to the red tabby. She paused a moment before glancing at her aunt. The red tabby in question blinked a few times before inclining his head. "Miss Jones. And Mrs. Quaxo?" He was unsure exactly how to address her after her son.
Serafine inclined her head to him, "Mr. Hollister. What brings you out on such a day?"
"Finding new gloves simply," he replied. "And you two ladies?"
"The same, sir," she answered.
"Just out shopping for gloves?" he asked, trying to make something akin to conversation.
"Precisely," she glanced at Victoria who offered a faint smile.
"I'm hoping to find suitable ones," she said.
"For the wedding?" Macavity asked after a moment.
The white queen nodded slightly, "Yes. Something new, you know?"
His smile was strained. "Ah yes. White I would presume then?"
She nodded again, "That is the plan."
"I am sure you'll find something here to suit your tastes," he said and the shop keeper behind him nodded energetically.
Sera glanced toward the shopkeeper, "Perhaps you could show us your materials, that we might have some idea of what we're looking at?"
Victoria offered Macavity a faint smile, "Thank you."
He rolled his shoulders. "Any time. Not that I did much since you were already here."
"Nevertheless...Thank you," she said, voice meaningful.
Sera glanced between the two younger cats as the shopkeeper went to fetch what she had requested. Pausing, Macavity offered her a grin. "Well, now I have to say you're welcome."
Her smile brightened at that, "I suppose you do."
"Well then, milady, you're most welcome," he said with a grin.
She blushed faintly, "How does this day find you, sir?"
"It is a beautiful day, made currently only more so," he replied. "Work is for the most part progressing enough that it is not... much of a concern."
"I am glad to hear it," she replied softly.
Serafine glanced at them again, her expression unreadable, before her gaze went back to the fabrics that the shopkeeper had brought out.
Macavity's eyes flickered over to the older queen before back to Victoria. "And yourself? Besides shopping for fabrics and the like."
"I am...doing well, thank you for asking."
"You hardly sound convinced there..." he said, tail swishing slightly behind him before he stilled it.
Her gaze darted up to meet his before dropping again, "I'm doing well, sir."
"Anything I could be in use in?" Macavity asked, frowning ever so slightly.
She shook her head, "No. Nothing, thank you for the offer."
"Alright," he said softly.
Victoria offered him a faint smile, "I supposed plans for the wedding are simply growing in number is all."
"It should be coming up soon, yes?" he asked, voice still quiet.
She nodded, "The date has yet to be announced, but I expect it soon."
He paused and nodded. "You think a date would show up at this point," he shook his head. There was none on any of the papers yet.
"Soon," she repeated.
Serafine glanced at them again, "Victoria, come look at this fabric, and see if you like it."
Macavity blinked, craning his neck slightly but remaining where he was. Victoria moved to her aunt's side, running her paws over the fabrics, glancing at her aunt to see what the older queen thought. Sera inclined her head, leaving the decision up to her niece. The younger queen finally located a fabric she would be able to bear wearing for the duration of the ceremony.
Macavity watched them quietly, murmuring something to the shop keeper about his own order and just leaning against the counter the rest of the time.
The queens finished a short while later, the glove maker having been given the appropriate measurements for Victoria's paw and the fabric requested. Sera inclined her head to Macavity, "It was good to see you again, sir."
"You as well," he said, inclining his head. "Good luck with the preparations"
"Thank you. Come along, Victoria, we should be returning home."
Victoria offered Macavity a faint smile, "Good day to you, sir." He waved as they walked out, suppressing what would have turned into another sigh.
v.v.v.v
Serafine hesitated before knocking lightly on the library door. Mistoffelees glanced up, setting his book to one side and opening the door. His brows rose but he stepped aside. "Mother. Come in if you like."
She stepped inside, glancing around, "How are you today, Mistoffelees?"
"Well enough," he replied, one ear flickering. He hadn't spoken to Coricopat since Franklin had arrived and it was making him feel jittery. "And yourself?"
"Well enough," she echoed.
"What brings you here today?" he asked.
"I was out shopping with your cousin earlier and we encountered your uncle's lawyer. I was wondering what you could tell me about him?"
"La-lawyer?" he asked, eyes going a little wide, not quite processing.
"Mr. Hollister?" she supplied.
"Oh," he supplied, looking relieved. "Well... what do you wish to know about him?"
"What is he like? Is he honorable?"
"Honorable? I would say so, but he can be a bit... brash," Mistoffelees replied, one ear flickering.
"So I noticed," she said, wryly.
"It's hard not to notice that about him," Mistoffelees smiled faintly.
"Your cousin seems to find him charming," she murmured.
"He is that," Mistoffelees said. "When he wants to be that is."
Serafine sighed, finally coming out to say what she was thinking, "I'm worried."
"That they might fall in love?" Mistoffelees asked, an ear flickering back at the very suggestion, but he was hardly going to take it back now.
"That they're already headed there."
Mistoffelees blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "You did the same," he pointed out quietly.
She sighed, "I know that, that's why I can't condemn her for it, but she's engaged. It's almost as good as being married. To a tom with no little influence either. As much as you dislike him, and I can't say much for his family." Mistoffelees sighed, and looked down. "You know Plato Philipson better than I, what are the chances of him breaking the engagement?"
"At this point?" Mistoffelees considered their last conversation. "He would have to be given a very good reason, and then he might keep it just out of spite."
His mother sighed again, "I feared as much." He shrugged a little helplessly. "Well, then we do what we can to help her, and to see that she and Mr. Hollister have as little contact as possible," Sera murmured, thinking aloud more than anything.
"Would it be so bad if they ran away together?" Mistoffelees asked, unable to help it.
"Where would they run to?" she asked quietly.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly.
"That's the problem, they wouldn't be able to stay in England, and where they would go I don't know. But," she finally admitted, "If they were to come to the realization of a love enough to warrant marriage, and were to elope, I would not say them nay."
Sighing, Mistoffelees ran a paw over his face. "God..."
Sera shook her head, "We will be there to support her no matter what happens. And if need be we speak to Mr. Hollister about tact."
That got a laugh out of the smaller cat. "I'm not sure we would have much effect there."
She smiled wryly, "It could be worth a try though."
"I think his partner would attest to how ineffective that is."
"Oh?" she asked in some confusion.
"He's been trying for years," Mistoffelees replied, glad his voice was even.
She smiled faintly, "Well, that's good to know then."
He shrugged. "I can at least ask one of them about this tact thing."
"If you would? I can speak with Victoria as well."
"Alright," he said softly, tail swishing behind him as he tried to process the conversation.
v.v.v.v
Mistoffelees hesitated a long moment before knocking on the door. It was a long moment before the door opened and Coricopat looked out warily. He bit his lip, "Mistoffelees." Stepping aside he opened the door further, "Do come in."
"Thank you," he said quietly, tail curling.
The mottled tom closed the door behind the other, "H-how have you been?"
"Not bad over all," he replied. "A little confused."
"Oh? Is...there anything I can do to help clear that up?"
"Well, your partner and my cousin are apparently falling in love, and that man that showed up the other day and..." he shook his head. "I had planned on approaching that with more tact..."
Coricopat's brows rose, "Macavity and your cousin are what?" He would deal with the Franklin bit in a moment.
"Apparently my mother say them together and is worried."
"Oh, God..." Coricopat shook his head, "I suppose that explains some things."
"Some things?" Mistoffelees asked, tilting his head.
"He's been...distracted lately."
"Lovely," Mistoffelees murmured, running a paw through his hair.
"I'll speak with him, see if there's anything he can actually tell me."
"Alright," Mistoffelees nodded, tail flickering behind him again.
"As to Franklin's arrival...what do you wish to talk about there?" Coricopat asked, after a moment, approaching the topic with wariness and distaste.
"Well, just to make sure here... you and he were...?"
Coricopat nodded, "He was the relationship I told you about, briefly."
"And he's back now?" Mistoffelees looked distinctly unhappy with the idea.
"Apparently," the mottled tom's ears lay back at that thought.
Mistoffelees shifted. "Are you alright?"
He sighed slightly, "I never expected to see him again, God knows I didn't want to." His gaze went to the smaller tom, "I promise you, that for my part, this changes nothing between you and I."
"Oh," he said quietly, and visibly relaxed.
Coricopat shook his head slightly, "I love you, Mistoffelees Quaxo. Nothing's going to change that."
Shifting, he moved forward and pressed himself against Coricopat, his arms going around his chest. "Good."
The taller cat carefully wrapped his arms around the other, "I love you."
Letting out a breath, Mistoffelees relaxed further against him. "Was it silly I was worried?"
Coricopat thought about it for a moment and then shook his head, "I hadn't told you much about what went on between us, and you were acting on what little you knew. Worry when an old flame walks in is to be expected. But that's all he is to me-a spark of the past who has no hold on me in that respect any longer."
Mistoffelees paused and finally nodded against Coricopat's chest. "Alright. Alright, I can live with that."
"I have to warn you though, he's made it pretty clear he's back to wreak chaos where he can outside of whatever he's in town for."
"Good to know," Mistoffelees murmured, nuzzling up against Coricopat slightly, paying much more attention to the feel of the other than any possible warnings. The mottled tom held him close, stroking a paw over his headfur. "So, he's wrecking chaos, and your partner and my cousin may be causing all sorts of scandal, but we're fine?"
"Beyond the issue that is this relationship in general? Yes, we're fine."
Mistoffelees laughed softly at that. "Our entire relationship an issue? Surely not."
Coricopat chuckled, "Not at all. Must be thinking of something else."
Mistoffelees tilted his head back to kiss the other softly. The taller cat leaned down to deepen the kiss, purring gently. Shifting further against the other, Mistoffelees started purring faintly in return, paws coming up around the other's neck.
Coricopat pulled him closer, backing toward the couch a bit. Pausing almost a moment Mistoffelees followed him, arching a brow even as he did not break the kiss.
Coricopat settled down on the couch, pulling Mistoffelees with him, not breaking the kiss. The smaller tom startled at that, before setting on the other cat, continuing the kiss, with his paws coming up to cup his face.
Coricopat purred, one paw running down Mistoffelees' spine, settling to massage small circles at the base of the other's tail Arching, Mistoffelees finally broke the kiss. "I can't stay long..."
Coricopat's ears flickered, "How long?"
"I..." he paused. "Half an hour?"
The solicitor nodded slightly, leaning in to kiss the other again. Shifting, Mistoffelees pressed further against him, tilting his head into the kiss.
The mottled tom purred deeply, drawing back finally, "I love you." The smaller leaned back in to kiss him again, softly.
Here we are, with the next installment! In which we deal a bit more with Macavity and Victoria, which is quite difficult in this setting. But don't worry for those that have been enjoying the idea of that pairing, more of them is coming.
We hope all the readers enjoyed this chapter, but please do remember to review it if you enjoyed it! It's really nice, after a long week, to know that people are reading what we spend a lot of hard time working on. We also would like to remind everyone, we even allow annon reviews! Cheers all, and we hope you're having a good week, and thank you for reading!