I don't own Alice or Jervis, but Urania, Edith, Jack, and the mouse are mine. The experiences that befall poor Alice are mine as well, although not all of them at the same time, as they occur here.
Summary: Alice loves her job, except on days like this. A comedy of errors and misfortune follow her around on one horrible, awful day. Then she makes a friend. After all, where did Jervis' mice come from? Alice/Jervis
Alice had been working at Wayne Industries for Mr. Jervis Tetch for six months, and she couldn't have been happier. She had always been a neatnik, while her employer was more of a pack rat, but they managed to coexist happily and kept one another busy. Alice loved coming into work and sharing a cup of tea with her employer, typing up his reports and organizing their office space, helping Jervis dodge and mollify Dr. Cates (their mutual employer and the technology director) and handling grant requests, supply orders, and the occasional misinformed visitor. She enjoyed assisting Jervis with his research and experiments and working with the secretaries from other offices to keep some semblances of communication flowing.
Yes, it was very safe to say that she loved her job, and she wouldn't trade her position for anything.
But the way the universe was testing her job loyalty today becoming frustrating and somewhat painful.
It had started out inconspicuously enough. She had been a moment too late to catch her train, and was forced to wait for the next one, causing her to be about twenty minutes late. This happened very rarely, and it wouldn't have been a big problem if Dr. Cates hadn't caught her while she was entering the building.
"Late again, Alice? For the third time in four months?" the director asked, with a sharply raised eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Cates," Alice said, trying not to make her case any worse. "I missed my train. I'll stay later to make up the time."
"Yes, you will. But realize, Alice, that this company values punctuality and reliability, not lame excuses, from its employees. If you can't make a commitment to arriving on time, you should seriously looking at your chosen career a second time."
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am." By heavens, this woman could be awful. No wonder Jervis loathed her.
"And tell Tetch that if he doesn't come to the meeting on Friday, it'll be his head!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Alice dashed to the elevators and made her escape.
Once in the office, she'd just put down her purse when Jervis came out of his office and asked if she would help him move a large box full of old radio equipment he'd managed to rescue. He was going to try and cannibalize the parts, in the hopes of making a basic transistor that he could then modify. Alice wasn't sure of all of the steps he was going to have to take to reach his eventual goal, but from the way he spoke, the building of this transistor would be preliminary work similar to walking toward a kitchen drawer to get a rag to wipe down the tables before setting places for a party of 60 who would be enjoying a fourteen-course meal using the finest linen, china, silverware, and crystal legally available. Simply put, it wasn't that they were "going nowhere," but they were going slowly enough to make it seem that they were.
She supposed it couldn't be helped, though, since this was delicate and as-yet unheard of work.
So they went right back down to the lobby and out towards the back of the building, where a huge cardboard box stood awaiting its carriers.
"How, exactly, did you manage to find someone willing to donate these?" Alice panted as they lifted the box between themselves and headed toward the door. She'd slipped off her outer blouse and her heels, thinking that walking backwards in pumps was a bad idea. They stood nestled in the box with the equipment. She winced as the sharp, pebbly asphalt pressed into her feet and tore her stockings. 'Perfect.'
"They didn't donate, strictly speaking." Jervis sounded like he was having as hard a go of it as she was. He'd abandoned his lab coat with her shoes and had rolled up his sleeves, the greatest concession to labor that Alice had ever witnessed him make. He was always so buttoned up that it was rather surprising to see him going along with her. "A thrift store owner gave them to me, provided I return the parts we won't use in working order."
"Wait," Alice said, both to halt the march and the conversation as she was pressed between box and glass entrance. She pushed the door open with her rear end and there was a moment of rapid scuttling as they shepherded the heavy thing through the doors. "Are you saying these are broken?"
"Well, I can't be sure yet." There was another pause as they wriggled into one tiny elevator, the box taking up most of the room as they were crammed into one corner, practically breathing each other's air. "B-because, you see, uhm…I need to open them up, and if the parts work, then I-I'll use them, but to make good on the deal I made with the thrift store owner—did I mention him? Because that's really the only way we have access to these at all, was by making a deal, but to make good on the deal, as I mentioned before, I think—eh, heh, I'll, uhm…" Jervis was turning a worrying shade of red and fidgeting, pressing himself against the back of the elevator. Alice fanned herself with a hand and looked at him with concern. Maybe the physical exertion was getting to him.
"Repair the others?" she supplied, taking a guess.
"Quiteyesthankyoudear." Alice took this to mean something in the affirmative and the elevator dinged as they reached their floor.
After some serious fumbling (it was harder to get the box out of the elevator than to get it in) and a moment of terror when Alice worried that Jervis had thrown out his back, they continued their stumble back to the lab. They earned some very inquisitive looks as they passed by the Biology of Small Mammals offices but most of the chuckles were stifled. Alice glared at an intern who snorted as Jervis passed by; everybody in this place seemed to think that he was weird or crazy; in fact, all of the secretaries she had met offered their opinions that she was doing "so very well under the circumstances" of working for him. They didn't know anything at all.
Eventually, they reached their office. A space on the counter in the lab had been specially cleared, but Alice saw that she had to get in here soon to clean up again; the clutter was getting ready to go on rampage.
"Ready? One, two, three!" They lifted the box with a burst of effort and lifted it above the counter.
They were just about to settle it on the table when Alice saw the box wobble. She was going to ask if Jervis was all right when the box came straight down. It was only a fall of a few inches, but she wasn't quick enough to remove her left hand from beneath it.
"Hahh!" She bit back a scream and let out a sharp whine, ripping her hand back out from underneath the box.
"Alice!" Jervis was at her side at in an instant. Alice gritted her teeth and grimaced as tears formed in her eyes. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"It dropped on my hand," she said in a strangled voice. She cradled the appendage in question. It wasn't bleeding, but a little gash had been made on the back. Mostly, she was afraid she hand broken it.
"Let me see, dearest." He took her hand gently and glanced at it. "I'm just going to feel the bones quickly. It might hurt."
"Do it." His thumbs skirted over her skin, pressing gently. She nearly screamed again. 'AhhhhhhhGOD!' "Stop, stop!"
"Can you move your fingers, Alice?" Jervis kept a hold of her hand as she wiggled experimentally. More pain shot up through her arm, but nothing like earlier. Every digit moved and he sighed with relief. "It doesn't seem to be broken. It's probably just going to be a bad bruise."
"Thank goodness," Alice sighed as the remnants of pain started to fade. A broken hand would mean time and money she didn't have. She flexed her fingers carefully against his hands. "And thanks for checking."
He smiled sadly at her for a moment, but when she brushed her fingers in his hand, he dropped her palm like it was a red-hot fire poker, jumping back nervously. "Oh, not at all! My pleasure." His eyes widened. "I mean, not that you got hurt, of course, but that I could be here for you when you were. I mean, not that I'm not when you're not hurt, because I am, forever, really. I mean, if you need me. That is, want me." He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting around the room.
Alice smiled a little bit. Jervis could be terribly strange, but he always could make her smile. "Thanks, Jervis. That's sweet of you to say."
He grinned, looking pleased. "What you need is an ice pack. Stay here, my dear, and I'll fetch you one."
Alice leaned against the counter and waited for him to return. She stretched her hand a bit, and then reached up into the box to retrieve her shoes. Clasping them in her right hand, she let them drop to the floor and slipped back into them.
Jervis returned with the ice pack and a cup of tea. "I thought this might restore your spirits a little."
She took the hot cup from him with a grateful smile, and took a little sip. Pleased to have a nice drink (and a little surprised that he knew how she liked it), she leaned her elbows on the counter and relaxed.
Then a chip flew out from beneath her heel and she slipped, spilling tea down her front.
Putting the still-mostly full cup on the counter, Alice buried her head in her crossed arms and moaned. "Jervis, if you consider me a friend and a colleague, please find a pistol and shoot me right now."
"Oh, my dear." A handkerchief floated before her. "You are having a rough time of it, aren't you?"
Alice took the hankie and pressed it against her breasts. She glanced down at her shoe. Luckily, only a chip off the side of the heel had snapped off, instead of the whole thing. She could still wear them and walk around, but she'd have to be careful not to slip again.
As she blotted her blouse, Jervis pulled her outer shirt out of the box and held it out for her to slip into. She returned his handkerchief with a sheepish smile and buttoned the blouse up to the top, murmuring, "Thanks."
"Thank you for helping me drag this thing up. I'm afraid it's brought you more trouble than it's worth," he said, knocking against the side of the box.
Alice shrugged and smiled. "It's what they pay me for." She headed toward the door. "I'll be out here if you need me."
Slowing down to savor it, Alice leaned down to finally relax into her chair. She fell into it with a disappointed "whump" when the phone rang. Sighing, she let it ring twice more before answering it.
"Jervis Tetch's office, Alice speaking." She didn't try to infect much cheeriness into her voice, but kept it polite.
"Alice, honey!" Edith Dilleld, secretary to Jack Bowerby, a scientist in the BoSM department, yodeled. "What happened, darling, when you didn't pick up right off? You'll lose your position as Organization Maven if you keep it up!"
Alice had been declared the Organization Maven by the other secretaries for her –apparently- monumental accomplishment on her first week, when she completely cleaned and restored the entire office to order. Edith had been the Organization Maven before her and was acting rather like an ex-Prom Queen about the situation. The other secretary was a little too perky for Alice's tastes and always seemed to be overly-caffeinated.
"Hello, Edith. I'm afraid I'm just a little tired today. What can I do to help you?"
"Well, darling, I have some papers that your dear Mr. Tetch might find useful! He was requesting information about the electrical patterns in mouse brains, for heaven knows what odd reason!" Here Edith giggled loudly. "I would fax it to you, honey, but I know that you're practically in the stone ages down there in that little broom closet and don't have a machine! So, why don't you come over and grab it? We can have a little chat!"
"Thank you, Edith, I'll be right over. I'm sure Jervis will be pleased to have those papers. I'll talk to you in a moment." She forcefully holstered the receiver and sighed. She didn't want to get out of her chair, but if she didn't do it now, she'd never get up.
The Biology of Small Mammals department was all slick metal and polished glass, an ultra-modern sort of look that suggested progress, sterility, professionalism. It was also an utterly impersonal workspace. Alice's station may not be the best in the building, but she considered it more comfortable than this suite of offices.
Urania Stuart, the department's grant specialist and Alice's frequent lunch partner, smiled over at the blonde as she came in. Alice greeted her with a wave.
"Be sure you notice the flowers," the bespectacled brunette advised Alice. "That's the whole point of this little charade."
"Thanks. Is Bowerby in today?" Jack Bowerby thought of himself as something of a tomcat. He certainly had the looks to back it up, and he could really turn on the charm when he wanted to. But his seemed to be a rather oily sort of attention, not at all the kind Alice appreciated. Alice could be more charmed by quiet interest than by smoldering leers.
"Yeah, and he's been on the prowl, so be forewarned."
Edith was sitting at her desk, admiring a gargantuan bouquet of red roses, her long black hair perfectly coiffed into a stylish up-do. Next to Edith's slightly-opened, pressed white blouse, short red skirt, bare legs, and black stilettos, Alice felt terribly frumpy, flushed, and childish. And she wasn't entirely sure that was just her bad day talking.
"Oh, there you are, Alice! Aren't these just perfect?" the other secretary sing-songed.
"They're beautiful, Edith. From whom are they?"
"Just that darling, Philip Winethrope! Surely you know him? The Biology director?" Dr. Winethrope was on a similar level as Dr. Cates. "I just love to have fresh flowers on my desk, don't you, Alice dear?"
"I'm sure I don't get flowers as often as you do, Edith. I just try to make do without. They really are lovely, though." All right, so Alice wasn't the object of anyone's fascination or floral arrangements. But she didn't clamber for attention, either.
Edith took a single appraising scan of Alice and pulled a hairbrush from one of her drawers.
"Oh, Alice, angel, what is that Mr. Tetch having you do? Build a rocket-ship? Here, honey, brush your hair, it could really use it! Haven't you have a busy morning, you poor little thing! Looks like a bad coffee stain (smart of you to try and cover it up), a broken shoe (I'm so sorry but I don't have anything to help you there), and—OH MY GAWD, look at your poor hand! What could be going on, darling?" Alice glanced down and saw that the bruise had already begun to form, a large purplish mark spreading down from her knuckles half-way to her wrist. She sighed and absent-mindedly brushed at her locks, working out a snag or two.
"Just a rough morning, Edith. Nothing to worry about, really."
"Oh, but darling, I just couldn't let you leave when you still look such a wreck!" Alice sighed. "Come on, sit down and talk with me a little bit!" Aside from showing off tokens of her male admirers' adoration, Edith loved nothing more than the gossip, and Alice seemed to be her chosen captive audience of the day.
There were no chairs in sight, so Alice just leaned her hip against the desk edge. Edith continued in a stage whisper. "Now, sweetie, do tell me what that little scene in the elevator was all about! And don't you leave a thing out!"
"Excuse me?" Alice said, wonderingly. "What scene?"
"Why, you and your dear Mr. Tetch, Alice!" Edith patted the side of her computer, her pride and joy. She always spoke in glowing terms of modernity and thought it was very "quaint" that Alice used a typewriter. That was Edith: top-of-the-line computer on one side, knee-meltingly handsome employer on the other, and a huge display of flowers in the front.
Never mind that she had barely any idea of how to use the machine and that it malfunctioned almost every day, nor that Jack was a womanizing and sleazy creep, nor that the flowers…well, the flowers actually were rather nice. "I was just typing in some of last week's data right into our database, when I look up for a minute and I see the doors open, and there are the two of you, pressed together like there's no tomorrow!"
"Oh, that. Jervis managed to wrangle a deal with a thrift store for radio parts. He's making a transistor for his project. Unfortunately, the box is huge and he needed help lugging it up into the building," Alice flicked her hair over her shoulders and brushed a bit more. Edith had had a point—her hair did want brushing. "In fact, that's how I got this," she held up her hand. "The box fell and I wasn't quick enough."
"That's horrid, darling!" Edith pouted but bulldozed right on after her nanosecond of silent contemplation. "I do remember you two mucking about to get it out of the elevator…it certainly was a big box! No reason to be all smooshed up together, though!" Edith pouted her lips and wiggled her eyebrows. Alice was a little confused.
"Well, it was really cumbersome. It was lucky we were all able to fit in at once. There must be twenty radios in that thing."
"All those radios for one little transistor! Why, he just should've filed for the funds to get one premade, darling! Probably can't get Dr. Cates behind the project, is what it is! He is always in trouble with her, isn't he?" Alice bit her tongue. How, exactly, did everybody seem to know about that? "Oh, I know she just wants what's best for the company, really, and that we can't say word one against her, she's so competent and effective!"
"Jack has no such problem with Philip at all, you know! It's because he always has such marvelous results and he's such a hard worker! He's heading panel in just a week or two, and you're very welcome to come along…if your Mr. Tetch will let you out of his sight!" Edith tittered. "That man blushes brighter than anyone I've ever seen! And you know I can see these things from miles away, and I must say it's very cute! I wouldn't dream of it myself, but I say 'different strokes for different folks'! Such a pretty little girl like you and such a…man like Mr. Tetch! But perhaps he can offer something else, I suppose! He's taken such a shine to you!"
Alice finished her hair and rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, Edith. We're just friends. After all, a man as smart as Jervis wouldn't notice me, or pay attention to romantic stuff like that; his only interests are Lewis Carroll and science. He's too polite to say it, but he must think I'm a blockhead, anyway, the way I interrupt and make him go back and explain everything to me. I've tried to look up just a little of what he's working on and I can't make head or tail of it. I've had to ask him to explain that, too."
"Ooh, no, Alice! You'll only encourage him with that kind of behavior!" Edith squealed, giggling. "It's showing an interest, darling!"
"Well, I am interested, because what he's doing is interesting, even if it leaves me more confused than ever," Alice said, handing back the hairbrush. "Thanks. Could I have the papers you mentioned?" Edith leaned down and shuffled through her drawers for a moment.
As Edith handed Alice the papers, Jack Bowerby entered the room. His face broke out in a curved smile, a rather catlike look coming into his expression when his eyes fell upon the blonde. "Alice, beautiful, how are you?"
"Hello, Mr. Bowerby. I'm just fine, and you?"
"Fantastic, fantastic. Call me Jack, baby. Hey, what've you got there?" He gestured to the papers in Alice's left hand.
"Oh, just some data for Jervis to look at—"
"No, no, no, no. Your hand, honey, your pretty little hand. Lemme see…" Jack made to take it, but Alice drew away with a couple of quick steps, flashing a worried smile.
"Just a little bump, nothing to worry about, really. Nice to see you! Good bye, Edith!" Alice made for the door and Jack called after her.
"Whenever you decide you're done doing hard labor for Tetch, come on by! I'd be thrilled to have you in this office, gorgeous!"
Alice couldn't leave fast enough.
Urania checked her watch. It only took the blonde four seconds to dash from the doorway to the corner of the hallway. A new record.
Alice melted into her chair.
She had just dropped off the papers from Edith when she heard yelling coming from her employer's office. Jervis had been up to his elbows in radio parts, enduring a surprise onslaught from Dr. Cates. The director, enraged at the radios and the manner in which Jervis had acquired them, turned to Alice when she arrived. She had instantly been berated for not being at her station. Her lateness that morning was also brought up and the blonde had flushed a guilty shade of red as the director turned her fury back on the scientist, telling him he needed to reprimand his secretary for not recognizing her responsibilities.
With a final threat of things to come if this incident was ever repeated, Dr. Cates stormed out with an ominous "Your heads will roll!"
They shared a morose cup of tea in the kitchen, pondering their fates silently. Alice wondering what her punishment from Jervis would be, Jervis presumably wondering how to escape this imbroglio with his job intact.
Alice had gulped down her lunch then, discovering that, in her haste that morning, she hadn't noticed the mold on the bread or the decided squishiness of her apple.
The secretary put her head down on her folded arms and groaned. This had been the worst day she'd ever had in all her life. Worse than the day she got her bout of shingles in college. Worse than the day she'd gotten lost in downtown Gotham with only twenty dollars and a driver's license. Worse than the day Jervis' lab spontaneously exploded and burnt her new winter coat to a crisp (he'd insisted it had been an electrical thing, but never explained exactly what; still, he lent her his coat so that she didn't have to go home in a short-sleeve shirt).
All she wanted to do was melt into the floor, or drop dead, or sleep, or just not get back up. Maybe she should have gone and been a secretary at an ad agency. Nice, quiet advertisements. Or even a dental practice! Secretaries in dental practices didn't have days like this, did they?
But then something small and hairy with pointed feet crawled over her ankle.
'ROACH!' her brain screamed, and she let out a small shriek, pulling away from her desk and flailing her limbs a little. In the process, she upset a small glass bowl of mints on her desk. The bowl toppled to the floor, capturing a small white thing inside.
'Wait a minute…that's not a roach…'
Alice's hands were full, so she gently kicked Jervis' door with her shoe. "Jervis? Can you please open the door for me?"
"Your hand's not acting up, is it?" he asked as he pulled the door open. Alice hurried inside.
"Oh, no, no, that's fine. It's just...uhm, where is the brain tank?"
"I beg your pardon?" Alice knew she must look rather strange, her hands cupped around a glass bowl with a piece of paper over it.
"The tank you kept the ape brain in. Is it clean?"
"Well, yes. It's over on the counter." Alice spotted it and hustled over. "My dear, what are you--"
Alice placed the bowl gently in the terrarium and lifted the piece of paper. A white mouse sniffed the air, shaking from its encounter with a screaming woman.
"By the queen," Jervis murmured. "Where ever did he come from?"
"I found him crawling on my ankle. At first, I thought he was a huge roach," Alice smiled fondly at the mouse. He really was awfully cute.
"He must have escaped from Biology of Small Mammals. Well, it's easy enough to take him back."
Alice bit her lip. "Oh, I suppose…" He was just such a charming little creature, all fat and furry, snowy white fur and reddish eyes. His long, pale pink tail curled around his body and his translucent ears twitched.
Jervis glanced at her for a moment, and then realized where her thoughts were. "Oh, no. Not at all. We can't, Alice. We mustn't. You have no idea how much trouble…"
"But Jervis! He's just a sweet little guy, and they'd cut him right open in a second!"
"Can you imagine what kind of fit Dr. Cates would pitch if she found a mouse in here as a pet?"
"Oh, she'll never need to know! Come on, Jervis, we could rescue him! He must be a smart little guy, to get out all on his own. He'd keep you company when you're in here all alone."
"I do not need a mouse as a laboratory assistant, Alice." Oh, she didn't want it to have to come to this. Really, she didn't. But it simply couldn't be helped.
"Please, Jervis?" Her eyes went huge and watery, her eyelashes batting at him. Her lips poofed out in a pout and she clasped her hands together in supplication. "Please? Spare the little guy's life for me? I know it's a lot to ask, but look at him! He's just a lonely little scared mouse, with no one to mind him! You know you don't really want to turn him out; you're too sweet to do such a thing. You want what I want, don't you? Please, Jervis? Please? For me? Just this once? Please?" She was practically on top of him, playing Saint Alice of the Lab Rats. She really did want to save the poor thing and hoped that her employer was just enough of a softie to let her keep him.
"Gweeb. Uh, well, but Alice, really! We shouldn't—shouldn't even think about it, at all! Even if we both badly want to…"
"You want to, too, don't you?" Using his words against him. It was a dirty trick, but she batted her eyelashes a little more. She stepped a little closer, until the toes of her shoes were touching his.
"Well, t-that is, yes, of course I want to, I mean, I'd really love to, but we shouldn't because it isn't proper at all," he swallowed nervously. "I mean, there are dozens of things wrong with doing this, especially right here in the lab…" he was flushing a darker crimson than she had ever seen before. That was a little strange…was he all right? He looked a bit sweaty and his hands were fiddling nervously on the countertop, his eyes avoiding hers. She glanced over at the terrarium with the mouse in it and Jervis followed her gaze. "…b-because of the mouse, I mean! And Dr. Cates! And erm…well, what do you know about keeping mice, anyway?"
"I had a pet mouse in my sixth grade class." The jig was up. She put her hands down but didn't back off. Lightening the mood, she said, "Please, Jervis? I'll feed him and water him every day, and I'll get some thread and take him for walks around the block."
He chuckled at that, his face still rather red. Alice decided to give him some space and walked backwards to the tank and cooed down at the mouse, who had gotten out of the bowl and was inspecting his new surroundings. "You don't want to go back to that oily creep, do you, little mousie? You want to stay here with Mummy and Uncle Jervis, don't you? 'Please, Uncle Jervis,'" she squeaked, doing her best mouse impersonation. "'Let me stay with Miss Alice and you! I'll be an awfully good little mouse, you'll see!'"
"You are becoming extremely silly, Miss Pleasance," Jervis said in a wry sort of voice, coming over to look down at the rodent. "I suppose we needn't worry about rabies or anything of the sort, since he's a test mouse…"
"You mean…"
"Yes, but only as long as Dr. Cates doesn't know."
"Oh, Jervis!" Alice threw her arms around her boss and squeezed. "I knew you'd come through for us! You're absolutely the sweetest man in the world!"
Jervis said nothing, but rather shakily patted her back. Once she let go of her employer, she turned back to the mouse. "What shall we name you?"
She didn't really need to ponder it much, as the choice was obvious. "Lewis. Of course." Jervis smiled.
"Alice?" It was three weeks after Alice's horrible day and Lewis' inclusion into the office. "Would you please come in here?"
"What's up, Jervis?" It had been a quiet day so far, and this was the first time she had been called in all day.
"I believe something is wrong with your little pet." Sure enough, strange squeaking noises were coming from the tank. Alice came over to stand beside Jervis and look in.
Lewis looked fine, although he was sticking close to his bedding. There was a little blood on the cotton balls, which would've worried Alice if it hadn't been such as small amount. The squeaking had to have been coming from Lewis, but it sounded rather muffled.
"Do you think he's sick?" she wondered, biting her lip.
Jervis was about to answer when a little puff of the bedding suddenly moved, revealing a small pink foot and a small pink snout. Lewis was instantly up, replacing the puff, but it was too late. They'd seen.
Alice clutched Jervis' arm. "Oh, my goodness. Do you know what this means?"
"We have to start calling Lewis 'Carol'?" Alice giggled and swatted her smirking employer.
"We're grandparents!"
A/N: Okay, I'm sure everybody is completely sick and tired of hearing from me by now. Sorry, guys, but I've been attacked by plot bunnies and there is considerably more than this on the way.
If anybody would be interested in betaing for me, please drop a line. I'm in a paranoid terror of messing up Alice, since all we have to go on is that she's sweet, beautiful, considerate and shows a legitimate interest in and concern for Jervis. And that Jervis loves her very much. (That's one of the problems I see in the argument that he was only lusting after her: if that were so, why didn't he just use the mind control cards on her?) So advice is very welcome. I'm hoping to write a story from our Jervis' point of view next.
Anybody who figures out the Jack Bowerby joke gets a present and a hint of things to come.
Final thoughts: Edith is mean but observant. I look forward to using her again. Jervis is adorable when flustered and seems to have a tendency towards accidental sexual innuendos when I'm writing for him.