The new year rang in with gusto at 13 Paternoster Row. Alaya and Fiona's holiday is over and all fun activities will be a scheduled event.
It seems that the research on the Titanic made such an impact on the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company that the family business has expanded into corporate research. Instead of being out on the streets it is reading and paperwork. Fiona's shorthand and typing skills have proved not only a benefit but profitable.
13 Paternoster Row now has a flow of people, deliveries, telephone calls and telegrams all hours of the night. A brief discussion was had on hiring household staff, but Fiona and Jenny both nixed that idea.
Jenny, "We are four women and we can handle domestic work, deliveries are easily arranged and messages taken while maintaining our privacy."
Fiona nods in agreement, "We will be responsible for cleaning our own floors and combine for the common areas."
Jenny agrees, "As far as laundry we can hire out, I am sure Alaya and April know of services."
Vastra jokes to Alaya, "The mammals have spoken."
Jenny snaps at Vastra, "Don't mammal me, I might put you on loo duty."
Vastra, "Sorry dear, you are such a temptation to tease."
Alaya is shadowing April at 14 Savile Row three days a week while nights and three days a week she works for the Family Business. She did not struggle to take pride in the Saint Clair Tailor Shop. The detective work is amazing and never dull, but it is dangerous. Now that she has a family Alaya is extra cautious and pays attention to details both in the tailor shop and out sleuthing with her mothers.
Alaya reports are all the same, the Weeping Angels are still keeping an eye on 14 Savile Row. No signs of Weeping Angels anywhere between Leicester Square and Paternoster Row. Therefore, Fiona will stay east of King's College.
Fiona attends classes in the morning, a clerk for the family business in the afternoon and the rest of the time studying except for her weekly cricket playing.
Saturdays Alaya is at the Tailor shop while Fiona studies until afternoon tea either under a tree in Lincoln's Inn Fields or Kings College library. It is a rare occasion for a quiet Saturday evening which Alaya and Fiona take full advantage to hide away in their private second floor room together listening to music, reading or whatever couples do in private.
Sundays, are different. The two couples seldom leave their bedrooms before nine. When they egress it is the drawing-room for a sweet brunch that April made. In between bites everyone would plan out the rest of their Sunday while each flip through newspapers, event fliers or notices. Vastra and Alaya had veto power. Too cold cinema or staying home. Warmer it could lead to a ramble with a picnic lunch. It really does not matter, as long as they were together.
Sunday dinners, traditionally, the most spectacular meal of the week, and it is no exception at 13 Paternoster Row. It is always made by April with assistant from Alaya and Fiona. Vastra's favorite meal was sushi, Jenny's curry, Alaya's Chinese and Fiona's pizza. All easily agree the desserts were amazing and no one could pin down a choice front-runner.
On occasion Louisa and Flora would come for dinner, noted by Vastra the two friends would always visit when an Italian dish was the entrée.
During dessert and tea discussions of the suffragette, wars around the globe and other relevant news would dominate the evening. April was always cautious of letting out spoilers and stifles her enthusiasm with a personal reminder of the Prime Directive. It is decided the Flints, Flint-Saint Clair and Saint Clair women shall remain anonymous politically, but Sunday night discussion were so riveting one could not help the feeling that they need to do more.
Many times, especially when Louisa and Flora visit, Alaya and Fiona would sit on the windows enjoy the banter. It was always better than the cinema and it was free.
Alaya and Fiona would give their good nights always around nine, make sure the second floor Murphy Bed is open and with clean sheets for April.
Mondays are the most difficult with the alarm going on at five-thirty. Alaya and Fiona want to remain in their sleeping embrace. It is Alaya who makes the first move. If Fiona would not get up with soft encouragement, Alaya starts tickling Fiona's toes with her tongue, it always gets her up.
Basement sessions until seven, breakfast, showers and everyone's week begins.
Alaya and Fiona ride their bikes, west. First stop King's college, a quick hug goodbye and Alaya continues on to Savile Row.
Fiona received a special gift before her term began, it was a bicycle bell. "This bell is specially made for Silurian hearing and tongue sensations." Fiona blushes which immediately registered in Alaya as to her possible suggestive comment and blushed herself. "Fiona, pay attention," as Alaya tries to push the thought aside for a more proper time. "As I was saying, this bell will be heard, well honestly felt, within a two-mile radius. If there is trouble, ring as much as possible. I will come find you."
Fiona is enjoying being back in a classroom, but this last per-clinical term is extreme memorization. It is more like shoving a paper into a needle eye versus pouring water into a pitcher. No matter how much she studies when she gets into the classroom she feels like she her studying is never enough.
At the beginning of the term the lecture halls were full, but as the weather warms and spring peeks through the lecture halls there more empty seats than students.
Fiona is glad that she did not feel obligated to make friends at first, but now it would be good to join a study group. Fiona took it upon herself to make a flier announcing a study group for those concentrating in medicine. Fiona set a time and reserved a room in Maughan Library.
Fiona gets to the reserved room early. Moments later over fourteen of her classmates arrived. Immediately they divide into smaller study groups of five and each group went off on their own. The remaining classmates, to no surprise to those remaining, were all women. Instantly all the women felt at ease and straightaway began to study.
Schedules were synced and the study group would get together directly after lectures for one hour to go over notes and further discussion. This is the moment that Fiona decided to put cricket on hold temporarily to focus more on her studies, family business responsibilities and being a non-traditional wife to her half-Silurian. She has no regrets, but she still carries her cricket back, in case.
Late spring and the Sun has finally won against the London fog. Final exams are lurking weeks away. Fiona says goodbye to her study group to retrieve her bicycle and sees a weeping angel next to the bike rack.